Reborn in 80: Starting with hunting in the mountains to get rich

When Li Ju'an reached the ridge, he saw a small black bear that had been skinned, bled, and gutted. The bear, which looked to have weighed around 80 pounds before it died, now weighed less than 60 pounds including bones and flesh.

Two of the three dogs were lying nearby, and the third was unconscious, its fate unknown.

"You two grown men can't beat a bear that weighs less than 80 pounds?"

Sun Weimin and Lu Zhiqiang were already indignant and frustrated. They had wanted to prove that if Li Ju'an could hunt bears, they could also raid the Black Bear Warehouse, but they hadn't expected that they would struggle even to kill a small bear, not to mention losing four good dogs. Sun Weimin checked Hua'er Dan's ears; the impact of the close-range musket shot must have made them deaf. They probably wouldn't be able to take Hua'er Dan up the mountain anymore.

Song Desheng perked up. With Li Ju'an by his side, he became much bolder and shouted, "You two killed a bear and even killed the dog. You're just a burden. Nobody will dare to team up with you two again. Don't think that just because anyone can kill a bear, it's not easy. As a result, you two got a lesson."

Sun Weimin was already annoyed, and now Song Desheng's sarcastic remarks only added fuel to the fire, making his anger surge even higher. He was furious, but still stubborn, shouting, "What do you know! I'm thinking of catching it alive. I'll take this little bear home, raise it, and then kill it to sell for money."

Lu Zhiqiang glanced at him and also felt that the reason was absurd.

Li Ju'an clicked his tongue twice and said sarcastically, "That's really clever! What a great idea! Why didn't we think of that? We can catch a few more bear cubs, raise them, and sell their bile when they grow up. You're like an old lady playing jump rope."

Song Desheng asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

Li Ju'an said, "That's pure bullshit!"

Song Desheng burst into laughter.

Sun Weimin was extremely frustrated. Now that the dogs were gone, he couldn't even pull the sled. Plus, his two dogs were paralyzed, but he still had to bring them back; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain it to Sun Quande. He was also afraid that if his father saw the dogs' miserable state after bringing them back, he would be beaten even more severely.

When he was in a dilemma, Li Ju'an brought over a mule and shouted, "You don't have any animals to pull the sled? I'll provide the animals, and we'll split the profits when we meet. If you don't split them, I'll sue your father."

Sun Weimin's face turned pale: "You're really ruthless. I'm pulling the sled myself and I won't even give you a share."

Lu Zhiqiang and his companion used a knife to cut wood and make a sled.

Li Ju'an looked at Lu Zhiqiang, who had been dragged into the mess, and clicked his tongue twice: "Old Master Lu did a good job teaching him. Lu Zhiqiang's marksmanship is accurate, his hands are very steady, and his legs don't tremble when he fires. He can just aim and shoot the head off to finish off the enemy. He's a natural-born hunter!"

Lu Zhiqiang cursed, "You just want a share, right? Take the meat, shut your mouth, and go down the mountain."

Li Ju'an wasn't really there for a share of the profits. Looking at Lu Zhiqiang's disheveled appearance, he said, "Old Master Lu has been looking for you all over the village. He's even fighting with the Sun family. And here you are, hunting bear cubs with Sun Weimin. How much can such small bears fetch? What were you two thinking? Even if you're living off the land, the mountain will be empty in a few years if you keep fighting like this."

Sun Weimin and Lu Zhiqiang both lowered their heads and drooped their eyes, remaining silent.

They had originally wanted to go into the mountains to hunt bears and prove they were no less capable than Li Ju'an, but their dreams were shattered, their hunting dog died, and they were seriously injured. They knew in their hearts they were in trouble. How were they going to explain this when they got home?

Li Ju'an learned from Song Desheng that Sun Weimin had just encountered Tiger King.

When asked, Sun Weimin hesitated and said that he hadn't really seen it and didn't know if it was the Tiger King.

Song Desheng was furious and shouted, "You were just trying to fool me, weren't you? You were just showing off in front of me? But you didn't dare to say a word when Brother Li came over?"

Sun Weimin also felt wronged: "Erqing is still lying in that pit, not knowing whether he's dead or alive. I don't need to use this kind of thing to lie to people."

There were four men, many of them. Li Ju'an led a mule, which carried a cloth bag containing the small black bear, bones and flesh, along with three dogs that didn't look too strong. Sun Weimin also mustered his courage and dared to follow behind Li Ju'an to check out Tiancangkeng, which was three miles away.

