Hunting Team

Wu Tian was being driven away by the guards at the door when an adult white dog, about six feet long, walked out of the room.

Upon seeing the white dog, the guards at the door showed respectful expressions. This was the Dog King of the village, who had led the entire village to avoid countless disasters and saved innumerable tribesmen.

It was very intelligent, with wisdom comparable to an adult's, and held a very high status in the entire village.

"Dog King, Silver Frost!"

Wu Tian immediately recognized the white dog. If the Chieftain Grandpa was the leader of the entire village, then Silver Frost was the village's totem.

Silver Frost walked slowly towards Wu Tian. As the other's figure approached, Wu Tian's fur instinctively bristled, as if sensing some danger. He crouched down and let out a low growl.

Looking at the young Wu Tian, Silver Frost's eyes showed a gentle expression. It had lived for many years and was nearing its end.

It was a fortunate thing to witness the birth of such a spiritual descendant.

It barked a few times, causing the somewhat uneasy Wu Tian to gradually calm down.

Canine communication, unlike human language and writing, cannot convey very detailed expressions; it can only convey simple intentions.

But Wu Tian quickly understood the other's intention. Silver Frost was telling him that it would accompany him tomorrow.

"Woof woof woof~" he barked a few times at the village's Dog King, then ran off in a flash.

Silver Frost watched his retreating back, like an elderly person watching a mischievous grandchild, its gaze gentle.

The commotion at the door naturally did not escape the Chieftain and Guxiong Mu inside the house.

Chili Mu's father was a very brave warrior in the Hunting Team and was originally considered by many in the village to be the next leader of the Hunting Team, but unexpectedly, an accident occurred this time.

Wu Tian's nickname was White Dragon. It was a name given by the Chieftain when he helped deliver the puppies. At that time, besides White Dragon, there were two other puppies born in the litter, and they were all given to other families.

Only White Dragon was kept.

The Chieftain rested his hands on his wooden staff. After Silver Frost entered and lay down on the ground again, he sighed and said, "The Hunting Team has suddenly lost so many members. Even with temporary replacements, combat effectiveness will inevitably decrease."

"Not to mention the death of more than a dozen white dogs, which will greatly increase the risk for our entire village."

"However, the Hunting Team is the foundation of the village's survival. Besides supplementing you with five more people, I will also provide you with eight more hunting dogs. Coupled with that White Dragon just now, it will barely be enough."

"You will depart tomorrow morning. Try to avoid Black Fish Lake. Although it is a good hunting ground, since a Bear Demon has appeared there, it is not a place we can venture into."

Guxiong Mu's expression was a little grim. "There aren't many places to hunt around the village. More than half of the prey in the village used to come from Black Fish Lake."

"If we can't go to Black Fish Lake now, it will be very difficult to hunt enough food."

"Should I take the men deeper into the mountains?"

The Chieftain shook his head. "So many people have just died in the village, and it's not advisable to have any more accidents for now. If the Hunting Team suffers heavy losses, we might not be able to get through this winter."

"We'll have to endure for now. When spring comes next year, there should be envoys coming from Skull Mountain. I'll see if I can ask the envoys to deal with that Bear Demon then."

Although Guxiong Mu also wanted to hunt more food, he knew the Chieftain was right. He nodded in silence.

"If that's the case, hunting enough wild beasts will likely be much more difficult than before..."

The next morning, before dawn, Wu Tian carefully left Chili Mu's warm embrace and came to the front of the ancient bronze cauldron in the center of the village.

The Hunting Team always gathered here before each departure.

When Wu Tian arrived, many people were already there. They carried bows and arrows, hunting knives at their waists, and some carried bamboo baskets containing supplies for their mountain expedition.

In addition to the members of the Hunting Team, there were more than a dozen white dogs, mostly adult ones, three to four feet long and agile.

Although not as large as fierce beasts, these adult white dogs were agile and alert, making them the best companions during a hunt.

Wu Tian consciously slipped into the group of white dogs. He was only two years old and about a foot long, making him quite conspicuous among these adult white dogs.

He obediently followed behind Silver Frost, not showing off or causing any trouble.

As a puppy with no experience in mountain hunting, his task was to grow obediently within the team until he had the ability to protect himself.

As time slowly passed, all the members of the Hunting Team arrived, totaling nineteen, including the newly assigned individuals.

Nineteen strong men capable of drawing bows and wielding knives, plus more than a dozen white dogs. With such strength, as long as they didn't provoke any demons or ghosts, they wouldn't fear even large fierce beasts.

The group soon set off from the village, with the white dogs scattering to scout the surroundings.

Wu Tian still obediently followed Silver Frost, imitating and learning the Dog King's movements.

They traveled quickly. Occasionally, they encountered snakes, insects, and poisonous ants, which were all driven away. Soon, they entered the depths of the jungle, a place Wu Tian had never been to before.

Ancient trees towered into the sky, their dense foliage intertwining, blocking out even the sunlight. The ground was covered with decaying leaves and dead branches, and snakes, insects, and poisonous ants were more frequent.

Wu Tian even saw a Jade Scale Three Flower Snake coiled around a branch, at least ten feet long. Its scales were a deep jade green with black patterns, and it moved along the tree trunk, sending chills down one's spine.

This snake was highly venomous and usually only grew to about three feet long. Such a long giant snake must have become a demon by consuming Qi.

Fortunately, Silver Frost led the tribesmen to detour far away, not disturbing the dangerous behemoth.

There were also spiders the size of an adult's fist, centipedes a foot long, and foxes with red tails...

This was a true deep mountain forest, home to countless living beings.

At first, Wu Tian obediently followed Silver Frost.

But soon, he became restless. His goal was not to be a hunting dog, but to hone his skills, strengthen his physique, and gradually embark on the path of becoming a demon.

So, when he encountered those snakes, insects, and poisonous ants again on the way, he began to actively attack them. To avoid delaying the team's progress, his every move was swift.

He wasn't seeking victory, only combat.

If he couldn't win, he would hide beside Silver Frost.