Infinite Hunter

It was getting dark, and Cheng Yijiu didn't want to go back. "You guys go back first, especially Miss Stephanie. I'll stay here at night. If I find anything, I'll record it with my phone. Don't worry - I'm much more comfortable at night than you." But they all refused, and Stephanie simply said that she was taking a rest today.

So Cheng Yijiu gathered some dry firewood and started a fire right next to the car. He took out some food and started grilling. The two guys also took out some beer and started grilling. After eating, drinking, and chatting, it was almost time. It was already ten o'clock in the evening. "Okay, you two, go back to the car and sleep. Remember to lock the door and close the windows. As for you, Stephanie, you can only rest in my car. Keep the door closed as well. I'll be outside... maybe we'll see those monsters." Cheng Yijiu was sober because he hadn't drunk any alcohol.

The two guys directly said that they would set up night vision goggles so that they could record scenes at night - because they were rich, they set up six of them, and even placed one on the roof of Cheng Yijiu's car, and clamped one on the door for recording.

Chapter 7 Conjecture

There was also an infrared lens facing Cheng Yijiu, but the lens was now filled with the infrared light of the campfire, and even Cheng Yijiu's image was not very clear. Cheng Yijiu didn't think about going in to sleep, because that would not be a good idea, and he was still looking forward to shooting the blood-sucking monsters at night.

Cheng Yijiu was sitting in a moon chair. When the foldable chair was opened, the entire backrest covered his back and head. Wanted to attack him from behind? A bear would be no problem, a mountain lion could do it, and even a Loki wolf could do it, but a coyote-sized Chupocabra? It probably couldn't do it.

So Cheng Yijiu only needed to pay attention to the front and the left and right sides. However, there was a bonfire in front of him, and the Zhubocabra could only attack from both sides. To Cheng Yijiu's right were two RVs, so the most likely attack was from the left. Cheng Yijiu slung the pistol across his leg. There was no need to use a rifle because it was too long and difficult to operate.

Cheng Yijiu also had his hunting knife tucked into his leg, ready to be pulled out at any time. He leaned back in the moon chair, feeling warm and dozing off. He wasn't worried about the bonfire going out, as he'd added plenty of wood, enough for it to burn naturally until dawn. The clothes and pants Cheng Yijiu was wearing were also warm enough that he could easily make it through the night without a sleeping bag.

Cheng Yijiu's dozing was quite feline, leaning back in his chair and snoring, yet he felt detached, still alert in his daze. Cheng Yijiu snored, slumped in his chair, eyes closed, looking completely asleep. Occasionally, his ears would twitch, but thankfully, they wouldn't turn away.

Behind the bonfire, curved aluminum panels formed a foldable reflector to reflect the heat back to him. Cheng Yijiu also placed a few panels behind him to reflect the heat back again, keeping his back from getting cold. The firelight flickered, and the RV was silent.

The three people in the car were definitely asleep; Cheng Yijiu was the only one who was certain of this. It was already late at night, and despite Cheng Yijiu's mental strength, he had also fallen into a brief slumber. This slumber prevented him from reacting immediately—just like someone who's sleep deprived, his reactions were a little dull.

Cheng Yijiu watched the skinny beast approaching, flickering in the firelight, in his sleep, without even thinking about what it was. His ears twitched, and just behind him, on the roof of the RV, there was another skinny beast, sandwiching Cheng Yijiu between the front and the back.

The beast in front of him cautiously circumvented the campfire, looking very uncomfortable. With its body temperature so high, it was indeed uncomfortable to be near the fire. The monster stood there, its front half raised, standing on its hind legs. This posture reminded Cheng Yijiu of the lowly half-werewolf he had shot long ago.

The beast before him was little more than a skeleton. Its mouth was open, its three sharp teeth clearly visible. The side of its body facing the firelight also glowed red, matching the light. At that moment, Cheng Yijiu suddenly opened his eyes, startled from his deep sleep, and with lightning speed, he raised his gun and fired.

