Crash! The underbrush was violently shoved aside.
A massive creature charged out.
This Wild Boar was far larger than Chen Ping had imagined.
Its shoulder height nearly reached his chest, its body covered in coarse, stiff black-gray bristles that stood erect like steel needles. Enormous tusks curved upward from the sides of its mouth, gleaming with a cold, white light in the setting sun.
Its small eyes were bloodshot, and it snorted heavily, clearly agitated by the commotion near the Pigsty. It appeared exceptionally ferocious.
The Wild Boar immediately spotted Chen Ping standing inside the Pigsty and rummaging through its “territory.”
Scree!
It let out a piercing squeal, its hind hooves digging into the earth, kicking up dirt. It lowered its head, aiming those terrifying tusks straight at Chen Ping.
Like a runaway battering ram, it thundered forward in a charge.
The ground trembled faintly beneath its weight.
“Holy crap!”
The Scarred Foreman on the dirt slope shrieked in terror. He turned tail and fled without looking back, even dropping his whip. He vanished in an instant.
Chen Ping’s mind went blank. Overwhelming fear instantly seized him.
The boar’s charge was alarmingly fast, bringing with it a gust of foul-smelling wind.
He instinctively wanted to dodge, but his feet were stuck in the thick muck and filth; he couldn’t move at all.
At this life-or-death moment, only one thought remained in his mind: I can’t die!
He still had Spirit Rice. He hadn’t yet risen above others.
The instinct for survival overpowered his fear.
As the Wild Boar burst through the broken entrance, its tusks less than a meter from him, Chen Ping twisted and flung himself sideways with all his strength.
BOOM!
The boar’s massive form brushed past his back and slammed into the stone wall of the Pigsty with a heavy thud. Broken stones and dried dung rained down. The tremendous impact shook the entire structure.
Chen Ping fell into the thick filth, splattering it all over his face.
Cold, foul muck covered his eyes, mouth, and nose; the stench was suffocating.
He ignored it, scrambling desperately on the slippery ground with hands and feet to roll away to the side.
The Wild Boar shook its head, slightly dazed from the collision, growing even more enraged.
It whirled around, its blood-red eyes locking onto Chen Ping struggling in the filth once more. Snorting white steam from its nostrils, it lowered its head for another charge.
This time, the distance was even closer.
Chen Ping could see the mud and bloodstains on its tusks. He had just gotten up; there was no time to dodge again.
It’s over!
At this critical juncture, that warm energy deep within his body—nourished recently by Spirit Rice and mobilized by the Vitality Technique—seemed to be fully ignited by this extreme peril.
Almost without thinking, he bent his knees and hunched his back, thrusting his hands forward in a motion like “Pushing Mountain, Exploring Sea.” This time, though, he meant to block rather than push.
THUD!
A heavy collision!
The Wild Boar’s immense force crashed squarely into Chen Ping’s crossed arms raised in defense.
CRACK!
Chen Ping seemed to hear his own bones groaning under the strain.
The force struck him with searing pain in both arms. It was like being hit by a giant hammer: his feet left the ground, and he flew backward.
SPLASH!
He landed heavily in a pile of dung at the other end of the Pigsty, splattering filth everywhere.
Excruciating pain shot through his left arm as if the bone had cracked. His chest felt crushed by a boulder; he couldn’t catch his breath. A metallic sweetness surged up his throat.
The Wild Boar was also jolted by the force of the direct collision. It shook its head, seeming somewhat surprised that this “little thing” hadn’t been killed outright.
The intense pain stimulated Chen Ping’s nerves and also ignited a fierce determination deep within his bones.
I can’t die!
He spat out blood-flecked foam and filth from his mouth; the coppery taste spurred him on.
He saw his broken iron shovel lying not far away. That was his only weapon.
The Wild Boar pawed at the ground again, preparing for a third charge. This time it would utterly crush this troublesome creature.
Chen Ping’s eyes fixed on the Wild Boar. His body moved with difficulty through the thick muck as he crawled toward the shovel. Every movement sent blinding pain through his left arm.
The Wild Boar moved! It charged forward with renewed fury.
Chen Ping’s hand finally grasped the cold wooden handle of the shovel.
Just as the boar reached him, its tusks about to pierce his body, he abandoned any thought of blocking. Using every last ounce of strength he had left, he violently rolled to the side.
Simultaneously, his right arm swung that chipped iron shovel with all his might, smashing it down hard onto one of the Wild Boar’s hind legs.
This wasn’t a technique; it was purely driven by survival instinct.
THWACK!
The not-so-sharp edge of the shovel, fueled by Chen Ping’s Spirit Rice-nourished explosive strength, actually bit deep into the thick muscle of the boar’s hind leg.
Squeee!
The Wild Boar let out a shrill squeal of agony that twisted into an unnatural pitch.
The shovel remained embedded in its hind leg muscle. Blood gushed out like water from a spout, rapidly staining the black filth crimson red.
The Wild Boar thrashed and screamed madly, trying to get up. But that hind leg was clearly severely injured and useless. It could only flail helplessly in the filth—rolling and floundering—its tusks gouging randomly at the ground and walls.
Chen Ping was also splattered with filth churned up by the boar’s fall.
He lay prone in the cold muck, gasping for breath in huge gulps. Each inhalation tugged painfully at his chest; waves of bone-shattering agony radiated from his left arm.
He watched that wildly thrashing boar bleeding profusely just a few steps away. His heart still pounded madly against his ribs as if trying to burst free.
Weakness from his narrow escape struck him together with the pain. His vision darkened in waves.
He had survived. Thanks to a broken shovel and a bit of luck.
Chen Ping struggled to sit up and edged toward the corner of the Pigsty, staying out of reach of the thrashing boar.
He tore a fairly clean strip from the hem of his inner garment and, gritting his teeth, bound his agonizing left arm against his chest to keep it still for the moment.
The sky had grown completely dark now. The Pigsty filled with the heavy scent of blood and stench.
The Wild Boar’s cries gradually subsided into pained whimpers. Its thrashing movements grew weaker and weaker. Blood pooled on the ground; it was clearly not long for this world.
Chen Ping leaned against the cold stone wall, his entire body chilled. Pain and fatigue engulfed him like a tide.
He barely had the strength to lift a finger anymore. But he knew he couldn’t collapse yet.
Manager Wang’s assigned task was not finished yet. Moreover… this Wild Boar… perhaps… was an opportunity?
Fighting to stay alert, he reached inside his clothes.
The Jade Pendant was still there.
He reached out to it with his thoughts.
HUM!
Chen Ping appeared in the space and stumbled toward the pile of white rice.
He grabbed a large handful, ignoring the dirt, shoved it into his mouth, chewed desperately, and swallowed.
Warm currents quickly spread throughout his limbs and bones, nourishing his nearly depleted body.
He ate a lot until he felt those warm currents filling every inch of sinew and bone. The bodily pain seemed to lessen a tiny bit.
Chen Ping dared not linger. He quickly exited the space.
Back in the cold Pigsty, the taste of rice still lingered in his mouth.
His bodily exhaustion was mostly alleviated, but his left arm’s sharp pain remained clear.
Struggling to stand, he looked at the motionless corpse of the Wild Boar, then glanced at the nearby chipped iron shovel.
An idea began to take hold of him, growing almost beyond his control.