He lowered his head to rummage through the rabbit warren. Along the edges of the burrow lay blood-stained white fur and several piles of animal droppings.
He picked up a sticky clump, sniffed it, and identified it as coming from a weasel.
Zhou Yang immediately felt a sense of foreboding.
Weasels, also known as yellow-skinned rats or "Yellow Immortals," were said to bring misfortune if caught—superstition aside, the meat was pungent and foul-smelling; no one ate them, and no one hunted them.
A perfectly good rabbit den was clearly a loss, and it seemed they had stumbled into the territory of a much larger predator.
"Brother Yangzi, what's wrong?"
Seeing his grim expression, Xue Bingbing couldn't help but ask.
However, before Zhou Yang could respond, a rustling sound erupted from the surrounding brush. The noise grew louder and more frantic, as if something gargantuan was closing in.
Zhou Yang’s heart tightened.
Before he could even attempt to hide, a sleek, powerful tiger emerged, its eyes burning like torches as it scanned the surroundings with predatory focus.
At that sight, Zhou Yang’s blood ran cold.
In the Northeast during the 1950s, tigers were known by various names—"Old Mama," "Fine-Hair," "Wild Boar Herder," or "Old Artilleryman."
The name "Wild Boar Herder" was a testament to their love for hunting boars. Recalling the wild boar he had carried home just yesterday, he realized he should have known there were tigers in these mountains.
Most Mountain Foragers referred to the beast as the "Mountain God."
In the Northeast, especially within the circle of Mountain Foragers, there was a deep-seated reverence for tigers. The older generation viewed them as divine, the sovereigns of the mountain. They treated tigers with awe and worship, rarely hunting them and making every effort to avoid anything a tiger had already marked as its prey.
In truth, this custom was not unfounded.
In the deep mountains where tigers roamed, lesser predators tended to behave, keeping them from descending into the valleys to ravage human settlements. If a tiger were killed, the natural order of the mountain would collapse. That was why they were called the Mountain God or the Mountain King.
This particular tiger was easily over two meters long with a shoulder height of one meter. It was clearly a full-grown adult, weighing at least two to three hundred kilograms.
Watching its white-browed, fierce face and its proud, prowling gait—muscles rippling like waves beneath its fur—every step seemed to shake the forest floor, landing heavily on the hearts of those watching.
Forget that he had no hunting rifle; even if he did, with an old, prone-to-jamming bolt-action, a single missed shot would mean certain death.
Trying to hunt a tiger with only a hunting knife and a bow was pure suicide.
Swallowing hard, Zhou Yang didn't dare move. Xue Bingbing, meanwhile, had already been terrified into submission, collapsing to the ground.
Mustering his courage, Zhou Yang stepped in front of the girl. The tiger instantly locked its gaze on him, its amber eyes shooting out a fierce light as it issued a series of low, warning growls that sounded like distant, rumbling thunder.
Zhou Yang stared at the tiger, his palms slick with cold sweat.
It was over!
Escaping easily this time was going to be difficult.
Tigers were like that. As the saying goes, "Two tigers cannot share the same mountain."
Against an intruder, its hostility would quickly reach a critical threshold.
Zhou Yang cast a glance behind him at Xue Bingbing.
He kept his eyes on the tiger, crouching low as he slowly retreated, reaching back to grab Xue Bingbing’s smooth wrist.
Xue Bingbing’s face was pale with terror, though she was scared half to death.
But this wasn't her first time in the mountains; she had encountered wild beasts before and knew that if they stayed like this, they would both perish.
She grit her teeth, tears welling in her eyes, but she leaned into Zhou Yang and stood up on trembling legs.
The tiger’s thick, muscular legs began to move slowly, its body coiled tight, revealing its razor-sharp teeth.
Zhou Yang took two deep breaths, forcing himself to remain calm.
Scanning his surroundings with his peripheral vision, he spotted several dense thickets and a towering tree to the south.
He estimated that his current body—much weaker than in his previous life—wouldn't hold up well, but if Xue Bingbing cooperated, they might have a chance to climb.
Watching the tiger close in from twenty meters away, Zhou Yang didn't have time to hesitate. He scooped Xue Bingbing up by her waist and shoved off the earth, his body darting out like a flying sword.
Xue Bingbing couldn't even manage a cry of surprise; her fingernails dug deep into Zhou Yang’s shoulders.
Zhou Yang heard a roar behind them, followed immediately by the sound of branches snapping under the beast's paws.
No time!
Reaching the tree, Zhou Yang sprinted, using the momentum to lift Xue Bingbing high and hoist her upward.
She managed to grab onto a low branch.
Girls in these times were surprisingly strong; Xue Bingbing bit her lip, flipped her body, and hauled herself onto the limb.
"Brother Yangzi, hurry up and climb!"
Xue Bingbing cried out, her brows furrowed in distress.
Zhou Yang did not respond.
He saw the tiger stop about ten meters away and realized this wasn't a sustainable plan.
If they both stayed in the tree, the tiger wouldn't leave; it would simply wait below.
Noticing the density of the surrounding forest, Zhou Yang figured that if he could slip away, the tiger might not be able to find him immediately.
He picked up a stone and threw it behind the tiger.
The tiger turned!
Zhou Yang seized the moment, darting back and belly-crawling into the brush on the other side.
A deafening roar shattered the air.
Xue Bingbing, unable to see Zhou Yang, was paralyzed with worry. But she was terrified that if she made a sound, she would give his position away.
She pressed herself flat against the tree branch, her eyes locked onto the tiger without blinking.
The tiger was in no rush, sniffing the air slowly as it began to stalk toward the direction where Zhou Yang had disappeared.
Zhou Yang’s face was covered in a dense layer of sweat, his bangs matted and damp.
He fought to suppress the sound of his breathing, peering through a gap in the branches to see the tiger methodically checking every corner.
"System, open the weapon inventory."
With no other choice, he sought help from the System.
【I recommend the user select the Armor-Piercing Bow. It is both cheap and effective.】
"How many points?"
【Eighty.】
"I don't have that many!"
Zhou Yang’s eyes widened, his heart racing.
【I suggest the user trade other prey for points.】
As the System prompted him, Zhou Yang suddenly remembered the pungent, musky scent still clinging to his hands.
"Right! The weasel!"
Zhou Yang was overjoyed and hurriedly asked the System to detect the location of the weasel den.
【Consuming ten points to initiate detection.】
The System quickly provided the coordinates.
Zhou Yang saw it wasn't far—just over ten meters away.
The only problem was the predatory beast watching his every move nearby.
Zhou Yang’s gaze sharpened; he had to pin his hopes on Xue Bingbing now.
The tiger reached the base of the tree where Zhou Yang had been, but seemingly losing interest, it turned to leave.
Zhou Yang threw another stone behind the tiger.
The tiger roared and lunged toward the sound. Zhou Yang seized the opening, covering the distance to the weasel den in a few quick breaths.
Just as a sly little head poked out, Zhou Yang threw his knife. Before the weasel could react, the blade pierced straight through its body.
【Congratulations to the user for killing prey. Calculating hunting grade.】
【Prey: Weasel. Weight: 10 kg. Bonus: Rabbit. Danger level: High.】
【Hunting Grade: B+ (User successfully killed prey under the nose of the King of Beasts; received hunting bonus points).】
【Reward: 50+15 points.】
"Redeem the bow!"
No sooner had Zhou Yang spoken to the System than another earth-shaking roar tore through the woods!