RNP Chapter 14 Poaching
Chapter 14 Poaching
The presence of turtle eggs here means that there are turtles in this area, and they are wild turtles, which are considered rare animals these days. I remember when I was a child, there were wild turtles that could be caught along the edges of fields and streams.
Zhang Niu had originally hoped to catch a live wild turtle, intending to take it home and give it a good boost. He figured it would be much more effective than any of those wild turtle and tortoise pills on Google.
Since I can't catch any wild turtles, I figured I could at least dig up some turtle eggs to make up the number! I searched high and low in the nearby sand for turtle eggs. I wasted a lot of time and dug up a lot of sand, but I didn't find any white turtle eggs. Was that all the eggs God had given me? But then I thought, eighteen sounds pretty good. Eighteen, ten, that's really lucky!
The turtle wasn't going to be searched for. However, it was certain that the turtle was in the cold lake water. It might also be at the bottom, but the lake seemed unfathomably deep.
Holding a large handful of fine sand, including tiny turtle eggs, I buried it beside the pond in the space. I'd heard that turtle eggs hatch by heating the sand with sunlight. Since there's no sun in this space, there's no light either; I wonder if it will even hatch.
It was getting late. Zhang Niu decided to head down the mountain. He was worried it wouldn't be safe there if it got too late.
We retraced our steps along the path. We were already quite familiar with the way. The sound of the flowing water by the creek was already in our ears.
Zhang Niu had just washed his face by the stream and was about to rest.
Two gunshots rang out, and a flock of birds flew out from the woods.
"Gunshots? Or...?"
Zhang Niu was puzzled as to why there would be gunshots in the middle of the mountains, especially since several nearby villages had handed over their land tax. This made him quite suspicious. Could it be poaching? But that seemed unlikely! Who would come to this poor mountain area? He hadn't heard anyone mention any valuable animals there.
And so, human curiosity began to stir once more. Zhang Niu gripped his machete tighter and ran toward the sound of gunfire.
The gunshots weren't far away. On flat ground, it would have only taken a few minutes. But now we were in the mountains. It's normal for mountain roads to be rugged and difficult to traverse.
On the way, Zhang Niu instructed "Little One" and "King Kong" not to make a sound at any crucial moment. They were carrying earthen halberds. These were dangerous items; if they weren't careful, their lives could be lost at any time.
I sneaked into the weeds and crawled forward. I felt like I was destined to be working with mice digging holes today.
He carefully turned over the weeds in front of him. What had been a waist-high clump of weeds had now been cleared out into a square patch.
In the middle of the open space, there were only three people squatting on the ground, busy with something. Judging from Zhang Niu's guess, they were probably skinning some kind of animal!
"Beard, I didn't expect there to be such good stuff here," a bald dwarf said happily.
The man called "Beard" did indeed have a full beard, which suited his nickname quite well. "Yes, I found this by chance during a hunting trip. But that thing is particularly cunning and not easy to deal with, which is why I called you all along."
The burly man, who had been silently skinning animals, chimed in, "Beard, I don't really believe that thing you're talking about exists. Look at how much prey we've caught today compared to the last few times. Why are we still waiting for that guy? Wouldn't it be better to catch more prey?"
After hearing this, the bearded man angrily pointed at the big man and cursed, "Everyone says you're brainless, and they're right. The days of making a living by strength are over. Now you have to rely on this." He then pointed to his own head.
"You guys don't know the price of that stuff. That's because you're ignorant. Last time, this was the same thing that a certain boss bought. It cost around 100,000, and it was even a low-grade product. You idiot, think about how much you earn from working yourself to death for just one skin. If we can catch it this time, we can make a fortune." He then laughed heartily.
Upon hearing what the bearded man said, the bald man and the burly man immediately perked up; they had spent 100,000 yuan on substandard goods. They were already tempted by the huge windfall before them.
Zhang Niu, hiding in the distance, listened to their conversation. Poaching had broken out in the mountains. And it seemed they were venturing into the deep mountains for some animal—perhaps a national treasure.
Zhang Niu initially adhered to the principle of "better to avoid trouble." He initially thought it was a hunter from a nearby village. Later, he realized he was wrong. It wasn't hunters, but poachers.
Watching the poaching gang chatter excitedly about making money off something, Zhang Niu suddenly made a decision: he had to wipe out all three of them.
Poachers are rarely seen in the nearby villages anymore. A few years ago, a few did appear, but now they're mostly in jail and eating free meals.
After a few years of peace, the mountains have once again been plagued by poaching. This is truly a troublesome matter. Zhang Niu doesn't recognize any of these people. He doesn't live in the village long-term, and the older generation doesn't know them much either, let alone the many villages nearby.
Still deep in thought, Zhang Niu didn't notice that his group had already finished preparing the pelts. They even packed the remaining pieces of meat into a snakeskin bag. Shouldering their hunting rifles, they walked off in another direction, led by the bearded man.
By the time they came to their senses, everyone was already gone.
Calling for Vajra to follow, it seems we'll need weapons then, since Zhang Niu wasn't even confident of winning against three opponents. Not to mention they have the local militia. Whether we run or not, it's all good, thank goodness.
I followed them quietly, still a little scared. I guess that's what they mean by "skill breeds courage"!
The people in front were completely unaware. Zhang Niu, who was secretly following behind them, was still discussing where they would go to relax and have a good time after they made their fortune.
The bearded man and his gang stopped and started, seemingly familiarizing themselves with the route. It was already getting dark. Knowing the terror of the deep mountains at night, they quickened their pace. After passing several patches of low grass and bushes, they passed through a small cave and arrived at a lake.
For Zhang Niu, who was following behind, this place was all too familiar. Unconsciously, Zhang Niu had returned to that small valley.
"Is this all they're after?" Zhang Niu wondered.
The answer I needed came quickly.
"You mean this place, right, Beard?" the bald man asked the bearded man.
"Yes, it lives in the lake, but this lake is a bit strange, so it's best not to touch the water."
After speaking, the bearded man took out a large, blood-red chunk of meat from the sack. He then pulled a small, white, transparent glass bottle from his clothing pocket.
Carefully apply the white powder to the meat piece, and once the entire piece is coated, carry it to the lake and immerse a small portion of it in the water. Tiny strands of powder quietly dissolve into the water.
Baldy and Zhang Niu behind them had no idea what the bearded man was doing. They only vaguely knew that it was a method used to deal with the animals in the lake!
After doing all this, the bearded man carefully used twigs and leaves to gently wipe away the footprints on the sand. Then, he quickly retreated into the grass with the bald man and the big man, quietly waiting for their prey to take the bait.
I was a bit busy today and only had time to write this afternoon. Please recommend and add this to your favorites. There should be another update tonight, but it will be a little late. Also, this book has been signed and the contract will be sent out tomorrow. Don't worry, it won't be abandoned. Please continue to support it.