The Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain

"I'll go help Mancang. Cousin, you all should pack up and get ready to head home."

Wild vegetables were the primary source of food for this family, and these past few days were like their harvest season. Jin Feng didn't feel it was his place to dissuade them. He decided to help Zhang Mancang load the firewood onto the cart first and then bring up the predator issue on their way down.

"If you have something else to do, go ahead. We'll help Mancang in a bit," Lin Yunfang said, glancing at the crossbow hanging from Jin Feng's waist.

Since his marriage, Jin Feng had changed dramatically, shedding his lazy habits and earning a bit of her respect.

"I came here specifically to find you. I have nothing else to do."

"Find me? For what?" Lin Yunfang asked curiously.

"I'll explain on the way back," Jin Feng said, gripping his crossbow as he walked toward Zhang Mancang.

Before he could even reach halfway, a group of villagers stormed up from the village, visibly angry.

"Jin Feng, why did you lie to us?" Third Auntie planted her hands on her hips, leading the charge.

"Lie to you about what?" Jin Feng was baffled.

"You told us there's a tiger in the back hills. What else is that but a lie?"

"I made it clear this afternoon that it was just my speculation. And I never said it was definitely a tiger—it could be another predator," Jin Feng replied, exasperated.

"Did you see it?"

"No."

"If you didn't see it, why are you spreading rumors? You're just trying to scare us! I think you're heartless. Not only do you want to keep the rabbits for yourself, but you also don't want us foraging for vegetables. Are you trying to starve us to death?"

Third Auntie unleashed a torrent of accusations, firing them at Jin Feng like a machine gun.

"I just thought there might be danger and wanted to warn you. If you don't believe me, fine. But don't come yelling at me," Jin Feng snapped, his temper flaring. He pointed toward the back hills. "If you want to hunt rabbits, go ahead. Did I stop you?"

"Enough, both of you!"

The village chief, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, stood between them, panting. "What's going on here?"

"Chief, you have to be fair to us," Third Auntie wailed, tears and snot streaming down her face as she recounted the situation.

"Jin Feng, to determine if there's a predator, you either need to see it yourself, find footprints or fur, or at least see livestock that's been attacked," the chief said. "You haven't found any of that, so you can't just make claims. If everyone listened to you and formed a tiger-hunting team, only to find nothing, it would be a waste of time and effort."

"Fine, I understand," Jin Feng conceded reluctantly.

Tigers were ferocious, and one or two villagers couldn't handle them alone. If a tiger was spotted near the village, the able-bodied men would form a hunting team, but that would disrupt their other work. This was why Jin Feng had been hesitant to bring it up in the first place.

"I believe Jin Feng meant well, even if he misspoke. There's no need to make a big deal out of it. Everyone, go home," the chief said, his authority calming the crowd.

The women, though still grumbling, dispersed. Some went home, while others lingered at the foot of the mountain with their husbands, hoping to spot a rabbit or two.

By the edge of the forest, Zhang Mancang was struggling to load bundles of firewood onto his cart. His disability made the task arduous.

Jin Feng walked over and helped lift the other end of the wood, securing it with rope once it was on the cart.

"Thank you, Brother Jin," Zhang Mancang said earnestly.

"Don't mention it. It's nothing," Jin Feng replied dismissively.

"This may be a small thing, but the tiger is a big deal," Zhang Mancang whispered. "I heard what you said earlier. I know you weren't lying to them. The number of rabbits in the back hills has definitely increased these past couple of days. I saw several today.

I didn't understand why, and I was even thinking of asking my brother to come tomorrow. Thankfully, you came to warn us."

"You don't want to hunt the rabbits?" Jin Feng asked, surprised.

Zhang Mancang's main job was gathering fallen branches and cutting firewood in the back hills. It wasn't strange that he'd noticed the sudden increase in rabbits, but his ability to resist the temptation and stay calm impressed Jin Feng.

"Of course I do," Zhang Mancang said with a smile. "But my brother and I are both disabled. If we ran into a tiger or something, we'd be dead for sure.

If we were killed by a tiger, this family would fall apart."

"Mancang, you're a smart man," Jin Feng said, helping him secure the last of the firewood. "Head back early, and don't come to the back hills these next few days."

On the other side, Lin Yunfang and the others had finished packing up.

Zhang Mancang took the handles of the cart, while Lin Yunfang and her mother-in-law supported it from either side. His younger sister carried the basket of wild vegetables as they slowly made their way down the mountain.

Jin Feng's house was on the west side of the village, while Zhang Mancang's was on the east. The two families parted ways at the foot of the mountain.

Not long after, as Jin Feng was thinking about what to buy after selling the rabbits in town the next day, a series of screams erupted behind him.

He turned to see the same group of women who had been so indignant earlier now scattering in all directions, shrieking.

A dark shadow surged down from the mountain, heading straight for Zhang Mancang and his family.

"Is that... a tiger?!"

Jin Feng's pupils contracted, his heart racing.

Though he had suspected a tiger might be in the area, seeing it in the flesh was terrifying.

The tiger was enormous—over three meters long, not counting its tail. Its head was larger than a washbasin, and it had to weigh at least 500 pounds.

A fresh wound on its back oozed blood, evidence of a recent attack. The injury had made it even more aggressive, and it was picking up speed as it charged.

Its powerful limbs propelled it forward in leaps of four or five meters at a time.

The sheer visual impact was far more intimidating than any tiger Jin Feng had seen in a zoo in his past life.

A beast like this could kill him with a single swipe of its paw.

"Ahhh!"

Zhang Mancang's younger sister froze in terror, clutching her head and screaming.

"Sister-in-law, run!" Zhang Mancang shouted, staying relatively calm. He abandoned the cart and grabbed his sister and mother, pulling them along as he ran.

But how could humans outrun a tiger? Especially when Zhang Mancang's leg slowed him down.

Seeing the tiger closing in, Zhang Mancang's eyes reddened. He let out a roar, drew the machete from his waist, and began waving it wildly, limping off in another direction.

The tiger, distracted by his movements, turned to chase him.

It was nearly dark, and Zhang Mancang didn't get far before he tripped and fell.

Before he could get up, the tiger was upon him.

"Brother!" Zhang Xiaohua screamed, her face pale with fear.

Zhang Mancang closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate.

But at that moment, an arrow whistled through the air, striking the tiger's left foreleg with pinpoint accuracy.

The arrow pierced clean through.

Thud!

The tiger's leg gave out, and it crashed to the ground, skidding several meters before coming to a stop right at Zhang Mancang's feet.