While Li Ling and the others were bathing, Wang Lun moved the supplies out, continuing to dry what needed to be dried. The dried fish were set aside to be hung from the rafters later. Those that weren't dried yet were hung on a rack next to the hearth. The dried seafood was put into a basket, while the undried seafood was temporarily placed on a mat next to the rack. Now the area next to the rack was full of supplies—mostly bananas and some seafood. Wang Lun looked around and still felt the mud house was a bit small; it hadn't been long, and already the space felt insufficient.
However, Wang Lun didn't have time to think about these things now. He continued to sort through his catch, hanging the kelp and seaweed under the eaves to continue drying. Then he took the fishing nets out, threw them on the ground to dry, and then put them away. He then placed all the odds and ends in a separate basket. The only thing left was the curtain fabric. Wang Lun planned to sun-dry it for a few more days, then boil it at high temperature before using it. After all, he had to be careful with this kind of thing, lest it carry any viruses and cause an infection.
By then, the sun was about to set, and Li Ling and the other two had all taken a bath. Wang Lun then went to take a bath, and the three of them sat and chatted in the camp.
Wang Lun was taking a bath when he suddenly heard three people shouting something. Listening carefully, he was horrified to hear them yelling, "Wang Lun, help!" Wang Lun, forgetting his half-finished bath, quickly put on his shorts and went outside. He ran up the steps in a few strides and looked towards the sound, finding three women holding spears, guarding the camp's main gate.
Wang Lun hurried over. Upon closer inspection, he saw a pack of hyenas outside the camp. Wang Lun was somewhat surprised, as he had only ever seen these creatures on television before, never in person. However, these things were quite formidable; their nickname, "Anal-Tearing Beast," spoke volumes about their ferocity.
Wang Lun felt a chill run down his spine, so he shook his head, temporarily setting aside those chaotic thoughts and focusing on how to survive the upcoming beast attack. He first calmed the three women down, waiting for them to regain some composure before having them hand over their spears. Then he went to fetch the sticks he had prepared to block the door.
Li Ling, being older than Liu Ruoxi and the others, reacted first, handing her spear to Wang Lun and running to move the sticks. Liu Ruoxi and Liu Ruoling followed suit and started moving them too. However, when they returned, only Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi were moving the sticks; Liu Ruoling had gone inside to retrieve her bow and arrows, and she and Wang Lun stood guard at the door.
After moving the sticks aside, Wang Lun instructed Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi to take spears and stand guard at the door. Any hyena that dared to approach should be struck with a spear. The two picked up the spears from the ground, mustered their courage, and stood on either side of the gate, keeping an eye on the hyenas outside. Meanwhile, Wang Lun quickly placed the sticks horizontally into the pre-made grooves. Although he said it would be quick, it was actually even faster, and hyenas were constantly charging at the gate. Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi shouted as they forcefully thrust their spears forward, then pulled them back, then thrust them forward again, repeating this motion over and over.
Soon, Wang Lun placed all the sticks blocking the door into the recesses, adding another layer of protection behind the door. Only then did Wang Lun feel somewhat relieved. Li Ling and the others, seeing no hyenas, also felt relieved. Liu Ruoling sheathed her bow, relaxing her tense muscles, while Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi slumped to the ground. Wang Lun turned around and saw the three women like this. He then told Liu Ruoling to go back inside and fetch the short spears, and also to give each of them a piece of dried fruit to chew on, to distract themselves.
Wang Lun himself climbed the wall, spear in hand, watching the pack of hyenas outside. Soon, Liu Ruoling brought the things, and Wang Lun told them to all climb the wall.
Although Li Ling and the others were terrified, they were even more afraid of the hyenas rushing into the camp. So, they mustered their courage, climbed the wall, and stood next to Wang Lun. Fortunately, the wall was sturdy enough to support the weight of four people. Wang Lun distributed short spears to Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi, and told Liu Ruoling to prepare her arrows. He also instructed Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi to throw the short spears as quickly as possible, using the same method they had used to kill rabbits last time.
Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi took a few deep breaths before preparing themselves. Wang Lun looked at Liu Ruoling, who nodded. Wang Lun then turned back to watch the hyenas charging at the gate and the section of the wall where he and Liu Ruoxi stood. As the hyenas charged again, Wang Lun shouted, "Kill!" Hearing Wang Lun's voice, Li Ling and Liu Ruoxi quickly threw all four short spears with all their might, as fast as they could. Liu Ruoling, meanwhile, fired arrows one after another at top speed. Wang Lun, meanwhile, used both hands simultaneously, throwing short spears with his right hand and preparing with his left.
In a split second, twelve short spears, one long spear, and five alloy arrows were hurled by Wang Lun and his companions. Wang Lun, caught up in the excitement, even threw the long spear. The results were plentiful: four hyenas were hit by the short spears; three died, and one was severely wounded and wouldn't live much longer. The long spear struck a large hyena; although it didn't die, it couldn't escape dragging the spear, especially since part of it was embedded in the ground. As for Liu Ruoling, her five alloy arrows hit three hyenas; two of them overlapped with Wang Lun and his group, one was killed by two alloy arrows, and the last arrow missed its target.
Of the ten hyenas in the group, Wang Lun and his men shot and killed six of them in one go. The remaining four fled for their lives and ran far away.
Wang Lun stood on the wall, staring at the distant woods, fearing the birds might return. Li Ling and the other two also climbed down from the wall, exhausted. After climbing down, Li Ling went to the shower room to retrieve Wang Lun's clothes and pants. Then, Wang Lun put them on right there on the camp wall. Although it was somewhat indecent, there was no other way given the situation. Li Ling and the other two understood.
Wang Lun kept watch for more than ten minutes, and seeing no sign of the hyenas returning, he called Liu Ruoxi over and told her to stand on the wall and keep an eye on the surroundings, reporting any unusual activity immediately. Then Wang Lun, along with Li Ling and Liu Ruoling, went outside the camp and retrieved all the hyenas. Liu Ruoxi wanted to say something, but considering that inside the camp, besides spears, there were no other weapons, it was impossible for each of them to fight in close combat with just a knife. Wang Lun might be able to manage, but what about the other three? Were they just going to be easy prey? Liu Ruoxi had no choice but to agree.
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