PCJ – Chapter 398 The Tiger

Zhang Jiaohua saw a black bear for the first time in Meishan. The elders said that there used to be black bears frequently visiting Meizi Ridge, but later, as the area was cleared for farming, the surrounding forests were gradually cut down during the Great Steel Melting Campaign, and the wasteland was turned into rice fields. The wild animals began to move deeper into the forests, no longer appearing in the sight of the people of Meizi Ridge. The children no longer had the opportunity to practice the methods passed down by the elders for dealing with black bears.

The elders believed that black bears had long been extinct, so Zhang Jiaohua was surprised to see such a large black bear here.

The black bear climbed onto a large tree branch and seemed a bit tired, lying directly on the branch, panting heavily. It occasionally poked its head out to look down at the ground, which set off another round of barking from the twenty-four mountain dogs.

Zhang Jiaohua whistled, and the twenty-four mountain dogs finally quieted down and continued forward. They reached a place surrounded by mist. From a distance, it looked as if smoke was rising. The mist continuously drifted from the mountain ridge, making it appear like a fairyland.

The effect of the Iron Cow Water had long since worn off, so Zhang Jiaohua had to rely on his machete to move forward. Unless it was a critical moment, he didn’t want to waste his magical power casting spells. In this deep mountain forest, danger could strike at any moment. After finally climbing to the mountain top, he felt a warm breeze coming toward him. The mist was surprisingly warm! This surprised Zhang Jiaohua, and as he walked down the slope, it seemed to get hotter the further he went down, as if he were soaking in boiling water. As he descended, the heat became more intense, but after passing through the mist, he discovered a spacious area below. The light was dim, but it was enough to see everything at the bottom of the valley, where there was actually a hot spring that occasionally emitted steam.

The mountain leopards were unwilling to go any further; evidently, the environment here made them very uncomfortable.

Zhang Jiaohua carefully walked down. The area around the hot spring was surrounded by stones, and it resembled a naturally formed stone pool. The water in the center was bubbling, like boiling water.

When Zhang Jiaohua reached the edge of the hot spring and touched the stones, he quickly withdrew his hand. So hot! The stones here were hot; the water in the pool must be even hotter.

He looked at the water in the spring but dared not test it casually. Even though he had drunk Frost Water, he wouldn’t dare jump into boiling water.

Zhang Jiaohua suddenly realized that he hadn’t encountered any wild animals on his way down the mountain. Usually, wherever the twenty-four mountain dogs went, they would cause chaos. But here, he hadn’t even seen a single bird.

Outside, the maple trees had started to slowly turn red, but the maples here were still a vibrant green. He even saw a peach tree blooming with flowers, while another wild peach tree had fruit. The fat monkey had already climbed up the tree, plucked a peach, and was stuffing it into its mouth, enjoying it immensely, indicating that it tasted pretty good. The fat monkey tossed one over to Zhang Jiaohua, who quickly caught it with his hand. The peach had no fuzz, and after rubbing it briefly, it was smooth. Zhang Jiaohua took a bite, and the sweet flavor immediately spread in his mouth.

After walking for most of the day, Zhang Jiaohua was a bit tired and decided to prepare something to eat. The mountain leopard soon returned with a wild chicken, bled it, tied it with a rope, and tossed it into the hot spring. When pulled out, the feathers had all come off. The water temperature was indeed high. After a little processing, it was completely clean, and after cleaning out the insides, he soaked it in the water for a while. When he pulled it out, it was already fully cooked. He sprinkled some seasoning on the chicken, making do with what he had. The flavor had diminished quite a bit, but under such circumstances, having a hot meal was already very good.

After resting for a while, Zhang Jiaohua once again followed the mountain dogs deeper into Meishan.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the sky gradually darkened. This time, Zhang Jiaohua didn’t plan to return quickly. Meishan was too large; if he entered the mountain and came back on the same day, he wouldn’t be able to go far before having to return.

Although camping in Meishan at night was very dangerous, not doing so would not help the mountain dogs to develop properly. Zhang Jiaohua placed great importance on these twenty-four mountain dogs; he wanted to see how powerful true mountain dogs could be.

Most wild animals were nocturnal; the forest at night was even livelier than during the day. Many animals that were difficult to see during the day would come out at night, especially around dusk, which was their most active time. Unfortunately, today, a group of intruders entered the forest, and their imposing presence made the native creatures feel uneasy.

