The firelight in the kitchen was far from bright, only illuminating a small area, so Qin Tian couldn’t tell how many wild boars had actually come. But judging by the noise, it was about the same as that night’s Wild Boar Herd—roughly twenty or so.
The darkness of night alone was enough to instill fear. On this rainy night, the moon was covered by thick clouds. The entire deserted island was so pitch-black you couldn’t see your hand before your face. In the clamor of the falling rain, everything felt smothering, as if something invisible was pressing down on your chest, making it hard to breathe.
It all happened in just two or three seconds. After Han Pi charged out of the Cave, it immediately engaged the Wild Boar Herd in battle.
When it came to individuals, Han Pi could easily crush any one of the wild boars. But this was the entire Wild Boar Herd—how could Han Pi fight them alone?
***
The Wild Boar Herd was in the same state as that previous night. Every wild boar in the herd was on high alert and agitated.
Normally, if the Wild Boar Herd encountered Han Pi, they’d most likely detour away, never fighting like this. But now, the herd had lost all sense of reason; as soon as they saw Han Pi, they charged straight at it.
But Han Pi, being a prehistoric beast, naturally wouldn’t lose the prestige of a prehistoric animal. In the midst of the herd, Han Pi raised its massive paws and slammed them down with all its might. The charging wild boar was swatted aside instantly.
Yet before Han Pi could make its next move, it was knocked over from behind by another wild boar.
But Han Pi’s thick layer of fat was no decoration; it absorbed much of the impact, so although it was knocked down, it wasn’t really harmed. On the other hand, wild boar hide was notoriously tough.
The wild boar that Han Pi had knocked over earlier soon recovered, stood up, and rejoined the assault on Han Pi.
This was a fight to the death. Just watching it was enough to make someone afraid, make them want to run away.
Qin Tian was feeling exactly that at this moment. Even with his talents, he was, in the end, just an ordinary person in terms of physique. If he was hit by any wild boar, half his life would be gone.
What’s more, this was the first time he’d seen such a brutal battle between beasts. The constant stench of blood assaulted his nerves.
***
At the mouth of the Cave, Qin Tian was shaking all over. If someone asked him whether he was afraid, he would have answered yes without hesitation.
Clenching his lips, Qin Tian forced himself to stay alert.
At this moment, the Wild Boar Herd was all focused on Han Pi, not noticing Qin Tian in the Cave. This undoubtedly gave him a chance to launch a sneak attack from behind.
But unlike daytime, at night Qin Tian’s vision was greatly limited. He nocked an arrow and aimed for a long time but couldn’t find a suitable target.
Helpless, Qin Tian could only crouch down and creep toward the kitchen.
Once safely in the kitchen, Qin Tian used the firelight to barely make out the situation.
Only two minutes had passed since the fight started, but Han Pi was already wounded. On the other hand, the Wild Boar Herd wasn’t doing much better—two or three wild boars were limping badly. Though still alive, they had basically lost their fighting strength.
“Roar—”
Han Pi fought more fiercely with each moment. Suddenly, it let out a furious roar, causing the wild boars that were charging to shrink back in fear. But quickly, under the lead of the head boar, the herd surged forward again, surrounding Han Pi in a tight ring.
With twenty wild boars, it was impossible for them all to charge at once—there just wasn’t enough room. So they divided into inner and outer circles, taking turns attacking Han Pi.
“Whoosh—”
A faint sound whispered through the air. Concealed by the darkness, a stone-tipped arrow silently struck the wild boar closest to Qin Tian.
Perhaps all its attention was on Han Pi, for the arrow didn’t even seem to register with the boar. But as the venom of the arrow frog mingled with its blood, the poison quickly spread through its body.
The poison on the arrow wasn’t enough to threaten Han Pi’s life, but a wild boar’s body was more than half the size smaller. For this wild boar, the poison was lethal.
The effect was swift. The wild boar let out a strange cry, fell to its knees, then collapsed to the side, its whole body convulsing.
Scoring a hit, Qin Tian nocked another arrow, taking down a second wild boar. But before he could fire a third, Han Pi and the Wild Boar Herd had launched into a new round of combat.
This clash was even fiercer than before—both sides were seeing red. Han Pi’s roars, the wild boars’ shrieks, and the relentless patter of rain all mixed together. The sensation was as if the very night was about to be torn apart.
With the battle so chaotic, Qin Tian found it hard to aim. He didn’t have many poison arrows left—he’d already used seven or eight taming Han Pi, leaving only four.
Every arrow was precious; he couldn’t afford to miss.
Without hesitation, Qin Tian plunged out into the pouring rain.
