Chapter 31: Snatching a Life from the Leopard's Jaws

Cheng Xiangyu knitted her delicate brows. "Is there a leopard nearby?"

Lin Feng nodded and whispered, "Don't make a sound. It’s likely just passing through; it hasn't marked us as prey, or else it wouldn't have made any noise."

He was exceptionally calm, for he possessed the strength to kill a full-grown leopard with his bare hands. The only risk was the possibility of sustaining an injury while dealing with a hungry beast. He remained completely unruffled, knowing that leopards typically hunt by locking onto their prey and lying in ambush within the tall grass, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to strike. As long as they didn't draw its attention, they would be safe.

Moments later, a golden leopard covered in black spots appeared in their field of vision. It stood exactly between Lin Feng’s party and Wang Xingyu’s trio, about twenty meters from each.

Upon seeing the leopard, Cheng Xiangyu held her breath, terrified of being discovered. Lin Feng, however, exhaled in relief. Judging by its appearance, it was a small-framed adult male, weighing around 40 kilograms. Even if it were starving and vicious, he was confident he could kill it with his bare hands without getting hurt.

He Tiantian and Qin Meng stood frozen in terror, shivering uncontrollably.

"Ah... a leopard!" Wang Xingyu shrieked in panic.

Normally, while a leopard can see objects over a thousand meters away, it is red-green colorblind and relies primarily on sound and movement to track prey. If one stands perfectly still, it is difficult for the beast to spot them. Wang Xingyu’s scream immediately drew the leopard’s attention.

Startled by the sudden shriek, the leopard let out a growl—"Grrr..."—and hunched its body, stepping backward cautiously. At that moment, had Wang Xingyu acted aggressively and lunged toward the leopard, it likely would have retreated. Instead, terrified out of his wits, he turned and ran, committing a fatal mistake. To aid his escape, he shoved He Tiantian and Qin Meng aside.

He Tiantian, having been pushed before, managed to dodge to the side. But Qin Meng was caught off guard; she had never expected Wang Xingyu to do such a thing and had no defense ready.

"Ah!" With a cry of distress, she was shoved to the ground.

Watching this, Cheng Xiangyu frowned. She recalled a previous incident where Yuan Shuang had tried to harm them, and Wang Xingyu had acted in the exact same manner. Only now did she realize how ridiculous she had been to believe his excuses—that he had simply been panicked and desperate to find Lin Feng for help.

The leopard, which had been retreating, saw Wang Xingyu flee and heard Qin Meng’s scream. It immediately realized that these creatures were just as timid as small animals.

"Hiss—!" With a fierce snarl, it launched itself like an arrow toward the fallen Qin Meng.

"Lin Feng, help me!" Qin Meng stared at the blood-red jaws and razor-sharp claws, her body paralyzed with terror. Despair washed over her. Her only hope was Lin Feng, but she had angered him earlier—would he still save her? Even if he wanted to, could he? The leopard was positioned between them, and its explosive, lightning-fast speed was insurmountable.

It was over.

Just as Qin Meng thought she was about to die, Lin Feng let out a sudden, thunderous roar—a sound like that of a tiger or a lion. It was a special technique his grandfather had taught him, designed to scare away predators in the wild. Though he was strong enough to kill a leopard, it was a protected species, and he preferred to avoid unnecessary violence. However, the roar was extremely taxing on his throat; he could only perform it three times before losing his voice, which was why he hadn't used it against the wild boar earlier.

In this dire moment, he had no choice. He didn't want to save Qin Meng, but he couldn't stand by and watch her die when he had the power to intervene.

The leopard skidded to a halt, kicking up a cloud of leaves and dirt. Its eyes turned sharp and wary as it locked onto Lin Feng. It valued its own safety far more than the hunt.

"Roar—!" Seeing the leopard intimidated, Lin Feng roared again. He snatched the branch Cheng Xiangyu had been using as a walking stick and charged toward the beast.

Caught off guard by the roar, the leopard faltered. Seeing Lin Feng charging forward fearlessly, it perceived him as an even more terrifying predator. It turned and bolted, disappearing into the brush in the blink of an eye.

The others stood in a daze, unable to process what had just happened. No one had expected Lin Feng to be so powerful, his roar echoing like a wild beast, nor that he would be brave enough to charge a leopard with nothing but a stick.

Cheng Xiangyu looked at Lin Feng with newfound admiration and awe. He was a true man. She no longer looked down on him as a poor boy, nor did she feel it was beneath her to take his orders. It was a pity he already had a girlfriend. Although they were on the brink of breaking up, the fact that he risked his life to save Qin Meng proved he hadn't moved on.

Lin Feng made sure the leopard was gone before turning to Qin Meng and offering his hand. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she replied, taking his hand to pull herself up.

Lin Feng then turned to Wang Xingyu and rebuked him: "You bastard. You were the one who made noise and put us all in danger. Not only did you shove He Tiantian and Qin Meng to use them as bait, you nearly got Qin Meng killed."

His voice was hoarse and quiet, strained from the roar. He scolded Wang Xingyu because he was tired of being stepped on by the son of the City Lord. He wanted to reclaim his dignity and stop everyone, especially Qin Meng, from defending the man.

Yet, as soon as he finished, Qin Meng brushed his hand away. "Lin Feng, how dare you blame Young Master Wang?" she snapped. "You had the power to drive the leopard away—why did you wait so long to act? You let Young Master Wang be terrified, and I was nearly eaten! I won't hold this against you, but you need to apologize to Young Master Wang immediately and beg for his forgiveness."

In her heart, she cursed Lin Feng for a fool, knowing he was only inviting trouble by offending the City Lord's son.