Chapter 43: Predator Leopard Meets a Cannonball Basket

"Oh, Second Brother, Xiaoyu, why are you guys here?"

Sure enough, the group ran into each other. Huang Hai, the second oldest, burst into laughter and then repeated Su Yu's reasoning to explain the situation to the others.

"So that's how it is. Xiaoyu is indeed sharp. Dabao really did go in a circle and end up right back here. If we'd known, we should have come straight here, though it's not like we came away empty-handed."

As he spoke, Huang Shan hoisted a rabbit he was holding by its ears, easily weighing a full five catties.

Huang Hai curled his lip, holding his older brother's lack of experience and tendency to show off in contempt. He then stepped aside to let Huang Shan and his uncle see the pile of game behind him.

Following Huang Hai's gaze, both of them locked eyes on the heap of prey.

"This... did the two of you hunt all of this?"

Not only was Huang Shan astonished, but Huang Jianmin was equally dumbfounded.

"Hehe, didn't expect that, did you? It's been barely thirty minutes since we split up, and we've also made a massive haul."

He heavily emphasized the words "massive haul." Huang Shan's face instantly flushed red, and he glared at Huang Hai with a look that could kill.

"Alright, alright, what are you two brothers squabbling about for nothing? Hurry up and catch up, Dabao and Hutou are almost out of sight."

All the game hunted today, excluding solitary wild boars, belonged to the individual who brought it down. However, the production brigade would send people to buy it back. The acquired game wouldn't be taken away; instead, the brigade would fund the purchase, stew the meat for everyone to enjoy a proper feast, and any remainder would be distributed evenly among the villagers.

It was no exaggeration to say this hunt was a grand celebration for the entire village of Huangjia. With someone handling the purchases, not only did they avoid having to sell to the commune, but they could also eat their fill—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Just imagine: you sell the meat to the brigade, they pay you money, and then you still get to eat the stewed meat. Where else could you find such a good deal?

If not for this arrangement, the Huangjia Village wouldn't have restricted the hunting party strictly to their own villagers—though distant relatives by marriage counted, of course.

"Let's go, let's go, catch up."

Huang Shan decided not to stoop to the level of his foolish brother. Pulling Su Yu along, he prepared to leave—mostly because Su Yu's archery skills were simply too exceptional.

"Well then, Brother Xiaohai, stay here and watch the game. I'll go and be right back."

Just as well, Huang Hai was exhausted. He sat down on the ground, nodded, and signaled for Su Yu to go ahead, assuring him that the game would be safe with him and wouldn't go missing.

Only then did Su Yu follow the others closely behind.

"Brother Su Yu, your archery is peerless. You'll need to make your move quickly later."

Su Yu nodded repeatedly. Since taking down game meant earning skill points, he certainly wouldn't pull his punches. Not only would he refuse to yield, but he would also strike first to gain the upper hand.

"Huh? Why have the dogs stopped in their tracks? Did they find something?"

All eight hounds were whimpering, refusing to move forward and instead pacing in circles right where they stood.

Huang Jianmin was a man of vast experience; one look told him there was danger ahead. He immediately raised his hand, signaling everyone to remain cautious and maintain their vigilance.

Su Yu instantly drew his two-stone bow, nocked an arrow against the string, and prepared to strike at a moment's notice.

"Move, let's creep up slowly and see what kind of big beast is making Dabao too afraid to go forward."

The two of them and Huang Jianmin crouched low, parting the dense weeds to peer at the scene ahead.

"It's a solitary wild boar. Let's go."

Huang Shan made to move forward, but Huang Jianmin pressed a hand down on his shoulder.

"Wait a moment, don't be rash. Terrifying though a solitary boar may be, it wouldn't be enough to keep even Hutou from daring to approach. I reckon there's another predator about; otherwise, Hutou wouldn't be this cautious and issue a warning. Let's look closer."

At that moment, Su Yu began to slowly open up his sense of smell, letting it drift along in the direction of the wild boar. He could distinctly detect another scent lingering near the boar—one that did not belong to the boar itself.

Using the traces left in the air, he finally managed to pinpoint the direction, yet visually he still had found nothing.

