Chapter 253: New Year's Day Hunt

In the New Year holiday of June 1st year, the sky was leaden gray, grudgingly not letting through a hint of warmth. The Steel Rolling Mill was empty and deserted; the bit of festivity and supplies distribution that should have been there at this time of year was nowhere to be seen this year, leaving only a heavier silence than usual, weighing on everyone's hearts.

Just before this oppressive dawn, at the back gate of the Steel Rolling Mill, ten figures gathered silently. Cotton hats covered their foreheads, thick scarves hid their faces, revealing only pairs of eyes that shone startlingly bright in the cold night.

They carried the factory's militia training rifles on their backs, had sharpened machetes at their waists, and some bore homemade spears and ropes. Leading them was Li Ping'an, his gaze like a torch, sweeping over the crowd.

"Let's not waste words," he said, his voice low but clear, reaching everyone's ears, "Into the mountains, find meat! Remember the rules, obey commands, no solo action."

"Understood!" the crowd replied in a low roar, their voices holding back excitement and tension.

Wang Dahu checked the powder horn and iron sand bag on his back, grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth: "Section Chief, the brothers' stomachs are counting on this trip to finally get some meat!"

Li Ping'an nodded, said no more, waved his hand, and the unit shot off like an arrow from a bow, silently entering the thickly snow‑covered, pitch‑black forest outside the factory grounds.

Upon entering the mountains, it felt like stepping into another world. The towering trees' bare branches pointed to the sky like countless twisted arms.

The snow came up over their calves; each step made a crisp "creak" that carried far in the dead‑still morning, sounding especially harsh. The frigid air drawn into their lungs brought the chill of pine needles and frozen earth, invigorating them yet numbing their hands and feet.

Li Ping'an walked at the front of the unit; his Divine Perception had already spread like an invisible web. Within over eighty meters, the terrain, snow‑covered pits, squirrels curled in tree holes, even a few pheasants hiding in rock crevices to escape the cold—all were clearly reflected in his mind.

He guided the unit, avoiding dangerous slopes and hidden ice, heading toward areas where beasts might be active.

"Look! Footprints!" a sharp‑eyed young clerk whispered, pointing at a clear line of hoofprints in the snow.

The crowd gathered round; Wang Dahu crouched to examine closely, gesturing with his hand: "It's a roe deer! Just passed a short while ago; judging by the direction, it headed into that mountain hollow."

Hope sparked like a flame in everyone's hearts. Li Ping'an, however, did not rush; he carefully sensed his surroundings. Within his Divine Perception range, those few roe deer were digging for grass roots under the snow on the leeward side of the hollow, unaware of the approaching danger.

"Split into two groups," Li Ping'an quickly deployed, "Dahu, take your people and move quietly up the left gentle slope to cut off their uphill escape route. I'll lead the others from the right. Act on my whistle—fire together! Remember, aim true, don't waste ammunition."

The unit members held their breath, followed the plan, using trees and rocks for cover, and, like a hunting wolf pack, silently unfolded the encirclement.

Li Ping'an, with a few comrades, stepped with the Carefree Step, moving through knee‑deep snow and leaving only the faintest trace, quickly closing in. One hundred meters, fifty, thirty… through the sparse trunks he could already see those gray‑brown, dim‑witted roe deer lowering their heads to forage.

"Pee—!" a short, sharp bamboo whistle suddenly pierced the forest's stillness!

Almost at the instant the whistle sounded!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Heavy gunfire rang out in succession! White smoke drifted in the cold air.

The roe deer herd startled, burst out of cover! But their escape routes had been anticipated; gunfire also came from Wang Dahu and the others on the left. After a chaotic exchange of shots and shouts, three larger roe deer collapsed in the snow, struggling, while the rest, panicked, broke through the loose encirclement and vanished into the deep woods.

"Quick! Hold them down!" Wang Dahu shouted excitedly, leading the charge, and with spears and machetes finished off the still‑struggling game.

First battle victorious! Three roe deer, together nearly two hundred pounds of meat! The members' faces lit up with wild joy as they scrambled to bind the prey.

"Section Chief, amazing! How did you know they were in this hollow?" Young clerk Xiao Chen asked admiringly while straining to lift a roe deer.

Li Ping'an gave a faint smile: "Just experience. Hurry up—this is only the beginning."

He focused most of his Divine Perception on searching farther afield. Roe deer meat was good, but he hoped to encounter a bigger quarry. The unit pressed on deeper into the forest.

Meanwhile, they snared two scrawny hares alive and shot a few pheasants; the haul was decent, but still fell short of Li Ping'an's expectations.

The sun rose gradually, light in the woods improved a little, but the temperature remained extremely low. After the excitement faded, fatigue and cold began to creep in. Their carried rations froze solid like stones, so they could only gnaw a few bites with snow.

Just as the unit was about to find a spot to rest awhile, Li Ping'an's steps suddenly halted, his face instantly turning grave.

