This shadow came so suddenly that before anyone could react, the tiger had already been knocked down. And Big Beard, in this critical moment, was saved; otherwise, he would likely have been a goner.
At this point, people finally saw clearly that the shadow was none other than Ye Qing!
At this moment, it was actually Ye Qing who came down to save Big Beard, which truly shocked everyone. Because all the people present thought they were hired by Ye Qing with money to come into the mountain to help. Ye Qing was the boss, so they thought they should be the ones protecting Ye Qing. Who would have thought Ye Qing would step in to save them instead?
"Quick, climb up the tree!" Ye Qing shouted lowly, but the tiger had already gotten up and pounced towards Ye Qing.
Although Ye Qing's Inner Strength was gone, he had been a soldier for many years, so his reflexes and agility were still there. He dodged the tiger's leap and at the same time grabbed its tail, pulling it back forcefully, trying to drag the tiger down. However, the tiger's strength was too great, and it dragged Ye Qing forward by two steps.
Even so, the tiger was still caught by Ye Qing. The tiger's tail hurt, and it let out a roar, turning around to pounce on Ye Qing again, its claws like steel knives, aimed straight at Ye Qing's abdomen, seemingly ready to disembowel him.
Ye Qing didn't dodge but sunk his right shoulder slightly, stamping his feet on the ground, and charged forward fiercely. Just as the tiger's claw came down, Ye Qing's right shoulder collided with the tiger's jaw. The claw only tore Ye Qing's clothing, but the tiger was sent flying backward, tumbling several times before getting up.
This move was from the Bajiquan Ye Qing learned from Northern Fist King Li Changqing, called "Stick to the Mountain," with immense power. It's just that as Inner Strength increased, martial arts shifted from techniques to Unique Skills combined with Inner Strength. So Bajiquan, after reaching a certain level of Inner Strength, had little practical significance. However, for Ye Qing now, Bajiquan was very useful.
If it had been an ordinary person, they might have been knocked unconscious by Ye Qing's hit. The tiger was indeed robust, able to get up again, showcasing its incredible resilience. But these hits only made the tiger angrier; it crouched on the ground, eyes fixed on Ye Qing, no longer in a rash attacking stance, but gathering strength, ready to deliver a killing blow to Ye Qing.
Big Beard didn't expect Ye Qing to fight a tiger and was so shocked that he forgot to flee. Seeing him unmoving, Ye Qing urged anxiously, "What are you standing there for? Quick, climb the tree!"
"Oh, oh..." Only then did Big Beard react, looking at the tiger staring him down; he dared not linger, quickly running aside and climbing the tree in three moves. This time, he dared not be careless, holding the trunk tightly, fearing being knocked down by the tiger again as before.
In fact, the tiger was no longer paying him any attention; its focus was entirely on Ye Qing. Ye Qing had sent it flying twice, making the tiger know that this person was a true formidable opponent.
Facing this powerful tiger, Ye Qing showed little panic. He now had three forces protecting him, so at least he wouldn't be harmed by the tiger, establishing an invincible position. He just needed to seize the opportunity to kill the tiger, and everything would be fine.
However, without his Meridians, Ye Qing's combat power had significantly decreased. If it were his former strength, dealing with one tiger, or even if two more came, Ye Qing could have handled them easily. But now, even solving this one tiger seemed tough. Now Ye Qing couldn't quite understand Shijia's meaning, why not allow him to bring experts into the mountains? With experts assisting, wild beasts in these mountains wouldn't pose much danger!
Just as Ye Qing was pondering this, the tiger seemed to notice Ye Qing's distraction and suddenly leaped straight at Ye Qing.
Ye Qing noticed the tiger's movement and knew it wasn't right, immediately dodging to the side. However, the tiger was smarter than before; as Ye Qing barely dodged, the tiger's claw swept directly at Ye Qing. It aimed straight for Ye Qing's head since it hadn't left any marks on his belly earlier.
Ye Qing raised his hand, directly blocking the tiger's claw, then grabbed it, intending to throw the tiger away. But at this moment, the tiger's tail whipped over like a whip. Ye Qing wasn't prepared, took a hit from the tail, and had to retreat two steps, showing just how strong the whip-like effect of the tail was.
"Young Ye!" In the tree, Fat Wang saw this unfold and couldn't help but gasp, shouting in shock as he jumped directly from the tree, rushing towards the tiger.
