Chen Changyuan ignored the young man's questions, just smiled mysteriously, and continued to lead the way deeper into Qingshanling.

Zhou Dazhu and Laizi were following far behind, their figures obscured by the dense branches and leaves.

The further you go into the mountains, the darker the light becomes, the taller the trees become, and a cold, damp smell fills the air, making you shudder.

The beggar shrank his neck and looked around nervously.

"Brother Zhuzi, this... this place is a bit creepy. How about... let's stop here today?"

His voice was trembling, and he rubbed his arms as if he was afraid.

Zhou Dazhu glared at him fiercely. "What the hell are you talking about? Who instigated me to come here in the first place? You want to back out now? No way!"

He grabbed Laizi by the collar and said, "That kid Chen Changyuan must know some clues to the treasure. We must follow him closely today. If he gets away, I will peel off your skin!"

Laizi didn't dare to say anything else and could only follow him.

But he was still afraid, so he secretly took out a red cloth from his pocket and tied it to a branch as a mark.

Chen Changyuan and his group walked along the rugged mountain road for a long time and finally came to a hidden pond.

The pond is not big, the water is clear and you can see the bottom. A group of fat fish swim leisurely among the water plants. In the sunlight, the fish scales sparkle with silver light.

"Oh, fish! So many fish!"

The young man shouted in surprise, and the others also gathered around with their eyes wide open.

During this period, everyone has been eating wild vegetables and dry food every day, and their mouths are almost dry. Now that they see so many lively fish, how can they resist?

"Brother Changyuan, let's get some fish to eat!"

The young man rubbed his hands and looked at Chen Changyuan eagerly.

The others also echoed it, rubbing their hands, and eager to jump in and catch the fish immediately.

Chen Changyuan smiled and said, "Okay, let's get a few to satisfy our cravings!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several young men eagerly picked up their harpoons, aimed at the fish in the pond, and were eager to try. Only Li Ming stood aside, his face pale.

"Mingzi, why don't you move? Are you afraid of water?" a young man joked.

Li Ming's face flushed. "Who...who is afraid of water? I...I just don't want to get my clothes wet!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Li Ming stood there embarrassedly, wishing he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

Yuan Chao was quick-eyed and quick-handed, and was the first to catch a fat fish with his spear. He proudly threw the fish to the shore, then walked up to Li Ming and threw the fish to him.

"Here, I made this for you, so you, a landlubber, won't be able to do it!"

Li Ming took the fish, his face turned red and white, but he couldn't get angry, so he could only mutter softly.

"Who...who is a landlubber..."

The others were laughing so hard that they fell over, and the atmosphere was relaxed and happy.

But Chen Changyuan did not join in their fun. He looked around, scanning the environment around the pool with sharp eyes.

He found some clear animal footprints on the mud beside the pool.

Because there is plenty of moisture and the ground is damp in this place, these footprints are well preserved, and even the claw marks are clearly visible.

Chen Changyuan squatted down and observed the footprints carefully.

One of the footprints caught his attention. It was similar to the paw print of a cat, but much larger than a cat's paw, and the shape of the claws was slightly different.

Chen Changyuan's expression gradually became solemn. He recognized the owner of the footprints at a glance - the Siberian tiger!

The Siberian tiger is the top predator in the Qingshanling area. It is extremely ferocious and even experienced hunters dare not provoke it easily.

"Stop spearing the fish! Come up quickly!" Chen Changyuan shouted sternly, "There are ferocious beasts nearby!"

When everyone heard this, their faces changed immediately. They dropped their harpoons and climbed ashore in a hurry.

"Brother Changyuan, what kind of beast is that?" the young man asked nervously.

Everyone climbed up the shore in a panic, their wet trouser legs covered with mud, and they all looked miserable.

The young men's legs went weak and they almost fell to the ground, causing others to burst into laughter and easing the tense atmosphere a little.

"Brother Changyuan, what kind of beast is that? Could it be the mountain god?"

Yuan Chao asked cautiously, his face turning a little pale.

In the Qingshanling area, the legend of the mountain god has a long history.

The old people often say that the mountain god is a huge Siberian tiger with golden fur, a "king" character on his forehead, and a pair of eyes like burning flames, extremely ferocious.

The mountain god is the patron saint of this forest and is also a taboo in people's hearts.

In the past, when hunters went into the mountains to hunt, they would burn incense and pray in the mountain temple, asking the mountain god to bless them to return safely.

If anyone accidentally offends the mountain god, he may become seriously ill at best, or die at worst.

Xiao Wu also echoed:

"Yeah, Brother Changyuan, why don't we go home today? At least we caught a few fish, so it's not like we returned empty-handed. Anyway, we've all made good progress, and there's still a lot of time to go."

As he spoke, he patted his bulging fish basket, his heart pounding. If he really ran into the mountain god, not only would he lose the fish, he'd probably lose his life too.

Chen Changyuan squatted on the ground, carefully observing the huge claw mark, and shook his head:

"Don't scare yourself. This isn't the mountain god's footprint. His claws are much bigger than this, and he could kill a wild boar with one slap. This is at most a cub, probably only slightly larger than an adult's palm."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that it wasn't the mountain god.

"Then... then are we still going to catch fish?" the young man asked timidly.

"What kind of fish are you catching?"

Chen Changyuan stood up, a gleam in his eyes, "That's what we're going to hunt today—a tiger!"

When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.

Li Ming was so frightened that his face turned pale and his lips trembled:

"Changyuan...Brother Changyuan, you're kidding, right? If we were to encounter a tiger, we wouldn't even be able to fill its teeth! The mountain god's teeth are so sharp that they'd eat one at a time. Our hunting rifles can't even penetrate its hide! We only have two broken guns. This...this isn't just courting death!"

Xiao Wu also turned pale and advised:

"Brother Chen, I know you want to take us hunting for something valuable, but you can't become fat all at once! Tigers are no joke, we have to think long and hard!"

He cursed in his heart, this Chen Changyuan is really crazy, he even dares to target a tiger!

Chen Changyuan smiled and patted Li Ming on the shoulder:

"Don't be afraid, Mingzi, I know what's going on. This little tiger must have gotten separated from its mother. Let's be careful, and nothing will happen."

"Any number? What number is there?"

Li Ming had a sad face. "Brother Changyuan, I'm timid, don't scare me. I have an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old child. I... I don't want to die!"

"Okay, stop howling, it's embarrassing!"