Chapter 34

From a distance, Cheng Duo could already hear the piercing cries of the wild boar. The dark and massive body swiftly moved through the fields, carrying a gust of dangerous stench. The men in the village stood ready with hoes and rakes, forming a defensive line, but none of them dared to approach.

However, just because they didn't approach didn't mean the wild boar wouldn't attack on its own.

Witnessing yet another person being knocked down by the wild boar, and even stomped on, the others rushed forward to help. "Zhu Zi!"

"Are you okay?"

The young man called Zhu Zi grimaced as he held his lower back, blood seeping from the outer side of his arm. It seemed like a serious injury.

The group quickly carried him out of the field, away from the danger zone.

Despite the presence of so many people, the wild boar seemed either confused or attracted by something nearby, constantly darting around the field on the slope, impossible to drive away.

Its sharp cries sent chills down the spines of the onlookers, especially since it had injured several people in succession. But the villagers couldn't simply ignore it; otherwise, if it continued rampaging, all the crops in this area would be devastated.

"Cheng Duo." Village Head Li finally felt relieved when he saw Cheng Duo arrive.

However, Cheng Duo frowned. If there was any ability that could counter someone like him, a power-enhanced individual, it undoubtedly would be speed. This wild boar appeared clumsy but was actually astonishingly fast!

The field was now filled with cornstalks, sorghum, wheat, and other crops standing half as tall as a person. The piercing cries of the pig echoed through the mountain hollow, and Cheng Duo's ability to locate the sound was greatly hindered. Often, when he looked over, all he could see was a fleeting shadow.

Wei Ling also tried to aim his bow several times but missed the target, giving up halfway.

"How is it?" Cheng Duo asked.

Wei Ling shook his head helplessly. "No good."

"I'll draw its attention," Cheng Duo said, brushing aside a row of corn leaves and diving in.

Unable to stop Cheng Duo, Wei Ling could only shout from behind, "Be careful!"

As Cheng Duo entered the field, he caught a faint scent of blood. He initially thought it was from the injured villagers, but as he followed the scent, he discovered a torn-up young wild boar.

The young boar appeared to be only a month or two old, and Cheng Duo found half of its scalp. The wound didn't seem to be caused by a tool; it looked more like it was torn off directly with teeth.

Cheng Duo immediately thought of wolves. Li Wang had mentioned that wolves were cunning. If they couldn't overpower their prey, they would not only ambush but also find a way to drive the prey into a trap.

He had been working in this field a few days ago, and the wolves had turned their attention to the wild boars. Cheng Duo was the first to not believe that this scene had nothing to do with them.

As he crouched down to examine the young boar's scalp, the crops behind him suddenly rustled, and a strong odor assaulted him from behind.

Cheng Duo rolled to the ground and, with a swift motion, struck with his knife. The scent of blood mixed with the boar's sharp cry.

At the same time, from a distance, Wei Ling raised his hand and released an arrow, hitting the wild boar directly in the back of the neck.

However, the boar's hide was too thick. The arrow barely pierced through the skin and didn't kill it, only further enraging the sow.

Cheng Duo got up from the ground, holding the blood-stained machete, and relied on his ability to locate sounds, preparing for the boar's next assault… But in the next moment, he suddenly reached out and clutched his lower abdomen in excruciating pain, rendering him immobile.

By this time, the crops around him had been flattened during the fierce struggle, and the villagers could only see Cheng Duo suddenly change his expression, but they had no idea what was happening.

Only Yong-ge, who had just arrived, could guess that Cheng Duo's condition had probably flared up again. He anxiously shouted, "Cheng Duo!"

Without hesitation, he jumped off the embankment and ran frantically towards Cheng Duo's direction.

He arrived just in time, just before the wild boar lunged forward, and tackled Cheng Duo aside.

Wei Ling also acted in time, shooting an arrow into the wild boar's eyes, causing it to change direction midway and not harm the two of them.

Just as Yong-ge was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he saw Cheng Duo, whom he had tackled, suddenly spit out a mouthful of blood.

Yong-ge exclaimed, "Cheng Duo!"

