Chapter 93
Chapter 93
When Xiao Che killed the roe deer that evening, he had sensed that something was wrong. It seemed those creatures had followed the scent after all.
“Everyone, remain alert. Bring torches, wake everyone else, and build up the fires.”
The patrol immediately sprang into action. Before long, everyone was roused from sleep, though many remained bleary-eyed and dazed.
Xiao Che had already left the cave. He hurled a torch as far as he could. It traced an arc through the air, clearly illuminating the ground beneath its path.
A chill ran down Xiao Che’s spine. It was a herd of wild boars.
There were more than a dozen boars of all sizes, snorting as they shoved their heads into the snow and rooted through it.
Wild boars had poor night vision and feared bright light. Xiao Che’s torch landed directly among them.
The herd instantly flew into a rage and charged at Xiao Che.
“Run! There are wild boars!”
Xiao Che roared the warning, then immediately turned and rushed back into the cave. He scooped up Jin Bao and hoisted Old Madam Xiao onto his back.
The crowd instantly woke from their stupor. At the mention of wild boars, everyone’s limbs began trembling.
People shoved and jostled one another. Some were knocked to the ground and quickly trampled, their agonized screams filling the cave.
Seeing that this would lead to devastating casualties, Xiao Che handed Old Madam Xiao to Xiao Jingmo and Jin Bao to Pei Wanqing.
“Everyone, listen to my command! Stop where you are!”
Xiao Che’s voice rang like a great bell. The people running around like headless chickens inside the cave froze for an instant.
“Everyone, press yourselves against the cave walls and maintain our traveling formation. Mr. Xu, organize an orderly evacuation from the cave.”
“Hao’er, the patrol, and I will deal with the wild boars. Everyone else, don’t make a sound.”
“Wild boars have poor night vision. As long as you make it outside, you’ll be safe. We’ll lure the boars into the cave.”
“Old Master Han, please keep the reindeer under control. If they panic, our losses will be enormous.”
Old Han had already brought the herd under control at the first sign of danger, without needing Xiao Che’s reminder.
Xiao Che had originally intended to lure the boars elsewhere, but they were already too close. There was no time.
This was the second time Jin Bao had encountered wild boars. Last time, she had been powerless to fight. Things were different now. She was determined to take down these big brutes.
Jin Bao’s large eyes swept around the cave and spotted a wooden spear in one corner.
Xiao Che had originally made it for Jin Bao’s martial arts training. They had not had time to practice these past few days, so the spear had been carried along without ever being used.
Though made of wood, Xiao Che had carved one end into a point as sharp as a spike. The shaft was just thick enough for Jin Bao to grip with both hands, though it was a little too light for her. Still, as Xiao Che had explained, a spear would let her attack from a distance rather than fighting at close range.
“Mommy, Baby wants to help.”
Pei Wanqing was extremely tense. She held Jin Bao tightly and refused to let go.
The little girl kept struggling to get down, but how could Pei Wanqing feel at ease? They faced an entire herd of wild boars, not just one. She did not dare risk it.
“My good girl, let’s not get down, okay?”
“Mommy will take you outside. These wild boars are vicious. Even your Grandpa Han said an enraged wild boar is harder to deal with than a black bear. And this is an entire herd. Isn’t that the same as facing a whole group of black bears?”
The very thought terrified Pei Wanqing. A whole group of black bears! She had heard people say that a black bear could tear a person in half. It was too gruesome to imagine. The people inside this cave would not be enough for these boars to slaughter.
“Mommy, Baby won’t be in danger. If Baby doesn’t help, these uncles and aunties will die. Daddy and Big Brothers will get hurt too! If Baby can’t win, Baby will run. Baby’s very smart! Please, Mommy?”
Pei Wanqing wavered under Jin Bao’s persuasion. Her daughter’s abilities truly were extraordinary, and she could not treat her like an ordinary child. But there was always the chance that something might go wrong, leaving Pei Wanqing hesitant.
“Mommy, hurry! The big piggies are coming! Baby will protect you, so run!”
At the same time, the crowd seemed to reach a silent agreement and gathered around Pei Wanqing.
Pei Wanqing was briefly bewildered. Why was everyone pressing close to her?
Then she remembered that when the wolf pack attacked, everyone had survived by staying close to Jin Bao.
