Chapter 167: An Unexpected Surprise and Coconut Milk-Flavored White Rabbit Candy

“What is that?”

Lin Yue whispered in a hushed voice.

Following the direction Lin Heng pointed, they saw two towering red toon trees. Moonlight spilled through the branches from the far side, casting deep shadows beneath them and shrouding the trees below in darkness.

Perched within those shadows, on a branch, was a dark figure.

They hadn’t turned on their flashlights, but they could feel it—that thing had been watching them for a while. It had definitely noticed them long ago.

“Can’t tell. I don’t know either,” Lin Heng replied, shaking his head. He set his bow bag on the ground, unzipped it, and pulled out his compound bow and a hunting arrow.

They were about seventy meters apart from the figure in the tree, which showed no sign of fleeing.

Just as Lin Heng nocked an arrow and took aim, the shadow suddenly leapt down from the tree, making him grimace in frustration. This thing was way too alert.

“Huh?”

Lin Heng let out a surprised noise. Turned out the shadow hadn’t come down to the ground—it had dropped onto a lower branch near the red toon tree, then leapt to the neighboring tree. With a couple quick bounds, it climbed all the way to the top.

Was it trying to get higher because it felt safer up there?

Lin Heng couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

He’d thought the chance was gone, but now it was actually an even better shot.

The higher the tree, the fewer the obstacles. A regular bow might struggle with the angle, but he had a modern compound bow in hand. A ten-meter-tall tree was no problem.

Plus, Xiong Ba had already quietly crept up to the base of the tree. Now the creature was caught in a trap—it couldn’t go up or down.

Lin Heng shifted position, adjusting his angle to avoid branches and get a clear shot.

This time of year, the red toon trees were bare, no leaves to block the view. Against the pale green bark, the dark figure stood out clearly.

Now only about fifty meters away, Lin Heng waited for the mountain breeze to die down, then loosed his arrow.

With a sharp whoosh, the hunting arrow cut through the air in a perfect arc—only to graze just beneath the shadow.

Lin Heng let out a surprised grunt. “Huh, guess the wind up there is stronger than I thought.”

“No worries, try again. It hasn’t run,” Lin Yue reassured him.

“Yeah.” Lin Heng nodded. The high-altitude autumn wind at night was stronger than he’d expected.

Luckily, the shadow had only climbed a bit higher. He still had another shot.

He nocked another arrow and drew the bow to full tension.

This time, with the experience of the first shot, the hunting arrow traced a beautiful arc under the night sky and thwack—sank straight into the shadow’s body.

Almost the instant it hit, the dark figure plummeted from the treetop, over ten meters high, and landed with a heavy thud.

“Let’s go!”

Lin Heng grabbed his brother and took off toward the red toon tree, not sparing a glance for the golden pheasant still frozen on the branch behind them.

The ground was soft and damp, and their canvas shoes sank in, soaking through instantly.

But that didn’t dampen their excitement in the slightest.

“What do you think it is? A civet? Wildcat? Leopard?” Lin Yue asked in a low but thrilled voice.

“Can’t say for sure. Didn’t use the flashlight, couldn’t see clearly,” Lin Heng replied, shaking his head.

“I’m guessing wildcat. It climbed way too fast,” Lin Yue whispered.

“Yeah, me too,” Lin Heng nodded.

They jogged over and soon reached the red toon tree. Xiong Ba was standing guard beside the body—the shadow was unmistakably dead.

They turned on their flashlights and finally saw what it really was.

“Holy crap, it’s a leopard!” they both exclaimed in shock.

Lin Heng had expected, at most, a big wildcat. Never in a million years did he think it’d actually be a leopard. What a surprise—what a huge surprise.

His arrow had pierced straight through its chest, and with the fall from that height, it was completely lifeless.

“This is a clouded leopard. Technically, it’s more like a big cat that looks like a leopard,” Lin Heng said with a grin.

The Qinling Mountains were home to several kinds of leopards. This one was a clouded leopard—smaller in size, maxing out around 40 to 50 jin (20–25 kg), and relatively more common.