“Roar!” A loud roar echoed from a distance, different from the one made by the black bear they had encountered earlier. Zhang Jiaohua felt somewhat familiar with this roar.

“Tiger?” Zhang Jiaohua suddenly remembered the sound of a tiger’s roar he had heard at the zoo.

“Roar!”

Another loud roar came, and Zhang Jiaohua listened closely, further confirming his guess: “There really is a tiger in Meishan!”

“Be careful, don’t provoke it!” Zhang Jiaohua quickly warned.

Whether it was a blessing or a curse, one cannot escape fate. Even though Zhang Jiaohua tried to guide the mountain dogs to avoid the mountains from which the tiger’s roar was coming, they still couldn’t prevent a confrontation with the tiger. Perhaps the fierce demeanor of the mountain dogs angered the tiger, prompting it to chase directly toward Zhang Jiaohua and his group.

“Roar!”

The tiger could move faster than the mountain dogs. Zhang Jiaohua would naturally be much slower. Soon, it appeared in front of their path.

“Woof woof woof…” The mountain dogs didn’t care about the king of beasts; the tiger’s imposing presence did not scare them. On the contrary, they became enraged and barked wildly at the tiger.

“Roar!” The tiger felt its authority challenged and immediately became furious.

“Roar!” Another tiger’s roar rang out behind Zhang Jiaohua.

When he turned around, he saw another tiger had appeared behind him! The tiger had actually flanked them.

“Roar!”

One tiger emerged from the nearby woods.

“Roar!”

“Roar!”

A total of five tigers surrounded Zhang Jiaohua and the twenty-four mountain dogs.

Zhang Jiaohua looked around, and his heart sank. This was a big problem! Didn’t tigers prefer to be solitary? Why were they coming in groups? This puzzled Zhang Jiaohua.

He quickly whistled, and the mountain dogs immediately sprang into action. They had just been a moment of panic; after all, they were new and instinctively felt fear in the presence of the tiger, the king of beasts. However, under Zhang Jiaohua’s urging, they quickly recovered.

Facing a strong opponent, they needed to be even more united to survive. It seemed that the twenty-four mountain dogs were demonstrating power equivalent to hundreds or thousands of mountain dogs combined.

The five tigers, slowly approaching, were startled by the sudden burst of energy from the mountain dogs.

“Roar roar…”

Several tigers continued to roar, trying to suppress the mountain dogs’ momentum. But this time, they did not succeed. The mountain dogs’ spirit not only did not weaken but instead became more frenzied. As the tigers came closer, each of the twenty-four mountain dogs sprinted forward, making it feel as though each tiger was facing all twenty-four mountain dogs. The mountain dogs’ presence put immense pressure on the tigers.

“Roar roar…”

Both sides faced off. For the moment, neither could gain the upper hand.

Zhang Jiaohua suddenly spoke up, “White dog transform into a white dragon, black dog into a black dragon, yellow dog into a yellow dragon, spotted dog into a spotted dragon, go to the ten-thousand mountains, pass through left and right, search the front mountains and back mountains, pierce through clouds and break camps. I beseech my ancestors and the second master to protect my body and transform my body; if my body does not transform, I shall be an extraordinary being, transformed into the three caves of Meishan as my true form. I submit to the Taishang Laojun; urgently, as commanded!”

As Zhang Jiaohua recited the incantation, he merged into the formation of the twenty-four mountain dogs. The momentum of the formation suddenly surged tenfold, breaking the balance between the two sides. The mountain dogs’ power suddenly overwhelmed several of the tigers.

The five tigers, kings of the mountain, had never encountered such a challenge before. They were confused; how could there be beings that could make them retreat? However, the five tigers were not ordinary beasts; they were the kings of beasts, and their pride wouldn’t allow them to flee without a fight. So, the five tigers braced themselves and stood their ground.

“Roar!”

One of the tigers let out an angry roar. The five tigers immediately gathered together. Their combined strength increased, causing the mountain dogs to falter slightly. Seizing this opportunity, the five tigers rushed forward simultaneously.

Zhang Jiaohua didn’t panic; he had never underestimated the mountain dogs’ abilities. He stepped back, letting the mountain dogs fight the tigers. The mountain dogs’ formation shifted slightly, each one charging at the nearest tiger.

The two sides clashed! The sound of growls and barks echoed through the forest.