Chapter Forty: A Bloody Battle Against the Wild Boar

"Sister-in-law, let me help you!" Dahua shouted with great bravado, swiftly grabbing the wild boar's tail. Before she could get a firm hold, the boar flung her aside.

Seeing that the wild boar was about to escape their pincer attack, Gu Xiaoyao gritted her teeth, tightened her grip on the machete, and leaped onto the boar's back.

Her gaze was calm and steady as her legs clamped the boar's belly, urging her plant ability to wrap around the animal's four legs again and again.

If her power were not so weak at the moment, a wild boar like this would have been dealt with in a matter of minutes.

Snorting and grunting, the boar refused to accept being ridden by a human, thrashing wildly in an attempt to break free from the relentless vines.

Yet, whenever it tore one away, more would coil around it. The wound Gu Xiaoyao had inflicted earlier was not especially deep, but blood continued to flow.

"Stay back, I can handle this alone." Gu Xiaoyao saw Dahua rising, ready to help, and immediately stopped her.

She seized the opportunity, raised the machete high, and brought it down with all her strength, her eyes fierce and determined.

The wild boar let out a shrill, anguished cry as blood sprayed out, staining Gu Xiaoyao from head to toe.

Biting her lip, she stabbed the blade into the boar’s neck and held it there, refusing to let go until the animal’s movements slowed and finally ceased.

As soon as she released her grip, the dying boar gave a last desperate struggle, flinging her from its back.

With a bone-jarring thud, Gu Xiaoyao was thrown three meters away, crashing into a tree.

"Cough, cough..." Gu Xiaoyao's gaze was as sharp as a wolf's as she stared at the dying boar. She wiped the blood from her lips and pushed herself upright, leaning on the ground.

"Sister-in-law, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Oh my goodness, I'll take you back to the village right now!" Dahua scrambled over on hands and knees, her heart pounding with fright. That last moment nearly scared her to death.

"I'm fine. Go check if the boar is dead. Be careful when you approach." Gu Xiaoyao calmly waved her hand. She had endured worse injuries and survived; a fall like this was nothing to her.

Seeing no sign of pain on her face, Dahua was relieved. She looked back at the wild boar a short distance away, cautiously approached, and poked it hard with a tree branch.

"Sister-in-law, the boar is dead!" Dahua announced with delight, glancing at Gu Xiaoyao, whose clothes were soaked in blood. Her admiration for her sister-in-law’s courage soared.

Gu Xiaoyao steadied herself against the tree and stood up. Without wasting any time, she quickly instructed Dahua to use thick vines to weave a soft stretcher.

They could bind the boar onto it, then add some branches to the vines, making it easier to drag the animal down the mountain.

"Alright, let’s hurry and finish the vine stretcher. That way we can haul the boar out. We can’t stay here long; with all this blood spilled, wild animals will soon be drawn here." Dahua responded quickly, and the two of them pulled down vines, working together to weave them with branches. Using every ounce of strength, they hefted the wild boar onto the makeshift stretcher.

Gu Xiaoyao kept her mental power alert, wary of any mishap. Luckily, after they finished, no other beasts had appeared.

But the wind would carry the scent of blood far, so they couldn't afford to be complacent—they needed to leave at once.