He quickly turned Cheng Duo over, thinking that when he tackled him, Cheng Duo accidentally collided with his own machete, or perhaps the boar had actually struck him unnoticed?

"Where are you injured?" Yong-ge frantically searched Cheng Duo's body, attempting to stop the bleeding.

Cheng Duo didn't have the time to explain. He embraced Yong-ge, kicked his legs downward, and swung his right hand with the machete, slicing open the wild boar's belly just as it lunged at them!

Hot pig's blood splattered all around, some even landing on Yong-ge's face. His pupils widened, and for a moment, he couldn't react.

That scene just now was too thrilling and too exhilarating. His heart pounded heavily, almost bursting out of his chest.

Subconsciously, he glanced at Cheng Duo beneath him. Unexpectedly, Cheng Duo was also looking at him, and in Cheng Duo's eyes, there was a rare trace of a smile. Besides the joy of escaping death, it seemed to hold an emotion that Yong-ge couldn't understand… or rather, tenderness?

However, that smile disappeared in an instant. Before Yong-ge could truly comprehend it, the commotion from the approaching crowd startled him, and he quickly got off Cheng Duo.

He wondered if anyone saw that scene just now.

Yong-ge felt a bit confused… Of course, he got up and helped the weakened Cheng Duo to his feet.

Wei Ling was the first to arrive and also witnessed Yong-ge straddling Cheng Duo. He instinctively stepped forward to shield them. Moreover, due to their lower position and the remaining standing crops obstructing the view, nobody else knew what had happened. They only saw Yong-ge pounce on Cheng Duo, and then the wild boar, howling like a slaughtered pig, charging out covered in blood and collapsing to the ground.

Moreover, compared to Cheng Duo and Yong-ge, who had already stood up and were unharmed, the villagers were more inclined to gather around the wild boar, ten meters away…

When they saw that the wild boar's belly had been almost completely cut open, blood splattered all over the ground, they felt a mix of excitement, fear, and awe. But at the same time, there was a hint of regret.

This was fresh pig's blood. If they had a bucket, they could have several good meals!

Only Wei Ling noticed something unusual about Cheng Duo. "What happened just now?"

The relaxed expression on Cheng Duo's face visibly faded, and he wiped away the bloodstains at the corner of his mouth, vaguely saying, "Nothing, just a minor problem."

Yong-ge looked at Cheng Duo with concern, wanting to say something but hesitating due to the presence of others. He could only hold back for the time being.

"It takes a skilled hunter to do this! Impressive! No wild boar can stand a chance!"

"That strike was too fierce. The pig's intestines spilled out. No wonder it couldn't run far…"

"This pig must weigh around one to two hundred catties… Third Uncle, can you ask the hunter to share some meat with us?"

When these words were uttered, everyone in the vicinity stared expectantly at Village Head Li , hoping he would negotiate with Cheng Duo.

They hadn't exerted much effort during the hunt but had prevented the wild boar from damaging their crops, and some people had even gotten injured!

Village Head Li thought about the injured villagers, so he mustered the courage to approach Cheng Duo and discuss it with him. Cheng Duo wasn't someone who always took everything for himself, so he agreed to let Village Head Li take half of the pork, including the offal, without any hesitation.

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted from the crowd. Li Da Zhuang, Sha Er Shu, and others came forward to express their gratitude to Cheng Duo. Because they had participated in capturing the wild boar together, and Cheng Duo generously gave away half of the pork, everyone's gaze towards him became much warmer.

Village Head Li was relatively fair. Besides the injured individuals, those who had helped with farming tools and the ones whose crops had been ruined received a share of the meat.

Although the amount each family received wasn't much, it was free meat that would make everyone happy for a long time.

Yong-ge worried about Cheng Duo's health, so he didn't participate in dividing the meat. He, along with Wei Ling, escorted Cheng Duo back home.

However, Village Head Li didn't forget about them. When someone delivered the pig's head and half of the pork to Cheng Duo, each of them received about four to five catties.

Although four to five catties seemed a bit less, excluding the offal and pig intestines, they already had a generous share compared to the other villagers.

