Chapter 5: Short Gun Flinging
“Father, look over there!” Yang Mingzhi suddenly ran to Yang Zhengshan’s side, pointing to a thicket of bushes in the distance.
Yang Zhengshan looked up, and his eyes suddenly lit up. Wild boars! There were two large wild boars and four small ones, a whole family!
The small wild boars were only about two feet long, probably born last year, while the large wild boars were over one and a half meters long and estimated to weigh around three to four hundred pounds.
Yang Zhengshan quickly calculated the value of the wild boars in his mind. According to the price of pork in Anning County, these two large wild boars could fetch at least twenty taels of silver. Wild boar meat was likely to be more expensive than domesticated pigs, so he might be able to sell them for thirty taels if he was lucky.
Yang Zhengshan didn’t expect his luck to be so good, stumbling upon a group of wild boars so quickly. However, these wild boars were not easy to deal with. As the saying goes, “one pig, two bears, and three tigers,” which means that wild boars are more difficult to handle than bears and tigers. Wild boars were known for their violent temper and would attack humans recklessly if they felt threatened.
Moreover, there were more wild boars than bears and tigers, making them more dangerous for hunters. Yang Zhengshan didn’t plan to confront the wild boars head-on, knowing that he couldn’t match their strength.
“I’ll take care of the two large wild boars. You go catch the small ones,” Yang Zhengshan said, tying his knife to his waist and pulling out two short guns from his back.
“Father, the wild boars are too dangerous!” Yang Mingzhi worried.
Yang Zhengshan reassured him, “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” He wouldn’t be foolish enough to fight the wild boars head-on, knowing that he couldn’t take on two large wild boars at once.
Holding the two short guns, Yang Zhengshan crept towards the wild boars, his eyes fixed on his targets. After about an hour, he stopped about fifty meters away from the wild boars.
He took a few deep breaths, focused, and flung the short gun at the wild boar that was eating grass. Although he wasn’t skilled in archery, he had some experience with short guns, having inherited the memories of his past life. Although he couldn’t master all of his past skills, he could still utilize about seven to eight parts of it.
The large wild boar was an easy target, and with his inherited skills, Yang Zhengshan was confident in his ability to hit it.
With a whoosh, the short gun flew out, accompanied by a sharp breaking sound.
Next, Yang Zhengshan burst into action, sprinting out of the thicket like a wild beast.
The mountainous terrain was complex, but Yang Zhengshan navigated it with ease, his speed and agility astonishing Yang Mingzhi, who almost had his eyes popping out.
“Father is a martial artist!”
“No, Father’s injuries have healed!”
Yang Mingzhi exclaimed in surprise and joy, knowing that his father’s body had been suffering from hidden injuries and was getting worse over time, especially after his mother passed away.
Just as Yang Mingzhi was rejoicing, Yang Zhengshan’s shot hit one of the large wild boars, which fell to the ground with a pained cry.
The small wild boars scurried away, and the other large wild boar discovered Yang Zhengshan approaching and charged at him with a fierce cry. Yang Zhengshan prepared to face it, his eyes shining bright.
The distance between them narrowed, and Yang Zhengshan dodged the wild boar’s attack, stabbing it with his short gun at the same time.
The wild boar crashed into a large tree, and Yang Zhengshan ignored it, focusing on the other wild boar that had fallen earlier.
Yang Zhengshan didn’tattack the wild boar head-on this time, choosing to circle around it instead. The wild boar was already wounded and weak, and its violent attacks only made it more exhausted.
Yang Zhengshan waited for the right moment and struck the wild boar’s neck with his knife, killing it instantly.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Yang Zhengshan pulled out his broken short gun, a faint smile on his face.
If he didn’t possess martial arts skills, he wouldn’t have dared to take on two large wild boars at once.
However, this battle allowed him to realize the full extent of his martial arts abilities. Although he was only at the lowest level, his physical abilities far surpassed those of ordinary people.
His strength, speed, reaction, and senses were all superior to those of ordinary people, thanks in part to the Mystical Spring water, which had provided a comprehensive boost to his body.
Later, Yang Zhengshan examined the other large wild boar that had crashed into the tree, which had died from a gunshot wound, its neck pierced and its blood spilled all over the ground.
“Father, Father!!” Yang Mingzhi ran over, holding two small wild boars, his face filled with excitement.
“Father, you’re all healed!”
Yang Zhengshan frowned, wondering how to transport the two large wild boars down the mountain.
The two large wild boars weighed over seven hundred pounds, and it would be impossible for the two of them to carry them down the mountain.
Martial artists had immense strength, but that was explosive power. Yang Zhengshan could maybe carry two to three hundred pounds, but not seven hundred.
It was fortunate that autumn had arrived, and the weather was not too hot. They could take their time and spend a day or two transporting the wild boars.
Yang Zhengshan looked up at the sky and said, “Go to Jiang Family Village and ask Jiang He to bring some people over.”
It was still early in the day, and if Yang Mingzhi hurried, he could return to Jiang Family Village by evening, and they could send people over by the next morning.
Jiang He was Yang Zhengshan’s son-in-law, married to Yang Zhengshan’s eldest daughter, Yang Yunyan.
“Father, are you okay staying here alone?” Yang Mingzhi asked.
As soon as he asked, Yang Mingzhi realized he had made a mistake.
His father was a martial artist, what was there to worry about?
“Go quickly and come back quickly!” Yang Zhengshan said.
Yang Zhengshan felt a warmth in his heart towards his son, who had been showing concern for him all the time. It seemed that having a son was not so bad after all.
Yang Zhengshan had never been a father before and didn’t know what it was like to have a son. Now, his feelings towards Yang Mingzhi were more like those towards a friend or companion.
After Yang Mingzhi left, Yang Zhengshan began to drag the wild boars down the mountain, moving back and forth like an ant carrying loads.
He had to make three trips to transport the four wild boars, and although he moved slowly, he managed to cover about four to five li (a unit of distance) by the afternoon.
As night fell, Yang Zhengshan found a relatively hidden spot and started a fire, burning a lot of firewood to keep the fire going throughout the night. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, needing to guard the wild boars and prevent any wild beasts from finding them.
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