Chapter 559: Where Did the Cow Come From?

Roar——!

The ferocious tiger smashed through that wooden door, which was already on the verge of collapsing, and shattered wood chips flew everywhere.

It was a huge ferocious tiger, its shoulder height almost reaching a person's waist, and from head to tail it measured about two zhang long.

Its fur glowed a dark yellow in the night, with black stripes etched like knife cuts.

Its eyes flashed with an eerie green light in the darkness—cold, bloodthirsty, looking down from above.

It stepped into the house, its pace steady, neither hurried nor slow.

Its paws landed on the floor, making no sound.

Its gaze swept over the people, as if looking at a flock of prey awaiting slaughter.

The three hunters' faces turned pale, yet they did not retreat.

The leader of the hunters, Lv Yong, gritted his teeth and stepped forward.

He drew the short knife at his waist; behind him, Lao Zheng and Lao Xu followed suit, also drawing their short knives, and the three stood shoulder to shoulder.

"Roar——!"

Lv Yong let out a low growl, his face ferocious, trying to scare off the tiger with his aura.

Lao Zheng and Lao Xu joined in the howling, their voices echoing in the cramped wooden house.

The ferocious tiger halted its steps.

It looked at the three humans blocking its path, and in its eerie green eyes a hint—

mockery.

As if it were looking at three ignorant little worms.

It let out a low roar; though not loud, it made people's scalps go numb and their legs cramp.

But it did not step forward; it simply stood there, watching them, as if waiting for something.

The atmosphere remained at a stalemate.

Time seemed to freeze.

Just then——

"Ah——! Run——!"

A piercing shriek broke the stalemate.

It was one of the four noble youths.

His face was ashen, his eyes full of fear, his whole body trembling as if his bones had been pulled out. He turned and ran, stumbling toward the window, about to climb out and flee.

The ferocious tiger moved.

This was exactly what it had been waiting for.

"Roar——!"

With a earth-shaking roar, the ferocious tiger lunged forward!

"Beast!"

Lv Yong let out a loud shout, advancing instead of retreating.

He pulled something from his bosom and flung it at the tiger's face——

It was carbon powder!

The powder blew into the tiger's eyes, and it let out a painful roar; its forward momentum stalled, it instinctively shut its eyes and shook its head.

"Run!"

Lv Yong turned, grabbed Li Er, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and rushed toward the door!

Lao Zheng and Lao Xu also moved.

Lao Zheng seized the maid named Xiao Chun, Lao Xu grabbed the young woman; each hoisted a person and, closely following, burst out of the wooden house!

In the blink of an eye, the hunters, Li Er, and the two women had vanished into the night.

Inside the wooden house, only Zhao Wen and two others remained, along with the companion still struggling at the window, unable to climb out.

The ferocious tiger shook its head and opened its eyes.

Those eyes were now bloodshot, red enough to frighten.

Its gaze fell upon the four trembling humans before it.

"Ah——! Don't come over! Don't come over!"

The companion who had fled first screamed, crawling toward the window using hands and feet.

Zhao Wen and the man in the dark brocade robe exchanged a glance.

Then——

The two struck simultaneously!

"Sorry!"

Each grabbed one of their companion's arms and shoved him hard toward the tiger.

"Ah——!"

That person screamed in anguish and lunged at the tiger.

The tiger bit down.

Crack——!

The sound of bones shattering, clear enough to make one's hair stand on end.

Fresh blood spurted, splattering Zhao Wen and the other from head to toe.

That person couldn't even utter a second scream before breathing his last!

Zhao Wen and the man in the brocade robe didn't look back, turning and sprinting for the door.

Ferocious Tiger shook its head, threw the corpse aside, turned, and chased after the two fleeing humans.

It ran extremely fast, fast as a gust of wind.

Zhao Wen and his companion had just run not far from the Wooden House when they heard heavy footsteps and ragged breathing behind them.

They drew ever closer.

They drew ever closer.

Li Er was hoisted onto Lv Yong's shoulder, jostling badly.

But he did not close his eyes.

He kept looking behind.

Watching everything that happened inside the Wooden House.

Watching the noble who had been shoved out, the Ferocious Tiger bit him to death in one bite.

