Seeing Li Anping agree without hesitation, a faint smile flickered across Ye Qing’s eyes.
She quickly gathered her thoughts and focused, carefully studying the herd of wild boars not far away as she planned her next move.
“You were right earlier—boars fear fire, light, and loud noises. But the first two are useless here. This whole mountain is covered in dry brush and dead wood; one spark could set the entire valley ablaze, and the villages down below would suffer as well.”
The others nodded in agreement. Even if they had the courage, no one would dare light a fire in these woods.
Ye Qing continued scanning the surroundings, thinking aloud. “So we’ll have to rely on sound instead. Let me think of a good way to use it.”
The men swallowed hard, watching her anxiously while glancing every now and then toward Tian Wuzi, who was still clinging to the tree.
Neither Tian Wuzi nor the boars had yet noticed their presence, and a fragile balance hung in the air.
After about a minute, Ye Qing spoke in a low, steady voice. “I have a plan. Who among you is the fastest runner and most agile when moving through rough terrain?”
“Agile?” Li Anping asked, confused. “What do you mean by that?”
“It means how fast you can dodge and maneuver. For example, if you had to run quickly through a field of large boulders and fallen trees, who could do it best?”
Two men immediately stepped forward. Li Anping introduced the first. “This is Li Xiuzhang. He’s our fastest runner—moves like a startled rabbit, faster than anyone else.”
Li Xiuzhang was lean and wiry, but his build revealed well-defined muscle, making him look as nimble as a hunting leopard. When their eyes met, he flushed and nodded shyly. “It’s true, Sister Qing—I’m the fastest in the group.”
“Another member of the Li clan? You people really have no shortage of talent,” Ye Qing said with a raised eyebrow, turning back to Li Anping.
He shook his head. “No relation—just another young man from the village.”
The second volunteer surprised Ye Qing—it was Li Weidong.
“Even though I’m big and sturdy, I can still run fast,” he whispered. “And when it comes to moving around the mountains, everyone in our squad says I’m the most sure-footed and flexible.”
Ye Qing said nothing more. She led the two men about a hundred meters away, then pointed ahead to a steep, rocky slope. “I’ve been watching this spot. It’s a sharp drop—if we fell down here, we’d tumble head over heels, let alone a heavy boar.”
“Here’s the plan,” she explained. “One of you will throw stones at the herd to anger them and draw their attention. Once they start chasing, you lead them straight toward this slope. When you get close, climb up a tree as fast as you can. Boars are heavy and can’t brake quickly; they’ll charge right over the edge and go tumbling down.”
“Hopefully, all of them will fall. If only a few remain, we’ll find another way to distract them. But if there are still several left and they’re already furious…” She paused and took a deep breath. “Then we’ll have no choice but to stand our ground with our rifles and knives and fight it out.”
“The most important part,” she continued, “is the person acting as bait. You have to be fast and agile. If they catch up, you must react instantly to protect yourself.”
Her gaze shifted between the two men. “Which of you is willing to be the decoy?”
Li Xiuzhang’s face paled, and his legs began to shake. “I get so nervous when something chases me…”
Li Weidong stepped forward immediately. “Let me do it, Sister Qing. If they do catch up, look at Xiuzhang—he doesn’t have the strength to fight back. I’m bigger and stronger, so I can hold my own if I have to.”
“No—you must never fight them head-on,” Ye Qing corrected firmly, dashing his bravado. “Run in wide S-curves. Boars can’t turn sharply, and their weight makes it hard to change direction quickly. That’s your only chance to stay alive. If you get tired, climb the nearest tree right away. You cannot beat them in a fight.”
This time, Li Weidong didn’t argue. He nodded and agreed to follow her instructions.
“All right—if everyone understands, let’s get moving,” Ye Qing said.
Li Anping nodded. “Got it. Let’s go.”
“We’ll start by gathering stones—plenty of them—to give Li Weidong something to throw,” he added.
As they spoke, Ye Qing led the others to collect smooth, fist-sized rocks from the ground. While they worked, she gave Li Weidong a steady stream of advice on how to run, dodge, and stay safe if the boars came after him. He listened closely, nodding with every word.
Once they had enough stones, they positioned Li Weidong in a good spot. At Ye Qing’s signal, he began throwing.
The first stone landed squarely in the middle of the herd. The boars jolted in surprise, and Tian Wuzi—still perched like a monkey in the tree—also jumped. He quickly lifted his head and spotted figures emerging from the shadows.
His heart leaped. Help had finally come!
The boars grew restless. They huddled together, pacing back and forth beneath the tree and letting out low, angry snarls. The young piglets were herded into the center of the group, their small eyes glowing red as they scanned the surroundings.
Li Weidong climbed onto a large rock for better aim and threw another stone, shouting at the top of his lungs: “Tian Wuzi, don’t panic! We’re here to rescue you! No matter what happens when they start running—whether they ram the tree or anything else—hold on tight and don’t fall! Do you hear me?”
