Chapter 36
Upon hearing the sound, Luo Ge's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the stout, massive creature. She could now understand why the little rabbit had fled without a second glance.
From afar, it seemed that the tiger was still chasing something and was approaching in their direction.
"Husband!" Luo Ge looked at Gu Jinchen with concern, about to suggest that he enter the space.
"Brother Jinchen!"
A panicked voice suddenly rang out from a distance, seemingly belonging to Li Qiao.
Taking a closer look, it was indeed Li Qiao, who was evading in a peculiar manner to shield his escape, making it difficult for them to discern him clearly at first.
His sweat-drenched appearance suggested he had been running for some time. However, upon seeing Gu Jinchen, his eyes lit up with a sudden surge of confidence, as if the sight had instantly bolstered his resolve.
Hmm... it seemed like he had regained his composure in an instant.
Gu Jinchen nodded slightly upon hearing the call.
After working together for so long, Gu Jinchen understood Li Qiao's intentions from his gaze.
Seeing Gu Jinchen nod, Li Qiao visibly relaxed. Noticing Luo Ge in the tree, he glanced at Gu Jinchen before turning and leading the tiger away in another direction.
"Stay here and don't move. I'll be back soon, behave," Gu Jinchen instructed Luo Ge before instantly vanishing from the spot.
"Okay, just be careful," Luo Ge responded, only to pause mid-sentence as she watched him leverage the tree branches to leap through the air.
...Is that lightness skill? He can actually use it!
Meanwhile, Li Qiao, upon seeing Gu Jinchen employ lightness skill and approach, immediately raised his hunting bow and swiftly climbed onto a nearby large tree within a couple of leaps.
"Roar!" Enraged at seeing its prey escape into the tree, the tiger let out a furious roar, bracing itself on its forepaws and craning its neck upwards, as if contemplating whether to follow and leap into the tree.
Seizing the moment, Gu Jinchen wasted no time in releasing an arrow from his bow.
"Swish!"
"Sizzle!"
The sharp arrow flew directly toward the tiger below the tree, piercing through its neck and burying deep into its flesh.
However, due to the tiger's thick, robust hide, it was not instantly killed, but a substantial portion of its fighting prowess had been diminished.
Without pause, in the next instant, before the tiger could retaliate, two more arrows swiftly followed, penetrating through the initial wound and embedding themselves into the tiger's throat.
The final arrow pierced straight through, achieving a clean through-and-through shot.
Blood continuously flowed from its neck, and the massive tiger's body swayed a few times before its raised forepaws struck the ground, completely losing its ability to move and leaving it barely clinging to life.
Seizing the opportune moment, Li Qiao leaped down from the tree onto the tiger's back and plunged his long hunting knife deep into its heart, ultimately ending the tiger's life.
"Thud!" The tiger collapsed to the ground.
"Brother Jinchen, your archery skills have improved again!" Li Qiao finally relaxed and smiled at Gu Jinchen.
To be able to pierce the same spot with three consecutive arrows, completely penetrating the tiger's throat, was truly impressive.
Previously, it would have required considerable effort, with the two of them having to inflict at least seven or eight major wounds on the tiger's body to fully subdue it.
"This pelt is valuable," Gu Jinchen remarked with a smile, his eyes filled with tenderness.
His wife loved earning money, and if he could bring back more, she would undoubtedly be delighted.
"Yeah, for sure," Li Qiao nodded in agreement.
An intact, glossy tiger pelt was indeed valuable, as their previous kills had often damaged the pelts, much to his chagrin.
He hopped off the tiger's back and cut down a few tree branches to construct a simple makeshift sled.
"I saw Sister-in-law up there earlier too. Shall we head back together? The usual three-seven split?"
His skills were still inferior to Gu Jinchen's, and in the past, whenever they encountered such formidable prey, the bulk of the effort had always fallen on Gu Jinchen. Li Qiao's agile physique made him more suitable for luring and delivering the final blow.
If Gu Jinchen hadn't been there today, Li Qiao might have been able to escape, but he would undoubtedly have returned empty-handed.
He was well aware that he lacked the capability to take down this tiger with just three arrows.
If he had to subdue the massive beast alone, it would have certainly come at a great cost.
Gu Jinchen nodded slightly. "Let's go back, skin the tiger, and then head to the town."
"Got it," Li Qiao agreed.
Selling the tiger pelt separately would fetch a higher price, while the rest, including the meat, could be sold together without issue.
After finalizing their plan, the two men went to find Luo Ge, and the three returned home together.
...After properly removing and preserving the tiger pelt, Gu Jinchen and Li Qiao headed to the town, while Luo Ge remained at home, peeling lychee fruit.
Gazing at the tiger pelt and recalling the sight of Gu Jinchen employing lightness skill, her eyes sparkled with delight.
Who hasn't dreamed of experiencing the wonders of wuxia? From a young age, she had always yearned for the freedom of flying through the air with lightness skill, but reality had convinced her that such a thing might not exist in this world.
Yet, to her surprise, she had now witnessed it firsthand, and the one possessing this ability was none other than her husband!
How could she describe her feelings? She was completely overwhelmed with joy and excitement!
Reminiscing about the exhilarating sensation of being carried down from the tree by him, it was truly thrilling.
If only she could experience the feeling of leaping from one tree to another, that would be even better.
"Little Auntie?" The two little ones called out as they returned, finding Luo Ge adding salt to the lychee fruit and stirring absentmindedly while lost in thought.
Following their little auntie's gaze, the two children's faces instantly froze, and they hurried over, clinging to Luo Ge's legs.
"Auntie, big bug," they exclaimed.
"Scary, big bug, eats little kids."
"Big bug" was their way of referring to tigers.
In the past, Gu Jinchen and the others had also brought back tigers to be processed at home, so the children recognized them.
Children naturally feared such ferocious animals.
Moreover, in the village, many people would scare their children from wandering into the mountains by warning them that the "big bugs" would eat them.
As a result, the children inevitably developed a fear of these fierce creatures. In fact, even adults would be terrified upon hearing of tigers or wolves appearing in a particular area.
"Don't be afraid. This big bug has been killed by your Uncle. There's nothing to worry about," Luo Ge reassured them, amusedly caressing their little heads with the back of her clean hand.
"In the future, if Older Baby and Second Baby learn martial arts diligently from your Uncle, you'll also be able to defeat big bugs."
"Really? Can Older Baby and Second Baby defeat big bugs like Uncle in the future?" Older Baby asked with anticipation, with Second Baby mirroring his expression as they looked at Luo Ge.
In their minds, "big bugs" were formidable and fearsome creatures that only someone as powerful as their uncle could defeat.
But if their Auntie said that they could one day be like their uncle and defeat big bugs, did that mean they could also become incredibly powerful in the future?
"Of course. If Older Baby and Second Baby work hard, you might even become more powerful than your Uncle," Luo Ge said seriously.
Encouraging children was crucial for their growth and development.
Moreover, she genuinely believed the two little ones had great potential, as Gu Jinchen often praised them to her.
Hearing her words, the two children's eyes lit up, instantly filled with determination.
"Yeah, we'll definitely work harder. When we grow up, we'll be more powerful than Uncle!" Older Baby declared.
"Second Baby will be more powerful than Brother and Uncle," the younger one chimed in.
"Haha, good, Auntie believes you two will indeed become more powerful than your Uncle," Luo Ge laughed, amused by their enthusiasm.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter