Free Web NovelChapter 12: Chapter 12: Fighting the Tiger
While comforting the trembling, whimpering black dog, Zhu Dongming laid out the plan in a near whisper:
"First, we’ll set a few traps. Zhou Feng, you take the spear and get up in that tree.
"Once you’re ready, Old Chen and I will fire our arrows and see if we can draw the big cat over.
"If the tiger comes, we’ll rely on the traps and our bows. And Zhou Feng—you just keep stabbing it from the tree, make it bleed. Once it’s weakened, we’ll close in and wear it down, each of us taking a turn with our knives. Yuanzi, you stay back for now and step in when the time is right."
The men all nodded, agreeing that his plan was sound.
Zhou Feng, trembling slightly with excitement, said:
"Brother Zhu’s plan is perfect. Now that it’s run into us, this tiger’s fate is sealed today."
Seeing his companions rubbing their hands in eager anticipation, full of confidence, Zhu Dongming frowned slightly.
"Everyone, be careful," he warned. "None of us have ever dealt with a tiger before. Don’t let your guard down."
"Don’t worry, Old Zhu. We’re all old hands at this. We know what we’re doing," Wu the Fourth said with a nod.
There was only one person here who had no experience.
Chen Yun patted Xie Yuan on the shoulder and gave him a special warning:
"Xiaoxie, don’t be afraid. We’ll be on the front line. Just stay here and don’t move for now."
Xie Yuan nodded. "I understand, Uncle Chen."
Seeing Xie Yuan’s calm and composed expression, Chen Yun nodded in satisfaction.
Most people had only heard of tigers; how many had actually seen one? To be so composed when seeing a great beast for the first time—he seemed even calmer than Zhou Feng—was truly rare.
Even he, a hunter for most of his life, was seeing a tiger for the first time. It would have been a lie to say he wasn’t nervous.
The kid had a calm demeanor; he probably wouldn’t cause any trouble. Chen Yun was beginning to understand why Zhu Dongming had brought him along.
Of course, Chen Yun couldn’t have known that Xie Yuan had seen tigers before. Not just tigers, but ligers and tigons, too. Naturally, he didn’t feel the same mix of novelty and terror as the others.
But this was indeed the first time he had encountered one outside of a cage. Fortunately, since he wasn’t expected to charge to the front, he didn’t feel too tense either.
Xie Yuan fell back behind the others, watching with his hands tucked in his sleeves as the hunters set up traps in the clearing ahead. He just hoped he wouldn’t be needed today.
His attention was drawn to the massive tree, however. It was still lush and green despite being early winter, and it was enormous. Even with his keen eyesight, he couldn’t identify the species, and he found himself staring at it again and again.
After a short while, the traps were set, and Zhou Feng scrambled nimbly up the tree above them. Zhu Dongming and Chen Yun exchanged a look, gave a slight nod, and drew their bows, nocking arrows at the same time.
SWISH!
Two long arrows sliced through the air. One struck the tiger’s forehead, the other its neck. But against its massive body, the arrows fired from their homemade bows seemed rather small.
The tiger was instantly jolted awake. It shot to its feet with a ferocious roar!
The mountain forest trembled, the trees swayed, and a gust of wind swept through the woods.
Hearing the deafening roar that seemed to shake the very mountains, the men’s faces turned pale.
Xie Yuan was stunned. ’So a tiger’s roar can be this loud! It feels like the whole mountain is shaking.’
The tiger whipped its head around, spotting the humans who had ambushed it, and lowered its body into a crouch.
Then, it lunged.
It moved like the wind, its speed incredible. The two arrows seemed to have barely affected its movement.
Gritting their teeth, Zhu Dongming and Chen Yun fired two more arrows, which found their mark on the tiger’s body.
The tiger cried out in pain but didn’t slow in the slightest. Instead, it charged even faster!
Their expressions changed as they retreated into the woods, shooting as they went.
They managed only one more volley before the tiger was on them in the blink of an eye. Just as it was about to reach the two-legged beasts that had ambushed it, it suddenly stumbled, its paw caught fast.
It had stepped into a trap. Excruciating pain shot through it, and its movements, once agile, became clumsy as it hobbled on three legs.
