Chapter 21 of 100
Chapter 21
17 min read4,129 words
It seemed that time slowed down at that very moment. Almost instantaneously, as the colorful tiger was about to touch Bai Shi, a sudden arrow, carrying immense force and a terrifying sound as it tore through the void, struck the tiger's heart without any deviation, right before Bai Shi's eyes!
*Snap!*
The moment the arrow hit the tiger's heart, the tiger didn't even have a chance to roar. A crisp and decisive sound was heard from the point of impact, and at that spot, hot blood spurted out!
The blood splattered on Bai Shi's face, and the pungent smell of blood brought him back to his senses. His gaze fell on the tiger that had fallen heavily to the ground. He could see that a metal arrow was embedded in the tiger's heart. The tiger was breathing heavily, its body convulsing, and despite opening its mouth, it couldn't make a sound.
Bai Shi seemed to still be in a daze from the shock. He stood up from the ground, his eyes fixed on the tiger, as if he was afraid it might leap up at any moment.
But reality proved everything. After a few convulsions, the tiger finally stretched out its limbs and died.
"Haha... I didn't expect such a good catch on my first hunt of early spring!" At the same time, as Bai Shi was still in a daze, a loud laugh suddenly came from behind the forest.
The voice was rough, and when Bai Shi heard it, an image of a wild man naturally formed in his mind.
As the sound faded, a man dressed in animal skins suddenly darted out from behind the swaying branches behind Bai Shi.
The man was about seven feet tall, with an old bow and a quiver full of arrows on his back. The quiver was clearly rusted, but the dagger at his waist emitted an unusual glow. Although Bai Shi couldn't see the dagger, he could guess its sharpness from the hilt.
The man had a full beard, and from his appearance, he seemed to be a free-spirited person.
The moment he leaped out of the forest, he noticed Bai Shi standing nearby. After sizing him up, he noticed the dagger in Bai Shi's hand and guessed that Bai Shi had fought the tiger earlier. However, he didn't show any hostility but walked calmly to the dead tiger, took out his dagger, and squatted down.
As he took out the dagger, he gently stabbed it into the tiger's abdomen and began to skin it.
"From your appearance... you must be here to gather herbs, right?"
As the man started his work, he said, without turning to Bai Shi.
Bai Shi looked at the man's back and replied, "Yes, during the early spring, when all things are reviving, it's the best time for the herbs to be potent. But thank you for saving me earlier..."
Hearing this, the man paused his work, stood up, turned around, and smiled, saying, "No need to thank me. If you hadn't fought the tiger, I wouldn't have been able to kill it so easily. The tiger is very alert, and if you hadn't distracted it, my ambush wouldn't have succeeded... But, seeing your age, you have the courage to come here to gather herbs among these strange beasts, I, Qin, admire your bravery!"
He smiled calmly. Although Bai Shi didn't directly say anything modest, his expression showed his humility, and he said, "From the force of the arrow, I can tell that Brother Qin is a person of great cultivation..."
Hearing Bai Shi's words, the man laughed loudly and said, "Brother, aren't you exposing my weakness? I have no talent for cultivation, so how can I talk about cultivation... I just have brute strength. But you, with your build, dare to come deep into the Daochen Mountains to gather herbs, you must have some cultivation."
Caught off guard, Bai Shi smiled awkwardly and said, "I do have some cultivation, but compared to Brother Qin, I am far behind."
Hearing Bai Shi's words, the man laughed again and said, "Brother is indeed modest... But in these Daochen Mountains, we hunters are at a disadvantage compared to those with cultivation. We must hide and ambush, unlike you who can fight directly. If we miss our shot, we might be killed by the beasts..."
After speaking, the man turned back, took the dagger, squatted down, and resumed his work.
The man worked quickly and soon skinned the tiger. He stood up, looked at Bai Shi, and said, "In these deep mountains, there are many strange beasts, and the deeper you go, the stronger they become. Since you couldn't even defeat the tiger, if you insist on going further, you must be extra careful..."
Bai Shi thanked him and said, "Thank you for the warning, Brother Qin. I really appreciate your help today. If you could tell me where you live, I will visit you one day to thank you in person."
Carrying the tiger skin, the man laughed again and said, "I, Qin, live by hunting, and the mountains are my home. The concept of a home is long forgotten. If we meet again in the Daochen Mountains, it will be by fate." With that, he laughed again, carried the tiger skin, and quickly disappeared into the forest, out of Bai Shi's sight.
Seeing the man leave, Bai Shi smiled faintly, and deep in his heart, he felt a strange admiration for this free-spirited and graceful man.
Next, what Bai Shi needed to do was to extract the tiger's gallbladder for his refinement.
He clearly remembered that in the golden illusion, during the fourth stage of the Foundation Establishment period, the refinement of the tiger's gallbladder was an essential step.
Soon, Bai Shi extracted the tiger's gallbladder, which was larger than a fist, and he had to use both hands to hold it.
After preparing everything, Bai Shi needed to find a safe place to put down the gallbladder and gather the necessary cauldrons for his alchemy...
Looking into the distance, although Bai Shi had just been frightened by the tiger, he showed no sign of retreating. Instead, he became more determined, wrapped the gallbladder, and continued deeper into the mountains.
The deeper parts of the mountains were not as chaotic and green as before. Instead, they were filled with ancient trees that were hundreds of years old. Some of the roots of these trees even grew out of the ground, extending dozens of meters, like pythons lying on the ground.
Bai Shi carefully moved through the forest, and the sound of breaking twigs kept him alert at all times. The birds perched on the ancient trees also chirped and flew away because of his presence.
Occasionally, he could see vines growing between the trees, but these vines were covered in thorns, like brambles.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, and the terrain indicated that this place had not been visited by anyone for a long time, not even by strange beasts.
Despite this, Bai Shi's vigilance did not wane.
In this state of alertness, Bai Shi advanced another two miles. At this point, he could no longer tell directions or remember the path he had taken.
"This forest is so deep, I really regret not marking my path. It might be impossible to return to Dongchen Village now," he mused, observing the terrain. Not far away, his gaze fell on a leopard perched on an ancient tree.
The leopard was also staring at Bai Shi.
But Bai Shi was not afraid, as he knew that the leopard was only at the second stage of the Foundation Establishment period and posed no real threat to him. It could move deep into the forest because of its excellent jumping and climbing abilities.
Further ahead was a cliff, as if cut by a giant axe. Beyond that, Bai Shi could see a stone forest, with towering rocks standing tall. He knew that finding a place to rest in the stone forest would not be difficult.
His pace quickened subconsciously...
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