12dz Chapter 114 From now on, let's see who dares to look down on me.
Chapter 114 From now on, let's see who dares to look down on me.
"It's just worse now; it knows we're scared. Take a deep breath and calm down. Fear won't solve anything. Stay calm; I'll find a way to take it down before tonight."
Li Xiangyang comforted him in a low voice.
These words were like a heavy hammer blow, almost causing Wang Ergou to collapse to the ground.
He then realized what a huge mistake he had made.
"I'm...I'm sorry..."
"Alright, I already said it's not your fault, stop apologizing." Li Xiangyang pulled a piece of bread from his backpack. "Eat something first, we can't start a fire right now."
“I’m not hungry,” Wang Ergou shook his head.
"Listen to me, eat. You'll panic more when you're hungry." Li Xiangyang forcefully shoved the pancake into Wang Ergou's hand. "Remember, a living person can't let themselves die from holding their pee. Think of it positively. If we kill it, we'll be rich, why would we need to look for an elk?"
Other forms of comfort were utterly useless to Wang Ergou.
However, upon hearing the word "get rich," he instantly calmed down.
"Yeah, if we take it down, we'll be rich. What's there to be afraid of?"
After Wang Ergou finished speaking, he took a bite of the dry biscuit.
"Have some more." Li Xiangyang handed him the wine bag again. "That's right, keep this mindset, take it slow."
It was deathly silent outside.
Even the sound of the wind can't be heard anymore.
This eerie silence was even more unsettling.
The snow leopard seemed to have vanished into thin air; not a trace could be seen.
But both of them knew that it was nearby, waiting for the perfect moment.
"Are we just going to keep waiting like this?"
Greed overcame fear, and Wang Ergou's voice finally became a little steady.
“Of course we can’t just wait like this. If it controls the entire rhythm, we’ll be in danger.” Li Xiangyang took a swig of water. “We have to think of a way to catch it off guard.”
How do we fight?
“It’s playing mind games now,” Li Xiangyang patted Wang Ergou on the shoulder. “The more it does this, the more we need to stay calm. Think about it carefully, if it were truly confident, why wouldn’t it just pounce?”
"It's clearly in a dilemma too. It knows we have guns, and charging in recklessly is too risky. But it's also unwilling to just let us go."
"Then why didn't it wait for us to go out..." Wang Ergou stopped mid-sentence.
“That’s right.” Li Xiangyang smiled. “It’s just waiting for us to lose our composure, for us to succumb to the psychological pressure, and for us to rush out.”
“Here, have some more.” Li Xiangyang broke off another piece of bread for him. “We definitely have to charge, but I have to do it. I’ll create an opportunity for you to take it down. Not now, of course; it’s not stupid. Let’s drag it out. It’s not comfortable being out here in this weather.”
The two of them took turns munching on the dry biscuits.
Although there were occasional rustling noises coming from outside, at least Wang Ergou was no longer as panicked as before.
"Is there any water left?" Wang Ergou asked.
“Yes, plenty.” Li Xiangyang smiled and handed over the leather bag. “Drink, don’t be shy. We’re brewing it right now.”
The sky gradually darkened.
Although the feeling of being watched was still there, after an afternoon of back-and-forth, the two of them were much more at ease.
"Wait a little longer, I'll rush out and provoke it out."
"Remember, when you shoot it, don't rush, don't panic, aim for a perfect shot. My life is in your hands."
Li Xiangyang pulled out a few bullets and handed them to Wang Ergou, saying, "Aim at the cave entrance. Even if it comes close, don't fire. Wait for me to yell 'fire' before you shoot."
"Of course, don't feel pressured. The fact that I dare to go out means I have the means to survive. Even if you can't hit me, it's okay."
Li Xiangyang comforted him softly.
It was getting darker and darker outside.
The snow is still falling, but not as heavily as before.
"Do you think it's hungry?" Wang Ergou asked.
"He must be starving; he didn't even catch a rabbit this morning," Li Xiangyang chuckled. "Being hungry and cold, he got irritated. He's fast, but the energy expenditure is terrifying."
"Isn't that even more dangerous?"
"Danger can also be an opportunity." Li Xiangyang took out a piece of jerky, took a bite, and the aroma immediately wafted out. "A starving beast is easily driven mad."
Sure enough, a deep roar came from outside the cave.
This time, Wang Ergou wasn't scared. Instead, he swallowed hard: "It's sure to smell that."
"It's good to smell it." Li Xiangyang took another bite. "When it gets a little darker, we'll play with it."
"That's not bad either." Wang Ergou wiped the grease from his mouth, "It's annoying that it's hungry."
Li Xiangyang took out another piece of dried meat and continued chewing.
"Woo..." The roar outside was clearly tinged with rage.
"They've managed to hold out against us this long; they're quite patient," Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "A normal wild animal would have lost its temper long ago."
After he finished speaking, it suddenly became quiet outside.
Li Xiangyang frowned: "It's gone."
"Gone?" Wang Ergou was incredulous, his emotions a mixture of sorrow and joy.
He was afraid, but when he thought about money, he wasn't so afraid anymore.
Now that the snow leopard is gone, he feels regret instead.
"Don't be disappointed, you won't go far. Don't worry, you'll definitely come back."
Li Xiangyang patted Wang Ergou on the shoulder to comfort him.
"So what do we do now?"
"If you're not sleepy, you stay here, I'll take a nap."
Li Xiangyang pulled his hat down further to cover his eyes.
“I’m not sleepy, but you…you’re really going to sleep?” Wang Ergou asked, somewhat uneasy.
"Don't worry," Li Xiangyang smiled faintly, "I trust you."
Hearing this, Wang Ergou felt a warmth in his heart. Then he tensed up again: "What if..."
“There’s no ‘what if’,” Li Xiangyang said with his eyes closed. “You’re pretty brave, kid, you just lack experience. Once you kill the snow leopard, you’ll be a qualified hunter.”
Wang Ergou held the gun, his palms still a little sweaty.
After Li Xiangyang said that, he dared not take it lightly anymore.
Yourself?
A qualified hunter?
It seems pretty good.
I used to be lazy, annoying, and had no skills whatsoever; I was just a nobody.
If I could become a qualified hunter, perhaps I could earn the respect of others?
The snow is still falling outside, but the wind has stopped.
As darkness fell, the cave grew increasingly dark.
The black cat lay on the ground, its ears twitching occasionally.
Seeing its calmness, Wang Ergou felt reassured.
He reflected on the events of the day.
From encountering the snow leopard early this morning until now.
Li Xiangyang remained calm and composed throughout.
"Once I beat this beast up, let's see who dares to look down on me again," Wang Ergou thought to himself.
A slight noise came from outside, and Wang Ergou immediately tensed up.
However, when he saw that the black cat had only twitched its ears and then lay down again, he laughed self-deprecatingly.
Damn it, I'm not even as good as a cat.
After laughing, he realized that he was not flustered at all.
The cave was quiet, with only Li Xiangyang's steady breathing.
This composure, without anyone noticing, also infected Wang Ergou.