In times of chaos and famine, I traded one pound of rice for two royal flushes.

On the forest path, Qin Shaolang led Chu Wu forward in silence. After the two climbed halfway up the mountain and made some observations, Chu Wu suddenly slapped his forehead, his face showing a look of annoyance.

"Brother Qin, it seems we've taken the wrong path. This place isn't what they told us. Perhaps we should turn back and take another look."

Qin Shaolang laughed and did not blame Chu Wu.

After all, neither of them were experienced hunters, and they had very little experience hunting in the mountains, so getting lost was a very common mistake. Besides, they discovered it relatively early, and there was still plenty of time to turn back.

"Let's go then, but if you lead me astray again, you'll be watching me drink tonight."

Chu Wu immediately patted his chest forcefully.

"Don't worry, Brother Qin, there aren't many paths on the mountain, so we shouldn't make any more mistakes."

After a short rest, the two also took the opportunity to check out the surrounding area. Suddenly, Chu Wu pointed to the side and said...

"Brother Qin, I just saw some pheasants running around on that mountain over there. Why don't we go over and set some traps?"

Qin Shaolang patted the ox-horn bow he was carrying on his back.

"How about I shoot a few down first?"

Chu Wu quickly shook his head.

"The pheasants are too small, and the trees here are too dense. It would be a shame to lose them."

……

The two of them worked on the hilltop for a while, leaving markers along the way, before turning back along the path they had come from.

As soon as he returned to the fork in the road, Qin Shaolang saw traces of someone walking by the roadside.

"Wait, something's not right."

Qin Shaolang immediately squatted down and, based on the marks left on the ground, deduced that the flattened grass had completely lost its resilience and showed no signs of recovery, which meant that someone had lingered here.

"Why are they lingering here?"

Judging from the size of the group, these people could only have come from hunting teams, rather than individual hunters.

But the hunters were all experienced hunters, and there was also the highly qualified Er Mazi leading the team, so there was no possibility that they would not know the way.

Recalling yesterday's events, a cold smile appeared on Qin Shaolang's face.

"It seems they've been following us all the way here. We've gone the wrong way and confused them."

Chu Wu followed Qin Shaolang, looking curiously at the pile of crushed weeds on the ground.

"You can see so much from just a bunch of grass?"

After Qin Shaolang explained his previous thoughts in detail, Chu Wu finally understood.

"So that's how it is."

If it were me, the information from this pile of grass would at most be that someone had been here, and it would only be because Brother Qin has a keen eye.

Qin Shaolang pointed to the path the hunter had taken and asked.

"Is that the way to find the tiger?"

Seeing Chu Wu nod, Qin Shaolang stroked his chin and pondered for a moment.

"Why don't we let them lead the charge? We know too little about the situation in the mountains, and if we rashly attack that tiger, things might go wrong. We are outnumbered, and we don't have enough capacity to react on the spot."

Chu Wu originally wanted to say something, but after looking at the pile of grass on the ground, he gave up the idea.

Aside from being stronger than Brother Qin, I am inferior to him in every other aspect.

Perhaps we should listen to Brother Qin's instructions first.

"I'll listen to my older brother, let's go with them."

……

At the same time that the two accompanied them, Er Mazi led the hunting team up to the other side of the mountain.

Hunter Li Hu hurriedly returned from the front.

"Captain, we haven't seen them. We don't know where they've gone. Did we follow the wrong road?"

Er Mazi refused to believe in bad luck and told everyone to rest on the spot. Then he and Li Hu went to the intersection ahead.

To reach the other side of the mountain, you need to take this narrow path that's only four people wide. Other paths just lead you back to the starting point at the foot of the mountain.

Only by taking this small path can one reach the territory of the white-browed tiger.

On the ground, there were traps left by Er Mazi yesterday, densely packed all the way.

These measures are all to prevent the white-browed tiger from crossing the border.

If Qin Shaolang and Chu Wu had walked through here, the traps on the ground would not have been completely unmarked.

"Li Hu, let's take a closer look. I don't believe it. They came up the mountain so aggressively, just to hunt a few wild birds on the next mountain?"

Li Hu clearly had doubts about Er Mazi's deduction.

The purpose of going up the mountain was naturally to hunt. It was already good enough to get any prey. Who could be picky about the prey they got?

If he hadn't been part of a hunting party and tempted by two hundred taels of silver, Li Hu would have chosen to hunt a few pheasants to take back. Although the profit would be lower, at least he would be safe and wouldn't have to worry about dealing with a white-browed tiger.

Tigers are different from pheasants; a moment of carelessness could cost you your life.

After a careful examination, Li Hu spoke first.

"The captain really left no trace; the sand here hasn't been disturbed at all."

Er Mazi was also completely taken aback.

These two are capable of hunting two wild boars, so how could they not be tempted by the white-browed tiger?

The reward for this white-browed tiger is not low. As long as it is delivered to the county government, the two of them can split the loot, and each of them can get at least 150 taels of silver!

Let alone supplementing household income, even drinking and eating meat every day would be enough to get through this cold winter.

When it gets cold, there's no need to brave the wind and snow to venture into the mountains. You can stay home and enjoy yourself. Isn't that a carefree life?

"It's fine if they didn't come. Let's go over there and take down that white-browed tiger first, lest they steal it again."

Er Mazi immediately ordered his hunters to clear a path through the trap before entering the other side of the mountain.

"Everyone, stay alert, grab your weapons, walk in pairs, and keep a close eye on the nearby woods. If you hear anything unusual, shout immediately!"

As a veteran hunting team leader, Er Mazi took charge as soon as he entered the mountains, and the hunters were quite obedient to him.

After all, they are mostly villagers, unlike Er Mazi who specializes in monitoring the mountains and forests. Listening to his arrangements is probably the right thing to do.

As the dozen or so people walked across the narrow path, Qin Shaolang and Chu Wu also peeked out from the bushes where they were hiding.

The two were covered with bush leaves, which concealed their figures, making them virtually undetectable at first glance.

Chu Wu looked dissatisfied and said in a low voice.

"Brother Qin, these people are really vicious. They actually want us to be the vanguard so they can reap the benefits from behind."

Qin Shaolang simply smiled slightly.

"Our current choice is the same as theirs; we are all considering our own interests, so there's no need to be too harsh on us."

At the moment, Qin Shaolang had no idea what Er Mazi was planning. He only learned from the hunters' gossip that Er Mazi wanted to play the game of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

If he knew Er Mazi's true plan, he certainly wouldn't say a single good word for him.

"It's almost time, let's go and take a look."