PCJ – Chapter 396 The First Hunt of the Mountain-Scouting Dogs

“Jiaohua, can you bring Leopard over again in the future?” Cai Kaiming asked Zhang Jiaohua during a dorm inspection.

“Didn’t you say someone from your staff dorm complained? Why bring it over again?” Zhang Jiaohua asked in confusion.

“That teacher came to see me again today. She said she overreacted and that I should bring the dog over as I see fit. She won’t complain anymore.” Cai Kaiming actually doubted this explanation, as Pei Guixiang’s behavior today was quite strange.

“I’m not bringing him over. If another teacher complains, you’ll just ask me to take him away again. Leopard isn’t some pet you can summon and dismiss at will.” Zhang Jiaohua was still upset.

Cai Kaiming felt a bit awkward and chuckled, “Alright then, forget it.”

“Mr. Cai, there’s a saying in my hometown: ‘A kind person gets bullied, and a tame horse gets ridden.’ It’s fine to be nice to others, but being a pushover is not acceptable.” Zhang Jiaohua didn’t hold back, despite Cai Kaiming being a teacher.

Cai Kaiming was left speechless by this kid’s lecture. As he walked out of the dorm, he scratched his head, chuckling to himself, “The older I get, the more backward I become—getting lectured by a child!”

Wu Guangyuan and his wife, holding their hoes, blocked the weasel’s den with bricks and packed the soil tight. They knew the weasel could find another way in from outside the fence, but blocking this entrance was all they could do.

For several days, the weasel didn’t come back to harm their chicks. It seemed that blocking the den had really worked. But Wu Guangyuan and Pei Guixiang knew it was only temporary—the weasel would eventually return.

Zhang Jiaohua didn’t dwell on why Cai Kaiming said what he did that night. As far as Zhang was concerned, the matter was settled when he took Leopard back to the village. He didn’t go to Cai Kaiming’s place for food anymore and preferred going to the simple conditions by the riverbank to eat.

“Come to my place! It may be a bit rundown, but it’s better than here,” Xie Mingyuan suddenly suggested.

“Your place?” Zhang Jiaohua glanced at him.

“My house is in Yidushui Village, about a ten-minute walk. My parents are away working, and it’s just me at home.” Xie Mingyuan had dropped out of school and couldn’t get an ID card or a border pass because he was too young. His parents were working in Shenzhen, where border pass checks were strict, and without one, you could be detained for reform.

“Alright, we’ll check it out tomorrow,” Zhang Jiaohua replied casually. Eating out was inconvenient, and the food was getting monotonous. Cooking at home meant better ingredients, and the taste would be far better than just using portable seasonings.

Even though the weasel hadn’t returned, the constant fear had taken a toll on Wu Guangyuan and Pei Guixiang. Their mental state was deteriorating, and Wu even started muttering nonsense in class. When school leaders came to observe, Principal Wan Youming lost his temper mid-lesson, shouting at Wu, “Why don’t you just go home and guard your chickens instead of teaching?” Wan had been displeased with the teachers keeping chickens in the dorms, but out of sympathy for their situations, he had turned a blind eye—until now.

After that, Wu went home and slaughtered all their chickens, cooking them in one pot. The couple argued all night, and the next day Wu came to school with scratches on his neck and face, clearly from fingernails, giving everyone another glimpse of Pei Guixiang’s ferocity.

“No wonder Mr. Cai wanted you to bring the dog back—it’s because Mr. Wu’s chickens were getting attacked by the weasel,” Zhang Yuanbao said indignantly. “You were right not to give in. Some people just can’t be indulged. Why should they get their way all the time? Mr. Cai ate so much of our meat and still sided with Mr. Wu. We should stop dealing with him altogether.”

“Let’s not talk about it anymore,” Zhang Jiaohua said. “Anyway, we always have our meals at your apprentice’s place now. By the way, have you taught him kung fu yet?” He glanced over at Xie Mingyuan.

