Fierce Wild Boar Herd Invades

"Entering the valley about twenty meters, a trench with an internal diameter of approximately two meters and an expanded half-meter along its outer edge has been excavated. Several people are gathered around the cover board, and upon seeing North approach, they all look at her with eager eyes.

"Daughter, you've finally come. The pulley system you talked about is smooth, but it's just difficult to lift such a thick round wooden board. Uncle Li suggested that we wait for the wild boars to pass and then use wooden poles to lift the gate."

"Lifting the gate with force is indeed a method, but the wooden gate at the back requires eight or nine strong individuals to quickly lift the latch. Moreover, the movements at that time can easily startle the wild animals, making it more dangerous for those lifting the gate. We'll fix the pulley on that tree branch, thread the rope through it, and loop it around this pulley. People can hide behind the tree, among the bushes, and safely operate the handle to lift the gate. Dad, I don't want any of you to face even the slightest danger."

"Dad understands, Dad gets it. We'll follow your lead. Just tell us how to secure the pulley."

Moving forward about twenty meters into the valley, a trench with an internal diameter of approximately two meters and an expanded half-meter along its outer edge has been excavated. The prefabricated wooden gate is flipped onto it. Several people gather around the cover board, and upon seeing North approach, they all look at her with eager eyes.

"Daughter, you've finally come. The pulley system you talked about is smooth, but it's just difficult to lift such a thick round wooden board. Uncle Li suggested that we wait for the wild boars to pass and then use wooden poles to lift the gate."

"Lifting the gate with force is indeed a method, but the wooden gate at the back requires eight or nine strong individuals to quickly lift the latch. Moreover, the movements at that time can easily startle the wild animals, making it more dangerous for those lifting the gate. We'll fix the pulley on that tree branch, thread the rope through it, and loop it around this pulley. People can hide behind the tree, among the bushes, and safely operate the handle to lift the gate. Dad, I don't want any of you to face even the slightest danger."

"Dad understands, Dad gets it. We'll follow your lead. Just tell us how to secure the pulley."

North walks to the side of the trench in the nearby woods and selects an old camphor tree. A pulley is set up on a thick and extended branch that stretches outward at a 45-degree angle. North then guides Tong Xi to sit behind the tree, indicating for him to shake the double-curved handle to rotate the pulley, lifting and lowering the cover board. The rope is secured to the base of the giant tree. Everyone now understands the usefulness of the pulley. Even Tong Xi and the young master can easily operate this bulky and heavy board while hiding behind the tree.

Moving forward ten meters, the blocking net has limited killing power. Its main function is to obstruct wild boars during their escape, slowing down their high-speed inertia and causing them to fall into the trap trench. To set it up, the large-eye vine net, bound with pointed bamboo, is tightly fastened to tree trunks on both sides. The net is buried in the finely excavated soil, covered with a thin layer of soil and fallen leaves, ready to be lifted when the wild boars enter the valley near the pond.

With preparations complete, everyone climbs up their respective trees, concealing their presence, quietly eating dry rations. North retreats to the cave entrance and meets with a few smaller ones. Before having a chance to eat the flatbreads handed over by Jing Jing, several large yellow sheep come from a distance, and the sound of snorting and digging emanates from the wild yam thicket. Jing Jing presses North and the two children to hide inside the cave, gently closing the wooden gate. After waiting for almost an hour, with the forest vines and shadows becoming more numerous, and the black-and-white figures getting closer, it's even possible to see the reflection of the tusks in the sunset. Jing Jing has already taken out an arrow, pulling the string taut until her knuckles turn white. Then, a high-pitched roar echoes from the northeast valley entrance, and a poison-infused iron arrow shoots into the nose of a half-grown wild boar. The immense pain makes the young piglet stumble and howl while collapsing. The herd of wild boars, disturbed by the commotion, turns and runs toward the northeast. Only a strong male and female continue charging straight toward Jing Jing. It's Jing Jing's first time participating in a large-scale hunt, and she instinctively retreats behind the gate for safety. The frenzied female boar charges without regard and plunges straight into the three-meter-wide deep trench. However, the large male boar stops at the edge of the trench, raises its tusks, and howls toward the cave entrance. At this moment, two long arrows are shot from the side of the forest to the east, one piercing the left ear and the other stuck in its back. This massive wild boar, as black as a mountain, turns to run into the forest on the east side. It seems as if it wants to carry all its rage, having lost its mate and offspring, to slaughter those who shot arrows from the woods. However, less than ten meters into its sprint, its entire body stiffens, hooves rigid, and it collapses in a strange posture, unable to rise again. North witnesses the power of the concoction made from foreign golden flowers and concoction methods, and from then on, whenever she needs to use this substance, she handles it with extreme caution, ensuring only a small amount is taken.