The closer you get to the Qilian Mountains, the cooler the temperature becomes.
It's snowing heavily and it's freezing cold.
Frostbite can occur if the skin is even slightly exposed.
The army circled all the way up from the foot of the mountain, first walking up the mountainside, then up the ridge, and then down the valley, crossing the Qilian Mountains against the heavy snow and biting cold wind.
afternoon.
It gets dark very quickly.
The team set up camp in the woods early and built a fire to keep warm.
Song Che huddled next to the fire, holding big cakes and dried meat in his hands. When he took a bite, his teeth were almost chipped.
"Don't you know how to bring a hot pot? In this damn weather, how can you not eat hot food!" He threw away the dried meat in his hand and couldn't help complaining.
Chachai picked up the dried meat and put it into his arms unceremoniously, "It's winter, and food is in short supply. It would be nice to have a bite of meat, but you're not satisfied yet!"
Arhan said: "Mr. Song might as well make do with it. We can cross the Qilian Mountains in three to five days. I have already sent someone back to report the news. Someone will come to greet us by then."
"Is it three days or five days?" Song Che asked.
Arhan said: "It depends on whether God is good at it. If the snow stays so heavy, it may not be possible to climb over it in ten days and a half. This is the Qilian Mountains."
Ten days and a half month? Either starve to death or freeze to death!
Song Che shook his head and stood up.
"Ren Liang, what do you want to do!" Chachai stood up with a knife.
"What can I do? This is a desperate situation in the extreme, are you still afraid that I will escape?" Song Che pointed to the dense mountain forest behind him and said:
"I'm going hunting."
"hunt?"
All the Hu soldiers seemed to have heard a joke.
Chachai sneered and said, "Are you going to be stunned by the cold? In such a harsh environment, it will be dark soon. Where can you find prey for you to hunt?"
Arhan said at this time: "Mr. Song doesn't know something. There is a snow leopard in the forest of Qilian Mountain. If you are targeted by it, it will be very troublesome. If you really want to eat cooked meat, there is no harm in killing a horse."
Chachai immediately retorted: "Sir, you are too content with this Liang man! Our brothers don't even have enough horses. If you kill a horse just to satisfy his words, how can your brothers be convinced?"
"Why are you talking so much nonsense? Isn't there no prey in the cold winter? Instead of sitting here and freezing, why not try your luck." Song Che glanced sideways and guessed, "If you are afraid of the snow leopard, you don't need to Go, when I return from hunting, I will reward you with a piece of meat."
"What a joke!" Chachai glared and said, "I can tear a snow leopard in half with my bare hands!"
Arhan said: "Mr. Song can insist on having fun, but there are two conditions. First, the hunting range can only be within three miles; second, riding horses is not allowed."
Song Che shrugged, indicating that it didn't matter.
"Chachai, you can take thirty people with you and accompany Mr. Song on the hunting trip. Remember, you must protect his safety and return before dark." Arhan ordered.
Chacai didn't say much, picked thirty warriors, put swords and crossbows on their backs, and walked with Song Che into the forest.
The dense canopy of trees is like a natural umbrella, blocking large amounts of wind and snow. There is not much snow in the forest. They are thinly covered on the fallen leaves, making a "click" sound when stepped on.
Ancient times were no different than modern times. There were no poachers, and birds and animals grew freely. Even in the cold winter, there were still animals active.
Red deer, antelope, and wild donkeys have left many tracks and droppings in the forest.
"You all should keep an eye out for me. If any prey appears, stop first and then tell me the location." Song Che held a crossbow and ordered to the Hu soldiers accompanying him.
Chachai crossed his arms and followed Song Che with a playful look on his face, "Don't blame me for not reminding you, seeing prey is not a good sign. In addition to snow leopards, there are also predators in this forest who have awakened from hibernation. The bears that come here are very hungry and won’t be picky about anyone, especially a pretty guy like you with delicate skin and tender meat.”
Song Che lifted up his fur robe and said to Chachai, "Have you blind eyes seen this robe of mine? It is made of brown bear fur."
"Tsk...can you hunt a brown bear? I can kill a tiger with my bare hands."
"As long as your crossbow is powerful enough."
"This hard crossbow can shoot through a human skull at a distance of a hundred steps. Don't worry about its power."
"Then how about we make a bet?" Song Che turned around and asked.
Chachai said softly: "Tell me about it."
Song Che said: "Let's bet on whether I can return from hunting today. If I win, you let me slap you ten times; if I lose, I let you punch me. How about that?"
Chachai smiled disdainfully and didn't say anything. Instead, he walked up to a big tree, raised his fist and punched the trunk of the tree. "Bang!" The tree, which was a foot thick, broke into two pieces instantly!
He clapped his hands with satisfaction and glanced at Song Che: "Do you really want to bet?"
Song Che cursed in his heart: Is this bastard still a human being? His strength is so great that it goes against common sense!
He gritted his teeth and said, "Bet!"
Chachai pointed at the sky and sneered: "In less than half an hour, it will be completely dark. If you can't catch the prey by then, you will lose."
"Shashasha..."
Sudden!
There was a strange noise in the jungle not far away.
"You silly guy, just come with me. Don't move anyone else, lest you scare away my prey!"
"Don't be too happy too early, what if the snow falls from the leaves?"
"The sound of falling snow is 'swishing', and this sound is 'swishing'. There must be something nearby. Don't say anything, just follow behind. Otherwise, you will scare away the prey, and you will lose."
It was most likely that the stupid guy had interrupted the trees and disturbed the animals hiding in the forest.
Song Che loaded the crossbow, lowered his body and footsteps, and walked slowly in the direction of the incident.
Pushing aside a piece of grass, the field of view suddenly widened. About thirty feet away, a red deer was grazing. The "rustling" sound was made when it tore young leaves with its mouth.
"You are really lucky to meet a red deer at this time... However, from such a long distance, you will probably miss it." Chachai said softly, and then offered advice: "You might as well use the grass to help Take cover, walk seven to eight feet to the left, and shoot it in the belly and heart."
Song Che turned his head and glanced at the big man, "If I hunt it, you will be slapped ten times by me."
Chachai hummed softly: "You have thin arms and legs. It doesn't matter if I slap you a hundred times, but if I can hunt a red deer, my brothers will have cooked meat to eat tonight."
"Then don't follow me. I'll go there by myself. Your target is too big and it's easy to scare it away."
"No, Mr. Arhan has told me that he must be by your side at all times and never leave."
"Then do you still want to eat venison? I will move forward about ten feet, don't tell me that you are not worried about it."
After Song Che said this, Chachai hesitated for a moment and nodded, "Whether you are hunting or not, you have to stand still for me. If you try to run away, I will definitely shoot you first!" "
