sbdcsierra Chapter 335 Wolf Eyes vs. Hunters
Chapter 335 Wolf Eyes vs. Hunters
The wolves spotted Li Ju'an alone with six dogs, without any other reinforcements. The intense smell of blood emanating from the trapped old wolf spurred the pack into angry howls. Overwhelmed by grief and humiliation, the wolves' fury surged, and they glared viciously at Li Ju'an and his six dogs, their only thought being to tear the hunter and his hounds to shreds.
The wolf raised its head and howled, signaling its charge.
In an instant, 28 strong, green wolves rushed out from the entire mountainside. Their footsteps were loud and forceful, a deliberate commotion. If wolves wanted to conceal their tracks, they could have moved very quietly. But now, the wolves were creating a disturbance to instill fear in the hunter and disrupt his composure.
Beneath the grotto trap, Old Qian thought to himself, "Damn it, that green-skinned bastard is really going all out this time."
Old Zhang thought for a moment and said, "This area is where the mountains and grasslands meet, so there must be a lot of wolves. In the past, this place was a gathering place for many small wolf packs. Based on the terrain alone, wolves could either sneak into the grasslands and pastures to hunt cattle and sheep, or retreat to hide in the mountains to hunt roe deer. I don't know how so many small wolf packs came together to form a large wolf pack."
Wolf packs have a strict hierarchy. The alpha wolf and the female wolf, as the highest-ranking couple, have the ultimate right to reproduce. Other wolves are not allowed to mate or pair up; if they do, they will be expelled from the pack. The second rank consists of male wolves that provide labor, and sub-adult wolves, which are the offspring of the previous alpha wolf. The third rank comprises lone wolves that join later; they are purely laborers, working wolves.
No one knew how Wolf Eyes managed to lead three sub-adult bears and gather so many wolves together. But the thought of Wolf Eyes' actions sent chills down their spines.
Lu Jinyang said, "Wolf Eyes is the alpha wolf trained by Qin Pao, the King of Loops in Changbai Mountain. Qin Pao, what kind of things have you been doing?"
Qin Pao was skilled at training dogs, and his expertise in training wolves was also evident in his lifelong learning. The wolf named Eyes, raised by a mother bear, was already strong in physique and talent; otherwise, it wouldn't have been accepted. Now, Eyes grew up under Qin Pao's hunting and training, and after maturing, it left Qin Pao to lead three cubs in the wolf pack's territory.
Logically, no wolf could survive such harsh conditions, but Wolf Eyes did, even gathering a small pack from the nearby Wolf Valley to form a large pack of at least 28 members. At least 28 male wolves were involved in hunting, and the number of old, weak, sick, and disabled female wolves was likely even greater.
The more Lao Qian thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Goosebumps rose on his skin and his scalp tingled. He said, "If Lao Qin knew he had raised such a sentient creature, he would regret it so much."
Old Zhang said, "I don't think Old Qin will regret it. He's very happy and proud. Isn't Old Qin just trying to tame a wolf even stronger than Big Tiger?"
Lu Zhiqiang and his men clenched their fists in anger, fired two shots into the air, and shouted, "Damn it! We can't fight the wolves, but we can at least make a show of force. Can't we find a way to climb up there?"
Several people had already tried it, even attempting to untie the triangular hook rope from their waist belts. This was a hunter's life-saving rope, used to throw up the hook and snag on tree roots or rocks in situations like falling into a snowdrift or other life-or-death situations, pulling the rope tight to lift themselves out of the snowdrift or trap. It was also used for climbing trees or rock climbing.
Old Qianmin took the triangular hook rope that Lu Zhiqiang had thrown with all his might and continued trying. He focused intently, aimed at the deep hole, and after several attempts, finally managed to throw the anchor hook with all his might. Unfortunately, the anchor hook grazed the tree trunk and roots several times but ultimately failed to hold on, slipping back to the ground, causing everyone to panic and pace around in circles.
After several attempts, the triangular hook, like a slippery eel, failed to penetrate. Just as everyone was filled with anxiety and almost despairing, the hook miraculously embedded itself firmly into the tree root. This sudden success instantly brought joy to everyone's faces, their excitement overflowing: "We did it! Quick, let's take this opportunity to climb up, meet up with Li Ju'an, and together we'll deal with those guys!"
"That's right, let's teach them a lesson! Yes, let's take them down! Let them know that when the hunter isn't around, a bunch of idiots can still call themselves kings!"
Suddenly, a pair of bright green eyes stared at them.
A cunning glint flashed in the wolf's eyes. It was a master of concealment, never daring to peek its head out of the cave, lest it become a victim of the hunter's gun. Those sharp eyes seemed to see through everything, fully aware of the deadly threat posed by the hunter's weapon.
However, although the hunter is powerful because of his gun, once he is out of range of the cold steel, he is like a toothless tiger, losing his sharpness.
The wolf's eyes were fixed on the life-saving anchor hook, its heart filled with anxiety. It knew this was Old Qian's only chance of survival, so it tried with all its might to pull the hook out of the tree root. But the hook was deeply embedded in the root's veins, like a stubborn rock, unmoving.
Seeing this, Old Qian dared not delay for a moment. He gripped the rope tightly with both hands and began to climb upwards with all his might. Wolf Eyes, seeing this, became even more anxious, and a resolute glint flashed in its eyes. It suddenly bit down on the rope tied to the anchor hook, and its sharp fangs instantly severed the rope.
With the rope snapping, Old Qian lost his footing and swayed precariously in mid-air. He gripped the rope tightly, but the sudden turn of events caused him to lose his balance, putting him in a very precarious situation. With the rope broken, Old Qian had nowhere to lean on. He had been clinging to the rope, leaning back, almost at a ninety-degree angle as he climbed up the cave wall.
The rope snapped with a "crack," and Lao Qian's entire body plummeted downwards, landing almost on his back, and slamming heavily onto Lao Zhang.
With two cries of "Ouch!", Old Zhang, already old and frail, with rheumatism in his legs, rolled around in a ball, both feeling unwell all over.
"broken?"
"I reckon it's broken."
"You damned bastard!"
Old Qian and Old Zhang were both injured and in too much pain to climb a second time. Lu Zhiqiang quickly took the broken rope, spotted the wolf's head peeking out with a snickering laugh, and fired two more shots in anger, but he couldn't hit the agile wolf.
Wolf Eyes seemed to be mocking the hunter. After laughing for a while, it would peek out and then retreat. Lu Zhiqiang's marksmanship and accuracy were so poor that he could only hit the cliff face of the cave. With two bangs, he smashed the cliff face, causing pebbles to fall in. Wolf Eyes did absolutely nothing.
Lu Zhiqiang flew into a rage, his blood rushing to his head, his eyes turning red with anger, and a sense of humiliation rising within him. He roared, "You beast! Don't be so smug, wait till Grandpa comes up there and kills you!"