Chapter 11

The leader of Hu Ya Fortress was not a local emperor, and many things had to be discussed with everyone. Once there was a conflict with the outside world, the leader would naturally represent the people. Normally, there were no special privileges, the only benefit being that each hunting team would give a portion of their prey to the leader, who could enjoy a part of it, while another part had to be given to the poor households in Hu Ya Fortress.

The leader was usually replaced every few years, with the position held by old hunters from the Hu or Ke families. Generally, any elder with prestige in Hu Ya Fortress could potentially become the leader. The current leader is an old hunter from the Hu family named Hu Cangya, who was once a famous hunter in Hu Ya Fortress and is now nearly fifty years old.

The time here is different from Lei Xingfeng's previous life; a day has about thirty hours, which he estimated himself. A year is not 365 days but rather about 300 warm days and over 200 cold days, so a year here is roughly one and a half years in his previous life. At fifty, by the standards of his previous world, he would be nearly eighty, but the people here have excellent physical conditions, and at fifty, they are still energetic, though they can no longer go hunting.

Old people's reactions are much slower, and they cannot handle many sudden events, so Hu Cangya became the leader of Hu Ya Fortress.

This time, when he heard that Ke Dashan and Hu Da Niu's hunting team had actually hunted two wild bulls, he couldn't sit still. As soon as he heard the news, he rushed to Lei Xingfeng's home.

Hu Cangya brought several people to Lei Xingfeng's home. As the leader, he had once cared for this family. Although the Lei family were outsiders, due to the sparse population here, any household that settled down was a valuable resource. Therefore, when the Lei family was in the most difficult times, he had also lent a helping hand.

Everyone welcomed Hu Cangya and his group into the courtyard. The entire courtyard was filled with a bloody smell. On a huge wooden frame, two skinned wild bulls were hanging, their internal organs already removed. One of the wild bulls was almost completely dissected, and large pieces of meat were placed in wooden basins on the ground. The people in the courtyard looked very excited.

Ke Dashan and Hu Da Niu were in charge of distributing the meat. Of course, Lei Xingfeng received the largest portion, as he was the one who had hunted the wild bulls.

Soon, Hu Cangya learned of Lei Xingfeng's contribution. He seemed very enthusiastic. A hunter who could shoot a wild bull was the best hunter anywhere. He said, "A Feng, the harvest of Hu Ya Fortress this year... is generally not high, hehe, can you help everyone?"

Lei Bao was immediately unhappy. He used to have a very bad temper, but now he was much better. He said, "Leader, my grandson is only sixteen and just went on his first hunt. How can he help?"

Hu Cangya chuckled, "Old Brother Lei, your grandson is really something. On his first hunt, he could hunt a wild bull, which is unprecedented in Hu Ya Fortress. Hehe, you know, the harvest of the hunting teams this year is not good, and the cold season is coming soon. I originally planned to gather all the hunting teams for a large-scale hunt, but I didn't expect A Feng to be so capable."

Lei Bao was slightly annoyed. He knew what Hu Cangya meant and said, "You want A Feng to be the main hunter?"

Hu Cangya smiled, "Old Brother, if A Feng is the main hunter, he won't have to worry about other things, and he can get the first share!"

The hunters present immediately showed signs of joy. Wild bulls were extremely difficult to hunt, not because the bulls were particularly powerful, but because the hunters' weapons found it hard to penetrate the bulls' defenses. Even if they trapped the bulls, it was still difficult to kill them.

Most importantly, the meat of wild bulls was extremely nutritious. A hunter would need to eat five to six pounds of other meat to be full, but with wild bull meat, just two pounds would suffice, and it was very beneficial to the body. Additionally, the skin of the wild bull could be used to make armor, and the horns could be used to make strong bows. In short, a wild bull was a treasure from head to toe, and in the eyes of hunters, it was the best prey.

There were about three hundred young and strong men in Hu Ya Fortress who could go hunting, forming dozens of teams. The largest team had fifteen members, while the smallest, like Ke Dashan's team, had only three. Of course, after Lei Xingfeng joined, this team had four members, no longer being the smallest. In Hu Ya Fortress, any team that dared to form with three members were hunting experts.

Lei Bao sighed and said, "Alright, A Feng has always received everyone's help. This time, it's a way to repay them."

Hu Cangya's face turned slightly red, feeling a bit like he was taking advantage of a favor.

Lei Xingfeng said, "It's fine, Grandpa, I'm willing to be the main hunter." He didn't feel resistant. In his previous life, he had seen many schemes and intrigues, and the simplicity of the people here always made him grateful. Many things would surprise and move him, and now that he had the ability, he naturally wanted to repay them.

