Chapter 74 Catching Chickens

Chapter 74: The Chicken Hunt

Sheng Xingyao instantly held his breath.

Something was there!

The bushes were thick with branches, completely obscuring whatever was behind them, but the rustling clearly indicated a living creature.

Sheng Xingyao strained to discern the shape behind the branches; it didn't appear to be very large.

What kind of animal was it? A rabbit? Or a squirrel?

The others also noticed the unusual activity. Yu Xin stared intently at the bushes, making a downward motion with his hand behind his back, signaling them to remain silent.

Then, he took the bow from his back, pulled an arrow from his quiver, notched it, aimed at the bushes, and slowly drew back the bowstring.

He couldn’t see the prey, and moving closer now would only startle it. He had to rely on instinct for a blind shot.

With a "whoosh," the sharp arrow sliced through the air and vanished into the bushes. Immediately after, a living creature shot upward, letting out a startled shriek as it flapped frantically and flew into the dense forest.

It all happened in less than a second. The others only caught a blur before it disappeared entirely.

"Holy cow, there really was something!"

"What was that just now? It flew too fast—I didn’t see it."

"I didn’t get a clear look either, but if it can fly, it must be some kind of bird."

"Why would a bird come down to the ground like that? And it wasn’t flying very high—probably a pheasant."

"Whatever it was, it’s gone now. What a shame."

The cameras hadn't fully captured it, but those on the scene saw it clearly. "It looked like a chicken!" Sheng Xingyao exclaimed excitedly.

"Ah, too bad it wasn’t hit. It flew away," Qin Shizhen lamented, watching their potential meal disappear overhead.

Yu Xin hurried over, parted the bushes, and found the arrow half-stuck in the dirt, with a few chicken feathers scattered around.

He pulled out the arrow to examine it, then picked up the feathers to show the others. "It’s injured. It won’t be able to fly far. If we chase after it, we should be able to catch it."

There were specks of blood on the feathers, and the arrowhead was stained with blood too. The shot hadn’t missed entirely—it had just been off target.

"Let’s go, let’s go! Let's get that chicken!"

With their prey right there, no one cared about being tired anymore. They took off in the direction the chicken had flown.

But the forest was dense with trees in every direction. Rushing in wouldn't just make it hard to find the prey—it was easy to get lost, and that would be no laughing matter.

Yu Xin had everyone grab some stones from the riverbank and drop them along the way as markers.

But the chicken, frightened and fleeing at top speed, had long vanished.

"How are we supposed to find it? It disappeared in an instant," Shen Tong said, frustrated. They weren’t hunting dogs that could track by scent.

"Look carefully—there’s blood on the ground," Yu Xin pointed to a spot where a few drops of blood had fallen. However, the dark soil and humus made it hard to discern with the naked eye.

But this was no challenge for Yu Xin. After a brief inspection, he set off in a certain direction, and the others quickly followed.

More blood appeared on the ground, suggesting the chicken’s desperate escape had worsened its wound. It definitely couldn’t have gone much farther.

Sure enough, after chasing for about a kilometer, they spotted the chicken still trying to run. Yu Xin nocked another arrow and drew his bow. This time, with nothing obstructing his view, he easily hit his target. The struck chicken dropped straight down and landed on the ground with a thud.

"Hooray!! We got it, we got it!!" The group cheered excitedly. Their persistence had paid off! After all this time, they’d finally secured a meal.

Although it was all Yu Xin’s doing, they had witnessed it with their own eyes! Hahaha!

Thank goodness—they wouldn’t go hungry today!

"Finally caught it!! I was getting excited watching them at my desk, haha."

"Yu Xin finally scored a hit. I guess that first shot was just a fluke, huh? Haha."

"Erm, it wasn’t really a fluke. With those tall bushes in the way, he couldn’t even see the target. Hitting it at all was really impressive."

"That chicken looks nice and plump. I wonder how they’ll cook it. I want roast chicken, stewed chicken, fried chicken… (wipes drool)."

"Fried chicken might be a bit difficult…"

Sheng Xingyao eagerly ran over to retrieve the chicken. The poor chicken was completely dead now, lying motionless. The first arrow had struck its wing, which explained why it had been bleeding so heavily.

Qin Shizhen took it and weighed it in his hand. "Whoa, this chicken is pretty heavy. Must have eaten well."

The group followed their markers back the way they came with their prize. Perhaps their luck had finally turned, because on the return trip, they managed to bag another chicken. This time, Yu Xin pinned it to a tree trunk with a single arrow, thrilling the live-stream audience.

"We need to process these chickens while they’re still warm. Otherwise, if the blood coagulates inside, it’ll be hard to drain later," Yu Xin said. He dug a small pit in the ground, took out a small dagger, and swiftly slit the chickens’ throats to drain the blood. The red blood filled the pit and quickly seeped into the soil.

After draining the blood, Yu Xin covered the stains with soil, then went to the stream to wash the blood from his hands. Watching the still-excited guests, he said, "Also, we should leave this area immediately. Wild animals have keen senses of smell. Such a strong blood scent could easily attract predators."

His calm words instantly wiped the excitement from the others’ faces.

Did they hear correctly? Predators?