Spotted leopards, or golden leopards, were much rarer. Lin Heng suspected the clouded leopard they’d found dead on Chestnut Mountain might’ve been killed by one of those.

“This one’s not small either. It’s a male—I’d say at least forty jin,” Lin Yue said excitedly, examining the leopard from every angle.

“This is insane. We came out to hunt golden pheasants and ended up bagging a leopard. We hit the jackpot, bro!” Lin Yue was so excited he could barely speak coherently.

“This isn’t just a surprise—it’s a damn miracle!”

It was like going fishing for some small sunfish and suddenly hooking a giant grass carp—and not only hooking it, but actually reeling it in. A whole new type of prey unlocked. How could Lin Heng not be thrilled?

After the excitement settled, Lin Heng added, “But that’s hunting for you. A lot of it comes down to luck. Bro, your newbie aura is seriously overpowered.”

Lin Yue grinned. “You’re the one with the skills.”

They examined the clouded leopard a bit more. When they pulled out the arrow, blood gushed out, and Xiong Ba rushed over to lap it up—not wasting a single drop.

“So, should we head back now or…?” Lin Yue asked, glancing at the leopard.

Lin Heng checked his watch—it was just past eleven. “Let’s leave it here for now. We can search the area a bit more. Didn’t you say you spotted a golden pheasant earlier? Go ahead and try for it.”

“There were two of them, both on that branch. Let’s go together—one each?” Lin Yue suggested.

Lin Heng nodded. “Sounds good. You take the first shot. Once you fire, I’ll follow up.”

He wanted to practice his reaction time. Missing a shot wasn’t a big deal.

The two of them moved out. This was where the advantage of using bows really showed. Even after taking down a clouded leopard, they hadn’t made much noise—they could still go after pheasants.

As for the hunting arrow that had missed earlier, they’d have to search for it later. Shining flashlights around now would only scare the birds.

Lin Heng stopped about ten meters from the golden pheasants. They were easy to spot—long tail feathers, whether male or female, made them stand out even from afar.

Lin Yue crept even closer, stopping just five or six meters away. After steadying his nerves, he nocked an arrow and took aim at the lower bird.

Thwack—the arrow grazed the pheasant’s feathers and missed. Both birds let out startled squawks and took off into the air.

Just as one of them lifted off, a hunting arrow streaked through the air and struck it mid-flight, sending it tumbling to the ground with a thud. The other bird flew off over the mountain and disappeared.

“Man, I suck. I still missed,” Lin Yue said dejectedly as he went to retrieve his arrow.

Lin Heng patted his shoulder with a smile. “It’s normal to be nervous your first time. Just keep practicing.”

Right now, his brother’s archery was only good enough for close-range night hunting of pheasants or wild chickens. Daytime hunting was still out of the question. Archery required not just talent, but tons of practice.

“Good thing you were here, or both of them would’ve gotten away,” Lin Yue said with admiration. Watching Lin Heng hunt had always looked easy, but now that he was doing it himself, he realized how much skill it really took.

He’d been practicing for twenty days and still couldn’t hit a target from five or six meters. Lin Heng, on the other hand, used this same bow to hit rabbits and pheasants from thirty or forty meters. It was terrifying.

“Don’t stress. We’ve already got a good haul today. If one gets away, no big deal,” Lin Heng said with a grin.

“Alright.” Lin Yue nodded.

With their plan set, Lin Yue continued searching for more golden pheasants while Lin Heng went back to look for his lost hunting arrow.

He searched with his flashlight for a long time before finally spotting it stuck in a tree. Fortunately, the white fletching was easy to see—otherwise, he might never have found it.

With his arrow recovered, Lin Heng continued combing the forest. He scouted the mountainside but didn’t find much, so he headed further uphill.

“Bro! Come here, quick!”

Lin Heng had just arrived when he heard his brother calling out.

“What is it?” he asked curiously.

“Let me show you,” Lin Yue said, taking the lead.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the edge of a small ravine.

This ravine was one of the sources of the Shibadang Gully. On both sides grew dense clusters of Xiangzi trees, interspersed with towering camphor and Chinese fir trees.

All of them were evergreen, their thick canopies casting deep shadows over the forest floor.

