mtl008 Chapter 163: We still don't know what will happen.
Chapter 163: We still don't know what will happen.
Anna sighed softly. "You're right. In this situation, for self-preservation, I agree with your approach."
Before the words were even finished, the wild boar suddenly pawed at the snow, its massive body charging towards the group.
Its fangs gleamed coldly in the dim light.
Just as Li Xiangyang was about to fire, he heard a crisp gunshot.
The wild boar's charge suddenly halted, and it collapsed headfirst into the snow.
The blood quickly stained the snow around it.
Li Xiangyang turned to look at Anna in surprise.
Wang Ergou was the same; neither of them expected the foreign girl to be so efficient and decisive.
After easily killing the wild boar, Anna's clear eyes were now filled with complex emotions.
"Impressive, one shot, dead," Li Xiangyang said, walking over to the wild boar to examine its wound. "Right to the heart. Looks like you had a lot of training in the Marines."
"This is perhaps the best mercy I can bestow upon it. Of course, if its life is not in danger, I would rather protect it than..."
Anna holstered her pistol, her tone tinged with helplessness, "But in this situation, there really is no other choice."
"It seems I was overthinking it; I suppose you don't need anyone's comfort..."
Before he could finish speaking, his smile suddenly froze, for an even bigger problem was already brewing.
Suddenly, the black cat pricked up its ears and warily watched the distant woods.
At the same time, Nightshade began to growl softly.
Little Tiger hid behind his mother, his fur standing on end.
"It seems the gunshots have attracted something more dangerous than a wild boar. Be careful..."
After Li Xiangyang finished speaking, he pointed the gun at the direction Xuanmao had warned him to.
The cold wind howled, and the snow fell even heavier.
All around was silent, save for the sound of the wind and the occasional rustling of distant tree branches.
Time seemed to have stopped.
This unusual calm was unsettling, like the calm before a storm.
“Crack—”
The sharp crack of a tree branch breaking shattered the deathly silence.
The black cat's tail stood up high, and its golden eyes were fixed on the direction from which the sound came.
Li Xiangyang gripped the gun tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"roar......"
A deep tiger's roar echoed, sounding particularly clear in the cold wind.
That sound made everyone's heart skip a beat.
"The Siberian tiger was clearly attracted by the gunfire. Ms. Anna, what do we do now?"
Li Xiangyang asked softly.
“You guys encounter this situation…” Anna was about to ask Li Xiangyang how to handle it when she saw Wang Ergou, eager to fire, and immediately said, “Let’s retreat. I’m here to conduct research, not to hunt it.”
"Not playing? That's a shame."
Wang Ergou muttered something under his breath and reluctantly retreated.
The group quickly retreated in the direction they had come from.
The snow was falling heavier and heavier, and visibility was reduced to less than 20 meters.
Behind them, there were occasional noises, which made them all nervous.
"Don't be afraid! Keep going at your current pace! That big wild boar is enough for it to have a good meal; it's just driving us away."
Seeing that the two were obviously nervous, Li Xiangyang was afraid that they would do something rash, so he quickly reminded them.
The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, stung my face.
Several people walked through the snow, their footsteps drowned out by the wind.
The only sounds were occasional low growls and the snapping of branches behind them.
“It’s still following us,” Anna whispered.
“I know,” Li Xiangyang gripped his gun tighter. “Just maintain this speed. No wild beast will attack rashly when food is plentiful.”
After walking for about ten more minutes, the noise behind us finally faded away.
Li Xiangyang only relaxed slightly when he could no longer hear any sound.
“This trip has certainly shown you what a Siberian tiger is like,” he said, looking at Anna, “though not in the way you expected.”
"Alright, the danger is temporarily over. Let's set up camp in that ravine over there."
In the direction he pointed, the mountain sloped slightly downwards, forming a natural sanctuary.
More importantly, the area is densely wooded, providing shelter from wind and snow.
"The location is good, but won't we be in danger at night...?"
Anna asked, somewhat worried.
Li Xiangyang shook his head: "Don't worry, as long as we don't provoke it, it won't cause trouble again for a while. The snowstorm, on the other hand, is the biggest threat right now."
As they spoke, it grew dark.
The wind grew stronger, and the snowflakes stung our faces like knives.
"Let's hurry, let's make the most of this time."
Led by Li Xiangyang, the group headed towards the mountain valley.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, we finally arrived at a sheltered spot.
The terrain here is slightly lower, with steep mountain walls on both sides, forming a natural harbor.
"Great spot!" Wang Ergou's eyes lit up. "Xiangyang, this place is really good, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even if a tiger comes, I'm confident I can hit it."
Li Xiangyang nodded and began to give instructions: "Ergou, go and gather some dry firewood, pine branches would be best. Ms. Anna, help me clear the snow."
He then began to chop some thin branches with a machete.
The black cat circled around, seemingly checking the surroundings for safety.
Nightshade and Little Tiger huddled together, lying down in a sheltered corner.
A short while later, Wang Ergou returned with a large bundle of firewood.
Li Xiangyang skillfully built a simple shed with tree branches, and then covered the top with a layer of pine branches to shelter it from the wind and snow.
"Now we don't have to worry about blizzards anymore." He patted the snow off his hands with satisfaction. "The most important thing now is to start a fire and dry our clothes."
After saying that, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou quickly built a campfire.
Li Xiangyang dug a semi-circular shallow pit with a machete, and the two of them arranged several large logs into a triangle, with thin firewood leaning against it.
After setting it up, Li Xiangyang took out a cloth bag from his pocket and took out some dried birch bark and pine resin.
This is something he always brings with him when he goes into the mountains.
Li Xiangyang first used birch bark to start a fire, then added small twigs little by little, and soon a blazing fire was lit.
The firelight illuminated the temporary shelter and brought some warmth.
"This fire needs to be kept going," Li Xiangyang instructed. "We'll probably have to spend the night here."
Anna took out compressed biscuits and chocolate from her backpack: "Yes, I have some food here, let's share it."
"That's great! I've never tried foreign food before, I have to give it a try. Do you want some dried meat?"
As soon as Wang Ergou finished speaking, a fierce gust of cold wind swept in, carrying snowflakes.
The flames flickered violently, almost going out.
Anna and Wang Ergou instinctively squeezed closer to the fire.
The group exchanged glances, all seeing worry in each other's eyes.
Who knows what might happen during this long, snowy night?