Chapter 173 - 171: Lethal Cuteness

Chapter 173: Chapter 171: Lethal Cuteness

An eagle’s cry echoed from the sky as Xiaojin descended. It dropped a plump wild rabbit from its talons, which lay motionless on the ground, already killed by Xiaojin’s sharp claws. Zhao Wendong expertly picked it up and began to dress it.

The rabbits of Dahei Mountain must be celebrating now that their airborne King Yama was gone. But the rabbits in the mountains by Zhao Wendong’s home were suffering. Every time Xiaojin entered the mountains, it would catch a rabbit whether it was hungry or not. Its personal rule was to leave no rabbit alive in its path.

Petting the majestic Xiaojin perched on his shoulder, Zhao Wendong nudged his chin toward Lin Zhiyin.

"See? *This* is what I call cute."

Lin Zhiyin looked at Xiaojin and found its round eyes staring intently at her. Its appearance was fierce, its gaze sharp. She quickly shook her head.

"Get real. It’s not nearly as cute as Xiaobai!"

"Heh."

Zhao Wendong shook his head and chuckled coldly again. He gently stroked Xiaojin’s head, finished dressing the rabbit it had caught, and cut off a strip of fresh meat for it to have a taste.

[Happy]

Xiaojin swallowed it in one gulp, then nuzzled against Zhao Wendong, emitting a contented thought.

Cradling Xiaobai, Lin Zhiyin looked at Xiaojin on Zhao Wendong’s shoulder, and then thought of Zhuangzhuang back home. A sudden realization dawned on her. ’Everyone says hunting is difficult, but Zhao Wendong always seems to have an easier time than others. For example, he just caught something that would take other people days to find in the mountains. It’s not because he’s that much more skilled, but because he has the help of these animals. He’s liked by animals—that’s Zhao Wendong’s greatest talent.’

’So, here’s the question: do humans count as animals? Plenty of girls in the village already like Zhao Wendong, and many more have secret crushes on him.’

’What would my life be like without Zhao Wendong?’ Lin Zhiyin instantly decided that she couldn’t take his affection for granted just because he liked her and she was pretty. She couldn’t act spoiled. If she ever lost his love, she would regret it for the rest of her life!

"You know, Zhao Wendong, the more I look at Xiaojin, the more handsome it seems. Can I pet it?"

Lin Zhiyin abruptly dropped Xiaobai on the ground and eagerly moved closer.

Zhao Wendong: ???

Xiaobai: ???

The pelts of two small hog badgers were soaked with urine, so they would need a few days to air out. They also had quite a few bullet holes, so these two skins probably wouldn’t fetch a good price. Still, it was better than nothing. He packed them up, putting the two small ones in a separate bag to prevent the smell from spreading. Seeing everyone instinctively edge away, Zhao Wendong grinned.

"Don’t back away. I won’t dawdle. Let’s be fair about this. Loser carries it. Come on, rock-paper-scissors!"

The four brothers automatically formed a circle. Zhao Wenwu was the most excited; this was his strong suit.

"Haha, I’m definitely not going to lose!"

"Ready!"

"Scissors! Paper! Rock!"

All four threw their hands out at the same time. Zhao Wenjun showed a fist, the others showed paper.

"Hahaha, Eldest Brother, come on, time to carry it!"

Zhao Wenwu, as happy as if he’d won a huge bet, tossed the bag to Zhao Wenjun, his face a mask of schadenfreude. Zhao Wenjun sighed and reluctantly shouldered the reeking bag. ’So frustrating,’ he thought. ’I can’t beat them in skill, and I can’t beat them in luck either.’ The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

Zhao Wendong pulled out his pocket watch. It was already 1:00 PM. He had kept the canteen close to his body, so the water inside hadn’t frozen. He had everyone take a simple meal of dry rations with the cold water to replenish their energy, then pondered where to go next.

The temperature in the mountains dropped too low at night, and most prey animals didn’t come out, making nighttime hunting pointless. Plus, it got dark early now; they needed to be back at their cave base camp before four or five o’clock. His options were limited.

