A wild boar, an enormous wild boar. To Hua Mu, it looked as massive as a small mountain. Its coarse, black bristles, sharp, curling tusks, and the ugly, fleshy growth protruding from its forehead made it look utterly terrifying.

The moment Hua Mu saw the boar, a sliver of regret surfaced: What if Bai Zhen gets hurt?

The Sentinel didn’t notice her worry. She had already stopped and set Hua Mu down from her back. The instant Hua Mu’s feet touched the ground, the boar suddenly moved, stopping its feeding to look around alertly.

Hua Mu covered her mouth, not daring to breathe. After getting off the Sentinel’s back, her field of vision narrowed, and she could no longer clearly see where the boar was.

Bai Zhen gestured for her to stay put. Hua Mu nodded, raising the gun in her hand to show she could protect herself.

Bai Zhen gave her what seemed to be a gratified smile, then turned her expressionless gaze toward the boar’s location.

Even without opening her inhibitor and currently lacking her Guide abilities, Hua Mu could clearly feel the atmosphere around the Sentinel change.

Did she release her spirit animal?

Hua Mu couldn’t see it, but she knew Bai Zhen’s spirit animal was an ice wolf named Hati.

She had imagined Hati’s appearance many times, mostly picturing a majestic, fierce, and powerful figure.

He must be so handsome, and so strong!

So, Bai Zhen will be fine.

Bai Zhen didn’t release Hati to enhance her abilities, but rather to exert pressure. A wolf-form spirit animal provided a great boost to its host in terrains like grasslands and forests, but it wasn’t suited for a tropical rainforest. Agility was severely restricted in such a dense jungle. Fortunately, the enhancement of senses was applicable in most situations.

The Sentinel crouched, arching her back and staring intently at her prey.

Hua Mu watched her back nervously, the palm of the hand holding the gun already starting to sweat.

Of course Bai Zhen will be fine. After all, she can even handle a shark. B-but, she was injured that time. Will she get hurt this time, too?

Hua Mu had thought a wild boar was just a pig. How could she have known it would look so ferocious, even more terrifying than many large carnivores?

Maybe we should just forget it?

Hua Mu looked at the Sentinel’s sharp, protruding spine and shook her head.

No, I have to make sure Bai Zhen gets to eat meat.

Lately, she felt the other woman hadn’t been looking well, and she wondered if it was due to malnutrition.

Ah, but if that’s the case, we don’t have to catch a wild boar! We could start with rabbits, or little chickens, or other small animals.

Hua Mu realized how foolish she was. How had she not thought of that? It only occurred to her now.

“Bai-“

She wanted to call out to Bai Zhen, but the other woman had already shot out like an arrow from a bow. And this arrow could even turn corners, weaving swiftly through the dense jungle.

Hua Mu quickly covered her mouth.

Bai Zhen was already in motion. Making a sound now would only distract her. Hua Mu was burning with anxiety, but she forced herself to stay quiet and peered in that direction to see what was happening.

The boar had clearly sensed the danger, yet it stood its ground, unmoving. It seemed its animal instinct made it abandon the option of fleeing, choosing instead to fight the predator to the death.

Once Bai Zhen locked onto her prey, she would never let it escape. In a flash, she appeared before the wild boar.

Seen up close, the boar was even more massive. Its solid muscles and powerful limbs all displayed its strength.

Bai Zhen stopped less than two meters away from it. There was nothing between them but a few sparse bushes. The atmosphere froze in that instant. The woman and the boar stared intently at each other, neither making the first move.

In her right hand, Bai Zhen held a sharpened wooden stake half a meter long and as thick as an arm. In her left, she held a sharp dagger in a reverse grip. She was half-crouched in a hunting stance.

Hua Mu held her breath. After a long moment of silence, she couldn’t help but grow flustered. But she didn’t dare make a sound. Bai Zhen had warned her not to attract the boar’s attention under any circumstances.

That’s right. I can’t help, so I just have to not hold her back.

Just then, the woman and the boar in the distance finally moved. Hua Mu only heard a loud crash, and a shower of insects and leaves rustled down from the trees. This was followed by the incessant sounds of impact and the boar’s squeals, which sounded quite shrill and miserable.

The Young Lady couldn’t care less how miserable the boar was, nor did she have the time to imagine the bloody scene. She was only worried the Sentinel would get hurt.

Amidst Hua Mu’s apprehension and unease, the boar’s squeals gradually faded.

“B-Bai Zhen?”

“Miss, it’s alright now. But the smell here is very strong, you should first…”

Hua Mu paid no attention to Bai Zhen’s words, pushing aside the plants and struggling to run toward her.

The boar, like a small hill, lay on the ground, barely breathing. Only its legs still twitched faintly. There was a huge hole in its neck, and blood had pooled on the ground. There were no other fatal wounds elsewhere.

Hua Mu didn’t have time to look closely at the boar, nor could she be bothered by any discomfort. She hurriedly checked Bai Zhen’s body.

“Why are you covered in so much blood? Where are you hurt?”

It was rare for the Young Lady not to hide her concern. The Sentinel was touched, yet a little embarrassed.

“I’m fine. It’s all the boar’s blood. Miss, I’ll take you back first, then come back for the boar. Don’t let the smell get to you.”

