Chapter 15: Hunting

In the dim forest, the dense trees blocked the sunlight shining down from the sky. The patches of light filtered through the leaves kept the forest from looking too gloomy.

It was 800 meters away from the trap set by Yuzhibo Dongshilang.

Yuzhibo Dongshilang and his companions hid behind a large tree, carefully peeking out to observe a wild beast in the forest.

After the trap was set, Yuzhibo Dongshilang's group of six split into three teams and began searching the forest.

Just now, Yuzhibo Yan and Yuzhibo Shou together discovered this wild boar. Delighted but feeling their strength insufficient to handle it alone, the two quickly split up to find the other two teams, resulting in the current situation.

Through a gap in the trees, he observed for a long time. Yuzhibo Dongshilang silently estimated that the boar was not small, its weight estimated over 300 jin, its body covered with dense bristles and a thick layer of mud on top.

From the faint amber glow on it, one could tell that the boar's surface still had a layer of pine resin rubbed off from trees, forming a thick armor that encased its entire body.

Its two huge tusks are highly offensive, but the projectiles they throw are just that. If using shuriken, it's hard to cause substantial damage. As for weak points, probably only the abdomen, the eyes, and that spot.

After silently calculating in his mind, he signaled to his companions nearby. Upon receiving their response, he waved his hand, preparing to begin action.

Hand signals and secret words are generally understood only after advanced training at a ninja school. However, to better play—namely 'Werewolf'—the clan's companions have obtained the ninja school's materials by any means and secretly studied them. Whenever the game is played, those who play the werewolves use this to communicate, so as to prevent their keen‑sensed companions who possess chakra from noticing.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The tearing sound of the thrown kunai shattered the forest's silence.

At this moment, the wild boar, as the prey, lowered its head and used its snout to nudge a protrusion beneath the tree roots. Its slender tail swayed back and forth, looking quite pleased, as if it were about to unearth some delicious morsel from the ground and put it in its mouth, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

Hearing the sound, the boar lifted its head and shook its two large tusks. With a clang of metal, one of the four kunai aimed at it was deflected, leaving only three.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

This time the kunai were launched in good coordination, the three hits almost occurring simultaneously, but the effect was only mediocre.

One kunai struck the head, one the back, and one the foreleg. However, the boar's hide, covered in mud, bristles, and pine resin, blocked them, so the penetration was shallow—less than a centimeter deep.

"Hmph! Hmph!"

The boar shook its body, easily throwing off the few kunai stuck to it. It looked puzzled at the several strange creatures opposite, some bewildered, some angry.

For its sluggish reflexes, the recent attack was hardly a tickle, though the damage was not minor. At the same time, interrupted, it was about to enjoy the pleasant feeling of the impending tasty morsel.

"Aim for his eyes with the shuriken!" At that moment Yuzhibo Dongshilang shouted a reminder, and, holding four shuriken in each hand, he launched another wave of attack.

To the boar, the kunai thrown by these youngsters caused damage that could basically be ignored, forcing Yuzhibo Dongshilang to change his strategy.

The whizzing sound of the spinning shuriken startled it, and it almost instinctively lowered its head, using its hard forehead and the thick layer of armor on it to fend off the sudden attack.

Unlike the relatively heavy kunai, the lightweight shuriken that Yuzhibo Dongshilang and his peers of this age can fire multiple at once.

"Ao"—a hoarse roar—the boar emitted a series of strained screams, its left eye being slit.

A shuriken fired by someone unknown, spinning at high speed, carved a splendid arc. It skimmed past his eye, and the protruding spike slit the thin eyelid and injured the eyeball.

The boar let out its characteristic howl, continuously shaking its head in an attempt to drive away the sudden sharp pain. At the same time, its right eye turned blood‑red, plunging it into a state of frenzy.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The boar, its eyes red from pain, strode over the fallen kunai and shuriken on the ground and charged at Yuzhibo Dongshilang and his companions.

"Follow the plan!"

In an instant, the four remaining here scattered: one went ahead to lead the way, one took the front to draw the boar's attention, and the two others positioned themselves at the boar's rear‑blind spot to prevent it from escaping.

With a frenzied boar behind him, Yuzhibo Yan, acting as bait for the first time, inevitably felt a bit nervous. Yet the companions' meticulous plan seemed to give him a shot of adrenaline, calming him considerably; though imperfect, he successfully played the role of bait.

"Is this guy too nervous? He's obviously not hunting with us for the first time." Meanwhile, our protagonist Yuzhibo Dongshilang followed the boar at a leisurely pace behind it. Watching Yan fleeing ahead, whose movements looked somewhat distorted, he gave a bland evaluation.

For such a task of serving as bait in a hunt, Yuzhibo Dongshilang did not vie to take it. In his view, proper training is necessary. Now it's just a wild boar that they can barely handle; even if injured, it wouldn't be overly exaggerated, but when the day comes to truly go onto the battlefield, it won't be just about injuries.

As time passed, the boar closely pursuing from behind would occasionally slow its pace or turn its head to look around.

Whenever this happened, Yuzhibo Yan, as the bait, had to stop or slow his steps, making various provocative gestures toward the boar, or else draw out his shuriken to launch another attack.

The shuriken's aim was truly awful; one even grazed Yuzhibo Dongshilang's shoulder, drifting past.

"Be careful—Yan that guy is probably about to piss himself from fear. His nervous hands and feet are somewhat unresponsive; don't get hurt by his shuriken!" He reminded a nearby companion, and also complained about Yan's clumsy performance.

The 800‑meter distance is not far; the chase would be over in a flash. Ahead, the path‑leader Yuzhibo Shou suddenly turned back and ran side‑by‑side with Yuzhibo Yan, still running while saying something in his ear.

Meanwhile, farther ahead, Yuzhibo Longhuo and his companions, participating in a hunt for the first time, had already been waiting for a while.