Wild Boar Forest.
Having driven her horse forward less than a hundred meters, Xie Ning dismounted in a swift motion. She unfastened the reins and whipped the horse violently, causing it to bolt forward in pain, galloping wildly toward the depths of Wild Boar Forest!
Meanwhile, she located the tallest tree within her field of vision, swiftly climbing up to find the most suitable position for concealment.
In the depths of midwinter, dead leaves rustled softly.
Most trees during this season were stripped down to bare trunks; only a sparse few carried a clinging yellow leaf or two, barely hanging on until a gust of cold wind snuffed out their last breath of life, sending them fluttering down.
Xie Ning held her breath in total silence. Crouched between the thick branches, her light-persimmon riding attire blended almost seamlessly with the withered wood; only her subtle breathing and sharp gaze distinguished her presence among the dead trees.
She was waiting.
The sound of horse hooves gradually receded, yet remained audible. Xie Ning kept her expression entirely calm, though her heart was wedged high in her throat.
She needed to wait patiently for an unknown outcome. If the hoofbeats vanished smoothly without incident, then her trip to Wild Boar Forest would be completely in vain. She could not be certain whether wild boars still remained within this so-called Wild Boar Forest. To obtain a definitive answer without putting her own life at risk, she had no choice but to sacrifice the horse to probe the truth.
Xie Ning kept her breathing extremely light, focusing the vast majority of her attention on her ears, listening meticulously to every subtle stir within this withered forest. She heard the hooves trampling over dead leaves, occasionally sinking into muddy puddles with the splashing sound of water… clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack… growing further and further away
The horse ran fast. Judging by the distance of the hoofbeats, Xie Ning felt an uncontrollable surge of anxiety as the sound grew faint. By the distance, the horse should have already reached the deep interior. Why was there still
Right at that moment, Xie Ning caught the painful squeal of the horse alongside the heavy thudding of a rushing wild boar!
That meant there were indeed wild boars deep inside!
The heavy weight hanging in Xie Ning’s heart finally settled down a fraction. However, this was merely the beginning; she still had to remain patient. She needed to possess utmost patience!
Time crawled by slowly. Xie Ning remained motionless, almost completely merged with the withered tree.
Unhurried, the sun strolled like a passerby from the zenith toward the southwest. Just as Xie Ning’s body felt nearly frozen stiff, she finally caught the sound of galloping hoofbeats once again!
Clack-clack, clack-clack
Nearer, even nearer
Tracking her all the way here on horseback, Xie Yuanshan dismounted right before entering Wild Boar Forest to inspect the horse dung and hoofprints on the ground.
His tracking was naturally accurate; the horse Xie Ning had taken was indeed traveling forward along this path.
Having confirmed this, Xie Yuanshan remounted, galloping straight into the forest and rushing toward its depths right under Xie Ning’s eyes!
Xie Ning watched his figure charge inside. Though she should have been wildly agitated, she remained unnaturally calm at this moment.
She knew deep down that she could not afford to rush. She had to be patient, even more patient she had to wait.
For the weak to conquer the strong, one had to rely on sufficient patience to seize that fleeting opportunity for a fatal strike!
Xie Ning lowered her posture further, listening attentively to the commotion within the forest from high up in the tree branches.
Occasionally, dead leaves were whipped up by the wind, the rustling sound playing like music across the strings of Xie Ning’s heart; every subtle vibration tightly pulled at her nerves.
Finally, the horse’s painful squeal echoed out once more!
This agonized shriek sent Xie Ning’s heart leaping straight to her throat. She wished she could rush forward immediately to see whether Xie Yuanshan was already locked in head-on combat with the wild boars!
Yet it was still not the time.
She had to wait!
When a wild boar went berserk, Xie Yuanshan was no match for it, and Xie Ning even less so.
She needed a little more patience, waiting until the commotion within the forest died down!
Xie Ning’s nerves were stretched to the absolute limit, leaving her nearly dizzy and lightheaded.
Listening to the violent brawl inside Wild Boar Forest, her heart felt as if it were no longer lodged in her chest, but throbbing inside her mouth, right beside her ears!
Her heartbeat drummed wildly in her ears it seemed as though the moment she opened her mouth, her heart would leap right out!
This wouldn’t do; she was far too tense! Xie Ning closed her eyes slightly, exhaling a breath that was extremely light, exceedingly slow, yet remarkably long. Only after exhaling for several breath cycles did she manage to press her heart back down her throat, allowing herself to hold her breath once more and focus her mind on listening to the movements in the forest.
Time felt stretched out endlessly.
By the time the commotion within the forest gradually subsided, Xie Ning felt as if an entire lifetime had passed.
She waited a moment longer, confirming that there were no further disturbances in the forest, before moving to leap down from the tree.
At this point, the setting sun remained hanging in the sky, its blood-red rays illuminating the entire Wild Boar Forest as though it were soaked in blood.
