Tiger Cub

"Perfect. The pressure from one fierce tiger wasn't enough."

Xu Mingwei threw back his head and laughed wildly.

He had only been relying on pure strength to fight the male tiger just now. If he used Internal Force and martial techniques, he could toy with it with ease.

The male tiger turned and roared at the Female Tiger.

The Female Tiger answered.

Then, one male and one female closed in on Xu Mingwei from two directions.

Their movements were highly practiced. This was clearly not their first time surrounding and killing other Wild Beasts like this.

The male tiger pounced first, while the Female Tiger slowly pressed closer.

As Xu Mingwei fought the male tiger, he kept thirty percent of his attention on the Female Tiger.

She lunged at times and lashed her tail at others.

Yet she did not succeed even once.

Xu Mingwei began using the moves of the Lesser Dragon Elephant Technique. Combined with Internal Force, every strike carried nearly six thousand jin of force.

The two Fierce Tigers were extraordinarily robust. Even after taking several punches in succession, they held on.

"Good. Only this is satisfying!"

Xu Mingwei no longer held back. His movement technique, martial skills, and everything else were unleashed.

Bang, bang, bang—

His fist wind was razor-sharp, whistling through the air.

The sound of his fists breaking the air shook the surrounding wilderness.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the tiger couple had been beaten to death by Xu Mingwei's fists.

He had not shown the slightest mercy.

This was the most primitive of struggles. Between them, it was life or death.

If he had been weaker, the one dying here today might have been him.

"This fur is good. A hide this large should sell for four or five hundred taels."

Ordinary ones only sold for a little over three hundred taels.

Xu Mingwei took out a dagger and began skinning them with practiced hands.

Naturally, the corpses would be worth more if he brought them back whole, but they were difficult to carry and would easily expose his strength.

Once he was done, Xu Mingwei put away the pelts, and his bundle immediately bulged.

Just as he was about to leave, he turned back and glanced at the cave.

Driven by curiosity, he went inside to take a look.

The cave was not large. The distance from the ground to the ceiling was only five or six meters, and in lower places, it was not even more than two meters.

"Drip... drip..."

Following the sound, Xu Mingwei spotted a small pool.

Water droplets continuously fell into it from above.

His [Eagle Eye] allowed him to see in the darkness as clearly as in daylight. It was rather miraculous.

He looked around.

He saw a pile of grass atop a stone platform and thought it was likely where the Fierce Tigers rested.

"Rustle, rustle..."

A sound came from within the pile of dry grass.

Xu Mingwei walked over and saw a tiny creature the size of a cat, its eyes still unopened, pawing at dry grass and withered twigs.

"A Tiger Cub?"

"Its fur is actually white. Could it be a rare variant?"

Xu Mingwei was somewhat startled, but then he gave a faint sigh. If he had known that the Female Tiger had just given birth, perhaps he would have spared her.

Without the Female Tiger, this cub would have a hard time surviving.

"Right, didn't Xiao Xueji want a small animal? I can bring this back. I just don't know whether it will become wild and impossible to tame in the future."

"Forget it. I'll deal with the future when it comes."

"At worst, if it goes mad, I'll beat it to death."

Before the Yearly Sacrifice, he would break through to the realm of a First-class Martial Artist. By then, capturing it would be as easy as turning over his hand.

Xu Mingwei picked up the Little White Tiger. He had originally planned to put him in the bundle as well, but remembering that it held his parents' pelts, he felt that was inappropriate and simply tucked him into his clothes.

"I've gained something from this trip. I should head back first."

Xu Mingwei slung his longbow and quiver over his back and retraced the path he had taken.

When he returned to the Xu Family, it was just about time for lunch.

After teaching Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian martial arts practice that morning, Xu Chuan had gone out for a stroll before returning to supervise their handwriting practice.

"You're back so early today."

"Father."

Xu Mingwei smiled. "This time, I encountered two Fierce Tigers. They were exceptionally formidable and much larger than ordinary ones. I got two Tiger Hides. Father, do you think we should keep them for ourselves or take them to Qingjiang County to sell?"