The rain was heavy. In less than a second, Qin Tian was drenched from head to toe. But whether it was the rain or the primal call to power that only a male could feel, he couldn’t tell.
The closer he got to the battlefield, the more he could sense the wild, unrestrained power Han Pi and the wild boars unleashed as they fought. Under the influence of that energy, Qin Tian felt like a different person.
He was no longer afraid; instead, he felt an inexplicable surge of excitement, though he remained perfectly calm—a strange but wondrous balance.
Rain blurred his vision, but it didn’t matter. He was now less than five meters behind the Wild Boar Herd. Even with his eyes closed, he could hit a boar.
Arrow nocked, bow drawn, fingers released—another wild boar dropped in front of Qin Tian.
With the third wild boar down, the ones on the outskirts finally noticed Qin Tian. They turned on him at once, charging straight toward him.
Qin Tian had been prepared for this. He turned around, and Leopard Shadow manifested faintly from within his body.
Like an arrow leaving the bowstring, he darted into the darkness.
Entering the forest at night was nearly suicidal—Qin Tian knew this. But his actions weren’t out of desperation; he had planned it all along.
Once in the forest, he used the darkness for cover, darting behind a tree to hide. The next moment, the wild boars chasing him thundered past, heading off into the distance.
It was only because of the rain—washing away all scent—that Qin Tian managed to trick the wild boars. On a dry night, with their sensitive noses, this would have been impossible.
Watching the wild boars disappear, Qin Tian let out a breath, stepped out from behind the tree, and returned along the path to the camp.
About seven or eight wild boars had chased after him. With the three already killed, only eight wild boars remained in the camp now.
***
Earlier, even twenty wild boars couldn’t take down Han Pi. Now that only eight were left, they had no hope of withstanding Han Pi’s attacks—they were completely suppressed.
By now, Han Pi was covered in wounds, its white fur stained with streaks of red. This only made the already fierce Han Pi look even more terrifying and savage.
Watching from afar, even Qin Tian felt a chill. He thought to himself: a fierce beast really is a fierce beast, even if it eats plants, it’s not to be trifled with.
Setting aside his thoughts, Qin Tian slowly approached, intending to coordinate with Han Pi for a pincer attack. But unexpectedly, the remaining wild boars, realizing their companions had left, lost the will to fight. Before Qin Tian could act, the eight wild boars squealed and ran away.
Han Pi clearly didn’t intend to let them go so easily and gave chase, but Qin Tian called out just in time, “Han Pi, come back!”
At his command, Han Pi obediently stopped and stood up, roaring triumphantly toward the retreating wild boars as if celebrating victory—looking incredibly pleased with itself.
“Alright, alright, you’re the strongest.” Qin Tian couldn’t help but laugh at Han Pi’s display.
From beginning to end, Qin Tian hadn’t really worried about Han Pi. The reason was, he remembered Han Pi’s odd behavior that night.
At first, Qin Tian thought Han Pi just liked the rain and that’s why it hadn’t gone to sleep early. But when the Wild Boar Herd arrived, he realized Han Pi had known the herd would attack and had been on guard the whole time.
Why did Han Pi expect it? The answer was clear. Han Pi had gone through this so many times it could predict when the Wild Boar Herd would show up and was always ready for them.
Han Pi had survived every encounter before, so Qin Tian was sure it would be fine this time too. That’s why he dared risk his life.
Still, after the battle, Qin Tian thought this kind of fight could have been avoided, if only Han Pi didn’t actively confront the boars.
From the panicked steps of the Wild Boar Herd earlier, it seemed they hadn’t intended to fight; it was just that Han Pi had blocked their path, forcing a confrontation.
Of course, it wasn’t that Han Pi was looking for trouble. After all, this grassland was Han Pi’s territory. The Wild Boar Herd’s brazen approach was like sending a challenge—an attempt to seize territory. Naturally, Han Pi had to defend its home.
“Qin Tian! Han Pi!” At that moment, Ye Lin shouted, dashing out of the Cave through the rain.
Although Qin Tian had told Ye Lin to stay in the Cave, with the sounds of battle outside, how could she possibly stay calm inside?
After Qin Tian left, she’d hidden near the Cave entrance, keeping a close eye on the situation outside. Only now that the crisis had passed did she dare come out.
Ye Lin rushed up to Qin Tian, her face full of worry. Her gaze scanned him from head to toe, afraid he might be hurt. “Qin Tian, are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” To prove it, Qin Tian patted his chest. “If anyone’s hurt, it’s Han Pi.”
With that, Qin Tian turned and reached out to pat Han Pi’s head. At this moment, Han Pi was as gentle as a kitten—a stark contrast to the ferocious beast from moments before, as if they were two entirely different creatures.