As the sun set in the west, the valley remained enveloped in a damp, lingering warmth. The clan leader led several strong Yuanmou Man hunched low, pressing against the crimson sandstone cliff as they inched forward. Each gripped a sharpened pointed stone tool in their hands.
These were their hunting weapons.
Their gazes were fixed intently on the wild boar drinking water by the riverbank. It was estimated to weigh only around a hundred pounds—just reaching adulthood, slightly stronger than a piglet but weaker than a full-grown boar. It was a suitable hunting target.
He Mu and the other three followed behind the Yuanmou Man, each wearing varying degrees of excitement on their faces.
Lu Shiyan walked ahead of He Mu, chest puffed out and head held high, looking quite proud and imposing. “He Mu, just watch me. I’m super strong now, definitely able to protect you.”
He Mu didn’t even lift her eyelids, her tone indifferent. “You’d better protect yourself. Don’t forget, you’re my defeated opponent.”
On the first day of high school, He Mu and Lu Shiyan had gotten into a fight, which could be described as “no acquaintance without a fight.” For the next three years, Lu Shiyan, the defeated one, had followed her around like a resentful ghost.
Behind He Mu was Su Miaomiao, who clutched at He Mu’s clothes, looking a bit nervous and somewhat serious. “Mumu, you must protect me.”
When He Mu turned her head to look back at Su Miaomiao, a hint of gentle warmth appeared in her otherwise cool eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely protect you!”
Su Mu leaned in to assert his presence. “Miaomiao, in critical moments, you can still rely on your own brother. You can depend on me a bit more.”
Suddenly, the clan leader raised his hand sharply and then brought it down abruptly. Almost simultaneously, the strong Yuanmou Man pounced forward.
The wild boar, startled, let out a sharp squeal and tried to turn and flee into the dense forest.
The Yuanmou Man at the front leaped up, driving the stone tool hard into the boar’s hind leg. The other Yuanmou Man surrounded it, attacking the boar with a flurry of blows.
The boar’s cries grew increasingly shrill and pitiful, echoing through the open valley.
He Mu and the others stood frozen in place, stunned.
When it came to hunting, to put it bluntly, they were all rookies, only having theoretical knowledge.
Now, witnessing the Yuanmou Man ganging up on the boar firsthand was somewhat shocking.
Su Miaomiao’s eyes reddened slightly. “It just came out to drink water. Does it have a family waiting for it to come home?”
Lu Shiyan remarked, “In chaotic times, it makes sense to deal with the ‘saints’ first…”
“Hey!”
Su Mu spoke up to defend his sister. “You can keep your opinion, but there’s no need to be too harsh on an innocent girl who’s lived in peaceful times.”
He Mu also unconditionally defended her best friend, giving Lu Shiyan a big glare. “You can shut up now.”
Lu Shiyan wore an expression of horror and helplessness, as if he’d swallowed a fly whole.
Wasn’t he just stating the truth?
If you pity the boar, who pities the Yuanmou Man? Do the Yuanmou Man not need to eat, waiting to starve to death so they can erect a monument to their goodness?
Su Miaomiao rubbed her eyes, realizing her words were inappropriate. “I was being too sentimental. Survival of the fittest, the law of nature…”
From the dense forest in the distance came the angry roar of an adult wild boar.
The clan leader immediately let out a low growl, signaling his companions to drag the prey away.
They pulled at the boar’s head and hind legs, their feet sinking into the mud mixed with blood, each step heavy and urgent. As long as they could drag the prey back, the clan would have several full meals.
The clan leader also growled at He Mu and the others, signaling them to leave quickly.
The wild boar’s roars grew closer. The setting sun stretched their running shadows long and thin, but they couldn’t outrun the enraged boar.
He Mu and the others were cut off, with no sign of Yuanmou Man nearby.
They had gotten separated.
The wild boar gave them no time to react, charging toward the nearest Su Miaomiao.
He Mu and Su Mu lunged forward almost simultaneously.
Su Mu threw himself toward Su Miaomiao.
Meanwhile, He Mu lunged at the wild boar, a short knife in her hand, which she plunged deep into the boar’s neck.
“Ah!”
“Mu Mu!”
Su Miaomiao screamed in terror.
The boar’s force was immense. He Mu was thrown several meters away, the impact leaving her whole body aching and drenched in cold sweat.
He Mu’s short knife was lodged in the boar’s neck. Though she had struck successfully, the blade was stuck so firmly that not a single drop of blood flowed out. Instead, the boar grew even more enraged, circling frantically as if trying to shake off the discomfort in its neck.
But no matter how hard it tried, the knife wouldn’t budge. The boar turned its head and charged furiously toward He Mu.
He Mu tried to get up, but it was too late. Just as she was about to be struck, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her backward.
A warm chest pressed against her back, carrying a faint scent of vanilla—it was Lu Shiyan.
“He Mu, watch closely—I’m about to look really cool!”
Lu Shiyan released her and strode forward, heading straight for the boar—
He Mu’s pupils contracted sharply, her vision filled entirely with Lu Shiyan’s figure.
Lu Shiyan leaped onto the boar’s back, and in his hand was now a blood-stained short knife—the very one that had been embedded in the boar’s neck.
With the knife removed, a torrent of blood immediately gushed from the wound.
And Lu Shiyan struck again—a second time, a third time…
The boar thrashed wildly, trying to throw Lu Shiyan off. On the fourth strike, the boar crashed into a large tree.
Lu Shiyan’s leg was crushed between the boar and the tree trunk. The pain turned his face pale, and he gritted his teeth to keep a scream from escaping his throat. His body was flung uncontrollably, slamming heavily onto the ground.
“Lu Shiyan!”
He Mu rushed forward again.
Lu Shiyan shouted through the pain, “Stop! Don’t come any closer!”
The boar, having suffered multiple stab wounds and lost a great deal of blood, was nearing its end. But its death throes were still formidable.
“Director He!”
He Mu’s arm was grabbed. She turned to see Su Mu.
Su Mu’s opinion of He Mu had greatly changed. Her fearlessness in the face of danger, quick reflexes, and bravery were qualities even men rarely possessed.
He Mu had protected his sister.
“Look, what’s this.”
He Mu saw that Su Mu was holding a Beast Repeller, its light glowing green.
Right—before the hunt, they had turned off the Beast Repeller to avoid scaring away their prey.
In the chaos and urgency, they had forgotten they still had such a useful tool.
Su Mu truly lived up to his role as a company manager—calm and composed even in crisis.
The boar could struggle no more and collapsed with a heavy thud.
The low growls of Yuanmou Man echoed from a distance—they had found their way back.
The crisis was over.
“Mu Mu!”
Su Miaomiao rushed over in tears, hugging He Mu tightly. “Mu Mu, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? How could you be so foolish? That was a wild boar—how could you charge at it like that? Waaah~”
He Mu patted Su Miaomiao’s head, smiling as he comforted her. “Silly girl, don’t cry. I said I’d protect you, and I meant it.”
Su Miaomiao smiled through her tears. “Mu Mu is the best.”
He Mu glanced at Lu Shiyan, who was leaning against a tree trunk in a sorry state, and felt a pang of heartache.
“Miaomiao, stay with your brother for now.”
After instructing Su Miaomiao, He Mu quickly walked toward Lu Shiyan.