mtl008 Chapter 229 Hunting the Jackals
Chapter 229 Hunting the Jackals
The next morning, before dawn, Li Xiangyang woke up.
Looking at his sleeping wife beside him, and remembering how Li Xiaoyun had been exceptionally gentle with him last night out of concern for his safety, Li Xiangyang couldn't help but smile.
He got out of bed quietly, afraid of waking her.
Li Xiaoyun was sleeping soundly, with a faint blush on her face and her breathing even and long.
Li Xiangyang couldn't help but give her a gentle kiss on the forehead before quietly leaving the room.
In the courtyard, the morning mist had not yet dissipated, and there was a slight chill in the air.
After a quick wash, Li Xiangyang began checking his equipment.
Ammunition, rations, and water bottles—everything was provided.
"Dong dong dong."
There was a knock at the door. Li Xiangyang opened the gate and saw Wang Ergou standing outside.
"So, are you ready?" Wang Ergou asked.
“Almost done,” Li Xiangyang replied. “I’ll leave as soon as I grab my gun.”
At this moment, footsteps came from behind.
Li Xiaoyun had already gotten up and was standing at the door, dressed neatly.
"Wait." She quickly walked up to Li Xiangyang and handed him a bundle. "I've prepared some dry rations for you."
"Thank you, sister-in-law." Wang Ergou grinned.
Li Xiaoyun added, "Be careful, and never act recklessly if you encounter danger."
"Don't worry," Li Xiangyang patted her head, "I'll be back soon."
The two set off with Xuanmao and Xiaohu.
In the morning mist, four figures quickly disappeared at the village entrance.
After entering the mountains, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou tracked the jackal in the direction it had left in the previous night.
Occasionally, traces of blood and footprints can be seen on the ground, likely left by jackals dragging their prey.
“Those bastards ran pretty far,” Wang Ergou said.
Li Xiangyang nodded: "They must have gone up to higher ground."
After walking for about two hours, the terrain began to become steep.
The black cat suddenly stopped, pricked up its ears, and let out a low growl of alarm.
Little Tiger also tensed up, its tail standing straight up.
"Something's up," Li Xiangyang said in a low voice, signaling Wang Ergou to stop.
The two hid behind a boulder and carefully observed their surroundings.
Suddenly, a sharp cry came from overhead.
"Look!" Wang Ergou pointed to the sky.
A huge golden eagle was circling overhead, with a wingspan of more than two meters.
In the sunlight, its golden-brown feathers shimmer with a metallic sheen.
"So that's the guy!" Li Xiangyang exclaimed in realization. "No wonder those jackals were driven down the mountain."
The appearance of the golden eagle explained everything.
This bird of prey is not only enormous, but also extremely ferocious.
They are fully capable of preying on jackals, especially young individuals.
Moreover, their breeding season has just ended, and they are in dire need of food, so the smaller jackals have suffered.
"Knowing the reason is enough. Today's target is the jackals; let's not cause any unnecessary trouble."
Seeing that Wang Ergou was eager to try hunting, Li Xiangyang quickly stopped him.
Not to mention that they are still flying in the sky right now.
Even if it lands on a branch, if it misses and angers the other party, it will cause big trouble.
“Brother Xiangyang, what do you think about us sneaking along? Maybe we can spot a baby eagle on the mountain, and if we could tame one…” Wang Ergou said, his eyes shining.
"We'll talk about that another day. The most urgent thing is to deal with those jackals."
Li Xiangyang was also tempted by the proposal, but he suppressed his impulse.
The two continued deeper into the mountains, following the tracks of the jackals.
Black Cat and Little Tiger led the way, stopping from time to time to sniff the ground.
After walking for about half an hour, Xuanmao suddenly quickened his pace and ran towards a valley.
"We've found something!" Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou quickly followed.
Bloodstains were everywhere in the valley, indicating that the pack of jackals had been attacked again yesterday.
"Looks like those jackals got what they deserved here yesterday," Wang Ergou said, examining the marks on the ground.
Li Xiangyang carefully observed the surrounding environment: "Last night they dragged the beef here, and just happened to run into the golden eagle hunting them."
"What about the rest of the jackals?"
“They should have gone that way,” Li Xiangyang said, pointing to the dense forest at the other end of the valley.
The two continued searching for the tracks left by the jackal and gave chase.
At this time of year, the mountain vegetation is lush and verdant, almost everywhere is the same. If he didn't have a dog with him, even Li Xiangyang wouldn't dare to venture deep into the mountains.
It was much hotter and more humid in the mountains than in the village, and the air was thick with the smell of rotting leaves.
Mosquitoes buzzed around their ears, and even though they were both wearing long sleeves and pants, they were still bitten every now and then.
Xuanmao and Xiaohu also slowed down their pace.
The weeds have grown to waist height this season, forcing people to navigate carefully through them to avoid stepping on anything dangerous.
"Wait." Li Xiangyang suddenly stopped and squatted down to examine the ground.
There was a string of fresh footprints on the damp soil, and a few bloody deer hairs nearby.
“They rested here,” Li Xiangyang said in a low voice. “And they not only ate the beef from our village, but also hunted wild game along the way.”
Wang Ergou nodded: "These beasts have quite the appetite."
Just as the two were about to continue forward, the black cat suddenly pricked up its ears and its fur stood on end.
Little Tiger also growled warily.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou immediately held their breath and raised their guns.
The dense forest was completely silent; even the birdsong had ceased.
This unusual calm often foreshadows danger.
After a while, the black cat gradually relaxed.
"What's going on?" Wang Ergou asked in a low voice.
“I don’t know,” Li Xiangyang said cautiously, “but there’s definitely something big nearby. We need to be extra careful.”
This dense forest is difficult to traverse, with thickets of shrubs and tangled vines.
Several times the two nearly tripped and had to use machetes to clear a path.
The air grew increasingly humid and muggy, and the sky began to darken.
"It looks like it's going to rain." Wang Ergou looked up at the sky. "We need to hurry."
Li Xiangyang wiped the sweat from his face: "These footprints will all disappear after the rain."
As they were talking, a breeze blew by, bringing with it a fishy, foul smell.
The black cat immediately ran off in one direction.
Xiao Hu rushed over as well.
"There's hope!"
The two quickly followed.
After passing through a dense thicket of bushes, the view suddenly opened up before us.
This is a mountain hollow, with a low-lying terrain, where accumulated water has formed a swamp.
Several fallen trees lay across the water, covered with a thick layer of moss.
"Watch your step," Li Xiangyang warned. "You could easily sink in here if you're not careful."
Just as Wang Ergou was about to speak, he suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from ahead.
The two immediately crouched down, using the bushes as cover to observe.
In the grass opposite the swamp, several grayish-brown shadows could be vaguely seen moving about.
The fishy, foul smell was coming from that direction.
“Found it,” Li Xiangyang said softly. “Looks like they’re dividing their prey.”
"Shall we make our move now?"
“No rush.” Li Xiangyang carefully observed the surrounding terrain. “This awful weather will make visibility even worse if it rains. Besides, this swamp is too dangerous; one wrong step and you’ll be in trouble.”