Chapter 27: Frail and Helpless, Yet Capable of Slaying a Wild Boar Single-Handed!

After walking for about an hour, they arrived at a hillside with relatively gentle terrain.

"All right, this should do," Xu Feng said. "This is a sunny slope with plenty of herbs, it’s close to a water source, and pheasants and rabbits like to wander around here."

He found a large, clean rock and told Lin Xue to put down her cloth bag. "You stay around here to forage; don't go too far. If anything happens, just shout. I’m going to set a few traps further ahead and see if any foolish roe deer are looking to offer themselves up as a meal."

"Be careful," Lin Xue cautioned.

Xu Feng gave her a reassuring gesture, then, holding his bow, he disappeared into the woods as silently as a nimble cat.

Lin Xue took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, her mood relaxing. She began to focus on searching for the herbs she needed. Her medical knowledge was truly solid; whether it was pharmacological analysis from Western medicine or the identification of herbs from Traditional Chinese Medicine, she knew them by heart.

Soon, she found a cluster of perilla, used for treating colds, in a shady crack between some rocks. Not far away, she discovered several stalks of Panax notoginseng, which could promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. She carefully dug up the herbs by the roots, shook off the soil, and sorted them into her cloth bag.

Concentrating on what she loved allowed her to temporarily forget all her troubles and dangers. A long-lost, genuine smile appeared on her elegant face.

Just as she was about to place a freshly dug astragalus root into her bag, a sudden "rustling" sound came from the bushes not far behind her. Lin Xue’s movements paused, and she immediately became alert. Remembering Xu Feng’s warning, she didn't call out rashly. Instead, she quietly straightened up and looked in the direction of the sound.

A grayish-brown shadow was poking its head out of the bushes, sneaking toward the cloth bag she had left on the rock. It was a plump wild rabbit, quite large, its long ears pricked up alertly and its red eyes darting around. It seemed to have been lured by the fresh fragrance of certain herbs in the bag.

Lin Xue held her breath. She knew this was prey delivered right to their doorstep for Xu Feng. She slowly crouched down, hiding behind the waist-high grass, and mimicked a bird, letting out a crisp "chirp-chirp" sound. This was the signal she and Xu Feng had agreed upon—it meant there was a situation, but it wasn't an emergency.

Almost the instant she signaled, a feathered arrow whistled through the air from behind and slightly above her, pinning itself precisely into the rabbit's neck. The fat rabbit didn't even have time to squeal; it kicked its legs and collapsed to the ground.

Xu Feng’s figure flashed out from behind a large tree. With a smug grin on his face, he gave Lin Xue a thumbs-up.

"Not bad, Dr. Lin. Not only can you forage, but you’re also great at playing backup." He walked over, picked up the still-twitching rabbit, and weighed it in his hand. "Nice, at least five or six pounds. We’ll have a hearty meal at noon today."

Lin Xue laughed as well; the coordination of that moment gave her an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.

"How was your harvest?" Xu Feng asked.

Lin Xue opened her bag as if presenting a treasure. "Look, these are for colds, these are for stopping bleeding, and this one is for nourishing qi and blood. We can make them into pills or ointments and sell them in town."

Xu Feng leaned in to take a look. Although he didn't recognize a single one, seeing Lin Xue’s professional and confident demeanor, he knew this was a solid plan. "Impressive," he praised her sincerely.

The two found a small stream. Xu Feng skillfully skinned and gutted the rabbit, washed it clean, set up a fire, and skewered the meat on branches to roast over the flames. Soon, the aroma of meat mingled with the scent of rendered fat began to drift through the woods. Xu Feng pulled a small cloth pouch from his tunic, containing salt he had ground himself and some unknown spices, and sprinkled them evenly over the rabbit meat.

Lin Xue sat by the fire, watching Xu Feng’s practiced movements, her eyes slightly dazed. This man seemed born for these mountains and forests; the confidence and composure he carried made her feel incredibly at ease.

"What are you looking at? You’re almost drooling," Xu Feng said, tearing off a golden-roasted rabbit leg and handing it to her. "Try it. My skills are good enough to open a restaurant in the county seat."