Hu Cangya said happily, "Great, A Feng, you rest for a day, and I'll gather the hunters. Unfortunately, many hunting teams are still out, but this time we might gather a hundred people, and we'll set out tomorrow."

...

A large-scale hunt was very complex, especially when hunting a specific type of prey. This was not a general hunt but a specialized one, relying on several or even a dozen of the strongest hunters to specifically hunt large animals. The others were not there to hunt but to transport the prey.

Hu Ya Fortress had never had such a main hunter before, and the first one was a sixteen-year-old boy.

It's important to know that once a main hunter demonstrated his strength and gained the recognition of the other hunters, he would receive the greatest respect in the area. In the wild, he would have command over any hunting team from the same area. For example, if Lei Xingfeng became the main hunter, all the hunting teams from Hu Ya Fortress would follow his commands.

All the hunters in Hu Ya Fortress were gathered, and the leader Hu Cangya announced that Lei Xingfeng would become the first main hunter of Hu Ya Fortress. The hunters were not very surprised, as they had already heard the news that Hu Ya Fortress had a young hunter who could quickly kill wild bulls. Most of these hunters had encountered wild bulls and knew how difficult they were to deal with, so there was no opposition, though many still had some doubts and wanted to see for themselves in the wild.

Preparations were quickly made, and not only hunters but also many middle-aged and young women participated. They did not hunt but were responsible for processing the prey or helping to carry it. The women here were also very strong, though not as strong as men, but compared to the women in Lei Xingfeng's previous life, their strength was like that of a tyrannosaurus. They would be embarrassed to show their faces if they didn't have several hundred pounds of strength in each arm.

In the early morning, the sky was overcast, and the weather was somewhat gloomy. Everyone gathered and set out from Hu Ya Fortress on time.

The large group left Hu Ya Fortress, and the leader Hu Cangya also followed. He did not hunt but was responsible for command and coordination. With him, conflicts were less likely to arise.

The team leaders of the various hunting teams assigned tasks, with scouts, defenders, and rear guards. Lei Xingfeng observed coldly and found that Hu Cangya's organizational skills were quite strong. With over a hundred hunters, sixty women, and nearly two hundred people in total, everything was well-organized, and they moved forward. This time, they were heading to the pond, which was a place where wild bulls often gathered, making it the most convenient place to hunt.

Lei Xingfeng walked in the middle of the group, with two hunting teams of about ten people in front, responsible for driving away wild animals.

The pond was a well-known hunting ground near Hu Ya Fortress, but only the best hunting teams would come here. Although there were many prey, it was also very dangerous. Even if small animals were killed, they were hard to find, and it was easy to provoke fierce beasts coming to drink water.

Suddenly, the team in front sounded a sharp whistle, and Hu Cangya immediately showed a surprised look. He said, "Quick! Support, the Eagle Clan is attacking us!"

Several dozen hunters immediately rushed out, all famous experts from Hu Ya Fortress. Lei Xingfeng, holding his black bow, also rushed out.

Ke Dashan cursed, knowing that this was likely a retaliation from the Eagle Clan. He called out and led Ke Nanshan and Ke Shi to rush out as well.

Hu Cangya shouted loudly, "Everyone, be on alert! Don't all go, defend on the spot!" He was also leading over sixty women, who were the mainstays of Hu Ya Fortress in planting and household management. If there were any casualties, it would be a major issue. In the mountains, women had a high status because they were the pillars of the family, and there could be no accidents. This time, Hu Cangya had taken a great risk by bringing so many women.

Most of the hunters surrounded the women, joking around. Many of these women were the wives and sisters of the hunters. If they were surrounded and killed, the hunters would not be able to bear it.

Lei Xingfeng's perception was much higher than that of the hunters. He could clearly sense the enemies ahead, about twenty or so, and about ten more behind. He couldn't know the exact number, but he felt his estimate was quite accurate.

Several cries of pain echoed, and a Hu Ya Fortress hunter shouted, "Everyone be careful, they have a marksman!"

A marksman was a special existence among hunters. Such a marksman was not particularly good at hunting but was more focused on targeting people or savages. In this world, the power of bows and arrows was relatively weak against wild beasts, except for Lei Xingfeng's black bow, which exceeded the pulling strength of ordinary bows.

When they heard about the marksman, all the Hu Ya Fortress hunters immediately took cover behind trees or rocks, no longer advancing. Two had already been hit by arrows, and it was unknown if they were dead or alive. All were experienced hunters, and no one wanted to be a target.

Ke Dashan hid behind a large tree, also drawing his bow, but he couldn't determine the enemy's position. The forest was dense, and visibility was extremely limited. The hunters were experienced and would not easily expose themselves. At first, the Hu Ya Fortress hunters suffered because they were caught off guard, but the others quickly took cover, and the situation became a stalemate, with hunters occasionally shooting arrows.