Chapter 98: Signal for Attack

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Now you can shoot deer without antlers. Brit explained the rules here to the two American hunting newcomers who had only recently immigrated, "But this is the tail end of the deer hunting season, and such deer can only be taken two at a time, and only within a two-week window. Our licenses are structured that way."

"All right, I'm listening!" Qiu Feng Yu was completely lost; he had no idea why the Americans insisted on such tedious legal restrictions. "What if I accidentally take out a third one... who knows?"

"This is exactly why you're following me. It's God's arrangement—you won't shoot a third deer." Brit spoke with a grin, "Because I'll make sure of that."

"Also... if you wound an animal, you must never let it escape, for that too is illegal. You have to kill it quickly." Brit glanced at Qiu Feng Yu and smiled, "I trust you won't miss, correct?"

"Such laws are really rough on the beginners." Mi Cang Liang Zi added.

"You two are the ones who are new here..." Brit chuckled, boasting about his veteran status.

"Watch and see, Brit." Mi Cang Liang Zi shot him a look of defiance.

They walked on for a while, Brit scanned the surroundings and made a prediction, then halted and said, "Here are two options. First, we go together as a group. Second, we split up. I'll mark the spot, and we meet back here in two hours."

"Split!" Mi Cang Liang Zi declared without hesitation.

"Wait. Also... Qiu, if you want to hunt deer, it's best to use a bow or crossbow like Miss Mi Cang—that would be perfectly legal. But right now, it looks like you won't have that option!" Mi Cang Liang Zi winked at Qiu Feng Yu with triumphant delight.

Qiu Feng Yu shrugged helplessly and nodded. "Fine, I promise I'll only go after wild boars or big wild elephants, or maybe mountain lions. Only women would chase those docile creatures."

Mi Cang Liang Zi pouted but stayed silent.

They separated. The three fanned out in different directions: Qiu Feng Yu in the center, Mi Cang Liang Zi to the right, Brit on the left, each vanishing into the woods.

Qiu Feng Yu gripped his rifle and moved slowly through the trees, the most important skill being to watch the ground for footprints and scat. Without a tracking dog, finding prey would take time.

Near the water source, the hunting ground showed signs of recent animal activity—not white-tailed deer tracks, but something else. There was fresh animal droppings. Qiu Feng Yu inspected them, sniffed, and found them still warm. This proved the area was inhabited, and judging from the prints, it was probably a deer.

The shallow marks suggested deer, but that wasn't the quarry he wanted. He needed a wild boar to sharpen his palate.

Qiu Feng Yu circled the area once more but found nothing. He would have to wait. Animals only stirred when the sun was sinking.

Hunting demands patience.

A little slower. Qiu Feng Yu built a crude blind from leaves and branches, then settled in. His breathing stayed calm and measured. He knew the rules of the hunt: blend in and wait.

A small raccoon suddenly appeared before him, bounding cutely until a branch tripped it. It rolled on the ground and shook its fluffy coat.

Qiu Feng Yu smiled faintly. He stayed still, knowing more would follow. Sure enough, several more emerged, lively and playful.

They dashed past him in front.

"You missed your chance." A voice came from above.

He turned. It was Mi Cang Liang Zi, holding three turkeys, her face bright with pride.

"How did it go? How many did you get?"

"None!" Qiu Feng Yu shook his head. "Just like you said, I lost the moment."

"Cute, aren't they?" Mi Cang Liang Zi smiled. "I like little things too—I wouldn't have fired either. By the way, has Brit returned? I didn't hear any shots..."

This Japanese girl looked smug because she had bagged three turkeys, while Qiu Feng Yu had come up empty. Thanksgiving was approaching, and turkey was the perfect prize.

They were chatting when Brit stepped out of the trees, grinning. "I heard voices. Were you talking about me? Afraid an African lion got me?"

"Any luck?" Qiu Feng Yu asked.

"Nothing. I didn't spot the big one I wanted, so I held my fire. How about you? Three little chickens? Come on, let's head back, eat something, and try again. Evening through dawn is the best hunting time." Brit spoke with far more experience than the others in these woods.

They returned to the launch point, where no one had trodden before. They raised the tent and stayed hidden.

No fires were allowed in the forest, so the three ate bread and drank water to quiet their hunger.

Afterward, Brit patted his stomach. "Nap for an hour each, then move at midnight. I'll sleep first—figure out who takes watch."

Qiu Feng Yu glanced at Mi Cang Liang Zi. "Me last. You guard first." He crawled into the tent.

Mi Cang Liang Zi said nothing. She leaned against a tree, ears alert, listening to the chaotic night sounds of the woods.

She looked up; the sky was empty of stars or moon. Frogs croaked, crickets chirped, insects fluttered their wings. Somewhere an American wolf howled, or perhaps a deer called.

"This cursed night in the forest." Mi Cang Liang Zi slapped her own face with a sharp sound, killing a bloodsucking mosquito that had tried to bite her. This girl rarely spent nights in the wild, though she had shown fierce courage chasing a cobra before.

She lifted her crossbow, aiming into the darkness even though she could barely see her hand in front of her face. She sensed something watching her from the black void ahead.

Mi Cang Liang Zi's mental fortitude remained strong.

She rose slowly and began creeping toward the spot.

"Shh—" A faint whisper came from behind. She spun instinctively and heard Qiu Feng Yu. "Don't move. Don't do anything. Just squat down, then walk toward me slowly."

Qiu Feng Yu's voice was barely audible.

Her eyes adjusted to the dark, revealing shadowy shapes. She reached his side, and he whispered, "I smell wolves."

"You have a dog's nose?" Mi Cang Liang Zi teased, but fell silent when she saw his grave expression.

Qiu Feng Yu woke Brit. The three quietly picked up their weapons. "Wolf pack," Qiu Feng Yu told Brit in a low voice. "I don't know how many."

Brit frowned. He had not encountered this in years. Wolves rarely traveled in groups here because the area was hunted constantly. They usually hunted alone. This time they were clearly in a pack.

"Flashlights ready. Everyone keep one close. Attack from the twelve o'clock and nine o'clock positions—fan out." Qiu Feng Yu instructed. "I saw something similar in Ukraine. We handled it. Relax, Brit." He groped in the dark, patted Brit's shoulder, then turned and handed out the three flashlights.

Wolves' eyes gleamed even in darkness, sending a chill down Brit's spine. He crossed himself and murmured, "God bless us."

They truly needed divine protection and a touch of luck.

Mi Cang Liang Zi's breathing quickened. Qiu Feng Yu touched her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll win."

"How?"

"Follow my lead. While we watch them, they watch us. Whoever strikes first gains the advantage."

Qiu Feng Yu fell silent, gripping his rifle tightly. His other hand drew a knife for close combat. He passed one to each of the others.

The pack seemed to be closing in.

"Now! Flashlights on!"

Qiu Feng Yu shouted. The beams cut through the night, startling the three. A group of wolves stood fifty yards away, slowly gathering.

For wolves, that distance meant instant death.

The sudden light froze the approaching beasts. Qiu Feng Yu fired first—"Boom!"—dropping the lead wolf.

Brit's rifle cracked, his five-shot weapon stuttering because of panic; he managed only one kill. Mi Cang Liang Zi stayed calm. While stunned at first, she fired her crossbow with perfect accuracy, the arrow striking a wolf's head. The animal slid a few feet across the ground and lay still.

The wolves reacted. A leader rose in the center, neck arched, howling—a signal of the true assault.