In a standoff
The wailing from deep in the mountains never ceased.
Intermittent screams pierced through the hail, carrying the excruciating pain of flesh being torn apart, crashing against the walls of the Cliffside Fortress. The voices were hoarse and shrill, revealing that the trapped creature was enduring extreme agony.
The wild animals lurking outside the fence were the first to catch the sound.
The jackals, wolves, and wild dogs, which had been scattered and probing in low positions, all stopped moving at once.
Scattered growls rose and fell, converging from different directions. Short, bared growls, suppressed throat vibrations, and low whimpers layered upon each other, spreading across the hail-strewn forest.
The entire surrounding woodland was instantly enveloped by an atmosphere of anxiety and violence.
They no longer deliberately concealed themselves, abandoning their previous cautious and tentative approach.
The figures hidden in the shadows at the edge of the forest moved step by step, emerging from the area concealed by the trees and openly exposing themselves on the open ground.
The hail continued to pelt the sky relentlessly.
Ice pellets of varying sizes slammed into the beast's fur, producing muffled, clattering sounds. The hard ice shards struck the flesh, causing noticeable pain.
Several wolves at the front shrank back slightly after being hit, their ears pressed against their scalps, and they subconsciously took a half step back into the dense shadows of the trees.
The instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm is ingrained in their very being.
But Lu Heng saw it all clearly.
Despite being hurt by the hail and instinctively dodging, not a single wild animal turned and fled.
They only briefly gave way, and after regaining their footing, they remained firmly entrenched at various points around the Shelter, their eyes fixed on the direction of the Cliffside Fortress, refusing to retreat an inch.
The standoff has been brought to the forefront.
Lu Heng leaned against the second-floor railing, coldly surveying the entire woodland.
Hail and rain filled the sky, blurring the view, but it couldn't stop his observation.
The jackals crouched low on the earthen slope, their bodies pressed low, their tails brushing the ground, ready to pounce at any moment; the Wolf Pack stood scattered, their limbs firmly planted on the ground, their chests heaving violently, their eyes filled with ferocity; scattered wild dogs wandered on the outermost edge, pacing back and forth, constantly sniffing the air, playing the role of probing the periphery.
Three types of wild beasts that are inherently hostile to each other, vying for territory and fighting for food.
At this moment, setting aside all conflict, they surrounded his Shelter.
It's abnormal and dangerous.
Lu Heng made no move, simply sitting quietly and observing.
The situation is clear.
The opponent is positioned at a safe distance, beyond the effective range of the Giant-Feather Crossbow. Even if he nocks an arrow and aims, he will only waste arrows and miss the target. Instead, he will prematurely reveal his trump card and disrupt the rhythm of the standoff.
There's no need to act impulsively.
He had a significant advantage in terms of location.
The Fortress was sturdy and enclosed, providing shelter from the wind and rain, and was dry and secure. The interior was well-supplied with ample supplies, including drinking water, food, and weapons.
In contrast, consider the wild beasts outside.
Braving the endless hail, their fur soaked through, and with the cold wind carrying ice pellets constantly assaulting their bodies, they had no shelter and no supplies, and could only endure the harsh weather.
If this drags on, they'll be the first to give out.
Lu Heng remained calm and patiently waited for an opening.
Time passed slowly, and noon approached.
He got up and ate some of his stored food to replenish his strength. Throughout the process, he remained calm and his rhythm was not disrupted by the herd of beasts outside.
When we returned to the observation point on the second floor, a completely different sound suddenly came from the forest.
No longer cries of despair.
It was a dull, brutal tearing sound, the cracking of bones breaking, and the murky noise of flesh being forcibly ripped apart.
The sound was rough, cruel, and unfiltered, piercing through the hail and rain, and clearly reaching inside the Fortress.
Lu Heng's eyes narrowed, and he immediately raised his hand to turn on the Wristband screen.
Swipe quickly with your finger to bring up a real-time monitoring screen of the Silk-Peeping Bug.
In the clearing in the woods covered by the camera, a cold and cruel scene unfolded before his eyes without any concealment.
The wild animal that had been tightly locked in a trap and was severely injured and howling in pain had completely lost the ability to struggle.
His limbs were locked in iron clamps, his flesh was torn apart, and his blood soaked the soil beneath him.
The jackals, wolves, and wild dogs surrounding it had shed all their hesitation.
The three types of wild beasts swarmed forward, showing no mercy to their own kind and without the slightest hesitation. Their sharp fangs pierced the flesh of the severely wounded, tearing, biting, and fighting frantically for the prey.
They killed their trapped companion.
Then, in front of the entire forest, they directly devoured the flesh and blood.
Severely injured or burdensome, eliminate them directly.
The burden of the ethnic group should be decisively abandoned.
The stench of blood instantly filled the forest, mingling with the damp earth and the smell of cold rain, carried by the wind towards the Shelter.
On the screen, the beasts fought over flesh and blood, their movements ferocious and savage. Their initial agitation subsided considerably after they had eaten.
The violent aura hadn't dissipated; instead, it had gained a more composed ferocity, as if the man had eaten his fill.
Lu Heng watched this scene quietly, his heart calm and completely at peace.
These are the rules of survival in this mountain forest.
There is no affection, no warmth among fellow human beings, only the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak.
Injury means elimination, and burdens must be discarded. In order to survive, even the flesh and blood of one's own kind can provide sustenance, and anything that hinders the survival of the tribe will be eliminated without hesitation.
At that moment, he finally understood the root cause of the beast herd's gathering.
During this period, he hunted and killed countless jackals, wolves, and wild dogs in the surrounding mountains and forests.
The number of wild beasts that had died by his crossbow and Hunting Blade was already enormous.
Repeated hunting and extermination have long since created deep-seated animosity within this small ecosystem.
The previous sporadic probes and individual spying were all reconnaissance and investigations by the herd.
Until this hailstorm struck, obstructing visibility and creating a cacophony of sounds, naturally silencing all movement.
They finally put aside their racial differences and temporarily banded together.
It wasn't by chance that I passed by.
It does not randomly search for nests.
It was a premeditated act of collective revenge.
These wild beasts had their eyes completely on his Cliffside Shelter, and on him, the human who had hunted their kind for years.
The hail continued to fall, and the standoff continued.
The sounds of flesh being devoured in the forest gradually subsided as all the wild beasts filled their empty stomachs and stood upright again.
Pairs of fierce eyes pierced through the swirling icy rain, fixed intently on the stone fortress high above.
Beneath the silent stalemate lurked a deadly battle that could erupt at any moment.
Lu Heng cleared his mind of all distractions and slowly straightened his back.
Since these beasts are determined to block this place and seek revenge, he'll just have to wait it out.
When their patience runs out and they are full of flaws, that will be the moment this standoff ends.