He had originally planned to head toward the hot springs, but it looked like that would have to wait until tomorrow. Zhao Wendong scanned his surroundings, trying hard to recall the distant memories from his past life. But it had truly been too long. There wasn’t much he could remember, and even less that related to these mountains. So, he simply pointed in the direction they had been heading.

"Let’s keep going a bit further and scout it out. We haven’t been this way before. We’ll have a good look around. If there’s nothing, we’ll head back to the base camp the way we came."

Everyone looked to him for leadership, so they all agreed. After quickly replenishing their energy, the group started moving again in the direction Zhao Wendong had pointed.

Besides the bitter cold and the physically demanding mountain trails, finding food and a place to sleep were the biggest challenges for a Hunter in the mountains during winter. That’s why, even though the mountains were full of game and the Commune was short on food, they didn’t just organize the militia to come sweep the area. It was the same principle as going to sea: the potential cost of a mistake could easily outweigh the reward. It just wasn’t worth it.

"Brother San, yesterday I heard that big official say we shouldn’t do anything that people can pick apart. Should we all get hunting permits, too?"

"Good idea. When we get back, you all go get one. The team has already issued Second Sister-in-law’s ID, so we can get them all stamped at the Commune office at the same time."

Zhao Wendong nodded at Zhao Ergou, pleased with his attention to detail. Although a hunting permit was supposedly required for going into the mountains, nobody actually cared. Everyone was just trying to get food by their own means. If you went to the team to apply for one, they might even think you were making things unnecessarily complicated. But Er Gou was right. It was a simple thing to do, so they might as well get it done later. The main point was not to leave any loose ends for others to pick at, so no one could find fault with them.

They walked quite a bit farther, but found no game along the way. Xiaojin was nowhere to be seen, while Xiaobai and the three dogs ran around nearby, stopping and starting. It felt as if they were the only ones in the entire mountain range. Zhao Wendong felt a strange sense of pressure. He pulled out his lighter, intending to light a cigarette, but then put it away again.

The risk of fire was low in winter, but it was still important to be careful. Besides, the smoke might bother General and the others, or startle potential prey. He didn’t usually smoke, only on social occasions. Today, probably because he’d gone to bed so late last night, his mind felt a bit fuzzy, and he just wanted one.

He examined the lighter in his hand. It was palm-sized, a heavy iron flip-top model that used a grinding wheel against a flint to ignite a cotton wick soaked in kerosene. For some reason, it made him think of Zheng Shengli. Brother Zheng had been really good to him, even giving him such a nice item when he’d asked for it. ’It’s just that his love life is a bit complicated...’

Then his thoughts started to drift again, and somehow he found himself thinking about Little Bastard. ’He should have reached the region by now. I wonder if he’s managed to contact that crew of movers. I only heard about this method for getting to the south later on, so I can’t even be sure if it’ll work.’ After a while, as his mood settled, Zhao Wendong finally understood. It wasn’t that he hadn’t slept well; he was just genuinely worried about Little Bastard.

Zhao Wenjun and the others saw that Zhao Wendong seemed to be in a daze. Not knowing what he was thinking about, they didn’t disturb him and instead wandered around the vicinity, searching for any potential prey. Lin Zhiyin and Jin Xiuying went off together to a more distant spot to use the restroom. They weren’t like the men, who could just find a tree. When the two returned, Lin Zhiyin suddenly saw something scurry past and quickly pointed.

"Hey, there’s something there!"

Jin Xiuying quickly raised her gun but hesitated to pull the trigger. As soon as Lin Zhiyin shouted, everyone rushed toward her. Zhao Wendong snapped out of his daze, pocketed his lighter, and sprinted in her direction, terrified that something might have happened to his future wife. Faster than Zhao Wendong and the men were the three dogs and the fox. Four blurs—one white, one yellow, and two black—shot toward Lin Zhiyin and Jin Xiuying.

"AWOOOO~"

"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"

A little creature passing through the snow was completely baffled. ’I just came out for a stroll, did I break some kind of celestial law?’

