Lin Ergou scratched his head: "Ha, Chen Dabao is right. We'll stay hidden in the shadows, keep quiet, and not alert the prey. Remember, it's the prey's business if it takes the bait; our job is just to keep an eye on it."
Zhao Xiaochun, still young, had an excited glint in his eyes: "I think it's interesting. Catching a leopard at night isn't an opportunity you get every day. Brother Du, do you think we can catch one?"
Du Jianshan turned his head to look at him, his eyes deep. "Tie Niu, don't forget how many years we've been hanging around on the mountain. You say there are a lot of leopards, but I say we're even more skilled. Just keep an eye on the traps and don't make any rash moves."
Tie Niu nodded, but still shifted his feet uneasily. "But...you said that leopard comes out at night with very bright eyes, and I heard it's very stealthy. What if...what if we run into it?"
Du Jianshan smiled, revealing a few yellow teeth. "Meet it? If it does, I'll let it know who we are. Leopards are afraid of people, that's no joke. Remember, our trap is set. We'll stay put, and it'll take the bait on its own. If you're timid and easily make a mistake, that'll be troublesome."
Tie Niu swallowed hard. "Brother Du, did you ever go up the mountain alone to hunt leopards when you were a kid?"
Du Jianshan paused for a moment, his gaze drifting into the distance. "When we were kids? Back then, we were so poor we could barely afford a hot meal. Going up the mountain to hunt leopards? Heh, back then we hunted leopards for food, to feed our families. Afraid? Who wasn't afraid? Afraid as we were, we still had to go for it. Leopards don't take lives."
Tie Niu frowned. "Then... how many times have you fought leopards?"
Du Jianshan's lips curled up slightly. "I can't remember exactly, maybe a dozen times. Once, it was raining heavily in the mountains, and it was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Old Li and I were setting a trap. Just as we finished, we heard a crackling sound from the bushes. My heart was pounding, but I couldn't let my hands shake. Old Li patted my shoulder and whispered, 'Know when to quit, don't be impulsive, the leopard will take the bait on its own.' I'll remember that for the rest of my life. That time, the leopard took the bait, and Old Li and I each took a rope and lassoed it. It was so tight that my hands went numb."
Tie Niu was a little scared. "Back then... weren't you afraid of getting scratched?"
Du Jianshan shook his head. "What good is being afraid? We don't go hunting in the mountains for fun; we go to eat, we go to make a living. No matter how fierce a leopard is, we have to be fiercer than it. Think about it, Tie Niu, how many leopards have you been afraid of in the mountains for years?"
Tie Niu looked up at the moon, its light shining silvery-white through the dense forest. "But... it's eerily quiet on the mountain at night. Sometimes even the sound of the wind feels like someone is watching you."
Du Jianshan patted him on the shoulder, “People with a weak heart always feel that there are ghosts on the mountain. We haven’t seen many ghosts on the mountain, but there are more leopards than ghosts. Remember, don’t look around, don’t move your ears, move slowly, and breathe steadily. We’re not going up there to scare people, we’re waiting for it to take the bait.”
Tie Niu took a deep breath. "Brother Du... what do you think we should do if we really encounter one and a leopard pounces?"
Du Jianshan tilted his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Pounce? If it pounces, I'll meet it with my knife. Tie Niu, don't just be afraid, learn to look for opportunities. No matter how fierce a leopard is, it can't escape our traps and wit. Remember, hunters have an extra life compared to wild beasts, so we need to stay calm."
Just then, a slight rustling sound came from deep within the forest, like leaves being crushed underfoot. Tie Niu froze, his eyes fixed on the darkness, muttering, "Brother Du... um... is it coming?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com