24: Chapter 24 Capturing the Tiger King Alive

To test the combat effectiveness of his new troop types and his own refined strength, Gao Feng led his team out hunting once again.

This time, his team consisted of ten shield-bearers and ten newly formed spearmen.

Soon, they encountered a sturdy adult tiger foraging in the mountain forest.

"Form up!" Gao Feng commanded without any wasted words.

The ten shield-bearers immediately stepped forward, growling as they slammed their shields hard into the ground, forming an impenetrable, sturdy shield wall that resembled a mobile fortress.

The tiger was startled, let out a roar, and pounced forward with a foul stench!

"Bang!"

The tiger's impact, comparable to a battering ram, slammed heavily into the shield wall, emitting a loud noise.

The two shield-bearers in the front were knocked back repeatedly, their blood and Qi roiling, but they gritted their teeth and stubbornly withstood this fatal blow!

"Thrust!"

Just at the moment when the tiger was blocked by the shield wall, its old momentum spent and new strength yet to arise, Gao Feng precisely seized this opportunity!

The spearmen in the back row let out a unified shout, and from the gaps between the shields, ten sharp, three-edged armor-piercing spears suddenly thrust out!

"Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!"

A series of sounds of sharp blades entering flesh rang out!

That fierce tiger didn't even have time to scream before its body was instantly pierced by several spears. Blood sprayed wildly, and it was firmly pinned to the ground. Its massive body twitched twice, and then it completely ceased all movement!

Clean! Efficient! Zero casualties!

This perfectly executed hunt allowed all the participating soldiers to see the immense power of "troop coordination"!

They were all flushed with excitement, their confidence overflowing, and morale soaring.

Looking at the tiger easily hunted before him and feeling the surging power within his body ready to break out, Gao Feng felt a sudden surge of heroic spirit.

Although he had not yet formally achieved a Breakthrough to the third rank, with superior equipment, tacit tactical formation coordination, and the advantage of numbers, he could definitely deal with that third-rank Tiger King!

The plan to capture the Tiger King alive and exchange it for wealth could now be officially put on the agenda!

With the strengthening of the team's power and the addition of a new batch of refugees, the comprehensive strength of Panshi Stockade reached an unprecedented height.

The Old Blacksmith even used captured iron armor to tailor a suit of fitting armor for Gao Feng. Paired with the brand-new spear in his hand, standing on high ground, he looked even more awe-inspiring, like a Heavenly God descending to earth.

The plan to capture the Tiger King alive was officially launched.

The entire Panshi Stockade entered a state of final preparation.

Uncle Sun brewed a large amount of golden sore medicine and antidotes; Luo Qin personally led the female guard, carefully coating all the arrows reinforced by the spirit spring with a paralyzing anesthetic concocted by Uncle Sun from various herbs, capable of paralyzing beasts for a short time.

This time, Gao Feng's goal was very clear—to capture it alive.

A dead Tiger King might sell for one or two hundred taels.

But a live third-rank Tiger King was a symbol of status and power to those high-and-mighty big shots, worth a thousand taels of silver!

He, along with Luo Qin, Old Qiu, Slim Monkey, and other core members, gathered around the sand table, spending several nights repeatedly simulating and formulating a complex, interlocking plan that could be called a net of heaven and earth.

"First step, lure."

Gao Feng pointed to a mark on the sand table, "According to Uncle Sun's records, the Tiger King loves to eat a kind of 'Fragrant Fruit' that emits a strange fragrance. I have already sent people to find this fruit. When the time comes, we will use its scent to lure the Tiger King out of its lair."

"Second step, exhaust."

His finger traced across a narrow valley, "We will lure the Tiger King into this preset battlefield. The terrain here is complex, mostly with scattered rocks and narrow paths, which is unfavorable for it to exert its speed advantage. By then, the spear formation will hold the front, and the archer team will harass it from high ground, using the paralyzing arrows to consume its stamina as much as possible, reducing its speed and reaction."

"Third step, trap!"

His finger finally pointed to the end of the valley, "Here, I have already had Big Fool lead people to dig a massive pit three zhang deep and five zhang wide! It is covered with camouflage, and the bottom is filled with the toughest vine nets we have prepared long ago."

He raised his head, his eyes flashing with confident light: "The final step, subdue! Once the Tiger King falls into the trap, Big Fool will use his giant hammer to intimidate it from above, and I will personally go down into the pit to completely bind it using special cow-tendon ropes soaked in tung oil!"

The entire plan left everyone present feeling both blood-boiling and terrified.

Just one day before the plan was to be implemented, at the mountain pass, a predetermined emergency signal suddenly came—three sharp eagle cries!

"It's Steward Chen!"

A soldier in charge of guarding rushed over to report.

Gao Feng frowned and immediately took people to the pass.

In such a short time, Chen Fu had actually taken such a huge risk to come again; something major must have happened!

Sure enough, when Gao Feng met Chen Fu, this shrewd steward had already lost his usual composure. He was drenched in sweat, panting, and as soon as he saw Gao Feng, it was like seeing a savior.

"High... High King! It's bad!"

Chen Fu grabbed Gao Feng's arm, his voice trembling.

"Steward Chen, don't rush, speak slowly. What happened?" Gao Feng supported him and asked in a deep voice.

Chen Fu took a few heavy breaths before hurriedly saying: "It's Young Master Zhang Yang of the Qinghe County Magistrate! That little bully somehow heard the news about the Tiger King in the 'Ghost Sees Sorrow' mountain range and actually hired a 'Tiger Slaying Squad' composed of Jianghu experts at a high price, with over twenty people, all of them desperadoes! They have already entered the mountain range, and their target is the Tiger King!"

This news caused the expressions of Old Qiu and the others behind Gao Feng to change.

Chen Fu continued anxiously: "High King, you don't know! That Young Master Zhang is the most arrogant and overbearing person, and he holds grudges! Once he gets his hands on it first, not only will your big deal be ruined, but most importantly, given that Young Master's personality, if he discovers Panshi Stockade, he will never allow such an uncontrolled force to exist next to his territory! By then, I'm afraid... I'm afraid it will attract the Government Soldiers to encircle and suppress you!"

These words were like a basin of cold water poured onto everyone's heated hearts.

Gao Feng's expression also instantly became serious.

The thing he worried about most had happened after all.

Panshi Stockade, this paradise, could not remain isolated forever.

Trouble had come faster and more fiercely than he had expected.

He looked at Chen Fu's anxious face, but his mind was racing.

Give up? Absolutely impossible!

This was not just about five hundred taels of silver; it was the first step for Panshi Stockade to show its sword to the outside world and establish its prestige!

Head-on clash?

The other side had strength in numbers and government backing; it would be unwise.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning, and finally, a bolder, riskier, and more vicious plan took shape in his heart.