"Release arrows!"
When the ghost-faced sheep were five meters away, Liu Tiezhu decisively pulled the trigger. The moment the bamboo arrow shot out, a ghost-faced sheep weighing over two hundred jin collapsed. Almost simultaneously, Ergouzi also pulled the trigger, and the ram he aimed at fell as well. The remaining flock, startled, all turned and bolted back in the opposite direction.
Just as Liu Tiezhu had predicted, the ghost-faced sheep were running straight toward the rock where his second uncle was hiding.
"Second Uncle, now!"
Liu Tiezhu shouted, loading a second bamboo arrow as he gave chase. His second uncle reacted swiftly, thrusting his spear at a ram the moment Liu Tiezhu's voice fell. The ram, pierced through its lower belly, still struggled, flinging the second uncle several meters away. The stampeding flock turned again, veering left in a frantic dash.
Liu Tiezhu, catching up, had no time to aim and simply pulled the trigger. Ergouzi, also closing in, fired a panicked arrow. Three sheep dropped on the spot, but the one Ergouzi hit only had its thigh pierced, not fatally wounded.
"Gouzi, stay and take care of Second Uncle."
Liu Tiezhu ordered, grabbing the machete Ergouzi had dropped on the ground, and chased after them with his flashlight. The ghost-faced sheep were fast, vanishing without a trace in an instant. But the one Ergouzi had wounded couldn't run far. Liu Tiezhu followed the blood trail with his flashlight, gritting his teeth as he sprinted, pushing hundreds of meters deep before stopping.
Five meters ahead, in front of a dense thicket of dead branches, lay a large pool of blood, but no sign of the injured ghost-faced sheep. The thicket was too dense; the flashlight couldn't penetrate it. This sight immediately put Liu Tiezhu on high alert.
Based on his experience, if the ghost-faced sheep hadn't hidden in the thicket, it had been killed and dragged in by another predator. He carefully examined the area around the thicket—no signs of dragging or trampling. There was only one possibility: the sheep had been carried off by another animal. Something capable of carrying off an adult ghost-faced sheep had to be sizable. After this analysis, Liu Tiezhu's hair stood on end.
Just then, a low growl came from within the thicket. A pair of gleaming green eyes shone brightly in the light. Then another, and another. A pack of coyotes!
In front of him were seven coyotes, the lead three with meat scraps hanging from their mouths—clearly, they had already torn apart the ghost-faced sheep. Liu Tiezhu's whole body went numb. He quickly scanned his surroundings, finally fixing his gaze on a nearby pine tree. Facing such a large pack of coyotes, a direct fight would be suicide. The only option was to climb the tree for safety.
But even up a tree wasn't safe. These coyotes could climb too, and if he wasn't careful, they'd drag him down as their meal. Fortunately, he had his compound crossbow and machete, which gave him some reassurance.
As the coyotes slowly encircled him, Liu Tiezhu didn't hesitate a second, charging toward the pine tree. The pack seemed to sense his intent and swarmed in. His face twisted in alarm as he fired an arrow from his crossbow at the lead coyote. Without waiting to see the result, he scrambled up the tree.
Reaching a fork in the branches, Liu Tiezhu pulled out the machete tucked at his waist and slashed at the coyotes climbing up after him. The blade struck a coyote's mouth solidly, and its pained yelp sent the pack retreating. But they didn't leave; they circled the pine tree, howling and snarling.
Liu Tiezhu had no idea what these cunning beasts were planning. He loaded another bamboo arrow and shot downward. Another coyote was pierced, but the remaining five still didn't leave. Instead, they howled into the pitch-black night sky.
"Damn it, this is bad," Liu Tiezhu muttered, his face grim. He recognized the call—they were summoning their pack. In desperation, he loaded another arrow and fired again. The coyotes had learned, darting into the thicket to wait quietly for reinforcements.
Thinking fast, Liu Tiezhu pulled out a lighter from his pocket, broke off some dry pine needles, and lit them. Whether he survived this depended on how smart his second uncle and Ergouzi were. If the coyote pack surrounded him, he'd be done for.
"Shit, I barely got a second chance at life, and now I'm going to end up as these bastards' meal? That's pathetic," he grumbled, snapping off pine branches and tossing them into the fire, hoping his second uncle and Ergouzi would see the signal and come quickly.
Meanwhile, his second uncle and Ergouzi had just finished dressing the sheep. Spotting the flames in the sky, the second uncle's face changed instantly. From experience, he knew Liu Tiezhu must be surrounded by some animal, forcing him to climb a tree and light a fire as a signal.
"Gouzi, stop messing around! Your cousin Tiezhu's in danger!" The second uncle snapped out of it, kicking Ergouzi, who was still packing the mutton, and grabbed a pitchfork, sprinting toward the fire. Hearing Liu Tiezhu was in trouble, Ergouzi dropped everything, grabbed another pitchfork and the compound crossbow, and followed his father.
"Tiezhu! Tiezhu!" the second uncle shouted as he ran, trying to pinpoint Liu Tiezhu's location. After sprinting dozens of meters, he was gasping for air, his face pale. The mountain air was thin, and running this far without stopping risked fainting—a dangerous move. But worried about Liu Tiezhu, he didn't care.
Hearing his second uncle's voice, Liu Tiezhu was overjoyed and called back, "Second Uncle, I'm here! I'm safe for now. But I'm surrounded by dozens of coyotes—be careful when you come!"
"Hold on, I'm coming!" the second uncle replied, relieved, then signaled Ergouzi to gather some dry wood.
"Dad, are you planning to build a fire at a time like this?" Ergouzi asked, baffled, unable to figure out his father's plan.
Without hesitation, the second uncle kicked Ergouzi in the butt and snapped, "You don't know anything! Hurry up and find dry wood!" After kicking him, he didn't waste time either, using his flashlight to search for dry branches.
Soon, they had collected a dozen pieces of firewood. But the wood was a bit damp, and the second uncle tried several times to light it without success.
"Dad, this wood's too wet. Lighting it like this won't work," Ergouzi said, stripping off his cotton coat, using the lighter to set it on fire, and tossing it onto the wood. This time, all the wood caught fire.
"Gouzi, grab a torch and charge with me. Remember, these beasts are afraid of fire, but stay sharp," the second uncle said, picking up a burning log and leading the charge. Ergouzi didn't hesitate, grabbing the remaining logs and following his father.
As they rushed in, the bright torches drove the coyotes back. But the pack didn't leave; they retreated a few meters, snarling low at the two men. The coyotes were clever—they were waiting for the flames to die out before attacking.