Tiger Lord

Xia Qi'an strolled down Jinling's main street, the colossal Bata following closely behind him like a moving hill, attracting considerable attention.

This caused pedestrians by the roadside to stop one after another, whispering amongst themselves.

Xia Qi'an arrived at a tavern and called out as he entered, "Innkeeper!"

"Coming! ...What would you like to eat, sir? Oh, it's Lord Xia from the Wei Dao Si... Please, have a seat!" The tavern's waiter, a young man in his early twenties with a slight limp, recognized Xia Qi'an. He enthusiastically pulled out a chair and meticulously wiped it with the white cloth slung over his shoulder.

"Twenty catties of braised beef! Two jars of green ant wine! Pack them up for me to go!" Xia Qi'an said to the waiter, sitting down.

"My lord... please wait a moment!..." the waiter replied before heading into the kitchen.

The braised beef at this tavern was originally quite ordinary, but ever since they started using refined salt in its preparation, the beef's flavor had instantly improved by several notches, leaving an unforgettable taste.

Xia Qi'an had come to try it once before, drawn by its reputation, and had been thinking about it ever since.

It could be said that the booming business of major taverns and restaurants in Jinling City today was all thanks to the appearance of refined salt.

Although refined salt was much more expensive than coarse salt, the increased frequency of customers naturally led to greater profits for the taverns.

In the future, Jinling would be remembered as the birthplace of refined salt, leaving a significant mark in the long history of Da Li and even You Province.

Soon, the waiter emerged from the kitchen carrying a pine wood food box and two wine jars, placing them before Xia Qi'an. "My lord... your braised beef and wine are here!"

"Thank you!..."

Xia Qi'an dropped some silver, picked up the food box and wine jars, and stood up, preparing to leave.

"My lord!..." The waiter suddenly called out, stopping Xia Qi'an.

Hearing the voice, Xia Qi'an halted. Seeing the waiter's timid, hesitant expression, he asked, "Is there something else?"

"My... my lord! I have a humble request!" the waiter stammered, his eyes darting away.

As an ordinary citizen, he was naturally intimidated by officials.

"Don't be afraid... Just speak your mind! I'm a martial artist from the Wei Dao Si... not a constable."

Xia Qi'an first reassured the waiter, then handed the food box and wine to Bata, telling him they were specifically bought for him.

"Abba... Abba," Bata exclaimed joyfully, clapping his hands and hugging the food box.

With Xia Qi'an's calm demeanor, the waiter breathed a sigh of relief and spoke more boldly, "I've heard that the Wei Dao Si specializes in subduing demons and monsters. So, I wish to ask for your help, my lord, to eliminate the tiger demon that has plagued my hometown for many years!"

"A tiger demon?... Hasn't the Wei Dao Si ever dealt with it before?" Xia Qi'an asked, his brow furrowed with suspicion.

"My lord... My hometown is remote and very isolated. We had no way to ask the Wei Dao Si to eliminate the tiger demon..." the waiter said with a mournful, almost tearful tone.

"I came to Jinling with a merchant caravan a year ago, and my fellow villagers entrusted someone to bring me a letter, asking me to seek help from the Wei Dao Si!"

"But I am of low status and never dared to report it to the Wei Dao Si."

"Fortunately, I met you, Lord Xia, today, so I dared to beg for your assistance!"

According to the waiter's account, he lived in Yujia Village, Luyi County. A year ago, he came to Jinling with a merchant caravan and later worked as a waiter in this tavern.

Later, when the villagers of Yujia Village heard that he was doing well in Jinling, they entrusted someone to bring him a letter, asking him to find a martial artist in Jinling to deal with the tiger menace in their hometown.

The waiter's leg was also a result of an old tiger attack that left him disabled.

However, the waiter was naturally timid and extremely fearful of officials, so he never dared to report it to the Wei Dao Si, thus delaying the matter until now.

But this also left him with a troubled conscience, making him restless day and night, often tossing and turning in his sleep, hating his own powerlessness.

Yujia Village, a border region of Jinling Prefecture, was like a forgotten place.

It was hidden deep within the mountains bordering Jinling Prefecture and Xiaoxiang Prefecture, its remote location making it seem isolated from the world, hindering the flow of information.

This prevented the Wei Dao Si from keeping abreast of the local situation.

Currently, the peaceful lives of the common people around Jinling City were all thanks to the clandestine activities of the Wei Dao Si martial artists.

Most of the rampaging demons, monsters, and mountain spirits had already been driven away or slain.

Although occasional incidents of demonic disturbances still occurred, these were unavoidable.

After all, no matter how powerful the Wei Dao Si was, they were not deities and could not exterminate all demons and monsters in the world.

After roughly understanding the situation, Xia Qi'an said, "I understand what you've said. I will have a colleague investigate the situation in Yujia Village. If the circumstances are as you described, I will go there myself!"

Upon receiving Xia Qi'an's personal promise, the waiter was overjoyed.

He fumbled in his pocket for a moment, pulling out a tael of silver and over a dozen copper coins, and said to Xia Qi'an, "My lord, I have nothing to repay you with... only this small amount of money... I hope you won't mind..."

Xia Qi'an saw that his life was not easy, and although he was somewhat timid and cowardly, he still remembered the entrustment of his hometown elders.

So, he waved his hand and said, "No need... This is part of the Wei Dao Si's duty. If I were to accept your money, what would that make me?"

With that, he beckoned to Bata and left the tavern.

Upon returning to his residence, Xia Qi'an immediately dispatched the Snake Guard to investigate Yujia Village.

However, Yujia Village was far from Jinling City, making it difficult for the Snake Guard to gather information about the local situation in a short time.

It wasn't until the next morning that the intelligence reached Xia Qi'an.

After reviewing the intelligence provided by the Snake Guard, the current situation in Yujia Village was even more dire than the waiter had described.

According to intelligence from the Snake Guard, the Tiger Demon around Yujia Village had become a significant threat.

It had even begun imitating humans, claiming a mountain as its own and transforming into a Mountain Lord. The lackeys in its mountain stronghold were all Chou Ghosts, formed from the villagers the Tiger Demon had devoured.

Upon seeing this, Xia Qi'an knew he couldn't let it slide and immediately sought out the Snake Guard to accept the mission.

He then had the Snake Guard procure a spacious and sturdy carriage, and they departed Jinling City for Yujia Village without delay.

Along the way, the carriage was driven by Bata.

Although Bata couldn't speak, he was extremely obedient to Xia Qi'an.

Xia Qi'an only needed to give an instruction and patiently explain it to him, and Bata would carry it out meticulously.

With Bata, such a loyal servant, Xia Qi'an found his missions out in the field much easier.

The carriage the Snake Guard had found was very spacious, with enough room inside for Xia Qi'an to meditate and practice his skills.

While the carriage wasn't as fast as a swift horse, its advantage lay in its stability and comfort, making it the preferred choice for long journeys.

For this mission, the Snake Guard member secretly assisting him was a young man.

Previously, Liu Qing would accompany Xia Qi'an on his missions, acting as a mentor.

However, Liu Qing was now the esteemed leader of the Snake Guard and naturally would no longer accompany Xia Qi'an on missions as she had in the past.

As for this young Snake Guard, Xia Qi'an recognized him; he was the first opponent he had encountered during the martial arts competition at the training camp, Su Changqing.