Chapter 306 - 255: Old Dog (2)
"Brother Li," Tao Fei asked Li Baoyu curiously, pointing at Hua Xiao’Er, "how’d this dog get so many scars?"
How could a hound that fights wild boars and Black Bears not get injured?
Once a dog is injured, even after the wound heals and the fur grows back, the new fur is never the same. It grows in stiff and coarse.
And of the six dogs, Hua Xiao’Er had the most scars. His entire body could be described as a tapestry of old wounds.
Hearing Tao Fei’s question, Li Baoyu glanced over. Seeing that Tao Fei was pointing at Hua Xiao’Er, he quickly pulled the man’s hand back. "Our Hua Xiao’Er has been hunting for many years," he said. "He’s seen countless battles. Isn’t it normal for him to get banged up?"
"He’s been hunting the longest?" Tao Fei didn’t hunt, so he naturally didn’t understand the finer points. "I saw all his scars and thought he wasn’t any good, that he was just letting boars gore him and Black Bears claw him."
As soon as Tao Fei finished speaking, he saw Hua Xiao’Er, whose muzzle was buried in the feed trough, look up at him from the corner of his eye.
For a moment, Tao Fei was stunned. ’Could this dog actually understand what I’m saying?’ he wondered.
Just then, Li Baoyu explained, "Like I said, he’s scarred because he’s been hunting for a long time. Don’t be fooled by his name, Hua Xiao’Er. He’s almost seven years old."
Hua Xiao’Er had started hunting in the mountains when he was just over six months old, not even a year. He had been on the hunt for six years now, making him nearly seven.
"Whoa, so he’s an old dog!" Tao Fei blurted out. He didn’t mean anything by it; it was just an exclamation of surprise.
But it seemed Hua Xiao’Er truly understood. Though he didn’t lift his head, he stopped licking the cornmeal.
He shot a sidelong glance at Tao Fei, his eyes unfriendly. His lips curled back, baring his teeth, and a low growl rumbled from his throat.
Seeing this, Tao Fei quickly ducked behind Li Baoyu, placing his hands on his shoulders and peering out at Hua Xiao’Er. He then asked Li Baoyu, "Can this dog really understand what I’m saying?"
"Of course he can," Li Baoyu said with a laugh. "Say one more word and he might just lunge at you."
After speaking, Li Baoyu walked over, squatted down, and began to stroke Hua Xiao’Er’s neck back and forth.
Stroking the neck is the best way to make a dog feel cared for.
After a few pets from Li Baoyu, Hua Xiao’Er went back to eating with his head down.
Tao Fei didn’t quite believe Li Baoyu. He turned to Zhao Jun and asked, "Brother Zhao, can dogs really understand human speech?"
Zhao Jun smiled at the question, nodded, and said, "They understand a fair bit."
As he spoke, his gaze also fell upon Hua Xiao’Er.
Some say foxes are intelligent, others say yellow foxes are, and still others say cats. But if you were to ask Zhao Jun, the most intelligent animal in the world is the dog.
Dogs can understand human language, and they have their own joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures.
In his previous life, while working in the city, Zhao Jun had rented a basement apartment. His landlord lived on the floor above.
He remembered the landlord had a pet dog. Whenever its owner teased it, saying they were going to give it away, the little dog would start crying pitifully.
Once the six dogs had finished eating, Zhao Jun told Tao Fei to get the leashes and tie them up one by one. Then, each of the three men took two dogs and left the house, heading for the mountains again.
Today’s trip had a purpose. The target was the Black Bear that Li Baoyu had spotted yesterday.
The three of them followed yesterday’s route into the mountains. Li Baoyu led the way to the front of that shattered Pine Tree stump.
At Zhao Jun’s command, they unleashed all six dogs. The hounds immediately began sniffing the ground left and right.
Almost simultaneously, Hua Xiao’Er and Little Bear shot forward, followed by Daqing.
After just a few steps, Little Bear started barking. He continued to bark as he charged down the slope.
At its cry, the three dogs that had remained by their side all turned in unison and followed it.
Zhao Jun and the others stood at the top of the slope, watching the six dogs descend. To their surprise, Hua Xiao’Er, who had been the first to set off, was now lagging behind at the very back.
"Sigh!" Seeing this, Zhao Jun sighed internally. ’Hua Xiao’Er really is old.’
’In the past, as the lead dog, Hua Xiao’Er would only bark after he ran out and found the prey, and the other dogs would follow. The difference wouldn’t have been so obvious.’
’But now there’s Little Bear, a running barker. He barks as he goes, and all the other dogs follow him.’
’It was at times like this that Hua Xiao’Er’s age and declining stamina became clear. He just couldn’t run like he used to.’
"Brother," Li Baoyu had noticed too. He asked Zhao Jun in disbelief, "Is Hua Xiao’Er..."
