Chapter 3: Truly Proving Oneself a True Hero

Dong Jian and a few others left, but Lin Mao, the leader of the hunters, still came to persuade him. “Chief, even if you take it into the prison, I have to say—”

“Don’t speak yet. Come with me up the mountain first. Time is tight; we need to prepare,” Su Wu waved his hand and rode ahead, leading the way toward Jingyang Ridge.

Lin Mao was anxious and urged those around him, “Quick, quick, follow the chief!”

A group of dozens moved in a grand procession toward Jingyang Ridge. The path was easy—this area was usually bustling with merchants and travelers. Yanggu County had a canal, and many surrounding prefectures relied on the Grand Canal for trade between north and south.

But now, the road from those prefectures to Yanggu’s canal dock was empty. That tiger had likely claimed dozens of lives already, which explained why the magistrate Meng Yi’s superiors were so anxious.

This tiger didn’t necessarily eat all its victims; more often, it was defending its territory.

Su Wu scanned his surroundings as they moved forward.

“What are you looking for, Chief? I can help,” Lin Mao asked.

“A soft and dense spot in the forest,” Su Wu replied.

“Follow me, Chief,” Lin Mao said, leading the way. “We’ll cross here, then descend slightly on the north side...” Lin Mao was far more familiar with this forest than Su Wu.

They arrived at a spot shaded by a large tree, where a soft clearing was covered in dry branches and leaves.

“This is it. Dig! We must have a large pit dug before nightfall!” Su Wu began organizing.

Lin Mao, an experienced hunter, understood immediately and directed his men, “As the Chief commands, dig quickly!”

Everyone started working energetically.

Lin Mao cautioned, “Chief, are you planning to use yourself as bait to lure the beast into the pit? That’s risky. If anything goes wrong, the consequences would be disastrous. You should reconsider.”

“When life is on the line, there’s no room for caution. More people won’t help. This is the only way. Just follow my orders,” Su Wu said solemnly, his sense of duty clear. Behind his resolve was the desire to earn their loyalty.

“Chief, why take such a risk? Even if it fails tonight, you’d only suffer a few more beatings tomorrow. You’re risking yourself alone—if you slip up...”

“No more words. Listen to me. We’ve been out here for more than a month, and each brother has family waiting. How can I bear to keep dragging this on?” Su Wu’s words moved Lin Mao and the others deeply, though worry still clouded their faces.

Lin Mao was about to speak again.

“No more talk!” Su Wu snapped.

Lin Mao sighed helplessly, glanced around, and then looked at Su Wu once more before turning back to the digging men, drawing his hunting knife to help pry the soil.

The pit had to be large and deep. Tigers could leap powerfully, so the bottom had to be lined with upward-pointing blades, covered lightly with dry branches and leaves.

They also had to carry the earth far away. The hunters were well versed in such traps, though it was a considerable undertaking—fortunately, there were many hands.

Everyone worked with great enthusiasm.

Su Wu was busy collecting equipment from the hunters and constables—three heavy crossbows were essential, along with ropes, long spears, and forks.

He gathered everything into a pile.

Lin Mao said, “Chief, no matter how many weapons and bows you gather, if you don’t strike a vital spot, the beast will only grow more frenzied.”

“Don’t worry about that. This is do or die,” Su Wu said flatly. He had already committed fully.

The pit continued to deepen.

Two hours later, Su Wu was satisfied. The hunters then began camouflaging the pit, their specialty.

As dusk approached, Dong Jian finally returned, breathless, carrying a suit of iron armor—shoulder guards, neck piece, helmet, breastplate, skirt armor, arm guards, leg guards, groin protector...

The armor of the Song infantry was truly excellent. Even patched together from scraps, it was evidently well made and weighed at least fifty or sixty pounds.

“Chief, the brothers truly can’t bear to see you fight that beast alone. I’ll stay and keep you company. Two are better than one,” Dong Jian said, his eyes full of genuine concern as he looked at Su Wu.

“I’m afraid if there are two of us, it won’t come,” Su Wu replied, recalling the story of Wu Song fighting the tiger, who only targeted Wu Song and not the two hunters nearby. This tiger was smart—it knew when to strike.

“Even if it doesn’t come, it’s better than you facing it alone,” Dong Jian said, worry etched across his face, even a hint of grievance in his gaze.

Su Wu ignored him, inspecting the pit’s camouflaged surface.

He gave instructions: “At nightfall, split into two groups. One patrols the northern slope, the other the southern. No need to search or drive it out; that might scare it. Just stay put.”

This was a deliberate tactic to herd the tiger toward Su Wu. Since the tiger was intelligent, it would patrol its territory nearby and detect the intruder—Su Wu—ensuring tonight’s plan would not fail.

Lin Mao understood and stepped forward to speak.

Su Wu cut him off: “The arrow’s already on the string. No more talk. Let’s go! Move! Don’t provoke my anger.”

His eyes glared, his hands urged them away.

Those being driven off glanced back repeatedly, wanting to speak but dared not.

Helpless, they descended the mountain. The preparations were complete.

As they left, Lin Mao whispered to Dong Jian, “Your chief is truly a formidable man.”

“What use is that now? I just hope he returns safely,” Dong Jian replied anxiously.

“He will. He must,” Lin Mao said, as if praying.

“We owe the chief a great debt,” Dong Jian said, wiping his eyes as if about to cry.

“Ah... Everyone knew the chief was no ordinary man, but who expected such nobility?” Lin Mao sighed, reluctant to leave, glancing back toward the mountain.

Alone on the mountain, Su Wu kept busy.

He positioned the three crossbows high up, hidden among branches and leaves, connecting their triggers with thin strings concealed on the tree trunks.

He repeatedly tested the crossbows to ensure perfect accuracy, adjusting their aim and memorizing the strike points—an essential detail.

He scattered the spears and forks beneath dry leaves, ensuring weapons were always within easy reach.

Remembering how Wu Song’s cane broke mid-fight, leaving him bare-handed, Su Wu was determined to avoid such vulnerability.

Humans dominated the earth millennia ago because of weapons; they were indispensable. Even facing a tiger, having a long weapon to stab with greatly increased the odds of survival.

He planned to stand before the pit, not behind it. If he stood behind, the tiger might hesitate, making the trap less effective. Standing ahead meant the tiger had to come close—he might even have to dodge the first leap.

The thought made his hair stand on end, adrenaline surging through him.

For added security, he found a nearby tree and tied a rope for climbing, placing two more spears in the branches. If needed, he could retreat up the tree. Though tigers can climb, stabbing downward with a spear was better than nothing—a precaution.

He donned the armor—heavy infantry gear weighing dozens of pounds. Though cumbersome, it was necessary. The neck piece especially had to be fastened tightly and connected firmly to the helmet.

Big cats always target the neck first when attacking.

Only after putting on the armor did Su Wu feel slightly more at ease, securing a long knife at his waist and placing spears nearby.

He paced back and forth, rehearsing his moves over and over, knowing the importance of practice.

Exhausted, he sat and ate some flatbread from Wu Dalang’s home, drank water, then rose to inspect the area again, tidying any disorder to keep the surroundings looking natural.

Night deepened, the forest grew silent except for the rustling leaves stirred by a chilling wind.

Su Wu sat by the pit, eyes wide open, utterly vigilant.

The moon rose, its silver light spilling across the distant landscape, but the shadows beneath the trees made the cold breeze feel even more eerie, sending shivers down the spine.