Wu wu wu
In the Wo Jiao Mountain Range, as darkness slowly receded, plump and robust animals began to stir.
The entire mountain range seemed to come alive all at once.
Now, the animals of Wo Jiao Mountain Range also seemed to understand that only the brief morning hours were their time for joy.
This was because at night, there were terrifying predators, and in the afternoon, an even more terrifying group of bandits roamed the woods, bringing bad luck to anyone they encountered!
Therefore, at dawn, Wo Jiao Mountain Range was more boisterous than usual.
The Tattooed Captain, along with Will and Wiggins, led a poaching team of dozens of men through the rolling hills of the transition zone, reaching the edge of Wo Jiao Mountain Range. Each was a strong and stout man, armed with guns, tranquilizer darts, rifles, sniper rifles, and some even carried rocket launchers.
They looked at the towering trees around them, the calls of wild animals rising and falling, and animals like rabbits and large squirrels appearing in front of them.
Light shone in everyone's eyes, and their emotions ran extremely high.
Money! Money everywhere!
Some desperate individuals with weak loyalty were already thinking about how they would bring their own teams after this trip, or how to pocket treasures they found later.
The Tattooed Captain saw through these people's thoughts with a single glance. A faint smile touched his lips, and he then spoke in fluent Great Xia language:
"Without orders, no firearms other than tranquilizer guns are to be used. Live prey is more valuable!"
"Also, some of you, put away your petty schemes. Without my connections, you wouldn't get good prices for these catches, and you'd face immense risks. In your words, you'd end up in jail for life. Work with me diligently, and after this trip, I guarantee each of you will become rich."
Upon hearing the Tattooed Captain's words, the members of the poaching gang either fell silent or responded with fawning smiles and oaths.
"Wells, you take a team, and Wiggins, you take a team. We'll depart in three directions and reach the volcano before noon."
"Yes, Captain!"
Wiggins and Wells received their orders, each leading a dozen men, departing to the left and right respectively.
The Tattooed Captain, with the remaining men, headed straight forward.
Wo Jiao Mountain Range was incredibly rich in resources, and soon, they spotted their target: the Crested Ibis.
"Captain, look."
An old hunter quietly gestured to the Tattooed Captain, pointing to two beautiful birds with pure white feathers on a tree branch ahead.
"A critically endangered species of Great Xia. I didn't expect to find them here!"
The Tattooed Captain's eyes lit up, and he immediately raised his hand, signaling the team to stop.
The old hunter, having received the signal, excitedly raised his tranquilizer gun. Another old hunter ran over, and the two of them took aim at their respective targets. They raised their hands in an "okay" gesture, signaling they were ready.
The Tattooed Captain nodded gently.
*Swish~ Swish~*
The two old hunters fired almost simultaneously. The tranquilizer darts flew swiftly, piercing through the jungle and hitting the two Crested Ibises!
The Crested Ibises cried out, took flight to escape, and soon began to drift down slowly from the air.
The Tattooed Captain immediately sent men to retrieve them.
"Continue!"
The group pressed on deeper.
On the other side, Wells and Wiggins also led their teams deeper into the mountains. Along the way, they encountered various animals and made considerable gains.
As they ventured further, they saw wild boars larger than cows and wild buffaloes only slightly smaller than elephants. Even with their weapons, they were all filled with dread.
However, each of the three teams had one or two experienced hunters. With these old hunters leading the way, they mostly managed to quietly avoid these ferocious large animals.
But, Wiggins's team, after rounding a mountainside and reaching a small river, encountered a herd of wild boars.
Each boar had thick, sturdy forelimbs, lean and powerful hindlimbs, resembling giant fighting bulls. What was most chilling were the large tusks curving upwards from their mouths.
However, strangely, each of them bore marks of scorched fur.
*Crack*
Suddenly, a man in Wiggins's team, carrying many hunted animals, stepped on a fallen branch and slipped, making a considerable noise.
Everyone in the team's faces turned ashen.
"Grrr!!!"
A large wild boar spotted the group in the jungle and let out a loud squeal.
In an instant, the entire boar herd turned their attention to the trees on the opposite bank of the river.
"We're done for!"
The old hunters' faces contorted in fear. Encountering a herd of wild boars in the jungle was as dangerous as encountering a fierce tiger! Moreover, these were monsters as large as cattle!
If they charged...
Everyone swallowed hard! The thought of being gored by those sharp, large tusks sent shivers down their spines.
*Click, click*
For a moment, everyone raised their firearms, aiming at the trees on the opposite bank of the river.
However, to their astonishment, after hearing the commotion, the fearsome herd of wild boars did not charge. Instead, they all turned and fled.
"Grrr, grrr!!!"
In the blink of an eye, all the wild boars had disappeared into the jungle, leaving only faint sounds of startled cries.
"What...?"
The entire poaching team stood stunned, then breathed a sigh of relief.
The old hunters frowned, their minds filled with confusion. In their many years of hunting, this was the first time they had encountered such a situation.
Wild boars were known for their courage and ferocity! But why had they all become as timid as startled birds?
Soon, a figure surfaced in their minds.
The Magician, Ye, the master of this mountain forest!!!
"Fuck! Are you a pig?"
After sighing in relief, Wiggins turned, pointing his sniper rifle directly at the head of the man who had slipped, his expression one of utter fury.
A companion nearby tried to pacify him, while others watched coldly, their eyes filled with anger.
Wiggins took several deep breaths before leading his team onward.
They gradually ventured deeper into the mountain range, and the scorching sun climbed to its zenith.
To the northeast, at Lone Star Villa.
Bai Ye also woke up. After eating his fill, he, along with Xiao Fantuan, Goudan, and a large group, entered Wo Jiao Mountain Range.
Goudan and the others cheered excitedly, celebrating the joy of the new day.
Bai Ye started his livestream. He planned to perform some small magic tricks for everyone in the afternoon, stroll through the ranch, and gain some reputation.
After the livestream ended in the evening, he would quietly go to the volcano to check things out and assess the situation.
"Friends, our ordinary day has begun again!"
As Bai Ye went live, the number of viewers in his livestream quickly soared, effortlessly surpassing the ten million mark.
"(*´∀｀*) Brother Ye is here, little animals, run fast!!!"
"Little animals: o(≧口≦)o Forest bandits on the loose, everyone run!!!"
"Brother Ye, do you have any new magic tricks today?"
"Nowadays, if I don't watch Brother Ye's stream for a day, I feel a sense of emptiness!"
All the small animals in Wo Jiao Mountain Range were traumatized by Bai Ye and his group, fleeing at the slightest sound. Thus, the three poaching teams successfully penetrated deep into the mountain.
The Tattooed Captain, Wells, and Wiggins converged at a single location. The abundant gains left them all beaming with excitement.
"That guy is coming!"
"Let's head to the volcano!"
They had captured all sorts of rare and exotic animals, such as falcons favored by Saudi royalty, as well as various precious medicinal herbs.
However, none of them were satisfied. All of them, excitedly and eagerly, followed the Tattooed Captain and the other two towards the volcano.