Chapter 249: Words Held Back the Whole Way

Yan Yu was torn.

She couldn’t let people who were most likely from Northern Rong get close to the village, and even more so, she couldn’t let her group take unnecessary risks.

But first, she had to figure out who these people were. Only then could she plan the next steps.

It was moments like this that made her realize how tough her father had it. Every time Maomao spotted an enemy, he’d have to rush out and put on a little act to explain things away.

Now that he wasn’t here, the job fell to her.

Yan Yu glanced at the group of kids, who were excitedly chasing a pheasant through the woods.

Only a few dozen meters away, Uncle Hu Er and his group were about to run into their own forces.

Sure enough, voices came from the forest.

Someone shouted, “It’s a pheasant!”

“Hu Er, get it, get it!”

Whoosh!

A faint sound sliced through the air, and the pheasant’s panicked flapping came to an abrupt end.

“Haha! Nice shot, Hu Er!”

“Going into the mountains with Hu Da and Hu Er never disappoints. You always run into some clueless wild animal.”

“Too bad about our bamboo crossbow. If we’d had it earlier, that deer wouldn’t have gotten away.”

“The animals in these mountains are pretty sharp. They know to steer clear of us.”

“Can you blame them? Look how many of us there are. They’re not stupid.”

“This pheasant must be the exception. Dumb thing flew right into us, hahaha!”

The kids perked up their ears, listening intently, but none of them rushed forward.

They waited eagerly for their leader’s command.

Yan Yu gave a nod to Big Gouzi.

Big Gouzi shouted excitedly, “Passcode: The road stretches ahead!”

The other side clearly froze.

After a moment, someone cautiously replied, “And we walk the middle path.”

“Xiao Er, it matches,” Big Gouzi reported to Yan Yu.

In the time it took to exchange those few lines, the adults had already rushed over. When they saw the group of little kids, each armed with a bow or a stick, they burst out laughing.

Hu Er said, “So that pheasant flew straight at us because you lot were chasing it from behind.”

Yan Yu asked, “Uncle Hu Er, is it just you guys?”

With so many kids around, Yan Family’s Xiao Er always stood out.

The Young Scouts’ formation was interesting. They always spread out with Yan Xiao Er as the center.

They were often seen running wild through the village, gathering up and charging into the mountains. But this was the first time the adults had run into them deep in the forest.

The grown-ups were clearly intrigued.

If you ignored their age and height, they seemed even more organized than the adults had been back in the day.

At the very least, aside from Yan Yu, not a single child spoke up—even when they saw their own fathers.

“What’s wrong with just us?” Hu Er asked, puzzled.

“We came into the mountains today hoping to catch more game. I actually spotted a wild boar earlier, but didn’t think we could handle it, so I backed off. Now that we’ve got more people, maybe we’ve got a shot.”

Yan Yu had to use the wild boar as an excuse.

Sorry, piggy. Only you could stir up this much interest.

“A wild boar?! Hu Er, let’s go!”

“Yeah! It’s rare to come across one!”

“But we don’t have the right gear!”

“Those little brats have sticks, don’t they?”

“They’re way too short…”

Hu Er glanced at the slingshot in his hand, then at the small wooden bows the kids carried.

After a moment’s thought, he said, “Which direction? Let’s go check it out and see how many there are before we decide.”

Even without proper weapons, Hu Er was clearly tempted.

Yan Yu gave them a direction, and the group set off with a flurry of movement.

When they reached the spot where she claimed to have seen the boar, Yan Yu suggested they split up to search.

The adults, unwilling to let the kids go alone, joined their teams and got a taste of the Young Scouts’ group tactics.

It wasn’t a chaotic mess. Each team had a clear direction and purpose.

Yan Yu was accompanied by Luo Family’s second, third, and fourth brothers, Wu Tie, Big Gouzi, Little Gouzi, and Liang Fengnian.

Big Tie naturally slipped into his little brothers’ team.

He quickly noticed that the second and third brothers obediently followed Yan Xiao Er’s commands. Even the usually troublesome Wu Tie didn’t complain about being tired. He just kept a serious face and ran along with the group.

Yan Yu wore her backpack on her chest, making it easier to communicate with Maomao at any time.

The six people they were tracking had a clear goal. Their path barely deviated.

They weren’t moving fast. At this pace, Yan Yu estimated they’d encounter them in another half hour.

She glanced at Big Tie.

Second Tie was brave and meticulous. Third Tie was clever and quick-witted. Big Tie was like Uncle Luo—steady and mature.

To keep up the act, Yan Yu slowed her pace, pretending to search for signs of wild boar.

Big Tie took the task seriously. Before long, he made a discovery.

“Look over here!”

Everyone turned to look.

Little Gouzi lit up. “It’s pig poop!”

Yan Yu: …

Seriously? She’d just made that up on the spot.

The kids crowded around to examine it.

Yan Yu took the chance to quietly ask Maomao if there were any wild boars nearby.

She got a positive answer and a rough direction.

In her mind, Yan Yu mapped out the positions of the six people and the boars. The distance between them wasn’t far.

In an instant, a plan formed.

…

Under Yan Yu’s swift guidance, their group was the first to spot the wild boars.

There were no males, just two sows with their piglets.

But the piglets had grown up.

There were quite a few of them.

The sight made the kids clench their little fists in excitement.

They huddled together, discussing who should go back and report.

Yan Yu took the opportunity to release Maomao.

With a burst of speed, Maomao shot up a tree, leapt from branch to branch, and landed on a limb above the boar herd. Then, in a flash, she pounced, her sharp claws raking across one of the young boars.

The piglet let out a squeal, and every wild boar turned to stare at the lynx that had landed squarely in their midst.

The injured little wild boar was the first to charge forward, followed closely by two furious sows, with the rest of the piglets hot on their heels.

The lynx darted nimbly through the forest, leaping between trees and occasionally turning back to bare its teeth mockingly at them.

That only enraged the boar herd further, spurring them into relentless pursuit.

Everything happened so fast. By the time the others turned around to check on the wild boars that had been peacefully foraging just moments ago, all they saw were plump, retreating backs…

Yan Yu acted without hesitation. “After them!”

She took the lead, sprinting ahead of the group.

The Strength Potion didn’t just boost her power—it enhanced her entire physique. As she ran at full speed, each step left deep impressions in the earth. She shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Yan Yu deliberately controlled her pace, always positioning herself just ahead of the others, making sure she remained in front.

Soon, the wild boars collided with another group—six people.

Muffled shouts rang out.

They were getting closer.

It sounded like people working together to hunt the boars.

Yan Yu suddenly skidded to a stop and signaled for the others to halt as well.

Aside from Da Tie, the rest were well-trained and reacted quickly.

They heard it too.

Voices up ahead, speaking in a language they didn’t understand.

The kids exchanged confused glances, still trying to process what was going on.

But Yan Yu had already turned around, putting on a dramatic performance as she changed expressions in an instant.

She widened her eyes, body tense, and rushed up to the others, lowering her voice to deliver the line she’d been holding in all this time:

“Northern Rong! It’s the Northern Rong! They’ve crossed the mountains!”

Author Note:

First strike delivered~

Yan Lao’er: Hey! My daughter’s taking over the family business~

Yan Yu: I love acting, but this time was seriously awkward~

Li Xuemei: No drama to watch? Not happy.

Old Yan: Ahem. Nonsense!

(End of chapter)