Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1019 Understanding Reverence, Returning to the Source

The shot hit the tip of the big guy's ear. This big guy was actually a tiger king that was much larger than an ordinary tiger, or even larger than the two tigers Li Long had seen before!
With his ear injured and the shock of the gunshot at close range, the Tiger King roared angrily at Li Long. The stench and the Tiger King's domineering aura assaulted Li Long's senses. He forced himself to keep his eyes open, gripped the steel gun tightly, and kept pulling the trigger.
Originally, it intended to pin Li Long down and bite him to death to avenge the ear injury, but the clattering gunshots posed a great threat to it! The tiger didn't hesitate at all and turned to run!

Although the tiger was enormous, it was extremely agile. When Li Long pulled the trigger for the second time, it had already turned around, leaping up and landing rapidly with a gust of wind and snow, then leaping up again, landing again, and then... disappeared.

Watching the tiger disappear into the forest in a few breaths, and despite his pride in his marksmanship against moving targets, the bullets he fired at that moment didn't even manage to catch a hair on the tiger's tail!

Several minutes had passed since the tiger disappeared before Li Long finally recovered and let out a long breath. He then realized that he was soaked in sweat, and it was cold outside, making his underwear stick to his body very uncomfortable.

He tried to stand up, but his whole body felt weak. The tiger's mouth was no more than two meters away from him, and judging from the speed at which the tiger ran away, two meters was even closer than the distance he could cover with a single step.

In other words, this time he was truly only one step away from death!
No wonder I was so scared back then.

The tiger was almost as big as a calf, and what's more, it looked like it really wanted to eat me! I don't know if it had eaten people before, or if it wanted to eat offal today but I had spoiled its mood, which is why it pounced on me.

My usually effective alertness had no effect at all today!

He leaned on his gun, took a deep breath, and stood up. Before him, the snow-covered ground, stretching all the way to the southeast woods, was a scene of utter devastation.

The case made of pine wood was smashed to pieces by the tiger king's paw. The snowfield where the tiger ran was like a tank charging past, with much of the snow being swept up by the wind it created.

Li Long first took out a bolt carrier from his pocket, inserted it into the empty magazine, stuffed the empty bolt carrier back into his pocket, and then pulled the bolt to chamber a bullet, only then feeling slightly relieved.

He looked around and found a piece of ear tip about the size of a finger, covered in yellow and black hair. This was his only trophy this time.

I held the earlobe in my hand and weighed it; it felt very light, and there was only a trace of blood on it.

But Li Long was very satisfied. It was the first time he had accidentally encountered the Tiger King of Northern Xinjiang. He had managed to escape unscathed and even injure his opponent. He could be proud of himself.

After all, this Northern Xinjiang tiger is almost the size of an adult Siberian tiger; it's a mystery how it grew so big.

After all, the Northern Xinjiang tiger is relatively small among all kinds of tigers, so for this guy to grow so big is practically supernatural.

Li Long slung the gun over his shoulder, then gathered the pieces of wood from the table together and carried them under the shed, intending to reuse them as firewood.

Then he quickly went into the house, locked the door, and prepared to change his clothes.

I'm not planning to go out this time—it's too dangerous outside!

As darkness fell, Li Long, having changed his clothes, added some more coal to the stove. He then soaked his sweat-soaked underwear in a basin, gave it a quick wash, and draped it over a stool.

Normally, he would hang the washed clothes outside to freeze solid before bringing them back to dry.

No, not today. He's not planning to go out.

The howling of wolves outside had stopped. It was unclear whether the wolves had been chased away by Li Long or frightened away by the Northern Frontier Tiger King.

A breeze had picked up sometime earlier, making the paper windows rustle. Li Long found a thumbtack and nailed the paper windows shut, then lay down on the bed.

The room was warm, and the window was left slightly ajar so there was no need to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning, but Li Long couldn't sleep.

This thing is a bit weird, he thought he needed to think about it carefully.

