Chapter 247
Chapter 247
Now that they had a lead, they naturally had to find a way up.
Shen Qingzhu said, “I’ve studied the waterfall carefully. The flow is strongest at night and somewhat weaker around noon.”
Ji Lu rubbed his chin. “So we’ll have to climb up at noon. According to that tiger, the Phoenix-Mimic Birds’ nest may be there.”
He pointed toward the mouth of the waterfall.
That left them two choices: descend from the top or climb up from below.
The distance from the top was naturally shorter, but it was also far more dangerous. Climbing from the bottom was hardly safe either. The slick rocks alone posed a serious challenge.
There was some space between the falling water and the rock face. If they clung to the cliff as they climbed, the waterfall’s impact on them would be greatly reduced.
In the end, everyone chose to climb from below for safety’s sake.
“I want to go too,” Jiang Yunsui declared.
The moment she spoke, someone pinched her lips shut.
Shen Qingzhu smiled at her. “Be good. Something this dangerous isn’t really suitable for children.”
Jiang Yunsui pouted, unconvinced.
“I’ve done lots of dangerous things.”
Ji Si pressed a hand to her little head. “Be good.”
Her head immediately drooped. “Fine, fine.”
Ji Lu and the others prepared their climbing equipment. Not everyone would be going-only Ji Lu, Ji Si, and the men with excellent qinggong, stamina, and strength.
Shen Qingzhu would stay behind as well.
At noon the next day, the waterfall was indeed somewhat narrower than at other times. Its force was still tremendous, however.
Ji Si and the others watched for the right moment, then charged in.
The curtain of water concealed them from the people outside.
Jiang Yunsui crouched at the foot of the falls, craning her neck upward.
“I can’t see them anymore.”
“Roar.”
At that familiar sound, she turned and found herself face-to-face with Fatty Tiger’s enormous head.
Shen Qingzhu and the others were already standing far away.
The fat tiger treated Jiang Yunsui well, but he was considerably less friendly toward them. He might look pitiful when his mother beat him, without a shred of a tiger’s dignity, but shamelessly stealing her food was not the only reason he had grown so plump and glossy.
Shen Qingzhu and the others did not want trouble. They could only avoid provoking him and keep their distance.
Jiang Yunsui stroked Fatty Tiger’s ears.
“Fatty Tiger, do you think they’ll find the Phoenix-Mimic Bird? Is there still one in that nest?”
Even a child like her understood that finding the nest did not mean they would find a Phoenix-Mimic Bird inside.
If any still existed, how could they have spent so long in the valley, searching and waiting every day-even at night-without seeing one?
Phoenix-Mimic Birds had to eat too, didn’t they? If one was really there, how could it go several days without coming out for food?
While Jiang Yunsui worried, a beast’s furious roar rang out from downstream.
She and Fatty Tiger turned toward it at the same instant.
“Woof! Woof, woof!”
“That’s Zuozuo and Youyou!” Jiang Yunsui cried.
“It sounds like animals are fighting over there.”
She jumped up and ran toward the sound. Zuozuo and Youyou were there; she was afraid they might be getting the worst of it and had to go see.
After only two steps, she ran back and stuffed an Imperial Flowing Essence Ball into Fatty Tiger’s mouth.
Her Imperial Flowing Essence Balls were bigger now and considerably purer than before.
The instant Fatty Tiger swallowed it, bliss washed over him so thoroughly that his tail rose into the air.
“Come on. You’re my bodyguard.”
Having accepted her food, he could hardly refuse her request. He stood at once, flicked his great tail, and followed behind her.
With such a bodyguard at her back, Little Mushroom did not even bother turning invisible. She strutted ahead as though she owned the whole forest, confidence overflowing from every step.
Watching from a short distance away, Shen Qingzhu fell silent.
The hunter looked envious. “If I had a great tiger protecting me, I could walk sideways through any forest.”
The other guards nodded. Wasn’t that the truth? If they had one, they would swagger even more outrageously than little Yunsui.
Shen Qingzhu said, “Let’s follow and see what happened. Don’t get too close.”
Following the sounds, Jiang Yunsui found a black bear that stood more than three meters tall on its hind legs, an enormous hulking mass.
There was also a pack of wolves, every one of them white.
The wolves were fighting the huge bear, and her Zuozuo and Youyou were helping the pack.
Jiang Yunsui stared, baffled.
What was going on? When had Zuozuo and Youyou made friends here?
The bear was enormous. With a single swipe, it knocked a wolf clinging to its body into the river.
Youyou panicked. He leaped straight into the water, put his own body behind the fallen wolf, and slowly pushed it toward the bank.
“Fatty Tiger, go help them beat up that bear.”
Whatever had started the fight, Jiang Yunsui always protected her own. Of course she would help Zuozuo and Youyou.
Fatty Tiger growled at her.
‘I want more of those delicious balls.’
Jiang Yunsui nodded. “Fine, fine. Drive the bear away and I’ll give you two.”
“Rrrr…”
‘I want a whole pawful.’
The great fat tiger raised one paw and spread its thick, powerful toes.
Jiang Yunsui ran over to help Youyou.
“Fine, fine! Just hurry!”
Fatty Tiger had the vague feeling he should have asked for more.
But he did not dawdle. The bear and wolves were on the opposite bank, so he plunged directly into the river and quickly crossed. After shaking the water from his fur, he fixed his gaze on the bear-and his expression transformed.
The simple, jovial air he usually wore vanished. Once he entered battle, it was as though he had become an entirely different tiger.
“ROAR!”
His massive body hurtled at the bear. He knocked two wolves aside, sprang onto the bear, and lashed out with his claws.
Before the bear could even react, Fatty Tiger struck it three times, every blow tearing a wound.
“ROAR!”
The bear’s agonized bellow shook the sky, and it immediately began fighting Fatty Tiger in earnest.
The commotion was so violent that the wolf pack scattered at once, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
On the other bank, Shen Qingzhu and the rest shuddered in unison.
The hunter’s eyes bulged. “Merciful heavens! That tiger usually looks so simple-minded, but he doesn’t hold back at all in a fight. He’s stronger than any tiger I’ve ever seen.”
Shen Qingzhu folded his arms. “Do you think he could have raised himself so well without real ability?”
“Both his frame and build are much larger than an ordinary tiger’s. And have any of you noticed? His teeth are much longer too.”
They studied him and found it was true.
They had never noticed before because they did not dare approach too closely, and his tremendous girth drew the eye first.
“His teeth are still growing.”
Shen Qingzhu continued, “The markings on his body differ from an ordinary tiger’s as well. If my guess is correct, this tiger is showing signs of atavism.”
It was only after several days of Jiang Yunsui feeding him that his teeth had begun growing again.
“His teeth resemble those of a far more ancient species recorded in old texts. Its teeth were long and sharp as swords, so it was called the saber-toothed tiger. But that species has long been extinct.”