A whoosh sound was heard as an iron-tipped arrow shot through the air, followed by a scream.
"Great archery!"
They had entered the mountain together, but the others hadn't even spotted the prey before Jianjun had already locked onto it.
Following the sound, they found a fat rabbit weighing about four or five catties.
"The moon is full and clear tonight, so try not to make any noise and startle these animals."
This was a piece of wisdom known by anyone who frequently went up the mountain, and Shoushan was reminding Xu Feng.
However, he didn't mean to blame him; after all, what Xu Feng said was a compliment.
Xu Feng's reaction was also quick; he nodded silently and followed the team.
As they delved deeper into the forest, they occasionally heard the calls of various animals.
By the time the moon hung high above, the team had already hunted three rabbits and two pheasants.
These were the most common animals on the mountain; they weren't particularly valuable, but they were still meat.
"Brother Shoushan, I'm afraid we won't find that beast tonight."
Although the three hounds had keen senses of smell, wild boars were known for their large roaming areas.
Relying on their thick hides, they could go almost anywhere within a large section of the mountain forest.
"Let's try our luck by the small stream; even if we don't get that wild boar, we might find other animals."
The Xu Family Village had lived at the foot of this mountain forest for generations, and according to the elders, there were not only Xiong Xiazi (Bears) but also tigers, deer, flying dragons, and musk deer on the mountain.
However, in recent years, due to lack of food and clothing, the animals in the mountains had been extensively hunted.
They weren't extinct, but one could only occasionally encounter them by going deep into the forest.
Wang Jun wanted to go deep and try his luck, which was why he encountered the Xiong Xiazi (Bear).
The small stream, on the other hand, gathered mountain spring water flowing from top to bottom; if one went hunting without water, they could come here to quench their thirst.
Not only do people need to drink water, but the animals in the mountains also come here to drink, so the probability of encountering prey here on such a bright night is very high.
Xu Feng didn't know where he was, as long as he followed the team.
They walked for about half an hour, and they could hear the gurgling sound of the stream from a distance.
"Animals are most alert when drinking water, so be careful not to make any noise with your feet!"
Shoushan was still reminding Xu Feng; if they still found nothing at the small stream, then tonight's trip would have been in vain.
The group, with their hunting dogs, quietly approached, scanning the streambank but not seeing the figures they wanted to see.
Clearly, Lady Luck was not on their side.
"Alas, the prey in the mountains are decreasing year by year; it seems Heaven is not giving us a way to live!"
Xu Shoushan sighed heavenward, his tone revealing an unspeakable bitterness.
The others didn't know what to say and could only sigh along with him.
Seeing their worried faces, Xu Feng couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.
The dust of the times weighed heavily on everyone, like a thousand-pound burden that made it hard to breathe.
Xu Feng, even he himself, couldn't change anything for now.
"Let's drink some water and eat some dry rations; we can't just go back tonight."
As the leader of the small team, Xu Shoushan immediately adjusted his emotions.
The group sat down on the spot, pulling out the corn cakes they had prepared beforehand from their pockets; although dry, there was sweet mountain spring water nearby.
Seeing Xu Feng sitting there blankly, Xu Shoushan shared a piece of corn cake with him.
"Thank you."
Xu Feng didn't stand on ceremony; if he didn't eat something, he might not have the strength to continue hunting.
After a ten-minute rest, the group regained their spirits and continued deeper along the small stream.
Heaven would not let down those who worked hard; half an hour later, they actually encountered a large prey!
It was a male deer with huge antlers, looking left and right as it lay by the stream drinking water.
Looking at its size, it weighed at least several tens of kilograms!
The team immediately perked up when they saw this deer; Xu Shoushan's breathing even quickened a bit.
Visually, they were at least fifty meters away, and Jianjun had already drawn his bow to a full moon!
The male deer was on the opposite side of the stream; if the first shot missed, and the male deer turned and ran into the forest, there would be no way to catch it.
"Whoosh!"
The faint sound of something cutting through the air was particularly harsh in the quiet night, and the animal's reaction was extremely fast.
It tilted its head slightly, and the arrowhead was blocked by its antlers.
The male deer cried out in pain, but it didn't affect its escape speed!
Watching the male deer turn to bolt into the forest, Jianjun couldn't help but be annoyed.
At this critical moment, Xu Feng, without thinking, pulled out the machete from his waist and threw it with all his might!
Another piercing scream, as the machete directly pierced the male deer's hindquarters!
Xu Shoushan's eyes widened as he looked at Xu Feng; his strength was truly immense!
"Chase!"
There was no time for them to be surprised; with that one strike, this male deer wouldn't escape.
The three hounds burst forward at the sound, and in a moment, they had bitten through the injured male deer's neck.
"Quick, bleed it!"
They had to quickly drain the blood while the male deer had just died; if they skipped this step, the venison would have a gamey smell.
Of course, the deer blood wouldn't be wasted; that stuff was a great tonic.
Or rather, the entire male deer was a treasure.
"This time, it's all thanks to Xu Feng; otherwise, tonight would really have been a wasted trip."
Shoushan was very glad he insisted on bringing Xu Feng along, while Jianjun sighed, wondering if this kid's strength was too great.
Over fifty meters away, and the male deer was extremely fast, yet he could throw a knife and hit the deer's hindquarters.
"How do we divide this?"
Xu Feng wasn't interested in small talk and asked the question he cared about most.
Going up the mountain was for prey, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
"According to the rules, the meat will be equally divided among everyone, and all the valuable parts are yours."
After all, everyone had contributed, so this division method was very reasonable.
Xu Feng indicated he had no objections, but he didn't forget the pheasant that was promised to him at the beginning.
The deer had a strong bloody smell, so Shoushan no longer insisted on searching for the wild boar.
If they attracted a Xiong Xiazi (Bear) or a tiger, the six of them without guns wouldn't be able to handle it.
"Let's go home."
On the way back, the atmosphere was noticeably more lively because they were carrying a male deer on their shoulders.
"Brother Shoushan, you should eat a little less of this venison, otherwise the kang in your house won't be able to handle it!"
Among the six people, only Shoushan and Xu Feng had wives, and since they weren't familiar with Xu Feng, they naturally targeted Xu Shoushan for their teasing.
Who didn't know that venison was a great tonic and would definitely lead to extra 'shifts' at night after eating it?
"Get lost, don't you worry about it; you guys also mess around less with needlework under the covers!"
Xu Shoushan's retort was equally sharp, and the brothers burst into laughter after hearing it.
"Let's take the deer to my house to divide; it's almost dawn, so the sooner we divide it, the sooner we can go back to sleep."
Shoushan's house had all the tools, and the brothers all agreed by default.
Xu Feng waved his hand, indicating he had no objections, and took a pheasant home first to report his safety before coming back.