Didn't they say this thing was going to go extinct? How come I've seen three of them in the last two or three years?!
There's another one this big?
Was it because someone in the previous life beat them but didn't publicize it and secretly made a fortune, or was it because I, with my reborn little wings, flapped my wings and changed the fate of these tigers?
A jumble of thoughts battled in his mind, one after another, until he felt extremely dizzy and finally fell into a deep sleep.

When Li Long got up the next day, the room was already bright—obviously, it must have been even brighter outside.

Looking at his watch, Li Long realized it was already past ten o'clock. He figured Yu Shanjiang and the others must be getting impatient.

He got up, put on his clothes, and saw that the underwear he had hung out to dry yesterday was dry. He folded it and put it away. Li Long touched the edge of the stove; it was cold, so the fire had obviously gone out.

He used the stove hook to poke through the fire hole under the furnace a dozen times to remove the ashes. Then he lifted the furnace lid and saw that there was still some charcoal inside (charcoal that had not been fully burned). He picked out the charcoal and put it aside before setting up the furnace.

This habit is still useful in this era. In twenty or thirty years, the young people of that time will no longer know what charcoal is.

With the stove set up, Li Long first picked up his gun, released the safety, and then pushed open the latch to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, Li Long handed over the gun, looked it over left and right, but saw nothing.

After yesterday's ordeal, he was a bit stressed. He took his gun and went outside to check the cabin from all sides, even turning over the grass in the shed. Only after finding no danger did he feel relieved.

At this moment, he also saw clearly the way the tiger had come from yesterday: the tiger king had run from the west, straight ahead, heading towards the water, presumably having smelled the scent.

He was startled by the noise of Li Long opening the door as soon as he arrived, so he decided to strike first, but he almost became one-eared.

With the danger over, Li Long slung his gun over his shoulder, first went to relieve himself in the floodwaters, then took a bucket to fetch more water to make breakfast.

Li Long had an unusually large appetite today. He wondered if it was because the fright he experienced yesterday had depleted his energy reserves. He ate two whole naan breads, a bowl of stir-fried pickled vegetables, and a bowl of rice porridge before he felt full.

After tidying up the pots and pans, Li Long carefully started the jeep as he left, still holding his gun.

Before opening the car door, Li Long even checked the inside to make sure there was no danger before getting in.

The Type 56 semi-automatic rifle was placed in the passenger seat, within easy reach with one hand.

The gun was chambered and the safety was engaged. Li Long was confident that if anything happened, he could reach for the gun immediately, hook the safety off, and fire.

As for whether or not to go to the forest where the tiger disappeared—Li Long had no such idea at all; he wasn't ready to live any longer!

Ambushing a tiger is one thing, but actively seeking it out? This mountain is their home; he's at most an outsider who's barged in. Even though the cabin has been built for several years, Li Long doesn't feel like the mountain considers him one of their own.

My life is more important!

Sitting in the jeep, Li Long felt quite safe. Although a Siberian tiger could shatter a car window with a single swipe, Li Long believed that even if the tiger king came and tore the jeep's tarpaulin off, he would still have time to retaliate with his gun.

Having mentally prepared himself for this, Li Long drove with peace of mind to Yushanjiang's winter retreat.

Sure enough, Halim, Talihar, Yushanjiang, and Bek were all waiting for him.

Li Long got out of the car, and Yu Shanjiang asked with a smile:

Did you stay up late and not sleep well last night?

"I didn't sleep well, but not because I stayed up all night, I was scared." Li Long didn't hide his fear at all. "I ran into the Tiger King when it got dark and almost got eaten!"

As he spoke, he took out the tiger ear tip he had shot off and showed it to Yushanjiang.

"What? A tiger ran off to your place?" Talihar exclaimed in shock. "Where's the stuff?"

"I shot it once, and it ran away."

"You didn't catch up?" Talihar asked with a regretful expression.

“Chase him? I wouldn’t dare,” Li Long said. “If I go into the woods, I’ll probably become his food.”

"No way?" Talihar raised the gun in his hand, clearly disbelieving. "You have a gun..."

