Chapter 36: Liu Qiang Was Scared Wet

After Tang Xingde left, Tang Jiancheng walked slowly toward the direction of the wild boars. He knew exactly what Tang Xingde was up to, but he couldn't be bothered to care. His only concern now was hunting the boars to sell for money at the township. As for the grudge between Tang Xingde and the Liu brothers, he would let Tang Xingde handle it himself for now. If he couldn't resolve it, it wouldn't be too late to step in then.

*Grunt, grunt.*

After walking about thirty meters, Tang Jiancheng finally heard the grunting of pigs ahead. After another ten meters, he caught sight of them. About a hundred meters away lay a valley, surrounded by mountains. There was little snow and no chinquapin trees, just lush vegetation and a mud puddle—perfect habitat for wild boars.

Tang Jiancheng made a rough estimate: there were at least thirty to fifty boars of all sizes!

"Damn! That's a lot of boars!" Tang Jiancheng was thrilled.

He became increasingly cautious, holding his bird-gun as he crept closer. About sixty meters from the valley, he found a concealed spot behind a mountain rock with a clear line of sight, crouched down, and began to aim.

The process of firing a bird-gun was complicated, so every shot had to be made to count. Even with Tang Jiancheng’s speed, he could only fire twice in a minute. Therefore, his first shot had to be aimed at the most valuable boar, or the effort would be wasted.

When it came to wild boars, bigger wasn't always better. The most valuable ones were the "yellow-haired" pigs weighing between eighty and one hundred and fifty pounds. Once a boar exceeded two or three hundred pounds, the meat became very fibrous and sour, making it quite unpalatable. The meat of the yellow-haired pigs, however, was much more tender and fresh. As for the piglets, while their meat was indeed tender, they were not worth more than the yellow-haired ones, and given their small size of thirty to forty pounds, they couldn't compare in total value.

*Bang!*

Having made his decision, Tang Jiancheng aimed at the nearest yellow-haired pig and fired without hesitation. The bullet struck true, and the boar collapsed on the spot.

"Big Brother, they’ve fired!" In the distance, Liu Qiang’s face lit up with joy. Liu Mazi had already bolted out like a startled rabbit.

Once a gunshot rang out, the boars would be startled and stampede. The brothers' plan was simple: drive the boars toward the spot where Tang Xingde and Tang Jiancheng were hiding. Tang Xingde only had one leg and could never outrun a stampeding boar; if he died, it wouldn't be their fault!

But they hadn't expected the valley to hold not a dozen boars, but thirty to fifty!

Hearing the gunshot, the boars began to shriek and run wildly in all directions. Before the Liu brothers reached their intended positions, they saw boars charging toward them. Liu Mazi, delighted, fired his gun without hesitation. Based on his experience, the boars would immediately turn and flee upon hearing the shot. He would then use more gunfire to herd them toward Tang Xingde.

Everything went as expected—the boars did indeed turn around. But before a smile could form on his face, Liu Qiang’s panicked scream reached his ears: "Big Brother, run! The boars! The boars!"

Liu Mazi was in the middle of reloading his gun for a second shot when he looked up, his face turning deathly pale. A dozen boars were charging directly toward them, led by a terrifying, four-hundred-pound monster of a boar. The stench emanating from them was overwhelming even from dozens of meters away.

"Run! Run!" Liu Mazi snapped out of his shock and turned to flee for his life. In the mountains, if you encounter a stampeding boar, you must run for your life, or you will certainly be trampled. Dealing with one might be manageable, but with a dozen, even the audacious Liu Mazi felt as cowardly as a mouse, darting here and there, not daring to stop for a second.

However, while there wasn't much snow in the valley, the mountain slopes were blanketed in deep snow, and with the thicket and vines obstructing their path, the brothers couldn't pick up speed.

"Climb a tree! Climb the tree!" In desperation, Liu Mazi scrambled up a large tree. Liu Qiang followed suit, but his luck was worse. The trees nearest to him were thin, the thickest being no wider than a bowl. He had no time to choose and scrambled up a tree, hugging it for dear life.

*Thump!*

He had barely climbed a few feet when a boar slammed into the trunk. The violent impact nearly sent Liu Qiang tumbling down.

"Big Brother, save me! Save me!" The impact terrified Liu Qiang so much that he started crying and screaming.

"Hold on tight, don't let go! I'll fire a shot to scare them off!" Liu Mazi sat in the tree fork and lifted his gun, only to be struck with fury. In his panicked flight, he hadn't protected his bird-gun, and somewhere along the way, snow had jammed the barrel. To make matters worse, the stock was bent. If he tried to fire, it would either misfire or explode in his hands.

*Thump!*

At that moment, the boar slammed into the tree again. The trunk swayed violently. Liu Qiang, face pale with terror, stopped screaming and clung to the tree with his hands and feet, praying silently that the tree wouldn't snap.

Unfortunately, it seemed heaven wasn't listening. When the boar rammed the tree once more, it snapped with a loud *crack*.

"Ah! Big Brother, save me! Big Brother!" Liu Qiang shrieked, so terrified he lost control of his bladder.

On the other side, after Tang Jiancheng fired his first shot, he heard another gunshot and realized the Liu brothers were making their move. He didn't pay them any mind, remaining calm as he rapidly reloaded his second shot. It took him only twenty seconds—his movements were as fluid and professional as a seasoned marksman, not at all like a beginner.

Another yellow-haired boar collapsed. Tang Jiancheng didn't stop to check his results; he immediately took cover and began reloading. Twenty seconds later, he fired his third shot.

By the time he was reloading for the fourth, a dozen boars had surrounded the rock where he was hiding. The grunting was deafening and the stench was pungent, but Tang Jiancheng remained unfazed, continuing to reload with methodical precision. His hideout was over a meter above the ground, making it difficult for the boars to reach him, and since there were no large trees nearby, there was nowhere to run. It was better to stay put and fire one more calm shot to scare them away. Boars were not wolves; they lacked long-term grudges and the persistence to see a hunt through to the end. Their attacks were usually driven by simple, primal instinct.