His left hand also pulled out the hunting knife. Cheng Yijiu's shooting speed was indeed fast, and his shooting was quite accurate - he almost immediately sent the bullet to the beast that leaped into the air on its hind legs. Cheng Yijiu was still aiming at the beast's body. He kept pulling the trigger with his right hand, firing bullet after bullet.

The 9mm pistol in his hand had 17 rounds of bullets, so it didn't run out that quickly. In fact, he stopped after pulling the trigger and firing six bullets. He dodged and swung the hunting knife in his left hand, cutting through the air and cutting through the other chubocabra that was rushing down.

The hunting knife that pierced the darkness cut backhand, slicing from the monster's jaw to its right ribs. The cut felt incredibly smooth—it shouldn't have been this way, but Cheng Yijiu could sense the fluctuations of his mental energy and the heat of the blade. Both monsters fell to the ground. The chubocabra, having taken six bullets, was definitely dead. If it were a brown bear, it wouldn't be a big deal, but it was just a skinny, hairless beast.

After hearing the gunshots, Stephanie and the other two guys ran out quickly, their eyes almost shining, and they took a lot of photos with their phones in their hands. Unfortunately, under the heat of the flames and the darkness, the two monsters decayed surprisingly quickly.

They were already running fast enough, but the only thing they captured on their phones was a mutilated corpse, one that looked incredibly fake and decomposed unexpectedly quickly. The chubocabra killed with the hunting knife was particularly fast; in just a dozen seconds, the area from its jaw to its chest, where the knife had cut, was completely rotten.

This kind of decay, the kind that turns to dried ash, was so intense that by the time the three guys were filming it with their phones, the upper half of the chubocabra had already been reduced to almost nothing but black ash, its shape completely unrecognizable. "Compared to the last one, this one's decaying much faster. Whether it was killed by a bullet or a knife, it was much faster," Cheng Yijiu muttered. Stephanie, who had witnessed the last chubocabra herself, nodded repeatedly. "This decay is so much faster. I didn't even get a decent shot!"

The stench was so strong that Cheng Yijiu didn't want to stay outside at all. "I'd rather drive away overnight," he said. "The chubocabras here, at least not to me, have no interest." After killing three chubocabras in a row, Cheng Yijiu adjusted their danger level to higher than that of domestic cats but lower than that of mastiffs.

If it weren't for the legend and the fear of "invisibility" that overwhelmed those unfortunate individuals, none of them would have been killed and drained by this creature. Aside from its terrifying appearance, this creature lacked any combat power. While its hind legs allowed for decent jumping ability, Cheng Yijiu's impression was that its lunging power wasn't strong. Its defense was practically zero—its hairless skin was very fragile.

However, Cheng Yijiu had a feeling this creature was likely poisonous, perhaps even possessing a potent toxin that could cause insomnia and hypnosis, and also possessed a terrifying blood-sucking ability. "If it bites you, it could be serious. However, once it dies, it rots very quickly. Capturing one alive might answer many questions. However, I've already satisfied my curiosity."

The scientific explanation for the rapid decay could be active enzymes, but Cheng Yijiu felt he had another explanation—the hunting knife in his hand was evidence.

Chapter 8 New Road

Cheng Yijiu felt it was more appropriate to consider the Chubocabra as a "dead" monster. Because they were dead, they would quickly decay when "killed" again, much like how his hunting knife quickly reduced them to ash. Because they were "dead" beasts, it was natural to obtain their life-giving blood to sustain their activity.

A vampire among beasts, that’s what Cheng Yijiu thought. The fragile body of this creature reminded him of a movie that took place right here in the area. “From Dusk Till Dawn is also set in this area, right? The vampires in the movie are really similar to this thing. Their bodies are just as fragile, but they lack the scariest feature of becoming one’s own kind after having their blood sucked.”

Perhaps this is really a blood-sucking species unique to Central America. In this case, there is no need to worry about it spreading to the entire North and South America - because any legendary species like this always has a specific activity area, and after leaving these areas, it will completely lose the ability to move - at least this is what Cheng Yijiu speculated.

