Tiger One: Was It You Who Killed My Son?

"How could there be a Qi Gathering Realm Tiger Demon?"

"Silence!"

Seeing the situation, Luo Junfeng shouted, trying to steady everyone's nerves.

Kang Ronghao rode forward, then turned around after leaving the group. His gaze swept over everyone, cold and stern.

"This time, the Mountain Lord is enraged, and it's all because of one person. Chen Bin!"

Everyone's eyes snapped toward Chen Bin. Kang Ronghao continued, "Over the past few days, he killed the Mountain Lord's third son. He's killed twenty-five Tiger Cubs in all. Naturally, the Mountain Lord came to take revenge.

The Mountain Lord is too powerful. Even our General Banner can't match him.

When the Mountain Lord enters the city, the Demon Suppression Division will suffer his retaliation.

Most importantly, we're responsible for South City and the area south of the city. We'll be the first to bear the brunt. We'll all die.

There's one way to settle this.

We must appease the Mountain Lord's anger."

At first, delight appeared on everyone's faces. Then they grew tense.

Luo Junfeng spoke first, a smile in his voice. He clearly already knew what was coming. "Small Banner, what exactly can appease the Mountain Lord's anger?"

Everyone stared tensely at Kang Ronghao. They had already guessed what he would say, but none of them wanted to die.

Everyone here was an old hand. They knew how to appease a demon's rage.

They just didn't know if they, too, would be among the sacrifices. That was why they were afraid.

"There's only one way to appease the Mountain Lord's anger." Kang Ronghao's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, finally fixing on Chen Bin like a falcon sighting its prey.

He raised a hand and pointed, saying coldly, "Chen Bin is the source of all this trouble.

If he hadn't killed those Tiger Cubs, none of this would have happened."

Everyone's eyes snapped toward Chen Bin again, their expressions complicated.

Kang Ronghao gave them the final answer. "The Mountain Lord said that if we offer him up as a sacrifice, this debt will be settled, and you can all live."

"Let him die!" Luo Junfeng suddenly shouted, a trace of savagery on his face.

"Let him die!" The crowd began to cry out. It was as if they'd been bewitched, their shouts rising one after another.

Kang Ronghao was very pleased with everyone's response. The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile. He raised a hand, and the noise immediately stopped.

"Since everyone agrees," he said softly, "seize him."

"Yes!" Luo Junfeng immediately obeyed. The other Captains followed suit, stepping forward as if to apprehend Chen Bin.

Chen Bin raised a hand and said calmly, "Could I say a few words?"

The men paused and looked to Kang Ronghao, waiting for his instructions.

Before Kang Ronghao could reply, Chen Bin had already ridden forward. He turned to face the crowd as well.

"The Great Zhou Dynasty's laws say that anyone who colludes with demons will die.

Your actions right now have violated that law.

The Demon Suppression Division's rules say that anyone who betrays a comrade will die!

Your actions right now have violated that rule."

"What, Captain Chen Bin, are you going to use those two rules to condemn us to death?"

Luo Junfeng's face spread into a mocking grin. "Or are you going to scare us to death with them?"

Everyone laughed along with him, laughing with delight. Chen Bin's words were nothing but a joke to them.

"I've looked at every one of you. You're all laughing. I'll remember that," Chen Bin said, his expression unchanged. "Skin a tiger for its hide, and where's the profit? Dance with wolves, and they'll tear you apart.

You think handing me over will keep you alive?"

Chen Bin gave a derisive laugh. "I just hope that when you die, you won't beg those demons for mercy."

A command rang out. "Seize him!"

Kang Ronghao didn't want Chen Bin to say another word. His speech had already made some people look ashamed; worse, a few had begun to think.

When it came to this matter, if these foolish subordinates started thinking, that would be trouble.

As a leader, you didn't need subordinates with logic. You only needed subordinates who obeyed.

So he had to seize Chen Bin first, before his subordinates could think any further.

"No need," Chen Bin said with a smile, a trace of nonchalance in it. "There's no need anymore!"

He turned toward the distance. A group of Tiger Demons had appeared in everyone's line of sight.

The Tiger Demons' figures flickered in and out of view as they slowly approached.

Soon, they were within thirty zhang.

Chen Bin fixed his gaze on the tiger at the front.

A line of text floated above each of their heads.

[Tiger One: Qi Gathering Realm Tiger Demon, Merit +18]

[Tiger Two: Qi Gathering Realm Tiger Demon, Merit +14]

[...: Body Tempering Realm Tiger Demon, Merit +10]

He quietly calculated the numbers. There were twenty Tiger Demons in all.

Aside from the two Qi Gathering Realm Tiger Demons, the other eighteen were in the Body Tempering Realm.

If he killed them all, he'd gain 174 Merit.

Chen Bin calculated the totals, then added the people on his side:

[Kang Ronghao: Qi Gathering Realm Martial Artist (Lower Cavity), Merit +16]

[Luo Junfeng: Body Tempering Realm Martial Artist (Jade Marrow), Merit +9]

There were fifty-two Red Names in all. Killing every one of them would earn him 322 Merit.

Added together, that came to 496 Merit.

As he was calculating, the Tiger Demons reached them.

At the very front stood the tiger worth eighteen Merit. It was enormous and powerfully built, a full zhang and two chi tall.

Chen Bin sat on his horse before it, yet he was only half its size.

Chen Bin narrowed his eyes, quietly sizing it up. I probably can't take it head-on. I'll have to catch it by surprise.

"Lord Tiger One, Lord Tiger Two!" Kang Ronghao rode forward until he was before the towering tigers, his face wreathed in a flattering smile. "What brings the two of you out here together?"

These two were the Mountain Lord's sons.

Of course, biologically, all these Tiger Demons were the Mountain Lord's offspring. But only the strong enough could earn his recognition and receive names.

Tiger One's gaze was fierce. His massive body loomed over them like a small mountain, sharp fangs bared. His voice was low and furious. "My third brother is dead. Hmph! That useless wretch can stay dead for all I care!

"But my son is dead too.

"You know my father likes to eat his grandchildren. Those four were the ones I fought desperately to keep alive.

"You and Qian Yu promised that my sons could hunt for a meal in Wanbao County without any trouble.

"Especially my eldest son.

"He only needed to eat five hundred people to advance to the Qi Gathering Realm.

"Now he's dead. It pains me deeply."

"My lord," Kang Ronghao said, his throat bobbing as sweat streamed down his face, "we've brought the brat who killed your son."

"Who?" Tiger One's gaze flashed like lightning as he immediately looked toward the crowd.

But Kang Ronghao didn't hesitate for a moment. He pointed to Chen Bin, standing outside the crowd. "That brat. He killed Tiger Three and your son."

A savage red gleam filled the eyes of Tiger One and Tiger Two. The eighteen Tiger Demons around them instantly grew savage as well.

A killing aura surged through the area, and a layer of frost seemed to blanket the scene, making everyone's hair stand on end.

Fortunately, all that murderous intent was directed at Chen Bin.

"You're the one who killed my four sons?"