"Giddyap... giddyap... giddyap..."
"Whoa..."
Zhou Fugui, alone with his horse, never dismounting, rode for over a hundred li. He had galloped for a full day and night until he reached a snowfield. He was already exceptionally tired. Even if Zhou Fugui could endure, his steed could not. Thus, he reined in his mount, intending to rest before continuing his journey.
Zhou Fugui dismounted, leading his horse into a pine forest. After surveying his surroundings, he fed his horse some fodder and water. He then leaned against a pine tree, casually ate some dry rations and drank some water, set up a few simple traps to ward off wild beasts, and embracing his bow and arrows, closed his eyes, intending to take a short nap. However, his mind was a whirlwind, and he simply couldn't fall asleep.
"If one throws peaches at me, I will repay with plums." Xue Wentai had acted righteously and was injured by Xiao Ningshan; Zhou Fugui had to save him. Thus, he planned to venture alone into Zou Xiong Ridge.
Furthermore, although Xue Wentai was reckless, he was still a good man. To die in a foreign land and become a ghost there would be a great pity.
Zhou Fugui also thought of Wei Liang's death. His fellow villagers and close friends were leaving him one by one, causing immense pain in his heart.
Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, and others, along with some strong men from Guanzhong, all wanted to follow, but Zhou Fugui refused them all.
Convicts were sent north to Xuelin City as penal servitude and were not allowed to leave the group and travel alone. Zhou Fugui's ability to reach this place alone was due to Ji Duo'er's appreciation for his righteousness and his powerful "connections," which led Ji Duo'er to grant him special permission to go to Zou Xiong Ridge alone.
Moreover, in terms of wilderness survival, there was perhaps no one in this world who could compare to Zhou Fugui.
From Youzhou to the ravaged Central Plains, and from Youzhou to the vast snowfield, the wars, emotional entanglements, killings, sorrows, fears, joys, and countless other events experienced along the way now flashed through Zhou Fugui's mind like a revolving lantern.
Murong Huiying, Xiao Qing, Xiao Yu Nu, his mother, elder brother, elder sister-in-law, younger sister, nephew, Murong Bole, Murong Xi, Murong Qing, Murong Tengge, Xiao Ningshan, and other figures also flickered incessantly in Zhou Fugui's mind.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"White Tiger Battalion, full formation!"
Finally, Zhou Fugui drifted into a dream amidst the sounds of clashing swords and galloping horses.
...
"Neigh... neigh!"
After an unknown amount of time, the steed tied to the pine tree suddenly neighed in alarm, waking Zhou Fugui from his dream.
Startled awake, Zhou Fugui, ignoring the dizziness in his head, got to his feet, grabbed his Yue-chasing bow, and peered around.
A wild boar?
He saw an incredibly robust wild boar standing before him, its eyes like mung beans, glaring at the man and his horse. The boar was sturdy, with short, thick limbs, a long head, small, erect ears covered in stiff, sparse bristles, and a long, stiff mane on its back, presenting a brownish hue.
The boar's small eyes had turned red, and a tuft of bristles stood up on its neck. Two long tusks protruded from its mouth, and it let out low grunts.
This wild boar was extremely enraged because a young wild boar was squealing and struggling desperately in a trap Zhou Fugui had set.
Wild boars were known as "desperate fighters." When cornered, they would even confront and fight tigers and lions.
Zhou Fugui briefly assessed the situation. He saw only one large wild boar and its young. He drew his Yue-chasing bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed for the boar's head and neck, intending to strike a vital spot for a fatal blow.
Against such a thick-skinned and robust boar, arrows shot elsewhere would be of little use.
The distance between man and boar was so close that escape was impossible.
"Squeak... squeak..." After a moment of confrontation between the man, horse, and boar, the boar let out two angry squeals and charged at Zhou Fugui, its long tusks twitching, appearing exceptionally fierce and terrifying.
"Neigh... neigh..." Almost simultaneously, Zhou Fugui also acted. He released his right hand, and an arrow flew out. However, the startled steed beside him suddenly whinnied twice, rearing up on its hind legs, kicking up a cloud of snow and mud, causing Zhou Fugui's shot to miss its mark. It grazed the boar's head, only knocking off a few bristles.
"Damn beast!" The steed had obstructed his view, and Zhou Fugui, enraged, cursed. He then put his bow back on his shoulder, drew his heavy waist knife, gripped the hilt with both hands, and stared intently at the charging boar.
Meanwhile, Zhou Fugui's "damn beast" ignored him, broke free of its reins, turned, and galloped away in panic.
Zhou Fugui's steed had abandoned its master, while the wild boar thundered towards Zhou Fugui. Its long tusks and blood-red small eyes were clearly visible. Zhou Fugui could even smell a strong, nauseating stench.
