bookrebus Chapter 453 Jumping into the River to Chase Hei Xiazi
Chapter 453 Jumping into the River to Chase Hei Xiazi
When Li Ju'an and his men arrived with their guns, the scene before them was extremely horrific.
Intense gunfire erupted in a frenzied exchange of fire, with the intense barrage lasting for a full hour and a half. After that, the barrage became sparse, and eventually, only sporadic shots were fired.
When Li Ju'an and Jiang Pao's team arrived, the bandits had already scattered. There were only four or five bandit corpses on the ground, along with a large number of bandit footprints and bear paw prints of the black bear.
Jiang Pao and Lao Zhang's teams arrived almost simultaneously. The hunters from both teams shouted in unison, urging their hunting dogs to pounce and surround the two black bears that hadn't had time to escape.
Black Bear ran wildly, shot in the shoulder, and leaped forward, covering more than ten meters at a time, chasing after the wolf pack without looking back.
Jiang Pao and Lao Zhang rescued Sun Paotou, but Sun Quande's right thigh and left shoulder were bitten off by the bear, half of his intestines were spilled out of his waist and abdomen, half of his face was scratched, and his scalp was exposed. He was seriously injured.
All of Sun's hunting dogs were wiped out. Old Jiang and Old Zhang searched the snowdrifts, shining their flashlights, and finally found Sun Weimin, groaning and seriously injured, along with Sun's third uncle. Two falconers from Eagle Village were missing. Zhao Pao and several falconers found a cliff and fired sniper shots from a distance, bringing down seven stags. Three escaped, and four died.
Jiang Pao exclaimed in surprise, "Where are the rest?"
Sun Weimin shook his head and said, "I was kicked into a snowdrift by my father right after I was injured. A thug jumped down, and my third uncle fired a shot, but he was also kicked into a snowdrift by my father."
There really was a dead green wolf cub in the snowdrift.
Old Zhang carefully examined the five dead wolves and found that they were all male wolves in their prime. Only one was a little younger and appeared to be a lone wolf that had been driven out of the pack and had recently joined. It was considered a third-level wolf member.
Old Zhang frowned and said seriously, "This wolf pack is larger and more numerous than we just imagined. It's probably a super wolf pack."
"A super wolf pack?"
"Yes, it's a super wolf pack formed by combining multiple wolf packs."
Wolf packs are generally divided into three ranks. The first rank consists of the alpha male and alpha female; the second rank consists of the alpha male and alpha female's offspring and the founding wolves; and the third rank consists of the enforcer alpha male and newly joined lone wolves.
When wolves migrate, there are also some distinctive features. The vanguard is the first echelon, also called the pathfinder, which is composed of experienced old wolves or lower-ranking members. They are responsible for scouting the way and controlling the pace of the journey.
In the intricate formation of a wolf pack, the middle echelon acts as an impregnable fortress, playing the role of core guardians. Here, the mother wolf protects her cubs and the emerging sub-adults with tender eyes; they constitute the pack's most precious treasure, protected layer upon layer, and none can be lost.
Following closely behind was the third echelon, a group of robust male wolves. Like a sharp shield, they surrounded the perimeter of the column, always vigilant and ready to deal with any sudden threat. Their shadows stretched long in the setting sun, each step steady and powerful.
As for the wolf king, its figure appears and disappears at the tail end of the pack, yet it is not confined to any fixed position. Like a ghost in the wind, it moves nimbly during the migration, sometimes in the middle of the pack, sometimes leaping to the front, silently guiding the entire pack with its loud howl that pierces through the forest and its decisive actions.
When multiple wolf packs converge to form an unprecedented super wolf pack, the original alpha wolves humbly step back to the second line, becoming secondary leaders, and jointly assist the strongest individual who emerges from the pack.
Now, the wolf with the eye is that one, the strongest individual.
Lu Zhiqiang shouted, "Where's Li Ju'an? He's vanished again."
Li Ju'an was very fast. As he saw the two black bears running away, he spotted the rising sun on the horizon, released three falcons, and hurried after them.
Behind him followed barking hunting dogs and hunters Xu Da and Zhao Pao. When they saw Li Ju'an running, they fired a signal and shouted, "Nephew, run this way! Those two bears are heading towards the hydroelectric power station!"
At sunrise, the falcons of Eagle Village also take flight, guiding the young hunter Hei Xiazi in the right direction.
Li Ju'an led his hunting dogs in a frantic chase. While the hunters were rescuing Sun Quande and the others, the two black bears ran towards the dam of the hydroelectric power station.
The two bears were so ferocious that Li Ju'an could not let them go, so he immediately ordered his hunting dogs and falcons to lead the way and pursue them.
Two magnificent bears fled to the red cliffs by the river and nimbly climbed to the top of the steep cliff. The hunting dogs below were anxiously pacing around, but they were helpless against the smooth stone wall; and Li Ju'an's hunting rifle was also a bit short-ranged, so he could only sigh at the bears.
Following closely behind, Zhao Pao, Xu Da, and the others also caught up, panting heavily.
Xu Da wiped the sweat from his brow and asked anxiously, "Li Pao, what are we going to do now?"
Li Ju'an's gaze was calm as he surveyed the surroundings before slowly saying, "Let's hold our position for now. This river is too wide, and we're outnumbered, so we can't act rashly. Once the main force arrives, we'll cross the river together and wipe them all out in one fell swoop."
He suddenly understood why Captain Chen had called in the village hunters. The village hunters had patrol dogs in the water and were good swimmers. But damn it, the person from the village hunters who came was Lu Zhiqiang! He knew that kid all too well—a mediocre village hunter.
Li Ju'an stood guard on the vast riverbank. Behind him, a large group of people followed one by one, like streams merging into a sea. The hunters, with sharp eyes, aimed their guns at the two magnificent black bears according to their predetermined positions. A standoff between man and bears quietly dragged on in this wilderness for three days.
Perhaps the two bears realized that the top of the cliff was not a place to stay for long, and finally could not bear their distress, so they resolutely jumped into the surging river to seek a glimmer of hope.
Looking around, the group luckily spotted a dilapidated fishing boat, forgotten by time. Its hull was weathered, and its bottom riddled with holes, as if it would fall apart at the slightest touch. The four men quickly sprang into action, using oilcloth bags as makeshift patches to hastily plug the leaks. Then, with their loyal hunting dogs, they leaped aboard.
Lu Zhiqiang, full of heroic spirit, let out a loud laugh that echoed across the river: "I, General Lu, will personally steer the ship, so you all better hold on tight!"
"Pah, pah, pah, you think you can row a boat? We haven't even touched the black bear's skin yet, don't let this broken boat sink first!" someone joked, but their words couldn't hide the mix of tension and anticipation.
Lu Zhiqiang laughed heartily, patted his chest, and said, "Leave it to him."
Lu Zhiqiang was indeed experienced in boating, rowing swiftly and smoothly with the current, quickly chasing after them. This earned him a higher opinion of Li Ju'an and the others. Zhao Pao teased him, saying, "Becoming the son-in-law of a fishing village has certainly improved your boating skills; you've mastered this craft."
Lu Zhiqiang was very proud of himself and was showing off.