“Look, there’s a whole flock of bamboo partridges on that tree branch. What should we do?” Lin Yue said excitedly.

Lin Heng had already seen them as he walked over. On the tree next to the thorny cedar, there were at least a dozen bamboo partridges resting.

These birds were much smaller than golden pheasants, but they always moved in large groups. Golden pheasants rarely flocked anymore—usually just three or four at most—because they’d been hunted too much and were now skittish.

Bamboo partridges were best hunted with a shotgun, but unfortunately, they didn’t have one.

“Not much we can do. Big bro, why don’t you sneak up on them? Maybe if you spook them, they won’t fly too far. Once they scatter, they’ll be easier to pick off,” Lin Heng suggested.

Lin Yue nodded. “Guess that’s our only option.”

He wiped the sweat from his palms and crept forward with his bow and arrows. Last time he’d failed, so this time he decided to go directly under the tree—get as close as possible, ideally right underneath them.

But maybe he got a little too close. As soon as he reached the base of the tree, three or four bamboo partridges took off in a flurry.

Lin Heng spotted them landing on two nearby trees and grinned. He nocked two arrows in quick succession and brought down two birds.

At the same time, he heard a sharp whoosh. Turning his head, he saw another bamboo partridge fall to the ground as the rest scattered in all directions.

Some flew far away, others just landed on nearby trees.

“I got one!” Lin Yue came out holding a bamboo partridge, beaming with pride.

“Nice. Leave the rest to me,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

He raised his bow and shot down four more in a row. These birds were light—six ounces at most, some only three or four—so even though they looked like a lot, they didn’t add up to much weight.

By the end of the night, they had bagged seven bamboo partridges, one golden pheasant, one egret, and one clouded leopard.

The leopard was an unexpected bonus, but overall, the haul was pretty decent.

This was typical for autumn and winter—it was hunting season, after all.

Of course, if they’d used a gun, firing at the egret would’ve scared off everything else.

“Let’s keep looking.”

Both of them were still pumped, even though it was already midnight.

For men, the thrill of the hunt runs deep—it’s in their bones. Once they start, they don’t want to stop.

They searched around the three source valleys but didn’t find much else. Lin Heng even checked the pond, but there were only a few small stream trout.

By the time it was past one, Lin Heng finally said, “Let’s head back.”

“Alright,” Lin Yue agreed.

The two brothers started walking home, loading all the game into their baskets and taking turns carrying them.

When they got back to Red Maple Mountain, they left the highway and followed the main path back.

“Look, there’s a flashlight up on the mountain,” Lin Yue pointed.

“No idea who it is,” Lin Heng said curiously. He saw it too.

Those two were probably heading in a different direction. They’d heard gunshots from that area around dusk.

Clearly, the other group had noticed them as well and were quickly heading down.

“Lin Heng, is that you? Off hunting again and didn’t call me?” a rough voice called out.

Lin Heng recognized the voice—it was Old Man Tian. He laughed and said, “Old Man Tian! I was just taking my brother out for fun. Wouldn’t be right to bring a pro like you.”

“Wait up, I’ll be right down!” Old Man Tian shouted.

Walking with him was a village hunter named Wang Qiang, a man in his forties with a square face and a bushy mustache.

Wang Qiang leaned over and whispered to Tian Baishun, “I bet they didn’t catch anything. Hunting with a bow? And bringing a newbie? That’s not serious hunting.”

He’d always thought bow hunting was just for show—real hunters used shotguns.

Tian Baishun gave him a look and shook his head. “You’re underestimating bows. Lin Heng’s compound bow is more powerful than your shotgun. And don’t look down on that kid—he’s got real skills. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be doing so well for himself.”

Wang Qiang scoffed arrogantly. “A bow better than my shotgun? I don’t buy it.”

“Just wait till you see for yourself,” Old Man Tian said, shaking his head. This guy was too full of himself—just because he had a shotgun, he looked down on people who used bows or set traps.

Soon, the two of them reached the bottom of the hill.

“We each got three golden pheasants. What about you guys?” Wang Qiang asked first, shining his flashlight on Lin Heng’s face.

Lin Heng frowned, clearly annoyed. “Not bad,” he replied curtly.