It is very likely that this is following the so-called "legend", which is idealism.

Cheng Yijiu packed up and prepared to leave. The two video hosts were still filming the rotting ashes, their excitement incoherent. It seemed that their cameras had captured some potentially useful footage. If they edited it and kept the conversations out, the click rate might be very high. If the two of them didn't appear on camera, the click rate would probably be off the charts.

Seeing Cheng Yijiu packing up and preparing to leave, they quickly shouted, "Where are you going, strong man?" Stephanie looked at Cheng Yijiu curiously, "Oh, I'll go north, maybe I'll go to the southern states to see them - I'm quite interested in those monsters in American legends. Now I have at least solved the first mystery - the Chupocabra monster."

"For example, the Swamp Ape..." Cheng Yijiu said, "I've always been curious. Even today, when Indians have been driven to reservations, how can such large primates still exist in North America? And even with such a strong stench, they can go undetected?"

Could this creature be a scavenger? The problem is, scavengers don't seem to stink as badly as described in these stinking ape sightings. Cheng Yijiu has had close encounters with hyenas and vultures, and their odors are actually quite acceptable. So these so-called stinking apes must be very interesting. Half of the large primate sightings common in American lore, from the east and west coasts to New England and Louisiana, mention a foul odor.

From Cheng Yijiu's perspective, if it wasn't something similar to the zombies in Raccoon City, then it was probably a zombie or a ghoul. In short, judging by the Chupocabra, this primate probably couldn't escape the connection with "death." So Cheng Yijiu asked himself another question, "How could the Chupocabra not avoid the bullet's 'killing'? If it's dead."

If you can't think of it, then don't think about it. Anyway, knowing that bullets can take care of these guys is enough. If it's guys that bullets can't take care of, that's the real trouble. Cheng Yijiu's previous remarks made the two guys' eyes light up. "Let's go with you?" Although it was a plea, it was actually affirmative. Stephanie's eyes also flashed with excitement, but she was a professional staff member and couldn't just run away like that - ordinary people would be fine, but she was a forensic officer who conducted on-site investigations and had to consider the many cases she handled.

"Well, goodbye, Miss Stephanie. If it's convenient, leave me your email address and I'll keep you updated on what I saw. Bye." Cheng Yijiu said hello. Stephanie had a car, so she could drive back by herself. However, Cheng Yijiu still gestured for her to get in the car and drive, while he followed her in the RV - safety first.

As for those two guys? They promised to cover Cheng Yijiu's expenses, including his travel expenses and a daily wage once he entered "hunting mode." Seeing that they had the money to act as "temporary equipment providers" and "bait," Cheng Yijiu agreed to take them along.

Of course, there are two options for the journey, flying or driving by yourself. As a result, one of the two old ladies flew ahead to help them, and the other drove the RV with Cheng Yijiu. "It's a good choice. Maybe you can see some interesting things on the road." Cheng Yijiu said that this guy's choice was very good.

"But I don't have a hunting license, so I can't shoot randomly on the road. Therefore, you and I both need this." Cheng Yijiu took out a set of binoculars, including a monocular, binoculars, and even a low-light night vision telescope. He had asked the two guys to "sponsor" this. "If we encounter anything strange, we usually have to use this to record it."

"Unless we meet a deadly one." Cheng Yijiu and the boy said in unison. Cheng Yijiu pulled the bolt of the gun, but he did not load the bullet, just pretending.

Three cars entered the city one after another. Although Stephanie felt very sorry, she had no choice but to drive away. Cheng Yijiu and the two guys drove to the airport. One of them would fly away, and the remaining two would start on the road, hoping to see something unusual on the way.

This is normal, as the long, rural roads of the United States are home to a wealth of legends. After all, North America is a vast and sparsely populated continent, and the majority of the US population is concentrated in a few core areas. Consequently, the US has a vast array of road legends, and the vast wilderness of the central United States is not only home to farmers, but also a hotbed for various road legends.

