On the open plain without trees and vines to obstruct them, humans can never outrun a tiger.
Even though Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi had undergone special physical training, they were still at a disadvantage against such a fierce beast. Moreover, tigers are highly intelligent, skilled in ambushes, pouncing, and so on... Even with guns in hand, they were no match for a tiger. If they didn't quickly retreat from the plain, they would become the tiger's meal within ten minutes.
As Liu Tiezhu galloped on his horse, he also ordered the hunting dogs to retreat. The dogs could handle large beasts like wild boars and bison, but against a tiger, their strength, endurance, and attack power were utterly inadequate. If he didn't give the retreat order, once those dogs surrounded the tiger, they'd just be delivering meat to it.
The two men galloped about fifty meters before stopping. Liu Tiezhu quickly had Er Gouzi set up the rifle and load it. He himself drew his Type 54 pistol in an instant, watching ahead warily. All the hunting dogs were recalled to wait behind the horses.
Just then, a sharp cry rang out as the white-headed eagle flapped its wings and soared into the sky. Almost simultaneously, a pair of brownish-yellow tiger paws with black stripes shot out, aiming for the eagle's legs. The tiger had leaped nearly three meters high, barely missing the eagle's legs. But the eagle was incredibly fast, beating its wings fiercely to narrowly dodge the deadly claw.
The tiger missed its strike and leaped again in pursuit. The entire sequence was as swift as lightning, completed in a single breath. But by then, the eagle had already ascended, out of the tiger's attack range.
"Damn, this beast is way too fast. How did that Wu Song beat the tiger in the book?" Er Gouzi stammered, his face full of terror. In less than ten seconds, the tiger had launched two consecutive pounces. If the eagle hadn't reacted so quickly, there would probably be nothing left but a pile of feathers.
Liu Tiezhu was equally stunned. "This thing is incredibly strong; one swipe could crush a person's body. Wu Song's body wasn't made of gold either. Do you really believe that story about Wu Song fighting the tiger?"
"So what do we do now?" Er Gouzi asked.
"Play it by ear. If things go wrong, we'll call the eagle back and fire the gun," Liu Tiezhu replied, turning his gaze toward the tiger and the eagle.
Though the tiger was fierce, the eagle was no pushover. It wasn't as massive as the tiger, but it had considerable strength. Plus, it was smarter than the tiger, knowing how to exploit its aerial advantage, so the tiger couldn't do much to it for the time being. Liu Tiezhu didn't order the eagle to retreat, wanting to use this chance to hone its hunting skills. Besides, judging by the blood on the tiger's body, it had clearly been scratched by the eagle's claws.
The tiger, failing to catch the eagle, quickly hid in the dense undergrowth. But the eagle wasn't easily fooled; in its sharp eyes, the tiger couldn't hide at all. Almost as soon as the tiger ducked into the grass, the eagle swooped down rapidly, its claws like icy hooks gleaming with a dazzling cold light.
When they were three meters apart, the tiger suddenly leaped up, its paw sweeping a gust of cold wind straight at the eagle's wing.
"Not good," Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi shouted in unison. This tiger was too cunning—hiding in the grass was a trap. If the tiger's paw hit the eagle, the bird they'd painstakingly raised for over three months would be ruined.
But the eagle was lightning-fast. The moment the tiger's paw extended, its massive body lifted off again, its claws leaving several bloody scratches on the tiger's paw.
"Damn, it's practically a spirit," they marveled, stunned by the spectacular scene. The speed of that exchange took only two or three seconds. Any other animal would have been caught by the tiger's paw. Yet the eagle not only escaped the deadly strike but also counterattacked. Such speed and hunting skill were breathtaking.
"The old hunters were right—a white-headed eagle really can take down a large beast like a tiger," Liu Tiezhu exclaimed. This eagle was just an adult, raised in captivity, and it was already this fierce, trading blows with a full-grown tiger. If it were a wild eagle from the mountains, growing up in that harsh environment, an ordinary tiger might not stand a chance.
As Liu Tiezhu marveled, the eagle launched another attack. Its massive body dove at incredible speed. When it was ten meters from the tiger, it tilted its wings and swept behind the tiger. The move was fluid, completed in an instant. By the time the tiger turned, the eagle's claws had already sunk into its flesh, lifting its hide. But the tiger was too heavy; the eagle couldn't lift the whole body. After flapping its wings a few times and realizing it couldn't, it finally gave up, leaving deep, bone-exposing gashes on the tiger before shooting back into the sky.
"This... this..." Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi gasped. The eagle's fierce combat prowess was beyond their imagination. The forest overlord was being torn apart with no way to fight back.
"Brother Tiezhu, looks like we'll be eating tiger meat today," Er Gouzi said excitedly, rubbing his hands. The claw marks on the tiger's waist were so deep you could see the bone. With such a serious injury, if it didn't stop the bleeding soon, the tiger would die quickly.
Liu Tiezhu was equally thrilled. At this rate, within a few hours, that three-hundred-jin tiger would be meat in the pot. Tiger meat is pure yang—more potent than deer blood. On a day like this, eating two jin of it would let you go out in just a thin shirt.
The tiger, having taken a heavy blow, knew the eagle was no easy opponent. It quickly turned and bolted toward the woods north of the plain. It was smart enough to use the trees to block the eagle's view. Once its sight was obscured, it could hide and ambush.
The eagle seemed to read the tiger's intent and dove again. In just two minutes, it was in front of the tiger. The tiger lunged, swiping its paw fiercely at the eagle's body. The eagle folded its wings to dive faster, aiming its claws at the tiger's belly. From Liu Tiezhu's perspective, they formed an X-shaped cross.
A sharp cry and a tiger's roar sent chills down Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi's spines. They were too far away; they only saw the eagle and the tiger tumble apart. The tall grass blocked their view, so they couldn't see clearly.
After observing for about ten minutes without seeing the eagle take flight, Liu Tiezhu signaled Er Gouzi to follow. Neither dared to ride their horses; they sent the hunting dogs ahead to lead the way.
Half an hour later, they cautiously advanced a hundred meters. Then, the lead dogs started barking wildly. The lead hounds, like Big Potato, signaled an attack, and the other dogs quickly surrounded the area. Liu Tiezhu immediately ordered the dogs to retreat and said to Er Gouzi, "Dog, be careful. The tiger's nearby. Keep your eyes peeled."
"Don't worry, Brother Tiezhu. If that beast shows up, I'll blow it away," Er Gouzi said, though his palms were slick with sweat.
They walked a few more meters back-to-back before Liu Tiezhu stopped abruptly. On the grass in front of him, bright red blood hadn't yet clotted, giving off a pungent, metallic smell. Liu Tiezhu pointed at the grass and gave Er Gouzi a look. Er Gouzi nodded and turned around. They both raised their guns, aiming at the grass ahead.