Chapter 426: Taken Away
Chapter 426: Chapter 426: Taken Away
Gu Kaiyuan carefully placed the medicinal powder into the pouch at his waist. He had originally thought that since it was spring, he should give the mountain animals space to breed. However, now that things had escalated to this point, a life-and-death struggle was inevitable. He didn’t care about the fully grown beasts, but he wanted to spare the young cubs.
Once he left, Bai Suihe looked at Nanny Pang, her eyes sparkling. "Nanny, your Qinggong is amazing! Can I learn it?"
Nanny Pang had deliberately shown off her skills today with the intention of teaching her. Relying solely on medicinal powder for self-defense wasn’t entirely foolproof. If paired with Qinggong, the success rate of drugging an opponent would be much higher, and in the worst-case scenario, it would provide a chance to escape.
"Of course you can learn," she replied. "But you will have to endure some hardship. Are you prepared for that?"
Bai Suihe thought for a moment before nodding firmly. "Don’t worry, Nanny. No matter how hard it gets, I’ll push through. You can be as strict as you need to be; I can take it."
Having spent so much time with Bai Suihe, Nanny Pang knew her character well. If she said it, she would do it. This made the older woman even more satisfied with Bai Suihe, who was now acting as a half-master, half-apprentice to her.
Since Gu Kaiyuan had no intention of entering the royal court and had not yet established a strong foothold, it was best for his family—Bai Suihe and the Young Miss—to have the ability to protect themselves. It was a pity that the Young Miss was still too young, but in a few years, Nanny Pang was determined to introduce her to martial arts. Starting from a young age would make the physical conditioning much smoother.
Through the dense foliage, the scene ahead came into view. A small sounder of wild boars was charging wildly at the bears. The two massive adult bears held their ground valiantly, shielding their cub. However, burdened by the need to protect their young, their movements were restricted. Even from a distance, Bai Suihe could see several bloody gashes on their bodies.
Nanny Pang couldn’t help but sigh in pity. "What a shame. Such good pelts could have been sold for a decent amount of silver if properly treated. Although the color isn’t the best, there are always buyers willing to pay for it. But if the hides are too damaged, they’ll be difficult to restore."
These bears were supposed to be easy prey already in the bag; any damage done to them was ultimately a loss of their own profits.
Meanwhile, Gu Kaiyuan quietly approached the nearest large tree. With a single leap, he vaulted to the treetop and observed the chaotic fight below.
These wild boars were truly reckless. To trespass onto another predator’s territory and act so arrogantly, leading their entire family to ram headlong into the defenders—beasts were indeed just beasts. Taming them was utterly impossible. However, it was a bit strange. They had already cleared out the wild boars from the nearby mountains, so where did this group come from? Then again, within this endless mountain range, the boars might have sensed that this territory was unclaimed and decided to migrate over.
The two large black bears fought wildly with no real technique to protect their cub, but even so, they managed to kill two wild boars. A few smaller boars charged blindly, slamming into trees or the cliff wall and knocking themselves out cold.
The little bear cub opened its mouth with a fierce little ROAR, trying to help bite the attackers from behind. But every time it got close to the boars, its parents shoved it back out of harm’s way.
Seeing how fiercely the two black bears protected their young, Gu Kaiyuan’s heart softened. As the wounds on their bodies multiplied, he finally pulled out his medicine packet and scattered the powder down from the tree.
Within just a few breaths, the wild boars began to collapse one by one. The large black bears were confused at first, but soon their eyes rolled back, and they fell to the ground with a heavy THUD.
"Honestly, they go at each other’s throats the moment they meet, letting me score an easy catch," Gu Kaiyuan muttered. Making sure there was no more movement, he leapt down from the tree. He kicked each of the large wild boars. "This family of three belongs to me, yet look at how badly you injured them. You’re going straight to the chopping block today."
It was perfect timing anyway. With so many villagers working for him, these boars had insisted on delivering themselves as free meat, and he couldn’t exactly refuse. Now, he had plenty to provide.
Seeing that the danger had passed, Nanny Pang brought Bai Suihe and the child over to the cave entrance.
"What should we do now?" Bai Suihe asked.
Nanny Pang was already pulling out a dagger. She needed to extract the highly valuable bear gallbladders first, though she wasn’t sure if the intense fight had damaged them.
"There’s no rush," Gu Kaiyuan quickly stopped her. "I just drugged them. They’ll wake up before long. The bear cub is still young; we might be able to raise it."
"I don’t think there’s much point," Nanny Pang disagreed. "The wounds on the adults’ bodies are fatal without treatment.
"As for the little cub, this cave is already prepared. It might survive on its own.
"If you’re really worried, we can bring it some food every now and then. There’s a decent chance it will grow up."
The two large bears didn’t look very appealing at the moment. Covered in mud and fresh, bloody wounds, Gu Xingyang didn’t even want to look at them. She hid in Bai Suihe’s arms. She wanted a cute, fluffy little bear, not these brutal, terrifying beasts. It completely ruined her fantasy.
Since Nanny Pang had spoken, Gu Kaiyuan let her have her way. Thinking it over, she was right. Even if by some stroke of luck the two adult bears survived, they would likely feel this place was unsafe and move elsewhere. If they stayed, their severe injuries would kill them soon anyway. It was better to just give them a quick end.
Gu Kaiyuan silently agreed and turned away so he wouldn’t have to watch her butcher the carcasses. Instead, he sifted through the unconscious small boars, picked up the ones still alive by their scruffs, and ran toward a nearby mountain to release them. Wild boars were easier to raise; it was better to let them keep growing.
Seeing him diligently acting as a porter, Bai Suihe hoisted Gu Xingyang onto her back and got to work as well.
There were many meticulous steps to processing a bear, and Nanny Pang explained them as she worked. They had already scattered deterrent powder around the perimeter, so even if other wild animals smelled the blood, they wouldn’t dare approach.
When Gu Kaiyuan returned and saw they were still busy, he didn’t interrupt. With so many catches, if Nanny Pang wasn’t here, he could have just tossed them into his spatial storage and brought them back instantly. Obviously, he couldn’t do that now.
He turned and ran toward a nearby hill where the hired laborers were working. He could have them come over and help carry the game back.
Zhuang Datou and his men arrived quickly. Seeing the massive pile of prey, they couldn’t help but gulp.
They hadn’t seen him for long, yet the Master was becoming more incredible by the day. To think he had taken down this many beasts all by himself!
Just as they were about to lift the boars down the mountain, Gu Kaiyuan warned them, "Most of these wild boars aren’t dead yet. Do you want to finish them off with a knife, or tie them up first?"
The men carrying the boars let go in a panic. They weren’t dead yet?!
"I threw a handful of knockout powder at them, but I don’t know when they’ll wake up. You’d better move fast," Gu Kaiyuan added, seeing them standing there dumbfounded.
He didn’t need to urge them twice. Zhuang Datou immediately started directing the men to tie up the wild boars. Out here in the mountains, having too heavy a scent of blood was never a good thing. Besides, if they carried the boars back alive to butcher them, they could save the fresh pig blood for blood curd. He wondered if the knockout powder the boars had ingested would make the meat unsafe to eat, deciding he would have to ask the Master about it later.