Chapter 488: The Feral Boy
Campground Surprise
After four days of continuous sightseeing, Luke suddenly suggested outdoor camping.
Linda didn't know what he was planning but agreed. So, the three of them rented a luxury car, left the provincial capital, and drove toward the uninhabited grasslands.
The scenery of the Northwest region held a unique sense of grandeur.
Standing on the endless grassland with white clouds and a blue sky overhead, green hills and forests in the distance, and the mountain wind rustling their clothes, it was a special experience.
The wilderness was Jiu's territory. Without any instruction from Luke, he immediately darted into the bushes. Half an hour later, the boy returned to the camp carrying a mountain deer and two rabbits.
"Sister, look what I caught!"
Luke asked curiously, "Jiu, why do you always talk to Linda but never me? Am I not nice to you?"
The boy looked at him carefully.
"Because Brother is too fierce."
"Fierce?"
Luke looked down at himself, then glanced at the girl whose figure was gradually developing, and said with a strange smile,
"Sister should be even more fierce, shouldn't she?"
The boy scratched his head honestly, not understanding the meaning of the wordplay.
Linda snapped,
"Telling dirty jokes in front of a child? You really are something."
Luke shrugged. "This kid is beyond saving. Fifteen years old and still like this. It's a pity to waste such talent."
Jiu's talent was indeed astonishing. He had not received systematic training; Qiu Yuan had only taught him some basic techniques, yet he had learned internal energy on his own and even created his own unique "hunting" skills based on that foundation.
A child raised in the mountains was indeed extraordinary.
Linda was also surprised by his abilities. After checking his body, she found that the boy was born with fully open meridians—a rare martial arts prodigy.
Unfortunately, he was simple-minded.
Jiu was unaware of their thoughts. He picked up a dagger, skinned and carved the meat. Soon, a wooden board was neatly covered with fresh venison.
Venison was best used for soup. Luke was too lazy to move, so Linda had to personally cook. Following a recipe, she made a full pot of venison soup. After eating their fill, the three went boating on a nearby river, only returning to the camp at dusk.
The Hunter's Instinct
Night silently fell. On a hill not far from the camp, seven figures emerged. Leading them was Bai Yan. The seven used binoculars to observe the camp.
One man complained,
"Big Brother, you're too cautious! They're just three kids. We could just go in and grab them for you."
"What do you know?"
Bai Yan said menacingly. "That boy is from the Hongmen."
The oldest subordinate interjected, "Big Brother has a point. I heard Luke Shaw is the CEO of two big companies, worth tens of billions. How could a man like that not have some self-defense methods?"
One man couldn't help but ask,
"He really is worth tens of billions?"
"What? Can't resist? Thinking of shaking him down?"
The man with a face full of black spots licked his lips and asked casually,
"What's the girl's name?"
Bai Yan turned around and stared coldly at him.
"Having a relapse, Pockmarked?"
"No, no!"
The young man quickly waved his hands. "I just think that woman is sweet-looking, and her figure is good. Much better than the one we met in the snowy region last time."
Everyone exchanged knowing looks.
Bai Yan let out a cold snort and said word by word,
"Remember, our goal on this trip is the Scripture. Be careful until we find the thing. If anyone dares to ruin this, don't blame me, your older brother, for being merciless."
Their hearts tightened, and they were forced to abandon their improper thoughts.
Unbeknownst to them, midnight arrived.
The men left the slope and silently approached the camp under the cover of darkness. The campsite was pitch black, devoid of light. The seven split into two groups. One group rushed toward Jiu's tent, and the other crept toward the tent shared by Luke and Linda (they were sleeping together, but not in the same sleeping bag).
The distance closed. Just as they were about to strike, a ghost-like figure shot out of the darkness.
The figure was extremely fast, pouncing on one of the thugs like a cheetah. A claw-like hand, like a tiger's vice, swiped gently, and the man's larynx bone instantly snapped.
After taking down one man, the figure leaped onto another. The same move—completely impossible to defend against.
Bai Yan was furious. He clenched his fists, generating bursts of force, and rushed straight toward the phantom.
The figure raised its head. The youthful face held a ferocious, beast-like intensity. Facing the aggressive Bai Yan, it did not meet him head-on. Instead, it circled around him like a fox and pounced on another person, swiping out a hand.
Though made of flesh and blood, the hand was terrifyingly like an animal's teeth. With just one swipe, it tore away a large chunk of flesh.
Ah-ah-ah-ah!!!!
Screams echoed through the campsite.
Bai Yan was both shocked and enraged. He had never imagined the fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy could be so terrifying.
Jiu was a child raised by nature. Qiu Yuan had provided him with only self-defense and hunting techniques, basic moral guidance, and occasional changes of clothes.
It was imaginable what a child who had grown up with the mountains since childhood, snatching food from the jaws of wolves, snow leopards, and falcons, would be like. In a sense, he was a feral beast.
His years of fending for himself had cultivated an unparalleled awareness of danger. This was why he never spoke to Luke; he smelled death on him. By comparison, the tiger-like Linda was not so scary.
Jiu was a true predator. He knew how to hunt at the fastest speed.
Of the seven men who infiltrated the camp, Bai Yan was the most dangerous. The other six, by comparison, were quite ordinary. Avoiding Bai Yan and dealing with the others was his instinctive and most rational judgment.
The brutal fight unfolded in an unimaginable way.
Jiu transformed into a venomous snake; his hands and claws were poison-tipped fangs. None of them were his match. In the blink of an eye, six men fell to the ground, leaving only Bai Yan.
The boy dropped to all fours, circling back and forth in a crawl. His eyes brazenly assessed Bai Yan's vital points: neck, heart, and groin.
Stared down by those eyes, Bai Yan felt like he was confronting a fierce wild animal. Sweat unknowingly beaded on his forehead, and his breathing became short and ragged.
Suddenly, a wolf howl sounded in the distance.
Bai Yan instinctively turned his head.
Just then, Jiu moved, propelling himself with all four limbs, pouncing like a fierce tiger.
His right claw tore through the air with a chilling whistle.
Bai Yan exerted all his strength to dodge backward.
Pfft!
Clothes ripped, and five bloody claw marks appeared on his chest.
Missing his target, Jiu quickly darted away, crouching back down to observe his "prey" as before.
This action brought forth a sense of endless despair in Bai Yan.
Inside the tent, Luke, observing the battle through a virtual screen, couldn't help but say,
"I take back what I said earlier. His talent was not wasted."
Linda's expression was equally serious. "I didn't expect this child to have such a terrifying side."
Luke sighed. "An orphan who grew up in the mountains since childhood—if he didn't have that ferocity, he would have been eaten long ago."
"If I had known he was this capable, I wouldn't have made any arrangements."
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