Chapter 72

Indeed, even if one were to rub wet wood together until the sea dried up and the rocks crumbled, no fire would be produced, and this was a big problem. However, in the days that followed, Lu Buqi lived quite comfortably. Not only did the red snake not come to trouble him, but for four or five consecutive days, he did not encounter a single powerful spirit beast.

Practicing martial arts, hunting, and studying some rare plants—this was Lu Buqi’s life these days. Apart from the lack of human interaction, there was nothing wrong with it, and it was quite free and easy.

Lu Buqi did not know how far he was from leaving the Great Hong Mountain. He had been inside for twenty days, and he only knew that he had been walking towards the sunrise and away from the sunset. However, due to the need to find food, fight, and rest, combined with the mountainous terrain and the difficulty of cutting through thickets, he probably did not walk more than five li a day on average, but the actual distance traveled was definitely over twenty li.

But at this rate, he should be able to leave the Great Hong Mountain in about half a month! Lu Buqi was not in a hurry. If he were a person without desires, he could even stay in the deep mountains and live like a hermit.

"At the very least... I should take off this virgin hat in this life, right?" Lu Buqi was not a lecherous person, but he was a man.

As if the heavens had heard his call, just as Lu Buqi was complaining about the midday heat and lying leisurely on a tree to avoid the sun, a sharp and clear voice rang out, accompanied by a tiger's roar.

"Someone... and it's a woman!" Lu Buqi suddenly sat up straight, his gaze looking in the direction of the sound. Although obstructed by the dense trees, he could vaguely see that a woman was being chased by a black-jawed ghost tiger.

If on a street, encountering a woman being chased by a vicious dog would be normal, and Lu Buqi might have helped. But in the rarely visited Great Hong Mountain, the sudden appearance of a woman being chased by a tiger, and running directly towards him, seemed very strange.

Moreover, from the way the woman in red was running, she was clearly not a weak woman. Lu Buqi's first thought was to observe the situation, and he did not think the woman would notice him while running.

However, to Lu Buqi's surprise, the woman in red ran straight to the tree and then nimbly climbed up, more agile than any monkey he had ever seen.

Lu Buqi was on the main trunk of the tree. He hastily retreated, but could not avoid the awkward situation of bumping into each other face-to-face.

The woman in red clearly did not expect anyone to be on the tree. Shocked, she crossed her hands to brace against Lu Buqi's body, stabilizing herself.

Affected by the high-speed impact from the woman in red, and with Lu Buqi already retreating, the two of them fell towards the ground.

While admiring the woman's beauty in his mind, Lu Buqi did not forget the extremely dangerous creature behind them. He immediately shouted, "Kill this black tiger first!"

"Okay!" The woman in red did not hesitate at all. In perfect sync with Lu Buqi, they pushed each other and rolled to the side, avoiding the black-jawed ghost tiger's attack that tore through the thick branches.

As Lu Buqi flipped his hand to reveal the Fish Gut Sword and leaped to stab the black-jawed ghost tiger's back, the woman in red did not hesitate either. She drew a pair of double-bladed daggers and attacked the tiger's side with a fierce cry.

The black-jawed ghost tiger did not expect that the "weak" woman it was chasing would suddenly turn into a "mighty" man and a "ferocious" female demon.

The black-jawed ghost tiger, unable to react in time, could not avoid the attacks from both sides!

Last time, Lu Buqi used the three-edged spike in a "fox charm, ape climb" stance but failed. This time, he did not let the opportunity slip. The Fish Gut Sword sliced into the black-jawed ghost tiger, and as it roared in pain, Lu Buqi leaped onto its back.

To Lu Buqi's amazement, the woman in red also landed lightly on the tiger's head, giving him a charming smile. Her blue and blood-stained double-bladed daggers were viciously plunged into the tiger's head.

Lu Buqi did not hold back either. The Fish Gut Sword and the three-edged spike stabbed the black-jawed ghost tiger's neck in a flash, and the two of them were undoubtedly thrown off.

