1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

Zhao Guanqun, with his sharp eyes, noticed that Old Zhang was holding the circulating coupons, his brows furrowed, and his eyes darting back and forth. It was clear that he was unsure and didn't believe that these paper tickets could really be used as money.

He immediately spoke up and explained to the old man.

"Grandpa, don't worry. This money is now circulating throughout the entire Chicken Head region. It's the Northeast Circulation Certificate issued by our team, and it's completely different from the nine-province currency that was previously used to rob the people."

"Those old banknotes get worth less and less as you spend them, and they become worthless as soon as they're used, which is a real rip-off for ordinary people. Ours is different; it's very reliable. All the shops in town accept it, and you can buy rice, flour, oil, salt, needles, thread, and everything else with it. Even our soldiers' monthly pay is all in this."

When Old Zhang heard this, although it still didn't work, he had to save face, so he grinned and quickly folded a few large bills in half and stuffed them into the inner pocket of his cotton-padded coat.

"Okay, okay, I believe you. Since you sent it, it must be true. I'll keep it safe for now and decide whether to spend it later."

"You all rest for two minutes at the village entrance. I'll immediately get the women in each household to make flatbreads, making sure everyone has some hot, dry food to take into the mountains."

Old Zhang turned around and jogged back into the village to call out.

The villagers of Jiapigou knew they had come for matters concerning the valley, so without further ado, every household immediately lit fires, lit pots, and made flatbreads.

It wasn't too difficult for each family to contribute five large flatbreads, and they piled up into two large baskets.

There were about a hundred of them, and everyone could get two. They could carry them in their pockets and walk in the mountains for a whole day without worry.

With the dry rations distributed, the team was ready to set off.

At this moment, Ma Wanzhong stepped forward two steps, reached into the willow basket on his back, and pulled out a few crumpled strips of rags.

This is where he harmed people this morning. He deliberately picked up the rag from the snow and put it under the noses of the two dogs so they could smell it.

"Smell it as hard as you can, smell it to death, that's the smell. When you go into the mountains, look for this smell, understand?"

The two large hunting dogs were Ma Wanzhong's two most capable hunting dogs; they were sturdy and had their ears standing straight up.

The dog twitched its nose, sniffed the strip of cloth back and forth, his throat choked with growls, and its eyes glowed green.

After sniffing the air, the two dogs raised their heads, leaped up, and dashed off toward the deep forest to the north. They ran a few steps and then looked back, waiting for someone to catch up.

Upon seeing this, Chen Gaoshan immediately turned around and greeted him.

"Company Commander Zhao, don't worry. Uncle Wan Zhong's two dogs are the most reliable dogs in Jiapigou. They follow us into the mountains all year round, chasing rabbits and wild boars. They have a very keen sense of smell."

"By following the dog's tail, even if we can't catch the tiger by chance, we can definitely figure out the general area where it is active and avoid going astray."

He then gave a serious piece of advice.

"You'll walk ahead alone later. Don't carry a spear. Keep your posture relaxed. Don't be too tense and give that man-eating tiger a chance to pounce."

Chen Gaoshan had learned his lesson after doing something so dangerous once, and he vowed never to do it again, even if it meant death. But he wouldn't stop others from doing it, since it concerned the safety of the villagers in the surrounding area.

Zhao Guanqun nodded, his eyes resolute, and immediately turned to give orders to all the soldiers behind him.

"Everyone, follow instructions. Form groups of ten, then divide into twelve teams. Spread out and advance into the woods in an expanded formation."

Everyone keep quiet, no one is allowed to act on their own, and everyone must be on high alert.

This man-eating tiger is fast; once it pounces, it'll be deadly. No one is allowed to panic or fire indiscriminately. Everyone must wait for my whistle to act in unison. Anyone who acts without authorization and disrupts the plan will be court-martialed.

More than a hundred soldiers shouted in unison.

"yes!"

He took a deep breath of the biting cold air, took off the Type 38 rifle from his shoulder, and handed it directly to Xie Chengliang next to him for safekeeping.

His right hand instinctively reached for the Mauser pistol tucked into his waistband. After confirming the gun was secure, he followed the hound's trail and plunged into the old forest.

As Chen Gaoshan walked forward, he kept thinking about the tiger's habits.

He's been hunting for so long, he knows everything he needs to know.

Ordinary tigers are carefree and do not have fixed dens. They have large territories and rest wherever they get tired, such as in snowdrifts or under the shade of trees.

But winter is different, especially for those with young children, the elderly, or those who are sick.

Heavy snow blocked the mountain pass, making it impossible to stay outdoors.

