Chapter Ninety-Six: Encounter with a Pack of Wild Dogs!

The wild dog looked almost like a pet, and I never expected to scare it off, Qin Feng said with a smile. He was a little surprised that he had driven it away, but he also knew very well that wild dogs were among the fiercest creatures in the jungle, and that they were vindictive. He would need to stay alert and guard against a possible attack at any moment.

It was a pity. The meat of a wild dog was sour, tough, and gamey. It did not taste good, was hard to digest, and might even upset the stomach. If it had tasted better, he would have tried catching one for a barbecue.

After drinking his fill, Qin Feng washed his face in the stream and felt much fresher, lighter, and more at ease.

Now that he was no longer thirsty, he began thinking about whether he could catch some pheasants and roast them over the fire. Everyone else was searching for food, and he would do the same. He believed he could find something delicious. Besides, his barbecue skills were fairly good; the roast chicken he made was fragrant and tender, a true delicacy. He set off to hunt pheasants.

His stomach was already rumbling with hunger. Drinking water had helped only a little. Water alone could not fill his belly; he needed food, and he needed strength if he was to fight enemies. Only then could they survive, complete the mission, and return safely.

Hunting for pheasants and other food in the jungle meant he had to be careful, lest he ran into wild dogs. If he really did, it would likely be a hard battle. A pack of wild dogs was no less dangerous than a pack of wolves; even wolves would give such a pack a wide berth.

Qin Feng sprang up swiftly. He felt it was time to look for food.

The sooner he found it, the sooner he could roast it, and the sooner he could taste delicious roast chicken. That was certainly a fine prospect.

He knew he had to find food, and he also knew that if he ran into wild dogs here, he would need to be on guard. He had a feeling they were moving about somewhere nearby.

As he walked through the jungle, Qin Feng kept searching for pheasants. He had his own method for catching them, a method he had worked out since childhood in the forest. Because of that, he could hunt them faster than others and catch especially plump ones, which would make for even better roasting. By then, there would be truly delicious roast chicken.

After more than half an hour, Qin Feng had caught three pheasants, each as large as an adult chicken. He felt that tonight he might be able to enjoy a fine roast chicken meal.

When he returned to the river where they had camped earlier, Qin Feng plucked the birds, then used his military knife to remove their entrails and cleaned them thoroughly. He gathered some dry firewood and found that Captain Eaglehawk and the others had not yet returned, so he decided to bring back some wood first and prepare for roasting.

Everything was ready. Just as he was about to light the fire and roast the birds, something suddenly happened.

What was that?

Qin Feng noticed movement ahead, as though something was lurking there. “Forget roasting the pheasants for now. There’s something moving up ahead. I’ll go see what’s going on. Once I’ve dealt with it, I can come back and roast them without any trouble.”

He decided to look first and deal with it before returning to cook. He quickly skewered the three pheasants on branches about a meter high and as thick as a grown man’s wrist, then tied them securely with slender vines so they would not fall to the ground. That way, when he came back to roast them, they would taste even better.

Taking two careful steps forward, Qin Feng watched the darkness ahead. Soon, he vaguely made out something shifting there. A pair of greenish eyes stared back at him, chilling and eerie, and in the blackness of night they were downright terrifying.

“What kind of creature has eyes like that?”

Seeing the green glow, Qin Feng instantly grew wary. He could tell this was no ordinary thing, something unusual and frightening. With his keen eyesight, he scrutinized it for a while and finally identified the creature.

Wild dogs. He had never expected them to be wild dogs.

How infuriating.

Wild dogs were truly vindictive. More than an hour ago, he had driven away one wild dog, and now it had brought a whole pack with it. Their sense of revenge was astonishing. They really did bear grudges. No wonder the beast had fled so easily. He should have realized it had gone to summon its companions, and now it had returned with a whole crowd.

A pack of wild dogs. So that was how it was. They were clearly here to exact revenge.

Qin Feng had not expected them to hold such a grudge. He had only frightened one away, and now it had brought a pack. There were so many of them that it was hard to imagine. And with so many wild dogs gathering here, their purpose was obvious: they wanted revenge. They wanted to kill Qin Feng and tear him apart as prey.

That was a very calculated move.

But they had chosen the wrong target. Their scheme was aimed at the wrong man.

To survive, Qin Feng would fight with all his strength. He would never let the wild dogs have their way.

The pack looked fierce. Either he would destroy them, or they would destroy him. There was no third path. These wild dogs were no weaker than a pack of wolves. No matter what, he would not let them succeed.

Wild dogs were indeed vengeful: either you wiped them out, or they wiped you out. There was no third path. It was brutally simple.

Otherwise, he would face their relentless pursuit, ceaseless and inescapable, until one side was dead.

Wild dogs were formidable in battle as well. That meant he had to be careful.

Qin Feng looked at the pack. One after another, the dogs bared their teeth at him, as though they wanted to tear him apart and devour him. The sight was terrifying enough to make one’s skin crawl.

He watched them with calm eyes, knowing full well how strong they were. Still, no matter what, he would fight them head-on and make them understand that he was not someone to be trifled with.

Calm, stay calm. The more dangerous it is, the calmer I must be.

He silently told himself to remain steady. His situation was extremely perilous. Only by staying calm could he think clearly, find a solution, deal with the wild dog pack, and survive.

He was in the jungle now, surrounded by wild dogs. In other words, he had encountered a pack. He could not allow them to get close. If they closed in and swarmed him in a coordinated assault, it would be extremely dangerous. Even a pair of fists could not beat every opponent from every direction. But whatever happened, he would not let the pack succeed. He would destroy them and show them that he was not easy prey.

Qin Feng watched the pack with composure. He knew there were many of them, and that they were fierce and powerful fighters. He would have to remain cautious if he wanted to survive and complete his mission.