Chapter 53: Tiger's Roar

The deeper they ventured into the mountains, the richer the vegetation became.

Before long, Zhao Mu and his companions began to spot traces of small animals.

However, most of those creatures were exceptionally swift, darting away the moment they sensed human presence from afar.

Zhao Mu and the others paid it little mind. Since this was their first time entering the mountains for a hunt, their primary goal was to familiarize themselves with the terrain, while actually bagging any game came second.

Moreover, hunting demanded a great deal of patience.

Moving about aimlessly as they were would only startle and drive away the local wildlife.

Only by finding a suitable spot to hunker down and wait in absolute silence could one gradually dispel the animals' wariness.

And then, a single, fatal arrow!

After walking for a while longer, Wang Wu looked around and said, "Let's set up camp here. Any further in, and we might encounter fierce beasts."

Zhao Mu nodded, taking his bow and arrow to find a concealed spot for an ambush.

Shi Min looked about and selected a wind-sheltered niche to hide himself.

At this moment, the experience of Wang Wu and Wen Zhi truly showed.

Though the two men had seemingly chosen their hiding spots at random, Zhao Mu would never have been able to spot them had he not known they were there.

Shortly after, a wild hare drifted into their field of vision.

Zhao Mu immediately raised his bow to take aim, but just before releasing the arrow, he noticed that neither Wen Zhi nor Wang Wu had made a move.

Confused, he glanced at Wang Wu, who simply shook his head without giving any further indication.

Not understanding why, Zhao Mu had no choice but to lower his bow.

Yet at that very second, a sharp arrow suddenly flashed past his eyes.

Then, it struck the hare with pinpoint accuracy.

Zhao Mu was momentarily stunned. Turning back in surprise, he discovered that the archer was none other than Shi Min.

Having hit the hare, Shi Min leaped out from his hiding place, beaming with delight.

"Master! I hit it!"

Shi Min retrieved the hare and looked at Zhao Mu with great excitement.

Zhao Mu smiled and asked, "Fine archery. Have you studied this before?"

Although he had dabbled in archery in his past life, he had rarely encountered traditional hunting bows of this ancient era.

Consequently, even though he had aimed carefully at the hare, he could not guarantee a hundred-percent hit rate.

Shi Min shook his head and replied, "I've never studied it. I've only watched others practice willow shooting."

Zhao Mu asked, puzzled, "Willow shooting?"

Shi Min grew even more perplexed at this and asked, "Does the master not know of it?"

Zhao Mu inquired, "Is it where a pigeon is placed inside a cage, which is then hung from a willow tree by a rope? If you sever the rope with an arrow, the cage drops, and winning is determined by whether you can catch the pigeon as it flies out?"

Shi Min nodded. "Yes, something like that, though where we're from, they put the pigeon inside a gourd."

In truth, the practice of willow shooting had existed since ancient times, though the rules varied across different eras.

Originally, it might have been a way for martial artists to practice archery.

Gradually, however, it evolved into an elegant pastime among scholars, archery being one of the six noble arts required of a gentleman.

Though scholars would never set foot on a battlefield, possessing an extra skill to boast about was considered a fine reputation to have.

As a result, many scholars competed in learning willow shooting, hoping to outshine one another.

Zhao Mu smiled. "Not bad today. We can have a feast tonight when we return."

At that moment, Wang Wu and Wen Zhi walked over and offered a few words of praise to Shi Min.

Zhao Mu asked, "Brother Wang, why didn't you let me take the shot earlier? Was the timing wrong?"

Wang Wu explained, "Though that hare appeared stationary, it was actually remaining vigilant of its surroundings. Any rustle would not escape its ears. If the first shot missed, it would only startle the prey and drive them away."

Zhao Mu instinctively nodded. When he turned to look at Shi Min, his sense of astonishment deepened.

Shi Min had never practiced archery before, yet he had managed to hit a vigilant hare on his very first attempt.

Whether this was beginner's luck or sheer innate talent remained to be seen.

Zhao Mu secretly hoped for the latter. After all, to survive in these chaotic times, one needed to master at least one special skill.

If Shi Min could develop a hundred-percent hit rate with his bow, it would prove immensely beneficial to all of them.

"There's the scent of blood here now. Let's move to another spot and set up an ambush again."

Wang Wu glanced at the hare in Shi Min's hands and led the group to relocate.

During the time that followed, they indeed spotted quite a few more animals.

Zhao Mu tried his hand a few times, but failed to score a single hit. In contrast, Shi Min managed to bag another hare and a pheasant, making Zhao Mu green with envy.

Wang Wu and Wen Zhi also harvested some game of their own; while not matching Shi Min's haul, it was more than enough to ensure they wouldn't have to worry about food for a good while.

Seeing that dusk was approaching, the group prepared to make their way out.

Just then, a deafening roar echoed from the deep mountain forest.

Zhao Mu paused, unable to identify what kind of beast had made such a sound.

Wen Zhi and Wang Wu, however, simultaneously paled, their expressions turning grim as they looked sharply toward the source of the roar.

"Not good! That's a tiger's roar!"

Wen Zhi said gravely, "Brother Mu, we need to leave immediately!"

Hearing the word "tiger," Zhao Mu's expression shifted drastically.

A tiger!

That was the most ferocious creature in the mountain forests, the undisputed king of beasts!

A tiger cub might be manageable, but the roar they had just heard clearly belonged to a fully grown adult tiger.

Even with four of them equipped with bows and arrows, there was no guarantee they could subdue an adult tiger!

Simultaneously, Zhao Mu felt the ground tremble beneath his feet.

Following that, numerous animals dwelling deep within the forest came stampeding past from afar.

Under normal circumstances, these small animals would not be overly terrified of a tiger, preferring simply to keep their distance.

Yet now, the tiger was clearly enraged, and virtually all the wildlife had been startled into a frenzy.

Seeing so many animals rushing past, Shi Min instinctively reached for his longbow.

Wang Wu pinned down his arm, warning him, "If you don't want to die, run!"

With that, they joined the stampede of fleeing animals and sprinted away.

Fortunately, although there were numerous animals, they had not yet formed a full-scale stampede.

Otherwise, the four of them would have met their doom long before encountering the tiger.

However, the sheer volume of beasts was overwhelming, and their running speed vastly exceeded that of humans.

Consequently, after running only a short distance, a massive assembly of animals had gathered right behind them, forming the embryonic scale of a stampede.

Wang Wu weighed their options for a moment, then grabbed Zhao Mu and Shi Min, pulling them toward a recess. "There are too many beasts! Let's hide here for a moment!"

Although they had heard a tiger's roar, it did not necessarily mean the beast was heading straight for their location.

They would take cover first to let this wave of animals pass.

If the tiger truly approached them, they would figure out another plan then.

Hiding behind a massive boulder, Wang Wu poked his head out to observe the movements deeper in the mountains.

Soon enough, his pupils contracted sharply.

The stampede triggered by the tiger's roar was drawing to a close.

At that very moment, three noble young men on horseback came galloping out from the depths of the mountains in a disheveled and frantic retreat.