The little thing was long and slender with a coat of white fur. It looked like a mouse but was more agile and elongated. Its legs were so short they were barely visible. The way it ran on the snow was also very peculiar: it would kick off a couple of times and then press its body flat against the snow to slide a long distance, get up to kick again, and then slide some more.

"Haha, it’s a snow-slider!"

Hearing Zhao Wenjun’s shout, Zhao Wendong instantly relaxed. He slowed from a run to a walk. ’Lin Zhiyin is obviously not in danger, so what’s the point of running my ass off? Better to save my energy.’

The "snow-slider," also known as a "snow mouse," is actually a White Weasel. The thing is a total weakling; its only survival skill is burrowing into holes. The White Weasel had been drawn by Lin Zhiyin’s cry and had even stood up on its hind legs to look at her. But then it saw the dogs and Xiaobai charging like the wind. Its butt clenched in terror, and it spun around and slid for its life!

It ran incredibly fast, kicking off twice with its hind paws before pressing its body low against the snow and—WHOOSH—shooting forward half a meter. Its small ears were plastered to its head, and it was squeaking "SQUEAK SQUEAK," as if shouting, ’Don’t you come any closer!’

Behind it, General and the other two dogs gave chase. They might have struggled a bit with the hog badgers, but chasing this little thing was easy. The three dogs let out low growls from their throats, their legs a blur as they kicked up flurries of snow. Their eyes were locked on the small white shadow ahead as they cornered it, gradually tightening their circle.

The little White Weasel was in a full-blown panic, squeaking frantically as it dodged left and right. Finally, it tried to dive into a small snow hole. But just then, an all-white fox appeared with an agile leap, blocking the entrance. The White Fox narrowed its bright black eyes, its ears pricked straight up, a playful look in its eyes as it gazed at the pathetic little White Weasel.

Seeing the three dogs and the fox surrounding it, the little White Weasel realized it was trapped and decided to just give up. It curled into a tiny furball on the spot, burying its head in its front paws, but it couldn’t resist peeking up every few moments.

Its bright black eyes were glistening and teary. The black tip of its tail drooped, twitching slightly now and then. Its tiny limbs were pressed tightly against its belly, as if it were begging for mercy, or perhaps, had accepted its fate.

"Oh my gosh, you guys, look! It’s so cute!"

When Lin Zhiyin and the others arrived, this was the scene that greeted them. Lin Zhiyin couldn’t help but cry out, her voice filled with delight. Jin Xiuying hurried forward a few steps, and when she saw the sight clearly, she couldn’t help but gasp in amazement too.

"Look how pitiful it is! Xiaobai, General, don’t you bully it!"

Hearing this, Lin Zhiyin nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah! Look at its watery eyes, like a child who’s been wronged. It’s so small, don’t hurt it!"

The little White Weasel seemed to sense their kindness. It slowly lifted its head, its small, bright black eyes looking at the two women beside it. The moisture in its eyes grew thicker, and its faint "SQUEAK SQUEAK" started up again, as if asking them for help, or continuing to beg for mercy.

A small part of its fur was damp with snow, making it look even more small and pitiful. Its snowy-white coat had a faint sheen, and the black tip of its tail twitched gently. Its docile, pathetic appearance instantly melted the two women’s hearts.

"General, you all be good now, don’t scare it!"

Lin Zhiyin quickly knelt and petted General’s head. Sensing her intentions, General let out a few low whimpers. Zhui Feng and Zhen Shan also relaxed, dropping their aggressive stances. They sat down leisurely, panting with their tongues out, but kept their eyes on the little White Weasel to make sure it didn’t run.

"Can I pet it?"

Lin Zhiyin turned and asked Zhao Wendong.

"Go ahead!"

Zhao Wendong wasn’t worried at all that Lin Zhiyin would be bitten. She was wearing thick mittens, and a "snow-slider’s" small teeth and weak bite couldn’t possibly get through them.

Besides, all living things have a spirit. Most of them will kick you when you’re down. The only animals that would still howl and charge at you even after being surrounded and cornered were those hog badgers—one large and three small. And that’s why they were now lying in a neat row, sleeping very peacefully.