Legend has it that there are many outlaw villages in Central America, where the country bumpkins specialize in robbing or killing the ignorant city dwellers who come across the highway. Many horror stories are based on this. Many monsters are also rumored to occur on these highways. At least those flying monsters are like this...

"The Mothman is an example. It appears in New England and almost all over the United States. And many sightings are recorded on highways or highway bridges." Cheng Yijiu now has a radio in his hand, and also connected to a small screen - as expected, they are rich people. These two guys installed a base station on the RV, which can provide mobile WIFI wireless access by themselves, so they can at least connect to the Internet in places where there is no signal.

The two people were essentially chatting via video communication while driving - there weren't many people on the road, and as wealthy people in Silicon Valley, their cars naturally had autonomous driving systems that allowed them to cruise at a fixed distance with some intervention from the driver, which greatly reduced the driver's attention burden. Cheng Yijiu's car also had a fixed cruise system, so he just had to follow the car.

Chapter 9 On the Road

Two RVs, one in front of the other, sped along North America's so-called "highways." The one in front was a real RV, while the one behind was a modified six-wheel-drive, all-terrain Unimog truck. Although it was called "speeding," it wasn't really going very fast—why would an RV have to drive 150 kilometers?

Besides, the so-called highway is just like that.

Cheng Yijiu had a gun ready to be assembled on a workbench at the back of the RV—a Winchester M1887 lever-action shotgun manufactured by China North Industries. Capable of firing 12-gauge smokeless deer shells, Cheng Yijiu had undoubtedly completed a private modification, as was his custom.

The enlarged trigger guard, short tomahawk-style handle, and shortened barrel give this lever-action shotgun a cool-looking loading action. Cheng Yijiu hadn't considered practical use for it; he was just playing around with it—could he use this thing to kill those monsters? It wasn't impossible, but there were better options.

Whenever night fell, if they were not in a town, the two cars would park on the roadside for the night. Whether it was Cheng Yijiu or Barton, their refrigerators were always filled with food, and they would refill their food as soon as they passed through a town.

Cheng Yijiu's custom is to take a moon chair and sit outside, light a bonfire, and gaze out at the American wilderness. While there should be a lot of people here, driving through towns and cities along the way, there really aren't any people around. "Walking alone on a road like this at night is quite intimidating," he said.

Patton sat in another chair. Cheng Yijiu's presence had emboldened him. "Fortunately, there are always cars on the road. Although it might take two or three hours at night for a large truck to pass by, at least it's not completely deserted." The guy was holding a can of beer, and Cheng Yijiu noticed that he was consuming it at an alarming rate.

Cheng Yijiu didn't take out his gun because he didn't want to be taken to the police station for questioning at night, so he only brought his hunting knife. With Cheng Yijiu's current physical strength and reaction speed, if it was just a wolf, he wouldn't be afraid at all. If it was a North American black bear, it wouldn't be a big deal unless it was a grizzly bear or a brown bear. He probably wouldn't be able to fight it in a hand-to-hand fight.

It doesn't matter if it's a cougar, it's just the biggest cat anyway, so it's not difficult to deal with it.

Cheng Yijiu was almost certain that the world he was in was definitely a world with some supernatural beings. As for how powerful they were, that was debatable. The Chubocabra was very weak, but the other monsters in the legends of this land were hard to say.

For example, the smelly apes he was looking for were known as Bigfoot in North America. Analysis of sighting records revealed that Bigfoot could be found in at least three or four different large and medium-sized primates. As for New World primates, as far as Cheng Yijiu could remember, humans were the only primate species in North America, while all New World monkeys were found in Central and South America. "Maybe there'll be a few in Florida," he muttered.

"What did you say?" Barton asked, not quite catching on. "Oh, nothing much. This time we're going to look for the Stink Ape and Bigfoot. I bet you two are familiar with that, right?" Cheng Yijiu really wanted to hear what these two enthusiasts had to say. Since they were enthusiasts, and had money, they might be able to gather a lot of information that Cheng Yijiu wouldn't have easily found.