He’d seen Wang Qiang before but didn’t know him well.

“What’d you get?” Wang Qiang pressed, sensing from Lin Heng’s vague answer that maybe they hadn’t caught much.

He turned to Tian Baishun with a smug look, feeling validated.

“Nothing much. Just two golden pheasants,” Lin Heng said casually.

“Two?” Wang Qiang was stunned. He could barely believe it. Even with his shotgun, he’d only managed three, and Lin Heng got two?

He quickly stepped closer to the brothers, grinning. “Let me see how big your pheasants are.”

He shone his flashlight into their basket—and froze.

Inside wasn’t just a pile of birds. At the bottom, sprawled out, was a leopard.

“You guys hunted this—or did you find it?”

The words slipped out before he could stop them. He couldn’t even imagine someone taking down a leopard with a bow. His first instinct was that they must’ve stumbled upon it.

But Lin Heng and Lin Yue’s expressions instantly soured. Especially Lin Heng—he was already annoyed by the flashlight in his eyes, and now this?

“That’s none of your business. Xiong Ba, let’s go,” Lin Heng said, calling to his dog as he and his brother walked off quickly.

“Hey, what’s with you guys?” Wang Qiang called out, trying to stop them, but backed off when he saw the big dog baring its teeth.

“You really don’t know how to talk to people,” Tian Baishun shook his head. “Have you ever heard of someone just finding a leopard lying around? Come on.”

Wang Qiang protested, “Okay, maybe I said the wrong thing, but come on—that’s a leopard! You expect me to believe they shot it with a bow?”

He’d been hunting for years and had only ever seen a leopard from a distance—never even had a chance to raise his gun.

Now someone tells him they took one down with a bow? No way. He still didn’t believe Lin Heng had actually hunted it himself.

“Lin Heng! Why’re you walking so fast? Let me see that leopard!” Old Man Tian shouted.

“You wanna see? Fine. But not Uncle Wang. I’m in a bad mood—he doesn’t get to see it,” Lin Heng replied with a grin.

He wasn’t letting Wang Qiang see it. The guy had been way too insulting.

It was like walking up to a fisherman holding a big catch and accusing him of buying it. Just plain rude.

Wang Qiang: “…”

He was dying to get a closer look at that leopard.

“Alright, just me then,” Tian Baishun said with a chuckle, walking over.

Wang Qiang tried to follow, but Xiong Ba bared his teeth, making it very clear: one more step and you’ll get bitten.

“Well? Pretty badass, huh?” Lin Heng said, putting the basket down and smiling at Old Man Tian.

He made sure to block Wang Qiang’s view as he did.

“You’re not just good—you’re on another level! You’re out here bagging big game and not even calling me? Come on, spill it—how’d you get it?”

Tian Baishun wasn’t too impressed by the bamboo or golden pheasants—he knew Lin Heng had the skills for those.

But the clouded leopard? That made him jealous. He’d been hunting for over a decade and never even come close to something like that.

He picked it up and could tell right away—it had been killed cleanly with an arrow. This kid was a beast.

“Hahaha!” Lin Heng laughed heartily. This was exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for.

“Come on, tell me how you did it. You must be the Mountain God’s favorite son!” Tian Baishun urged.

“I think it was because I brought a newbie along. We ran into it near the red toon tree at the top of Shibadang Gully. It was up in a tree, and I shot it down with two arrows,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

He hadn’t expected to run into a leopard at all today—total luck.

Tian Baishun was green with envy. “Man, you really hit the jackpot. A leopard!”

“Haha, all you need are hands,” Lin Heng grinned as he packed everything up.

“You calling me useless now?” Tian Baishun shot back, half-laughing, half-pouting.

“Alright, enough talk. I’m heading home to see my wife,” Lin Heng said, shouldering his gear and walking off.

Tian Baishun felt like he’d just been stabbed in the heart again.

Damn it. This kid’s got skills, a beautiful and capable wife, and he’s not bad-looking either. Heaven really plays favorites.

“So? Was it really his kill?” Wang Qiang asked, unable to hold back. He was still salty about Lin Heng being so petty.

