Chapter 3: Am I Dead Again?

Click!

Jiang Ren immediately raised his hunting rifle, aiming the muzzle toward the woods.

As an excellent hunting dog, Xiao Bai would never adopt such a defensive posture without cause; it was highly likely that it had sensed something.

Leaves rustled softly. Several low branches were pushed aside. A large beast moved its limbs and slowly emerged.

Its entire body was white, with a large, round head. Several black horizontal stripes across its forehead formed a pattern resembling the character for "king," and its back and flanks were marked with multiple narrow black stripes, two of which curved near each other like willow leaves. It was actually a white tiger!

"A tiger? And a white one at that?"

Jiang Ren was first puzzled as to why a tiger would appear here, then astonished by its white fur, and finally, he realized the danger he was facing.

Judging by its appearance, this white tiger was massive. Even among tigers, it was a dominant beast, undoubtedly a predator at the top of the food chain. As for his own side, there was only one man and one dog, plus a single hunting rifle.

If the white tiger lunged, he would surely die unless he hit a vital spot. Most importantly, the old-fashioned rifle in his hand required manual reloading after every shot and had limited power; it would be difficult to deal effective damage to such a large beast unless he hit a critical area. Moreover, he knew very well that with his mediocre marksmanship, hitting a vital spot accurately was almost impossible.

"Roar!"

The white tiger let out a roar at Jiang Ren. The thunderous sound caused Jiang Ren’s heart rate to spike. Seemingly wary of the rifle in Jiang Ren’s hands, the white tiger circled him step by step, moving at a steady pace, seemingly searching for the perfect moment to pounce.

The more dangerous the situation, the calmer Jiang Ren found himself. His focus was heightened, his body rotating slowly to track the white tiger’s position, his muzzle never wavering from the beast. Xiao Bai also shifted its feet cautiously, keeping itself positioned between Jiang Ren and the tiger.

Faced with such a beast, Jiang Ren dared not relax for an instant, yet he would not be the first to provoke it in a situation where he had almost no chance of winning.

The standoff lasted for several minutes. Finally, seeing no opportunity, the white tiger turned and leaped into the forest, disappearing shortly after.

The next moment, Jiang Ren felt like a taut string suddenly snapped; he breathed heavily. In all his years, he had never felt anything like today—death had felt so close.

"Woof!"

Xiao Bai came to his side and nudged his body with its head, seemingly asking if he was alright.

"I'm fine." Jiang Ren stroked Xiao Bai’s head and took one last look at the forest where the white tiger had vanished. "This place is not safe. Let’s get to the safe house as soon as possible."

"Woof, woof." Xiao Bai agreed softly.

To avoid encountering the white tiger again, Jiang Ren and Xiao Bai deliberately picked up their pace.

Shortly after Jiang Ren left, a group of people clad in white camouflage suits arrived. Each of them was robust and equipped with various firearms. The footprints left by Jiang Ren and the white tiger seemed to catch their attention. From the parts of their faces visible, it was clear that these individuals were not from Da Zhou; two-thirds were white, and one-third were black.

Soon, the group split into three, pursuing Jiang Ren’s tracks, while the rest followed the traces left by the white tiger into the woods.

In less than half an hour, Jiang Ren and Xiao Bai arrived at their destination: the "safe house."

It was a cabin constructed entirely of special timber. The wood had been treated not only to extend its lifespan but also to easily withstand the impact of large beasts. Jiang Ren closed the wooden door and latched the lock. Only then did he truly relax, the dual exhaustion of body and spirit causing him to collapse to the floor. Although Xiao Bai was not tired, the appearance of the white tiger had changed its behavior; it remained by his side like a loyal guard, full of vigilance.

"Why would there be a tiger here?"

