The Dawn Assault and the Pistol’s Roar

As night descended, only the chirping of crickets echoed through the mountain forest. Three figures sat perched atop the crown of a lush, leafy tree.

“Luo Tian, are you cold? Here, take my jacket.”

“I’m fine…”

“I’m cold, Big Brother, give it to me instead!” the stout young man pleaded, rubbing his arms as he turned to Luo Tao.

“Get lost! You have so much fat; why don’t you share some with me?”

The three waited patiently until dawn began to break. Suddenly, the stout young man jolted awake and shook Luo Tao.

“It seems someone is coming up! My gu worms are reacting!”

They peered down intently. A short, slender youth was scrambling up the slope, his expression tense, frequently glancing back as if something were chasing him.

“I see him! That sack he’s carrying must hold the wild boar ears. I can handle this kind of prey by myself!”

Luo Tao was about to leap down when Lin Tian held him back.

“Wait, there are others behind him.”

****

“You brat! How dare you steal our spoils! Stop right there!”

Four figures were chasing from behind, moving slowly and appearing utterly exhausted.

“Should we make a move? Their stamina is failing,” Luo Tao whispered.

Lin Tian glanced at the sack filled with boar ears. It probably contained no more than four or five, hardly worth the effort.

“Let’s wait a little longer…”

The stout young man and Luo Tao were growing anxious. With no boar ears in their possession, they felt uneasy.

The group ran past their tree. Not long after, another contingent of people appeared on the hillside.

“More are coming! But there are quite a few, and they look to be in good condition. Perhaps we should wait for the next wave…” Luo Tao’s earlier bravado had vanished.

Seven individuals ascended this time, each carrying a sack. Their demeanor suggested they were not to be trifled with.

Lin Tian observed them in silence. Both the stout young man and Luo Tao assumed he was about to give up, yet he unexpectedly drew a hand grenade from his waist.

“Huh?! Are you going to…”

“What is it? What’s happening? Are we fighting?” the stout young man asked, utterly bewildered.

While others might not have known the grenade’s power, Luo Tao was acutely aware. He quickly covered his ears.

“Eighty meters… sixty meters… fifty meters…” Lin Tian murmured softly. As soon as they drew within fifty meters, he pulled the pin!

The bomb’s effective range was thirty meters. Lin Tian’s timing was impeccable; the moment the group stepped within that radius, he hurled the grenade forward with all his might!

“Stop! An ambush!”

The grenade landed near their feet. Mistaking it for a mere stone, the group paid it no mind, instead focusing their attention on their surroundings.

“This stone couldn’t have rolled down the mountain, could it? If someone threw it, their aim is terrible…”

Boom!

Their words were cut short as the grenade exploded, knocking them all off their feet! Dust billowed, and fine grit stung the faces of the three onlookers from a distance.

The thunderous blast shattered the mountain’s tranquility, reaching the ears of many disciples, elders, and even those at the foot of the mountain!

The stout young man, having never witnessed a hand grenade before, was startled, nearly tumbling from the tree.

“We must hurry! That noise will attract many people!”

Luo Tao and Lin Tian leaped from the tree trunk. The stout young man, finally recovering his senses, scrambled down. Catching sight of the several other grenades still strapped to Lin Tian’s waist, he gasped in astonishment.

Upon closer inspection, all seven individuals lay dead, none spared. After retrieving their sacks, the trio swiftly continued their ascent up the mountain.

Not long after, two sect elders arrived to investigate. However, apart from the deceased and a shallow crater from the explosion, they found no other clues.

“Elder Sun, with your vast experience, do you know what could have caused this?”

“In my opinion, this must be the work of an Immortal.”

“Hmm… it does seem like it. But why would a cultivator attack mortals?”

“Who knows? Immortals are notoriously eccentric. We’d best leave quickly; it would be troublesome if they returned…”

****

The trio of Lin Tian hurried towards the mountain peak. The seven sacks collectively held twenty-seven wild boar ears, exactly nine for each of them.