Wei Ling didn't expect to receive a portion, and he was about to decline, but Cheng Duo said, "You contributed, so it's only fair to get a share."

Cheng Duo had made up his mind. He allowed Wei Ling to take the meat back home. These days, Wei Ling had been staying and eating at his place, so the portion he took was an additional share for Wei Ling.

And then there was Yong-ge…

Cheng Duo thought of this and glanced at Yong-ge but quickly withdrew his gaze. He had felt Yong-ge risking his life to save him, and he couldn't deny that. Because someone cared for him like that for the first time, Cheng Duo felt both delighted and apprehensive.

But as soon as he thought about his own condition, the delight faded away. He had no time for anything now, and any words would be empty…

Yong-ge also hesitated to look at Cheng Duo. In fact, since they returned, he hadn't made direct eye contact with Cheng Duo even once.

He didn't know what Cheng Duo was thinking, but his mind was filled with the gentle smile Cheng Duo had given him. Yong-ge couldn't stop himself from thinking about what that smile meant.

He even felt a bit resentful towards Cheng Duo. What was he smiling about for no reason? Didn't he know it could easily be misunderstood?

Only the Shanzi, who had bought tofu and crucian carp and returned, had a bewildered expression. However, when he saw the wild boar meat piled up in the courtyard like a small mountain, his eyes immediately turned greedy—so much meat!

Cheng Duo was not stingy with the meat, and for lunch, everyone enjoyed Yong-ge's homemade sour cabbage stewed with pork belly, stir-fried pork slices with bamboo shoots, and crucian carp tofu soup. All of it was served in large bowls… Even the Shanzi, let alone Wei Ling, ate with oil dripping from their mouths.

Although Wei Ling was referred to as a "junior general," his living conditions were the same as those of ordinary soldiers. Occasionally, when he took leave and came out for a celebration, he would only spend a small portion of his meager salary. At most, he would indulge in some meat dishes to satisfy his cravings. How could he have ever eaten meat so openly like he did now?

Of course, Cheng Duo didn't forget to ask Yong-ge to save a portion for his father, which would also serve as their dinner.

After finishing the meal, the Shanzi helped Yong-ge clean up the table and wash the dishes. With his belly full, he planned to make a quick exit. But Wei Ling had something to ask him and couldn't let him escape, so he made up an excuse and chased after him.

With everyone gone, Yong-ge hesitated for a moment, then approached Cheng Duo, who was using a hunting knife to divide and arrange the meat in a large wooden basin. "If you don't want others to know, shall I accompany you to Twenty Li Slope?"

Cheng Duo didn't raise his head. "I'm fine."

"You say you're fine, but you were spitting blood just now!"

"It's just a minor issue. I'm already fine," Cheng Duo said nonchalantly.

"You say it's fine, but you were spitting blood!" Yong-ge exclaimed.

"It's just a minor health problem. The medicine you brewed in the cave was extremely bitter, and I almost bit off my tongue," Cheng Duo said with a slight smile.

"Then… then should I buy you more candy? It'll make the medicine taste less bitter," Yong-ge easily believed and immediately offered.

Cheng Duo chuckled suddenly. "Did you really think you could fool me like a child?"

Yong-ge froze for a moment and then became frustrated, stomping his foot. "It's so late, and you're still in the mood for joking!"

Cheng Duo tilted his head, admiring Yong-ge's worried expression for a while. Just as the person he was staring at was about to blush, Cheng Duo suddenly clenched his fist and coughed lightly, putting on a serious expression. "It's my own health, and I know what's going on."

"What's going on?" Yong-ge asked, but Cheng Duo refused to say anything, only stating, "I really am fine, you don't need to worry."

How could Yong-ge not worry!

After hesitating for a moment, he took out a tiger bone whistle that he had hidden in his clothes. "Then, take this. Give it back to me when you're truly fine."

Cheng Duo glanced at it. "What is it?"

"A tiger bone whistle. When you blow it, it can make the sound of a tiger roar," Yong-ge explained, then added, "It's more effective in the forest."