This must have touched Barton's heart. He ran back to the RV and took out a laptop to demonstrate it to Cheng Yijiu. Unfortunately, the things he collected were also things that Cheng Yijiu had seen before, and there was not much more.

Especially the photos and other evidence, there was nothing particularly special. The photos were the same ones, and Cheng Yijiu had a book that covered them all—he'd copied them from the town library. He listened patiently to Barton's ramblings, "Didn't they also analyze the data and conclude that there are at least three different orders of large primates in North America?"

This is truly miraculous, considering that living large primates are only found in Africa. Asia's gibbons are relatively backward among apes. And the large primates of North America became extinct a long, long time ago. There are at least three species left today, and with only legends and no evidence, this is quite fascinating.

Some people have previously claimed to have shot and killed Bigfoot, but the bodies and evidence left behind have all been proven to be fake, and some are even missing. Barton is a firm believer in Bigfoot, and he and Lee previously made a video show trying to film Bigfoot or a stink ape, but firstly, they didn't get anything, and secondly, the videos didn't get more than three digits in views...

"This time I want to go and see if there is such a thing in the swamp - this is probably the only large primate living in the wetland." Cheng Yijiu said. It was getting late. After extinguishing the campfire, he packed up his things, said see you in the morning to Patton, and returned to his RV.

There were no lights on in the Unimog RV. Cheng Yijiu raised the observation deck and sat on the bench on it, observing the surroundings with the upper half of his face. After looking for a while, he put away the observation deck, turned on the bathroom light and bedside lamp in the car, took a shower, and opened his laptop in bed.

He was also researching the area he was about to visit, its natural environment, and ideally, a local map. There were definitely no maps of the swamp; those maps probably only existed in the minds of the locals. If there were stink apes there—the locals had only two options.

First, he rarely entered the swamp and taught his children not to go in; second...it is not ruled out that someone wanted to make some money, whether he went in to catch it himself or brought a TV station or other interested rich people, in short, he would go into the swamp all day long to look for smelly monkeys.

Judging from the local customs, Cheng Yijiu always felt that the second possibility was more likely - after all, these were Americans. The only possibility that nothing had happened yet was that there were too few locals - after all, villages in swamps couldn't make much money and couldn't retain people.

If the villagers hadn't lived near the swamp for generations, they probably wouldn't know the way. Entering the swamp would mean death. "Can we find a guide?" Cheng Yijiu pondered. He felt that relying on a compass and a pedometer might be more reliable. Moreover, he felt a strange sense of confidence when walking in the jungle and water network area.

"Stinky ape... a monster with such a strong body odor. I think it's more like a ghoul... I heard it has a record of attacking people." Cheng Yijiu muttered, "I hope nothing goes wrong by then."

Chapter 10 Enter

Cheng Yijiu hoped nothing would happen, and Li had been waiting at the local airport for two days. He didn't stay at a local hotel because the hotels in this shabby place didn't give him a good impression. It was more comfortable to stay on the plane. Yes, this transport plane had also been modified, with a living room, a bathroom, an in-flight kitchen, and a laundry room built in the front half of the fuselage.

This is more comfortable than a hotel - there are bedbugs in the hotel, this guy casually said this when Cheng Yijiu was chatting later.

The United States is a country with very developed civil aviation. There are many airports across the country. Even in rural areas like this, there are good rural airports. The C130 is originally a field transport aircraft. It is very easy to take off and land at such airports, not to mention that it is almost empty.

Cheng Yijiu arrived at the airport with Patton on the morning of the third day. After meeting up with Li, Li pulled out a large map he'd bought, marking in red the locations he'd found where the stinking ape might appear. Cheng Yijiu felt it was probably fake, but with no clues, he had no choice but to do it. The two men were ready, and this time, Cheng Yijiu led the team into the swamp.

