novelden Chapter 200: The trip wasn't in vain.
Chapter 200: The trip wasn't in vain.
After returning home from the livestock shed, Li Xiangyang took a shower and went straight to sleep.
He left home early the next morning.
Xuanmao and Xiaohu followed one after the other, moving nimbly along the muddy mountain path.
Hunting in the mountains is not easy this season.
In the late winter and early spring, there is still snow in the Xing'an Mountains, and the soil is soft, so you have to be extra careful with every step you take.
Li Xiangyang could hear the rushing sound of melting snow from afar from time to time, and he also had to avoid several hard-to-see ditches and pits from time to time.
"This awful weather," Li Xiangyang muttered, wiping the sweat from his face.
Although it was chilly when he set off in the morning, he felt hot all over after walking for a short while.
This kind of weather is the most torturous. If you wear too little, you're afraid of catching a cold; if you wear too much, you'll be drenched in sweat.
The glacier thaws, all things revive, butterflies flutter, bears frolic, and spring arrives with blooming flowers.
Many animals are preparing for reproduction and are more vigilant than usual, which directly increases the difficulty of hunting.
Li Xiangyang searched for various traces in the mountains for a long time before finally tracking down a prey.
As a rustling sound came from the left front, Li Xiangyang gripped his gun tightly and crept over quietly.
At this moment, a large roe deer was foraging in the bushes not far away, its fur color beginning to transition from the grayish-white of winter to the reddish-brown of spring.
"Good heavens," Li Xiangyang thought to himself.
This roe deer weighs at least forty pounds; if we could shoot it down, it would be worth a lot of money.
Just as he was about to raise his gun, the roe deer alertly raised its head and sniffed in his direction.
Li Xiangyang immediately stopped what he was doing, barely daring to breathe.
The wind direction is unpredictable this season, and you can easily alert the enemy if you're not careful.
Little Tiger also noticed its prey. Having participated in several hunts before, it had matured considerably and did not make any rash moves, but simply kept its eyes fixed on that direction.
The black cat had already been lurking in a clump of grass, quietly creeping over, ready to launch a surprise attack at any moment.
The roe deer seemed to sense no danger and lowered its head to continue foraging.
Li Xiangyang waited for the perfect moment, his finger lightly resting on the trigger.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from behind him, and the roe deer instantly became alert and ran away.
"Damn it!" Li Xiangyang cursed under his breath, but still quickly raised his gun and aimed.
This is the best time to test your marksmanship. The roe deer is extremely fast when it is running, and the terrain is complex. If you miss even slightly, you will miss.
Once the shot misses, it becomes very difficult to catch up once the enemy escapes the effective firing range.
Taking a deep breath, Li Xiangyang gently pulled the trigger.
boom!
After the gunshot, the roe deer leaped forward a few steps before crashing heavily to the ground.
hit!
Li Xiangyang was secretly pleased, but he did not step forward immediately. Instead, he remained vigilant and carefully observed the surrounding movements.
As I said before, not all animals are afraid of gunshots.
Especially in the deep mountains and forests, there are animals that have never seen the power of a gun.
After confirming that it was safe, Li Xiangyang walked towards where the roe deer had fallen, with Xuanmao and Xiaohu excitedly following him.
Seeing the bullet pierce straight through the deer's neck, Li Xiangyang couldn't help but marvel at how much better his marksmanship had become.
The shot neither damaged the flesh nor caused the deer to lose consciousness without suffering much pain.
Just as he was about to deal with the roe deer, the black cat suddenly raised its fur and let out a low warning growl.
Li Xiangyang immediately became alert and gripped his gun tightly.
The sounds from the jungle grew closer, and Li Xiangyang could hear the sound of branches being snapped underfoot.
He quickly hid behind a large tree and concealed the roe deer in the bushes.
Xuanmao and Xiaohu also found cover, but their behavior puzzled Li Xiangyang.
The two little ones didn't show much hostility; instead, they seemed to be welcoming old friends.
Soon, a huge figure came into view.
Li Xiangyang looked through the gaps in the tree trunk and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It turned out to be the old wolf king.
Its injured leg has almost healed. Although it still walks with a slight limp, it can move around freely.
“Old friend,” Li Xiangyang said with a smile as he emerged from behind the tree, “you’re out foraging for food too?”
The old wolf king flicked its tail, its gaze falling on the roe deer in the bushes.
Li Xiangyang smiled and shook his head: "Don't even think about it, I finally managed to get it."
Suddenly, the old wolf king's ears twitched, and he turned to look into the distance.
Li Xiangyang immediately became alert: "What's wrong?"
The old wolf king let out a low growl, and the black cat and the little tiger both pricked up their ears.
Li Xiangyang listened carefully and vaguely heard heavy footsteps and the sound of tree branches breaking.
Realizing that he had attracted the bear, Li Xiangyang decided not to engage in a direct confrontation and instead chose to temporarily avoid a direct confrontation.
Although he had a gun, he didn't want to get into a conflict with such a big guy unless absolutely necessary.
The main problem is that it's too dangerous; a single misstep could result in injury or death.
Having decided not to fight the other side head-on, he quickly took out a rope, tied the roe deer up, and then found a large tree with sturdy branches to hang the roe deer high up.
After Li Xiangyang secured the rope, the brown bear came into view.
This is a male bear of considerable size, weighing approximately 300-400 pounds.
It smelled blood and is searching around.
Li Xiangyang, the Old Wolf King, and Little Tiger hid behind a big tree, while the Black Cat kept watch from the tree.
The brown bear walked to the spot where the roe deer had been and sniffed the bloodstains on the ground.
Fortunately, the brown bear didn't seem satisfied with the faint bloodstains on the ground. After circling around a few times, it walked off in another direction.
Li Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief only after the brown bear had completely disappeared from sight.
The old wolf king also relaxed and sat on the ground to lick his paws.
"Thanks for reminding me," Li Xiangyang said gratefully.
If it weren't for the old wolf king's warning, he might have run into that brown bear.
The old wolf king wagged its tail, got up, and prepared to leave, but after taking a few steps, it turned back, looked at the roe deer in the tree, and then at Li Xiangyang.
"What, want a piece of the pie?" Li Xiangyang said with a smile.
He certainly understood what the old wolf king meant.
This roe deer is indeed quite large; it wouldn't hurt to share some with an old friend.
"Then wait a moment, until the bear is completely gone, then I'll share some with you."
About half an hour later, Li Xiangyang nimbly lowered the roe deer down from the tree, processed it, and gave half of it to the old wolf king.
"This is what you deserve. If you hadn't reminded me, that roe deer might have ended up with that brown bear today."
Having obtained half a deer carcass, the old wolf king left contentedly.
Li Xiangyang then began processing the remaining roe deer meat.
By the time the deer was dealt with, the sun was almost setting.
Li Xiangyang carried the roe deer on his back and prepared to go down the mountain.
Today's harvest was good, but the constant surprises were quite a shock.
Hunting in spring is indeed much more difficult than in winter. Not only do you have to worry about complex terrain, but you also have to be wary of wild animals that have just woken up from hibernation.
Fortunately, today's trip wasn't a complete waste.