Chapter 301: 298: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind
A sudden roar reverberated through the woods.
The birds that had settled once again took flight.
Ji Zuodong’s right foot, as he stepped out of the wooden door, paused ever so slightly, then quickly continued down, treading softly left and right, the mud with sprouting grass squished out from the sides of his shoe.
One could easily imagine, a deep footprint had been firmly impressed into the ground.
“Impossible.”
Ji Zuodong squinted at the panting Bonuo, shaking his head in refusal.
To simply hand over something that was mine? No way, that’s not how it works.
The standoff between the two immediately sent the audience into a frenzy. Were they going to fight?
Also, was Ji Zuodong’s English really that good?
As the only Huaxia person among the sixteen contestants, Ji Zuodong managed to reply smoothly when faced with Bonuo’s threat,
“It’s normal. What do you think Special Forces and the armed police are? They are elites, not just simple warriors. Many can master a foreign language proficiently. Aside from French and English, I even spent five months before attending Hunter Academy to learn Spanish.”
Bi Fang couldn’t help but toot his own horn, but indeed, it was a fact that Special Soldiers were not only physically formidable but intellectually as well.
As he spoke, he even used Spanish, automatically translated into Chinese subtitles, with a trilled ‘r’ as authentic as a native speaker’s.
Mastering the Spanish trilled ‘r’, one of the most difficult aspects of learning the language, seemed to be a skill that Master Fang had perfectly acquired, to the surprise and even shock of the few knowledgeable viewers in the live stream.
Wait, wasn’t this his third foreign language?
“Spanish is one of the prerequisites for entering Hunter Academy. It’s not surprising to me.”
Ever since the Blue Special Forces were upgraded to Purple Special Reconnaissance Forces and his status changed, the System arranged for him to have completed studies at Hunter Academy, naturally, there were no discrepancies, and Spanish was included as an extra Skill given to Bi Fang.
“Are you sure?”
Ji Zuodong smiled, showing no sign of nervousness, and casually lifted the machete in his hand, “Do you want to try and steal it? Give it a try?”
Bonuo breathed heavily, trying to recover the stamina he had expended on the way here. He gripped the antler weapon tightly, his gaze fierce.
There were six items in the cabin, and though he didn’t yet know what the remaining four were, he was certain that what Ji Zuodong had taken was the best.
If they hadn’t crossed paths, it would have been one thing, but now that they had…
He was going to rob him blind!
Without much feeling out or conversation, Bonuo lunged forward, closing the distance of seven or eight meters in a flash, like an ancient shamanship officiant, bringing down his antler weapon towards Ji Zuodong’s head with a brutally savage blow!
Ji Zuodong involuntarily ducked, the antler scraping past his hair, narrowly missing him, sending a shock through his heart at the still-abundant energy of his opponent.
Missing with his first strike, Bonuo didn’t back down. His wrist twisted, changing the smash into a chop, and almost simultaneously with his attack, he also felt a strong wind assaulting his chest.
He roared, half-turning his body, but the chopping motion of his hand didn’t stop.
The antler, with a tearing sound, struck Ji Zuodong’s shoulder accurately and forcefully. Ji Zuodong’s mouth wide open in pain, yet not a sound escaped, the Claw Knife in his hand unaffected, its sharp edge pressed against Bonuo’s chest, paused for a moment, cut through the fabric, and slid towards the flesh!
Bonuo was startled. In the wild, a cut from a sharp weapon was far more troublesome than a blunt injury. He immediately pulled back the antler, swerving to the side to avoid.
Ji Zuodong was relentless. Having taken a hit on purpose, he was determined to make his opponent pay. His wrist exerted force, and the cold Claw Knife glided downwards, ripping open a large tear in the clothing and forcing Bonuo to retreat backwards. Suddenly, he lost his balance and fell to the ground. He took advantage of the momentum to roll backward and then flipped to the side, kicking his legs to roll several more times, creating some distance in the process.
Not rushing to pursue, Ji Zuodong moved his struck shoulder blade, getting the blood flowing again. He also put down the sleeping bag he was carrying on his back and watched Bonuo, who was not far away, still with a smile.