Xie Ning’s hands and feet felt numb. After landing, she paused for a brief moment before her senses slowly returned. Clenching her dagger tightly, she minimized her presence as much as possible, advancing slowly toward the interior of the forest.
Everything was deathly silent, save for the creaking sound of fallen leaves and withered twigs snapping beneath Xie Ning’s feet.
Quiet it grew increasingly quiet.
It was far too quiet!
Xie Ning slowed her steps even further, an intuitive sense of danger creeping over her.
Just then, a thunderous roar burst out out of nowhere: “HALT “
Not far ahead, Xie Yuanshan drenched entirely in blood suddenly sprang up. A wild boar that had been relentlessly pursuing him from behind was pierced right through the skull by his spear!
He truly lived up to his reputation as the Zhenyuan General born with immense physical power! He had actually managed to break free from a pack of three to five wild boars and slaughter them one by one!
Wild boars were naturally fierce and unyielding, yet their survival instincts were remarkably sharp. Seeing another boar die violently, a boar further away that had been mid-charge executed an abrupt halt, confronting Xie Yuanshan from a distance without advancing.
It seemed to have developed fear toward Xie Yuanshan, yet it could clearly tell that Xie Yuanshan was at the end of his strength, thus refusing to give up easily.
Xie Yuanshan fought while retreating; he could neither flee rapidly lest the boar launch a surprise attack from behind, nor continue the fight, for having slain three boars in a row, he was also severely wounded!
However, every time he took a step back, the dark-furred wild boar trailing nearby took a step forward, keeping a consistent distance.
As long as the wild boar refrained from approaching, Xie Yuanshan still possessed a chance to escape with his life.
Yet Xie Ning, trailing not far behind, was now caught in a dilemma. She could not even move a single motion would lead to discovery by Xie Yuanshan. But if she remained still, Xie Yuanshan would eventually retreat to her exact spot.
She needed an opportune moment! It might come, or it might not yet Xie Ning could only wait.
She looked toward the wild boar, observing its coarse, dark-brown fur. It seemed to have grown impatient, looking left and right as its heavy grunting carried a thrilling display of beastly brutality. Even from far away, one could smell its thick, foul stench! Between its pair of sharp, rigid tusks, foul breath squirted out continuously, causing the dead leaves on the ground to rise and fall.
It was exceedingly dangerous. Whether it was the exposed tusks, the coarse bristle, or the boar’s own rampant strength, any of them was more than enough to easily put a person to death.
And now, it seemed it had no intention of continuing its stalemate with the human, preparing to launch a final assault.
Xie Yuanshan realized this as well.
He observed closely. Once he confirmed the wild boar’s intent to strike, Xie Yuanshan suddenly bounded up, bolting wildly forward!
Regrettably, his injuries were too severe; after running less than a hundred meters, his speed slackened down!
Yet it was precisely this wild sprint that brought Xie Ning into his sight.
Xie Ning acted decisively, turning on her heel to sprint back as well. However, she never expected a sharp, tearing wind to erupt behind her the long spear in Xie Yuanshan’s hand was thrusting directly toward her back!
Exerting every ounce of her strength, Xie Ning twisted her waist violently, narrowly dodging the blow!
Yet this dodge disrupted her sprint, sending her crashing heavily onto the ground!
Xie Yuanshan, however, seemed to regain his confidence, striding toward Xie Ning with large steps!
Xie Ning scrambled up frantically, intending to seize Xie Yuanshan’s spear as a weapon. Regrettably, the force behind Xie Yuanshan’s throw was far too heavy; the spear was embedded deeply into the mud, leaving Xie Ning entirely unable to pull it free! She did not linger in battle, continuing to run back frantically without the weapon.
Yet Xie Yuanshan behind her had already reached the long spear. Though it appeared strenuous, he ultimately yanked the spear up, thrusting it toward Xie Ning once more—
Xie Ning was prepared this time. Watching the spear strike again, she turned immediately, dodging before raising her dagger to barely parry the blow. The long spear grazed past the dagger, driving into a tree and numbing Xie Ning’s hands from the vibration.
At that exact instant, Xie Yuanshan arrived right before her, and right behind him was the wild boar launching its attack! The wild boar was exceedingly fast, on the verge of pouncing onto Xie Yuanshan. Xie Yuanshan leaped into the air, landing unexpectedly near Xie Ning. Twisting his body, he grabbed Xie Ning’s ankle, flinging her toward the wild boar without a second thought!
Xie Ning understood in an instant: Xie Yuanshan intended to use her as bait to buy time. The time it took for the boar to devour her would be more than enough for Xie Yuanshan to win a sliver of survival!