He did not ask a villager to be his guide, because Cheng Yijiu was inclined to believe that there were no stink monkeys in this place at all, and it would be a waste to ask a guide - although the terrain of this swamp was complex, it was actually not that big, at least not as big as the Florida Swamp.

The swamp has a lake and beautiful scenery. Some backpackers do hike there, but the number of sightings of the stink ape is disproportionate to the number of backpackers. There's an RV campground outside the swamp, and Cheng Yijiu parked his car there. Following local laws, he locked his pistol inside the car and could only carry one rifle—the M70 Winchester is legal in any state. He then grabbed his hunting knife and prepared to hike into the swamp.

Cheng Yijiu packed a tarp, a waterproof single-person tent, a lightweight, reflective thermal sleeping bag, water purification tablets, canned food, a water bag, and a set of outdoor utensils. The only remaining items were rifle ammunition, still in the same well-worn cowhide magazine. He wore a long, durable, waterproof windbreaker, a typical trench coat, except it wasn't the pricey Burberry...

Cheng Yijiu redeemed a windbreaker designed for practical use from his computer—of course, he later decided to use alchemy to create a special waterproof and wear-resistant cloth. He wore a round-brimmed hat and mid-cut boots—very light, making them convenient for walking in the swamp. The weather was neither too hot nor too cold, and Cheng Yijiu prepared to enter the swamp. The other two guys were wearing similar clothes, except they had changed into camouflage jackets and vests, and they also brought large bags.

The two wealthy men also towed a four-wheeled vehicle. Made entirely of titanium, it was both light and strong enough. Its large, specially designed tires easily traversed uneven terrain, and its boat-like bottom remained stable and dry even when navigating water. Inside this vehicle rested their lives, along with batteries and other filming equipment. Even some camping gear was stowed on it. Since these two weren't fighting, they could tow it as they advanced.

Cheng Yijiu can't do it. If he drags the car and something happens and he can't move around, he'll be finished.

As they were hiking, an SUV drove by, blasting music and the sounds of flirting emanating from inside. Cheng Yijiu, Barton, and the other two immediately spotted six men and women inside, seemingly college students. "Are they just here to have fun? I'm increasingly convinced there's nothing here for me," Cheng Yijiu thought. He was increasingly convinced that this was just a hike; it wouldn't be bad to just take in the scenery.

They found nothing that morning—no unusual creatures, though they did see quite a few deer. At noon, they didn't stop, but simply ate some dry food. In the afternoon, they approached a lake within the swamp. This place was called a swamp because it flooded and the ground turned muddy in the summer. At this time of year, as long as you didn't dig with a shovel, there was no danger of sinking.

"The groundwater level is very high, but the ground is a little wet but still quite hard," Cheng Yijiu muttered. If you dig a maximum of thirty centimeters with a shovel, water will slowly seep out. If you continue digging to a meter, it will become a pond. The vegetation in front of us is not very lush, but there are many aquatic plants growing near the edge of the lake, making it difficult to see the shallow water area.

There was a lakeshore with little aquatic vegetation, where the car had parked. The three men and three women had already set up their tent and were playing in the water. "College students?" Cheng Yijiu said. "Probably," Barton replied. The college students also noticed the three and immediately gathered around them, wary. "Hey, who are you?" the man who seemed to be the leader shouted.

"Oh, we're here to look for the Stinky Ape," Patton said excitedly, and Cheng Yijiu didn't try to stop him at all—because there was no need, this wasn't some secret operation. The other man also laughed, probably because he had a clear view of the three of them and realized they posed no threat. "Looking for the Stinky Ape? Bigfoot? Hahahaha, it's been years, and no one has ever caught something like that."

Cheng Yijiu felt they were right. The normal and reasonable assumption was that these things didn't exist! But as a hunter who had seen the equally "non-existent" Chupocabra, he'd likely come here specifically to hunt these "non-existent" creatures. So, there might be a target here. This time, the mission was three question marks, and Cheng Yijiu simply assumed it required him to hunt three different killer monsters.