Furthermore, this was a man-eating tiger with a limp, so it would never spend the night in the open; it would definitely choose a secluded natural cave to hide in.

It's the kind of cave in a rocky forest that's steep, dangerous, and remote, making it difficult for people to find. It provides shelter from the wind and warmth.

It is close to flowing water and prey, allowing for both hunting and defense. The terrain is treacherous, making it impossible for ordinary people to find.

This beast hides in these caves during the day to conserve its energy, and sneaks out at night to harm people.

To get rid of it, we can only follow the dog's scent trail, slowly making our way to the Stone Forest, and head straight for its lair.

Thank goodness, it hasn't snowed since late last night.

The tiger's bloodstains and claw marks weren't covered up; the traces were crooked and meandering.

Two hunting dogs with their heads held high walked forward, sniffing intently, heading straight towards Shilazi Mountain.

The beast's den is most likely located in the narrow space between Black Tiger Mountain and Stone Cliff Mountain.

He cursed, feeling incredibly frustrated.

This wretched place is none other than the secret fortress from the old days of the little dog.

The mountain is extremely steep, with bare, large rocks and cliffs, deep ravines and dense forests, making it impossible for outsiders to find.

But then he suddenly looked strange, his brows furrowing deeply.

Eighth Master Hui came over earlier to clear out the place.

Everything inside the fortress was moved out, and all the entrances, exits, and ventilation openings that could be found were sealed off with stones and loess.

Logically speaking, it's impossible for wild animals to build their dens in this place.

Xie Chengliang, standing nearby, looked completely bewildered, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Shanzi, something's weird. We came here with the group, but isn't this the damn fortress base?"

And look at the ground, the footprints abruptly end here. Could it be that this man-eating beast has grown wings? And can it just vanish into thin air?

Chen Gaoshan pursed his lips and remained silent, but he was also feeling uneasy. He raised his hand to signal for quiet.

"Don't yell, calm down and see if the dog can keep sniffing."

They thought the trail had ended, but to their surprise, the two hunting dogs stopped, turned around, changed direction, and dashed off into the pile of rocks to the side.

Ma Wanzhong immediately raised his hand to greet everyone.

"Hurry up and keep up, don't fall behind and don't make a sound."

In a short while, Chen Gaoshan, Zhang Baoguo, Xie Chengliang, and several of Ba Yehui's comrades all carefully followed.

I ran for more than twenty minutes, stumbling along the muddy water, before finally stopping.

The two hunting dogs stopped, staring ahead at a narrow, nearly two-meter-high cave, and barked softly twice.

The entrance to the cave was dark and creepy.

Ma Wanzhong quickly blew a soft whistle to call the two hunting dogs back.

The dog was very obedient and immediately ran back to its owner's side, wagging its tail.

Everyone present stood still, not daring to breathe.

No one dared to venture forward recklessly. Nobody knew whether there were man-eating tigers in this dark cave, or if one was resting inside.

Chen Gaoshan stared at the cave entrance. The entire Black Tiger Mountain and Shilazi Mountain were the territory of this vicious tiger, so it was impossible for it to have only one den.

Last time we went into the mountains to search, it happened to snow, covering all the tracks and making it impossible to see anything.

The tiger's den was right under their noses, yet this beast managed to hide there.

Today is different. The traces are still there, and there are two of the most intelligent hunting dogs in the mountains leading the way.

Even if you don't trust your own eyes, you have to trust the dog's nose; this den is definitely the right one.

Everyone here had something on their mind, and Zhao Guanqun, who was at the front, mustered his courage and slowly moved forward.

He came from the battlefield, from fighting dogs to suppressing bandits; he had seen all sorts of bloody scenes, and his courage had long been honed to be beyond measure.

But when he peered into the dark cave and saw what was on the ground, the hairs on his body stood on end.

There were many bones at the entrance of the cave, as well as a pile of tattered, blood-stained clothes and cotton-padded jackets, the blood turned black and hard.

These are not animal bones; they are human bones.

The thought of these villagers being harmed by man-eating tigers is unbearable.

These were living, breathing ordinary people being devoured alive. Zhao Guanqun felt as if he were being pricked by needles, a feeling of being choked and sour rising up inside him. It was completely different from the feeling of fighting and killing those damned bastards.

He staggered back two steps uncontrollably, his face instantly darkening, and he quickly raised his hand to call out.

Upon seeing this, Chen Gaoshan and Xie Chengliang immediately rushed forward and looked down in the direction he was pointing.

With just one glance, the two of them gasped in shock.

Chen Gaoshan stared at the piece of cloth, his pupils contracting, his heart skipping a beat. This gray floral cloth looked so familiar...