109 Third Hunt 4

Qin Feng didn't have time to think, and simply reacted at once. He didn't know why he did what he did, or if it made any sense at all. But he did so swiftly and without any hesitation whatsoever!

He thrust his left hand out at once, slamming the lotus root that he held in his hand like a sword at the lunging creature. And took advantage of the slight pause that had afforded him to spin to his right, using the Flowing Wind Steps that he had barely learned to get out of the way.

There was a jerk on his left hand, as the teeth of the Silver-streaked Ferret caught and tore at the lotus root that he had pushed at it. Then the whole mud-stained root was torn out of his grasp, even as he spun away.

But the juvenile Ferret was clearly not experienced in dealing with men, or fighting with other Beasts or animals that were its match. It turned away from Qin Feng, and was trying desperately to spit out the fragments of the muddy lotus root that had been stuck into its maw. Something that clearly did not agree with its taste-buds.

Qin Feng, on the other hand, had not been practicing his footwork or his sword movements as rigorously as he should. But he knew that he was fighting for his life. And his near-panicked state and the fact that he had already begun to draw qi into his pitifully weak body had strengthened it somehow.

Or, at least, it was enough to make him capable of drawing out his Flowing Wind Steps, and gift him with a greater sense of awareness.

Which was enough to show him that the juvenile Silver-streaked Ferret was looking away, rather than at him. And that it was too concerned about the horrid taste in its mouth, and on its tongue, to pay him too much attention.

And that was enough to give him a chance!

Qin Feng reacted immediately, without even bothering to think!

His right leg bent, as soon as his foot touched the ground once more. Then kicked off, as hard as he could! The next movement of the Flowing Wind Steps, that was meant to rapidly send one into attacking range, activated quickly, launching him in the direction of the Ferret, before it could recover!

His right hand, still clutching the short, thin-bladed knife, pushed out in front of him, following the form of that almost unfamiliar sword movement that he had played at, when he was bored. But it was the only sword maneuver that he knew:

Four Seasons Sword: Shards of Winter Frost!

It was a rather simple sword stroke, to tell the truth. And was supposed to be backed by all the zhenqi that its wielder could summon. Based on the seaon of Winter, the image that was supposed to be pictured in the wielder's mind was water freezing in a harsh, freezing cold wind, scattering snow and ice in shards that wreaked havoc on the enemy.

It was supposed to be a killing blow, sufficient to wipe away all the enemies that stood before its wielder. And there were records of some Masters from the Heaven Sword School killing off whole troops of men with that singular sword movement.

Qin Feng, however, was no Master from the Heaven Sword School. And he certainly did not have that level of strength. He was barely able to send out a single sword, and that was barely acceptable as an attack. He was also unable to push the murderous aura from the tip of his weapon like a true Master would do.

But he didn't need to.

His enemy was not a troop of soldiers or practitioners, but a single juvenile, inexperienced Silver-streaked Ferret. And while the speed and reaction time of Silver-streaked Ferrets were far above the norm of most Spirit Beasts in the Southern Forest, this one that he was facing was too young, and too raw in the ways of the wild, to be compared to the rest of its kind.

It did not realise that it was being attacked at first. And it was not until it felt the murderous aura that was imbued in Qin Feng's knife that was flashing at it, that it knew that it was being targetted. By then, Qin Feng was already merely a meter away from it!

As a Spiritual Beast, the juvenile Silver-streaked Ferret had faster reflexes and a quick set of movements that would make it a simple matter to avoid such an attack. However, as it was new to the ways of the wilderness, and had no experience in hunting or being hunted, it was a little slow to react to Qin Feng's hasty, and somewhat inept, assault.

Which was probably why it hesitated, instead of springing away immediately. And that slight pause in its actions resulted in a terrible consequence!

Qin Feng's knife reached the young Ferret bare moments before it moved, the tip of the weapon beginning to dig through its protective fur and into the flesh of its abdomen. And when it jumped at last, the motion only served to push the blade deeper into its body, until it tore a long and bloody track down until it clashed against the Ferret's hip!

Then one of the forelimbs of the Beast crashed against Qin Feng's forearm, making him loosen his grip on the hilt of the knife. The weight of its small body dragged the knife out of Qin Feng's stunned grip immediately, and the juvenile Ferret scrambled and skidded about two bodylengths away from him.

And left him to watch, slack-jawed, as the badly injured creature tried to get away.

The Silver-streaked Ferret tried to skip further away as soon as it regained its feet, only to collapse as intestines came pouring out of that gaping hole in its lower torso, leaving it to roll about on the forest floor in agony. Blood poured from the injury, and the Beast's panicked movements only drained its body faster.

Then its twisting about gradually slowed, until it was lying motionless on the clawed and bloodied ground.

It was finally dead!

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