The Entire Mountain Is My Hunting Ground

The wild boar had just fought a long battle with four dogs right here. Its scent was everywhere, and the tracks were still fresh. It would have been incredibly easy for Hua Xiao’er to give chase.

But Hua Xiao’er was lying there, completely still. It was too exhausted to run.

Seeing Zhao Jun about to leave, White Dragon staggered after him. Zhao Jun paid it no mind. Just then, Li Baoyu whistled repeatedly, calling White Dragon to a halt.

Zhao Jun hadn’t gone to look at Daqing, but as he was about to leave, he paused and glanced back one last time.

From a hundred-odd meters away, he could no longer make out Daqing’s features, only the shape of a large, sturdy dog lying in the snow.

Even so, a pang of grief seized Zhao Jun’s heart, as if it were being squeezed by a fist. A heavy sorrow settled in his chest, his nostrils flared, and a sharp sting hit the back of his nose. Then, he felt his eyes begin to burn.

Even the most hardened Hunter will cry when they see their dog die.

The bond between a Hunter and his dog is a delicate thing.

He had brought Daqing home from Yongsheng Village over half a year ago. A bond had already formed between them.

Zhao Jun didn’t go back for one last look at Daqing. He knew that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to hold back the tears.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of losing face by crying in front of others. To a group of Hunters, a man crying for his dog was never something to be ashamed of.

But he still had to chase that boar, to avenge Daqing. There was no time to waste.

So Zhao Jun turned away, let out a long breath, and took off after the wild boar’s tracks.

This boar’s escape path was unusual. It wasn’t taking the easy route, not climbing the ridge toward the summit. Instead, it was moving horizontally across the face of the slope.

This was what Li Baoyu had just called "traversing the ridge."

This kind of travel was difficult for the boar and even more exhausting for a man, especially with the snow on the slope.

Just as Zhao Jun was about to tentatively take a step, a black shadow suddenly shot past him.

Zhao Jun looked and saw Hua Xiao’er sprinting toward the summit.

A thought struck Zhao Jun. He immediately abandoned the idea of traversing the ridge and chased after Hua Xiao’er instead.

Dogs can smell things humans can’t.

Hua Xiao’er must have caught the boar’s scent and was now taking a direct shortcut to intercept it.

Zhao Jun didn’t waste time wondering why the dog had gone from being too exhausted to move to suddenly giving chase. All he wanted was to catch up to Hua Xiao’er, catch up to that boar, avenge Daqing, and keep Hua Xiao’er from getting injured.

After killing Daqing and injuring White Dragon and Little Bear, the boar had traversed the ridge for a hundred-odd meters before realizing how strenuous it was. So, it changed course and started heading for the summit.

It climbed the slope, descended the other side into a gully, and then started up the opposite ridge.

It never stopped running. Just as Zhao Jun expected, this boar would run nonstop until past three in the afternoon. Only when it was time for its evening meal would it stop to forage for food.

However, while the boar kept running, its pace was much, much slower than when it had first fled the fight.

After all, even it couldn’t maintain that kind of speed indefinitely.

But just as it was scrambling up the slope, a dog’s bark suddenly reached its ears.

Having just survived an attack from a pack of dogs, the boar was now what you might call "dog-proofed." It had gained both experience and confidence in dealing with hounds.

But the instant it heard the bark, its first instinct was still to flee.

So, even though the bark reminded it of those annoying pests from before, it didn’t turn to attack Hua Xiao’er. It followed its instinct and kept running.

As the boar ran up the slope, Hua Xiao’er descended from the opposite ridge, crossed the gully, and charged up the same incline.

When it was still a hundred-odd meters away from the boar, Hua Xiao’er broke into a full sprint. Catching up, the dog leaped and bit down hard.

The bite landed squarely on the two large sacs behind the boar’s rear end.

In fact, Hua Xiao’er had managed to get both testicles in its mouth. As they rolled between its teeth, even the toughest boar couldn’t endure the pain.

"AWOOOO..." The wild boar shrieked. It couldn’t afford not to turn and fight now.

The boar spun around violently, whipping its rear end to the left and nearly flinging the attached Hua Xiao’er through the air.

Hua Xiao’er quickly released its grip and landed to one side.

"AWOOOO..." The boar had shrieked when Hua Xiao’er bit down, and it shrieked again when the dog let go.

Because the place Hua Xiao’er had bitten was just too... vicious!

If it had been bitten somewhere else—the ear, the front elbow, a hind leg—the boar could have just shaken the dog off and been done with it.

But being bitten *there*... even as the boar flung Hua Xiao’er away, the dog’s entire body weight was pulling on its testicles during the motion. How could that not be even more agonizing?

Blood streamed from the boar’s backside.

They say skin splits and flesh gapes, but for this boar, its skin split and its balls gaped. One of them was now dangling loosely.

The pain was so excruciating the boar wished it were dead.

"WOOF! WOOF!"

Hua Xiao’er stood its ground, barking at the boar.

The boar lowered its head, dug in its hooves, and charged straight for Hua Xiao’er.

It vowed to avenge its ravaged testicles!

But Hua Xiao’er was a battle-hardened veteran, a master of countless such testicular takedowns over the years. How could it possibly let itself be struck?

When the boar was still three or four meters away, Hua Xiao’er leaped to the side, dodging the charge while rapidly circling around to the boar’s rear.