Ambushed by the Bristle-Haired Boar Demon

When Lu Yuan reached the mountainside of Azure Cloud Mountain, he came upon a five-way fork in the road.

Beside the path on the far right, hidden amid grass and trees—

Lu Yuan felt a chill drift toward him. Only then did he realize that, in his haste to find the hunting party—

he had gone past the small trail and somehow ended up at the Cold Pool.

"Cold Pool..."

When he was little, he had heard the villagers speak of it.

Back then, this Cold Pool had been a favorite spot for blacksmiths from all the villages within ten miles.

They all liked coming here to fetch water.

Weapons forged with water from the Cold Pool were not only sturdy and durable, but their edges also carried a trace of chill.

Moreover, no one knew why the water of the Cold Pool was so icy.

Some guessed that a demonic beast was responsible.

But Lu Yun had no time to worry about that now. He quickened his pace toward the hunting party.

At this moment, Azure Cloud Village's hunting party was resting deep within Azure Cloud Mountain's dense forest, chewing on sorghum buns with pickled vegetables.

The hunting party had ten members, each with clearly defined duties. Lu Yuan's grandfather, Liu Tieshan, was experienced, familiar with the mountains and forests, understood beastly habits, and could identify weather traps. He served as the head hunter.

There were also mountain scouts responsible for tracking beasts, ambushers responsible for killing them, and porters responsible for the aftermath once a beast had been slain.

The group consisted of around ten people in total.

Liu Tieshan was smoking his tobacco pipe, his brows furrowed.

They had been in the mountains for two or three hours and had only caught a few pheasants and rabbits, which would not sell for much. They had not seen a single large prey animal.

"Uncle Liu, we've been up the mountain for two or three hours and only caught a few pheasants and rabbits. They're not even enough to fill the gaps between our teeth—how much can they possibly sell for?" Ma Kui, one of the ambushers, swallowed his dry, rough bun and could not help complaining. "We haven't even seen a single hair from any large prey. This trip is probably going to be wasted again."

"Yeah," Qian San, one of the porters, sighed and lowered his voice. "I heard that the people from neighboring Fang Family Village have recently set their sights on that open ground east of our village. The county plans to turn it into a small market. Whoever gets that patch of land will have a steady stream of income just from collecting stall fees!"

"And we still have to scrape together the 'head money.' How can our village possibly come up with that much?"

Hearing everyone's complaints, Liu Tieshan knocked his tobacco pipe against something.

He exhaled a puff of white smoke. "Say less. You can't predict what happens in these mountains; beasts have their own paths."

"This weather is damp, cold, and stifling. The big game is probably all hiding."

"Once we've eaten our fill, we'll search properly. There will always be tracks to follow."

Though he spoke like that, a trace of worry showed in Liu Tieshan's eyes.

"Rustle, rustle."

Just then, a faint sound came from the bushes ahead.

Everyone immediately seized their weapons in alert.

"It's me, it's me!"

A lean man burrowed out from the bushes. It was Zhao Dong, the mountain scout.

Ignoring the sweat covering his head, Zhao Dong spoke with a hint of excitement. "Uncle Liu, there's game up ahead—boars weighing several hundred jin each."

"Boars? Several hundred jin each? Their hides, tusks, and meat together ought to fetch quite a bit of money!"

Everyone grew excited.

In these times, meat was not easy to come by.

That was why it sold for a high price.

"Grab your weapons."

Liu Tieshan's gaze sharpened.

Deep in the dense forest, before a patch of mud.

Several wild boars were rolling about in the mud.

"Uncle Liu, we're getting rich this time."

"That stinking mud patch is a wild boar's favorite place."

Just as everyone drew their bows and prepared to hunt—

"Oink, oink!!!"

A harsh boar's cry rang out.

The wild boars rolling in the mud scattered in all directions the instant they heard it.

"Boom!"

The bushes beside the mud pit exploded apart.

A monster the size of a water buffalo charged out.

Its lower body had pig hooves, while its upper body bore muscular, knotted arms.

Its entire body was covered in bristles like steel needles.

Its tusks curled outward, gleaming with a sharp yellow light.

"What is that?"

The hunters were all dumbfounded.

"Run! Th-this is a demonic beast."

They hunted ordinary wild animals. When had they ever encountered a demonic beast?

"Hehehe... A few scrawny two-legged sheep dare come to Pig Grandfather's territory and slaughter Old Pig's descendants? Are you tired of living?"

The boar demon spoke in human words, its voice as harsh as a broken gong, dripping with undisguised greed and savagery. "Just in time—Pig Grandfather is hungry. You'll do to fill the gaps between my teeth!"

The hunters began roaring as they fled in panic.

But it was already too late.

The boar demon charged toward them like a war chariot.

And the arrows the hunters fired, along with the hunting forks they thrust forward—

only sparked against its bristles, unable to leave even a white mark.

"Splat!"

The boar demon slapped apart a porter's head, spraying red and white matter across the ground.

"Rip!"

Immediately afterward, its tusks hooked upward, disemboweling an ambusher.

Red and white matter spilled all over the ground.

Screams, chewing sounds, and the cracking of bones echoed through the dense forest.

The sight was horrifying beyond measure.

In merely a dozen breaths—

the hunting party of more than ten people—

was reduced to only Liu Tieshan, Ma Kui, and Zhao Dong.

They were forced beneath a large tree.

"This beast really isn't leaving a single survivor."

"Let's fight it to the death."

Ma Kui's eyes were bloodshot, and the hand gripping his hunting fork trembled.

"Fight with what? What do you have to fight it with? Get the hell out of here!"

Liu Tieshan shoved the two of them.

Then he snatched the hunting fork from Ma Kui's hands.

"Uncle Liu!"

Ma Kui and Zhao Dong cried out.

"Quit your nonsense. If you don't leave now, then these old bones of mine will have died for nothing."

After cursing, Liu Tieshan charged straight at the boar demon.

His steel fork stabbed toward the boar demon's eye.

"Old bones, I'll chew your skull to pieces first!"

The Bristle-Haired Boar Demon neither dodged nor evaded. It bit down on Liu Tieshan's thrusting hunting fork and yanked it aside.

The tremendous force split open Liu Tieshan's tiger's mouth.

Before he could react—

the boar demon's huge, bloody maw had already clamped down on his left arm.

"Crack!"

A bone-breaking sound that set teeth on edge rang out as Liu Tieshan's left arm was bitten clean off.

"Run! Don't look back!"

Liu Tieshan cried out miserably and clutched his wound.

He looked in the direction Ma Kui and Zhao Dong had fled.

A trace of relief appeared on his face.

His grandsons were about the same age as those two boys.

What a pity!

He would not get to watch his grandsons grow up.

"Xiao Yuan works at the yamen. He should be able to protect the whole family now."

Liu Tieshan pulled out a worn strip of cloth from his chest, containing the scattered banknotes he had saved up.

He had planned to buy his grandsons and granddaughters some snacks for the festival.

"Old man, Pig Grandfather will send you on your way."

A cruel glint flashed in the boar demon's eyes as it chewed up the severed arm.

It raised its thick front claw, about to smash Liu Tieshan's head like a watermelon.

"You round-haired fat pig bastard, you're courting death!!!"

At that critical instant, a furious roar thundered through the dense forest, carrying boundless killing intent.

A rusty blade arrived before the sound.

It carried a shrill, frigid whistle as it tore through the air.