"I estimate each one can sell for over five hundred taels."

"Then clean them and take them to sell. Keep the money for A Yuan. He needs to prepare more silver over there, so we can be ready for anything."

"No problem."

"Big Brother!" Xu Mingshu came running over, tugged at his hem, and raised her head expectantly. "Where's the little animal you promised me?"

Xu Mingwei smiled and pulled a large little thing from his bulging clothes.

"What an adorable little white cat! I love it."

Xu Chuan narrowed his eyes. After considering it, he said, "This is a White Tiger?"

"Father truly has eyes like blazing torches."

Upon hearing White Tiger, even Xu Mingxian, who had not been very interested before, came over to inspect him closely.

After all, he had never seen a white tiger before.

"So tiny," Xu Mingxian said.

"He was only born not long ago, and his eyes have not even opened yet. I didn't know the Female Tiger had just given birth, or I would have spared her life."

"Without his parents, he simply couldn't survive. That's why I brought him back."

Xu Mingwei explained.

Xu Chuan nodded. "Then let Xue Ji raise him."

Xu Mingshu took the Little White Tiger and gently stroked him with her hand. She said calmly, "Little White Tiger, from now on, you're my pet."

Xu Mingwei smiled.

"Fourth Sister, once he grows up, he'll be bigger than you and extremely fierce. Be careful, or he might bite your head clean off in one bite." Xu Mingxian grinned and teased her.

"Hmph, stinky little brother. Little White would never do that, right, Little White?"

Xu Chuan examined him carefully, then stepped forward to stroke him as well. "Since you've named him, Xue Ji, you must take responsibility for caring for him properly from now on."

"I think he should be nearly two weeks old. Even without the Female Tiger's milk, it won't matter."

"I'll write down some things to take note of. Care for him according to what I write."

"Thank you, Father. Father is the best." Xu Mingshu called sweetly.

Xu Chuan rubbed her head, then wrote out a page of instructions and handed it to Xu Mingshu. She immediately skipped away.

Xu Mingxian looked at Xu Chuan and said, "Father, tigers are fierce Wild Beasts. Won't raising one be dangerous?"

"What, are you worried about your Fourth Sister?"

"I'm not worried about her." Xu Mingxian haughtily turned his head away.

"Don't worry. Xue Ji will be fine raising him." Xu Chuan smiled reassuringly. "Go practice your writing. You can only eat lunch after you finish those."

"Yes, Father."

Xu Mingwei found this somewhat surprising. He did not know why his father was so certain.

Still, he chose to trust him.

"Oh, right, Father. There are also these two strange fruits. They're hard as rocks, and I have no idea what they are. You've seen much and know much, so help me take a look."

Xu Chuan nodded and accepted them, but he could not figure out what they were either, so he simply set them aside for now.

Xu Mingwei returned to his room, hung up his bow and arrows, then went to wash the blood from the Tiger Hides and remove their rank smell.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon the next day.

Seeing that the Tiger Hides had dried, Xu Mingwei mounted his horse and headed for the county town.

In less than half an hour, he arrived at the gates of Qingjiang County Town.

The city wall, over twenty meters high, was built from massive blocks of Black Tortoise basalt. It stretched more than ten li in either direction, lying across the plains like a dragon's spine.

The gray walls were covered in the mottled marks of passing years, while green moss spread thickly along their base.

At the center stood two Elm Gates clad in iron plates. Bronze Beast Heads set into the doors held copper rings as large as bowls in their mouths. Each gate was three or four meters wide, over ten meters tall, and more than thirty centimeters thick, its surface painted entirely red.

People and vehicles came and went here, while soldiers stationed at the gates conducted inspections and checked the identities of those passing through.

After dismounting, Xu Mingwei led his horse forward.

Those without household registration in Qingjiang County had to pay an entry fee and obtain a temporary identity plaque to enter the town.

Merchants also had to register and pay commercial taxes.

Xu Mingwei naturally needed neither. After briefly showing proof of identity, he led his horse into the town.