The Hero Who Fought the Tiger

The tiger, now even more enraged after being shot in the leg, raised its massive right paw, as large as a palm fan, and swiped at Zhang Mancang.

Zhang Mancang's face turned pale with fear. He rolled to the side, tumbling down the slope for several meters.

The tiger roared furiously, struggling to its feet on its remaining three legs, and continued its pursuit.

*Whoosh!*

Another arrow flew through the air, striking the tiger's left hind leg.

With both left legs pierced by arrows, the tiger lost its balance and collapsed heavily onto its side.

Even then, the beast remained ferocious, its two right legs thrashing and gouging deep furrows into the ground.

Its deafening roars sent shivers down the spines of the village women, their faces ashen with terror.

Jin Feng, standing twenty meters away with his crossbow, took aim and fired another arrow, this time striking the tiger's head.

The arrow found its mark, and the tiger's struggles gradually ceased.

Whether in his past life or this one, this was Jin Feng's first encounter with a tiger.

In the heat of the moment, he hadn't noticed, but now that the tiger lay dead, Jin Feng realized his heart was pounding like a drum, and his hands trembled as he held the crossbow.

Many of the women who had been so vocal earlier were now so frightened that their legs gave out, leaving them sitting on the ground, shaking like leaves.

They were the lucky ones. Zhang Mancang, who had just brushed shoulders with death, was in even worse shape. A dark stain spread beneath him as he sat paralyzed, trembling uncontrollably, his teeth chattering audibly. He was clearly terrified.

"My son!"

Old Mrs. Zhang rushed over and dragged Zhang Mancang aside. After confirming her son was unharmed, she dropped to her knees and began kowtowing to Jin Feng, her forehead thudding against the ground.

With the matriarch kneeling, Lin Yunfang and her sister-in-law didn't dare remain standing and quickly followed suit.

Jin Feng was unaccustomed to the ancient practice of bowing, especially when it came from an elderly woman. He hurriedly reached out to help Old Mrs. Zhang up. "Auntie, please don't do this. Someone of your age bowing to me will only shorten my life!"

"Brother Jin, this is a life-saving grace. You deserve it!" Old Mrs. Zhang wept. "When we return, I'll erect a longevity tablet in your honor and place it alongside our ancestral shrine. We'll honor you for generations!"

"No, no, that's too much!" Jin Feng protested, joining the village chief in persuading the Zhang family to rise.

With the tiger dead, the women, emboldened, began to gather around.

Living in turbulent times, everyone revered strength.

Regardless of Jin Feng's past reputation in the village, the way people looked at him now was entirely different.

Witnessing Jin Feng single-handedly kill a tiger and save Zhang Mancang left the women feeling as though they were in a dream.

But the lifeless tiger lying nearby served as a stark reminder that this was no dream.

"Jin... Jin Feng, you're incredible! You killed such a huge tiger all by yourself!" Xiao Yu exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at him.

What young girl doesn't harbor dreams of romance? Jin Feng, having been educated and spared from the hardships of labor, naturally stood out among the village boys.

It wasn't just Xiao Yu; other eligible girls and women with daughters looked at Jin Feng with similar admiration.

Previously, no girl had wanted to marry him for fear of starving to death.

But now they saw a different side of Jin Feng.

If he could kill a tiger, surely he could provide for a family.

Marrying a tiger-slaying hero would mean no one in the village would dare bully them.

Third Auntie, who had led the earlier verbal assault on Jin Feng, now felt her face burn with shame.

"Xiao... Xiao Feng, I was wrong earlier..." Third Auntie apologized.

Jin Feng, not one to hold a grudge against a village elder, waved it off. "It's fine, Auntie. Let's forget it."

"Yes, let's put it behind us," the village chief said, clapping Jin Feng on the shoulder and laughing heartily. "Well done! Haha, our Xihe Village now has its own tiger-slaying hero. Let's see who dares look down on us now!"

The neighboring villages—Guanjia Bay and Tianjia Bay—were clan-based, united by shared surnames. Xihe Village, on the other hand, was a gathering of refugees from wars and famines, hailing from all corners. Naturally, they lacked the unity of the clan villages and were often bullied by their neighbors.

Even the bandits who collected "protection fees" demanded two extra pounds of grain from each household in Xihe Village.

But now, with a tiger-slaying hero in their midst, other villages would think twice before messing with them.

After all, a tiger-slaying hero was no ordinary man—he was either a skilled warrior or a master trapper, neither of whom was to be trifled with.

---

At the foot of the mountain, Guan Xiaorou had been worried sick. After washing the dishes, she had gone out to look for Jin Feng.

Just as she left the village, she heard the tiger's roar.

Snapping out of her daze, she threw caution to the wind and sprinted toward the back mountain.

It was already dark, and Jin Feng was surrounded by a crowd. Guan Xiaorou scanned the area but couldn't spot him. Her strength drained away, and she collapsed to the ground, wailing, "Husband!..."

"Over here, over here!" Jin Feng heard her cries and quickly pushed through the crowd. "Didn't I tell you to stay home? Why did you come up the mountain?"

"Husband, are you okay?" Guan Xiaorou, usually so shy, seemed oblivious to the onlookers as she rushed to Jin Feng and clung to his arm, as if afraid he might vanish if she let go.

"I'm fine," Jin Feng said, warmth flooding his heart. "It was just a tiger. I took it down with two arrows."

He led Guan Xiaorou through the crowd and proudly pointed at the lifeless tiger.

Guan Xiaorou immediately recognized the half-buried arrow in the tiger's head as Jin Feng's.

Only then did she notice the women around her, all watching with knowing smiles.

She quickly released Jin Feng's arm, her face flushing crimson.

"Jin Feng's wife, your man is amazing. You're so lucky," Third Auntie teased. "Marriage really changes a man. Now he can even kill tigers."

"Auntie, don't say anymore. Xiaorou's shy. If you make her cry, I'll have to comfort her," Jin Feng said, shielding Guan Xiaorou behind him.

"Oh ho, already protecting her, are we?"

"Jin Feng's wife, why be shy? Your husband killed a tiger. We're all happy for you."

"I think you're just jealous!"

"So what if I am? Tigers are worth a fortune. Selling it to the county will bring a reward. Aren't you jealous?"

"Jin Feng's wife is so fortunate."

Many of the women looked at Guan Xiaorou with envy.

In this era, women held little status. Men could beat or scold them as they pleased. A man like Jin Feng, who stood up for his wife, was rare.

What's more, Jin Feng had single-handedly killed a tiger. Whether from selling the tiger or claiming the government reward, the money would be his alone.

It was a substantial sum, enough to live comfortably for years, even decades.

With no mother-in-law to oppress her, a husband who was both educated and caring, and now a windfall of money...

It was no wonder the other women in the village envied Guan Xiaorou.