Only then did Jiang Ren begin to contemplate the situation. For decades, the local veteran hunters had patrolled the area, and it was rare to see large carnivorous beasts. It wasn't that the hunters had killed them—after all, this was a society ruled by law, and many large predators were protected species; breaking the law would lead to imprisonment. The hunters usually opted to drive them away, forcing them into areas far from human habitation. This served to ensure the safety of nearby villages and to protect the animals.

Yet, a tiger had suddenly appeared here.

"And this breed..."

"A tiger that can adapt to such cold weather and has such a massive size... could it be a Snow King Tiger?"

Jiang Ren recalled an article he had seen online. The Snow King Tiger was a tiger unique to this world, with fur as white as snow crossed with black stripes. They were massive and possessed incredible combat power, known as the strongest tigers. But it was precisely because of this reputation that their fur was coveted by the wealthy, making them "walking gold" in the eyes of poachers, leading to their near extinction. Twenty years ago, the Snow King Tiger was classified as a first-class protected animal.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ren pulled out his phone. Since he had discovered such a rare protected animal, he should naturally report it to the authorities, provided his own safety was assured—both for his sake and the tiger's.

"No Signal."

Looking at the prompt on his phone screen, Jiang Ren had to temporarily abandon the idea of calling the police. In such a desolate area, the signal was already weak, and with the extreme wind and snow, it would be a miracle to have any service.

As things stood, he decided to end this hunting trip early and return first thing in the morning. He simply lacked the capability to contend with a Snow King Tiger. For the sake of his own life, it was better to go back and let the authorities handle it.

The sky grew dark as night fell. Jiang Ren roasted rabbit meat in a corner of the room.

Xiao Bai stared intensely at the golden, sizzling meat, drool nearly dripping from its mouth. In this safe house, the pre-stocked supplies included not only pillows, quilts, and spices but also firewood, iron pots, and a grill. Truth be told, over the past few years, Jiang Ren’s barbecuing skills had improved much faster than his hunting techniques.

Golden grease bubbled on the surface of the rabbit meat. The aroma was intoxicating. After sprinkling on some spices, Jiang Ren divided the meat into three portions: one for himself, one for Xiao Bai, and the rest for breakfast tomorrow.

After a hearty meal, Jiang Ren prepared to sleep. This was just a standard safe house; while it held many daily necessities, it lacked modern amenities like electricity. After all, he had come here to hunt, not to vacation. Jiang Ren lay on the bed, pulled up the quilt, and soon drifted off to sleep. Xiao Bai curled up by the bedside, blinked a few times, and eventually fell asleep as well.

Although the cabin had been treated, the soundproofing was poor. The howling wind outside could be clearly heard inside, occasionally accompanied by the roars of wild beasts, but none of this affected Jiang Ren’s sleep. After all, this wasn't his first time in this safe house, and compared to sleeping in the wild, this was undoubtedly a much more secure place to rest.

Outside, the night grew deeper.

"Woof!"

Xiao Bai suddenly opened its eyes, stood up, and moved to the center of the room, baring its teeth and growling toward the wooden door.

Hearing the sound, Jiang Ren woke up instantly. He could sleep through chaotic noise because he was thick-skinned, but he also trusted Xiao Bai’s instincts regarding danger. Consequently, any movement from the dog was enough to jolt him awake.

Bang!

A flash of light erupted at the lock, and the heavy wooden door was kicked open. Jiang Ren’s pupils contracted violently. Before he could see what was outside, he reached for the hunting rifle hanging on the wall.

Bang!

Another gunshot rang out. Just as his fingers touched the rifle, Jiang Ren felt a sharp, searing pain in his chest. He collapsed powerlessly onto the bed, catching sight of several blurred figures standing in the doorway. In the dim night, he could only vaguely make out three tall silhouettes, and the man at the very front had a large, curly beard.

"I died again?"

Jiang Ren felt utterly speechless. Just as his consciousness began to fade into the abyss, he heard several more gunshots, Xiao Bai’s pained yelp, and several curses yelled in a foreign language.