The jungle was thick, humid, and relentless. The deeper they moved into it, the more Li Wei could feel the weight of the task ahead. Tigers were apex predators, and even a weakened one posed a grave threat. They had been in the jungle for days now, camping under the canopy of dense trees, their senses attuned to every noise. The nights were the hardest—mosquitoes swarmed constantly, and every rustle in the undergrowth could mean the tiger was near, or something worse.
Li Wei and Zhao Jun took turns keeping watch at night, their eyes constantly scanning the darkness. The Li family butler and the mayor's bodyguard, seasoned warriors both, seemed used to such conditions, though even they showed signs of wear. The local hunter, Old Chen, was invaluable. He knew the jungle's patterns, how the animals moved, and how to read the land.
"We'll have to be patient," Old Chen had told them on the first night, sitting around a small fire that gave off just enough warmth to keep the cold at bay but not enough light to give away their position. "Tracking a tiger isn't a quick process. It'll take days, maybe a week. We're not just dealing with any animal. Tigers are clever—they can double back on their tracks, wait for hours without moving, and they always know when they're being hunted."
Li Wei listened intently, his usual calm demeanor unshaken. He had expected this to be a long process, and he was prepared for it. Zhao Jun, practical as always, nodded in agreement. Both young men knew that patience was just as important as strength in this hunt.
The first two days had been mostly about scouting. Old Chen led them through the thick jungle, pointing out signs that only his trained eyes could see—scratches on trees, crushed undergrowth, and faint tracks in the mud. "The tiger's staying close to the water," he explained, gesturing to a stream that ran through the heart of the jungle. "It's injured, so it'll need to drink often. That's where we'll set the trap."
They spent hours crafting a rudimentary trap—a pitfall covered with branches and leaves, designed to catch the tiger off-guard. Old Chen explained that traps like these were often the safest way to handle such a powerful predator. Even though the group was armed with bows and arrows, a direct fight with the tiger would be too dangerous. The trap would give them an advantage if they could lure the tiger into it.
Using bait was tricky. Tigers, especially experienced ones, were often wary of easy food. Old Chen suggested using a live goat tied to a tree near the water's edge. The goat's distress would act as a lure, tempting the tiger into the open where the trap was set.
For two nights, they waited in silence, watching from a distance as the goat bleated into the night. The tension in the air was palpable, but Li Wei remained focused. Zhao Jun, ever the strategist, whispered, "If the tiger doesn't take the bait soon, we'll have to move the trap further into the jungle."
On the third night, movement finally came, though not what they had hoped for. A rustling in the bushes near the trap set everyone on edge. Li Wei's hand moved to the hilt of his sword as Zhao Jun readied an arrow. They thought the tiger had arrived. But instead, a deer, startled and confused, stumbled into the trap. The branches and leaves collapsed under the animal's weight, and the pit snapped shut with a loud crack.
The trap had been sprung—but not by their intended target. The deer's panicked cries echoed through the jungle, and Old Chen cursed under his breath. "We've lost it. The tiger's too smart to come near now. It'll sense something's wrong."
Li Wei stood, his expression impassive as he assessed the situation. The hunter was right. Tigers were not foolish creatures. The moment the deer had triggered the trap, the tiger, wherever it was, would have sensed the danger and retreated further into the jungle. They would have to start over, and now the task would be even more difficult.
"Move quickly," Old Chen urged. "We'll have to track it deeper into the jungle. It'll avoid this area now."
The group worked fast, dismantling the failed trap and preparing to move further into the jungle. The terrain grew more treacherous the deeper they went. The air was thick with humidity, and the constant buzzing of mosquitoes made every step harder. The undergrowth became denser, the paths more difficult to navigate.
As they followed the tiger's trail, Old Chen pointed out more signs—a few broken branches here, a faint paw print there, fur snagged on a thorny bush. "It's moving slower now," he observed. "The injuries we've heard about must be real, but that only makes it more desperate."
The group pressed on, knowing the danger would only increase. Each night, they set up camp in silence, taking turns keeping watch while the others slept fitfully. Li Wei found himself growing accustomed to the tension, his body falling into a rhythm. This was the longest and most dangerous task he had ever undertaken, but he remained calm and focused, knowing that mistakes could be fatal.
By the fifth day, the jungle had become even thicker. Old Chen's tracking expertise kept them on course, but the tiger was proving to be more cunning than they had anticipated. It had doubled back several times, misleading them with false trails. Frustration began to build, but no one dared show it.
That night, as they sat around the fire, Li Wei couldn't help but imagine how different this hunt might be in one of those web novels he'd heard of. "You know, in those stories, we'd probably find out the tiger has a family waiting for it back home," he said with a chuckle. "Maybe it's a mother tiger with cubs, and after we defeat it, we'll have to raise the little tiger babies as our beast companions."
Zhao Jun raised an eyebrow, half-smiling. "Or maybe it'll turn out to be a spiritual guardian, and once we kill it, it'll curse us for all eternity."
"Right!" Li Wei laughed. "And then we'd have to go on a quest to find a magical artifact that can lift the curse, only to discover it's hidden in the lair of another even bigger tiger!"
Zhao grinned, shaking his head. "Now that would be a plot twist. But for now, let's hope we just deal with this one tiger first."
As they shared a laugh, Li Wei felt a wave of relief. Humor was a welcomed distraction from the weight of their task. They needed to focus on the tiger, but it was nice to momentarily escape into the realm of absurd possibilities.
The next morning, Zhao Jun sat across from Li Wei by the small fire they had set to keep warm. "We need a new strategy," he said quietly. "The tiger's too cautious now. If we set another trap, we'll need to mask our scent."
Li Wei nodded. Tigers had an extraordinary sense of smell, and they'd need to account for that. The next morning, they rubbed themselves with a mixture of leaves and dirt to mask their human scent and moved further into the jungle. They set up a series of snares near a choke point where Old Chen predicted the tiger would pass.
The next two days were spent in silence, watching and waiting. Finally, their patience paid off. The tiger appeared near the water's edge, moving cautiously but clearly injured. The group, hidden from sight, held their breath as the massive beast crept closer.
When the moment came, Li Wei and Zhao Jun moved swiftly. They loosed their arrows, three of them striking the tiger's side with precision. The tiger roared in pain, but instead of going down, it bolted, disappearing into the thick jungle once more.
"We've wounded it," Old Chen said, his tone grim. "But it's not dead yet. Now, it'll be even more dangerous."
Li Wei, steady as always, looked into the jungle where the tiger had fled. This was no longer about simply trapping the beast—it had become a matter of survival for them as much as it was for the tiger.