Ruan Qing lowered her voice, her heart pounding with fear. "Yu Xin, you’re not joking, are you? Predators—like tigers, lions, or wolves?"

"There are no lions or wolves here, but there should be tigers. And," Yu Xin also lowered his voice, his expression turning serious, "there’s a good chance there are bears here. A black bear can smell blood from a kilometer away, and they can move at speeds up to fifty kilometers per hour. If one really targets us, our chances of escape are very slim."

"Oh my god, really?"

"That’s terrifying! I’ve read reports about black bears attacking people. They’re smart and cruel, and they even enjoy torturing their prey. Never mind, I shouldn’t say more—it’s too disturbing."

"I’ve read that too… 'Mom, the bear is eating my leg.'"

"Stop it, ahhhhhhh!"

"You’re… you’re joking, right…?" Shen Tong hugged herself, feeling goosebumps rise all over.

With her small frame, a black bear could probably take her out with one swipe.

Whether it was psychological or not, the once lively forest now felt eerily silent, almost unnervingly quiet.

The sweat from chasing the prey had cooled, and the wind sent a chill down their backs. Shen Tong couldn’t help shivering.

"Let’s hurry up and leave. Let’s get back to camp quickly, now," she whispered.

It wasn’t just her—everyone felt a chill down their spines after hearing Yu Xin’s words. Some even felt an eerie sensation, as if something were watching them from the shadows.

Now, no one needed urging. They quickly gathered their prey and gear and hurried back along the path.

With this scare, their return trip was much faster than the journey out. The difficult mountain path didn’t feel so exhausting anymore, and they sped back to camp, finally able to relax.

"Hey guys, do you think a bear might actually come into our camp?" Sheng Xingyao couldn't help but voice his suspicion. He was now seeing danger everywhere, and the more he thought about it, the less secure the camp seemed.

What if a bear sneaked in while they were asleep and took a swipe at each of us? Wouldn't that be game over?

"No way, I have to go ask the director—is it really safe around here?" As he spoke, he started heading to find the production team. If necessary, they could just call off filming for this episode.

"Right, let's all go talk to the production team. Come on, let's go."

Just as Sheng Xingyao was about to stand up, someone grabbed his sleeve. He turned around: "Yu Xin?"

"No need to go. We're perfectly safe here, don't worry," Yu Xin said confidently, facing four skeptical faces. "Just go about your business. I promise nothing will happen."

"But didn't you just say that if we encountered a bear, it would be hard for us to escape..."

"I did say that. Bears have a stronger sense of smell than us, and they're faster. With just our two legs, there's no outrunning them once they're tracking us," Yu Xin blinked, his tone innocent. "Since we can't outrun them, why not just scare it off instead?"

"Huh?"

Yu Xin continued, "Besides, it's still hibernation season for most bears right now. Even if we were unlucky enough to run into one, I could chase it off. I wouldn't let anything happen to any of you."

Bears are solitary animals, so the chance of encountering two at once is extremely low. Dealing with one bear and ensuring everyone's safety—that was something he was confident about. Plus, the production team wasn't just sitting around; they wouldn't stand by and do nothing if real danger arose.

Ruan Qing widened her eyes, finally realizing: "You—you were deliberately trying to scare us!"

The corner of Yu Xin's mouth quirked up, which Shen Tong immediately noticed. She said angrily, "You're still laughing! Did you get a kick out of pulling this stunt?"

Yu Xin finally couldn't hold back his laughter.

He hadn't forgotten how distrustful they had been of him at the beginning, making him waste his breath trying to convince them. A little payback this time wasn't too much, was it?

His laughter instantly eased the tension, and everyone finally breathed easier.

After spending so much time together, they had been fooled by Yu Xin's calm and steady demeanor, almost forgetting that he was just a guy in his early twenties. This was the first time they had seen such a playful side of him.

"Exactly, Xiao Yu, next time don't joke around like that with Teacher Qin. Middle-aged hearts can't take it," Qin Shizhen said helplessly. This kid was something else—usually so reliable, but suddenly pulling a prank like this was a real heart-stopper.

"I wanted to scare you all a bit to keep you from wandering off. And don't you think the hike back up the mountain felt much faster and less exhausting than going down? When people are moderately tense, the brain releases adrenaline and dopamine, which can heighten your awareness and reduce fatigue," Yu Xin said, his expression turning serious again.

"Hey, now that you mention it, it did feel easier than going downhill... But you still shouldn't have scared us!"

"Hahahahaha, never thought I'd see Yu Xin act so playful."

"Don't just blame them—I was scared too! I couldn't shake the feeling there was a bear in the house watching me."

"Everyone watching at home, don't worry. There won't be a bear suddenly showing up on your doorstep out of nowhere."

With everyone relaxed, their stomachs started rumbling loudly: "What should we do with these two chickens?"

"Well..." Yu Xin's mind raced through different ways to cook these chickens.

"Decided! One will be roasted, and the other will be beggar's chicken!"

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Author's note: Ahem, just to clarify—the chickens caught in this chapter are just ordinary free-range chickens. Most wild birds are protected animals, and catching them is basically illegal. Everyone, please don’t casually catch wild chickens to eat! Protecting wildlife is our shared responsibility!