A gentle breeze rustled through the forest, carrying away the fallen leaves, making the green glow of the bloodstains seem even more eerie in the night. Du Jianshan and Tie Niu continued setting traps along the mountain path, each step cautious, each breath like a ticking timer.
As darkness fell and the trap was set, Du Jianshan squatted on a rock and whispered to Tie Niu, "Tie Niu, wait a moment. We'll observe from here. If anything takes the bait, act quickly. Remember, stay calm and don't panic."
Tie Niu gritted his teeth and nodded: "Brother Du, I understand."
Tie Niu swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "Brother Du... do you think there might be leopards at night?"
Du Jianshan narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a low voice, "Tie Niu, don't scare yourself. There are plenty of leopards on the mountain. These traps we set are for catching it. Don't make a sound, just wait for it to take the bait."
The wind rustled the branches, and a certain aura seemed to lurk in the woods. Tie Niu gripped his knife tightly, his palms sweating. "Brother Du, I... I'm so nervous. This leopard is a fierce creature we've never seen before."
Du Jianshan patted him on the shoulder: "It's okay to be nervous, but you won't get anywhere if you're timid. Keep your eyes peeled, and be ready to fire your musket at the slightest sound. Remember, stay calm and don't move around."
Not far away, a low "grunt" sound rang out, like a wild beast moving slightly. Tie Niu was so frightened that he almost lost his footing and whispered, "Brother Du, listen! Is that...is that a leopard?"
Du Jianshan crouched down, his hand on the musket, his eyes fixed on the woods: "It's a leopard. Be quiet, don't make a sound."
A large leopard moved silently through the grass, its nose twitching in the air, its eyes fixed on the bait. Its figure swayed like a shadow in the moonlight, its steps light yet powerful.
Tie Niu held his breath, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest: "Brother Du...it's really here..."
Du Jianshan said softly, "Don't rush, it hasn't taken the bait yet. Watch it carefully, and when it steps on the rope and the stake moves, then we'll make our move."
The leopard slowly approached the bait, its nose close to the air, its tail swaying slightly. Every step it took made Tie Niu clench his fists in tension.
"Brother Du...it moved!" Tie Niu whispered, his eyes wide open.
Du Jianshan nodded: "Yes! It stepped on the rope, the stake swayed, and it was preparing to seize the opportunity!"
Suddenly the rope snapped, the trap was activated, and the leopard pounced a few times, its hind legs slipped, it lost its balance and fell to the ground. Its roar was deep and powerful, and the whole forest trembled.
Tie Niu gasped in shock: "Brother Du...it's really been caught!"
Du Jianshan slowly stood up, holding the musket in his hand, and squatted down to carefully observe the trap: "Stay calm, don't make any rash moves. Leopards are fierce, we have to be careful."
The leopard struggled in the trap, growling softly, its sharp teeth gleaming coldly in the moonlight. Tie Niu involuntarily took a step back, his voice trembling: "Brother Du, what if...what if it breaks free?"
Du Jianshan said in a deep voice, "Tie Niu, hold on tight. I'll go closer and reinforce the rope so it can't escape. You stay behind and provide cover, don't let it slip away from behind."
Tie Niu nodded, gripping the knife tightly in his hand: "Brother Du, be careful, it's a leopard!"
Du Jianshan crouched down, quickly inspected the trap rope, and adjusted the stake to make the rope taut. The leopard growled, its front paws slapping against the trap with dull thuds, its eyes filled with anger and vigilance.
Tie Niu's palms were sweating, and he kept swallowing: "Brother Du...it's really big...I've never seen a leopard this close before..."
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