Chapter 65: Siberian Tiger

All three of us were completely dumbfounded at that moment.

I could even feel my breathing come to a complete standstill...

That roe deer, which had been hopping around not far from us just moments before, was now dead as a stone, clamped firmly in the jaws of a Siberian tiger.

This was also the very first time I had ever laid eyes on a real Siberian tiger.

Its robust and massive body was as huge as a water vat... Its fierce eyes wide open, with razor-sharp fangs and claws. Involuntarily, a thought arose in my mind: Damn it! Was this the kind of tiger Wu Song fought back in the legends? That is absolute nonsense.

It was only after this encounter that I truly understood. A Siberian tiger is entirely different from any other kind of tiger...

Let us take a comparison. Most people probably know about the Bengal tiger, which is considered a fairly massive feline, with an average weight between four hundred and five hundred pounds, and a body length reaching up to 2.6 meters at most.

But what about the Siberian tiger?

This creature can weigh up to eight or nine hundred pounds, with a length of three meters... What beast can truly be called the king of all animals? The Siberian tiger is the undisputed king of the beasts.

Old Master Chen gripped my wrist tightly at that moment. The three of us lowered our heads completely, not daring to utter a single word, not even daring to draw a heavy breath.

Although we had hunting rifles in our hands, fear... fear still spread like an infectious disease, lingering all around us.

A deep sense of gratitude began to well up in my heart.

Thank goodness, thank goodness I had listened to Old Master Chen just moments ago and refrained from shooting that roe deer with my bow and arrow.

Judging by the tiger's demeanor, it must have been lying in ambush for that roe deer for a very long time. If I had shot it just then...

Then...

Its target would have instantly shifted to us.

If that had been the case, the three of us would likely have faced a grim fate with little hope of survival.

After waiting for about five or six minutes, I saw out of the corner of my eye that the tiger, gripping the roe deer in its jaws, turned and retreated back into the deep forest.

Old Master Chen swallowed hard and whispered, "Slowly! Let's back away slowly."

"Alright!"

Following that, the three of us not only lightened our breathing, but even softened our footsteps, retracing our path the way we had come.

After walking for over ten minutes, when we were certain we had put enough distance between us, I let out a long breath and stammered, "O-Old... Old Master Chen... that tiger just now..."

Whether from excitement or lingering terror, I could not even string together a complete sentence.

Cold sweat poured down my back and soaked through like it was worthless... If the monster-like human from the previous night had frightened me, then...

This tiger instilled a terror beyond compare. After all, a monster still bore a human shape, but this Siberian tiger... was simply in an entirely different league.

I raised my head and looked at Qi Lin; her complexion had turned almost as white as snow.

One of her hands was trembling slightly.

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness you didn't loose that arrow, Sanqi!" It took a long time before Qi Lin managed to utter those words.

I said nothing, with trembling hands, sticking a cigarette between my lips.

After taking a deep, fierce drag, I finally felt the terror in my chest subside just a fraction.

Old Master Chen looked around and said, "Alright, anyway, the food we've got is barely enough! Let's head back and see if we can snare some other game."

Qi Lin and I were naturally eager to get back as fast as possible, so we nodded frantically.

On the way back, we managed to catch a few wild rabbits and another roe deer...

By the time we returned to the forest cabin, it was already two o'clock in the afternoon.

Upon opening the door, Old Master Chen immediately set about stewing the meat, and then put a pot of rice on to steam...

The three of us sat inside the cabin, motionless.

As for me, the image of that Siberian tiger continued to haunt my mind, refusing to fade away no matter how hard I tried.

Noticing the state Qi Lin and I were in, Old Master Chen scooped up two bowls of liquor and handed them to us respectively.

I took the bowl and gulped down a large mouthful of the liquor, then took several harsh puffs of my cigarette, and only then did that chilling sensation of fear gradually recede.

Old Master Chen patted my shoulder and spoke softly, "Sanqi!"

I looked up and managed a faint smile at him, "Old Master Chen... I..."

"Sanqi, did you learn a valuable lesson today?"

I pondered for a moment and nodded vigorously: "When you encounter a situation that doesn't feel right, you have to stop immediately."

"Exactly!" Old Master Chen nodded. "In the deep forest, whenever something feels amiss, the safest course of action is to turn tail and retreat instantly, without a single moment of hesitation! Because sometimes, your hesitation... means your life!"

"Understood! I've carved it into my memory."

Old Master Chen squinted, holding his liquor bowl, and muttered, "Though I didn't actually spot that tiger today, if the fur of that roe deer hadn't made me suspicious, perhaps..."

He left the rest of the sentence unspoken.

Even so, the two of us exchanged a glance, and together we cupped our hands toward the sky and bowed: "Blessings of the Five Mountain Lords!"

Indeed!

Perhaps walking away alive today was entirely the result of the blessings bestowed by the Five Mountain Lords.

"The Five Mountain Lords?" Qi Lin asked, looking puzzled at that moment. "You hunters worship the Five Mountain Lords, but which five mountains are they actually?"

Old Master Chen turned to look at her and replied calmly, "The Five Mountain Lords govern the east, south, west, north, and the center—all the mountains under heaven. Therefore, anyone who hunts in China worships the Five Mountain Lords!"

"So that's how it is!" Qi Lin murmured, sipping her liquor thoughtfully.

Blinking, I asked Qi Lin, "Then who do you grave robbers worship?"

Old Master Chen remarked indifferently, "What do they know of worship? If they have any faith at all, their only god is money..."

Hearing this, Qi Lin retorted indignantly, "Who says we have no faith? We have one, alright? The founding patriarch of us grave robbers is... Cao Cao!"

Upon hearing this, Old Master Chen and I exchanged a glance and said nothing.

Clang!

Suddenly, the wind outside picked up violently, slamming the wooden door wide open.

A howling gust of wind and snow swept into the room.

As I stood up, preparing to latch the door shut, my gaze caught a hazy, flickering sight...

Down by the small stream...

The old fisherman who had mysteriously vanished earlier had actually reappeared once again.