Chapter 25: First the Boar, Second the Bear, Third the Tiger

Lin Feng followed the tracks left by He Tiantian, searching along her path.

Over an hour later, he arrived at the spot where He Tiantian and Qin Meng had previously set up a tent using their clothes. However, he noticed that Qin Meng’s footprints were concentrated primarily in the immediate vicinity and did not seem to lead very far away.

What was going on? Had something happened to Qin Meng here? Just as Lin Feng began to worry, he shook his head, feeling he was overthinking. He was certain that when he examined the footprints, he hadn't seen any traces of blood. But why were there no further tracks? Perhaps she had intentionally obscured them to escape more effectively and avoid being discovered by Yuan Shuang. Yet, this made finding her significantly more difficult.

Lin Feng decided he could no longer search blindly. He stayed put, closed his eyes, and thought carefully about whether he had missed any crucial clues. Soon, he recalled He Tiantian saying that they had initially run together, then split up in opposite directions to avoid being caught by Yuan Shuang.

Clinging to this lead, Lin Feng began tracking Qin Meng’s footprints again. Sure enough, at a point where her tracks vanished, he spotted signs of trampled brush. The marks were faint, which is why he hadn't noticed them earlier. Following this trail, he pushed into the woods and continued his search.

The tracks revealed that Qin Meng had not ventured deep into the forest; after walking less than a kilometer, she had returned to the beach. She was likely afraid of encountering fierce beasts in the depths of the woods. Now, Lin Feng could see two sets of footprints on the sand: one set belonging to Qin Meng heading forward, and another belonging to Yuan Shuang, coming from the opposite direction. This suggested that Yuan Shuang had been in the area, discovered Qin Meng and He Tiantian, and followed them, but had not turned back to search for Qin Meng afterward.

"Phew... that’s a relief. Yuan Shuang didn't harm Qin Meng after all. She’s safe!"

Just as Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly caught a foul odor—the smell of animal excrement. It was quite large, and the tracks nearby were massive as well.

"I never imagined there would be wild animals on the edge of the jungle near the beach, and potentially large, dangerous ones at that!"

Lin Feng felt a surge of concern. "I hope they are herbivores and not carnivores; otherwise, Qin Meng is in grave danger."

He crouched down to examine the beast's tracks closely. They looked somewhat like two crescents joined together, resembling the tracks of a sheep or an ox.

"Phew... thank goodness, it really is a herbivore."

Lin Feng began to relax again, but then he noticed two round toe marks beside the crescent hoof prints. Hmm... what kind of animal leaves such tracks? Lin Feng couldn't immediately determine the species. However, he wasn't overly worried; he knew that predators like tigers, lions, and leopards left prints shaped like plum blossoms, so this definitely wasn't one of them. It wasn't a wolf either—wolf tracks looked like biscuits and weren't this large. More importantly, wolves were pack animals, not solitary, so their tracks would appear in groups.

Lin Feng stood up and continued his observation, finding nearby bushes that had been grazed upon. Furthermore, the dung contained a large amount of undigested grass.

"Haha, it really is a herbivore. I was just too worried at first and didn't notice the grass in the droppings; I scared myself for nothing."

Lin Feng laughed at himself and felt completely at ease. Most importantly, he was thrilled that Qin Meng hadn't destroyed her tracks on the beach, meaning he could easily find her by following them. He quickened his pace, hurrying in the direction the tracks indicated.

"Unh-hunh... unh-hunh..."

After running for about half an hour, a sharp, piercing cry rang out from ahead.

"A wild boar!"

"Is that... is that the sound of a wild boar?"

"Those tracks weren't from a cow or a sheep—they were from a wild boar! And it sounds like the boar is furiously attacking something!"

Lin Feng was struck with intense anxiety. There was a saying: "First the boar, second the bear, third the tiger." In the deep mountains and old forests, a wild boar’s ferocity often surpassed that of bears and tigers, and no one wanted to cross paths with one. After all, boars are omnivorous and will eat humans! He remembered news stories of elderly people living alone who had gone missing, only for surveillance to reveal they had been consumed by pigs.

If Qin Meng had the misfortune of running into it, and it was currently attacking her... then she was in dire trouble!

"Oh no!"

Lin Feng cried out. Though he was exhausted, he pushed himself to run faster toward the source of the squeals to save Qin Meng.

A few minutes later, Lin Feng saw the wild boar. It was enormous. Even standing on all fours, it was over a meter tall. It was far less fatty than a domestic pig, but its sheer size suggested it weighed at least four hundred pounds. However, the most terrifying aspect wasn't its bulk, but the two long, blade-like tusks. He felt that if anyone were struck by those, they would be pierced right through. Though Lin Feng often went into the mountains to gather herbs, this was his first time seeing such a terrifying boar. He finally understood why the boar was ranked first in danger.

The boar was repeatedly ramming into a coconut tree. The tree was thick—barely embraceable by two people—yet it shook violently under the boar's impact. The coconuts had all been knocked to the ground; some were intact, while others had been crushed by the boar, their juice spilling out in a wasteful mess.

But Lin Feng paid no heed to this. He realized the boar wasn't ramming the tree for the coconuts—it was because someone was up in the tree. That familiar figure, that beautiful face, that perfect silhouette—it was none other than Qin Meng!

He had found her! He had finally found her!

Lin Feng was overwhelmed with excitement, but seeing the ferocious boar, he dared not make a sound to greet her. Qin Meng had spotted Lin Feng from the tree long ago. She was also deeply moved and wanted to call out to him, but realizing that the boar might shift its attack toward him, she held back.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The boar continued to slam into the coconut tree, emitting sharp, piercing shrieks as if it were a pig being slaughtered. Watching the tree sway violently, Lin Feng feared that even if it didn't snap, Qin Meng might fall at any moment. He knew this couldn't continue; he had to save her immediately.

He thought for a moment, then found a concealed spot to hide. He picked up some small stones and began throwing them at the boar. His aim was good, and more than half of the stones struck the boar. However, the distance was great, and the boar's hide was thick; it didn't seem to feel any pain and never shifted its focus away from the tree, continuing its relentless assault.