The dark shape on the slope realized it had been spotted, pushed off with all four feet, and charged straight toward him.
Hoofbeats struck the frozen ground in rapid succession. Lu Heng's heart pounded wildly, but his feet stayed firmly planted. Memories of being chased by the village dogs as a child flooded his mind. He knew that turning to run now would only fully unleash its ferocity.
He raised a hand to gather the dry grass wrapped around him, pressing the loose bundles tight. The dead grass and twigs covering his clothes would not stop a bite, but they could cushion an impact somewhat. He gripped the stone axe in one hand, its edge facing forward; bending quickly, he used his other hand to pick up several hard stones and set them within easy reach beside him. He swiftly scanned his surroundings and readied whatever he could use, every muscle in his body taut.
The wild dog drew closer and closer. Lu Heng focused on it and soon noticed something wrong. Its right foreleg clearly lacked strength when it struck the ground, its body tilted slightly, and its gait was sluggish. As it approached, he could see more clearly: mud covered its fur, blood had matted the hair along its flank, and torn flesh gaped on its right foreleg. Its injuries were serious.
His tension eased a little, but his guard did not slacken in the slightest. Even wounded, a beast's wild ferocity was still hard to gauge.
The wild dog stopped abruptly three paces away, its claws scraping shallow marks into the frozen ground. It lowered its body, hackles rising along its neck, and a deep growl rumbled from its throat. Its gaze remained fixed on Lu Heng.
It did not pounce immediately, but began testing him.
It shifted a little from side to side, stepping lightly, its eyes never leaving Lu Heng. Now and then, it tapped a forepaw against the ground and sprang half a step forward in a feint, then swiftly retreated when Lu Heng remained motionless. It circled within a small area, lowered its head to sniff the ground, then looked up to stare at the stone axe in his hand. Every movement left it room to maneuver as it weighed its opponent's strength and waited for a chance to strike.
Man and beast faced each other on the open, frozen plain. A cold wind swept through the dead grass. Nothing remained between heaven and earth but the beast's low growls and their heavy breathing.
After several rounds of circling and probing, the wild dog probably judged that the person before it would be difficult to handle, but it still could not suppress its hunting instinct. Its low growl suddenly rose in pitch. It arched its back, tensed the muscles in all four legs, and took a short running start before lunging straight at Lu Heng's arm. The attack was vicious, yet it still left room to retreat-the instinctive caution of a beast fighting for its life.
Adrenaline surged through Lu Heng's head. His ears buzzed, and the blood throughout his body suddenly boiled. Fear washed down his back like ice water, but he forcibly suppressed it. Instead of swinging his axe, he ducked sharply into the wild dog's lunge.
At the critical instant, he freed one hand, snatched up a stone beside him, and jammed it hard between the wild dog's closing jaws. The hard stone lodged across its mouth. Immediately afterward, he threw his whole body forward with the momentum, driving the wild dog's torso heavily against the frozen ground.
The wild dog's sharp teeth clamped down viciously toward his arm, but struck the hard stone first. Its pointed teeth bit and ground with force, yet the stone did not budge. Instead, the jolt sent searing pain through its mouth.
"Awooo-"
A piercing howl suddenly erupted. The wild dog shook its head desperately, thrashing and kicking all four legs as it fought with all its strength to break free. Its sharp teeth bit the stone again and again, but every effort only intensified its pain.
Lu Heng lowered his center of gravity and pinned it firmly to the ground. The beast's teeth held his arm in a tight grip, sending a dull, tingling ache through his compressed flesh. Thanks to the stone blocking them, its fangs had not pierced his skin. He exerted his whole body, not daring to relax for an instant, while the beast beneath him struggled and wailed frantically.
The cold wind swept across the wilderness. On the frozen ground, man and beast grappled, their snarls and gasps mingling.
The wild dog struggled violently, its sharp claws scattering chips of frozen earth as it twisted hard from side to side, desperate to escape his hold. Lu Heng pressed his entire weight onto its torso, keeping his center of gravity fixed. The difference in their weight was plain. No matter how it thrashed and twisted, its body remained pinned firmly to the cold ground, unable to pull free even a little.
They reached a stalemate.
Lu Heng dared not exert force rashly, much less shift around carelessly. He knew that a beast fighting for its life relied on one last burst of strength. If he relaxed his hold and lost his balance, it would counterattack and tear into him the next moment.
One of his arms was wedged in the wild dog's mouth as a brace, tightly gripped by its sharp teeth. The stone blocked any deadly injury, but the constant pressure of its jaws left his entire arm aching, numb, and swollen, as though even the blood vessels had become clogged and rigid. He could not attack with that hand. He could only keep it braced firmly to steady his body.
His other hand held the stone axe tightly at his side, but he kept hesitating to bring it down. The beast beneath him twisted constantly. If his movement was even slightly off and he lost his balance, his current advantage would reverse in an instant.
The wild dog was still resisting frantically. Driven by wild instinct, it shook its head, kicked its legs, twisted its body, and snarled without restraint. Every violent struggle further depleted its already wounded body. The old wound along its flank was repeatedly pulled open, and fresh blood seeped through the dried blood again. Its frenzied movements slowly grew hurried and panicked, its strength fading bit by bit.
Lu Heng lay over its back, breathing heavily, but his mind grew calmer. He could distinctly feel the changes in the beast beneath him: both the explosive force of its kicks and the ferocity of its head-shaking were steadily diminishing.
The beast knew only to unleash brute force. Every futile struggle used up more of what it needed to turn the tables.
Lu Heng deliberately steadied his breathing to conserve his strength. He did not launch a forceful attack or rush to end the fight. He simply kept his weight firmly down and maintained the stalemate.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the moment this wounded wild dog exhausted its strength.
The cold wind swept over the frozen ground, and the struggle continued.
The frenzied cries gradually turned hoarse, and the violent struggling slowly became feeble twitching.
The balance between victory and defeat was silently tipping toward Lu Heng.
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