Hua Mu looked and looked again, checking her over and over until she was sure there were no major injuries before she finally relaxed.

“Why did you run off so fast! You don’t even listen to what people say.”

Bai Zhen scratched her head, a little sheepish. “I was afraid it would get away…”

“Sigh, forget it. Let’s go back. Can you carry it? Or should we butcher it here and then take it back?”

This boar weighed at least three hundred jin. Its weight alone could crush a person.

“I can carry it, but we should first…”

“Then carry it back. I can walk by myself.” Hua Mu didn’t give her a chance to refuse, urging, “Hurry up. Didn’t you say the organs rot easily? Let’s get it to the shore and process it quickly.”

“…Alright.”

Bai Zhen thought for a moment and agreed to the suggestion. Hua Mu went back to get the bamboo basket and put it on her back. Bai Zhen put on her jacket and hoisted the boar onto her shoulder.

The boar had bled to death. To dare kill a boar this way, one could only say the Sentinel was highly skilled and audacious. But because it had been bled out completely while still alive, the pork would keep longer and taste better.

Even carrying a small mountain of over three hundred jin on her back, Bai Zhen’s steps were still lighter than Hua Mu’s. They weren’t too far from the coast, and after walking for about half an hour, the two returned to their camp.

Bai Zhen went to process the boar’s organs, while Hua Mu prepared the pots, bowls, and spices. The fire needed to be fed, and once the stone slab heated up, they could have a big barbecue.

Hua Mu had never thought she would be so proactive about these things. The past experience of feeling nauseated at the sight of meat seemed like a fabrication.

Perhaps that was really just because life had been too comfortable.

The saying goes, “No one asks about a fish’s wounds, but a bird’s blood evokes pity.” She wasn’t a strict vegetarian, which showed her aversion wasn’t due to compassion for living things. Birds and beasts could make sounds, which reminded her of past experiences and made her uncomfortable. But now, surviving and keeping the Sentinel in good condition were what she had to consider.

Such a big pig, it will definitely be enough to fill Bai Zhen’s stomach, right?

Thinking of this, Hua Mu couldn’t help but laugh at herself. She was thinking as if she had helped hunt it, but in reality, wasn’t it all because Bai Zhen was so capable?

The Young Lady sighed at the thought. Watching the figure in the distance processing the boar in the sea, a strange feeling arose in her heart again.

Had she forgotten something important? Was it enough to just be concerned about her physical well-being?

Bai Zhen first dealt with the organs and the hide. Since scalding it with hot water to remove the bristles was too much trouble, she simply skinned the entire thing. Compared to the meat, the organs spoiled more easily. Bai Zhen kept the heart, liver, and small intestine, and threw the rest into the iron bucket to be used as fish bait.

The boar was huge. After removing the bones, hide, and organs, there was still nearly one hundred and fifty jin of meat left. Bai Zhen planned to eat the heart and liver for lunch. The small intestine would be used for sausage casings; after scraping it clean, she soaked it in saltwater.

By the time she had butchered the boar into chunks ranging from five or six to over ten jin and brought them back in the iron bucket, Hua Mu was ready.

Sea salt, wild ginger, lemongrass, basil, chili peppers, star anise, dried cloves, cinnamon, and limes—Hua Mu brought out all the spices the two had collected over the past few days. With seven or eight bottles and jars, the scene looked quite impressive.

However, these ingredients were a bit insufficient for processing over a hundred jin of meat. They would have to go gather some more ready-to-use spices later.

The two large pots Hua Mu had used for her water collection device now came in handy. Bai Zhen rubbed each chunk of meat with salt and spices, layer by layer, and stacked them in the stockpot and the other pot, leaving only about thirty jin of fresh meat.

Of the thirty jin of fresh meat, a portion was used to make cured sausages, and the rest was for grilled ribs and barbecue. The boar’s small intestine was about fifteen meters long. She had been very careful when cleaning it, so it was largely intact and could be stuffed with about twenty jin of pork. After being made into cured sausages, it would yield five or six jin, which could be used in soup for a long time. The one hundred and twenty jin of pork would ultimately yield about eighty jin of smoked meat. Given Hua Mu’s appetite, it would probably last a very long time.

At this thought, Bai Zhen’s primary concern was no longer that Hua Mu would go hungry, but that she would eat unhealthily—after all, preserved food wasn’t as nutritious as fresh food.

Hua Mu was still a little squeamish about raw meat, and since the chunks were large, she couldn’t be of much help. So, she went to sort the firewood instead. The materials they usually used for the signal fire were chosen rather casually; since they needed smoke, most of it wasn’t specially prepared.

But the firewood for grilling fish was different. Hua Mu had soon discovered the effect different types of wood had on food and had gradually figured out some patterns. Fruit tree branches were the best for grilling fish, as they imparted a faint, fruity aroma. If she added some spices to the fire, the smoked fish would be even more delicious—and the same went for smoked meat, of course.

Bai Zhen had collected many lime and crabapple branches, dried them, and stacked them under the bamboo bed. They were originally intended for smoking fish, but now they were perfect for smoking the meat first.

The fire burned brighter and brighter, and the flat stone slab on top gradually began to radiate heat. After a busy morning, it was now noon, and the two could finally eat.