Closer… closer…
The pheasant gradually approached, soon entering Bai Zhe's attack range.
His muscles tensed, ready for a swift strike.
But suddenly, an unexpected sound rang out…
Bang!
A loud noise erupted without warning.
The pheasant jumped, flapping its wings and flying away rapidly.
Bai Zhe was startled.
He did not pursue the pheasant but stared toward the sound's source.
The noise sounded like… gunfire?
His expression grew serious.
"How could there be gunfire in these wild mountains?"
Puzzled, Bai Zhe recalled the tire marks he had seen on the bare mountain's far forest edge.
"Could someone have come up the mountain?"
Hesitating, he finally crawled toward the gunfire.
After about two kilometers, he heard roaring engines and quickly climbed a tree.
Hanging on a branch, he watched across the way.
Three fast-moving shadows sprinted toward him, like fleeing refugees.
"Isn't that the jackal pack?"
Bai Zhe was surprised to see three jackals running.
But the pack had four—where was the fourth?
While wondering, two heavy pickups appeared, chasing the jackals.
The engine noises he heard earlier were from these trucks.
Bang!
Gunfire rang again; the leftmost jackal collapsed.
Bai Zhe realized the missing jackal had likely been shot earlier.
Seeing all the jackals dead, he felt no joy, only chill.
Was this young man hunting?
In his past life, Bai Zhe had dreamed of holding a hunting rifle and experiencing real-life combat in the woods.
Now reborn as a snake, he found no joy in it.
Humans were his true enemies.
As he pondered, both trucks stopped.
"Heihu, Longbao, fetch those three jackals!"
The leather-clad young man standing in a truck shouted.
Two hunting dogs leapt down, running toward the fallen jackals.
The young man jumped down and leaned against a tree, lighting a cigarette.
"Young Master Qi, your aim is improving—one shot, one kill at such a distance."
A muscular man jumped from another pickup, complimenting him.
Two more men exited the other truck, walking over.
"Young Master Qi, good haul today—four jackals already. A great day's hunt."
The man on the left smiled in praise.
Li Qi laughed, clearly in a good mood.
Influenced by his father, Li Qi loved hunting and often ventured into the mountains.
Thanks to his well-off family, he had ready access to firearms and was a skilled marksman, always returning with a full haul.
This mountain was one of his hunting grounds, though he preferred ancient forests hunting large beasts like tigers and bears.
He often attended the Robles Republic's annual "Hunting Festival" with his father, though such events were rare.
So sometimes he came here for some smaller thrills.
He was pleasantly surprised to find four jackals soon after entering the mountain and also saw many goats.
Just as the man said, today would be a big harvest.
"Heh, jackals are nothing. At last year's Hunting Festival, my dad and I hunted an adult Altai tiger weighing nearly 400 jin!"
Li Qi was modest on the surface but couldn't help bragging.
As he was about to say more, he suddenly stopped and stared ahead.
"Hmm, did Longbao and Heihu find something?"
The two hunting dogs were barking wildly at a bush ahead.
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