Ergouzi's words were not an exaggeration. Once these large carnivores couldn't fill their stomachs, they would also enter the village to hunt humans. Though this wasn't a possibility for now, it didn't mean it wouldn't happen later. Moreover, as the snowstorm continued, resources in the mountains would rapidly dwindle. To satisfy their hunger, the carnivores would inevitably expand their search for prey, and entering the village would be unavoidable.
"We have to reinforce the courtyard walls, and the house doors and windows need to be re-strengthened with thornwood," Second Uncle said, snapping back to reality. Although the danger Ergouzi mentioned might not come to pass, preparing in advance was never a mistake. Otherwise, by the time these beasts entered the village, it would be too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost. Second Uncle's suggestion was unanimously agreed upon.
The next day, the snow grew heavier, and the temperature dropped a few more degrees. In the village, every household stayed indoors, lighting fires to keep warm. In such frigid weather, no one dared to go out hunting. After breakfast, Second Uncle and Big Brother led the mule, carrying hatchets and steel forks, heading to the foot of the mountain to cut thornwood. Thornwood was a unique tree species in the area, reaching only the thickness of an adult's thigh when fully grown. Its branches were covered in sharp thorns and had a peculiar odor that repelled wood-boring insects. Additionally, thornwood was extremely durable. If soaked in water for three to five days before being used to make furniture, it wouldn't rot for thirty years under normal use. However, processing this wood was time-consuming and labor-intensive. Though it made long-lasting furniture, few were willing to use it. To prevent future beast incursions into the village, Second Uncle deliberately chose this durable wood.
After seeing off Big Brother and Second Uncle, Liu Tiezhu took Ergouzi, each carrying a bag of dried meat and a compound crossbow, and set off on foot toward the bamboo grove. Before leaving, Liu Tiezhu instructed his sister-in-law to boil a large pot of the herbal water from last time. This trip to the bamboo grove had two purposes: first, to improve their escape speed, and second, to see if they could find some winter bamboo shoots to bring back. The experience with the rock tiger had made Liu Tiezhu realize that relying solely on hunting dogs and his current physical fitness was still insufficient for safe hunting in the mountains. He had to raise his stamina, combat skills, and reflexes to the level of a mercenary.
The two walked for about forty minutes before reaching the bamboo grove. Ergouzi rubbed his hands together, exhaling warm breath to speed up blood circulation in his fingers. Liu Tiezhu said, "Dog, today's task is physical training." "From here, run to where we dug bamboo shoots last time in ten minutes." Hearing this, Ergouzi's eyes widened. "Tiezhu, that spot is 1,500 meters away!" "Running there in ten minutes? Are you trying to kill me?" "Stop your nonsense. If you want to get into the mountains quickly, follow me and run." With that, Liu Tiezhu took off running.
The distance was 1,500 meters, with obstacles along the way, and it was snowing. A normal person couldn't cover that distance in ten minutes. But Liu Tiezhu was training like an abnormal person, seeking breakthroughs in stamina and speed. Only by endlessly pushing the limits of physical endurance and reaction time could he face a beast's ambush. Seeing Liu Tiezhu run, Ergouzi didn't dare stop, gritting his teeth and following. The two ran with all their might, sprinting all the way. When they reached the destination, both were pale, gasping for air. "I can't go on, Tiezhu," Ergouzi said, waving his hand, his head spinning. This was the reaction to rapid running, where the heart rate couldn't keep up with the oxygen deficit. Liu Tiezhu said sternly, "You have to. Our speed is too slow." "If a beast were chasing us just now, what do you think would have happened?" He too felt dizzy and short of breath. But he knew that everything was hard at the start. With intensified training, they would soon adapt to this rhythm. Just like when they jogged with stones on their backs—it was harder at first, but they got through it.
After resting for over ten minutes, Liu Tiezhu led Ergouzi to search the area. They pushed aside the thick, rotting bamboo leaves, looking for any newly sprouted shoots. But luck wasn't with them this time. After searching a dozen meters, they found nothing. Liu Tiezhu wasn't disappointed and called Ergouzi to run back.
The morning passed quickly. They ran back and forth eight times, and Ergouzi was utterly exhausted. He lay on the ground, waving his hands, his legs feeling like they were about to detach from his body, nearly numb. Liu Tiezhu's condition wasn't much better than Ergouzi's. He sat on the ground, panting heavily. After a rest, Ergouzi sat up and said, "Tiezhu, even if we run our legs off, we can't cover that distance in ten minutes." "Nothing is impossible. With more training, we'll definitely reach that speed." "Go gather some dry bamboo. We'll have lunch and then keep running." Hearing they had to run more, Ergouzi groaned, his face full of reluctance.
An hour later, after filling their stomachs, the two dragged their sore legs and ran again. It wasn't until dusk that they trudged back to the village, exhausted. By the time they returned, it was already dark. Smoke rose from the kitchen chimney in their yard, and a mouthwatering aroma wafted out. Liu Tiezhu and Ergouzi, their stomachs growling with hunger, quickened their pace. As they neared home, Ergouzi, walking ahead, suddenly stopped and pointed at the western wall of the yard. On top of the wall, a figure was lying, quietly observing everything inside. "Don't make a sound. Let's sneak over and see who the bastard is," Liu Tiezhu said. He crouched low and crept over quietly. Ergouzi moved around from the other side of the wall to block any escape.
The person on the wall didn't realize they'd been spotted and was about to jump down quietly. Just as they gripped the wall and began lowering themselves, Liu Tiezhu grabbed their legs and yanked hard, throwing them to the ground. The person screamed but didn't dare look back to see who had thrown them, scrambling to run. Liu Tiezhu was ready and grabbed their foot, dragging them back. Now he could see clearly—it was Liu Haifeng from the same village. This bastard used to hang out with Liu Gang and often bullied the villagers. Sneaking around on the yard wall like that, he was definitely up to no good. Ergouzi also circled around. Seeing it was Liu Haifeng, he didn't hesitate, raising his fist and punching. After a few blows, Liu Haifeng was dazed, his mouth full of blood, waving his hands in surrender. Ergouzi grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up. "What the hell were you doing on our wall?" "If you don't tell me the truth, I'll kill you, you son of a bitch." Liu Haifeng said, "Dog, I was passing by and smelled something good from your yard, so I climbed up to take a look." "Look at my ass! You're not telling the truth, are you?" "See if I don't beat you to death today, you bastard." Ergouzi cursed and raised his fist again. "Dog, stop. Let him go," Second Uncle said, stepping out to intervene. Ergouzi was reluctant but followed Second Uncle's order and released Liu Haifeng.
Once inside the yard, Ergouzi voiced his suspicion that Liu Haifeng had been trying to steal. With the snow continuing, many hunters had little food left in storage. A lazy good-for-nothing like Liu Haifeng was even less likely to have stockpiled supplies. After hearing this, Second Uncle and the others frowned. As the saying goes, it's not the thief you fear but the one who has his eye on you. Now that Liu Haifeng knew there was meat in the house, he would definitely start scheming. Liu Tiezhu knew this was just the beginning.