Chapter 59: Enemies Crossing Paths, Eyes Burning with Hatred

Following the unwritten rules of the mountains, Lin Yang first hung the bear's intestines on a tree to pay homage to the mountain god, showing his reverence for the wilderness.

Even with the memories of a past life, he still approached this vast mountain range with a heart full of awe.

As he hung the entrails, he muttered under his breath, "O Mountain God, I thank you for your bounty. This black bear is your gift, and this young man humbly trespasses upon your domain."

Next, he gathered some soft yet resilient wild grass, skillfully wove it into a small nest, gently placed the bear's gallbladder inside, and then carefully tucked it into his back basket.

This entire process took him nearly half an hour.

Faced with a five-to-six-hundred-pound black bear, Lin Yang had no way of dragging it down the mountain all by himself.

At this time, the snow on the mountain was not yet deep enough, and the mountain paths were slick. Dragging the carcass forcibly would not only be exhausting but could also ruin the precious bear pelt.

Lin Yang calculated that by waiting a little longer until the snow accumulated and froze into a solid crust, he could easily construct a simple sled to transport the bear down the mountain effortlessly.

In truth, he was not in a hurry. The forestry team frequently patrolled the surrounding area, and they surely must have heard the intense gunfire earlier, meaning they would soon come to investigate.

When the time came, asking them for help to carry the bear down shouldn't be met with a refusal.

In these mountains, helping fellow hunters was a long-standing tradition.

Moreover, those who helped carry the game would also receive a share of the spoils.

In this era, everyone lived a tight-fisted life; while nobody was starving, having meat on the table a few times a year was a rare luxury.

Although the forestry crew had it slightly better than most, ferocious beasts like the black bear were still creatures very few dared to provoke lightly.

With everything properly arranged, Lin Yang set to work skinning the bear.

His extensive hunting experience from his past life made his skinning technique nothing short of miraculous.

With deep concentration, the knife in his hand glided effortlessly across the bear's body like flowing water, every single cut executed with absolute precision to ensure the pelt remained in pristine condition.

No sooner had Lin Yang finished skinning the bear than he cleared away the surface snow, pulled up some tough vines from the ground, and laid them carefully as a cushion at the bottom of his back basket.

The bear pelt was laid flat at the very bottom, while the vines served to protect the delicate gallbladder.

The preservation of the bear's gallbladder was of utmost importance.

A fresh gallbladder, if not treated promptly, would quickly spoil.

Once that was taken care of, Lin Yang meticulously removed the bear's knee joints and all four paws.

According to the old-timers' traditions, one of the bear's paws was considered inedible.

Yet, in such harsh and impoverished times, who could afford to be picky? Having meat to eat was satisfaction enough.

Even if someone else were told it was a bear paw, as long as they weren't true experts, nobody would care which paw it actually was.

Just as Lin Yang was packing up his things, his sharp ears caught a faint rustling sound.

Simultaneously, the system—which had remained active—sent a notification chime:

[Prey detected—Chinese Rural Dog. Would you like to use Prey Lock?]

"Lock on!"

Lin Yang responded without the slightest hesitation. Through the system's translucent interface, he saw a large yellow dog stealthily approaching from about fifty meters behind him.

At a single glance, Lin Yang recognized it as Sun Daqiang’s dog.

This hound had undergone professional training, possessing agile movements and an acute sense of smell.

Yet now, upon discovering Lin Yang, it did not bark frantically like an ordinary dog; instead, it inched forward cautiously, its eyes filled with vigilance.

Lin Yang sneered inwardly and slowly raised the Mosin-Nagant rifle in his hand.

Sure enough, the large yellow dog immediately halted in its tracks, let out a low growl from deep within its throat, and began to back away step by step.

Hmph, I didn't expect Sun Daqiang's dog to show up first. It seems he and the forestry team members can't be far behind.

Gradually retreating beyond the system's lock-on range, the yellow dog ran fifty meters away before suddenly turning around and sprinting off at full tilt.

Its speed was extraordinary, and in the blink of an eye, it vanished from Lin Yang's sight.

Only a few minutes later, a chaotic chorus of barking echoed through the woods.

This time, not only the yellow dog but also a wolf-gray hound entered the system's detection range.

Wolf-gray hounds possessed ferocious temperaments, and this particular lead tracker was exceptionally fierce.

Right now, both dogs stared viciously at Lin Yang.

Immediately afterward, Sun Daqiang's boisterous voice rang out: "Hurry up! They definitely found something good. Keep up!"

"If we can secure a prime piece of game and gift it to those folks from the forestry team, won't our relationship with them become much closer? Who knows, I might even land a formal job and secure that iron rice bowl!"

Sun Daqiang knew he didn't possess any remarkable skills of his own, but he held absolute confidence in his two dogs.

They had been meticulously trained by veteran hunters, and their tracking abilities were top-tier.

The corners of Lin Yang's mouth curved upward slightly as he quietly watched Sun Daqiang and his entourage emerge over the ridge.

Clearly, they had not expected to find anyone here. Upon catching sight of Lin Yang, Sun Daqiang froze in his tracks, the smile on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a deep resentment and hatred.

The events of the past had left Sun Daqiang nursing a persistent grudge against Lin Yang, and his younger sister's endless nagging only served to drive him mad with irritation.

Yet, since he hadn't been the one to strike the blow himself, he still couldn't figure out how things had ended up in such a mess.

When enemies meet, their eyes turn red with fury.

Sun Daqiang cast a glance at the men accompanying him: two were local loafers who spent their days idling about, while the remaining few were helpers he had recruited from the township, who at least looked like they possessed some physical strength.

Staring viciously at Lin Yang, Sun Daqiang thought to himself, "Today, I'm going to teach this brat a harsh lesson!"

At that moment, Sun Daqiang's gaze drifted to the massive carcass lying behind Lin Yang.

Although the bear had already been skinned, its gigantic frame remained deeply shocking. At a single glance, Sun Daqiang estimated the beast weighed at least five to six hundred pounds.

His eyes widened in utter disbelief, his voice trembling as he stammered, "A bear... Lin... Lin Yang actually hunted a bear?! How is this even possible?!"

In his memory, Lin Yang had always been a timid and incompetent weakling who never dared to fight back no matter how much he was bullied.

Yet now, he had hunted a bear entirely on his own!

The sheer magnitude of this contrast left him struggling to accept reality. Puckering his eyes, Lin Yang noticed the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle in Sun Daqiang's hands, and a sudden thought stirred in his heart.

Now that was a fine weapon!

A flash of desire crossed his eyes, though his expression remained perfectly calm as he rapidly calculated how to get his hands on that rifle.

Before long, a meaningful smile spread across his face, revealing that he had already hatched a plan.