The Temple Has a Fierce Tiger That Eats Human Hearts

Chapter 2: An Evil Tiger in the Temple Devours Human Hearts

A chilly voice came from all directions, as though countless ghosts were encircling the mountain god temple.

The grandfather and grandson were so frightened by the sight that their legs trembled and their whole bodies shook. They huddled in the corner, not daring to move.

Yet Jiang Sheng ignored the five tiger's ghosts. Calmly, he looked at the mountain god statue, which remained imposing despite its damage. "Will the Mountain Lord not show yourself?"

The sound of claws scraping slowly emerged from within the mountain god statue. Then, the two stone-carved eyes abruptly turned into a pair of emerald beast pupils.

The tall, ruined mountain god statue began to tremble. The faded, lifeless statue suddenly shuddered.

Those beastly eyes cast their gaze down from above, followed by a blast of demonic aura straight at them!

In but an instant, the mountain god statue had completely come alive, transforming from a tall and imposing mountain god into a fierce tiger three zhang long.

The brindled tiger demon lay coiled atop the altar, its enormous shadow blanketing the entire mountain god temple.

Its near-solid demonic aura bore down across a hundred zhang. Wherever those green tiger eyes swept, vicious ghosts trembled and prostrated themselves, unable to rise. When its jaws opened, gusts of bloody wind blew forth, its demonic aura soaring into the heavens.

"How did you discover me?"

The tiger demon spoke in human speech. Faint red light flickered in its dark green eyes, and its expression carried both cunning and curiosity, as though a living man dwelled beneath that tiger hide.

Demonic and baleful aura spilled from the tiger demon's body. An ordinary person needed only glance at it from afar to see mountains of corpses and seas of blood, enough to make their legs tremble and their courage shatter.

Under the crushing pressure of that demonic aura, the grandfather and grandson were nearly fainting. Jiang Sheng casually flicked out a streak of clear light to shield them, allowing them at last to catch their breath beneath the suffocating, drowning-like pressure.

"Before this king, you still have the leisure to concern yourself with those two mortals?"

The tiger demon's expression was more vivid than a human's. Its massive head leaned in close to Jiang Sheng, spewing a bloody stench that would have made ordinary cultivators quake in fear!

The tiger was lord of all beasts; its baleful intent could cow every living spirit.

Yet even with the tiger demon's head right before him, with that bloody stench nearly striking his face, Jiang Sheng remained utterly composed. "They may be mere mortals, but they gave me a piece of firewood for warmth. How could I allow the Mountain Lord to take their lives?"

"You Daoist are truly interesting!"

The tiger demon burst into booming laughter, its voice like rumbling thunder. Rolling sound waves kicked up great clouds of dust all around.

Yet within three chi of Jiang Sheng, not a ripple stirred, as though everything outside had nothing to do with this place.

Ignoring the nearly tangible aura of demons and ghosts around him, and the five tiger's ghosts baring their fangs and claws, Jiang Sheng merely looked up at the tiger demon seated high above and said softly, "The Mountain Lord dwells upon Qingping Mountain, born and nurtured by heaven and earth—a rare living being indeed."

"Originally, the Mountain Lord had the hope of attaining the Dao as a mountain god of one region, sheltering a corner of the world. But alas, of all choices, you chose Qingping Mountain as your foundation."

As he spoke, Jiang Sheng let out a light sigh. "Had the Mountain Lord harbored kindness, it would have been negotiable. This poor Daoist happens to lack a mount. But the Mountain Lord is clearly already one of demonkind. This poor Daoist truly cannot spare you."

The tiger demon was startled speechless for a moment by Jiang Sheng's words, but then it roared, "No matter who you are, upon Qingping Mountain, I am the mountain god!"

A mere young Daoist dared dream of slaying demons and defending the Dao?!

The tiger demon had seen enough. It would swallow this Daoist whole!

Daoists who cultivated heaven and earth's pure spiritual aura were tender-skinned and fine-fleshed—superb blood food!

Tiger's Roar Shakes the Forest!

At once, wild winds arose and demonic aura billowed. The tiger's roar surged outward with the power to seize souls and suppress spirits, actually blowing away the temple gates along with the walls.

With a single roar, it drove away all rain within a hundred zhang!

As the tiger demon roared, Jiang Sheng's body moved like a cloud swallow.

The surging demonic aura seemed instead to aid him like a favorable wind, carrying him through the air until it dispersed. Only then did Jiang Sheng slowly land a hundred zhang away.

