The rains had been heavy this year, and the mountain gullies and ponds were all filled with water. After the dogs crossed through the gullies and went uphill, you could see their bellies were covered in mud.
That was why Zhao Jun and the others were all wearing boots.
But this river, while not particularly deep, was waist-high at its deepest point. If they waded across, all their clothes would be soaked. Walking the mountain paths after that would be miserable.
So, Zhao Jun and the others stripped off their shirts, pants, and boots, preparing to cross the river naked.
As they were undressing, Wang Dalong asked Zhao Jun, "Xiaojun, where'd you get that big black dog of yours?"
Hearing Wang Dalong ask about Black Tiger, Zhao Jun smiled and said, "I found him."
"Found him?" Wang Dalong was taken aback and quickly followed up, "Where? He looks like a pretty good dog."
The moment Wang Dalong said this, both Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu gave him a strange look.
Wang Dalong noticed their odd gazes and asked, confused, "What is it?"
Zhao Jun smiled faintly and asked in return, "Brother Long, what makes you say he's a good dog?"
Wang Dalong was taken aback by Zhao Jun's question. He casually folded his pants and, as he rolled them up, said, "That dog was the first to give tongue!"
"Well…" Zhao Jun didn't know how to tell Wang Dalong that Black Tiger just loved to bark for no reason.
But Wang Dalong continued, "And just now, he's the one who led my four dogs into the water."
Seeing that Zhao Jun was silent, Wang Dalong smiled and asked, "Xiaojun, be honest with me. Is this black dog a lead dog?"
Zhao Jun blinked, genuinely unsure how to answer. 'If I say no,' he thought, 'Wang Dalong won't believe me; his analysis of Black Tiger sounds so convincing. But if I say yes… he really isn't a lead dog.'
Seeing Zhao Jun was still quiet, Wang Dalong's imagination ran wild. He said confidently, as if he had it all figured out, "I see the dog has an injured leg. He's not as good as he was before he got hurt, right? That's why you don't rate him highly."
Zhao Jun's brow furrowed in exasperation. He and Li Baoyu exchanged a glance, and both of them couldn't help but chuckle.
"See? I hit the nail on the head," Wang Dalong said with a laugh. He stacked his folded shirt and pants, then his smile vanished. He turned to Zhao Jun with a serious expression. "I think this dog is a perfect fit to lead my other four. Why don't you just sell him to me?"
"Brother Long, I…"
Before Zhao Jun could finish, Wang Dalong cut him off. "Xiaojun, give me the dog. I'll give you one hundred yuan for him. What do you say?"
Wang Dalong was so eager to name a price because he was afraid Zhao Jun would ask for more. Thinking himself clever, he made the first offer to corner him.
One hundred yuan!
If it had been anyone else, Zhao Jun really would have sold the dog.
But he couldn't sell to Wang Dalong.
It was for no other reason than the fact their families were related. Zhao Jun was afraid the people in the village would say he was taking advantage of his own kin.
"Brother Long!" Zhao Jun raised a hand to stop Wang Dalong, who looked like he was about to say more. "Don't be in such a rush. Just wait a little while. You'll see for yourself what this dog is really like."
As they spoke, the three men finished stripping. Stark naked, they rolled their shirts and pants together, put their boots one against the other, and gripped the bundle of clothing and boots in one hand, holding it high above their heads. In the other hand, they held their guns and satchels. One by one, they stepped into the river and started toward the opposite bank.
Fortunately, the weather was hot and their clothes were thin, so the bundle fit in one hand.
Fortunately, the river wasn't turbulent. The current created some resistance, but it was nothing they couldn't overcome.
The only issue was the rocks on the riverbed. Worn down by the current, their surfaces were incredibly smooth and very slippery under their bare feet.
So, they carefully felt for the stones as they crossed, aiming to reach the west bank first and then follow it south.
While the three men crossed the river, the Dog Gang, led by Little Bear, swam downstream, heading south.
At that moment, on the west riverbank, nearly fifteen hundred meters in a straight line from Zhao Jun's position, a Black Bear was lying at the water's edge. It had its head tilted, pressing the left side of its face into the cold river.
Normally, a bear caught in a cracker-trap would have its mouth injured. But for some reason, this Black Bear had been blinded in one eye by the blast, and the entire left side of its face was a mangled, bloody mess.
Though it was unclear how this had happened, the bear's current condition was still considered manageable.
That's right. For a bear, losing an eye was far better than having its mouth blown apart.
A blind eye wasn't a fatal injury. But if a bear's mouth was destroyed, it wouldn't live for long. In a few more days, it would have died on its own, even if no one came to hunt it.
Furthermore, in the days before its death, a Black Bear unable to eat would struggle to maintain its stamina, and its fighting ability would plummet.
This was why Qin Qiang had come yesterday, hoping for an easy kill.
But when the time came, Qin Qiang found that things were not as he had expected.
But Qin Qiang had failed to mention this crucial piece of information when he was at the Village Office last night.
Whether he had forgotten in his grief or for some other reason, it was impossible to know. Whatever the case, he hadn't said a word about it.
But even without him saying it, Zhao Jun already knew.
Jiang Hua's fatal wound was a bite that had pierced the back of his skull. If the bear's mouth had been mangled, it would have been impossible for it to inflict such an injury.
Though he didn't know what this bear had gone through, Zhao Jun was already prepared for the truth.
Just then, the Black Bear lying at the river's edge abruptly lifted its head from the water. It stared out across the river and saw Little Bear swimming toward it.
As the Black Bear raised its head, a swarm of green bottle flies descended on its festering face. Within the ruined flesh, maggots that hadn't been washed away by the river were still writhing.