Li Baoyu trailed off, not finishing his sentence.
Because he saw Zhao Jun’s expression darken.
Zhao Jun shook his head and forced a smile at Li Baoyu. "He’s almost seven. He was up the mountain just yesterday, so of course he’s not as excited today."
"Ah." Li Baoyu nodded, outwardly agreeing with Zhao Jun but remaining skeptical in his heart.
It was true that hunting dogs shouldn’t be taken into the mountains on consecutive days. But according to the old-timers, a hound would only show fatigue and a lack of excitement on the third consecutive day of hunting.
Zhao Jun composed himself and waved a hand at Li Baoyu and Tao Fei. "Quick, let’s follow them."
With that, Zhao Jun led the way down the slope, with Li Baoyu and Tao Fei close behind.
The three men descended the slope. Seeing that the dog tracks all led south, they followed them along a gully.
But after less than a third of a mile, they saw the tracks split. One set went up a ridge, while the other continued south.
"Brother, what do we do now?" Li Baoyu asked, looking at Zhao Jun in surprise.
The dogs had split into groups. Three here, three there. Which group should they follow?
To the south, the barking was constant, growing fainter. Just from the sound, they knew it was Little Bear.
But just then, from halfway up the slope, Hua Xiao’Er’s bark echoed.
Immediately after, the barking from the south erupted into a chaotic chorus. They had clearly found prey, and the other dogs had joined in.
But at the same time, it was no longer just one dog barking on the slope; other dogs had started to bark as well.
Zhao Jun glanced at the ground, trying to make out the tracks. It looked like one dog had followed Hua Xiao’Er up the slope, while four dogs had gone with Little Bear.
"Brother, what are we going to do?" Li Baoyu became anxious and hurriedly asked Zhao Jun.
At this point, Zhao Jun didn’t know what to do either. The dogs in both locations were barking, which clearly meant both groups had found prey.
But of the three of them, only he had a gun. Which group should he go help?
Zhao Jun steadied himself, pointed south, and said to Li Baoyu, "Baoyu, listen to me carefully. You and Tao Fei head over there and see what the dogs have cornered. If it’s a Black Bear, don’t make a sound. Get back here immediately. I’ll head over as soon as I can.
"If the dogs have a wild boar cornered, and if it’s a small one, kill it with your blades if you can. If you can’t, then leave it."
Zhao Jun paused. Seeing Li Baoyu remain silent, he asked again, "Did you hear me?"
"Ah..."
Li Baoyu was feeling uncertain, but Zhao Jun knew this was no time to dawdle. He clapped Li Baoyu on the shoulder and said, "Go on, hurry."
After that, Zhao Jun unslung his gun and started up the slope.
Watching Zhao Jun leave, Tao Fei quickly asked Li Baoyu, "Brother Li. What do we do?"
"Let’s ready our blades," Li Baoyu said. He pulled the Invasion Blade from the small of his back and looked around for a suitable sapling.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jun ran up the slope, his gun at the ready.
The sound of barking was a continuous chain in his ears. He could faintly distinguish two dogs: based on their voices, one was Hua Xiao’Er, and the other was Da Huang.
He just didn’t know what these two old dogs had cornered.
But between Hua Xiao and Little Bear, Zhao Jun chose to trust Hua Xiao’Er. He believed that whatever Hua Xiao’Er had cornered was the more dangerous Black Bear.
Zhao Jun had gambled correctly!
「On the mountainside.」
A Black Bear stood upright like a man, its forepaws held up to its chest. Its Bear Head swayed from side to side, its beady black eyes darting back and forth between Hua Xiao’Er and Da Huang.
Hua Xiao’Er and Da Huang were positioned on its left and right, barking at it incessantly.
The two old dogs were highly experienced; neither dared to advance.
The Black Bear was the first to lose its patience. It dropped back down, and the moment its front paws hit the ground, it took several quick steps forward, rushing toward Hua Xiao’Er. It then reared up abruptly, swiping its right paw at the dog.
Hua Xiao’Er leaped aside to dodge, circling the Black Bear. Da Huang seized the opportunity to lunge, biting the Black Bear’s left hind leg.
The Black Bear swung its left paw backward, but Da Huang dodged nimbly and began circling it.
Having forced back the two hounds, the Black Bear tried to flee. The moment it moved, Hua Xiao’Er and Da Huang were on it, attacking from behind. One bit its rear, the other its hind leg.
This Black Bear had also spent the entire winter in a tree den. Though it had recently emerged from hibernation, it hadn’t eaten or drunk anything.
By now, most of its body fat was gone. It was gaunt—to put it in human terms, so emaciated it was a shadow of its former self.
And its pair of Bear’s Paws had also become thin and tender, making it very difficult for it to walk.
After taking a few more bites from Hua Xiao’Er and Da Huang, the Black Bear grew frantic!