“You brat! Still running!”

The initial group who had ascended earlier was still in pursuit. They ran directly to the registration area, where the pavilion door suddenly opened. The elder from yesterday noon emerged, his expression stern.

“You lot! Fighting is forbidden here!”

The group froze. Their leader cupped his fist and declared, “Elder, this brat stole our spoils of war!”

The youth, filled with apprehension, awaited his punishment. Yet, the elder did not chastise him.

“His ability to steal and snatch is his skill. Below the mountain, you may act as you please, but here, no fighting is allowed!”

“But…” The four were visibly displeased by this response.

“Those are the rules. The selection ends before the sun rises!”

The four dared not argue further and gathered to strategize.

“Big Brother, what should we do? It’s almost dawn; there’s no time to go down the mountain and hunt wild boars now!”

“Hmph! That wretched brat! If he can snatch, why can’t we?”

With that, the four blocked the path to the registration area, waiting like hunters for their prey.

Coincidentally, the ones rushing up next were Lin Tian’s trio!

“Hey, Big Brother, these three look easy to deal with, and their sacks are bulging!”

“Good, they’re the ones!”

Among the three, only Luo Tao appeared capable of fighting. Lin Tian was small in stature, and the stout young man was even less imposing, carrying no weapons.

“Aren’t these the four who went up just now?” the stout young man remarked.

“It seems they’ve set their sights on us,” Luo Tao said, drawing his iron sword and giving it a light flick, producing a resonant hum.

“Don’t fight them. Many people are coming from behind; getting entangled now would be troublesome,” Lin Tian stated, pulling out the pistol from his waist.

“Uh… but aren’t you still going to fight them…?” Luo Tao’s eyelids twitched.

Bang! Bang!

The pistol’s recoil was roughly triple that of a normal handgun, and its power was proportionally increased. Two of the men were shot through the thigh, letting out cries of agony.

“What happened?!”

“Big Brother, my leg!”

Seeing blood gushing from their comrades’ legs, they were all startled. Then, observing Lin Tian pointing the gun at them, each felt a chill of fear.

“What kind of demonic hidden weapon is that?! Retreat quickly!”

The four scrambled away, relieved that the bullets had struck their legs. If they had hit their heads, they would have been finished!

With no one to impede them, the trio quickly reached the registration area.

“Brother Luo Tian, your weapons are truly formidable! We owe you a great deal this time. If you ever need anything, just tell me, Junzhu, and I’ll do whatever it takes!”

Lin Tian nodded. “Just don’t speak of these weapons to anyone else.”

“Of course!”

****

As dawn painted the sky, people continued to rush up from the mountain. Surprisingly, the four who had been blocking the path also reappeared, now carrying several sacks themselves, apparently having robbed others again.

The first youth who had ascended saw them and quickly turned away. If these people also joined the sect, he knew his future days would be difficult.

The leader of the four glanced at Lin Tian, a wave of dread washing over him. That hidden weapon could pierce a thigh directly, clearly possessing immense power. He had never seen a hidden weapon capable of penetrating a human body! He resolved never to provoke this person again.

****

“Time’s up!”

As the sun’s first rays appeared, the elder announced the end of the selection. More than half the participants were gone, some killed by wild boars, but many more by other people.

“Those whose names are called, please step forward to have your quantities counted…”

The elder called out names one by one, and participants submitted their wild boar ears for tallying. Most only had three or four. If there were ties in quantity, rank was determined by the time of ascent.

Ultimately, eleven individuals were eliminated, leaving twenty-one. The first youth to ascend placed exactly twenty-first. Some of those eliminated had the same number of ears as him, but they had not been the first to arrive.

Lin Tian’s group, each possessing nine wild boar ears, achieved excellent results.

“Those who were eliminated, do not worry; you may participate again next year.

Those who passed the selection will officially become disciples of this sect. There will be another test tomorrow. Come here to collect a set of clothing, and then you may choose a room to rest in.”