The cold wind howled, and snowflakes pelted the paper windows like pebbles.
Shu Lingyu skillfully dissected the Snow Flame Tiger with a sharp knife in her hand, while Shu Lingxue poured hot water to help her older sister.
Huo Yuhao casually pulled up a stool and sat down, drinking the hot tea that Shu Lingxue had prepared for him.
Shu Lingyu's knife tip sliced down along the fur, neatly cutting open the snow-white fur of the Snow Flame Tiger. The knife seemed to have a life of its own in Shu Lingyu's hand, and she peeled off the fur without damaging it in the slightest.
Next came the tiger claws, bone spurs, and the like, which were separated one by one by Shu Lingyu's knife.
After about half an hour, Shu Lingyu wiped the sweat from her forehead and threw the sharp knife in her hand into a basin of hot water.
"Sister, you've worked hard. Please have a cup of hot tea." Shu Lingxue sensibly handed over the tea and then began to help Shu Lingyu sort out the dissected flesh.
Shu Lingyu washed and dried her hands before taking the water glass. "It's alright, it's not tiring."
"By the way, Lingxue, we'll use this piece of meat for cooking later, so you don't need to clean it up and take it inside."
"Okay, sister, I understand!" Shu Lingxue smiled.
As she spoke, Shu Lingyu took out a bamboo basket and put all the tiger meat and fur that her sister had cut into pieces into it. Her skillful movements suggested that this was not the first time she had done this.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Huo Yuhao put down his teacup and reached out his hand to ask.
"Brother, it's alright, leave these things to me." Shu Lingxue waved her hand and dragged the bamboo basket into the innermost room downstairs, presumably to store it in the kitchen.
Shu Lingyu looked at Huo Yuhao, who was alone, and asked with some confusion, "Where are your companions?"
Huo Yuhao said casually, "They're tired, so they should rest for a bit. Oh, by the way, I have some coal here, do you need it?"
After Huo Yuhao finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a bright light flashed from his storage ring. A pile of coal, weighing about ten pounds, appeared on the floor of the hall.
Shu Lingxue glanced at the storage ring in his hand, then said nothing more, "Thank you."
She didn't stand on ceremony with Huo Yuhao; after all, she had taken them in, so it was only right that she get something in return. She immediately took out a wooden bucket from the corner and began to fill it with charcoal one by one.
These are all top-quality charcoal pieces, something Shu Lingyu and her friends rarely get to enjoy.
At this moment, Shu Lingxue, with her small body, finally finished her work. She took out a cutting board from the room, placed the remaining tiger meat on the cutting board, and began to slice it piece by piece.
Bang bang bang!
A loud knocking sounded from outside.
The three people inside the wooden house all turned their gazes toward the doorway.
Who is it?
Shu Lingyu put down her teacup with a puzzled look, got up and walked towards the door.
The urgent knocking stopped abruptly when she arrived at the door of the cabin.
About a second later.
With a "bang",
The gate outside the courtyard slammed to the ground, followed by a series of hurried footsteps.
Shu Lingyu reacted quickly, turning around and taking a sharp knife from the basin. Holding it tightly in her hand, she shielded her sister behind her and extinguished all the lights in the room.
The entire wooden house instantly darkened, except for a few slivers of moonlight filtering through the paper windows.
"Shh! Lingxue, don't make a sound," Shu Lingyu whispered.
Shu Lingyu held her breath, like a hunter in the darkness.
Shu Lingxue gripped her sister's sleeve tightly and whispered, "Sister..."
Through the window, you can see several figures outside, constantly peering into the wooden house.
Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed, a thick purple light rising from within them, revealing the entire situation outside.
Several burly men stood outside the wooden house, their faces contorted with rage and their lips curled into sinister smiles. Each of them held a large machete and stared menacingly into the house.
In front of the burly men, there was a Skinny Monkey- like voice, with a pointed face and a high-pitched, thin voice, saying, "That Snow Flame Tiger was pulled back by that little girl, Shu Lingyu. I saw it clearly."
"Alright, Skinny Monkey, what are you yelling about!" The burly man in the lead was getting impatient and kicked Skinny Monkey.
Skinny Monkey cried out "Ouch!" and stumbled and fell to the ground. Fortunately, the ground was covered in snow, so he wasn't completely disoriented.
He showed no resistance to the burly man's powerless actions, instead pleading obsequiously, "Brother is right, brother is right..."
" Shu Lingyu, I know you're in there. The lights were still on just now, so don't bother hiding." The burly man sneered and shouted into the house.
Shu Lingyu crouched in the corner of the room, looking warily outside, the sharp knife in her hand gleaming coldly. She did not respond.
Seeing that no one answered, the burly man sneered, drew his knife, and approached the door of the wooden house.
" Shu Lingyu, you haven't paid tribute for at least five months. I won't make things difficult for you. Just hand over that Snow Flame Tiger, and the Lord will forgive you."
"You can have the Snow Flame Tiger, but you must guarantee the safety of me and my sister," Shu Lingyu said calmly.
Shu Lingyu lowered her steps and slowly moved to the doorway. She took out a thin rope and tied the dagger to her right hand to prevent it from slipping out of her grasp.
"I bet you wouldn't dare refuse, so hurry up and open the door!" shouted one of the big man's henchmen.
"That's right, hurry up!"
"Of all the tributes, those two sisters are the most slow. Brother, if you ask me, let's kill them both and hand them over to the Lord. I think the Lord will be pleased."
"Perhaps the Lord will reward us for this." One of them laughed maniacally.
Huo Yuhao sat inside the room, his brows slightly furrowed. He sensed a strong stench of blood emanating from the group, and was slightly surprised.
My Lord? And tribute? What are these things? Huo Yuhao pondered the information in their words.
He quickly regained his composure, the purple light in his eyes faded somewhat, and he picked up his water glass and took another sip.
"Shut up, all of you! What nonsense are you spouting!" the burly man roared at his henchmen.
Hearing that their leader was getting angry, the underlings wisely kept their mouths shut and didn't say anything more.
The burly man looked at the tightly closed door, forced what he thought was a friendly smile, and said, " Shu Lingyu, since that's the case, then open the door."
"No, with so many of you surrounding the door, I dare not open it..." Shu Lingyu's voice trembled, her body pressed tightly against the wall, ready to pounce.
The burly man turned his head and gestured to the people behind him. Skinny Monkey and his henchmen wisely took a few steps back.
"Is it okay now?" the big man asked.
"Okay, come a little closer, I'll open the door..."
With a creak!
The wooden door opened, revealing a completely dark interior.
Where are you? Where is the Snow Flame Tiger?
The burly man, caught off guard, peeked out and stepped into the room.