Doesn't the stinky ape have a record of killing people?

At least some of those who disappeared in the swamp might have been killed by the stink apes. Could these men and women before us also become the stink apes' prey? It was truly hard to say.

"We'll set up camp here. It's too dark to go any further into the swamp," Cheng Yijiu said. He put down his backpack and began to choose a camping spot. The two men also pulled the car aside and began to prepare to set up the tent. The single-person tent was quite simple. After laying out the tarp, Cheng Yijiu sat down on the lakeshore, rifle aside, and surveyed the surroundings with binoculars.

Barton and Lee went to film and collect firewood, and the six college students, who seemed to have had enough of playing in the water, came over and started a conversation. "Hey, hello. Are you here looking for the stinky ape?" a girl asked.

Chapter 11 Lakeside

The girl in front of him was quite good-looking, a beautiful blonde with blue eyes. However, Cheng Yijiu's sharp eyes noticed the color of her hair roots, and there was no doubt that she was dyed blonde. "Isn't that a twenty-something stinky ape..." Cheng Yijiu thought to himself. "One, two, three, four, five, six stinky apes in total. Oh, and two of them are out collecting firewood." He chuckled to himself.

But seeing as the girl was pretty, Cheng Yijiu said, "Legends say there are stinking apes and Bigfoot here. I think most of them are just lies, but it doesn't matter if I waste some time to see. If they really exist, it would be a sensation." Cheng Yijiu even touched his rifle, "If I could shoot this thing down with one shot, maybe I could even donate it to the Smithsonian Institution."

The girl looked a little annoyed. "You guys only know how to shoot animals?" Cheng Yijiu laughed. "Ma'am, the legendary stink apes aren't good animals. Don't they eat meat?" He added, "If we can catch them alive, we can try." He looked at the college students approaching from behind. There were three men and three women, two typical white couples and one black couple. One of the white men wore glasses and looked like a skinny nerd.

The girl opposite him also had long braids and wore glasses, and seemed to be a good student. Anyway, these six college students also talked to Cheng Yijiu about the smelly ape and animal protection. Cheng Yijiu must have said that it was about protecting animals, otherwise why would he hunt? And he only hunted those man-eating beasts. At this time, the girl with glasses suddenly shouted, "Did you kill the vampire monster Zhubocabra?"

Cheng Yijiu was very curious. "I did kill a vampire on the US-Mexico border. How did you know? I don't think I've ever been interviewed."

"There are photos. A local tabloid ran a story about a photo of him." This girl might be a librarian? She'd collect those kinds of tabloids and memorize them. Cheng Yijiu thought it was probably an insider. He remembered that he'd only been photographed a few times when he was with the police, and those were taken by someone inside the police department.

Cheng Yijiu's admission naturally piqued the curiosity of the others, who immediately began to question what kind of beast this Chubocabra was. However, Zhao Ting's description of its "color-changing, high body temperature, and rapid post-decomposition" characteristics elicited laughter from them. Cheng Yijiu could sense that they were actually unconvinced. Barton and Li returned, pulling a cart loaded with wood.

"Let's have a BBQ, let's eat together." Cheng Yijiu also invited the six college students. Americans love parties, and they are happy to participate in this kind of outdoor BBQ. Cheng Yijiu skillfully built a campfire and put the meat wrapped in insulation film that they brought with them - it had been marinated beforehand. This was the food they planned to eat on the first day. After that, they would have to rely on dry food and canned food. The beef and pork were hung above the campfire and slowly roasted on a low fire. Patton hung the meat in a different direction every fifteen minutes. The meat slowly released oil, and the oil dripped into the flames. The aroma was beyond words.

The Americans each had a can of beer and were drinking happily, but Cheng Yijiu only had water with a vitamin tablet in his hand. "How long have these guys been here? They've already downed three cans of beer each." Cheng Yijiu also had a strong drink. In his inside pocket was a silver bottle with six ounces of strong liquor in it, which he would use when necessary. He took out his hunting knife, sliced ​​the roasted meat, and started eating.