His eyesight was astonishing. Although the distance was forty to fifty meters, to his eyes, it was as clear as if it were right in front of him. His eyes were practically built-in binoculars.

Suddenly, he caught a fleeting glimpse and made a discovery.

His pupils dilated, and the image gradually sharpened.

Fifty meters away, perched in a tree, was a predator.

"It's a leopard, up in that large pagoda tree fifty meters away."

Su Yu's voice drew the gazes of the uncle and nephew. Following the direction Su Yu pointed, the two of them looked over. After staring for a long time, they finally managed to spot the leopard's rosettes through the gaps in the foliage—a fleeting glimpse, because the trees were far too dense, and without staring intently, it was nearly impossible to notice.

"It really is a leopard. No wonder that wild boar came running from the west to the north. It looks like this beast is the one that drove them here."

"It's just that leopards have an extremely keen sense of smell and are born hunters. I'm afraid it won't be easy to approach. Only by using Xiaohai's Hanyang rifle can we hope to injure it. The rifles you and I are holding are mere decorations at fifty meters; they can't cause it any harm, and if the first strike misses, it will just go into hiding."

"A leopard's speed is blindingly fast. If it attacks a human from fifty meters away, it can close the distance in three to five seconds, leaving no chance for a second shot at all. This is rather tricky."

Su Yu fell deep into thought, then turned to Huang Jianmin and asked, "Uncle Huang, how is your marksmanship?"

"Huh? Xiaoyu, what do you mean by that? Are you planning to snatch food from the tiger's mouth?"

"Uncle Huang, what hunting expedition is ever without risks? You know the saying: the greater the wind and waves, the more expensive the fish. Wealth is sought through peril."

"It's just that the leopard's target isn't us; it's eyeing the wild boar down on the slope. But if we shoot the leopard, the wild boar will inevitably bolt. Conversely, if we give up on the leopard and kill the wild boar, the threat posed by the leopard is far greater than that of the boar. In that case, this entire organized hunt by Huangjia Village would become meaningless—we'd simply have traded down for an even deadlier adversary."

"Leave that leopard to me. I have the confidence to kill it with the bow and arrow in my hands, but the wild boar down the slope will need to be dealt with by you, Uncle Huang, using the Hanyang rifle."

A solitary wild boar had thick skin and dense fat. It wasn't that bows and arrows couldn't kill one—a two-stone bow was certainly sufficient—but Su Yu lacked the absolute physical strength to pull the bow to a full moon. Without being able to draw the bow completely, he couldn't pierce a wild boar's thick defenses, let alone deal a fatal blow.

The Hanyang rifle, however, was a rifle that fired bullets, unlike the iron shot used in old muzzle-loaders. A bullet could instantly shatter a wild boar's skull; no matter how thick its hide, a single shot would kill it.

The leopard, on the other hand, was fast, but its hide wasn't thick. Su Yu was confident he could kill it with a single arrow. Moreover, with his Archery at level IV-9, he would even have the chance to loose a second arrow. Others couldn't manage it, but releasing two arrows in the span of just a few seconds was effortless for him.

"No, what if you miss? If the leopard counterattacks, you'll be in mortal danger."

"Don't worry, Uncle Huang, I have absolute confidence. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so sure of myself. Besides, this is a two-stone bow; a single arrow is more than enough to pierce its skull."

Hearing these words, Huang Jianmin finally turned his gaze to Su Yu's bow. Sure enough, it was a two-stone bow. Someone capable of drawing a two-stone bow, coupled with having witnessed the boy's archery firsthand and seeing how much game he had already brought down, gave Huang Jianmin a surge of confidence.

"Uncle Huang, don't hesitate. Let Brother Shan run back and get the rifle from Brother Xiaohai; time waits for no one."

"Alright. In a moment, you and I will strike together. Once I take down the wild boar, I'll grab the rifle to lend you a hand as well, and I won't let it hurt you."

Huang Jianmin had absolute confidence in his own marksmanship. He was certain that after firing his first shot, he could instantly work the bolt, pivot, and lock onto the leopard. As long as the beast dared to charge toward Su Yu, he was confident he could hit a moving target and put an end to it.