Chapter 37: Slaying the Leopard

Hearing Wang Xingyu’s words, Qin Meng and He Tiantian were struck by sudden, intense embarrassment as they recalled how they had adamantly accused Lin Feng of peeking at them while they changed, only to realize they had misunderstood him.

Hoping to convince Lin Feng to treat Wang Xingyu, they quickly offered their apologies. "Lin Feng, we’re sorry. We were wrong to misunderstand you. We didn’t know Young Master Wang was just joking."

Lin Feng turned his gaze to Wang Xingyu. "If it was a joke and they took it seriously, why didn't you clarify it for me at the time?"

Uh?

Wang Xingyu was left speechless. He could only apologize again, "I’m sorry, Brother Lin, Brother Feng. I was wrong. I beg you, please, treat me."

Lin Feng waved his hand dismissively. "I cannot forgive you, and I certainly won’t treat you. You are a scoundrel; healing you would only enable you to harm more innocent people, which would be no better than aiding a villain. I am a doctor, not a saint!"

With that, he picked up a burning branch from the fire and waved it at Wang Xingyu, Qin Meng, and He Tiantian, shouting, "Get out! Get out of here!"

Seeing that Lin Feng was completely unmoved, He Tiantian grew angry. She scoffed, "Lin Feng, don’t think that just because you're a doctor, no one else can treat Young Master Wang. We were only giving you a chance to curry favor with him. If you don't know how to cherish it, then fine."

She turned to Wang Xingyu and said, "Young Master Wang, let’s go. I have a way to treat you."

"Really?" Wang Xingyu was overjoyed.

Qin Meng looked at He Tiantian with anticipation, though she was puzzled: if there was a way, why had they bothered coming to Lin Feng in the first place?

He Tiantian whispered, "Young Master Wang, have you forgotten? We still have quite a few herbs that Lin Feng collected back there. I’m sure one of them must be the cure for your condition."

Only then did Qin Meng understand.

Still, she remained worried. "Tiantian, there are herbs there, but each one treats a different ailment. You can’t just use them randomly. Are you sure you can do this?"

He Tiantian smiled. "Don't worry. I helped Lin Feng dig those herbs up. I was bored at the time, so I asked him about their properties, and he told me everything. I won't use the wrong one. I was just so anxious seeing Young Master Wang unconscious that I forgot about it."

Qin Meng and Wang Xingyu both smiled at this.

However, Wang Xingyu was still anxious. He said, "Lin Feng, I’ll give you one last chance. Treat me, and we can be friends. When we return, I’ll grant you many favors. But if you refuse, you will become my enemy, and you will bear the consequences."

He was still hoping Lin Feng would treat him.

Lin Feng simply picked up the burning branch and swung it at him. His actions provided the answer his words had not.

"Fine, Lin Feng, you’ve got guts. Just you wait."

Wang Xingyu retreated repeatedly, dodging the attack, and shot a cold, threatening look at him.

Qin Meng added, "Lin Feng, you idiot. We gave you a chance, and you’re acting high and mighty. Do you really think we care about staying in this cave?"

"I’ve seen it—this is a leopard's den. When that fierce leopard returns, I want to see how you die."

He Tiantian chimed in, "Exactly. We only wanted to stay out of kindness, to help them deal with the leopard. Since he’s so ungrateful and wants to drive us away, then let’s go. When the leopard attacks, he’ll be the one regretting this."

The three of them left the cave, grumbling as they headed back the way they came.

"Grrr... meow..."

They hadn't walked more than a few minutes when they heard the sound of a leopard ahead.

They hurriedly dove into the nearby bushes, holding their breath and not daring to make a sound. While feeling terrified, they were also filled with anticipation. They all hoped the leopard would charge into the cave and tear Lin Feng to shreds.

Wang Xingyu clenched his fists. Not only did he hope Lin Feng would be killed, but he also hoped Cheng Xiangyu would suffer the same fate. Ideally, Lin Feng and the leopard would destroy each other. That way, he could have all three beauties for himself, and he’d have an entire leopard to eat.

Meanwhile, inside the cave, Cheng Xiangyu heard the leopard’s growl. She frowned, worriedly asking, "Lin Feng, the leopard is back. Are you really sure you can kill it?"

Lin Feng smiled and picked up a wooden pole. One could see a dagger firmly tied to it with vines.

"I could kill it with my bare hands, let alone with a weapon like this."

He tossed a sharpened wooden stick to Cheng Xiangyu and said, "Take this, hide in the corner, and stay on guard."

"Understood!" Cheng Xiangyu replied. She took the stick, leaned against the cave wall, and prepared to defend herself.

Lin Feng, holding the pole with the dagger attached, moved to the side of the entrance and hid.

"Grrr..."

Outside the cave, the leopard saw the firelight and realized its den had been occupied. It let out a roar, hoping to scare off the intruders. Seeing no movement inside, it crouched low, advancing slowly while remaining on guard and ready to strike.

After a long while, it entered the cave.

"Grrr..."

Its eyesight was poor. It scanned left and right, saw no enemies, and let out another roar.

Lin Feng held his breath, waiting for the perfect moment. He sighed internally at how sharp the instincts of wild animals were. Cheng Xiangyu gripped her stick tightly, deeply worried for Lin Feng.

Outside the cave, Wang Xingyu and the others saw that the leopard hadn't attacked them and had headed straight for the cave. They breathed a sigh of relief.

They watched the cave with even greater anticipation, waiting for the desired outcome.

Inside, the leopard, having roared without detecting any enemies, remained cautious. It crouched low, ready to defend or attack, and moved forward slowly.

Lin Feng watched it quietly, completely unfazed, waiting for the right moment.

Gradually, the leopard moved entirely into the cave, exposing its hindquarters to him.

The time had come!

"Hey!"

Lin Feng deliberately shouted to grab the leopard's attention. He did this to force the leopard to make the first move, so he could spot a weakness and deliver a killing blow.

With its back to him, the leopard’s main forms of attack were to stiffen its tail like an iron whip and lash out, or to turn around with lightning speed. Although there were only two options, a misjudgment would be fatal. That was why Lin Feng had baited the leopard into moving first.

As expected, the leopard reacted to the sound by forcefully whipping its tail toward the source of the noise.

The moment it swung, Lin Feng seized the opening and thrust the dagger on the pole toward the leopard's tail.

The leopard’s tail was incredibly tough; it actually managed to knock the dagger off the pole. However, the blade sliced the tail clean in two.

Lin Feng immediately leaped, mounting the leopard's back so it couldn't turn around and attack him with its claws.

The leopard, now unable to lash out with its tail, tried to turn its head to bite Lin Feng while thrashing its body to throw him off.

Lin Feng had anticipated this. As the leopard turned to bite, he jammed the wooden pole into its gaping maw. The dagger had been knocked off, but the other end had been sharpened to a point; it was this end that pierced the beast's mouth.

Combined with the force of the leopard turning and Lin Feng’s thrust, the pole pierced straight through the leopard’s upper palate.

By then, the leopard had lost most of its fighting strength.

Lin Feng made quick work of it, and within moments, the leopard was dead.