Thus, when danger arrived, everyone instinctively sought the safest support they knew-not her War God husband, but a three-year-old Baby. It was truly difficult to believe.
“Miss Bao, save us!”
Jin Bao usually called herself Baby, so everyone had unconsciously begun calling her Bao as well.
With so many people looking to her and relying on her at once, a heroic spirit surged within Jin Bao.
Pei Wanqing could no longer hold her. Jin Bao broke free from her arms, rushed to the corner to pick up the wooden spear, then returned and stood in front of the crowd.
Under Xu Huaijin’s direction, some people had already evacuated the cave in an orderly fashion. Those who remained either had not recovered from their minor injuries during the wolf attack or were physically frail. The Xiao Family was among them as well.
Pei Wanqing had not left. Neither had Lu Shuangshuang and her two daughters-in-law. Nanny Chen and Xiao Jingmo had stayed to help care for Old Madam Xiao, so they had not left either.
But it was now too late to leave. The wild boars had already charged into the cave.
Xiao Che and the patrol were fighting desperately to hold them back.
Of those men, only Xiao Che and Xiao Jinghao had the strength to truly fight. The others were quickly tossed to the ground by the boars. Two men had their thighs pierced by tusks on the spot and rolled in agony.
Seeing them fall, one boar lunged forward to maul them. Just as the two men were about to lose their lives, a pair of tiny hands grabbed one man by each collar and snatched them straight from the boar’s jaws.
The two men felt a tremendous force yank them away. Then a soft, childish shout rang beside their ears. “Mommy, catch them!”
They flew through the air and landed among the crowd, where everyone caught and supported them together.
The crowd cried out in surprise. “We caught them!”
Gripping her miniature spear, Jin Bao swiftly aimed at the eyes of the huge boar charging toward her.
It was fully grown and as large as a young calf. Its bristles stood on end, and its tusks gleamed coldly as it snorted and lunged at Jin Bao, as though intending to swallow her in a single bite.
The moment it drew close, Jin Bao drove the spear through one eye and out the back of its skull.
She swiftly released the spear and performed several backflips in place.
The enormous boar could not stop. Its momentum carried it forward for some distance before it crashed to the ground.
The terrifying sight sent everyone inside the cave scrambling backward.
They had already been forced into one corner. The boar collapsed right in front of them, blood still streaming from its body, leaving every face deathly pale.
Once Jin Bao landed steadily, she ran to the boar, pulled out her spear, and turned to look at Pei Wanqing. She raised the corners of her lips, revealing several tiny white teeth. “Mommy, don’t be scared. Baby can protect you!”
Pei Wanqing patted her chest. It took her a long while to recover from the shock before she nodded at her daughter with relief.
“My good girl, be careful. If you can’t win, run. Don’t worry about Mommy.”
The others recovered as well and immediately began cheering Jin Bao on. “Miss Bao, you can do it! We all believe in you!”
Jin Bao smiled sweetly at everyone. “Uncles and aunties, don’t be scared. Baby will protect you too!”
At that moment, someone bent down and picked up a stone.
“Everyone, stay behind Miss Bao! We’ll fight the boars together. If we can’t beat them, we’ll pelt them with rocks!”
The crowd responded immediately, searching for stones with sharp edges.
Xiao Che was already struggling to hold out. He had killed one wild boar and wounded another.
Xiao Jinghao had suffered an injury to his lower leg, and Xiao Che was shielding him from the front.
The patrol no longer dared advance and fought while retreating.
Jin Bao raced over and placed herself between the patrol and the wild boars.
Xiao Jingmo led the others forward with torches raised.
“Wild boars fear bright light. Hold your torches steady. If a boar approaches, shine the light in its eyes. It will be temporarily blinded, buying time for my father and little sister.”
Once the panic faded, it was time to fight back.
Xiao Jingmo led more than a dozen people, each holding a torch, as they followed behind Jin Bao and Xiao Che.
Whenever a boar charged, they thrust their torches forward. The boar would become as helpless as if it had gone blind and crash about wildly. Xiao Che and Jin Bao would seize the opening and attack together with saber and spear.
Their coordination gradually became seamless.
Within half an hour, they had killed the entire herd. Only five of the seventeen wild boars were fully grown; the others were half-grown boars and piglets. All that meat now belonged to them!