Because few people had walked through these mountains for years, there were hardly any paths to follow. The grass was as tangled as ropes, making every step a struggle. When Chu Lingzhi was a child, she had followed her grandfather to find snake holes and catch snakes, so she had some experience.
After searching for over ten minutes, she encountered several snakes—some venomous, some not—but none were the kind she needed. Still, she didn’t give up and kept looking. She pushed aside the grass blocking her way and walked forward slowly.
Whoosh— Suddenly, a massive animal leaped out from ahead. Chu Lingzhi froze in shock—it was a wild boar! A pitch-black, enormous, and muscular wild boar!
It stood in front of her, snarling a warning at Chu Lingzhi. Some wild boars don’t actively attack humans, but others see people as prey. Moreover, an enraged boar, defending itself, would launch a brutal and reckless assault.
Chu Lingzhi had no intention of disturbing it, but in its eyes, she was an enemy threatening to harm it. She carefully shifted her body, moving backward slowly and lightly. When she had stood still earlier, the boar only issued warning sounds. Now that it saw her move, it assumed she was about to attack, so it charged.
“Ah…” Chu Lingzhi screamed and turned to run. Back when she lived on this mountain with her grandfather, even at night, she had never encountered wild boars. Now, they were everywhere.
Despite the boar’s massive size, it was surprisingly fast. Chu Lingzhi ran for her life, and it chased relentlessly. What should she do? Terrified, she didn’t want to be attacked or bitten by the boar.
“Ah…” Suddenly, she tripped over some dry vines, losing her balance and falling forward uncontrollably. “It hurts…” Dry branches scraped her arm, and the pain made her cry out.
But no matter how much it hurt, she had no time to stop and check her wounds. Seeing the boar about to pounce, she scrambled up in panic and kept running. Many of the bushes here were taller than her, and with so many dry vines, she stumbled again after just a few steps. Her hands landed on a patch of backward-facing thorns, their spikes piercing her skin and sending chills of pain through her.
The noise behind her grew closer. She glanced back. The boar was right there, snarling ferociously, ready to bite. Chu Lingzhi dared not move. She was certain that if she got up now, the boar would lunge at her with its full weight.
What should she do? Was she going to be eaten by a wild boar today? A sudden fear gripped her—not of dying, but of leaving her son and Nan Yehen. Being mauled to death by a boar would be an inglorious way to go, wouldn’t it?
Bang! Bang! Suddenly, two gunshots rang out in quick succession. “Oink, oink, oink…” The wild boar thrashed wildly for a few seconds, then collapsed, twitched a couple of times, and went still.
“Miss Chu, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?” Before Chu Lingzhi could snap out of it, Huo Luan rushed over and helped her up. The pain in her arm and palm made her wince. “Just some scrapes, nothing serious.”
“I caught two white-headed snakes. Are these the ones you need?” Huo Luan raised his left hand, holding two snakes. His grip was precise, pinching just below the snakes’ heads. This technique looked professional—the snakes couldn’t bite him. Even if they tried to attack with their bodies, a firm squeeze would soon kill them.
Chu Lingzhi’s eyes lit up when she saw one of them, momentarily forgetting the boar attack and the wounds on her hands.