Chapter 37: Fire Attack on the Squirrel Hole

Chapter 37: Fire Attack on the Squirrel Hole

While the gray squirrels posed little challenge to the Great Blue Hawk, their numbers were far fewer than the sandgrouse and flying dragons.

These creatures held territories within the pine forests, so their density wouldn't be too high. In cases where two were caught at once, aside from the possibility of a male and female pairing during breeding season, the two squirrels were most likely related by blood, having simply experienced some territorial overlap after growing up and leaving their original nests.

With two squirrels in hand, Yue Feng continued walking along the ridge. For the next twenty minutes, there were no new discoveries in the vast forest, save for the occasional birdcall.

*Could it be that I arrived too late?*

It was indeed a possibility. Squirrels were interesting animals; they preferred to be active in the early morning and at dusk, hiding in tree hollows or nests once the sun rose.

Yue Feng had returned to town after seven, and by the time he circled around to this red pine forest, it was already past eight. Catching the first two had also consumed a significant amount of time; it was now 9:10 AM.

*It looks like I'll have to use the second trick!*

Yue Feng did not give up the search. He shifted his attention from the ground to the surrounding tree hollows.

Squirrels had a habit of storing food. During the autumn when food was abundant, they would collect pine nuts, hazelnuts, and acorns, hoarding them in tree hollows to survive the winter.

Generally, these hollows were uncovered, making them easy to find with careful observation.

Yue Feng focused his gaze on the older, larger trees, and soon discovered the first hollow.

The bottom of this hollow was about ten centimeters above the ground, extending upward to a height of over three meters.

Yue Feng tapped the trunk, and a hollow, muffled thud echoed back.

A second later, while searching around, Yue Feng found some pine resin near a fallen tree.

This stuff was ubiquitous in Northeast China; every household used it to start fires. Later, unscrupulous merchants hyped it up as "amber wood," even giving it the elegant nickname "Northern Agarwood."

Because of its high oil content, it was extremely easy to ignite, though it would emit black smoke if the combustion was incomplete.

Yue Feng picked up a few pieces and lit them with matches. He then chose a small piece, smaller than a matchbox, blew out the flame, and stuffed it into the tree hollow at his feet.

As the smoke rose, the upper opening of the hollow quickly began to billow smoke.

Yue Feng flattened the Great Blue Hawk and entered combat readiness. Man and eagle both focused their attention on the mouth of the hollow.

Suddenly, a large gray squirrel shot out of the opening and began scurrying up the trunk.

Seeing this, Yue Feng decisively released the flattened Great Blue Hawk toward the upper part of the tree.

This was a brand-new attempt. The Great Blue Hawk was proficient at ground ambushes or aerial pursuits within a twenty-to-thirty-meter range, but this method of vertical combat was a first for Yue Feng.

However, the Great Blue Hawk did not disappoint.

As soon as it was released, its wings beat rapidly. Leveraging the momentum of the release, it chased after the squirrel above with incredible speed.

The squirrel fled around the trunk, and the Great Blue Hawk circled the tree in pursuit. Yue Feng was not idle either; he grabbed a stray wooden branch from the ground and began thumping it against the trunk.

Startled, the squirrel leaped from one tree to another in an attempt to escape. The Great Blue Hawk seized the opportunity, diving and striking just as the squirrel landed and had not yet stabilized its footing.

This time, the Great Blue Hawk did not aim for the squirrel's head on its first strike. It chose the back, where it was easier to hook its claws. After grabbing the squirrel, it exerted force with its wings to pull backward. The attacked squirrel was forcibly ripped from the trunk and fell from several meters up.

As the gray squirrel fell freely, the Great Blue Hawk tucked its wings and dove down like a torpedo.

Just as the squirrel hit the ground, the wind-whipped strike of the eagle's talons arrived.

The Great Blue Hawk's left claw clamped onto the squirrel's neck. As the squirrel turned to attempt a bite, the right claw struck directly at its face. Once the right claw was firmly set, the left claw pivoted, also striking the face to seal the squirrel's mouth.

The sequence of movements sounded slow when described, but in reality, the entire pursuit was completed in just a few seconds. From the dive to the first neck clamp, the second facial strike, and the third pivot to complete the "tiger head-hold," the entire process was finished in what felt like a single breath.

In the past, when Yue Feng had released his eagle and rushed over, whether it was a weasel or a gray squirrel, they would already be controlled by the eagle's double-clawed head-hold. This was the first time Yue Feng had witnessed such a close-up view of a falcon performing technical maneuvers on its prey.

Even having lived two lifetimes, even with decades of falconry experience, Yue Feng was still profoundly shaken by the sight.

Raptors possessed reflex speeds far exceeding those of ordinary mammals and held the strongest combat capabilities for their weight class. The magic of nature's creator was fully revealed in this very moment!

*Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!*

A series of squirrel screams rang out. The Great Blue Hawk spread its wings like a victorious general, its talons gripping the gray squirrel's head so tightly it could not move.

Yue Feng hurriedly dropped the wooden stick and rushed to the eagle's side.

He put on his glove, placed the dead squirrel on it, and with maximum speed, swapped it for the screaming squirrel on the ground.

Another perfect, intact gray squirrel was in hand!

Yue Feng repeated the process, stuffing the second live squirrel into the cage, then crouched down to let the Great Blue Hawk tear at the flesh of the first squirrel.

It was impossible to eat its fill in one go; no matter how skilled an eagle was, if it ate until full, it wouldn't work properly. However, a hunt of this intensity consumed immense physical energy. Yue Feng allowed the Great Blue Hawk to swallow seven or eight mouthfuls of meat before removing the dead squirrel.

He poured a capful of water from his canteen for the Great Blue Hawk to moisten its beak. The little fellow intelligently took a sip, tightened its feathers, drooped its tail feathers, and soon the feathers beneath its vent began to loosen.

Yue Feng's trick of smoking out the squirrel holes with pine resin was indeed effective. After resting in place with the eagle for about five minutes, the Great Blue Hawk's feathers relaxed completely. It lifted its tail, and a straight streak of droppings shot out like an arrow, landing on the ground—distinctly black and white.

Once the eagle had relaxed its feathers and "shot its streak," it was fully rested. Seeing this, Yue Feng stood up, took out the still-smoking pine resin, and continued searching for the next suitable squirrel hole for a "fire attack."

...

While Yue Feng was wandering through the pine forest, the Zhang brothers were also using their flattened hawk to search for potential prey on the other side of Wild Chicken Ridge.

At six in the morning, the two brothers had come to Yue Feng's house for breakfast, picking up their hawks in the process. They had eaten their fill of two-grain steamed buns, lard, pickles, and corn porridge, bracing themselves to head into the mountains to catch more prey to sell.

After yesterday's combat experience, the hawk nicknamed "Yellow Bold" by Xiaowu had basically become well-trained. Today was a relatively familiar hunting ground. The hawk had successfully caught several chickens in a row, and its spirit was high. The brothers consulted each other and decided to unhook the tether.

***

*It's Monday, the first day of the new book trial. Currently, the data growth looks a bit unsatisfactory. Not only has the new book ranking not risen, but it has actually dropped by about twenty places.*

*Seeking votes and comments! If you have any good ideas, feel free to say them in the comments. I will consider incorporating them into future creations!*

(End of Chapter)