Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 94 - 90 Dangerous Situations in the Mountains

How can there be people here? Actually, seeing the wounded wild boar and the hunting trap, I already had my suspicions. Even so, it’s still surprising to see the shadows of people behind that distant tree with my own eyes. I never expected them to be so bold. It’s one thing to set traps, but to lie in wait on-site without leaving... Then again, anyone who ventures deep into the mountains is bound to be fearless. People daring enough to stake out their prey are on another level—not only are they experienced with precise judgment, but they’re also absolutely ruthless. If I wasn’t so familiar with this area, I probably wouldn’t have thought so much about it. From my position, I can see at least two people hiding behind that large tree. The trunk blocks the view of anything else, so I can’t be sure if there are more.

"Don’t move, you understand?" Wang Jian patted the arm wrapped around his stomach and whispered to Cai Qiong, "There are poachers ahead, right behind that big tree."

Wang Jian pointed in that direction. Only then did Cai Qiong shift her attention from nature’s brutal struggle and follow his gesture with her eyes, her gaze landing on a massive tree that would take three people to encircle. Coincidentally, the two poachers were positioned sideways relative to Wang Jian and Cai Qiong, allowing for a clear view. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

As for whether there were others behind the tree, that remained uncertain. From Wang Jian’s vantage point, he had already seen two people. And among them, one had a long hunting rifle slung across his back.

When Wang Jian saw this man, his pupils constricted, and his heart began to pound. He might have considerable martial arts skills, but they were no match for such a weapon. Even if it was just a modified shotgun, he wouldn’t even have a chance to make a move from this distance.

So, he pulled Cai Qiong close and crouched low. Fortunately, Wang Jian had taken the path from the village, so he’d happened to miss the poachers. Otherwise, they might have run right into them on their way up the mountain.

Even so, Wang Jian didn’t dare make any unnecessary movements. If he were alone, he might have retreated immediately, using his familiarity with the forest to slip away silently. But with Cai Qiong in tow, he lacked that confidence. If the poachers’ attention hadn’t been focused elsewhere, they might have been discovered the moment they arrived.

"Get a little lower."

Wang Jian grabbed Cai Qiong’s hand, and they both squatted down behind a tree to observe from afar. They spoke in hushed tones, their voices drowned out by the wild boar’s screams, making it difficult for the two men to notice them.

Wang Jian gestured. "They have a gun."

Then, he brought a finger to his lips in a ’shush’ gesture before turning his head to continue observing.

Cai Qiong’s vision wasn’t as sharp as Wang Jian’s; she could only make out two figures behind the tree. When Wang Jian said they had a gun, she froze. This wasn’t the United Kingdom, where guns were rampant. Without a second thought, she fumbled in her pockets and pulled out her phone.

But as soon as she took it out, Cai Qiong was stunned. "Wang Jian..."

She showed him the screen. "No signal..."

The lack of a signal made Cai Qiong anxious. Even without a SIM card, she could still make an emergency call as long as there was a signal. But with no signal at all, she was completely helpless.

Wang Jian, however, was unfazed. It was rare to find a signal deep in these mountains, so this was within his expectations. This was also why poachers chose such locations. Firstly, there were few people and many wild animals. Secondly, if they did encounter someone and had to deal with them, they could do so without word getting out. Judging by their choice of location, these two were definitely experienced. His earlier assessment had been correct.

Wang Jian frowned and whispered, "It’s okay. Let’s not move. We’ll go on after they’ve left."

"Mm!" Cai Qiong replied softly. She was so scared she didn’t dare make a sound, and she instinctively pressed closer to Wang Jian, no longer needing him to hold onto her. She didn’t see Wang Jian’s caution as cowardice. On the contrary, his calm reaction in this situation gave her a great sense of security. If Wang Jian had been a mindless brute, unafraid even at the sight of a gun, that would have truly left Cai Qiong in despair.

The two huddled close together as time ticked by.

In the distance, the struggle between the giant python and the wild boar gradually fell silent. At some point, the boar had managed to bite down on the python’s vital spot. Locked in a deadly embrace of constriction and biting, both creatures ended up losing their lives. This outcome was unexpected, not just for Wang Jian but for the hidden poachers as well. However, the blood of the two beasts would surely attract more predators.

The two poachers emerged from behind the tree, showing no sign that they had noticed Wang Jian and Cai Qiong.

