"Dog, gather some dry firewood from behind that tree."
Second Uncle wasn't stupid either; he immediately figured out the coyotes' intent. After instructing Er Gouzi, he gripped his steel fork and stayed on high alert.
Liu Tiezhu jumped down from the tree as well, grabbed another steel fork, and stood back-to-back with Second Uncle to guard against a sneak attack from the coyotes.
Er Gouzi moved quickly. Within minutes, he had collected over a dozen dead branches and tossed them all into the fire. The flames surged up, forcing the coyotes back another meter.
Still, the coyotes showed no sign of retreat. They circled the three men, letting out low, menacing growls.
"Dog, take the steel fork. We can't waste time duking it out with these beasts. I'll aim for the alpha; you and Second Uncle hold off the pack."
Liu Tiezhu handed the steel fork to Er Gouzi, then pulled out his compound crossbow, ready to strike first.
Once they were set, Liu Tiezhu aimed the crossbow at the alpha coyote and fired without hesitation. From seven meters away, the bamboo bolt struck the alpha's neck, and blood sprayed out. The alpha let out a mournful cry before collapsing to the ground, twitching.
The other coyotes howled and lunged at Liu Tiezhu. He reacted swiftly, rolling like a donkey back behind Second Uncle, then grabbing a burning stick. The three of them formed a triangle.
"Second Uncle, Dog, fight!"
As the coyotes charged, Liu Tiezhu shouted decisively. Second Uncle and Er Gouzi swung their steel forks in wide arcs, trying to sweep the pack away. Liu Tiezhu whirled his fire stick fiercely, smashing several charging coyotes several meters back, their fur catching fire.
But these coyotes seemed dead set on killing them. Even after being knocked flying, they charged again without fear of death.
"These beasts are determined to fight to the death," Second Uncle said, a hint of panic creeping in as he watched the coyotes regroup.
"Second Uncle, just stab them with the fork. Dog and I will handle defense," Liu Tiezhu said, changing tactics urgently.
"That works. Dog, don't you embarrass me," Second Uncle bellowed to steel his nerves, then hurled his steel fork at a male coyote charging toward him. The coyote had no chance to dodge. With a *thud*, the fork pierced straight through its body, and it fell to the ground, twitching briefly before going still.
Seeing this, the other coyotes redirected their attack at Second Uncle. But Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi were ready, swinging their steel fork and fire stick hard, sending the incoming coyotes flying.
Second Uncle picked up his steel fork and thrust it forward again, taking down another coyote. The whole sequence was seamless—a true old hunter's skill.
"Second Uncle, you've still got it," Liu Tiezhu joked, impressed by the smooth moves.
"I'm old, can't keep up with you youngsters," Second Uncle said with a self-deprecating laugh, already aiming his fork at another coyote poised to attack.
These coyotes showed no fear, still circling the three men and creeping closer.
Liu Tiezhu did a quick count: besides the four they'd killed, there were nineteen left.
"Dog, stay sharp. I'm about to make a move," Liu Tiezhu warned. He aimed his crossbow at another coyote, gave Second Uncle a nod, and fired.
Second Uncle reacted instantly, hurling his steel fork at the same time. In that moment, two more coyotes dropped.
The remaining coyotes charged again, launching a second wave.
"Come on, you beasts! I'll kill every last one of you!" Er Gouzi roared, swinging his steel fork hard and snapping the spine of a charging coyote.
Liu Tiezhu's fire stick followed with a wide sweep, smashing the head of a coyote trying to ambush Second Uncle. Second Uncle grabbed his fork and quickly retreated.
In this round, three more coyotes fell.
Finally, the survivors grew afraid. They kept their eyes fixed on the trio but began backing away slowly.
"Tiezhu, they're pulling back. Let's press our advantage," Second Uncle said, aiming his fork at another coyote.
Liu Tiezhu understood, slowly shifting his crossbow to target a different one.
"Now."
Almost simultaneously, Second Uncle's fork and Liu Tiezhu's bamboo bolt flew. Two more coyotes hit the ground.
The rest panicked completely and scattered.
"Hahaha, we hit the jackpot, we hit the jackpot!" Er Gouzi burst out laughing.
They'd bagged nine coyotes in one go, each over thirty-five jin—over three hundred jin of meat total. Add the ghost-faced sheep from earlier, and they'd hauled in eight hundred jin of meat in just over an hour.
Liu Tiezhu warned, "Second Uncle, Dog, we can't stay here long. We need to drag these coyotes away fast, or it'll attract other predators."
The heavy smell of blood here would draw any large carnivores nearby if they caught the scent.
Each of them slung three coyotes over their backs and hurried back to where they'd killed the ghost-faced sheep. After a quick cleanup, they stuffed the meat into burlap sacks.
Staring at three full sacks of fresh meat, Liu Tiezhu had no plans to head back yet. He turned to Er Gouzi. "Dog, take one sack back first. Tell Shan Ge to come help. Second Uncle and I will scout around nearby, see if we can find other game."
"Got it. I'm on my way." Er Gouzi didn't waste words. He nodded, hoisted a sack onto his back, and headed down the mountain.
"Second Uncle, you watch the meat. I'll go ahead a bit."
Second Uncle nodded. "Be careful. If anything happens, light a signal fire."
After parting ways with Second Uncle, Liu Tiezhu gripped his steel fork and crossbow, quietly creeping toward the right side of the thicket. Since rare game like ghost-faced sheep had come out to forage, it meant food in the deep mountains was running low. Other herbivores were likely emerging too.
After covering a few dozen meters, Liu Tiezhu stopped abruptly. He carefully parted the weeds, poked his head out, and froze at the sight ahead.
In front of him, a full-grown wild sow was rooting through the soil, flipping up grass roots. Six piglets rushed over to fight for the tender morsels, devouring them clean.
Liu Tiezhu knew this group well. Back in the cornfield, he and Er Gouzi had run into this very family. The boar that attacked them then was now dried meat. What a coincidence—here he was, running into the sow with her brood.
Liu Tiezhu slowly pulled back, hiding his crossbow in the weeds as he moved. The pig herd was still about ten meters away—too far for the crossbow's killing power.
The sow hadn't spotted the hunter ahead. She kept her head down, rooting through the dirt, until she was just four meters from Liu Tiezhu. Then she lifted her head and looked around.
The moment she did, Liu Tiezhu pulled the trigger without hesitation. The bamboo bolt pierced the sow's skull.
A piercing squeal echoed through the mountains, sending countless animals scattering in panic.