Wang Tieniu nodded vigorously: "I've got it!"
The roar grew closer, and the fallen leaves beneath their feet rustled underfoot.
"Whoosh." A huge black shadow slowly emerged from the depths of the forest. It had piercing eyes, a white forehead, and clearly defined stripes all over its body. Its eyes gleamed coldly as it stared intently at them.
Wang Tieniu's body was stiff, and his palms were covered in cold sweat.
Du Jianshan whispered, "Don't move."
The tiger approached step by step, its muscles tense, poised to pounce at any moment.
The gunpowder gun was slowly raised, its muzzle steadily aimed at the tiger's head.
"Brother," he lowered his voice, "is that black-spotted tiger you mentioned really in this forest?"
Du Jianshan was sharpening his hunting knife, the blade gleaming coldly in the firelight, without looking up: "It's real. I encountered it once at the foot of this mountain three years ago. From a distance, I saw it with black and gold stripes all over its body. Its eyes—like it was looking at its prey."
Xiao Wei swallowed hard: "So you didn't fire?"
"I wasn't destined for that," Du Jianshan said with a wry smile. "My gun went off accidentally. It glared at me and then left. I still remember that glare."
"What if...it really comes today?"
Du Jianshan looked up, his eyes cold and gloomy: "Today we'll see if it's tougher or if my aim is better."
As soon as they finished speaking, a "crack" sound suddenly came from deep within the woods, like a dry branch being snapped. The two of them were startled at the same time.
Xiao Weizi suddenly reached out to grab the fork, but his hand trembled slightly.
"Shh—don't make a sound." Du Jianshan slowly raised his hunting rifle, leaning forward slightly.
"Snap...rustle".
The sound grew closer and closer, and even the wind seemed to stop.
The firelight flickered on the ground, reflecting a pair of eerie green eyes.
Xiao Weizi almost cried out, but Du Jianshan pressed his hand down on his mouth. His eyes darted around in the darkness, his deep breathing steady and oppressive.
“It’s this one,” Du Jianshan whispered, almost biting out the words, “Black-spotted Tiger.”
The enormous creature slowly revealed itself, taller than a person, with bulging muscles and intricate patterns like ink. It crouched not far away, staring intently at the wild boar carcass on the tree.
Xiao Weizi's voice trembled: "It...it's watching the pigs."
Du Jianshan: "Yes. It smelled blood."
The tiger extended its front paw and lowered its body slightly—a posture in preparation for a pounce.
Du Jianshan gritted his teeth and turned around: "Little Wei, listen to my command—I'll hit its eyes, and you scare it with fire!"
"Scare it?!" Xiao Weizi almost exclaimed.
"Obey my command!"
At that moment, Xiao Weizi felt his throat go dry and his legs feel like lead. But he still grabbed a burning branch and held his breath.
"Now!"
Du Jianshan suddenly pulled the trigger.
"Bang!" The gunshot rang out, echoing through the valley.
The tiger roared and sprang to its feet. A bullet grazed its ear, drawing only a trickle of blood. Enraged, it retaliated, surging forward like a dark shadow.
"Fire!" Du Jianshan roared.
Xiao Weizi's hand trembled, and he hurled the torch fiercely. The flames traced an arc in the air, landing right in front of the tiger. The flames illuminated its ferocious fangs.
The beast let out a deafening roar, paused for a moment, and then suddenly leaped forward through the fire.
"Little Wei! Get out of the way!"
The two rolled to opposite sides almost simultaneously. The tiger missed its target, landing heavily and kicking up dust. Du Jianshan scrambled to his feet, quickly loading his gun, but the beast was faster, sweeping its tail across him.
With a "whoosh," Xiao Weizi was swept away and crashed into a tree, letting out a muffled groan before passing out.
Du Jianshan caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, and his heart tightened, but he had no time to react. The tiger pounced, its breath reeking of blood.
Almost instinctively, he ducked, rolled to the side, and drew his hunting knife, stabbing it fiercely into the tiger's belly.
"Thud!" The knife pierced the flesh, and the tiger let out a miserable howl, rolling over and struggling.
Du Jianshan was thrown two zhang away, his back slamming against a rock, gritting his teeth in pain. Yet he still gripped the knife tightly, his whole body surging with blood.
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