It wasn’t until all the wild mushrooms had been gathered that Lu Zhaozhao, smiling, handed the dagger back to Gu Yan.
Gu Yan glanced at the mushrooms in her basket and decided to trust her.
When it came to preparing food, she was far better than he was. If she was so confident that it was safe to eat, then it probably was.
Having spent the past two days with Lu Zhaozhao, he had a basic understanding of her character. She was fairly reliable and wouldn’t joke about something like this.
So, after finishing their collection of wild mushrooms, the two continued along the path.
After walking a while, they finally encountered another wild rabbit. Gu Yan, displaying the skill of his remarkable throwing, successfully captured another prey.
Their harvest this time was decent. Though the game was few, they had collected a full basket of wild mushrooms, which left them quite satisfied.
After walking most of the day, they grew somewhat hungry. They found a slightly open area to rest, eat some dry food, and drink water. As Gu Yan ate a baked flatbread, he observed the surroundings and said,
“Once we finish eating, let’s head back. We’ve gone deep enough. I’m afraid going further could be dangerous.”
Even if it were just himself, it would be one thing. But this time, with Lu Zhaozhao accompanying him, encountering a bigger animal and frightening her would be a huge risk.
“All right, I’ll follow your lead,” Lu Zhaozhao replied, nibbling the remaining flatbread with a contented smile, agreeing with his judgment.
She was already surprised at how many mushrooms they had gathered. Thinking about being able to enjoy fresh mushrooms when they returned made her want to smile.
Moreover, these mushrooms were easy to store. Any leftovers could be dried in the sun, and when she wanted to eat them, she would just soak them in water. Very convenient.
Gu Yan had also hunted the wild chicken she had wanted. That was enough.
Safety came first—they had indeed gone quite deep into the forest.
After finishing their food, they packed up and prepared to leave.
After just a few steps, Gu Yan suddenly seemed to hear some movement approaching.
He immediately dropped his basket and pressed himself against the ground to listen. Then, before Lu Zhaozhao could react, he scooped her up by the waist with one hand, lifted the basket with the other, and, using his lightness skill, brought her up into the trees.
Lu Zhaozhao didn’t even have time to react. After a dizzying moment, she realized she was no longer on the ground—she was in a tree.
What was happening?
Had she just… flown?
Good heavens! Could that strange sensation just now really have been the legendary lightness skill?
Gu Yan could actually use lightness skill?
This tree was very tall!
Had Gu Yan really carried her up here?
Lu Zhaozhao’s heart pounded uncontrollably.
Knowing they were in the tree, she tightly wrapped her arms around Gu Yan’s waist, refusing to let go.
Gu Yan sighed and said quietly,
“Stay quiet. From the sounds, something big is coming this way—and it’s moving fast. Let’s hide in the tree and observe first.”
He had no idea what kind of animal it was. If it were a tiger or something, they would have to endure it. Coming down now would be suicidal!
Though confident in his martial arts, he was not so foolish as to fight a tiger.
If it were a wolf, he might still have a chance.
Lu Zhaozhao, though scared, understood the seriousness of the situation. Preserving her life was the top priority. She gritted her teeth and kept silent.
Sure enough, after a moment, a dark figure came running beneath the tree.
Seeing it, both were surprised. It wasn’t the wolf or tiger they had expected—it was a completely black wild boar!
The boar was now sniffing and rooting around the spot where they had just sat. It even ate all the crumbs of flatbread that Lu Zhaozhao had dropped earlier!
Gu Yan quickly understood the situation.
The basket containing the wild chicken and rabbit had been placed where Lu Zhaozhao had been sitting. Seeing the boar sniffing around the bloodstains on the stone, he realized that blood from the wounded prey had seeped out of the basket onto the rock.
It was probably the smell of blood that had attracted the boar.
But now that it was here, it was better to leave it alive.
The girl had incredible luck. On her first trip into the mountains, she had encountered a large prey like a wild boar.
Unlike him, who had been into the deep forests many times without ever seeing a boar—not even a single bristle. Though wild boars were fierce, he wasn’t inexperienced either. With all his strength, he should be able to subdue it. The money from selling this boar would cover his mother’s medical expenses.
Thinking of that, Gu Yan’s eyes gleamed.
The boar wandered around for a while without detecting them and didn’t leave, seemingly unsure what to do.
Gu Yan handed the dagger to Lu Zhaozhao and whispered,
“Take this dagger for protection. I’ll go down and subdue the boar. Stay up here and wait. Don’t come down and get in the way.”
Without waiting for her reply, he leaped down, holding the large firewood knife, and attacked the boar. The boar, startled, was furious. It had run all the way here without eating anything, and now a human suddenly attacked it!
Thus, Gu Yan engaged in a fierce fight with the boar.
His martial arts were excellent and his body agile, but the boar was strong and large.
After several rounds, neither could gain the upper hand—they were evenly matched.
Lu Zhaozhao, lying in the tree, grew anxious. Why lying? Because of her fear of heights, she couldn’t stand. She clung to the horizontal branch with all four limbs. Her two baskets were wedged in the fork of the tree, safely secured.
“Oh, Gu Yan, you need to stab its neck with your knife!”
“Gu Yan, be careful! I think it’s going to gore you!”
“Oh my, Gu Yan, it looks angry—you just hit its eye!”
“It’s so aggressive! Gu Yan, watch out!”
…
Gu Yan was exasperated.
Dealing with the boar was already exhausting, and Lu Zhaozhao’s nonstop chatter was distracting him.
He needed to focus entirely on the boar, leaving no attention for her. It was really bothersome.
Lu Zhaozhao clutched the dagger, wanting to help. The boar was large; if she mimicked Gu Yan and threw the dagger skillfully, she might hit its rear, causing pain and giving Gu Yan an opportunity to subdue it.
The thought excited her. They had to work together to take down the boar. Not to mention the potential silver from selling it, even eating it would last a long time. This was wild black pork—its meat would be exceptionally fresh and delicious!
She had envied those female protagonists’ companions who could hunt boars before. Now, she had one herself. Though delayed, the wild boar had finally arrived.