The old party secretary knew that the three of them were going into the mountains to search for the Kwantung Army fortress, so he arranged for them a guide. Even though Xu Lang had not been in the mountains for many years, the old party secretary was worried about their safety.
The guide was a girl. After a brief introduction, they learned her name was Yingzi.
Yingzi was very young, and as her name suggested, she was spirited and vigorous. She was a member of the Oroqen people and a renowned hunter in the village.
The Fat Man chuckled, “I didn't expect there to be such a beautiful girl in the village. In the blink of an eye, the little girl has grown up so much.”
Xu Lang took a quick glance, secretly thinking, “This girl is quite grown up.”
Xu Lang hadn't expected that the little girl from back then had transformed into a graceful young woman, with a figure that was so fiery, even her loose clothes couldn't hide her alluring curves.
Old Hu smiled and whispered, "Xu Xiaozi, this girl is a good match for you. Why don't you consider it? You two could be considered childhood sweethearts.”
Xu Lang laughed, “I didn't expect you old Hu to start playing matchmaker. When I see this little girl, I can't help but think of the little girl with a runny nose.”
The three of them burst into laughter, spurred their horses, and chased after Yingzi, galloping towards the old forest.
The sun was bright, the clouds were layered, the mountains were picturesque, and the breeze was refreshing.
On the verdant grass, a few swift horses galloped, followed by a few hunting dogs, giving off an air of majesty.
The Fat Man chuckled, “With this lineup, we’ll be able to run rampant in the forest this time, right?”
Old Hu laughed and called out, “Fatty, you want to run rampant? Do you want to become a crab?”
Xu Lang smiled slightly. This time, running rampant wouldn’t be a problem. Even without him needing to intervene, the few hunting dogs wouldn’t be easily provoked by ordinary beasts, unless they were unlucky enough to encounter a pack of wolves.
Yingzi had a straightforward personality and was efficient in her work. This girl was quite pretty, and her personality was boisterous, lacking some of the shyness of a young girl.
This type of girl was naturally likable.
However, Xu Lang felt that her personality might not be suitable for a girlfriend, as she lacked a certain femininity. But her figure was truly extraordinary.
Yet, under the gaze of Xu Lang's handsome face, the little girl would steal glances at him from time to time, making his confidence surge and a sense of vanity arise. He even enjoyed this feeling a little.
Sigh, this is the trouble with being too handsome.
The group of them traversed mountains and rivers, effectively avoiding dangerous areas. They were about to face the first night when Yingzi found a suitable place to spend the night.
“Fat Brother, go collect some firewood. Pick dry firewood and collect a lot of it. We’ll be spending the night here.”
“Hu Big Brother, go fetch some water. Also feed the horses, and then collect some stones to build a campfire.”
“Xu Big Brother, you watch over our supplies. You look so delicate, just stay here and rest.”
Yingzi arranged everything in an orderly manner, then left with the hunting dogs. It wasn’t long before she returned carrying two wild chickens and a wild rabbit, and then very skillfully went to the stream to process the game.
This wild game was all thanks to the hunting dogs. As long as Yingzi gave the command, the dogs would instinctively pounce on the prey. Hunting wild rabbits and mountain chickens posed no difficulty at all.
Let alone these small game, even large animals like wild boars could be hunted without loss, thanks to the dogs’ coordinated efforts.
Yingzi’s cooking skills were excellent, and the Fat Man praised her repeatedly. With the hunting dogs guarding at night, they could sleep soundly.
Xu Lang’s current cultivation allowed him to go for days and nights without sleep without any major impact.
Although Xu Lang’s cultivation was only at the Qi Refining stage, his need for food and water had already greatly diminished. If he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he could even fast for long periods of time, at which point he would be truly beyond the realm of mortals.
The night passed without incident. The next morning, they ate some dry rations and set off again.
They walked and stopped, even forgoing rest at midday. As dusk approached, Yingzi would find a suitable campsite in advance, even if they still had time left.
This was because as they went deeper, suitable places to spend the night became fewer and fewer.
It had to be said that Yingzi’s experience was truly rich, far exceeding Xu Lang’s. Hunting, finding paths, locating springs, cooking, identifying objects, setting traps—she was no worse than any old hunter in any aspect, and she was only nineteen years old.
In the blink of an eye, another two days had passed.
On the fourth afternoon, they finally arrived at the Wild Man’s Gully.
The Fat Man returned after collecting firewood and complained, "Old Hu, why are we two big men being ordered around by a little girl? What's the deal with that?”
Old Hu smiled and comforted him, “I, a retired company commander, am also being ordered around like a soldier. But I tell you, this little girl is no ordinary person. We owe her a great deal for getting us this far.”
Xu Lang sat aside, gloating, “Let's take our time searching. If the Kwantung Army fortress was easy to find, it wouldn't be our turn. Besides, we’ve been taken care of along the way. If it weren't for her help, we wouldn't be able to find the Wild Man’s Gully. What’s wrong with doing a little work?”
The Fat Man was unhappy. He looked down on him and said, “You little punk, stop talking nonsense. You haven't done anything these past few days. Most likely, she likes you because you look good. Probably she’s smitten with you, and you get to do all the easy work. You're still here being sarcastic.”
Xu Lang chuckled and teased, “Looking good means I can do whatever I want. What can you do to me?”
The Fat Man was speechless. “Fat Master doesn't want to talk to you. You're a little white-faced bum who lives off women. How can I be like you? I'm not going to argue with you. Fat Master will go relieve himself first. I'll talk to you when I get back.”
Xu Lang laughed, “Your mouth is so trashy, be careful you don't get your ass eaten by a wild boar.”
“Go to hell, you little punk, you're just a jerk.”
The Fat Man grumbled and left. They had been eating different wild game every day and were living quite well.
But there were also some downsides. Although Yingzi used insect repellent herbs every day, the Fat Man still suffered a great deal. Many parts of his body had been bitten by mosquitoes.
However, Xu Lang had not been bitten by mosquitoes once. He discovered that they didn't come near him at all. He couldn’t help but wonder, did he also have the ability to repel mosquitoes like the Little Brother from the novel?
If that was the case, it would be truly awesome.
Just then, the Fat Man's urgent voice suddenly came from a distance, “Ah, ah, Old Hu, help! Xu Lang, this son of a bitch’s mouth is cursed...!”
The Fat Man's voice echoed from afar. Then a fat body came rushing towards them. Behind him, a large wild boar with black hair like steel needles was chasing after him madly. If those sharp tusks hit him, even the Fat Man wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
The moment the Fat Man cried for help, Yingzi had already sent the hunting dogs to chase after it.
Xu Lang’s reaction was even faster. He grabbed the long spear behind Yingzi, aimed and shot in one fluid motion.
With a gunshot, the wild boar behind the Fat Man skidded forward due to inertia and then fell to the ground. Blood flowed slowly from the boar's eye socket.
Everyone was stunned at the sight. They hadn't expected Xu Lang to be so decisive and his marksmanship so accurate.
This was a running wild boar. Even experienced hunters wouldn't dare to shoot easily, especially since the Fat Man was not far from the boar.