Chapter 92: People Are Starting to Die
Those who were knocked down and trampled by the wild boars were their relatives!
They could do nothing but shed tears in despair, not even daring to cry out, for fear of attracting the boars’ attention. After all, many of their loved ones were still clinging to the trees.
The screams of the people trampled by the boars gradually faded until there was nothing but the relentless stomping of the wild boars. Although the sound was far from quiet, it painted a picture of tragic despair and helplessness in everyone’s hearts.
In an instant, the previously orderly tents were torn to shreds by the wild boars. Some of the boars, in their frenzy, even leaped directly over the tents, which stood about 1.5 meters tall, and charged forward!
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Countless short arrows, along with arrows shot by the men, flew desperately towards the wild boar herd!
Even Yu Zhengqing and Zhang Yuan, faced with hundreds of wild boars, did not dare to descend from the trees to save anyone.
Looking at the dark mass of wild boars, rampaging like a tide, everyone’s faces turned pale with terror.
Though most people were safe in the trees, watching the crazed boars trample those who hadn’t managed to escape made them feel as if they had just brushed against the edge of death.
After a chaotic flurry of arrows, at least two hundred wild boars stormed through the camp, trampling five people before stampeding down the slope.
Some of the boars, despite being hit by arrows, continued charging downhill, ignoring the pain.
“Mother!”
A heart-wrenching scream pierced the air as Yu Shanhe’s eyes filled with despair. Without thinking, he leaped down from the tree branch!
Others quickly followed suit, ignoring the injured boars on the ground, which were still groaning and thrashing. They rushed to the aid of those who had been trampled.
The faces of the Yu family’s second branch turned deathly pale when they saw Mu Chunfang lying lifeless on the ground, blood trickling from her mouth and her body bruised and battered.
Their cries of grief soon echoed mournfully across the mountains.
They had escaped the bandits’ clutches, only to lose five lives to a herd of wild boars. No one had seen it coming.
Among the Yu family, only Mu Chunfang died on the spot. Even after examining her, Ye Jiamei could only sigh helplessly. Several of Mu Chunfang’s ribs were broken, some piercing her lungs and liver, and her heart had already stopped. There was nothing that could be done.
The pleas of the Yu family’s second branch were in vain. Hearing Ye Jiamei’s words, they could only slump to the ground in despair and sorrow.
Even Liu Lan, who usually had many complaints about her mother-in-law, Mu Chunfang, couldn’t hold back her tears.
No matter how difficult their relationship had been, they had lived together for ten or twenty years. Liu Lan had never imagined that her domineering mother-in-law would meet such a tragic end.
The Zhang family also lost two relatives, while the Bai family lost one. Those who hadn’t made it up the trees in time but ran in the opposite direction mostly escaped with minor injuries.
After burying the five bodies on the spot, those who had lost loved ones remained steeped in grief, but the journey had to continue.
Yu Zhengqing and Zhang Yuan led the men to finish off the wounded boars without delay, despite the risk that the thick scent of blood might attract even more dangerous beasts.
Every step they took was fraught with danger, and without food, their chances of survival would plummet.
The dozen or so wild boars would provide enough meat to sustain their group of over a hundred people on their journey to exile, giving them a much-needed boost of nutrition.
Even in the midst of their sorrow, the living had to press on.
There was no time to process the boar meat properly. Yu Zhengqing directed the group to cut down tree branches and carry the carcasses as they continued forward.
Meanwhile, the women set to work repairing the tents that had been trampled. They used scraps of clothing taken from the bandits to patch the torn sections, making them serviceable against the wind and snow.
The mood was far heavier than before as the group resumed their march.
Now that people had started dying, the remaining four peaks seemed all the more daunting. The path ahead was still full of unknown dangers.
By dusk, they reached a pond. It seemed to be fed by an underground river, with clear spring water flowing continuously into it. A small channel led the water down the mountain.
“We’ll rest here for the night,” Yu Zhengqing decided.
“We can clean the boar meat by the pond, but the smell will definitely attract beasts. The skilled fighters should stay behind to protect the women and children. The rest of the men can help us carry water and gut the boars further away. If we butcher them here, the smell will definitely bring trouble.”
“Also, you women shouldn’t stay idle. Use some of the white flour to make more steamed buns or flatbreads tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll eat dry food for lunch and keep moving.
“This mountain is full of danger. If we push hard, we might clear the Nine Peaks in three or four days. Once we reach flat land and find a village, we can rest properly.”
After the terrifying boar attack, Yu Zhengqing dared not let his guard down. The men set about their tasks efficiently—fetching water, building a makeshift butcher’s area further away, and gathering firewood.
By the time the boar meat was cleaned and brought back, the women had already sewn several cloth bags to store the meat.
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In this freezing weather, the meat would keep for at least ten days without spoiling. Once they reached flatter ground, they could store the meat in the snow, which would act like a natural freezer. As long as the snow didn’t melt, the meat would stay fresh.
The cloth bags served two purposes: they prevented the scent of meat from attracting predators and made it easier to carry the meat on the horses.
The leftover boar bones were boiled into broth by the men on night watch. The plan was for everyone to have some hot soup and meat with flatbreads in the morning before continuing on their way.