At the edge of his Divine Perception's range, a strong, foul‑smelling life pulse and an oppressive "huh‑huh" sound were clearly captured by him! Not just one! It was a small group of wild boars! They were moving toward them!

"All on alert!" Li Ping'an barked, his voice unprecedentedly stern, "Wild boar squad! Prepare for battle! Up the trees—quick!"

Hearing this, the members' faces changed instantly! Wild boars, especially in a herd, are the tyrants of these mountains—thick‑skinned, fatty, sharp‑tusked; once they go berserk, even rifles may not drop them in one shot.

No one dared delay; they all scrambled for the nearest, thickest trees, climbing with hands and feet. Li Ping'an moved last, shinnying up a large pine like a nimble ape, his eyes locked on the direction of the boar herd's approach.

Within two minutes, the ground transmitted a clear tremor. Immediately, five boars of varying sizes, led by a huge male boar extraordinarily bulky, its shoulders nearly waist‑high and its tusks jutting like two curved blades from its lips, came crashing through the undergrowth with a thunderous roar, appearing before everyone's eyes!

That great boar's bristles stood on end, its small eyes flashing with menace, drool dripping from its mouth—clearly ill‑tempered. It seemed to sense the human scent in the trees, and angrily pawed at the snow and frozen earth, issuing a threatening low growl.

The team members in the trees dared not breathe, clinging tightly to the trunks, fingers on triggers, palms slick with cold sweat. This fight was far more stimulating—and dangerous—than hunting roe deer.

"Don't panic!" Li Ping'an's voice came from the trees, steadying their hearts, "Aim true! Prioritize the big one! Shoot its head and neck!"

However, the boar seemed enraged. That huge male boar suddenly rose on its hind legs, using its solid skull and tusks, it slammed hard into the thick‑trunked birch where Wang Dahu was perched!

"Thud!" a dull sound, the trunk shook violently, and snow on the branches sifted down.

Wang Dahu turned pale with fright, clinging desperately to the branches.

"Fire!" Li Ping'an knew they could wait no longer!

"Bang! Bang! Bang……"

Scattered gunfire rang out. But the boars were moving, the trees swaying, making it hard to aim at vital spots in the haste. The iron shot striking the boars' thick hides and tough bristles left only white marks, only infuriating them further!

Especially that great boar, after taking a few painful shots, went berserk, no longer just ramming one tree but indiscriminately battering any surrounding tree it sensed held people! For a moment the forest resembled a site under a miniature siege hammer, constant "thuds" echoing, branches shaking wildly, danger everywhere.

"Section Chief! This can't go on! The tree's about to snap!" Wang Dahu shouted from the tree, his voice laced with panic.

Li Ping'an's eyes turned cold. He knew someone had to draw that beast's attention, otherwise casualties were inevitable today.

He seized the moment; just as the great boar rose again on its hind legs, preparing to strike another tree, he sprang down from his hiding pine! Adjusting his posture in mid‑air like a falcon stooping on a rabbit, he dove straight for the boar's back!

At the same time, a cold light flashed in his hand; the specially made, extraordinarily sharp dagger, bearing his full body's weight and master‑level force, viciously stabbed toward the relatively vulnerable rear of the boar's neck!

"Pluck!" a muffled sound of blade entering flesh!

"Aaaah!!!!" the boar let out an earsplitting, anguished howl, its massive body jerking upright and twisting, trying to fling off what clung to its back!

Li Ping'an's strike landed; without pausing, he kicked hard off the boar's back, using the rebound to flip backward, while shouting, "Hit! Aim at the wound!"

The team members were stunned by the split‑second turn of events, then reacted, all opening fire on the great boar, whose violent thrashing from agony exposed the neck wound.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Dense iron shot poured down like rain on the boar's neck and head!

Blood spurted like a fountain from the wound, staining the snow red. The great boar struggled and lunged a few more times, then let out an unwilling wail, crashed to the ground, its limbs twitching a few times before going still.

The remaining boars, seeing their leader fall, instantly lost their resolve, squealing in panic as they scattered and fled deep into the woods.

The forest fell silent in an instant, leaving only the unit's heavy breathing and the thudding of their racing hearts.

Gazing at the boar carcass like a small hill in the snow, then at Li Ping'an steady on the ground, his breath slightly uneven but eyes still sharp, everyone's eyes filled with the relief of having survived and an awe that words could not capture.

"Sec… Section Chief, are you all right?" Wang Dahu slid down from the tree, his voice still trembling.

Li Ping'an shook his head, wiping the blood spots splashed on his face: "It's fine. Hurry up and handle the game; this place isn't suitable for lingering."

A mixture of great joy and lingering fear filled the team members' hearts. They fumbled about, tying up this boar weighing at least three hundred jin, together with the previously caught roe deer and such, with ropes, and felled tree trunks to make a simple stretcher.

As the sun set westward, this exhausted yet astonishingly fruitful team dragged their heavy game and set off on the return journey. Deep footprints and specks of dark red blood trailed behind them in the snow.