Zhang Yuanbao was still irked by the situation. “He’s not my apprentice. But I’ve taught him some basic stances. Let’s see if he can stick with it. Back in the day, I had to endure a lot to master it.”

“Haha, some people’s skin must be thicker than city walls,” Zhang Jiaohua laughed. He vividly remembered someone complaining endlessly when they were practicing stances, finding every excuse to slack off, and now they were acting all high and mighty.

Time flew by, and soon it was winter.

The mountain hounds had been in training for two to three months, and as the twenty-four puppies grew, they were starting to develop some presence.

Mountain hounds aren’t just raised—they’re trained. Without facing real danger, ordinary hunting dogs can’t become Meishan hounds, let alone mountain hounds.

So once they showed some potential, it was time to take them into the mountains to face wild animals. Only after surviving countless life-and-death struggles would they truly become mountain hounds.

The outskirts of Meishan were full of small, harmless creatures that didn’t offer much challenge. Zhang Jiaohua planned to take the twenty-four hounds deep into the mountains, where they’d encounter real predators. He only brought Drill Leopard, Fat Cat, and Big Fat Monkey along. The latter had already surpassed the alpha macaque but had grown too accustomed to life outside the mountains to care about leading the troop. So, no bloody battles for dominance had occurred.

Both Zhang Yuanbao and Dumb Mute wanted to join, but Zhang Jiaohua firmly refused. “This time, I’m bringing so many young dogs into the mountains, I won’t be able to look out for you. The deep forest is too dangerous, and I can’t guarantee my own safety. If we run into something dangerous, I’ll have to run for my life.”

As they entered the mountains, the twenty-four mountain hounds were ecstatic, barking and charging about, terrifying all the small animals. Wild chickens, rabbits, and squirrels darted about in panic, with some unlucky ones quickly caught by the pups.

Drill Leopard, who had once gone through this phase, couldn’t be bothered to hunt such small prey. Back then, it didn’t have the luxury of an expert hunter leading the way. Now, with Drill Leopard, Fat Cat, and Big Fat Monkey providing protection, the trip was much safer. But Zhang Jiaohua didn’t intend for Leopard to babysit the young hounds—real mountain hounds must earn their stripes through blood and battle.

The outskirts of Meishan had already been cleared of dangerous beasts by the hunting dogs, and Zhang Jiaohua was no longer the inexperienced boy who had once been chased by a wild boar over several mountains. Confident, he ventured deeper into the primeval forest, a place rarely seen by humans. No one knew what kind of predators lurked in the uncharted wilderness, and rumors even suggested tigers might still roam those parts.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

The young mountain hounds, fearless and wild, rampaged through the forest. The small creatures of Meishan were no match for them. Only after they tasted enough hardship would they learn to respect the vastness of the forest.

Despite their wild behavior, Zhang Jiaohua noticed something strange. The twenty-four hounds, no matter how recklessly they charged, maintained a subtle connection between them. This cohesion was something Zhang Jiaohua hadn’t observed in larger groups of hunting dogs before. While the numbers were smaller, and these hounds were still immature, their combined power seemed even greater, more focused, than that of the adult hunting dogs.

As the hounds continued their relentless assault on the mountains, scaring every creature in their path, it seemed like the larger predators had vanished from Meishan. Zhang Jiaohua wondered if they had all left the area.

He continued cutting through the undergrowth with his machete, slowing down as he hacked at the dense vegetation. Meanwhile, the young hounds zipped through the gaps, moving faster and wilder by the minute.

“Oh no, these pups are getting too bold. I need to call them back. If they run into something dangerous, we’ll be in trouble.” Zhang Jiaohua whistled, trying to get their attention.

But the pups, caught up in the thrill of the hunt, ignored his call and charged ahead.

ROAR!

Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the mountain, making the ground tremble.

Zhang Jiaohua’s hand slipped, nearly dropping his machete.