"Everyone be careful, it's a rock tiger."
"This beast really holds a grudge. It even brought another one along."
Liu Tiezhu had sharp eyes. After clearly identifying the animal ahead, he immediately shouted a warning.
"Bloody hell, it really thinks we're its next meal," Er Gouzi cursed.
"Wait, the one beside it looks like a cub," Uncle Er reminded them.
Usually, rock tigers didn't bring their young when hunting.
This one was breaking the norm.
Liu Tieshan asked, "Uncle Er, what do you mean?"
Uncle Er said, "I'm guessing this rock tiger isn't blocking us to hunt. It's brought its cub to give to us."
"Look—has the rock tiger made any aggressive moves? No, right?"
"And look at the cub beside it. It's over sixty jin, but by rock tiger growth stages, it's just weaned and can't hunt yet."
"I'm boldly guessing this rock tiger can't catch food with its cub, so it wants to hand the cub over to us."
"Uncle Er, can it really be that smart?"
"We almost killed it earlier. Would it trust us with its cub?"
Liu Tiezhu asked, incredulous.
"Precisely because we almost killed it, that's why it's offering the cub."
"Rock tigers only give their cubs to stronger clans to raise."
"Old hunters have encountered this before when deep in the mountains."
"But I'm not sure if this rock tiger is really giving us its cub," Uncle Er said.
"Brother Tiezhu, if it really is giving us its cub, we've hit the jackpot."
"Train it to obey like a hunting dog, and with the dog and the white-headed eagle working together, all the game in the mountains will be ours."
Er Gouzi's eyes widened, grinning with excitement.
Liu Tiezhu said, "You're dreaming."
"Setting aside whether it can be trained, even if it could, it's a potential threat."
"The day its wild nature kicks in, you'll be its meal."
He had no confidence in taming such a fierce beast.
Besides, even if tamed, its primal instincts could never be erased—it was a hidden danger.
"Tiezhu's right. This isn't like the white-headed eagle."
"Once an eagle is broken in, it fully follows the hunter's commands."
"This beast's latent wildness is an unknown threat. Taming it would likely come at a great cost."
Uncle Er nodded in agreement with Liu Tiezhu.
Er Gouzi asked, "So what do we do now?"
"It's blocking our path. We can't just stand here wasting time."
Liu Tiezhu thought for a moment and said, "How about we toss a piece of meat over and see how it reacts?"
Liu Tieshan immediately vetoed the idea.
"No, that's too dangerous."
"If it charges, we won't be able to escape."
Liu Tiezhu said, "Brother, let me finish."
"I don't mean walking up to it. I mean throwing the meat over to test its reaction."
"If it doesn't attack, we'll carefully pass by."
"If it does attack, we have no choice but to find a way to take it down."
Unless absolutely necessary, Liu Tiezhu didn't want to risk his life in a direct fight with the rock tiger.
Uncle Er thought it over and said, "Let's do what Tiezhu suggests. But everyone stay alert—rock tigers are far more cunning and ferocious than coyotes."
With no objections, Liu Tiezhu cut off a piece of venison.
"Gouzi, stick with me and keep your eyes peeled."
Er Gouzi nodded. "Don't worry, Brother Tiezhu. If that beast makes any aggressive move, I'll send it to meet its ancestors."
Liu Tiezhu didn't hesitate. He took the meat, walked a dozen paces forward, and tossed it toward the rock tiger.
The rock tiger cautiously stepped out, sniffed the meat, then picked it up in its mouth and slowly backed away.
A few minutes later, the adult rock tiger vanished into the night, leaving only the cub behind.
Seeing this, Er Gouzi slapped his thigh.
"Damn it! If only we had some drug to knock that beast out."
"You're dreaming. Didn't you see it sniff the meat earlier?" Liu Tiezhu reminded him.
"So what now? Do we go past or not?" Er Gouzi pressed on.
Liu Tiezhu didn't answer. He turned his gaze to Uncle Er behind him.
Uncle Er was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's go. But remember—never let your guard down."
"I suspect the adult rock tiger is still nearby. We can't let it ambush us."
Liu Tiezhu herded all the hunting dogs onto the mule cart. The four of them sat at the four corners, ready to fend off any sneak attack.
Once everything was set, they led the mule forward at a slow pace.
Their nerves were taut, eyes fixed on the dark surroundings.
With every step, they paused to observe for a few seconds before daring to take the next.
When they were three meters from the rock tiger cub, Uncle Er stopped the mule.
The cub wasn't afraid. It held the meat in its mouth, its green eyes curiously studying them.
"Dad, should we take it back?" Er Gouzi asked.
Uncle Er looked at Liu Tiezhu. "Tiezhu, can you fully tame this thing?"
"I'm not sure," Liu Tiezhu said.
"Then forget it. We don't need that few dozen jin of meat."
Uncle Er abandoned the idea of taking the cub. He led the mule cart slowly around it.
They had gone about ten meters when a sound like a cat's meow came from behind.
It startled them badly.
"Bloody hell, it's following us!"
Er Gouzi, at the back of the cart, immediately aimed his compound crossbow at the green eyes behind them, cursing loudly.
Liu Tiezhu was also shocked. He hadn't expected the rock tiger to bring the cub and follow them.
"Uncle Er, what's going on? Do we have no choice but to take the cub?" Liu Tieshan asked.
"Ignore it. Keep moving."
Uncle Er replied and quickened the mule's pace.
After another ten minutes of travel, the outline of the village came into view. Only then did the rock tiger stop.
When they got home, everyone realized they were drenched in cold sweat.
They unloaded the venison and worked together to butcher it.
The eldest brother took the deer blood, re-melted it, and poured it into liquor bottles for storage.
Yang Yulan took Liu Tiezhu's gear and asked, "Didn't you say you'd be out all night? Why are you back so soon?"
"We ran into a rock tiger, so we came back early," Liu Tiezhu said.
A rock tiger?
Yang Yulan's face went pale. "From now on, we can't go hunting at night. It's too dangerous."
Liu Tiezhu smiled. "Don't worry, it was just an accident. Go help your sister-in-law cook."
After putting away his gear, Liu Tiezhu went to the yard.
Uncle Er and the others were sitting around the stove, talking about the recent surge in animal activity.
Er Gouzi said, "Dad, I think something big must be happening in the mountains."
"If rock tigers are showing up, other animals will follow."
"Once there aren't enough resources at the foot of the mountain, will they come into the village?"
Those words sent a chill down everyone's spine.