Chapter Thirteen: The Tiger Fight

"Be on guard." With a sweeping gesture from Wang Qing, the Wang family guards behind him all raised their long spears, their right hands gripping the short knives at their waists. Their sharp eyes turned solemn as they focused intensely on the tiger ahead.

But Ma Yuan couldn’t detect any sign of panic among them; evidently, they were accustomed to such encounters and handled them with practiced composure.

Wang Qing’s hand slowly moved toward his waist pouch, where a gun was concealed. He waited for the right moment, hoping to strike the tiger with a single precise shot. Yet, it was clear he had underestimated the tiger’s hunting intelligence.

While everyone’s attention was fixed on the tiger before them, no one noticed another tiger crouched silently in the grass behind them. Of course, no one could have imagined this—society always believed tigers to be solitary hunters, with only wolves displaying pack behavior.

After a tense stand-off lasting some time, the people’s backs were soaked with sweat, yet they dared not relax for even a moment.

This moment was critical; if either side let their guard down, the other would seize the opportunity.

Suddenly, Wang Xian shouted, "Second Uncle, watch out—there’s one behind us too!"

In the midst of the tension, Wang Xian had been scanning their surroundings and happened to spot the tiger hidden in the grass, prompting his sudden shout.

Wang Qing looked back and indeed saw another tiger lying low behind them, perfectly camouflaged with the environment. Without careful observation, they would have surely fallen victim to a surprise attack.

Had any one of them been alone here, today would have been a day of great misfortune.

Perhaps sensing they had been discovered, the second tiger abandoned stealth and leapt out, joining the first to form a pincer. Their fierce eyes scanned the group, seeking the perfect moment to strike down these humans in one fatal blow.

"Everyone, stay calm and respond carefully. It seems we’ve encountered a rare pair of hunting tigers—a male and a female. The male at the front is drawing our attention, while the female lies in wait to ambush us. If we can subdue the male, the female won’t dare attack recklessly," Wang Qing said, silently sighing at their bad luck—sometimes even drinking cold water could feel like a painful ordeal.

"Wait for my command. We’ll strike the tiger in front first," he ordered, drawing on his extensive experience.

The tiger in front, losing patience, pressed its front paws to the ground, then sprang upward and charged directly at Wang Qing.

"Second Master!"

"Second Uncle!"

The Wang family guards and Wang Xian all broke into a cold sweat, shouting out in alarm.

Wang Qing shifted his body slightly to the left, stepped forward with one leg while withdrawing the other behind him. His right hand raised his knife, slashing at the tiger’s side. Yet the tiger swiftly dodged with a shake of its body, avoiding the blade cleanly.

Ma Yuan sighed inwardly at the missed opportunity. Even if the slash hadn’t inflicted serious injury, it would have at least slowed the tiger’s hunting speed.

Wang Qing was not surprised. He continued to step back, left hand holding the knife in front as a guard, while his right hand remained gripping his waist. Yet he did not draw his gun, his sharp eyes fixed unblinkingly on the tiger.

The tiger, failing to land a hit, began pacing back and forth, its whip-like tail twitching and low growls rumbling from its throat.

After circling twice without finding a better chance, it crouched and lunged again toward Wang Qing.

Wang Qing’s eyes narrowed. Shifting his stance with the firm footing of a horseman, he gathered power in his waist, drew his knife with his left hand, and blocked the tiger’s claws just as they swiped.

The immense force drove Wang Qing backward, carving a trench in the earth beneath his feet. Yet his expression remained unchanged, even as those sharp claws came within inches of his face.

"Uncle, be careful!"

"Uncle, watch out!"

Seeing this, Wang Xian, Ma Yuan, and Hou Xinjie couldn’t help but shout in alarm. Their calls stirred the other tiger lurking behind them, which now crouched low and pounced toward the group.

The Wang family guards thrust their long spears forward, driving at the tiger. The spear’s length kept the tiger at bay, forcing it to retreat and circle around them, growling lowly.

Meanwhile, Wang Qing halted his movement and sidestepped. The tiger’s powerful charge overshot him, and once again, a gap opened between man and beast.

Without hesitation, Wang Qing swung his knife and charged at the tiger. The beast, angered by the prey’s contempt, roared fiercely.

The tiger pushed off with its hind legs and lunged swiftly again, claws flashing like merciless blades harvesting lives.

Ma Yuan and the others' hearts leapt to their throats, fearing Wang Qing might be injured if he made one wrong move.

At the moment when Wang Qing was about to collide head-on with the tiger, he dropped low, supporting himself with one hand on the ground, and surged directly beneath the tiger’s belly.

The tiger, lacking cunning, couldn’t halt its momentum. To onlookers, Wang Qing seemed pressed right against the tiger’s underside.

With a loud "thud," the charging tiger suddenly lost its strength.

With a heavy crash, the massive body fell to the ground, and Wang Qing was pinned beneath its belly.

"Second Uncle!" Wang Xian cried out anxiously.

"Young master, Second Master is fine!" one of the guards nearby called out.

Just then, the fallen tiger twitched, and Wang Qing struggled out from beneath it.

Only now did they see Wang Qing clutching a pistol in his left hand, the faint smell of gunpowder lingering in the air.

The other tiger let out a low mournful growl, lamenting the failed hunt, then retreated after several more growls.

Once the second tiger had departed, everyone exhaled in relief. Wang Xian and the others collapsed to the ground, their nerves spent as if they had survived a fierce battle, utterly exhausted in body and mind.

"Alright, get some rest. We need to move through here quickly," Wang Qing ordered, holstering his gun and drawing his knife as he approached the slain tiger.

After a brief respite, the group set off again toward Camel Ridge, the tiger’s skin stripped and hung proudly across a horse’s back, a symbol of their formidable encounter.