"What a fine great tiger. What a pity."

Jiang Sheng felt some regret. He had originally hoped to subdue this tiger demon and use it as a mount, but now it seemed the beast was simply stubborn beyond redemption.

"Mountain Lord, this poor Daoist had considered giving you a path to life. You chose the road to death yourself, so this poor Daoist can only see you on your way."

As Jiang Sheng spoke, the oil-paper umbrella in his hand trembled and transformed into a long azure-edged sword.

The sword was three chi six cun long, black all over, yet covered in blue lotus patterns. As its blade quivered, it gave off soft cries, like a dragon's chant.

The moment the sword appeared, the tiger demon sensed that something was wrong. This was actually a spiritual artifact!

A spiritual artifact was a treasure only Purple Mansion Realm True Persons could wield!

Could this Daoist before it actually be a Purple Mansion Realm True Person?!

"Petty Daoist, you hold a mere magic artifact and dare play god before me? You are courting death! You little ghosts, kill this Daoist for me!"

With a roar, the tiger demon commanded its tiger's ghosts to swarm forward while remaining seated high atop the offering table. Clearly, it intended to use the tiger's ghosts to test him first.

Driven by the tiger demon, the green eyes of the five tiger's ghosts gradually turned blood-red. All other thoughts vanished from their minds as they grinned hideously and charged at Jiang Sheng one after another.

The night wind howled, rain poured in sheets, and outside the mountain god temple beneath moon-obscuring black clouds, demonic aura churned. The five tiger's ghosts attacked together, and the ghostly aura they carried blanketed ten zhang around them, lending them an even more chilling presence.

Seeing this, the grandfather and grandson, sheltered by the clear light inside the temple, hurriedly cried out, "Daoist, be careful!"

"Mountain Lord, you think far too little of this poor Daoist if you believe a few tiger's ghosts are enough."

As Jiang Sheng spoke, he flicked the three-chi azure blade in his hand. A streak of azure sword light howled forth, instantly cleaving apart the curtain of rain and mist before him, as well as the chilling ghostly aura covering ten zhang.

Before the five tiger's ghosts could reach Jiang Sheng, sword qi swept through them. In the blink of an eye, their ghostly bodies shattered, becoming masterless ghost qi and returning to heaven and earth.

When the tiger demon saw Jiang Sheng sweep away its tiger's ghosts with a single strike, it gave another tiger's roar.

As rolling demonic aura spread, ghostly qi kept breeding, and thrall ghosts began appearing around Jiang Sheng from every direction.

One, two, three...

In merely a few breaths, dozens of thrall ghosts had emerged from all sides and surrounded Jiang Sheng.

The tiger demon split its blood-filled maw in a grin. By now, it was certain that this Taoist priest was merely at the Foundation Establishment realm!

Watching Jiang Sheng be encircled, the tiger demon laughed savagely. "Taoist priest, you do have some skill, that much is true. But surrounded by so many of my thrall ghosts, what can you do? I can wear you down until you die!"

Rain poured through the night, and the demon wind howled. Jiang Sheng looked at the several dozen thrall ghosts closing tightly around him and gently shook his head. "Mountain Lord, have you still not understood? Since this humble Daoist dared come here, it means I can kill you."

"This seat is the mountain god of Qingping Mountain! Every living creature within twelve hundred li belongs to this seat! A mere priest dares to try and seize Qingping Mountain from this seat?"

Amid the furious wind and torrential rain, the demon tiger grinned ferociously. A red gleam flashed through its emerald beast eyes. "Kill this priest!"

Having received the tiger demon's command, the dozens of thrall ghosts howled savagely and charged at Jiang Sheng, driven by their craving for flesh and blood and their hatred of the living.

The grandfather and grandson watched helplessly as so many thrall ghosts rushed at Jiang Sheng one after another, their hearts burning with anxiety.

This Daoist master was their only hope of surviving!

"Daoist master, the demon is formidable—please be careful!"

The old man watched anxiously, terrified that Jiang Sheng would be defeated.

Yet Jiang Sheng stood there calmly, his eyes as indifferent as deep, dark pools. "Just watch."

"This fine tiger pelt is still waiting for this humble Daoist to collect."

This is a rather slow-burn xianxia story. Linyuan hopes to use what little skill he has with the brush to write something with a bit of xianxia flavor, and hopes you gentlemen will enjoy it.

(End of Chapter)

Please move your finger and share this website on Facebook, so that we can keep it running.