The vast Qinling Mountains are home to many wild animals.

Wild boars are, of course, no exception.

Especially in the last twenty-plus years, with wild boars listed as a Class II protected species, their population has recovered extremely quickly.

They can be found in many areas.

The wild boar under the tree was particularly ferocious.

Li Xu could clearly feel the large tree groaning under the strain of the boar’s impacts, on the verge of giving way.

Just in the nick of time, the faint sound of human voices, accompanied by barking dogs and shouts, drifted from the distance.

"After it! Don’t let it get away!"

"Third Uncle, there’s movement over here!"

Li Xu’s heart leaped. ’Someone’s here!’

Immediately after, a whistling sound cut through the air. A black shadow, trailing snowflakes and carried on a vicious gust of wind, slammed mercilessly into the boar beneath the tree.

SQUELCH!

A sturdy spear had accurately pierced the boar’s flank.

The boar let out a pained and furious howl. Its massive body shuddered violently, and its ramming came to an abrupt halt.

It twisted its body, trying to shake the spear free, and its blood instantly stained the surrounding white snow.

Moments later, several figures burst out from the dense woods.

Leading them was a middle-aged man whose face was weathered by the elements.

He was the one who had thrown the Wild Boar Spear just now.

Following him were three or four strong young men.

They were also carrying various hunting tools.

And several robust hunting dogs.

Li Xu, looking down from the tree, felt even more relieved.

He recognized them.

Especially the middle-aged man in the lead, who was the chief of Shangwang Village, Wang Baimu.

When old Zhou Shugen passed away, it was Wang Baimu who had brought a few young men over to help.

Wang Baimu saw Li Xu as well.

"Ah, Doctor Li? What are you doing here? Did this brute hurt you?"

It turned out this boar was an "old nemesis" of Shangwang Village.

In recent years, the ecological environment in the Qinling mountain region had improved, leading to a sharp increase in the wild boar population. The boars often stormed into villages in groups, tearing up farmland, destroying crops, and even threatening the safety of the villagers.

This armored behemoth, in particular, was a "repeat offender." Relying on its massive size and extreme ferocity, it had escaped the villagers’ encirclements multiple times.

Recently, the policy had been adjusted, and wild boars were removed from the protected species list.

Villagers were now permitted to hunt the rampant boars within certain limits to protect their farmland and safety.

That was why Wang Baimu had brought several young men from the village and their hunting dogs up the mountain today, specifically to hunt this "menace."

They had been chasing it for a long time. The boar, enraged from the pursuit, had run right into Li Xu.

"Doctor Li, you stay in the tree for a bit. We’ll take care of this boar."

Wang Baimu shouted up to Li Xu in the tree.

At the same time, he took out another Wild Boar Spear and aimed at the injured animal.

The wounded boar grew even more frenzied.

It let out a shrill roar, its bloodshot eyes locked onto Wang Baimu and his group.

The wound from the spear was incredibly painful, and there were too many people in front of it.

It turned and fled.

But Wang Baimu and the others had finally caught up; there was no way they would let it escape so easily.

"Trying to run? Not a chance."

Wang Baimu roared and threw the Wild Boar Spear in his hand.

The Wild Boar Spear was a weapon designed specifically for hunting wild boars.

Although hunting boars was now allowed, there were still regulations.

For example, they couldn’t use guns, Beast Traps, or Wild Boar Machines.

This made the Wild Boar Spear the most effective weapon available.

SCHLICK~

Wang Baimu had excellent aim.

It struck the boar’s shoulder, carving a bloody gash.

But the boar’s hide was thick and tough. The blow wasn’t fatal, especially since this particular boar was covered in a layer of hard skin like armor.

However, it did alter the boar’s escape route.

In its panic, it slammed into another tree.

THUD!

Its flight came to a halt.

Several hunting dogs also charged forward bravely, barking as they tried to harass the boar from the sides and distract it.

However, with a single toss of its head, the boar sent one of the dogs flying, which let out a piteous yelp.

"This beast is too strong!" a young man shouted, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Wang Baimu was experienced. He knew they couldn’t fight the wounded boar head-on; they had to outsmart it.

"Qiangzi, Xiao Yong, use the Iron Forks to pin its hind legs. Xiao Lin, you and Ah Dong circle to its side and go for its front legs with the Cleavers."

Wang Baimu commanded calmly.

It was a contest of strength versus wits, of speed versus patience.

Qiangzi and Xiao Yong worked in perfect coordination. Holding sturdy Iron Forks, they moved like two dark shadows, quickly circling to the boar’s rear.

The boar was massive, and though ferocious, it turned relatively slowly.

The two seized the opportunity, viciously stabbing their Iron Forks toward the boar’s hind legs.

SQUELCH!

With two muffled thuds, the Iron Forks failed to fully penetrate the boar’s tough hide, but they effectively restricted its movement.

With its hind legs pinned, the boar’s huge body lurched to the side, causing it to lose some of its balance.

At the same time, Xiao Lin and Ah Dong attacked from the flank.

They wielded sharp Cleavers, aiming for the joints of the boar’s front legs as they hacked down with all their might.

CLANG!

The Cleavers collided with the boar’s tough hide, producing a dull thud.

The resilience of the boar’s hide was beyond imagination; the blades barely broke the surface and failed to reach bone or sinew.

However, the continuous attacks and restraints made the boar’s movements even more sluggish.

The boar let out an enraged roar. It tried to break free from the Iron Forks, but Qiangzi and Xiao Yong held fast, giving it no room to breathe.

It thrashed its body. The wounds on its front legs, though not deep, were painful. Blood trickled down its fur, leaving shocking red trails on the snow.

Wang Baimu knew the time had come.

He took out another Wild Boar Spear, this time aiming for the boar’s abdomen.

The abdomen was its softest point.

One of its most fatal weaknesses.

SCHLICK~

The spear flew through the air.

It accurately struck the boar’s belly.

The Wild Boar Spear’s special design allowed it to pass smoothly through the boar’s abdomen.

The boar bled even more heavily.

"Everyone, get back."

Wang Baimu ordered everyone away from the boar.

He was afraid of a last-ditch counterattack.

Driven by excruciating pain, the boar unleashed a final burst of strength.

It charged forward another few dozen meters.

But it had lost too much blood.

It soon collapsed to the ground and lay motionless.

Seeing this, Li Xu carefully climbed down from the tree.

By the time he got over there, the boar was lying motionless in the middle of the snow. Blood gushed from its wounds, dyeing the surrounding white a shocking, deep red.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, their frayed nerves finally calming.

The hunting dogs also rushed forward, barking incessantly at the boar’s corpse as if venting their earlier fear and anger.

"That was close," Qiangzi said, wiping the sweat from his forehead, still shaken. "This boar was even more ferocious than the last one."

Wang Baimu walked over to the boar’s carcass and gave it a kick to confirm it was completely dead.

"Doctor Li, are you alright? Good thing you climbed that tree. Otherwise, this beast would have been tough to handle."

Wang Baimu turned to Li Xu and asked with concern.