Before thought could even process, Xie Ning grabbed the spear embedded in the tree; riding the momentum of Xie Yuanshan’s immense force, the spear was successfully pulled free by her as well. Falling through the air toward the wild boar, Xie Ning did not resign herself to fate. Clenching the spear with all her might, she mimicked Xie Yuanshan’s motion from earlier, hurling the spear forcefully straight at the wild boar’s forehead!
It pierced precisely into the wild boar’s forehead!
As Xie Ning crashed onto the boar’s body, she kicked hard against the shaft of the spear. The spear tip, which had barely penetrated halfway, was finally driven entirely in!
Even so, compared to Xie Yuanshan’s single strike that pierced directly through a boar’s skull, her hit was far from enough to kill it! Yet it was sufficient to send the boar into an agonizing frenzy, driving its madness to the extreme!
However, using the rebounding force of that kick, Xie Ning was launched far away by the resilient spear shaft. The one left standing right before the wild boar was the blood-drenched Xie Yuanshan.
Xie Yuanshan also witnessed Xie Ning’s strike, feeling both surprised and disdainful: “Useless trash!” He wanted to hurl more abuse, but the wild boar gave him no time. The berserk boar, carrying the spear in its forehead, lunged wildly at him, its sharp tusk piercing right into Xie Yuanshan’s lower abdomen! Xie Yuanshan grabbed its tusks tightly, wrestling with all his strength, only to be gouged through the abdomen and shoved a full ten meters away by the boar’s tusk!
At the edge of death, Xie Yuanshan let out a furious roar. Exerting his absolute utmost strength, he actually grabbed the spear with his bare hands, pressing down violently—
The long spear had already driven through the boar’s coarse skull; pressed down by Xie Yuanshan’s desperate force, the flesh beneath the boar’s skull was swiftly pierced like cutting through tofu! That was not all after piercing through the skull, Xie Yuanshan realized he could no longer exert force from below. He instantly yanked the spear back, stabbing violently at the base of the wild boar’s tusk. The entire tusk broke off completely; during the boar’s violent thrashing, the tusk was ripped from Xie Yuanshan’s abdomen as well, flung far off to the side.
Yet Xie Yuanshan seemed oblivious to the pain. Seeing the wild boar thrashing wildly without dying, he hurled the spear once more, this time opening up distance. With the blood hole previously drilled by Xie Ning on the boar’s forehead, this single thrust successfully pierced straight through the wild boar’s skull, killing it on the spot!
Clutching his continuously bleeding lower abdomen, Xie Yuanshan collapsed to his knees.
Meanwhile, that severed tusk was flung to a spot not far from Xie Ning. Xie Ning discovered that Xie Yuanshan had actually won! Winning meant that as long as he walked out of here, Xie Yuanshan still stood a chance to survive!
If Xie Yuanshan lived, her mother would be beaten to death. As for herself setting aside the fact that Xie Yuanshan had already tried to kill her moments ago—the entire setup was designed specifically for Xie Yuanshan to be mauled to death by wild boars! Now, Xie Yuanshan actually had a chance to live?
No, Xie Ning would not allow it.
Her eyes focused, a piercing intent to kill gathering within her pupils. She grabbed the wild boar tusk decisively and lunged forward with a violent charge—
Before Xie Yuanshan could even turn his head, the boar tusk drove fiercely through his throat, blood gushing forth in torrents.
Even as Xie Yuanshan fell face-down onto the ground, he still forced his body to twist around, looking toward his rear—only to see Xie Ning, her face spattered with blood like a rakshasa, staring down at him without a single expression.
The entire Wild Boar Forest fell deathly quiet.
Xie Ning’s heart pounded wildly, blood surging through her veins, yet her face maintained absolute composure. Her gaze remained locked dead onto Xie Yuanshan without blinking, just as she had once been viewed as a helpless object in someone’s palm until Xie Yuanshan’s eyes widened in a fixed stare, completely losing all warmth. Only then did Xie Ning lose all her strength, collapsing onto the ground.
The blood-like setting sun gradually faded away, its lingering red glow illuminating Wild Boar Forest, making it impossible to tell for a moment whether the setting sun was redder, or the bloodstains beside Xie Ning were redder.
Xie Ning’s gaze fell upon the wild boar tusk. The boar blood coating it had already grown cold, the foul-smelling tusk resting amidst mottled bloodstains.
The last remnant of the setting sun reflected upon the tusk, its sharp tip glinting with light, resembling a lethal weapon straight from hell.
A biting cold wind whipped up out of nowhere; sparse flakes of snow fell upon her face. The bone-chilling cold froze the wounds on Xie Ning’s body until they lost all sensation, yet she looked toward the setting sun and smiled.
New Year’s Eve had passed. Today was the first day of the Lunar New Year—a brand new year.
In this new year, from this moment forth, everything would be entirely different from the past.
She was thoroughly satisfied.
Accompanied by the blood-red setting sun, Xie Ning took a final look at that tusk before resolutely quickening her steps, departing swiftly into the distance.