“I couldn’t react in time.” Li Long shook his head. “I’ve fought lynxes and wolves, and I’ve even fought bears. Tigers are too fast. When you see one, it pounces in an instant. By the time you raise your gun, it’s already right in front of you. If it weren’t for the wooden table outside that you guys used to block my shot, I’d probably be eaten and excreted by now.”

Although Li Long's words were somewhat disgusting, both Halimu and Yushanjiang nodded solemnly, agreeing with Li Long's statement.

Among the wild animals in the mountains, tigers are the most formidable. Snow leopards, lynxes, and the like are no match for them. The largest brown bears might be comparable, but smaller brown bears are simply their prey.

There are four types of brown bears in the Tianshan Mountains, varying in size.

Seeing the solemn expressions on Halim and Yushanjiang's faces, Talihar finally believed it, but he was still somewhat unwilling:
"That tiger skin... must be very valuable, right?"

“Tigers are valuable from head to toe,” Li Long said with a smile. “But whether you can hit one depends on luck. If you see it while you’re lying in ambush, then just shoot it. If it ambushes me like it did yesterday, then I’m just lucky to be alive.”

Li Long himself felt incredibly lucky, especially with the gun; otherwise, he would have either turned into dung or been missing a part. He was able to escape the tiger unscathed, probably because his luck had finally run out after it had been fully charged.

For now, it's best to play it safe.

“By the way,” Yushanjiang said, “from yesterday to today, there haven’t been any wolf howls near our winter huts. The wolves didn’t come over last night either. I don’t know if it was because of the tiger or if the wolves were scared off by the gunshots.”

“I think it might be because of the tigers,” Halim said. “Before Li Long came, we would shoot at the wolves when they came, but they would run away then, and then they would come back at night. Now they don’t come day or night, so it should be…”

Yushanjiang nodded as well.

Buick interjected, "There were wolves outside our sheepfold yesterday morning, but they ran away as soon as we came out, and they haven't appeared since."

Everyone chimed in with their opinions, and the final conclusion was that the wolf had been scared away by the tiger.

However, Li Long was still somewhat unwilling, feeling that ending it like this would be a bit anticlimactic.

After a moment of fear, he also thought about what Talihar had said earlier.

If we could defeat this tiger king, the tiger skin... I don't even want to think about it. Even if I couldn't get a Santana, I could at least get a Fiat, right? Of course, if I actually managed to defeat it, I definitely wouldn't trade it.

Whether he felt offended or not, the image of the tiger king's imposing gaze suddenly flashed into Li Long's mind, and he immediately stopped thinking about it—he'd better just stay put.

Feeling somewhat dissatisfied with the hunting trip, Li Long drove the jeep, taking Yu Shanjiang and the others uphill. Before leaving, Yu Shanjiang told his family to be careful; the sheep wouldn't be released today, they would be kept in the pen to graze, and the people would be in their winter huts, not to come out unless necessary.

The jeep drove along the cleared road, visiting each wintering den. To Li Long's surprise, the answers he received were almost identical—since yesterday, there had been no more wolf sounds or tracks near the dens, as if the wolves had vanished overnight.

After visiting the last family, we drank milk tea at a herder's home and discussed what to do next.

“Since there are no wolves, then let’s not fight.” Halimu’s thinking was the simplest. “Li Long, it’s almost Chinese New Year, right? If there are no wolves, then go home for the New Year. Stay home for a few days and spend time with Yang Gangzi and Balangzi.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Yu Shanjiang, who was also married, thought so too. “It’s so cold, let’s not stay in the mountains, let’s go back.”

The grandmother and the woman in charge of the household served everyone bowls of milk tea, while the male head of the household brought out naan, ghee, and butter for everyone to eat.

“I’ll stay for two more days,” Li Long said after thinking for a moment. “I won’t come to each house one by one. I’ll stay in the wooden house and come over every day to check on things. If there’s anything, I’ll deal with it. If there’s nothing, then I’ll go back.”

He hunted in the mountains not entirely to help Halimu Yushanjiang and the others, but more to relax his mind and body.