Lu Buqi, sitting astride the black-jawed ghost tiger, used the momentum to land on the ground. The woman on the tiger's head, however, was thrown several feet into the air. The heavily injured black-jawed ghost tiger, with bloodshot eyes and drooling, pounced towards him.

In the air, it was difficult to change direction for defense. The woman's face changed drastically, and she could only block with her small double-bladed daggers, but this was like a mantis trying to stop a cart.

Although he did not know the woman's background, the默契 (mòqì,默契 means "默契" in Chinese, which translates to "rapport" or "harmony" in English) of their cooperation just now made Lu Buqi consider her a comrade. As a comrade, she could not be easily abandoned!

This was Lu Buqi's belief from his previous life. Although he had no friends, he had always cooperated well with his teammates and comrades on missions.

So, Lu Buqi made a very dangerous move. He grabbed the tiger's tail, stomped his foot, and planted himself firmly on the ground. At the same time, he pulled with all his might, using every ounce of strength and bone power.

Lu Buqi's body was pulled forward by the black-jawed ghost tiger, but with a roar like a bear, he managed to pull the massive tiger, weighing several thousand pounds, back.

However, this put Lu Buqi in great danger. As soon as the tiger's four paws touched the ground, it suddenly turned and pounced on him.

This was a cat family's inherited killing move, the reason why there is a saying, "Don't touch a tiger's ass." The tiger's turning speed was several times faster than its pounce, like a bolt of lightning.

When Lu Buqi grabbed the tiger's tail, he knew he couldn't dodge, so he did not plan to. Instead, he suddenly released his grip on the tail and, in a "Julu Yingmen" stance, narrowly avoided the tiger's massive jaws. He then used the momentum to retreat.

Even so, Lu Buqi was still hit by the tiger's massive paw on his left shoulder, leaving two deep gashes and exposing the bone.

As Lu Buqi tumbled and rolled, he gritted his teeth, adjusted his shoulder, and with a painful effort, reset it. Then, he threw a small three-edged spike at the black-jawed ghost tiger's eye.

Just as the tiger tried to dodge, a crystal-clear rope suddenly appeared, looping around its head and tightening around its mouth.

This pause allowed the three-edged spike to pierce the tiger's eye, causing a deafening roar. As Lu Buqi braced himself, the tiger, like a wild horse reined in, reared up, blood gushing, and then collapsed.

Only then did Lu Buqi see that the woman in red was holding a thumb-thick rope, which was made of a strange material, as clear as ox sinew.

As Lu Buqi relaxed slightly, he took the time to look at the woman in red. He couldn't help but admire her beauty once again.

The woman in red was about twenty years old, with black, shiny hair tied up in a neat ponytail that reached her waist. Her arched bangs and the perfect widow's peak formed a beautiful peach shape, complementing her oval face, willow-like eyebrows, and almond-shaped eyes, which sparkled with life.

Her red dress was not a deep red but a light peach color, translucent enough to reveal the green undergarment beneath. The tight-fitting top could not completely suppress her prominent breasts, and her smooth, round navel was like a pearl.

Her abdomen, still glistening with sweat from the intense fight, was captivating. She wore a green leather mini-skirt and snake-patterned leg wraps, which made her already long legs appear even more slender. Her feet were clad in small green leather boots.

Red and green, usually a color combination that would look rustic, did not seem out of place on her. It was a perfect match, making her look fresh and neat, with a touch of mountain purity.

Her shoulders were slender, her waist slim like a willow, and her legs like spring bamboo. Her relieved and joyful smile was absolutely enchanting.

"I didn't expect to meet a living person in such a desolate place!" The woman opened her red lips. Her voice, though not as sweet as Wang Shuangqiao's, was clear and straightforward. "This black-jawed ghost tiger is very fierce. Without you, I would have had to run away!"