Being the object of contention between the two overlords of the forest was hardly their "luck"; rather, it proved they were valuable indeed.
"Ah, ah... Brother Yu, save me!" Fang Xiaoyang, her face streaked with tears, looked at the cheetah and tiger confronting each other not far from her with eyes full of terror, calling out shrilly.
A solemn-faced young man heard her screams, and his already dark complexion grew even darker, wishing he could crack open her head to see if it was filled with nonsense. He hissed at her in a lowered voice, "Shut up, do you want to make sure they notice you or something? If you want to die quickly, just keep yelling."
As soon as he finished speaking, the girl who had been sobbing uncontrollably immediately stifled her cries, her hands quickly clamping over her mouth as if afraid of truly drawing their attention and being eaten first, a testament to the deterrent power of the speaker.
Besides them, two men and a woman also looked on with displeased and pallid faces at the troublesome girl.
"Wanwan, how are you feeling?" Ouyang Chenxi asked in a low voice to the person lying next to him.
The one called Wanwan looked determinedly down at the wound on her leg and waved her hand, unconcerned, "It's fine, this little injury is nothing. The key is how we escape. By their looks, they both want to eat us. Once they finish sizing us up, we're done for."
Everyone who heard her words wore a grave expression, clearly acknowledging the worry she had voiced.
After exchanging glances, the boys couldn't just sit and wait for death; they'd rather fight, as there might still be a chance of survival.
They tightened their grip on the daggers in their hands and subtly shifted their positions, warily watching the cheetah and tiger, which were clearly about to clash, preparing to look for an opportunity to run away.
Even the girl named Wanwan clutched the dagger in her hand tightly, evidently ready to join them in the fight.
The cheetah and the tiger seemed to sense something and glanced over at the group, who froze in fear. But surprisingly, after looking at them, the animals turned their heads back around and in the blink of an eye, they charged at each other, engaging in a fierce battle.
The group exchanged shocked looks. Were those wild animals just now looking down on them? They swore they had seen disdain and scorn in the eyes of those beasts, as though recognizing their intentions yet not caring at all, like adults watching children bicker.
The concealed Qinghe nodded to herself as she witnessed this scene; not bad, they were somewhat intelligent. Even the girl named Wanwan demonstrated a strength completely opposite to her delicate name. It was just that screaming girl who fell short; in a circumstance like this, she hadn't been scared into foolishness and knew to retaliate, which was no easy feat.
But her heart wasn't that strong, missing such a good opportunity to run as they were stunned by the human-like expressions of the animals. Now, it was too late to run.
Although the cheetah and tiger were fighting, any movement from them would cause the animals to stop immediately and pounce without hesitation—animals here were cunning, with their own rules of survival.
A hand, pale and slender with a luster, touched the chin, and cunning glints shone in clear eyes as she looked at the people below. She was just wondering how to survive out there, and now these lambs had presented themselves. If she didn't know how to use this to her advantage, it would be a waste of heaven's gifts—and that would invite divine punishment.
Snapping back to reality, the group quickly exchanged glances, then, witnessing the relentless fight between the two animals, their eyes lit up—an excellent opportunity.
Just as they had cautiously stood up, intending to retreat, the cheetah that was ferociously biting the tiger's neck seemed to sense something. It glanced at them, and even the tiger seized the opportunity to break free without immediately attacking the cheetah, simply giving them a cold look.
The two animals looked contentedly at their stiff and clueless food, then resumed their struggle.
Instantly, their hearts turned cold. Were these really animals? They seemed even cleverer than humans. Disbelieving, they tried again, but those who hadn't even taken a step now truly gave up hope.
Every time they made a move, the two beasts would stop and glare at them ferociously. When they stopped moving, the animals would continue fighting.
Qinghe chuckled to herself. She had said it before, the animals here were not like those outside kept in cages, only knowing how to stupidly eat and sleep. Each one was cunning. Although they were not as spiritual as the Snow Wolves, in this forest where the law of the jungle prevailed, how could there be any fools?
Despair flickered in their eyes—were they really going to die here? No, that couldn't be. They had survived many dangerous places before; it made no sense for them to end up in the belly of a beast now.
Since there was no other way, they had to fight back with all they had. In the end, if they could both inflict heavy damage on each other, then they would have a chance.
Apparently, they all thought the same, and having come to this realization, they casually sat down to recover their strength. After all, they had been running from the tiger for a long time, and a tough fight was awaiting them, so naturally, they needed to recover their energy.
Qinghe closed her eyes and used the nearby plants to sense what they "saw", then transmitted the images seen through their "eyes" into her own mind.
Now understanding what had happened, she squinted at the leopard with its swift and nimble movements and robust limbs—it was familiar. She wondered why she felt the leopard's aura seemed familiar.
Ha, it turned out they had a history. So, this leopard stealing the tiger's prey must have learned it from her.
She remembered it must have been when she was ten years old, feeling too lazy to wait for the other Snow Wolves to return because she was hungry, she went out to find food. Just a few steps out, she saw a cheetah that had just killed an antelope. She would not let go of a meal ready to be eaten.
Without morals, she snatched the prey away, bound the cheetah with plants due to her laziness, and took the antelope home. She only remembered to release it after she had her fill.
She recalled that the cheetah wasn't as big back then and was clearly not yet fully grown. Now, this cheetah had a large frame and beautifully sleek lines, evidently a fully-grown adult.
With the skill of this cheetah, it probably lived in the inner part of the forest. It couldn't be because of her that it came to the periphery, could it?
Qinghe had hit the nail on the head. It was the cheetah's first time hunting alone, away from its parents, and it had run into her, her unlucky star. It was sure to leave a scar on its young heart.
The two that were fighting started to grow impatient after a while, finally fixing a unanimous stare at the prey before them. In their eyes, there was no need to fight over so many prey, but animal possessiveness was too strong, especially against other species. They could not possibly peacefully coexist and share.
But now, having fought for so long without one defeating the other, might as well eat first. Otherwise, if other animals were attracted by the noise, they would lose out.