After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Chapter 1122 - 1104: Hunting

Autumn and winter are good times for hunting, but not now.

Because it has just snowed a few times, the mountains are very cold, and whether it’s horses or people, stepping on the snow makes a crunching sound. The animals in the mountains are very alert, and at the slightest unusual rustle, they lift their little heads to look around warily.

The few prey they encountered were all this sensitive, so Zhao Hanzhang reined in her horse, decisively took off the quiver and slung it on her back. Then, she made hand signals to Zhao Erlang, Zeng Yue, and the others. Everyone settled the horses, then scattered according to the instructions, moving forward in a surrounding formation.

Zhao Zheng and the other youths quietly followed, whispering to Zhao Erlang, "Why did we get off the horses?"

Zhao Erlang: "I don’t know, Sister said so."

Zhao Zheng: ...

After walking forward a bit, a trusted aide’s ear twitched, and he whispered, "There’s the sound of water. There’s a water source ahead, there might be prey."

The youths’ spirits lifted upon hearing this, and they lightened their footsteps even more. After passing through a not-too-dense forest, they saw the sky ahead brighten, and a small stream trickled down from above. By the stream were four or five elk drinking water and three roe deer, spaced far apart. With keen eyes, Zhao Hanzhang also saw movement in the grass by the stream, a gray rabbit head poking out before quickly retracting.

The elk and roe deer occasionally lifted their heads to look around, and only continued to drink after confirming there was no threat.

Zhao Hanzhang pointed in several directions, and everyone dispersed tacitly.

Zhao Hanzhang walked forward a few steps, hid behind a tree, lightly placed an arrow on her bow without pulling it back, waiting until everyone reached their designated spots before taking action.

Having come all morning, the prey by the river, she wanted them all!

Everyone reached their positions, Zhao Hanzhang saw this, a smile tugging at her lips. She pulled back her bow, stepped out from behind the tree, and the elk and roe deer by the stream saw people, let out a shock, and started running. Zhao Hanzhang’s fully drawn arrow shot out like a meteor, piercing straight into the neck of a running elk...

Zhao Zheng was still trying hard to aim; upon seeing this, he couldn’t help but exclaim "Wow," and Zhao Rong and the others’ eyes lit up. Another arrow was shot, and together with another, they shot a running elk as it crashed into the woods. She glanced at Zeng Yue in another direction, then turned to shoot at the frantic, directionless roe deer.

Precisely because its escape was so erratic, it was harder to shoot. Zhao Hanzhang’s arrow grazed its neck and stuck in the ground. Ordinarily, wouldn’t an animal in such a scene turn to run in another direction?

The roe deer also wanted to do this, but it seemed unable to tell direction. After being startled, it jumped wildly in place twice, stepped on the arrow, and continued running forward, only to be caught by an arrow from Zhao Erlang, chasing from behind, whoosh, shooting it to the ground.

With Zhao Hanzhang leading a group to encircle and shoot, the animals naturally couldn’t escape. Even four hidden gray rabbits were caught.

Zhao Hanzhang walked forward, lifted a big gray fat rabbit, turned around to grin at them, about to speak, she saw Zhao Zheng and Zhao Rong running towards a deer. Her gaze swept across a tree and her expression changed instantly, shouting, "There’s a trap, avoid it—"

The words had barely left her mouth when Zhao Zheng already stepped on it, a snap sounded, his eyes widened, and with an "Ah," he fell down.

Zhao Rong only had time to grab him once before being pulled down with him.

Zhao Hanzhang flew over, slapped the edge of the pit, reached out to grab Zhao Rong as he fell, her whole body pulled forward, but she quickly braced herself against the pit with her feet to slow it.

Zhao Erlang was close, reacted first, rushing forward to grab Zhao Rong’s arm, while Zeng Yue and the trusted aides also ran over, helping pull Zhao Rong and Zhao Zheng who was tightly clutching Zhao Rong’s arm up.

The two sat on the ground looking at the wooden spikes in the pit, pale-faced, unable to speak a word.

Zhao Hanzhang rubbed her shoulder, walked to the pit to look down, "Huh," and saw the trap was quite deep, with many wooden spikes at the bottom. Luckily Zhao Rong grabbed Zhao Zheng, or he would’ve fallen and likely been impaled.

Zhao Zheng and Zhao Rong, still shaken, looked up at Zhao Hanzhang, tears welling and threatening to fall.

Zhao Hanzhang saw this and comforted, "It’s okay, this is a trap left by hunters. See the marks on the tree? And those three stones on the ground, all signs of traps."

Zhao Rong turned back to look, but Zhao Zheng was too frightened. In his eyes, there was only Zhao Hanzhang, hearing her soft voice, not catching her words, just feeling exceptionally scared and wronged, he hugged the legs in front of him and burst into tears.

Zhao Rong, who had been about to climb to see the mark, froze, turned back to look at him.

He saw the usually mature and smart Zhao Zheng hugging Zhao Hanzhang, crying his heart out like a rare youth.

Zhao Hui and the others also gathered, silently watching.

Zhao Erlang scratched his head, seeing Zhao Zheng’s tears and snot falling on his sister’s pants, immediately displeased, went forward to pull him away. "Stop crying, it’s just a trap. Even sliding down the side of the pit won’t hurt."

Seeing Zhao Zheng still tightly holding Zhao Hanzhang’s legs and crying, Zhao Erlang became even more unhappy. Originally he was pulling him, but now directly tearing his hands away, "Stop crying, are you a man or not? This is my Sister..."

Zhao Hanzhang grumpily patted Zhao Erlang’s head, squatted down to pat Zhao Zheng’s back.

Zhao Zheng’s face instantly turned red; it was the first time he’d been held like this by a woman, even though it was just a symbolic embrace. He stopped crying, looked up at Zhao Hanzhang, still hiccuping and sniffling, choked, "Third Sister, you’re like my mother."

Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but ruffle his hair, patting his back to calm him down.

Zeng Yue ordered trusted aides to enter the pit, pulling out the wooden spikes.

Zhao Zheng slowly calmed down, wiped away his tears, ignoring Zhao Erlang’s glare, he held Zhao Hanzhang’s hand to stand and tightly stayed by her side.

Zeng Yue asked Zhao Hanzhang, "Do we need to fill up this pit?"

"No need," Zhao Hanzhang touched the dirt wall, "this trap was only dug a few days ago, so close to the water, clearly for hunting. Just pull out the spikes."

She turned to Zhao Zheng and Zhao Rong smiling, "A false alarm, yet a blessing in disguise. Come, let Zeng Yue teach you how to survive in the mountains and forests, starting with identifying hunters’ traps."

Zhao Rong, having just recovered, unhappily asked, "Third Sister, you shouldn’t have opened the mountains and marshes now. The big winter snow will cover traces, and traps are inherently hard to spot. These people are so vicious; digging a pit is one thing, but inserting so many wooden spikes inside, if someone like us falls in without knowing the trap and there’s no amazing person like Third Sister to pull them out in time, wouldn’t it be a senseless death?"

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "You’re right."

She turned to Zhao Erlang and Zhao Zheng, "County government to issue a notice, and summon all village chiefs, allowing people to hunt in the mountains and marshes, but without inserting wooden spikes in traps, and making sure traps are marked clearly to avoid accidentally hurting anyone."