Watching the two who, to survive, shoved their companion toward death's shadow...............

Then——

Lv Yong stopped his steps.

He set Li Er down, placing him behind a large tree.

"Kid," he panted, head not turning, voice urgent and low, "Stay here, don't move!"

Lao Zheng and Lao Xu also set the two women down, placing them beside Li Er.

The two women's faces were ashen, their bodies trembling, unable to speak.

Lv Yong turned around.

He stared at the Ferocious Tiger drawing ever nearer, took a deep breath, and gripped his short blade tightly.

"Lao Zheng, Lao Xu," he said, voice low and deep, each word clear, "Let's fight this beast to the death!"

Lao Zheng and Lao Xu stood beside him, likewise gripping their short blades tightly.

"We hunters, still afraid of it?!"

The three figures were especially distinct in the night.

Then he turned around.

Lv Yong, without turning his head, said to Li Er behind him:

"Kid, remember——"

"Today, the one who saved you is Lv Yong of Zheng Guochang Ritual Master, Zheng Da, and Xu Mu!"

"If you someday go to Changxiangli and look after our parents and families a bit, that will be considered repaying the life-saving grace!"

"Hurry and flee for your life!"

As his words fell, he let out a loud roar, and together with Lao Zheng and Lao Xu, charged at the Ferocious Tiger!

"Kill——!"

Three figures, three short blades, rushed toward that huge beast.

The Ferocious Tiger roared, meeting them head-on.

Bang——!

A muffled thud, and the trio's formation was instantly scattered.

Lao Zheng was knocked flying, slammed into a tree, and spat out blood.

Lao Xu staggered backward, his short blade almost slipping from his grasp.

Lv Yong gritted his teeth, slashed at the Ferocious Tiger's foreleg, but only managed a shallow cut.

The Ferocious Tiger, in pain, grew even more Frenzy.

Li Er stood in place, watching this scene.

Watching the three hunters desperately blocking the Ferocious Tiger.

Watching them charge forward again and again, only to be repelled each time.

He sighed.

"Could it be that I really look that weak?"

Li Er stepped forward.

His foot stepped into the mud, kicking up a tiny splash.

That sound was not loud, almost insignificant amid the chaotic clamor of battle.

But the Ferocious Tiger's movement suddenly froze.

Its raised claw, bearing enough force to crush Lv Yong's skull, hung suspended in midair, not falling.

Its pupils contracted sharply.

In those jade-green eyes, mockery vanished, bloodlust vanished, leaving only an instinct from ancient times, etched deep in the blood——

Fear!

That is the instinct that arises when prey faces a superior hunter!

It sensed it!

That aura, from the boy who had always hidden behind people, whom it regarded as the weakest prey, slowly spread outward.

No, not an aura.

It is the pressure of the soul, the trembling of the blood, the urge for this beast's body to submit to a higher existence!

It does not understand what that is.

But it knows that this human before it must not be provoked.

Absolutely must not be provoked!

Lv Yong was covered in blood, propped up on the ground, gasping heavily.

He saw the Ferocious Tiger suddenly stop, his heart filled with both shock and joy, gritted his teeth and wanted to seize the moment to deal another blow——

Just then——

"Moo——!"

A lowing of a cow came from the woods nearby.

That call was rough and prolonged, especially loud in the quiet night.

Lv Yong froze.

A cow?

In these deep mountains and old forest, where did a cow come from?

Before he could react, a huge black shadow burst out from the woods.

It was a green ox.

Its whole body was bluish-gray, its fur shedding a dim gleam in the moonlight, its two curved horns like two sabers, flashing cold light in the night.

Its size far surpassed that of an ordinary ox; as it ran, it seemed like a moving small hill, its hoofbeats like thunder, shaking the ground so it trembled.

The Ferocious Tiger sensed danger and jerked its head back——

Too late.

The green ox lowered its head, aimed its two horns at the tiger's belly, and thrust forward!

"Roar——!"

The Ferocious Tiger let out a miserable, shrill cry, its huge body like a tossed sack of rags, soaring high, tracing an arc, flying deep into the night sky.

Farther and farther.

Smaller and smaller.

Finally it turned into a black dot, vanishing at the horizon.

No one knew where it had flown to.