Chen Xiaobei was also a little surprised to see this scene.
It didn't seem to be raining, so why was there a rainbow there? He hadn't noticed it before.
Then he slowly shook his head again. He had only come a few times, and had been in a hurry, so he hadn't noticed, or perhaps he hadn't looked in that direction at exactly that time and moment.
But why would there be a rainbow? A rainbow indicated a lot of humidity, and Chen Xiaobei secretly noted the direction. He would have to explore it when he had the chance. Humans and nature should coexist harmoniously, and humans should also explore the mysteries of nature.
The rainbow appeared quickly and disappeared just as quickly, vanishing soon after.
The group also had a brief rest. Seeing the rainbow disappear, Chen Dayong urged them to move on.
By the time they reached the edge of the canyon, it was already pitch dark.
It was fortunate that it was completely dark. The group could only see the dark canyon and not the specifics of what was there. Otherwise, many people would probably not have been able to accept it and would have been scared to death.
The group unloaded the chains, drank some water, and rested briefly, then immediately started to head back. As they hurried back, their spirits soared, and they chatted and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.
After all, with this, they would earn fifty copper coins, and for those carrying double, it would be twenty-five, which was equivalent to five days of hard labor.
As they were walking back, a low roar suddenly came from the side.
This sound was not a wolf's howl; it was deeper and carried farther. Fortunately, it seemed to be quite a distance away from them.
This sound still made Chen Xiaobei and Li Dong vigilant.
When they entered the mountain, although they each brought a repeating crossbow, they only had ten bolts. But there were a hundred people entering the mountain with them.
Moreover, most people did not bring torches. Only a few did, a total of about five or six. They couldn't light them all at once, or they wouldn't last until they got down the mountain.
Besides picking up the pace, there was no other way. Li Dong was very responsible. He asked Chen Xiaobei to hold the torch and lead the way at the front, while he stayed at the rear.
The low roar grew closer, and the villagers began to panic.
Chen Xiaobei calculated the distance. They still had about four or five li to reach the steep slope that went straight up and down. Once they reached it, he believed it would be safer.
After turning the last fork in the road, they just needed to go straight ahead to reach the steep slope. Chen Xiaobei handed the torch to Chen Dayong.
"Take everyone and run forward as fast as you can. Li Dong and I will stay behind to cover your retreat."
Chen Dayong took the torch and ran forward with all his might. With him leading the way, the group's progress naturally accelerated.
Seeing Li Dong approach, Chen Xiaobei lowered his voice and asked, "Li Dong, can you tell what that sound is?"
Li Dong's face was grim. "It sounds like a tiger, but it's very strange. We've come here so many times and never encountered a tiger."
As soon as he heard "tiger," Chen Xiaobei shivered.
Tigers were much harder to deal with than wolves.
Most importantly, tigers had thick hides and tough flesh. Even if you aimed for a vital spot, you might not be able to penetrate it.
So, they had to hurry forward.
Fortunately, they had brought a lot of rope. By the time he and Li Dong reached the steep slope, those who had gone up earlier had lowered several ropes. With four or five ropes, everyone climbed up together, which greatly increased efficiency.
Just as Li Dong and Chen Xiaobei were halfway up, the people on the steep slope already exclaimed. Two dark figures appeared in the distance. Although tiger's eyes did not glow green in the dark like wolves', they could still be seen as faint glints.
Li Dong and Chen Xiaobei quickened their pace, finally climbing the steep slope just before the two tigers could charge.
Looking at the two tigers, Li Dong and Chen Xiaobei hesitated.
They exchanged glances and gave each other a wry smile, each understanding the other's thoughts.
That is, whether to fight these two tigers or not.
If they didn't fight, who would dare to carry the chains up tomorrow? If they fought, they only had ten arrows each, and if they couldn't kill them, it would be a big problem.
Chen Dayong, standing nearby, said with lingering fear, "Alas, it's a good thing we ran fast. If we had been a little slower, we would have been dragged into their den and eaten, perhaps not even leaving any bones. If you were looking for me, there would only be a few drops of blood left."
Chen Dayong's self-deprecating words, however, made Chen Xiaobei's eyes light up.
Yes, if I can't kill you, but I can injure you, I can still follow the bloodstains and find you.
With this in mind, Chen Xiaobei said to Li Dong, "Li Dong, don't aim for the vital spots. Aim for their hindquarters and bellies. Then we can follow the bloodstains and wipe them all out."
Li Dong, without a word, raised his repeating crossbow and fired all ten shots at once.
Seeing Li Dong pull the trigger, Chen Xiaobei also fired wildly.
This steep slope was three or four zhang high, so the power was naturally reduced at this distance.
However, it was still possible to penetrate a tiger's hide. Although some shots missed, at least seven or eight arrows hit the tigers.
The tigers cried out in pain after being hit by arrows, spun around a few times, and then fled into the darkness.
Seeing the tigers flee, the crowd couldn't help but cheer. However, Chen Xiaobei and Li Dong showed no excitement and urged everyone to hurry down the mountain.
As they descended, Chen Xiaobei and Li Dong anxiously discussed.
It was already past midnight when everyone returned to the village after carrying the chains for a long time. It was unrealistic to ask them to immediately go back into the mountain to fight the tigers.
However, if they delayed too long, the tigers' bloodstains would dry up, making them harder to track.
This was a dilemma.
After much thought, Chen Xiaobei decided to seek help from Yang Zhi. He would be fine. He wasn't carrying any weight today, so he could rest for an hour or two at home and then go back up the mountain.
Hearing his decision, Li Dong repeatedly shook his head. "Brother Xiaobei, we are not that familiar with Yang Zhi and his group. What if he runs off himself when we encounter a tiger?"
Chen Xiaobei understood Li Dong's meaning. He was worried about his own safety.
"What do you think we should do?"
Li Dong grinned. "It would be good for us to go together so we can look out for each other."
Alright, on this matter, Chen Xiaobei never stood on ceremony with Li Dong.
Everything went as he expected. By the time they returned to Hetou Village, it was already slightly dawn. Cui Hongyu, who had heard the commotion, was already waiting at the gate.
Seeing Chen Xiaobei arrive, she stepped forward, took his arm, and pulled him towards the zoo.
Chen Xiaobei was very puzzled. "Why are you pulling me this way?"
Cui Hongyu lowered her voice. "Second Aunt and Cuihua are back, so we have to live this way."
Hearing Cui Hongyu's explanation, Chen Xiaobei sighed. He had long expected that Chen Dachun would end up like this, but he hadn't expected this moment to come so quickly.
"Okay, I understand. I need to rest for a while, and then I have to go back into the mountain."
Cui Hongyu looked at him with concern. "Husband, can't you go into the mountain tomorrow? Why do you have to work so hard?"
Chen Xiaobei shook his head. "There's a tiger in the mountain that's already injured. If we don't chase it quickly, I'm afraid the beast will escape."