King of the Wilderness

Chapter 512: Chapter 279: Earning Respect

Stan stood on a tall rock, clearing his throat, and his voice carried far in the crisp air.

"Guys! You all know the situation! Those wolf pups have already killed Billy’s Blizzard!"

"That was Wiseman’s best sled dog! Last night, they even harassed the sheep pen! They’re getting bolder!"

"The sun is coming back soon, this is their last chance to hunt frantically under the cover of darkness!"

"We must seize this opportunity and hit them hard when they’re most active and daring!"

"Our task is not to kill them all; that doesn’t comply with the rules of the wild. Our mission is to take out their lead wolf, to crush their courage!"

"Make them remember, Wiseman is not their cafeteria! Make them go back to their deep mountains where they belong!"

"Before setting off, check your weapons and ammunition! Remember, safety first! Never point your muzzle at your companions!"

"In the woods, keep your eyes on the front, back, and even above! Understood?"

"Understood!" shouted the dozen men in unison, their voices echoing through the snowy forest.

Lin Yu’an checked the bullets in his barrel, pulled the bolt, producing a crisp and pleasant metallic clang.

That sound, to him, was the most beautiful music in the world!

This wasn’t just a hunt; it was a return. A return to the hunting world he was most familiar with and excelled at!

"Let’s go!"

With Stan’s command, a dozen snowmobiles roared deafeningly in unison.

The men mounted their rides like an army setting out on a journey, disappearing into the depths of the vast coniferous forest.

After about an hour of maneuvering through the forest on their snowmobiles.

Stan raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop: "From here on, we must walk."

He pointed to some barely noticeable tracks in the snow, "They’re nearby. Turn off your engines immediately; from now on, we are netherworld ghosts."

The men dismounted and each shouldered their rifles and backpacks, moving with practiced ease and harmony.

Silence engulfed the surroundings instantly, with only the "woo-woo" of the wind through the pine needles, like whispers of a beast.

Sunlight streamed through the sparse canopy, casting mottled light and shadows on the snow, bright and dark, filled with unknown danger.

As the most experienced hunter, Stan began assigning tasks: "Bill, you and your men, flank from the east side."

"Remember, keep at least a five-hundred-meter distance, don’t make any noise. Your task is to drive them, not attack, push them towards us, create pressure!"

"Got it!" Fat Bill nodded and, taking three other hunters with him, silently vanished into the other side of the forest.

"The rest, follow me." Stan spoke in a hushed voice, "Our target, is just one, the Alpha Male Wolf. Take it down, and the pack will scatter."

The group began to move at an exceptionally slow pace, stealthily towards the deeper part of the forest.

Everyone’s footsteps were as light as a cat’s, communicating with simple hand signals understood only among hunters.

Lin Yu’an was at the end of the group, like a true ghost, his breathing long and steady, blending with the rhythm of the wind. His senses were fully unleashed at that moment.

After about half an hour of walking, Stan suddenly stopped, crouching down, pointing at a series of large plum blossom-like footprints in the snow, his expression grave.

In a low voice he said, "This is it! Judging by the depth of the prints, this beast weighs at least a hundred and fifty pounds, it’s a big one."

"Be careful," Buck leaned in, adding quietly, "My grandpa used to say, these old wolves are slicker than humans."

Just then, Lin Yu’an’s gaze turned towards a patch of low shrubs on the side of the team. He slowly raised his hand, signaling "stop advancing."

Everyone immediately held their breath, following his gaze, but saw nothing.

"What’s wrong, Lin?" Stan asked puzzled.

Buck, in the rear of the group, mouthed impatiently, "What’s wrong now?"

Lin Yu’an did not answer, he only placed a finger on his lips, signaling for silence. He listened, then a few seconds later, in a very low voice, said, "The wind sounds wrong. Too quiet, not even bird calls, there’s something around."

"I can’t hear anything," said Jack, the young hunter, looking around nervously.

"Because you’re using your ears," Lin Yu’an slowly removed his rifle, opening the cover of his scope, "but they’re using the entire forest to speak to us."

Everyone’s hearts were in their throats.

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

Suddenly, from the seemingly still bush, two gray streaks burst out!

They were two smaller scout wolves! At an incredible speed, they darted from the side of the group, heading directly towards their rear escape route, with no intention to attack, but to cut off!

"Damn! They’re flanking us! Trying to cut off our retreat!" Stan instantly realized, his face changed, immediately raising his gun.

Being an old hunter, he quickly understood the danger in the wolves’ tactics, but his reaction was ultimately just a bit too slow.

He simply had no time to aim, "Bang!" A crisp and muffled gunshot shattered the forest silence.

Lin Yu’an didn’t even use a support, in an extremely stable standing position, he completed the entire process of raising the gun, aiming, predicting, and firing in less than two seconds.