Even if he didn't go to the purchasing station in the county and just stayed in the courtyard, his mind was still filled with thoughts of the work at the purchasing station, the sales situation at the agricultural machinery factory, or the situation of his parents and old horse farm in the village.

Only when he's in the mountains can he forget everything and focus solely on hunting. Although it's tense and exciting, like last night's thrilling experience, it's relaxing for him.

It's completely stress-free and can even help relieve the physical and mental exhaustion of the past year.

Staying a couple more days is a way to reward myself after a year of hard work.

After finishing their milk tea, they politely declined the hosts' invitation to stay for dinner and got into the jeep.

Just as they were about to leave, the male homeowner took out an irregularly shaped stone from the spare room, weighing about ten kilograms, and gestured that he wanted to give it to Li Long.

Li Long saw that the stone was grayish-brown and didn't look like jade, but since the other party had given it to him, he couldn't refuse. It didn't look very valuable either, so he put it in his car and drove away.

Li Long drove everyone in the car to their winter homes one by one. This time, he went to Halim's house for lunch—Huldak, a traditional Kazakh dish.

Li Long was too lazy to cook for himself, so he just ate a free meal.

After finishing their meal, Li Long chatted with Harim for a while before driving back to the wooden house.

As he got out of the car and was about to enter the wooden house, he remembered the stone. He had initially considered carrying it into the house, but then thought better of it and simply dragged it back to the yard. Even if it was just an ordinary stone, it was someone else's thoughtful gift; he could simply place it against the wall of the courtyard, along with the jade stones.

For the next two days, Li Long would go to the winter den every day, and for the same two days in a row, the wolves disappeared.

On the third day, Li Long heard wolf howls in the middle of the night. They were far away, but they were real.

He smiled, but with a hint of disappointment. He used to observe the tiger king every night when he woke up or during the day while he was in the cabin, hoping to see if it would come back.

However, the wolves are now howling, which means that the tiger king must have left.

Although he didn't want to meet openly, Li Long still had a sliver of hope that if he happened to see the other party appear while he was inside the cabin and looking out, could he perhaps launch a sneak attack?

But now it seems that hope has been dashed.

After daybreak, he hurriedly ate breakfast and drove his jeep to Harim's winter lodge. The first thing Harim said to him was, "The wolves howled last night, but the sound was very far away."

The wolves didn't dare howl near their winter den; they must have been hunting elsewhere.

Li Long touched the dried-out tiger ear tip in his pocket, feeling lost and dejected. He realized that he might never have the chance to fight that tiger king again in his lifetime.

Fortunately, he had a good mental attitude and quickly adjusted himself.

At least I'm still alive. Maybe if we really fight, I'll be defeated and become a ghost.

It's better to be alive.

Now that the wolves had appeared and were no longer targeting the sheepfold, Li Long also began to consider leaving.

He drove his jeep to say goodbye to Yushanjiang, reminding them to be careful, and then returned to the cabin.

After tidying up the place, loading all the harvest onto the truck, extinguishing the fire in the wooden house, cleaning up the ashes, and then storing a batch of kindling, coal, firewood, and other supplies in the house, I locked the door and drove back.

When Li Long passed by Qingshuihe Village, he heard people setting off firecrackers. Although it was not yet the Little New Year, he could clearly feel that the New Year was approaching.

He didn't look for Meng Hai and He Yuqing; he only wanted to drive back home as soon as possible so he could spend the rest of the year comfortably.

The jeep drove into the courtyard. Mingming and Haohao were being held back by Han Fang from coming closer to the car—in fact, the two children already understood that they shouldn't rush towards the car when it came, but Han Fang still held the two children's hands to prevent any accidents.

Li Long stopped the car, turned off the engine, got out, hugged the two children, and then asked Han Fang about her situation these past few days.

After realizing there were no special circumstances, I played with the two children for a while, and then started unloading the items.

When they finally moved the stone that the herdsman had given them down, the sunlight shone on it, and the reflected light dazzled Li Long's eyes. Only then did he realize that this stone was unusual!
(End of this chapter)