"Kill!" Seeing the boar charging closer, Zhou Fugui stepped forward, holding his knife with both hands, and roared, swinging his blade towards the boar's head and neck.
He understood that with such a ferocious beast, he would have only one chance. Either he would cleave the boar to death or severely injure it, or he would be gored. Thus, this strike was made with all his might, aiming for a swift kill.
As Zhou Fugui swung, sunlight glinted off the sharp blade, reflecting a dazzling light. This light struck the boar's mung-bean-like eyes, momentarily blinding it and causing its steps to slow. Seeing Zhou Fugui's long saber descend, it hastily dodged to the side and ducked.
"Thwack!" The boar ducked to evade, and thus Zhou Fugui's sword missed its vital point, instead striking the boar's back.
With all his strength, Zhou Fugui's blade sank five inches into the boar's flesh, causing it to squeal in pain and then turn to flee.
Zhou Fugui struggled to pull his blade free, drawing a spray of blood. By the time he swung again, the boar had already fled far into the distance.
If it had been a human, Zhou Fugui's full-force strike would have surely left them crippled. But the boar, true to its reputation for thick skin and flesh, seemed otherwise unaffected, except for a slight reduction in its escape speed.
"Good beast!" Zhou Fugui cursed, then reluctantly, with his knife in hand, pursued.
Such a plump wild boar would have sustained Zhou Fugui for many days. The steed that fled had taken all of Zhou Fugui's dry rations.
The injured boar ran slower and slower, while Zhou Fugui, with his swift steps, chased with his long saber. Just as he was about to catch up, the boar seemed to discover something even more terrifying than Zhou Fugui. With a "squeal," it stopped abruptly, turned its head, and ran in another direction.
As Zhou Fugui marveled at this, a small, white object emerged from the bushes. It was plump, with a pointed snout and a tuft of black fur on its chest. It waddled to Zhou Fugui's feet and looked up at him with its small, mung-bean-like eyes.
A little white bear? Zhou Fugui reached out and picked up the little bear, examining it as he thought.
The little white bear seemed very interested in Zhou Fugui. As it was lifted into the air, instead of being afraid, it snuggled into Zhou Fugui's arm and licked his palm with its small, red tongue.
"Roar... roar..."
Just then, a furious beastly roar echoed, startling Zhou Fugui, who dropped the little bear. He gripped his long saber tightly and scanned his surroundings with vigilance.
Bad! Zhou Fugui thought in alarm. Where there is a cub, there is a mother. Where there is a young animal, there is a mother. For an experienced hunter who often tracked game, this was basic knowledge. Zhou Fugui had forgotten this due to his momentary carelessness.
The little white bear fell to the ground, rolled over, got back up, stared at Zhou Fugui for a moment, then turned and ran towards a clump of bushes.
Zhou Fugui's gaze followed the direction the little bear had run and he was shocked. He saw a massive white bear crouched in the nearby bushes, its forelimbs planted firmly, its shoulders bulging with muscle, staring intently at Zhou Fugui. Its gaping maw let out continuous low growls.
Zhou Fugui was greatly alarmed. He gripped his long saber tightly and stared fixedly at the huge white mother bear, his legs shifting slightly backward, but he dared not move quickly, nor turn his back to it.
Zhou Fugui truly regretted chasing after the wild boar. The young boar in the trap would have been enough for Zhou Fugui to eat for several meals. Now, he hadn't gotten the boar meat and was about to become the meal of this enormous white mother bear.
Wild boars were ferocious beasts, but compared to a ferocious creature like a bear, they were insignificant. There was no comparison. When a wild boar encountered a bear, its only option was to flee. As for Zhou Fugui, fighting such a ferocious beast like a bear was impossible to win, and escape would be difficult. Zhou Fugui's only option now was to stall for time, looking for an opportunity to escape.
And with ferocious beasts like bears, one must never show their back. Once the back is exposed, it would trigger the beast's innate, primal hunting instinct.
Zhou Fugui was extremely tense, his palms sweating. Under the sunlight, his tightly gripped long saber emitted dazzling rays, which made the mother bear somewhat hesitant. For a moment, it did not charge forward.
"Roar!" After a period of confrontation between Zhou Fugui and the mother bear, the mother bear suddenly went berserk, leaping out of the bushes, charging at Zhou Fugui, roaring ferociously, and rising to its hind legs, standing over ten feet tall. It swung its massive paws at Zhou Fugui.
"Whoosh..."
The bear's paws moved with a whistling sound, stirring up a cloud of snow mist, its power truly terrifying.
Just as the man and bear were about to engage in a life-or-death struggle, figures suddenly appeared on the surrounding snowfield. These figures, some clad in animal skins, others in beast armor or leather, carrying spears, bows, arrows, clubs, hoes, and other miscellaneous weapons, quietly advanced, surrounding Zhou Fugui and the enormous white bear.