“Of course! You have no idea how powerful his compound bow is—it can take down a golden pheasant from a hundred meters away,” Old Man Tian said with a nod.

He glanced at Wang Qiang, and his mood lifted again. This guy had it even worse—he didn’t even get to see the clouded leopard.

“That powerful?” Wang Qiang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Tian Baishun gave him a look. “Didn’t I tell you before?”

“I thought you were just bragging, so I didn’t take it seriously,” Wang Qiang said with a bitter smile, clearly envious of that clouded leopard.

Especially after hearing it was a male—its parts would make a great tonic wine.

“You’ll understand when you see it for yourself someday,” Tian Baishun said, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, Lin Heng had already returned home with his older brother. Their parents were already asleep.

“Just leave the stuff at your place. I only got a bamboo partridge anyway,” Lin Yue said with a smile. He hadn’t caught much, but he was genuinely happy tonight.

“Alright, we’ll deal with it in the morning,” Lin Heng replied without protest. It was pretty late anyway.

Back home, Lin Heng unlocked the front gate and stepped into the courtyard. A moment later, the main hall door creaked open, and Xiulan came out of the house.

“Didn’t you say you were just by the roadside? What took you so long?” Xiulan asked curiously.

“You’ll understand when you see what I brought back,” Lin Heng grinned. He knew she’d be waiting for him.

He set down his basket and switched on his flashlight.

Xiulan peered inside and froze, eyes wide and mouth agape. “Oh my god! So much stuff—and a leopard?!”

“How did you even get a leopard?” She’d never heard of anyone bagging one. Her husband was seriously impressive.

“Pretty awesome, huh?” Lin Heng chuckled proudly.

Xiulan nodded repeatedly, her expression like a starstruck fangirl, eyes sparkling. “Awesome. You’re amazing.”

Lin Heng puffed out his chest, beaming. “Funny thing is, I was thinking about you and got a little distracted. Then I happened to spot it in a tree and shot it down.”

“Be serious. Quit being so slick with your words,” Xiulan rolled her eyes at him.

“I mean it,” Lin Heng said again.

Xiulan laughed. “You’re really something. I’ll grab your clothes and shoes. Go get some water and take a bath.”

“Okay.” Lin Heng nodded, filled a wooden basin with water, and stripped down for a quick wash.

Xiulan walked over with his clothes and shoes. “You could at least close the door. What if you catch a cold?”

Lin Heng waved her off. “It’s not cold tonight.”

Xiulan shut the door, then took the flashlight and went to the kitchen. She cooked up a bowl of clear broth noodles for him and brought it over.

Lin Heng bathed quickly, and by the time Xiulan was done cooking, he was already finished and drying off.

Though it was just clear broth noodles, Xiulan had added an egg and even tossed in two slices of black truffle.

She set the bowl on the table and rested her chin in her hand, watching him eat.

“Open up.”

Lin Heng tore the fried egg in half and fed her a piece. One enjoyed feeding, the other enjoyed being fed—it was a perfect match.

After the egg, Xiulan went to rinse her mouth, while Lin Heng devoured the rest of the noodles and brushed his teeth.

As for the leopard and the golden pheasant, they’d deal with those in the morning. If they started now, it’d take all night. The weather was cool enough that the meat wouldn’t spoil.

The two of them headed back to the bedroom. Lin Heng checked on their daughter first—she was fast asleep, a sweet smile on her little face.

He turned around, opened the cabinet, and pulled out a coconut milk-flavored White Rabbit candy. He unwrapped it and handed it to Xiulan.

“I’m not a little kid. Why are you giving me candy?” Xiulan asked, half confused, half exasperated.

“It’s not that—I just wanted to eat it,” Lin Heng said with a grin.

Xiulan froze, suddenly remembering how he’d fed her candy that afternoon. Her cheeks flushed pink. “You’re terrible.”

“Come on, be good. Eat it,” Lin Heng said, pushing the candy to her lips.

Xiulan glanced at him, then reluctantly accepted the candy.

Lin Heng grinned from ear to ear, then stripped down and slipped under the covers with his wife, clearly eager to savor that coconut-flavored kiss.

…

(End of Chapter)