"Lao Zhou, we’re really lucky today, huh? Killing two birds with one stone."

"Lucky my ass, Monkey. We’ve been here a week and this is the first thing we’ve caught. You call that lucky?"

"Let’s stick around for two more days, then find a new spot. There’s not much to gain here."

"You’re right. I heard the nearby villagers make a living gathering herbs. We’d better not run into them."

"I asked around. The herb gatherers never come this deep. Our scouting wasn’t for nothing."

The tall, lean man was at least 1.8 meters tall and was the one Lao Zhou called Monkey. He held a modified machete in his hand, its sharp blade as long as his forearm. Lao Zhou was a bit shorter than Monkey but had a solid, sinewy build. He was the one carrying the hunting rifle on his back. These two gave Wang Jian a very dangerous feeling, which was the main reason he was hesitant to act. Fortunately, there were only two of them.

That said, even with only two men, Wang Jian wouldn’t be reckless. As for stopping their illegal hunting, he dismissed the thought entirely. He wasn’t some fool who would charge in to uphold justice; preserving his own life was far more important. The most terrifying thing for a person is to overestimate their own abilities, recklessly trying to do good deeds only to get themselves destroyed.

"This haul isn’t bad, even though it’s nothing precious." Monkey prodded the two animal carcasses with his machete. "This python must be three meters long, right?"

As Monkey prodded them, neither animal had gone into rigor mortis. The python had constricted the boar so tightly that deep grooves were pressed into its flesh, a clear testament to the serpent’s power.

"Judging by its size, it must be quite old," Lao Zhou nodded, his sharp eyes seemingly appraising the animals’ market value. "But you’d better be careful. These are true wild beasts. Maybe..."

Lao Zhou hadn’t finished speaking when the motionless python suddenly lashed out. Its head shot toward Monkey to bite him, while its tail simultaneously coiled around his pant leg.

"Watch out!" Lao Zhou cried out.

Hiding in the shadows, Wang Jian and Cai Qiong also tensed up, their eyes glued to the python and Monkey.

But soon, Wang Jian’s eyes narrowed, his expression of surprise and wariness intensifying.

"I’ve been waiting for you. I saw your tail was still moving."

The tall, slim Monkey didn’t panic in the slightest, as if he had expected it all along. Even with the snake’s head lunging at him and its tail wrapped around his leg, the hand gripping his machete didn’t tremble. He sneered and swung the blade at the snake’s head.

With a swift downward stroke, his machete didn’t pause for an instant. The snake’s head flew off, and a spray of red blood splattered onto him, drenching even his chin.

Shou Hou showed no reaction, calmly stepping out of the coils of the trembling snake. His machete was so sharp that after slicing through the python, the blade itself remained almost clean, with only its tip dripping blood.

As droplets of blood fell from the tip of his blade, Shou Hou casually commented, "What a pity. It won’t sell for much now."

Lao Zhou, unsurprised by any of this, added, "We still have the boar, don’t we? We can skin the python, and the meat should sell for a bit."

"Life is hard these days. Every little bit counts."

Chatting, the two began to process the dead animals.

A few dozen meters away, Wang Jian and Cai Qiong remained silent. Cai Qiong held a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. She was clearly terrified. At some point, her camera had been pointed at Lao Zhou and Shou Hou, and was already recording. If nothing else, she certainly had enough evidence of their crimes.

Now that the sounds of the animals fighting had stopped, the forest was eerily quiet. They didn’t even dare to speak, fearing that the slightest noise would give them away.

But a few minutes later, Cai Qiong’s eyes widened in terror, and she began frantically tugging at Wang Jian’s sleeve.

Wang Jian’s expression darkened. He grabbed her hand and gave her a look that said, *Don’t panic*, before shifting his gaze back toward the poachers.

Cai Qiong was panicking because, after finishing with the skins, Lao Zhou and Shou Hou started dragging the boar in their direction. Perhaps it was just bad luck, but the path they took headed straight for their hiding spot. If they kept walking, they would inevitably be discovered.

Cai Qiong was on the verge of a full-blown panic!

Sure enough, after just a couple of steps, Shou Hou, who was leading the way, sensed something was wrong. He looked straight toward them. "Who’s there?!"

The moment Shou Hou shouted, Lao Zhou, who was right behind him, reacted as if on command. He instantly dropped the thick hemp rope tied to the boar, swung the hunting rifle forward, and fired a shot in their direction.

BANG