Chapter 80 The Hunt for the Wild Boar
The pheasant's terrified cries and flapping force made her arm go numb, and a few colorful feathers scattered.
After a brief struggle, the pheasant was finally brought under control. Xu Zhili breathed a long sigh of relief, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, but a bright and triumphant smile bloomed on her face.
"Whew...that's pretty strong."
She deftly tied the pheasant's wings and claws with the prepared straw rope, and was about to throw it into the space when she caught a glimpse of the depths of the grass where the pheasant had just flapped its wings.
Several eggs with brown spots were lying quietly in a simple nest made of dry grass!
"Hey! There are eggs too!"
Xu Zhili gasped in surprise, her eyes instantly lighting up.
She carefully parted the grass leaves, and five small, delicate wild eggs lay warm in her palm, carrying the scent of the mountains and the lingering warmth of life.
Imagining An'an's happy face when she saw the steamed egg custard, her heart softened, and her smile deepened.
She gently placed this unexpected find at the bottom of the small basket and lined it with soft moss.
With double the harvest, Xu Zhili continued on her way in a cheerful mood.
She looked closely at the ground and soon spotted clear, forked hoof prints in a patch of soft mud.
Following the direction of the hoofprints, she moved more cautiously, carefully avoiding the dead branches on the ground with each step.
The wind in the woods carried the faint sound of grass being chewed.
Quietly parting a clump of dense honeysuckle vines, a bright and open view suddenly appeared before me.
Three robust, glossy wild goats were leisurely grazing on tender grass in a forest clearing. Their thick, curved horns gleamed warmly in the sunlight, and they occasionally let out a satisfied moo.
"Good heavens!" Xu Zhili's heart skipped a beat, and she almost immediately began to imagine the taste of the mutton.
Since the end of the world, fresh lamb has become a luxury in my memory.
No matter how much the frozen supplies in the space are stored, they can never compare to the freshness of these lively goats grazing on natural pastures.
Just imagining the steaming hot mutton soup and the sizzling, oily roasted lamb chops made her mouth water involuntarily, and a strong craving welled up inside her.
She held her breath and slowly mobilized the power of space, and invisible ripples quietly spread out from her center.
The target was the goat that had been munching on grass with its head down, completely unsuspecting.
With focused intent, the power of space instantly enveloped it—in the blink of an eye, the goat, along with the grass around its mouth, vanished without a trace!
The two goats nearby seemed to sense something was amiss, raising their heads blankly and pricking up their ears warily.
Without pausing, Xu Zhili activated her ability again while they looked around in confusion.
The second and third goats also disappeared one after another, as if they had never been there, leaving only traces of grazing on the grass and a few dark goat droppings on the ground.
Looking at the suddenly empty forest clearing, Xu Zhili clapped her hands in satisfaction, her face beaming with an undisguised, slightly mischievous smile, as if she could already smell the aroma of mutton.
"That's great! An'an will have meat to eat, and we can even exchange it for a lot of good stuff."
She murmured to herself, feeling the generous gifts of the mountains and forests, and set off on her way home with light steps. Sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled patterns of light behind her.
Just as Xu Zhili was overjoyed at having caught three goats and was planning to stew a pot of milky white and fragrant goat soup for An'an that night, a series of heavy panting and the cracking sound of dry branches being broken suddenly came from the depths of the dense forest ahead.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she instantly suppressed her smile. Her body taut like a bowstring, and she silently slipped behind a huge ancient tree that would require two people to hug. Holding her breath, she cautiously peeked out half of her head.
In a clearing in the woods not far away, five wild boars—two large and three small—suddenly appeared.
The two boars were plump and strong, their manes standing upright like steel needles. The larger boar, in particular, had gleaming white tusks protruding from its mouth, which gleamed dangerously in the dappled light.
Three half-grown piglets were following their mother, nudging the tubers and insects under the fallen leaves with their wet snouts, making satisfied "oink oink" sounds.
"Oh ho, you've brought your whole family here?"
A startling light flashed in Xu Zhili's eyes. It wasn't pure excitement, but more like the burning passion of discovering a treasure in barren land.
This family represents an unimaginable amount of meat, fat, and even the opportunity to exchange for valuable resources through the system.
The thought of improving An'an's diet and stocking up on food for the winter instantly overwhelmed any possible fear.
However, the excitement lasted only a moment before reason quickly returned.
Two large adult wild boars, especially the male with its menacing tusks, were definitely not benevolent.
Her pre-apocalyptic experience taught her that a mother wild boar protecting her cubs and a male wild boar with a strong sense of territory are one of the most dangerous combinations in the mountains and forests, with an impact force comparable to a small tank.
Xu Zhili forced herself to calm down, her back pressed against the cold, rough tree trunk, her palms slightly sweaty.
She quickly assessed the situation: a direct confrontation?
Two fists are no match for four fangs.
Outsmarting them? Spatial capture requires precise targeting, and wild boars move swiftly and in large groups, posing a significant risk.
Her eyes flashed like lightning as she quickly scanned her surroundings—the ancient trees were thick and could serve as cover, but the thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground would make her movements noisy.
Not far away were several angular rocks, and a piece of hardwood, about the size of a bowl, that had broken off and fallen sometime during the night...
She silently licked her dry lips, her fingers unconsciously tracing the spot on her waist where she instinctively reached for the knife.
Yes, and this too.
Her companion through life and death in the apocalypse—the Tang sword with its long, narrow blade and restrained, cold gleam.
Her 50-centimeter length is her most reliable asset in close combat.
She slowly drew half of the knife from the air, the blade rubbing against the scabbard with a soft but reassuring "whoosh," the dark gleam reflecting the resolute look in her eyes.
"An'an, wait for your sister to bring you a big piece of meat back..." she murmured to herself, as if drawing on boundless strength.
Xu Zhili took a deep breath, letting the cold mountain air fill her lungs and clear away the last trace of distracting thoughts.
Like a nimble cat poised to pounce, she silently adjusted her position, concealing herself even better.
The wild boar family continued to leisurely root for food, completely unaware that danger was approaching.
Now!
Xu Zhili suddenly emerged from behind the tree, not rushing forward recklessly, but rushing towards the fallen hardwood branch at an extremely fast speed.
Her movements created a gust of wind, immediately attracting the attention of the most alert male wild boar.
It suddenly raised its head, its blood-red beady eyes instantly locking onto Xu Zhili, and a threatening growl came from its throat.
Hey! Look this way!
Xu Zhili's sharp rebuke was not a meaningless shout, but a precise provocation.
The moment the male boar charged in a rage, she bent down, picked up the heaviest stone on the ground, and slammed it down with all her might towards the ground, which was a little distance from the piglets but directly in the direction of the mother boar!
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