Chapter 18: The Failed Chicken Hunt

Chapter 18: The Failed Pheasant Hunt

“Since lingzhi mushrooms can grow here, it should be even more suitable for wild fungi,” Xu Yi observed.

“Keke, let’s search along the way and see if there are any wild mushrooms we can eat,” he suggested.

Grilled mushrooms on a stone slab are quite delicious.

“Mm-hmm, Keke knows many edible mountain mushrooms,” Su Keke’s eyes lit up, as if recalling the various fungi she had eaten before, even licking her lips.

“That’s great,” Xu Yi smiled, feeling more hopeful. He only recognized a few edible varieties—black fungus, white fungus, shiitake, enoki, tea tree mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms—all common in markets and restaurants.

He was unfamiliar with the rest, but he knew better than to eat any wild mushroom he didn’t recognize. Otherwise, it could be deadly. Sometimes you might even see little people dancing, or worse, you could die outright. When it comes to wild fungi, utmost caution is essential. One must never risk their life for the sake of flavor, especially since such poisonings could be excruciatingly painful before death.

[Does Keke’s survival skills seem stronger than No.1’s?]

[Agreed. It feels like Keke is leading No.1.]

Xu Yi paid no mind to these comments floating in the live chat. Compliments about his daughter pleased him far more than praise directed at himself.

Both of them scanned every direction with wide eyes, leaving no stone unturned. Yet, over an hour passed without any success. Eventually, they had no choice but to eat the remaining loquats on the ground.

After finishing the loquats, they sat down to rest. Although there was some moss on the trees, the ground remained quite dry. They also noticed many patches of withered moss, indicating that the humidity here was limited.

This made Xu Yi somewhat anxious, wondering if they should change direction. But he was reluctant to give up after they had traveled so far. What if water was just ahead? Choosing another way might mean days without finding any water.

After resting for about ten minutes, they resumed their journey. After another ten minutes, Xu Yi suddenly grabbed Su Keke and motioned for silence. She immediately understood and covered her mouth with her hand.

Xu Yi raised his spear carefully, stepping lightly to avoid making any noise. He had sharpened the spear’s tip with a newly found stone shard, making it quite sharp.

If he managed to hit something, it would surely cause harm—except for animals with particularly tough hides like wild boars or black bears. Xu Yi wasn’t strong enough to pierce their defenses.

[Is that a pheasant?]

[Wow, No.1 sure has eagle eyes spotting it from so far away!]

[Too far! Hitting it won’t be easy unless you’ve trained.]

Training was out of the question. Xu Yi had no other weapon besides his spear.

The pheasant turned its head back and forth but hadn’t noticed Xu Yi yet. He was still over ten meters away but was slowly closing in.

Because the forest floor was covered with leaves, he had to step very lightly to minimize sound, which slowed his approach considerably. But there was no alternative—his only chance to improve his accuracy was to get closer.

The pheasant was quite large, no smaller than a small hen from home, probably weighing two to three pounds. If he succeeded in killing it, they’d have dinner sorted.

The viewers were all on edge, cheering and praying for him. Only if Xu Yi hit the pheasant would their beloved Su Keke avoid going hungry tonight.

The distance was steadily shrinking. The pheasant occasionally pecked the ground, scratching leaves and soil with its claws as if searching for insects.

When Xu Yi was about five meters away, he stopped. Bushes blocked the path ahead, and moving any closer would stir too much noise.

He made a throwing motion, adjusting his aim repeatedly. The audience grew more anxious.

Then, with a sudden burst of strength, Xu Yi thrust the spear and threw it.

The pheasant leapt into the air, seemingly ready to flee.

“Ah…” Xu Yi sighed and dashed after it.

The pheasant took flight, but Xu Yi knew its flying ability was limited—he still had a chance to catch up.

At that moment, Xu Yi suddenly noticed a snake entwined around the tip of his spear.

[That’s unexpected!]

[Missed the pheasant but hit a snake instead?]

[Amazing! No.1 is incredible, actually hit a snake!]

[What luck, that’s unbelievably fortunate!]

[Pheasant: Thank you, master, for saving my life!!]

[Snake: …Who did I offend for an assassination attempt?]

Xu Yi quickly activated his X-ray vision, seeing a snake impaled through the head by his spear, pinned firmly in place.

“Dad, did you hit it?” Su Keke ran over, having missed the pheasant’s flight, only hearing Xu Yi’s sigh.

“I did. I hit a snake, even bigger than the one from yesterday,” Xu Yi replied happily.

This snake was no less valuable than the pheasant. Plus, they could get a snake-skin water pouch, which was even more precious.

“Really?” Su Keke beamed, rushing to his side. She could see the snake tightening its grip on Xu Yi’s spear.

“Dad, you’re amazing, even better than Uncle Liu,” she praised.

“Just luck, just luck,” Xu Yi said modestly.

He truly hadn’t noticed the snake. His X-ray vision only picked out the pheasant, missing the lurking predator preparing to strike.

As for the pheasant, that matter was already settled.

“Dad, should we keep going now?”

With food in hand, Su Keke felt they should roast it and eat immediately. She was still a bit hungry after the small serving of loquats at noon.

Still, she followed Xu Yi’s lead.

He scanned the surroundings carefully to avoid missing anything.

“You stay here. I’ll check if those vines over there are water vines. If they are, we’ll stay,” he decided.

Their water supply was running low. If the vines contained water, it would be wise to camp here. Otherwise, they’d have to travel further.

It was only three in the afternoon—still two hours before dark.

Two hours was enough time to cover a fair distance.

(End of chapter)