Qi Zhenzhen followed the tracks left by the wild boar on the tree to the front left.
Just as she expected, she saw the wild boar not far ahead.
Qi Zhenzhen knew why this wild boar was alone; it was about to give birth.
To kill or not to kill?
Qi Zhenzhen was not a soft-hearted person. She believed that only after securing a better life would she have the right to indulge in melancholy.
After a brief hesitation, she drew her bow and an arrow flew straight towards the wild boar's neck.
At the same time, an arrow from the front left also flew straight towards the wild boar. Qi Zhenzhen's arrow had only penetrated two inches into the wild boar's neck, while the other arrow had pierced the wild boar's head. The poor boar died instantly without even a struggle.
Qi Zhenzhen crouched down, concealing herself in the bushes.
This was a deep mountain forest, and she didn't know who was on the other side. Qi Zhenzhen wasn't one to take risks. The force of that arrow alone indicated that the opponent either had superior bows and arrows, superior martial prowess, or both. What if they had ill intentions?
"A Nian, your archery is truly remarkable," Qian Yuanbao praised Gu Sinian obsequiously.
Gu Sinian was in a good mood. They had encountered a wild boar as soon as they entered the mountain – a good omen that would surely lift anyone's spirits.
Qi Zhenzhen on the other side quickly assessed the situation. There were at least two people on the other side. Although only one person was speaking, if there weren't two, would that person be talking to himself?
A moment later, Gu Sinian and Qian Yuanbao appeared within Qi Zhenzhen's line of sight.
Qian Yuanbao trotted over to examine the wild boar, only to discover two arrows in it. Although he also carried a bow and arrows, he hadn't shot at all, and the craftsmanship of his bow and arrows was crude, completely different in quality from theirs.
"A Nian, there's someone," Qian Yuanbao said, standing up and looking around vigilantly.
Gu Sinian had also noticed the other arrow and said in a deep voice, "May I know which brave warrior you are? We are merely hunting in the mountains and have no malicious intent. Since this wild boar was shot by both of us simultaneously, it naturally belongs to both parties equally."
Qi Zhenzhen saw Gu Sinian's appearance clearly at this moment and was truly surprised.
She had a photographic memory and could clearly recall anyone she had seen, even with just a glance.
This young man was clearly the one she had met when borrowing a horse. He had made way for her, and she had thanked him.
Qi Zhenzhen was puzzled. This person clearly looked like a young master from a noble family; why would he suddenly appear in Tiger Tooth Mountain? Was it for hunting?
As Qi Zhenzhen was lost in thought, she looked up and witnessed a breathtaking scene—
A large brown bear stood upright behind the two, its forelegs raised, clearly preparing to pounce.
The bear's claws were powerful enough to shred stones. If they were to strike a person, it would likely be fatal. The distance was so close that it was too late to dodge.
"Be careful!" Qi Zhenzhen drew her bow and arrow, but her speed was no match for the bear.
Gu Sinian felt a strong killing intent at that moment. Without a second thought, he pushed Qian Yuanbao down and simultaneously circulated his internal energy to protect his back.
The arrow shot by Qi Zhenzhen was swatted away by the bear. Gu Sinian also lost consciousness under the powerful impact. Qian Yuanbao, lacking internal energy to protect himself, was also knocked unconscious by the immense force, even though Gu Sinian had shielded him.
Qi Zhenzhen quickly assessed the situation. She had no chance of fighting an adult brown bear. This bear was clearly hunting, and with these two blocking its path, she had a high probability of escaping. But…
After all, they had met before, and that young man had helped her at the time. Would it be too heartless to just leave them to their fate?
However, if she intervened, she wouldn't be able to save them and would likely perish herself.
The brown bear growled at Qi Zhenzhen—
"Roar, roar, I have enough prey for today. You're lucky, roar, roar…"
Qi Zhenzhen rejoiced. In her panic, she had forgotten that she could communicate with intelligent animals with large brains.
"If you don't want to get yourself into trouble, go hunt elsewhere. Hunting is easy for you, and taking this wild boar will also fill your stomach," Qi Zhenzhen said, actively lowering her bow and arrow and raising her hands to communicate with the bear.
"Roar, roar, human, you can understand me?" The brown bear, which had been about to lift the two people on the ground, slowed its movements upon hearing Qi Zhenzhen's words.
Qi Zhenzhen nodded repeatedly, "I can understand you."
"You say eating these two humans will cause trouble?" the bear asked.
Qi Zhenzhen pointed at the two people on the ground. "You are an animal, and you probably don't pay attention to human clothing. Look, although their clothes are simple, the material is not something ordinary people can wear. Look at me; I'm wearing coarse cotton. Their clothes, however, are made of fine brocade. Especially this one, your claw directly struck his back. But look, is his clothes torn? As far as I know, your claw can shatter stones…"
The bear looked down and indeed, the man's clothes were not torn.
"From this, we can infer that the clothes this person is wearing are extraordinary, and even a single piece of clothing can be of great origin, proving this person's identity is not simple," Qi Zhenzhen continued. "Think about it, if they were ordinary hunters, it wouldn't matter if you ate them. At most, other prey would be scared to enter the mountain upon hearing about it. But if they are eaten, do you think their families would remain silent? They might even flatten Tiger Tooth Mountain."
Qi Zhenzhen was not exaggerating. Although she didn't know the young man's background, his clothes, which even the bear's claws couldn't tear, were practically treasures. Coming from the capital and wearing such high-class clothes while hunting, coupled with the superior arrows shot earlier, all these factors easily led to the conclusion that this young man was not an ordinary civilian. If such a person disappeared in Tiger Tooth Mountain, the flattening of Tiger Tooth Mountain would not be an exaggeration.
The brown bear paused, contemplating the possibility of Qi Zhenzhen's words. Humans were very cunning, and this little human might be tricking it.
"Roar, Maoqiu, what this human says is true." A white wolf, as white as snow, appeared silently before Qi Zhenzhen.
The brown bear was called Maoqiu? What a cute name, completely unfitting for such a large creature, Qi Zhenzhen thought secretly.
No, she couldn't be concerned with cuteness now; she had to focus on resolving the current crisis. Right, the white wolf seemed to be advising Maoqiu?
The large brown bear growled at the white wolf, "Roar, roar, Ye Bai, is what you say true?"
The white wolf nodded gently.
The white wolf was called Ye Bai. What a beautiful name. The names of animals were so grand; it was truly…
The white wolf's words were clearly more convincing than Qi Zhenzhen's. After receiving its affirmative reply, the brown bear picked up the wild boar and left.