Chapter 38: A Hidden Master Hunter?

Tang Jiancheng approached Liu Mazi.

Liu Mazi’s injuries were even more severe than Liu Qiang’s; his abdomen had been gashed open, and his intestines were spilling out. If not for Tang Jiancheng’s timely shot that scared the wild boars away, Liu Mazi would likely have already died from his evisceration.

At this moment, he was gasping his last breaths. Looking at Tang Jiancheng, he pleaded weakly, "Save me... save me..."

Tang Jiancheng knelt down, helped tuck the intestines back into the abdominal cavity, and then took a roll of gauze from his pocket. He wrapped the man’s midsection several times before tying it tight.

"Jiancheng, what are you doing!"

Tang Xingde walked over, saw what Tang Jiancheng was doing, and reprimanded him, "They came here to harm us. You’re saving him now—do you really think he’ll be grateful to us?"

"Regardless of that, heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. We cannot stand by and watch someone die, or heaven will punish us." Tang Jiancheng continued to tend to Liu Mazi's wounds.

"Heaven? Jiancheng, I never expected you to be so superstitious. Haven’t you heard the story of the farmer and the snake? When he turns around and bites you, it’ll be too late for regrets," Tang Xingde urged.

Tang Jiancheng laughed. "Brother Xingde, I never realized you were so cultured! You’ve actually heard the story of the farmer and the snake."

"Cut the cheeky act. I’m talking to you about a serious matter! There are indeed people in this world who repay kindness, but there are far more who are ungrateful! The Liu brothers are definitely the ungrateful sort!" Tang Xingde huffed.

"Brother Xingde, you stay here and keep watch. I’m going back to the village to get help..."

"You’re really set on saving them, aren't you?"

"Even if we weren't saving them, we’d still need to go back for help. Otherwise, how are the two of us supposed to get the wild boar back?"

Only then did Tang Xingde notice the wild boar Tang Jiancheng had killed. It was a large male, weighing at least three to four hundred pounds. With just the two of them, it would indeed be impossible to transport.

"Fine, just hurry back!"

Tang Jiancheng returned the musket and the ammunition canister to Tang Xingde, left him the machete, and then ran quickly toward the village. In his heart, he truly wanted to save the Liu brothers; whether they remembered this act with gratitude or resentment in the future, he had to do it. Because while others might not know of the existence of heaven, he did. Of course, he was no saint. If the Liu brothers chose to harbor hatred and seek revenge later, he wouldn't be soft-hearted. If the time came to end them, he would do so without hesitation.

Back in the village, Tang Jiancheng gathered his brothers, his father Tang Genshui, several nephews who were already sixteen, as well as Tang Xingde’s brothers and their sixteen-year-old sons.

There were over twenty people in total, marching imposingly toward Dachun Mountain.

"Jiancheng, how much game did you bag that you need so many people to help carry it?" Tang Xingcai asked on the way.

"Probably not enough!" Tang Jiancheng laughed. "But for good things like this, of course, we call our own family first. If we can't carry it all at once, we’ll just make two or three trips."

"Jiancheng, I only ever knew you couldn't father a son, liked to drink yourself into a stupor, hit your wife and kids, and gambled. I never expected you to be a braggart now, too!" Tang Xingcai mocked. "With so many of us, we could carry an elephant back. Can’t we handle one wild boar?"

"You'll see when we get there." Tang Jiancheng didn't say much more, just kept his head down and hurried along. He wasn't just here to move the boars; he was here to save lives.

While they were traveling, Tang Xingde checked his musket and ammunition canister. The barrel was scorching—a normal phenomenon after firing so many times—and he didn't pay it much mind, as long as it wasn't broken. But when he looked at the canister, his eyelids twitched.

Empty? He clearly remembered there were twenty rounds in the canister. Did Tang Jiancheng really use them all? Did he have to be so ruthless? He didn't leave a single shot! The real problem was that even if he had hit everything... no, even if he had hit half of them, it would be fine. But all Tang Xingde saw was one dead boar. Naturally, he assumed Tang Jiancheng had only hit one, and he felt a deep sense of loss. If he had known, he never would have handed over his gear.

Just as he was wallowing in regret, Tang Jiancheng arrived with the large group.

"Jiancheng, you've really outdone yourself. I had over twenty rounds and you used them all up just to bag one boar? Do you have any idea how much of a loss that is?" Seeing Tang Jiancheng, Tang Xingde immediately began to complain loudly.

Tang Xingcai burst into laughter. "Jiancheng, is this the wild boar you said we’d need a couple of trips for? Hahaha, I just realized you’ve developed a sense of humor."

"Jianbing, take three of the nephews and get these two to the hospital immediately." Tang Jiancheng ignored the Xing brothers. After quickly fashioning two makeshift stretchers, he had Tang Jianbing and the others transport Liu Mazi and Liu Qiang to the hospital.

Whether they survived or not would be up to their own fate; Tang Jiancheng had already done all he could.

Once Tang Jianbing and the others left, Tang Jiancheng told the group, "Let’s gather all the wild boars together first, then we can move them home bit by bit."

"What do you mean? You killed other boars besides this one?" Tang Xingde and Tang Xingcai were both stunned.

"Brother Xingde, you stay here. Everyone else, come with me to collect the boars." Tang Jiancheng gave the order and led the crowd away.

Then, Tang Xingde witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Boar after boar was carried over. A full twenty of them! Adding the one in front of them, that made twenty-one. Seeing so many wild boars piled together was visually overwhelming; it was like a mountain of meat.

"Jiancheng, don't tell me you killed all of these? This is too much—how could anyone finish this much meat!" Tang Xingcai was struck with astonishment. The others were equally shocked, looking at Tang Jiancheng in a completely new light.

Tang Xingde was the most stunned of all, because he understood the most.

First, most of these were hundred-pound yellow-bristled boars—the tastiest and most valuable kind. This showed that Tang Jiancheng hadn't just fired wildly, but had been selective. Second, every single boar had been hit in the head, proving that Tang Jiancheng’s marksmanship was impeccable—a headshot every time! Third, once a shot rang out, the herd would have scattered. To kill so many, he either had to fire rapidly in a short window or be able to track and pursue the fleeing animals after every shot. Based on his experience, the former was more likely, but Tang Xingde knew how complicated and time-consuming operating a musket was. How had Tang Jiancheng managed to increase his speed? Finally, that he had only fired once per boar showed immense confidence—he didn't need follow-up shots. Tang Xingde himself always needed to fire twice to be sure.

Could it be that Tang Jiancheng was a hidden master of the hunt?