Cui Xiaoqi was halfway up the slope.
In her desperation, she rubbed her face vigorously several times until her skin burned with a stinging heat, and only then did her knuckles regain their flexibility.
The wild boar was already within five paces.
Whoosh…
The second arrow shot through the air.
But the wind direction shifted abruptly the moment the arrow left the string.
The arrow pierced through the boar’s nostrils and flew off at an angle, leaving a bloody streak across its dark brown, thick hide.
It caused no substantial harm.
Just as Cui Xiaoqi had been overjoyed by what seemed like a heaven-sent opportunity moments ago, she now cursed bitterly!
The minor wound thoroughly enraged the beast. Its crimson eyes bulged, and hot white steam snorted from its nostrils, as if it wished to tear the human before it to shreds with its sharp tusks.
Only one thought filled Cui Xiaoqi’s mind: “Run, get the quiver!”
Using both hands and feet, she scrambled with all her might toward the crooked-neck tree.
Behind her came the crisp sound of tree trunks snapping under the boar’s hooves.
It was hot on her heels, even faster than she was.
Fortunately, the crooked-neck tree was about twenty meters away.
Cui Xiaoqi’s hands and face were scratched by protruding branches.
Gasping for breath, she climbed to the crooked-neck tree—only to find it empty.
She was stunned!
Her heart nearly stopped—the quiver had vanished!
“Oink, oink—”
The foul stench of the boar already wafted against the back of her neck.
At the critical moment, she leaped up and climbed the crooked-neck tree.
The trunk, as thick as a bowl, shook violently under the boar’s impact, and the snow piled on the crown cascaded down like a waterfall.
Cui Xiaoqi wrapped her legs tightly around a branch and continued climbing upward until she found a relatively safe fork to sit on.
Looking down at the boar below, it seemed somewhat dazed from the collision, swaying unsteadily.
A glimmer of hope ignited in Cui Xiaoqi’s heart—perhaps there was a chance to escape.
However, the boar suddenly placed its front hooves on the trunk, attempting to climb up.
Cui Xiaoqi was both startled and amused. She broke off a dry branch and hurled it hard at the boar’s head, teasing, “Come on up! Let me see the rare sight of a pig climbing a tree!”
The boar seemed to understand her mockery. Angrily, it lowered its hooves and circled the tree once.
Then it retreated two or three meters, gathered its strength, and charged at the trunk again.
Once, twice… Each impact shook the tree violently. Cui Xiaoqi cursed under her breath, clinging tightly to the branch, feeling as if the world were spinning and her head swimming.
After who knows how many collisions, the boar finally couldn’t hold on any longer. It collapsed with a thud beneath the tree, utterly exhausted.
Cui Xiaoqi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
This boar hadn’t been harmed by its enemy at all—it had knocked itself out.
Afraid the “beast” might be feigning unconsciousness, she could only wait on the tree.
Suddenly, a “crunch, creak” sound of footsteps on snow echoed.
Cui Xiaoqi alertly scanned her surroundings. A bulky figure emerged from the snowy mist, heading toward her. A faint sense of unease rose within her.
Was the newcomer friend or foe? She hugged the tree trunk tightly, minimizing her presence.
The more she stared at the figure, the deeper her frown became.
“Well, well! Let me see who this little lady in the tree is! Oh, it’s Cui Xiaoqi! What, are you up there raiding bird nests?”
The newcomer was Wang Wenhan.
Cui Xiaoqi cursed inwardly, “Persistent ghost!!” She had underestimated him—he actually had the guts to follow her into the mountains.
“Cut the nonsense. What do you want?”
Squinting at Wang Wenhan below the tree, her unease lessened considerably. With him, he couldn’t stir up much trouble.
Wait! Those two rocks earlier—he had thrown them on purpose!
She had naively believed they were falling stones.
In the past, I only thought he was a scoundrel and a rogue, but now it seems he is nothing but a "beast" in human skin!
Wang Wenhan wore a smug expression, his eyes gleaming with lecherous light as he sneered, "Naturally, I'm here for some fun! Cui Xiaoqi, do you really think I can't do anything to you? Today, I will avenge yesterday's humiliation and make you beg for mercy beneath me! Hehe…"
Cui Xiaoqi felt sick to her stomach.
Besides Cui Xiaoqi, the Wang family also had hunters in the village. Wang Wenhan had followed his grandfather into the mountains since childhood, learning a bit of archery.
Ever since his grandfather passed away when he was twelve, Wang Shougen and his wife doted on their son excessively, never restraining him. They let him laze around at home, and his weight ballooned like an inflating balloon.
Only when he craved meat and lacked oil in his diet would he venture into the mountains to hunt, occasionally bringing back some game to the village.
Wang Wenhan drew his bow and aimed at Cui Xiaoqi in the tree, threatening, "Come down! If you don't, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Damn it!" Cui Xiaoqi gritted her teeth, noticing that the quiver and arrows on him were actually hers.
So he had stolen them!!
"You want me to come down? Well… I'll come down then…" Cui Xiaoqi decided to bend when necessary.
But~ hehe…
I'll give him a taste of his own medicine…
Cui Xiaoqi slid down the tree trunk, causing icicles on the branches to fall and blind Wang Wenhan.
Seizing the moment, she grabbed a palm-sized icicle and accurately threw it at the wild boar's hindquarters!
"Oink—"
The wild boar, startled by the pain, suddenly woke up and scrambled to its feet.
Seeing the "creature" in front of it that was even larger than itself, it snorted and charged forward.
Wang Wenhan had no time to dodge and took the full force of the boar's tusk. He was thrown to the ground, his quiver falling off as his body rolled down the slope.
A trail of "blood flowers" bloomed on the pristine white snow.
In the forest, cries of agony echoed continuously.
The wild boar shifted its target to Wang Wenhan, chasing him downhill. However, perhaps due to the earlier impact, its speed had noticeably slowed.
Cui Xiaoqi slid down in a flash, bent over to pick up the arrows, and fired two in quick succession. The arrowheads pierced the boar's flesh, causing it to roll down just like Wang Wenhan.
Wang Wenhan's body was wedged between two trees, finally stopping his descent.
Cui Xiaoqi leisurely picked up the quiver, slung it over her shoulder, and cheerfully walked toward the dead wild boar below.
She also took a moment to glance at the unconscious Wang Wenhan.
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