Zhu Dongming’s eyes lit up, and he roared:
"Now!"
He, Wu the Fourth, and Chen Yun drew their knives and advanced. They worked to flank the tiger, covering one another as they took turns lunging in for a stab before retreating.
Meanwhile, Zhou Feng, up in the tree, kept jabbing down with his short spear.
The tiger was immense, and the hunters’ homemade weapons couldn’t deal a decisive blow. But the four men coordinated their attacks, and after several exchanges, they had managed to open numerous wounds on its body. Blood slowly seeped out, gradually staining its beautiful orange fur red.
Watching the four men skillfully hunt the tiger in concert, Xie Yuan felt a rush of adrenaline. He unconsciously took a couple of steps forward, wanting to find an opening to land a blow or two with his axe.
He found that the act of hunting seemed to awaken some ancient gene, making him eager to join in. ’This must be an ancestral memory,’ he thought.
But he remained cautious, not forgetting his original purpose of guarding their rear. Besides, he had no experience; rushing in rashly might do more harm than good. So he stayed a short distance away, watching the performance of the hunt.
Seeing the tiger gradually slowing, Zhou Feng’s eyes gleamed with avarice from his perch in the tree. He couldn’t help but slow his attacks, saying excitedly:
"Brothers, the most valuable part of the tiger is its pelt! Let’s not poke any more holes in it! Just let it bleed out slowly..."
Wu the Fourth, shield in one hand and knife in the other, was about to move in for a stab from the side. Hearing Zhou Feng’s words, he hesitated, and his movements slowed by a fraction.
Zhu Dongming’s eyes widened, and he roared frantically:
"Shit! Watch out!"
"ROAR!"
The tiger, which had seemed sluggish, suddenly let out a bellow and reared up on its hind legs, its massive shadow engulfing Wu the Fourth.
A tiger paw the size of a man’s face swatted down like Mount Tai crashing from above. Wu the Fourth’s face went white as he instinctively raised the rattan shield in his left hand to block.
But how could human strength withstand a tiger’s desperate, all-out strike?
The stocky Wu the Fourth was sent flying back several meters like a kite with a snapped string. The tiger was about to pounce on him when it suddenly flinched and cried out in pain. In his panic, Zhou Feng had leaned out to stab it, piercing its back.
The tiger thrashed its body. Zhou Feng, too tense to let go of his short spear in time, was yanked down from the tree.
He saw stars as the tiger turned, its gaping, bloody maw closing in. Only two words flashed through his mind:
’It’s over.’
The situation had taken a drastic turn. Zhu Dongming couldn’t even react in time, his face draining of color.
’Wu the Fourth’s fate is unknown, and Zhou Feng is about to be devoured. Our four-man encirclement is broken. With just me and Chen Yun left, trying to fight this beast—even one covered in wounds—is nothing but a pipe dream.’
’It’s not about hunting the tiger anymore; it’s about how to stay alive...’ Chen Yun’s face was ashen as he watched Zhou Feng under the tiger’s jaws. He took a step back, his instincts already screaming at him to flee.
Zhu Dongming gritted his teeth and charged forward with his wood-chopping knife, attempting to save Zhou Feng despite the hopelessness of it all.
But someone else was faster.
Xie Yuan stepped out from behind a nearby tree. In two strides, he was at the tiger’s side. He raised his axe and, with all his strength, brought it down on the beast’s body. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Three-Axe Strike! freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Zhu Dongming and Chen Yun only saw a cold gleam of light flash through the woods. To their naked eyes, Xie Yuan’s movements were an almost imperceptible blur.
The tiger froze for an instant, then let out a colossal, agonizing cry. Blood gushed from its side like a fountain as it twisted and collapsed.
With quick eyes and fast hands, Xie Yuan yanked Zhou Feng back, saving him from being crushed to death by the falling tiger just moments after he had escaped its jaws.
The tiger’s belly had been sliced almost completely open, its entrails spilling onto the ground. Its chest heaved a few times, then fell still.
Though one had been charging forward and the other retreating, both Zhu Dongming and Chen Yun froze in their tracks. They stood stunned in the middle of the forest, staring at the scene with utter disbelief in their eyes.
