Chapter 14: Will She Wear Out the Prison Seat?

Fang Ning did not wait for the fifth arrow.

From beginning to end, there were only arrows—no one appeared.

The tiger struggled for a quarter of an hour before finally collapsing unwillingly.

“Thank you, kind benefactor, for your help. May I express my gratitude in person to the great benefactor?” Fang Ning stepped forward after confirming the tiger was dead, shouting loudly in the direction from which the third arrow had been shot.

The back mountain seemed deserted except for their small family of three; not a sound stirred.

“Ningning, is the big tiger dead?” Fang Cinian slid down from a tree, his legs weak as he approached and shielded Fang Ning behind him. “It’s dangerous.”

“The tiger is completely dead,” Fang Ning said thoughtfully, walking toward the three directions where the arrows had struck.

“Where are you going?” Liang Anrong cried out in alarm. “Come back quickly! What if another tiger appears?”

“One mountain cannot hold two tigers. Don’t worry, I’ll just take a look and come right back,” Fang Ning replied, moving forward.

Judging by the force with which the arrows had struck the tiger, Fang Ning tried to locate the shooter but found nothing—not even a footprint.

How strange.

Who could be so formidable?

To leave not a single trace?

Fang Ning looked up into the trees and caught sight of a thread hanging from some clothing.

She climbed up and took the thread down.

It was hemp, a common fabric worn by ordinary people—this clue was meaningless.

Still, the feeling of being watched vanished.

Sensing no ill intent, Fang Ning decided to ignore it.

When faced with an attack, one must defend accordingly.

Although the original family was eccentric, they had never committed any cruel or unjust acts.

They were annoying but not to the point of inciting mortal hatred.

Fang Ning turned back and put the matter aside for the time being.

“The tiger is dead. Do you think we’ll end up in prison?” Liang Anrong worried, her mind full of the notion that tigers were national first-class protected animals, and killing one was forbidden.

“Are you stupid? This is the ancient times. Tigers aren’t protected animals here!” Fang Cinian whispered in her ear. “If it were modern times, then yes, we’d be locked up for life.”

Only then did Liang Anrong relax a little.

“Father, mother, can you carry the tiger back?” Fang Ning asked. Since the tiger was dead and its pelt intact, maybe they could trade it for some silver.

“Your father can do it alone,” Fang Cinian flexed his muscles.

However, the original owner of this body was weak and unskilled, flexing nothing but air.

Embarrassed, Fang Cinian withdrew his hand and stepped forward to drag the tiger. “Father can handle it.”

The tiger didn’t move an inch.

Liang Anrong rolled her eyes.

Fang Ning covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

“Since the village isn’t far, why don’t you, mother, go back and call some people from the old house to help?”

“Alright, that works. You two be careful,” Liang Anrong said without hesitation, hoisting a basket of waxberries and quickly heading down the mountain.

The tiger’s fur was sleek and shiny; no one knew how many livestock it had devoured.

Recalling the four arrows just now, Fang Ning couldn’t resist going to take another look.

Even after Liang Anrong returned with Fang Wenqin, Fang Wenchang, and Mrs. Zhao, Fang Ning still found nothing new.

“Big brother, did you really kill this tiger?” Fang Wenqin gasped at the sight of the huge beast.

Fang Cinian replied, “It’s a long story best left untold. Can we carry the tiger back?”

“It’s still early; how about taking it straight to town so it doesn’t rot overnight?” Fang Ning emerged from the bushes. “Let’s take it to Quanweilou and ask around.”

“Alright.” Fang Wenchang nodded. He was a man of few words and immediately went over to grab the tiger’s hind legs. “Second brother, help me.”

Fang Wenqin grabbed the front legs.

Fang Cinian wanted to help, but Mrs. Zhao stopped him. “Big brother, step aside. You can’t help!”

Don’t make things worse.

Fang Cinian felt ashamed.

The two brothers quickly loaded the tiger onto the wooden cart they had brought.

“Are we taking it directly to town?” Fang Wenqin asked.

Fang Ning nodded eagerly. “Yes, to town. Mother, you come with me and bring the basket of waxberries.”

Mrs. Zhao was about to object but was surprised when both Fang Cinian and Liang Anrong agreed.

Mrs. Zhao sensed something was off but couldn’t quite put her finger on it and simply followed along.

“Sister-in-law, what are you making with these waxberries? Are you really going to make that rock sugar waxberry candy to sell?” Mrs. Zhao asked Liang Anrong.

“No, we’ll explain after we return from town,” Fang Ning quickly replied. “Second aunt, just wait at home.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Zhao said suspiciously but didn’t press further.

After descending the mountain, word spread through Futian Village that the Fang family’s main branch had killed the tiger on the back mountain, drawing a large crowd.

Facing the many questions, Fang Cinian grimaced. “I didn’t kill the tiger. A wandering swordsman passing by saw we were in danger and saved us. You know me—I can’t even carry a load of millet, how could I kill a tiger?”

Hearing this, some people began to harbor ill intentions.

“Isn’t this the tiger from my trap? So it’s Fang the Elder who dared to steal my prey!” a man stepped forward from the crowd, blocking the Fang brothers.

He was Li Dayong, a hunter from Futian Village.

Li Dayong scolded Fang Cinian harshly, “I wondered why you suddenly went up the mountain. Turns out you were after my trap. This tiger was caught in my trap—you’re stealing!”

“We didn’t steal.”

“This tiger came into the village and ate so many livestock. Why hasn’t a swordsman ever come by to get rid of it? You just happened to meet a swordsman on your last trip up the mountain? Are swordsmen mountain bandits? Why don’t they take the path but go into the wild?”

With the tiger’s pelt so intact, it could sell for two or three hundred taels of silver; Li Dayong’s heart burned with greed.

This tiger must be his!

“Fang, you’re usually a petty thief, but today you dared to steal from me, Li Dayong? No way. Either you return the tiger obediently or come with me to see the magistrate. Everyone saw this; don’t you know what kind of person Fang is?”

“Li Dayong talks tough, so maybe it really was Fang who stole the tiger.”

“Hah, I told you, their claims of reform are just tricks. This isn’t the first time.”

“This tiger was definitely caught in Dayong’s trap. How could they just happen to meet a swordsman hunting it? I say some dogs never change, and neither does the Fang family’s main branch!”

...

“The tiger wasn’t dragged from a trap,” Fang Wenqin protested, his face red. “How could it be Li Dayong’s?”

“You’re his brother; of course you’ll defend him!” Li Dayong sneered and called his kin to carry the tiger away.

“You say you set a trap on the mountain and caught the tiger? Then tell us when you dug it, how deep it is, and where exactly?” A clear child’s voice interrupted Li Dayong.

Everyone instinctively turned to look.

Fang Ning stepped forward. “Uncle Dayong, you tell us.”

“Why would I tell you where my trap is? So you can come steal again?” Li Dayong said stiffly.