amaotonovel Chapter 441 A tense confrontation
Chapter 441 A tense confrontation
After walking for about half an hour, Li Xiangyang found a sheltered mountain hollow with a large protruding rock next to it, forming a natural semi-cave that could provide some shelter from the wind and rain.
He carefully put Wang Jianguo down, helped him lean against a large rock, and then began to collect dry branches and fallen leaves.
“I’ll start a fire; that way we can scare away wild animals and keep warm,” Li Xiangyang said.
Soon, a campfire was lit in front of them, and the warm firelight dispelled the surrounding darkness.
Li Xiangyang took out the remaining dry rations from his backpack and gave half to Wang Jianguo: "Eat something to replenish your strength. We'll head down the mountain first thing tomorrow morning."
Wang Jianguo took the food, forced a few bites, and his face remained pale: "Brother Li, tonight... will there be any danger?"
Li Xiangyang glanced around at the dark forest and said honestly, "It's true that it's not safe in the mountains at night, but with a fire, most wild animals won't dare to come near. Besides, I have a gun, so there's not much to worry about."
Wang Jianguo nodded, his eyes revealing admiration for Li Xiangyang: "Brother Li, we owe you so much today... If it weren't for your help, we would all be dead here..."
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Hunting in the mountains is all about caution and mutual support. Next time you come to the mountains, remember to bring appropriate equipment, and listen to what experienced people have to say before you set out."
Wang Jianguo lowered his head in shame: "I was too arrogant... I'll never dare to do anything reckless again..."
The two chatted for a while longer, and Wang Jianguo, exhausted and in pain, soon fell asleep.
Li Xiangyang added some firewood to the campfire, sat down against the stone wall, and warily watched the surrounding movements.
As night deepened, the mountain wind howled, the branches rustled, and the occasional call of an owl added to the eerie atmosphere.
Suddenly, Li Xiangyang's ears caught a faint rustling sound, as if something was moving in the nearby bushes.
He immediately tensed up, slowly picked up the hunting rifle lying to the side, and stared intently in the direction from which the sound came.
The bushes swayed gently, and Li Xiangyang's finger was already on the trigger, ready to fire at any moment.
A pair of bright eyes lit up in the darkness, and then a brown fox peeked out from the bushes, watching them warily.
Li Xiangyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and removed his finger from the trigger. The wild fox wasn't dangerous; it was probably attracted by the warmth of the campfire.
The fox stared at them for a while, and after seemingly confirming that there was no danger, it slowly approached the campfire, lay down a few meters away from them, and enjoyed the warmth of the firelight.
Li Xiangyang looked at the wild fox, a slight smile appearing on his lips. His years of experience surviving in the mountains told him that the approach of small animals was usually a good thing, meaning that there were no large carnivores nearby for the time being.
However, this peace did not last long.
In the dead of night, Li Xiangyang was half-asleep, leaning against a stone wall, when he suddenly heard a long howl in the distance—the howl of a wolf. He immediately opened his eyes and found that the wild fox from before had vanished without a trace.
"Oh no!" Li Xiangyang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly added a few dry branches to the campfire, causing the flames to leap up a few more times.
Wang Jianguo was startled awake by the noise and asked groggily, "What's wrong?"
"The wolf is coming," Li Xiangyang replied briefly, his tone calm but his eyes scanning the surrounding darkness warily.
"Wolves?" Wang Jianguo instantly snapped back to reality, his face turning deathly pale. "Are we in danger?"
Li Xiangyang didn't answer directly. Instead, he gripped his shotgun and checked the ammunition. "Don't make a sound. Wolves are very perceptive; they can hear sounds from far away."
In the silent forest, another wolf howl rang out, this time closer than before. Immediately afterwards, responses came from different directions, clearly indicating there was more than one wolf.
Li Xiangyang frowned. Based on his years of hunting experience, he could tell that this was the wolves communicating before the hunt. Worse still, the location of the wolf howls was constantly changing, which meant that the wolves were surrounding them.
"Brother Li, will the wolves...will they attack us?" Wang Jianguo asked, his voice trembling.
“Wolves don’t usually attack people unless provoked, but it’s just the beginning of spring and food is scarce. If we encounter one, we probably won’t be able to escape. By the way, where’s your gun? Can you still shoot?” Li Xiangyang asked anxiously.
"Yes!" Wang Jianguo, enduring the pain, took out his gun.
Upon receiving an affirmative reply, Li Xiangyang quickly found some branches and threw them into the fire, sending sparks and charred wood chips shooting into the sky.
The howls of the wolves were almost upon them, and Li Xiangyang quickly made preparations in the limited time available.
"Take off your coat and give it to me!"
After finding a few wooden sticks of suitable thickness, Li Xiangyang suddenly roared.
Wang Jianguo paused for a moment, then ripped off his leather jacket. Li Xiangyang quickly tore the jacket into strips with a knife, wrapped them around a wooden stick, and threw them into the fire.
In the blink of an eye, the homemade torch burst into flames.
"Here, all animals are afraid of fire. Don't panic if you see a wolf later..."
As soon as Li Xiangyang finished speaking, a rustling sound came from the bushes. Li Xiangyang immediately raised his hunting rifle and aimed it in the direction of the sound.
A pair of eyes gleaming green appeared in the darkness, followed by a second pair, a third pair...
Before long, the bushes around them were filled with seven or eight pairs of eerie green eyes.
“They…they’ve surrounded us!” Wang Jianguo said in terror, his voice barely escaping his lips.
Li Xiangyang did not respond; he was intently observing the wolves' movements. The wolves did not immediately charge, but kept their distance, cautiously observing them and the campfire.
Suddenly, a large gray wolf emerged from the bushes and stood at the front. Its fur was bushy, its body strong, and it had a ring of dark fur around its neck, clearly indicating it was the leader of the pack.
The wolf king growled in a low voice and slowly stepped forward, with the other wolves following suit.
"Don't move," Li Xiangyang whispered to Wang Jianguo, while secretly pointing his gun at the wolf king. "They're testing our reaction."
The wolf king moved forward a few more steps, now within Li Xiangyang's firing range. However, Li Xiangyang did not fire immediately. He knew that shooting the wolf king in the dark would not solve the problem; it might only provoke the entire pack.
“Brother Li…” Wang Jianguo’s voice trembled, and his hand holding the gun trembled uncontrollably.
"Take a deep breath, and whatever you do, don't fire," Li Xiangyang said calmly. "I'm here."
Just as the wolf pack was about to pounce, Li Xiangyang suddenly stood up, grabbed a torch, and waved it fiercely in the direction of the wolf king.
The firelight drew a bright arc in the darkness, startling the wolf king, who took a few steps back.
The other wolves also retreated, but did not leave; instead, they continued to circle around them.
“They are afraid of fire,” Li Xiangyang explained, while continuing to wave the torch, “but they won’t leave.”
Another tense standoff ensued. The wolf pack gradually adjusted to the firelight and began to approach from different angles.
Li Xiangyang kept changing positions, using torches to drive away the closest wolves.