Tian Wuzi had been clinging there for hours, his throat raw and voice gone. He could only wave his hands wildly in relief and nod vigorously, squeezing the trunk even tighter.
Li Weidong hurled the rest of his stones, yelling, “Come on then! Chase your grandpa! Come and get me!”
As soon as the last stone left his hand, he leaped down from the rock and sprinted straight toward the steep slope.
The rest of the militiamen watched, hearts pounding in their throats.
The boars were now fully enraged. Their eyes glowed an even deeper shade of red as they roared in unison, and several charged repeatedly at the tree where Tian Wuzi hid. The echoes of their angry bellows filled the valley.
Just as Li Weidong wondered why they hadn’t started chasing him yet, one massive boar suddenly broke away and charged straight at him. In an instant, the rest of the herd followed, stampeding like mad.
From Li Weidong’s perspective, it looked like a line of small mountains—each weighing hundreds of pounds—was bearing down on him.
Terrified, he ran as fast as his legs would carry him toward the slope.
“Li Weidong! Run in S-curves! Wide turns! Don’t go straight!” Ye Qing shouted loudly.
He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and followed her advice.
It worked perfectly. Though boars can run fast, their heavy bodies make sharp turns impossible, and they cannot stop suddenly. Within moments, Li Weidong had opened up a safe gap between himself and the herd.
But leading them around like this only made the boars angrier.
When he was nearly at the edge of the slope, Ye Qing called out again: “Climb the tree—now!”
Without hesitation, Li Weidong scrambled up the nearest thick trunk.
The boars, eyes blazing red, thundered toward him, snarling and snorting. They saw him vanish into the branches but couldn’t stop in time. One after another, they tumbled and rolled over the edge of the drop.
The sound of their heavy bodies crashing against rocks and tree roots echoed up from below—thud, thud, thud—like boulders rolling down the mountainside.
Seeing the herd gone, Li Weidong let out a huge sigh of relief. He quickly climbed back down and hurried to rejoin the others.
Meanwhile, Ye Qing and the rest had their rifles ready, knives drawn, and lungs full of air—prepared to move in and rescue Tian Wuzi.
Before they set off, Ye Qing issued one last warning: “If any boars are still left when we get there, climb up a tree immediately. I’ll say it again—do not fight them face-to-face. These are full-grown wild boars; one hit from them can be fatal.”
“Once you’re up, spread out—choose trees in different directions. From there, aim your shots at their eyes or heart. Those are their weakest spots. The rest of you, throw stones whenever you get a clear chance, or try to stab them in the soft underbelly if you can. If you can’t get close enough, stay where you are and stay safe. Do not come down to fight!”
With that, Ye Qing gripped her knife and pushed forward, wading through waist-high weeds.
The men drew in a sharp breath. The worst-case scenario had come true.
One boar had been left behind. Whether it had fallen behind or simply refused to retreat, this large adult male was now even more enraged and was ramming its massive shoulder repeatedly against the tree where Tian Wuzi clung for dear life.
Ye Qing sighed. “That poor fool Tian Wuzi—he must have taken one of their young. No wonder the mother or father is fighting to the death.”
“Stick to the plan. Let’s move out.”
She stuffed two extra stones into her pockets, tightened her grip on her knife, and charged forward.
While the boar was still focused on battering the tree, Ye Qing quickly scaled the trunk of a much larger, sturdier tree nearby.
The others followed her lead. Their movement caught the boar’s attention, and it turned its bloodshot gaze toward Li Anping, ready to charge.
“Up the tree—fast! Don’t meet it head-on!” Ye Qing shouted.
Li Anping didn’t bother answering. He leaped for the nearest thick trunk and hauled himself up.
Growing up in the mountains, all these men had learned to climb trees since childhood—they hadn’t forgotten the skill. In seconds, they were all perched high above, looking down.
Confused and furious, the boar rushed back and forth, snarling and butting at the trees one after another.
Ye Qing threw a stone; the boar charged toward her. Li Anping threw another; it turned and rammed his tree instead, letting out a constant, low growl.
“Hold on tight!” Ye Qing called out. “Fire your rifles—aim for the eyes or heart! If you can’t get a clear shot, go for the neck!”
The two men with rifles loaded their weapons quickly and took aim at the boar’s eye.
BANG! Whether by luck or skill, the first shot struck the target dead center.
Ye Qing mentally whistled in approval—now that was a marksman!
The boar bellowed in pain as blood gushed from its ruined eye. It became even more frenzied, slamming its weight harder against the tree trunks.
BANG! The second man fired, but his shot went wide.
The boar was unharmed, though startled, and began running wildly in circles beneath them.
BANG! BANG! The men fired again, sweat pouring down their faces as they struggled to steady their aim.