"Don't come down!" Ye Qing shouted, but it was too late. The tiger was unexpectedly pinned on the ground by Fat Wang. And this fat guy was indeed fierce, riding on the tiger and raising his fists, pounding at the tiger mindlessly.
The tiger was clearly a bit confused, after Fat Wang hit it a few times, it finally came to its senses, flipped over and threw Fat Wang away. With a roar, it charged straight at Fat Wang. Luckily, Ye Qing also rushed over, jumped on it and wrapped his arms around the tiger's neck, pinning it to the ground.
"Damn, let me at it!" Fat Wang climbed back up and dashed over, delivering a round of punches and kicks to the tiger.
The tiger roared continuously, but with Ye Qing holding its neck with all his might, it surprisingly couldn't break free. Although its claws and teeth were powerful, it couldn't harm Ye Qing in the slightest, and was fully subdued. Fat Wang seized the opportunity and mercilessly pounded the tiger.
The tiger started off with relentless roars, but gradually they turned into whimpers, showing it was getting beaten into submission.
Seeing the tiger now covered with wounds, Ye Qing felt a bit sorry. He shook his head at Fat Wang and said, "Alright, alright, stop hitting!"
"Why stop?" Fat Wang still wanted to keep hitting, but at this moment, Ye Qing already let go, and the tiger quickly jumped up, instantly frightening Fat Wang to retreat a few steps.
"Damn, are you trying to get me killed?" Fat Wang shouted anxiously.
Ye Qing also stood up, staring intently at the tiger. He didn't want to harm the tiger's life and had noticed its whimpering earlier, which is why he released it. Of course, if the tiger were to continue attacking them, then there would be no mercy this time.
It was clear the tiger was truly scared from the beating. After getting up, it showed no intention of counterattacking, but rather cast a frightened glance at Ye Qing and Fat Wang, then gradually retreated.
Seeing this, Fat Wang perked up, rolled up his sleeves and said, "Finally afraid, huh? Let me tell you, when Fat Lord gets angry, even I'm scared. Why stir up trouble with anyone but me, Fat Lord? You tell me, is it worth getting beat up by me?"
Of course, the tiger couldn't understand Fat Wang's words, after retreating a few steps, it suddenly turned around and ran away, completely scared and unwilling to linger here any longer.
Seeing the tiger run off, those remaining in the trees jumped down, and the group cheered loudly. Only Old Chen had a displeased face, still murmuring that Ye Qing intentionally put him at risk, but no one paid him any attention.
Big Beard climbed down from the tree, took a deep breath, and walked up to Ye Qing, saying, "Mr. Ye, Big Beard owes you my life. Never mind anything else, on this trip, I'll lend you my help for free. I don't want the money, consider it a favor returned!"
Big Beard was indeed a man of gratitude, clear about debts and favors, aligning well with Ye Qing's personality. Ye Qing smiled, patted his shoulder, and said, "I said before we entered the mountains, although I hired you, we all need to help each other. Saving you was the right thing. So, the money I owe you, I won't cut a penny!"
Big Beard didn't expect Ye Qing to be so generous, and happily nodded vigorously, saying, "Ye brothers, consider me your friend this time. If you need anything in the future, just say the word, you don't need Fat Wang to come call me, I'll definitely help!"
Ye Qing smiled slightly, nodding at Big Beard. Although this group came to help him, they were all actually here for the money, only a few genuinely assisting him. If they could all work together, this trip into the mountains would be much easier.
After tidying up the scene, the group continued on their way. Big Beard's shoulder had a chunk of flesh torn off, making the injury quite severe. However, Ye Qing carried fragments of the Devouring Demon Flower that could quickly heal wounds. Naturally, since Big Beard and the others lacked Inner Strength, they couldn't consume too much at once. Ye Qing divided a small piece of the Devouring Demon Flower into several portions, giving one to Big Beard. Even so, the effect was incredibly potent, with Big Beard's wound visibly healing at an extraordinary pace, astonishing him and the others.
Due to the encounter with the tiger in the forest, the group's plan to climb the mountain was somewhat stalled. By the time they reached the Meadow Zone on the mountain, darkness had fallen. Beyond the Meadow Zone lay a desert area, leading to the snow-covered summit, which was truly a place rarely visited by people.
The mountain's desert was complex, and the snow too slick, making it unwise to climb at night given the terrain. Moreover, after running for an entire day, everyone was fatigued. Therefore, reaching the Meadow Zone, the group decided not to continue upward but instead camp here, planning to rest for the night before proceeding.
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