They had come in a panic, running incredibly fast as if their lives depended on it. If they hadn't followed the footprints in the snow, they wouldn't have been able to find their way back through the woods.

Even now, looking at the large footprints left by his frantic run, Sun Weimin still felt a chill run down his spine. The low, guttural roar of that beast lingered in his mind. Only those who have heard a beast's roar up close can imagine the shock and terror of a predator's roar exploding right next to their ear.

Song Desheng asked curiously, "What's wrong, Brother Sun? Why are you walking so slowly? Do you have rheumatism in your old arms and legs?"

Sun Weimin stubbornly retorted, "We are proper hunters, wandering around in the mountains all day long. How can we not have rheumatism? This kind of rheumatism and arthritis is called the glorious medal of a hunter."

The two argued back and forth, and Song Desheng, not to be outdone, scoffed: "Tch, you think you're a proper hunter and I'm just a novice? It's cold up in the mountains. If you keep going like this, your rheumatoid arthritis will become a chronic problem, and you'll suffer from nothing but pain when you're old."

The group immediately thought of Old Master Lu, who suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis. On rainy days, his kneecaps would throb with excruciating pain. This ailment wasn't fatal, but it was a lifelong, incurable disease, truly a torment.

The group bickered for a while, then chased each other all the way to the bottom of Tiancang Pit.

Li Ju'an led Da Hu to carefully examine the bottom of Tiancang Pit, and they indeed found four large palm prints embedded in the snow.

Judging from the shape of the paw print, it is highly likely to be the Tiger King. Moreover, the large paw print circled the pit several times, as if it was trying to guard the entrance of the warehouse, but eventually lost patience and began to dig a hole with its claws to crawl into the warehouse.

The four men stood ready, guns at the ready, their faces impassive, fearing that Tiger King might suddenly leap out from the warehouse entrance. A fresh palm print remained at the snowy warehouse entrance, with a few ice shards between the prints.

These handprints are not difficult for hunters skilled in tracking to identify. Only when wild animals wait patiently in the snow for a long time will their warm paw pads melt the snow, and the melted snow will then freeze into ice crystals.

Li Ju'an observed the direction of the Tiger King's paw print, which was facing outwards. Then, the tiger leaped and quickly disappeared into the forest, making it difficult to track it down.

He said to Sun Weimin, "That tiger king really stared at you for a long time, wondering whether to chase after you, but in the end he still chased you into the forest."

Sun Weimin and Lu Zhiqiang appeared strong and composed, but inside they were filled with fear and panic. They suddenly felt safer with so many people around, and their bodies involuntarily huddled closer to Li Ju'an. It seemed that only with Li Ju'an and Song Desheng present could they find a moment of peace.

"Is it really the Tiger King?"

"There's no such thing as a big civet."

"It really is Tiger King! Luckily, Erqing was there and managed to stall for time. We also fired shots from the post to scare Tiger King away, otherwise we might have been done for today."

Siberian tigers and South China tigers haven't been seen in the Xingan Mountains for several years. The tiger king's explosive power, speed, and agility are incredibly impressive. The footprints in the snow rushed wildly into the forest, and the tiger wanted to continue chasing, but Li Ju'an shouted it back.

"Big Tiger, come back!"

Song Desheng asked curiously, "Brother Li, why aren't you chasing after them?"

Li Ju'an glared at him, both angry and amused: "Look at the three of you, can this be called hunting? You might as well call me taking on the Tiger King one-on-one."

He wasn't going into the mountains for hunting this time; he was going to visit Qin Pao at the Niubeitun clinic, bringing only Da Hu and one dog. Sun Weimin, along with only two muskets, had all four dogs wiped out. He and Lu Zhiqiang were terrified; their hands trembled as they held their guns. Song Desheng was a novice, and for this team to try and take down the lurking Tiger King was a pipe dream.

There were no wild animals left at the bottom of the Tiancang pit. The four of them worked together to widen the opening of the pit and drag Erqing's body out.

Erqing died without suffering any harm, his neck and throat severed by the enormous bite force. Sun Weimin held his beloved dog's body, his eyes red and his fists clenched tightly.

Li Ju'an sighed, asking Song Desheng about the situation of his team while taking advantage of Sun Weimin and Lu Zhiqiang's rest to...

A trap is a hunting method. He was worried that the tiger king might return, so he set a trap.