Strategic Retreat

Whoosh~

An arrow shot out with lightning speed.

It pierced through a pheasant just about to take flight, which fluttered twice before finally collapsing stiffly to the ground.

"Tsk tsk, Junior Brother really has some skills."

"Senior Sister, without a bit of ability, how would I dare take on this job?"

Li Yun and Yu Qingqing emerged from behind the tree branches, one after the other.

This hunting trip was meant to see whose prey would be worth more in the end.

However, keeping it to second place was actually quite difficult.

Without real-time information sharing, who knew how much the top-ranked Huang Shengnan could bag?

The method Yu Qingqing provided was:

Try to hunt as much prey as possible, and at the end, she would go ahead to check others' harvests first.

Then, she would give a signal to Li Yun, who was trailing behind, to bring out the precise amount.

Fists, power, and money—they truly are wonderful things.

With just a casual word, there will naturally be people racking their brains to please you.

Stowing away the pheasant, the two ducked back into the forest to continue their hunt.

Yu Qingqing promised that no matter how much prey he caught, she would convert it into silver and hand it over to him.

Li Yun held nothing back, utilizing the "ancestral" knowledge in his head as much as possible.

At this time of year, if one could bag a wild boar, the outcome would be clear.

But that would make it hard to control the ranking.

Li Yun left this problem for Yu Qingqing to solve herself:

"Senior Sister, this season is the breeding period for wild boars.

Males move frequently to compete for mates.

I want to go check the pine forest area.

But if we really bag a wild boar, then the result..."

Hearing Li Yun's words, Yu Qingqing pondered for a moment.

She did not dismiss the idea, recalling Huang Shengnan's previous behavior:

"Fine, let's go hunt wild boars.

I think Miss Huang doesn't actually care much about winning or losing.

Perhaps winning might even produce a better effect."

With the decision made, the two turned around and headed toward the pine forest.

Wild boars living in the wild for long periods have many parasites on their skin, causing unbearable itching.

Therefore, they often rub against trees to relieve the irritation.

And after being rubbed, the pine trees secrete sap.

That is pine resin.

As the pine resin sticks to the boar's skin, over time, it forms a layer of "armor."

It can prevent mosquito bites and increase defensive capabilities.

Finally, rubbing against trees also allows them to mark their territory through scent.

So, in places where wild boars are rampant, if there is a pine forest, there is a high probability of encountering them.

Sure enough, it didn't take much effort.

The two saw two wild boars in the pine forest.

Upon seeing them, Yu Qingqing's expression became somewhat unnatural, and she let out a soft, annoyed sound.

Li Yun wondered what the matter was, but it turned out they were just two wild boars "exchanging affections."

Making a fuss over nothing.

His left hand took out the Bull Bow, his right hand pulled an arrow from the quiver, nocked it, raised the bow, drew the string, aimed, and released.

It was all done in one fluid motion.

Whoosh~

The arrow pierced straight through the thick neck of the male boar, the arrowhead coated in warm blood droplets, and with momentum still unspent, it slammed into the pine tree to the side, the shaft still vibrating with a hum.

This was merely the force of the Bull Bow drawn to a "Half Moon."

Even a half-drawn bowstring possessed such power.

If the string were pulled to a Full Moon, the destructive force would be...

Li Yun felt his heart heat up just thinking about it.

If only, in the future...

Once he had the money, he would definitely buy one.

Perhaps if he encountered any variables later on, this bow could become his hidden trump card.

"Junior Brother, shoot quickly!"

"Huh?"

Li Yun was stunned.

It turned out that after his previous arrow killed the boar, he had paused.

The sow had noticed, but instead of fleeing, it began to grunt and snort at the two of them.

Heavy, labored breaths sprayed the ground, kicking up fine specks of mud. Its small eyes were bloodshot, and it dug its hooves into the earth, bracing for a savage charge.

Li Yun nocked another arrow and fired.

The sow let out a muffled roar, its front legs buckled, and it crashed to the ground.

"Wow, Junior Brother, you're amazing! Now, let's see how that little hussy compares to me."

Watching the two wild boars fall, Yu Qingqing was incredibly excited, raising her fist and punching the air.

Clearly, being able to spite Lin Biling was a matter of great satisfaction for her.

"Senior Sister, the hour is still early. Shall we continue?"

They hadn't been up the mountain for long, and it was still quite a while before the Shen hour.

Since they were already here, Li Yun wanted to hunt a bit longer, but he still had to listen to his employer.

Yu Qingqing shook her head, having no intention of continuing the hunt.

She hadn't forgotten the purpose of this trip:

"Forget it. Two wild boars are already enough. Although Miss Huang might not care about winning or losing, it wouldn't look good if the gap were too wide. Let's each carry one and head down the mountain."

"Fine."

The two walked over.

Li Yun bent down, gripped the hindquarters of the sow, sank his waist and back, and hoisted the black carcass onto his shoulder with a steady heave.

The three-to-four-hundred-pound sow didn't feel too heavy on his back.

As for the six-to-seven-hundred-pound boar, that was naturally left to Yu Qingqing.

She was no weak maiden, but a Bright Force martial artist whose muscles and bones resonated with nine distinct cracks.

She was only a hair's breadth away from Dark Force.

This weight was a mere trifle to her.

The two slowly descended the mountain, reaching the halfway point.

Suddenly, they heard the faint sounds of a struggle coming from afar.

Li Yun frowned inwardly; he didn't want to meddle in other people's business.

But before he could speak, Yu Qingqing had already dropped her boar and rushed toward the sound.

"In this direction, it's very likely Miss Huang. If something happens to her, the consequences will be dire. Junior Brother, hurry down the mountain and tell her servants to return to the city for help!"

Before she had even finished speaking, only her retreating back remained.

Li Yun didn't even have a chance to get a word in.

When they arrived, Yu Qingqing had mentioned that Huang Shengnan's guards were experts in Dark Force.

If the enemies were weak, it would be fine to go and claim the credit for saving her.

But now, the fact that they were causing such a commotion meant the enemies were clearly not weak.

Rushing over like that—wasn't it just like a moth flying into a flame?

Even if they were going to intervene, they should have swapped roles.

If Li Yun went, he could at least use his bow to provide cover.

"Big chest, no brain."

Li Yun hesitated for a moment, but still followed after them.

If not for Yu Qingqing, he wouldn't have bothered to take a single look.

Besides, going over was just to assess the situation from a distance.

Then he would make a decision.

If he could help, he could naturally fire an arrow for a sneak attack; if the enemy was too strong, he would have to make a strategic retreat and head down the mountain to seek help.

Looking around and seeing no one, he immediately stored the two wild boars into his storage space.

Tipping onto his toes, he gave chase.

By the time Li Yun arrived and hid behind a tree, the situation was looking grim.

Huang Shengnan and Lin Biling were sprawled on the ground, their limbs twitching uncontrollably.

Their hair was disheveled, their originally fair skin flushed with an unnatural crimson, and their lips were parted as they gasped for air; one look was enough to tell that something was very wrong.

Huang Shengnan's guards and Yu Qingqing were working together to fend off a man in sturdy attire wielding a blade.

The man was wearing Leng Yifeng's clothes, but his features were clearly not the same person.

He had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a high nose and thin lips, and stood about eight feet tall.

"Huh?"

Li Yun gripped the Bull Bow in his hands, his gaze fixed on the man's face, his heart skipping a beat.

This face felt inexplicably familiar.

Li Yun subconsciously felt it was very strange.

Had he seen him somewhere before?