Chapter 14: Countermeasures

At some unknown point, she realized she had developed feelings for the man who once frequently scolded and struck her. Now, all she wished for was his safe return.

Meanwhile, Yu Chengfeng reached the gate where the tiger hunting team was assembling. The group numbered about thirteen or fourteen; aside from a few agile young men Yu recognized, most were veteran hunters from the stronghold. Seeing Yu arrive carrying a bamboo tube, they exchanged glances—after all, Yu hadn’t originally been part of the team but was forcibly added just before departure. Alongside him was another man nominated by Li Zhen, named Lei Li—a towering figure over eight feet tall, with arms reaching his thighs, broad shoulders, and bulging muscles, looking quite intimidating.

The two newcomers immediately cast unfriendly glances at Yu, who met their gazes fearlessly. “Alright, since everyone’s here, you may set out. I wish you a safe journey!” said Commander Zuo Baihu at the city gate as they prepared to leave.

After each man drank a bowl of rough wine, they began ascending the mountain. Lei Li deliberately pushed through the crowd to stand beside Yu, flashing the large blade at his waist and taunting, “Yu, what do you think of this sword? Think I could chop off a person’s head with one strike?”

“We’re here to hunt tigers. Your blade better be sharp enough to sever a tiger’s head in one blow,” Yu replied, glancing at Lei Li’s sword.

Seeing Yu’s lack of fear, Lei Li lost interest, slowed his pace, and moved toward the rear of the group. From those few glances, Yu discerned the truth about Lei Li’s weapon—it was an ordinary single-edged blade, with many chips along the cutting edge, clear evidence of neglect after heavy use.

Yu was confident that if they clashed swords, he could break Lei Li’s blade within three strikes.

As Yu pondered his strategy, the lead veteran hunter signaled, and the group dropped to the ground, scanning their surroundings carefully.

“There are tiger tracks ahead,” the old hunter said after securing the area, gathering everyone around to point at a large paw print on the ground nearly the size of one and a half adult hands. “Judging by the size, this tiger must weigh at least three or four hundred pounds.”

Yu’s keen eyes noticed scattered drops of blood nearby. “Could this blood be from the tiger’s recent kill?”

The old hunter inspected the spot and nodded with newfound respect. “Yes, but it’s not prey blood—it’s the tiger’s own. It must have been injured while hunting.”

“Here are the tiger’s bloodstains, and here are its footprints. Which trail should we follow?” one hunter asked, curious. Though all experienced, some had never seen a tiger, let alone hunted one.

“Follow the trail with the blood,” the veteran concluded after observing a moment.

“They say the dragon’s form and the tiger’s step are hard to predict,” the old hunter explained. “A tiger can leap across a deep ravine dozens of feet wide, so it’s normal for it to move swiftly through the forest without leaving footprints. But blood gives us a trail to follow.”

The group agreed, readying their weapons to pursue the bloodied path. Lei Li suddenly spoke up, “What if the tiger isn’t on this trail? Wouldn’t that waste time? We should split into two teams and follow both.”

“No,” the old hunter frowned. “Tigers are fierce and cunning. Even with many of us, we must be cautious. Splitting up would leave us like meat on a chopping block.”

“Old man, you’re just scared,” Lei Li sneered, drawing his steel blade with a flourish. “With my swordsmanship, I could cut down not just a tiger, but even Tartars in one strike.”

The old hunter sighed as Lei Li’s blade came close to his nose. “Fine. You can lead one team after that trail. If you encounter the tiger, be sure to observe carefully before attacking.”

Lei Li agreed casually and began selecting his men. After picking a few, his gaze landed on Yu Chengfeng. Knowing he couldn’t avoid it, Yu stepped forward voluntarily.

Seeing this, Lei Li sneered and had an experienced hunter lead the front while he himself fell to the back of the group.

Yu snorted coldly but kept pace with the team, his hand quietly resting on the sword at his waist.

Sure enough, after some time, Lei Li suddenly shouted, clutching his stomach and squatting in agony.

When the others gathered around, Lei Li’s face twisted in pain, genuinely seeming distressed. “I must have eaten something bad before we left. My stomach’s upset. You guys go ahead and track the tiger; don’t waste time on me.”

“Are you sure it’s safe to stay here alone in the forest?” one of the hunters asked.

Yu stepped forward. “You all go on. I’ll stay and watch over him. Once he’s better, we’ll catch up.”

The others had no choice but to leave the two behind and press on tracking the tiger’s trail.

No sooner had they disappeared than Lei Li rose with a sinister grin, stretching his limbs. “I thought you were smart, sticking with them all along. That would’ve given me trouble figuring out how to kill you. But you’re still that fool, volunteering to stay behind and die.”

“In the forest, the roles of hunter and hunted aren’t fixed. One wrong move, and I might be the one chasing you,” Yu said, not fooled by Lei Li’s act. Clearly, Lei Li had planned this in advance.

With that, Yu turned and dashed into the woods.

His only hope was to constantly evade, leveraging his agility to wear down Lei Li’s stamina, waiting for the moment the brute exposed a weakness to strike and kill.

All of this he had already strategized on the way here.

As expected, Lei Li, simple-minded as he was, charged after Yu without hesitation.