They brought rye bread, and a field pot hung over the campfire, boiling instant soft-bread soup—these perishable foods were intended for consumption on the first day of camp. The barbecue and rye bread soup were both delicious. Cheng Yijiu hoped the stinking ape would smell it all and simply appear before him, so he could shoot it dead. In any record, whether true or false, this monster didn't seem to have any record of cannibalism.

But a lot of people have gone missing in the swamps of Tennessee and Florida...

After eating and drinking, Cheng Yijiu also said to the six college students, "You can have fun, but don't spread out. This kind of place is not a good place for solo adventures or two-person adventures." He saw six tents, and as for which tent would be empty and which would have multiple people in it, he had no control over it. Cheng Yijiu had burned a very strong campfire, and it didn't seem like a good idea for everyone to sleep in the tents.

"I'm the only reliable person here. Forget it, I'll just sleep with my gun and set up a cordon." Cheng Yijiu made a simple mechanism with steel wire and a small bell, which just happened to block this side of the woods. His hearing and eyesight were very good at night now, and the slightest noise should wake him up.

Cheng Yijiu went to bed fully clothed, his rifle at hand. He could hear the laughter of college students not far away. It seemed that two of the couples were in an affair, but the two students didn't seem to be. Not long after, Cheng Yijiu heard panting. Sure enough, the two couples were having sex in the tent. He "blocked out" these sounds and focused on the tiny sounds coming from the direction of the woods. Cheng Yijiu did not close the tent door, and the heat from the campfire was reflected into the tent through the reflective panels.

This was also to be able to smell the scent of the stinking ape in time. The current wind happened to be blowing from the woods towards the lake. He was at the downwind side. If there was really a stinking ape approaching from the upwind side, Cheng Yijiu felt that he had enough time to give an early warning.

Until he fell asleep, he still heard no sound and smelled no odor.

The night's sleep was good. At least Cheng Yijiu woke up at six in the morning and felt good as he cleaned his mouth with chewable toothpaste. "Not here... well, this is just near the entrance to the swamp. Stinky apes don't usually come here, do they?" Cheng Yijiu grabbed his breakfast bag and started to boil it with fresh water. He finished eating and didn't move. Barton and the others didn't wake up until seven-thirty, and the college students probably wouldn't wake up until nine.

By this time, Cheng Yijiu had already put away his alarm, and the grass trembled, revealing a large mastiff. "It's not on a leash? Isn't this just a dog walk?" Cheng Yijiu noticed the collar around the dog's neck. Of course, he also heard voices in the woods—more than one. The mastiff was quite ferocious, barking as soon as it jumped out, aiming for Patton and the others, and the university students were also awakened.

Cheng Yijiu's gun was in the tent, and six or seven guys who looked like local teenagers came out of the woods...

Chapter 12 Release

The local teenagers looked far from pleasant, their personalities peculiar and unruly—that's just how it is in the countryside. Dogs often resemble their owners, and now this mastiff was barking at people and making threatening gestures, looking ready to bite at any moment. Cheng Yijiu wasn't afraid at all, but the awakened university students and Barton were frightened—especially since the dog was foaming at the mouth and looked like a mad dog.

The country bumpkins laughed heartily, even whistling as the mastiff pounced on the tourists. Cheng Yijiu stepped forward. He had a hunting knife at his waist, but he didn't pull it out. The mastiff lunged directly at the blonde girl, its mouth foaming and reeking of raw meat, about to bite down on her leg. Almost everyone was yelling; the girl was screaming, and some were cursing.

The next moment, the mastiff's scruff was grabbed. A hand grabbed not only the scruff, but also its neck. The mastiff's upper body was lifted off the ground, and its roar turned into a whine. Cheng Yijiu's right hand grasped the dog's neck, and his hooked fingers even scratched through the thick hide, digging directly into the dog's neck. Blood was already flowing. The blonde girl burst into tears and fell to the ground as she stepped back, but was quickly helped up by her boyfriend.