Lin Xue took the leg and took a careful bite. The skin was crispy, while the meat inside was tender and juicy, infused with a faint hint of spices. It was so delicious she nearly swallowed her tongue.

"It's delicious," she praised genuinely.

"That's right," Xu Feng said, smugly gnawing on the other leg, his mouth full of oil.

The two sat by the stream, eating roast rabbit and chatting in a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. The sun shone warmly on them, as if all the previous gloom had been swept away.

However, peace is always fleeting.

Just as they finished eating and were preparing to pack up to venture deeper, a dull, earth-shaking thud came from below the hillside.

"Boom... boom..."

The sound was heavy and urgent, accompanied by the "crack" of trees being snapped. It was approaching their location rapidly. The smile on Xu Feng’s face vanished instantly. He pulled Lin Xue behind him, grabbed his bow and arrows, and stared sharply in the direction of the sound.

Sensing something wrong, Xu Feng immediately activated his universal radar. A large red dot appeared, already less than twenty meters away! The universal radar was indeed useful, but it consumed Xu Feng’s mental energy, so he didn't keep it on at all times.

"Oh no!" he muttered. "It’s a wild boar! And a lone male at that!"

Hunters in the mountains knew that a herd of boars wasn't scary; what they feared most was a lone boar. They were temperamental, extremely aggressive, thick-skinned, and immensely strong. Once they went mad, even a tiger would have to steer clear.

Before he could finish, a boar as large as a young calf burst out of the woods! It was covered in stiff, needle-like black bristles, its two long tusks flashing with a cold, pale glint in the sunlight, and its small, blood-red eyes were filled with violence and madness. It had clearly been provoked by something; it came charging straight at the two of them by the fire!

The beast was moving too fast!

Xu Feng didn't have time to think. He shoved Lin Xue away and roared, "Get up the tree!"

He, however, moved forward instead of retreating, charging toward the mad beast. He knew that if he ran too, they wouldn't stand a chance against the animal's speed. Someone had to lure it away!

"Xu Feng!" Lin Xue cried out, her heart leaping into her throat.

Xu Feng already had an arrow nocked. Just as the boar reached him, he performed a nimble side-roll, narrowly dodging the lethal tusks. At the same time, the bowstring in his hand snapped with a thunderous sound.

"Whiz!"

The arrow flew like a black bolt of lightning, striking the boar square in its left eye!

"Awooo!"

The boar let out a deafening howl; the agonizing pain only made it crazier. It whipped its head around, its massive body sweeping toward Xu Feng with immense force. Xu Feng had just rolled to his feet and hadn't yet stabilized; it looked as if he was about to be hit. If that impact landed, he would at least end up with broken bones if it didn't kill him outright.

In that split second, Lin Xue, who had been frozen in place with fear, finally reacted. She didn't follow Xu Feng’s order to climb the tree; instead, she grabbed the sharpened firewood chopper from the ground.

At that moment, the instincts of a sixth-dan kendo practitioner were fully ignited within her. She let out a sharp cry, her feet moving in a peculiar rhythm as she advanced instead of retreating, meeting the mad beast from the side.

Just as the boar’s massive body was about to collide with Xu Feng, the chopper in Lin Xue’s hand traced a cold arc, moving with surgical precision from bottom to top, slicing into the boar’s soft underbelly!

"Splat!"

The sound of the blade entering flesh was clearly audible! A wound deep enough to reveal bone instantly appeared on the boar's belly, and blood and entrails spilled out in a rush.

This blow was far more lethal than the one to the eye!

The boar let out another piercing shriek. Unable to maintain its balance due to the excruciating pain and blood loss, it crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. Its massive momentum carried it sliding several meters, grazing Xu Feng’s pant leg. It struggled wildly, digging up large patches of dirt and turf, but it was beyond saving. After a few final twitches, it lay still.

The entire process had happened in the blink of an eye.

Xu Feng stared at the shocking scene before him, still shaken, then turned to look at Lin Xue, who stood not far away, chest heaving while holding the chopper. His mind went blank. He knew she practiced kendo, but damn it, he never expected her to be this fierce!

That last move—the timing, the angle, and the force—had been absolutely perfect.