Honestly, I kind of want to eliminate the other guy right now.
Bonuo’s panting grew heavier, and as he stood up, his chest heaved uncontrollably. The sensation of oxygen deprivation that had been suppressed was creeping back. He looked down at his torn shirt.
Blood flowed from his chest and stained the inner lining. The sticky lining then adhered to the exposed flesh. The salt from two days of sweating on the road was all on the lining, causing a burning pain when it stuck to the skin.
Damn it, I was too hasty.
Cursing inwardly, he had just felt irritated that someone else had gotten the jump on him. With rising anger and a hot head, he wanted to rush in and steal it away, thinking that it wouldn’t lead to a fatality anyway. But he ended up at a disadvantage, and for a moment, he even considered retreating. Seeing Ji Zuodong eager to try, and about to move forward, he immediately shouted out.
“Wait, wait, how about I exchange deer meat with you for the machete? How about that?”
“Too late!”
“The sleeping bag is okay too, the sleeping bag! Claw Knife! Can the Claw Knife work?”
Bonuo desperately yelled, but Ji Zuodong acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
Deer meat? If he eliminated the other guy, it would be his anyway!
His thigh muscles tensed, forcibly creating a one-centimeter-deep footprint on the ground as he pounced toward his opponent.
FUCK!
Seeing that the other guy wouldn’t let him off, Bonuo gave up on any luck and suddenly ducked low, charging at his opponent as well.
There was definitely no chance of running away. Having just run several kilometers, he was too exhausted to escape and the situation would only get worse. He could well be worn out to death, so there was only one option left—to fight!
The two clashed fiercely, one wielding an Antler Weapon and the other using the swift and tricky Claw Knife. The Antler Weapon was powerful and heavy while the Claw Knife was sharp to the bone. For a moment, they were at a standoff.
But Bi Fang could tell that Bonuo was at a disadvantage. On one hand, it was a matter of stamina, and on the other hand, in close combat, the agile Claw Knife was faster and had the upper hand, even receiving help from the rules!
The Claw Knife is too shameless!
The production crew doesn’t allow excessive injury, and naturally, the Special Forces, who focus on killing, are at a disadvantage compared to Ji Zuodong, who excels in subduing. The Claw Knife is small, with the entire blade being just a few centimeters long. Even if one got cut, it wouldn’t be too serious, allowing Ji Zuodong to make full use of his combat skills.
Bonuo’s cuff was slashed open again, showing a shallow cut on his forearm. He could feel his condition getting worse and worse, almost making a comeback impossible.
In the rapid changes of combat, Bonuo suddenly smashed the huge Antler Weapon towards the enemy’s face.
Ji Zuodong blocked the Antler Weapon, turned his head only to see Bonuo taking the opportunity to run away, even throwing down the deer meat to lighten his load.
Is he seeking his own death?
Ji Zuodong didn’t understand why the other would choose to run away, but there was no time to think. To eliminate his opponent quickly, he broke into a run after him.
The two chased each other swiftly through the woods, but Ji Zuodong, with his relatively better stamina, was much faster. Although Bonuo used a blinding tactic and took the initiative, the distance between them was rapidly closing.
Feeling the footsteps behind him drawing closer, Bonuo silently estimated the distance and, once it was close enough, Ji Zuodong would leap at him with all his strength!
The sound of the wind whistling from behind his head didn’t alarm Bonuo. Instead, his expression brightened. He knew he was no match for his opponent’s speed. If he couldn’t dodge this move, he would surely be tackled down, and since they couldn’t inflict serious harm, he was likely to lose.
But this was also an opportunity!
The well-prepared Bonuo suddenly halted the right foot he had been running on, spread his legs front and back, and lowered his center of gravity, standing rooted to the spot!
As he made this move, Ji Zuodong had already pounced on his back, swiftly wrapping his arms around the enemy’s neck.
It was a Naked Choke!
This move had been demonstrated by Bi Fang many times, and the audience was extremely familiar with it, recognizing it instantly.
Is he going to win this?