Chapter 26: The Formidable Might of the Wild Boar King

Most people’s impression of wild boars is based on domestic pigs or the small, harmless-looking ones seen on the news.

That is, in fact, a misconception.

Especially in the Greater Khingan Mountains, you almost never encounter a small wild animal.

...

At that moment, Master Lao Chen took a swig of corn liquor, let out a thunderous belch, and said to me, "Sanqi, wild boars are tricky creatures. You don’t fear a pack; you fear the lone one!"

I was startled at first, then asked in confusion, "Why is that?"

Qi Yang narrowed his eyes and interjected, "A lone boar is more dangerous than a pack of wolves!"

As soon as he said this, Master Lao Chen gave a hearty laugh, sliced a leg off the roasted rabbit, and stuffed it directly into Qi Yang’s mouth, making him wince from the heat.

"A lone boar is more dangerous than a pack of wolves?"

To be honest, it was my first time hearing such a saying, and I was perplexed.

Master Lao Chen nodded faintly. "That’s right! Sanqi, wild boars are odd beasts. You don’t fear a group; you fear a single one! If you fire a shot at a group of boars, they’ll be terrified and scatter in all directions. But if it’s just one, even if you put a bullet right in its forehead, it might not die; it will just keep charging at you like a madman! These boars spend their time rubbing against pine trees, and the pine resin on their hides builds up until it’s as tough as copper and iron walls.

Their tusks are razor-sharp. A single upward swipe can rip your belly open and spill your guts onto the ground! If it’s a 'Boar King' weighing several hundred pounds, it doesn't even need its tusks—it can snap a tree as thick as a man's waist just by slamming into it. Imagine, if a boar like that hits you, could you withstand it?"

I swallowed hard, my hand, which was holding a knife to carve the roasted meat, froze. I shook my head reflexively.

"No way!"

I had always known wild boars were dangerous, but I had no idea they were this lethal.

A wild boar weighing several hundred pounds must be the undisputed king of the Greater Khingan Mountains. Once it charges, who could possibly survive it?

"A lone boar is more dangerous than a pack of wolves!"

I suppose that’s just a way to describe the dangers lurking in the deep forest.

Chewing on the sizzling, fatty roe deer meat and taking another swig of the potent corn liquor, I felt a surge of warmth spread through my body, leaving me immensely satisfied.

It was then that Master Lao Chen suddenly asked, "Sanqi, let me test you. If you were face-to-face with a black bear and you had a hunting rifle in your hand, what would you do?"

I was taken aback, but I understood his intent quickly.

"I would aim my gun at the white patch on its chest and fire every round I had!"

Upon hearing my answer, both Master Lao Chen and Qi Yang gave me a thoughtful look.

Qi Yang spoke first: "I thought you were going to say you'd play dead!"

I rolled my eyes. "Who says black bears don't eat corpses? When they’re starving, they’ll eat anything. A veteran hunter once taught me at the hunting grounds: don't be afraid when you meet a bear. Just aim your rifle at the white patch on its chest. That’s where the heart is—one shot, one kill!"

"Not bad!" Master Lao Chen said, his mouth glistening with grease as he nodded in approval.

I beamed with joy. But his next words wiped the smile right off my face.

"Sanqi, let me ask you another question: why is it that shooting a black bear anywhere else fails to kill it?"

"Because the fat on other parts of its body is too thick... and the bullets can't penetrate?" I ventured a guess.

Master Lao Chen shook his head.

"That’s not it, Sanqi! Let me tell you, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. We once hunted a black bear, and a dozen rifles tore its belly to shreds. Its intestines were spilling all over the ground, but the bear actually stuffed them back in with its own paws. Then, holding its guts in with one paw to keep them from falling out, it swiped at a hunter with the other. One slap to the hunter's skull, and the man died on the spot! We were stunned. Even though the bear eventually died, Sanqi, you must remember one thing from now on!"

"What is it?"

"When you have the chance to kill your prey with one shot, take it! Never give those beasts a chance to react, or else... you’ll be the one out of luck!"

Without a moment's hesitation, I nodded firmly and said, "Yes! I’ll remember that, Master Lao Chen!"

"Eat up!"

...

As Qi Yang chewed on his rabbit meat, he looked at Master Lao Chen, then at me, and said, "You two really act like a master and his apprentice!"

I paused.

Master Lao Chen drank his liquor alone and replied, "No one can be Sanqi’s apprentice, Qi Yang. You should know that."

"Oh, right, right! I know!" Qi Yang waved his hands repeatedly.

I turned to look at him, narrowing my eyes.

I knew that this deputy leader of the survey team, Qi Yang, perhaps knew certain things, just like Master Lao Chen.

Just as I was about to ask, Master Lao Chen spoke before me: "Qi Yang! What about the rest of your survey team?"

"They must have been scattered by the wild boars!"

Master Lao Chen looked down. "I see. If possible, we should go look for them. If we don't find them today... I'm afraid they'll..."

Qi Yang fell silent, pursing his lips as he looked at his own withered, gaunt hands. He gave a bitter smile. "Old Chen, don't you think I'm unlucky? I've traveled all over the country, and yet, I ended up in this state here in the Greater Khingan Mountains!"

Something occurred to me, and I quickly asked, "By the way, Master Qi, I heard from Master Lao Chen that you were supposed to head to Tibet? How did you end up in the Greater Khingan Mountains instead?"

Qi Yang was stunned for a moment.

"Yes! Originally, we were indeed headed for Tibet, but... for certain reasons, we ended up in the Greater Khingan Mountains! I can't tell you the specific reasons; after all, it’s a national secret."

"I see," I murmured to myself.

...

After the meal, Qi Yang rested in the room, while Master Lao Chen and I, each carrying our bows and hunting rifles, headed in the general direction Qi Yang had described.

He had said there were six people in total, including himself.

As the sun rose, the frost on the ground quickly vanished. Smelling the fresh scent of the morning forest and watching Master Lao Chen walking ahead of me, I spoke up first: "Master Lao Chen, um... do you think the other five members of the survey team... are they still alive?"

Master Lao Chen stopped in his tracks, staring straight ahead without speaking.

I was confused and was just about to ask what was wrong when he slowly replied, "What I can be sure of now is that out of those five, perhaps only four are still alive."

I froze.

I turned my head to look ahead, and a scene greeted me that made me reflexively swallow hard.

Not far away, in the fork of a large tree, a human corpse was draped over the branches. It was clear that the body had been scavenged by some wild beast—only half remained.

From the waist down... it was already gone.