## Chapter 258: Encountering a Saber-toothed Tiger on a Narrow Road!
Hearing Lin Ye’s words, Shi immediately began collecting branches to start a fire. Several Beast-eared Girls also helped, and a small bonfire was soon lit. Lin Ye used two wooden sticks to support the freshly cut deerskin, placing it beside the bonfire to roast until all the gelatinous substance inside was cooked out. He then took a knife and wrapped it directly around the handle. He carefully smoothed out the wrinkles and tightened the deerskin. Next, he secured both ends with thin hemp rope. This way, the sword hilt was wrapped. Doing this served two purposes: it prevented slipping and made the grip more comfortable. Lin Ye then wrapped the handle of the other knife in the same manner. He tested both knives with a few swings before returning them to Xing and Yun.
The two Horned Girls, upon taking back their knives, immediately felt how much more convenient they were to hold with the deerskin-wrapped handles. The previous feeling of a cold, hard iron rod was gone, replaced by the warmth and soft, conforming feel of the deerskin. They looked at their knives with surprise. Such a simple wrapping of beast skin had made such a significant difference in their grip. They then turned their attention to the sheaths. With the sheaths, they wouldn’t have to worry about rusting when the knives were not in use. More importantly, they wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally injuring themselves or others.
The other Beast-eared Girls and Winged Girls curiously looked at the knives in Xing and Yun’s hands, thinking that Lin Ye would be making daggers for them tomorrow. This eased their initial envy. The sky was getting late, so everyone returned to the open space to start a fire and cook. Ying and Yun, however, remained by the side, continually admiring their new knives. The other Beast-eared Girls and Winged Girls also gathered around to watch. After the food was cooked and eaten, everyone returned to the wooden houses to sleep. Xing and Yun, however, wanted to sleep with their knives. Eventually, Lin Ye pretended to be angry, which made them abandon the idea.
After everyone had lain down, Xing and Yun were still so overjoyed with their new weapons that they couldn’t fall asleep. The other Beast-eared Girls and Winged Girls, too, were similarly affected. Their inability to sleep was due to Lin Ye’s promise to craft new weapons for them the next day. All the Beast-eared Girls and Winged Girls tossed and turned in bed, only falling asleep after a long time.
The next morning, Lin Ye, along with the impatient Beast-eared Girls and Winged Girls, departed for the iron mine. Along the way, the Beast-eared Girls and Winged Girls were all smiles and laughter. Lin Ye also taught a couple of Beast-eared Girls how to secure their knives to their bodies. Yun’s knife was shorter and could be hung at her waist. Xing’s, however, needed to be worn on her back. Thus, the two set off with their new weapons, accompanying the rest of the group.
Riding horses on the road, everyone chatted happily. Xing and Yun secretly hoped to encounter a beast, giving them a chance to test their new weapons. A Unicorn was pulling the carriage at the front, with Ying, Diona, and Setsuna inside. This time, the three of them had brought the three wolf cubs along as well. The three cubs had grown considerably, from about thirty centimeters initially to nearly half a meter now. However, because Lin Ye had continuously fed Ying and the other two cooked meat for the cubs and they hadn’t been taught hunting or fighting by their mother wolf, these three wolf cubs still hadn’t shown any trace of wildness. Lin Ye observed them; their downy fur had not yet fully shed, making them look identical to puppies.
However, just as the Unicorn was pulling the carriage towards the wooden bridge by the river, an unexpected situation occurred. The Unicorn suddenly stopped. Its large eyes became sharp. Seeing the Unicorn stop, the wild horses behind it also halted. The Beast-eared Girls, who had been chatting happily just moments before, now looked forward in confusion. The Winged Girls, who had been flying at a low altitude and chatting with the Beast-eared Girls, noticed everyone had stopped. They hovered in mid-air, flapping their wings, and also looked forward in confusion.
Upon seeing that the carriage had also stopped, the Winged Girls flapped their wings and began to ascend, wanting to see what was happening ahead. However, as the Winged Girls rose higher, their expressions drastically changed, and they immediately took out their Zhuge Liang Crossbows. When the Unicorn stopped, Lin Ye immediately noticed its abnormality and then received information transmitted by the Unicorn. As Lin Ye was reading, a massive tiger, with orange and white mottled fur and a black character for “king” on its head, walked towards them from ahead. Lin Ye also saw that its upper jaw extended downwards with two fangs that reached past its chin.
“Saber-toothed tiger!” Lin Ye silently exclaimed in his heart upon seeing the tiger. This saber-toothed tiger had a shoulder height of at least two meters and a terrifying body length of nearly four meters. Lin Ye noticed its stomach was concave and its eyes glowed green, indicating it had been starving for days. When Lin Ye saw the saber-toothed tiger, it also saw Lin Ye, the Beast-eared Girls, and the Winged Girls. Seeing the plump bodies of the Unicorn and the wild horses, the saber-toothed tiger’s mouth immediately began to drool, dripping down its sharp fangs. At this moment, Ming Yun descended from the sky and shouted to the Beast-eared Girls, “Everyone be careful, there’s a saber-toothed tiger ahead!”
As soon as Ming Yun uttered these words, everyone instantly became tense. Regardless of the location, tigers are at the top of the food chain. Moreover, in primitive society, humans are also their prey. However, soon, all the Beast-eared Girls calmed down. They had all experienced significant events, having faced an entire Pig-headed Tribe and a complete wolf pack led by a Wolf King. The Beast-eared Girls had overcome them all through their collective efforts. Therefore, upon hearing the news, they only experienced brief panic before calming down. Subsequently, all the Beast-eared Girls took out their Zhuge Liang Crossbows.
Xing and Yun exchanged glances, a glint of excitement in their eyes. The two Horned Girls drew their knives and began walking towards the front of the carriage. Lin Ye, from inside the carriage, opened the door and pulled out his wolf-tooth club. Ying and the other two inside the carriage felt the carriage stop. Just as they were about to peek out, they saw Lin Ye open the door and stick his head out. Ying was about to ask a question, but before she could speak, Lin Ye addressed the three inside the carriage, “Stay in the carriage and don’t move. We’ll be able to move forward soon.” After speaking, Lin Ye retreated with his wolf-tooth club.
Ying, Diona, and Setsuna were left inside the carriage, utterly bewildered. Lin Ye had told them not to move recklessly, but they couldn’t suppress their curiosity. They all opened their windows to look out. As soon as they opened their windows, they saw Xing and Yun holding their knives, their eyes fixed on the front. The others, holding their Zhuge Liang Crossbows, followed behind Xing and Yun, also looking intently ahead as they slowly advanced. Seeing this scene, the three of them became even more confused.
They followed the direction the other Beast-eared Girls were looking and saw the enormous saber-toothed tiger. “Ah!” Upon seeing the saber-toothed tiger, Ying shrieked. Diona and Setsuna, seeing such a large saber-toothed tiger, stopped breathing for a moment, their pupils contracting sharply. Diona’s vertical pupils had become mere slits. Lin Ye jumped down from the carriage, wolf-tooth club in hand, his eyes never leaving the saber-toothed tiger. Because Lin Ye and the Beast-eared Girls and Winged Girls were on an uphill slope, the saber-toothed tiger was less than fifty meters away from the carriage when it appeared.
The saber-toothed tiger made no sound. Its limbs were slightly bent, entering a hunting stance. Its body lowered, and two bones protruded from its shoulders. Its eyes were fixed on the Unicorn and wild horses on the carriage’s side. The drool dripped faster and faster from its fangs.
