novelden Chapter 369 If you keep saying that, I'll really get cocky.
Chapter 369 If you keep saying that, I'll really get cocky.
With the sudden acceleration, Chen Chen, who was already tense in the group, kept his eyes fixed on the wolf pack that was eyeing them menacingly on the outside, completely unaware of a rock half-buried in snow under his feet.
He tripped over a stone, slipped, lost his balance, and fell heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of snow.
The fall was so hard that the shotgun slipped from his hand and slid several meters away.
His body left a long trail in the snow. He felt dizzy and struggled to get up, but found his legs were weak and powerless.
Sensing a golden opportunity, the lead wolf howled to the sky, its voice sharp and mournful, as if sounding the horn of attack.
In an instant, the wolves, who had been eyeing him menacingly, surged towards him like a black tide.
Upon seeing this, Li Xiangyang quickly aimed his gun at the wolf charging at the front and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
With a loud bang, the wolf was struck in mid-air and its body flew backward like a kite with a broken string.
But the wolf pack's offensive did not stop there; more wolves came from all directions.
Seeing this, Wang Ergou fired at the wolf that was lunging at Chen Chen while shouting, "Quick, pull Chen Chen up!"
His voice became hoarse with anxiety.
Li Daqiang and Li Dabao also turned around quickly, using their shotguns to suppress the wolves that were flanking them from the side, buying time to rescue Chen Chen.
At this moment, a huge spotted wolf rushed up to Chen Chen. It leaped high into the air, its sharp claws gleaming coldly in the snow, aiming straight for Chen Chen's throat.
At the critical moment, Li Xiangyang reacted swiftly, turning to the side and aiming, shooting the spotted wolf in the abdomen.
The spotted wolf let out a painful howl, its body twisting in the air before crashing heavily beside Chen Chen, kicking up a cloud of snow mist.
Still shaken, Chen Chen finally stood up with the help of others.
After their initial shock subsided, the hunting party continued their arduous journey towards the pine tree, surrounded by wolves.
Their steps faltered slightly due to the recent turn of events, but everyone knew they couldn't stop now; if they were completely surrounded by the wolves, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The wolves followed closely behind them, launching probing attacks repeatedly. Several wolves' and hunters' bloodstains were already left on the snow, mixed together in a shocking sight.
As they drew closer to the pine tree, the wolves seemed to sense that their prey was about to escape their grasp and pounced again as a group.
This time, the wolf pack adopted a smarter tactic: instead of attacking head-on, they attacked from all directions simultaneously, intending to disperse the hunters' firepower.
"Maintain formation!" Li Xiangyang shouted. "Ergou, you're in charge of the twelve o'clock position; Daqiang, you keep an eye on the three o'clock position; Dabao, you guard the six o'clock position; the rest of you fill in the gaps!"
Gunshots and wolf howls filled the air. The hunting party members stood back to back, struggling to resist attacks from all sides.
With ammunition dwindling, Li Xiangyang knew he had to reach a safe area as soon as possible.
“On my command,” he said in a deep voice, “I will count to three, and we will charge at that tree together. One, two, three, charge!”
The hunting party members unleashed all their strength and charged toward the pine tree.
Li Xiangyang brought up the rear, continuously firing shots to repel the relentless wolf pack.
"Quick, climb the tree!" Li Xiangyang shouted as they reached the pine tree. "Ergou, you go up and provide cover!"
Wang Ergou nimbly climbed the pine tree, aimed from above, and provided cover for his companions.
The others also climbed up the tree, leaving only Li Xiangyang and Li Daqiang below.
"Daqiang, you go!" Li Xiangyang said, firing another shot at the same time, repelling a wolf that pounced on him.
Li Daqiang shook his head: "Xiangyang, you're a better shot, you go first, I'll cover you."
"Stop talking nonsense and follow orders!" Li Xiangyang said firmly.
Li Daqiang gritted his teeth, grabbed the tree trunk, and began to climb.
Just then, a huge black wolf suddenly pounced from the side, its target aimed directly at Li Xiangyang's throat.
At the critical moment, a dark figure darted out like lightning; it was Xiao Hu.
It lunged at the black wolf, the two beasts collided in mid-air, and then tumbled and crashed onto the snow.
Although the little tiger is brave, it is still smaller than an adult wolf.
It was pinned underneath, struggling and whimpering in pain.
"Little Tiger!" Li Xiangyang shouted, raising his gun to aim, only to find the magazine was empty.
At the critical moment, a sharp cry came from the sky.
Everyone looked up and saw Little Gold swooping down from the sky, its sharp claws accurately seizing the Black Wolf's eyes.
The wolf let out a miserable howl, released the tiger cub, and rolled in agony on the snow.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Hu broke free and ran quickly back to Li Xiangyang's side.
Li Xiangyang quickly changed to the last magazine, aimed at the Black Wolf, and pulled the trigger.
With a gunshot, the wolf king finally fell and never got up again.
The wolf pack lost its leader and began to fall into disarray; some lingered in place, while others began to retreat.
"They're leaving!" Wang Ergou shouted excitedly from the tree.
Sure enough, the wolf pack, now leaderless, began to scatter and quickly disappeared into the vast snow forest.
Li Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Finally solved."
The crowd climbed down from the tree and gathered around Li Xiangyang.
"Brother Xiangyang, that was too dangerous," Li Dabao said, still shaken. "If it weren't for your good command, we probably would have been eaten by the wolves."
Li Xiangyang shook his head: "It's the result of teamwork. Besides, if it weren't for Xiaohu and Xiaojin, I might not have survived."
He crouched down, gently stroked the tiger cub, and checked its injuries. Fortunately, they were just superficial wounds and nothing serious.
“We need to quickly process our prey and leave this place,” Li Xiangyang said. “Although the wolf pack has temporarily retreated, they might come back.”
The group immediately sprang into action and quickly dealt with the two wild boars lying on the snow.
An hour later, the hunting party began their journey home, dragging their prey with them.
On the way, Wang Ergou walked up to Li Xiangyang and whispered, "Brother Xiangyang, we'll have plenty to brag about when we get back to the village today."
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Don't talk nonsense. This is the credit of the whole team, not just one person."
Wang Ergou insisted, "But you really are the most skilled hunter I've ever seen. Not only are your marksmen accurate, but you're also a great commander. If it weren't for you, we might really be in grave danger today."
Li Xiangyang patted him on the shoulder: "Alright, if you keep talking like that, I'll really get cocky. Go back and get some rest; you did a great job too."
As dusk fell, the hunting party returned to Xiaoliang Village with a bountiful harvest.
At the village entrance, Li Xiaoyun and her family members had been waiting for a long time. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the hunting team return safely.
"You're all back?" Li Xiaoyun greeted him, and exclaimed in surprise when she saw the bloodstains on Li Xiangyang, "You're injured?"
Li Xiangyang smiled and patted Li Xiaoyun's head, saying as if coaxing a child, "Don't be nervous, this blood isn't mine. When you're hunting outside, you can't be completely clean; it's normal to get some blood on your hands. I guarantee you're not injured. If you were really hurt, you wouldn't be jumping around like this."