"Ye Chen, stop struggling. This place is so remote that no Earth God would ever settle here," Tang Sanzang said despairingly, patting the horse's head as he spoke to Ye Chen.
"Don't worry, Master. I'll get you out of here today, no matter what!" Ye Chen stopped stomping. He looked at the tiger's eyes, shining like two lanterns ahead, and could tell that his earlier movements had startled it a little.
Seizing the opportunity, he backed away. The tiger watched him but didn't attack right away.
Ye Chen knew he had only one chance, so he kept retreating slowly, afraid that any sudden movement might startle the tiger. Before long, he had made it behind the horse.
Just as the tiger and the snakes and insects realized Ye Chen was no threat and began pressing forward again, he suddenly leaped high into the air and slapped the horse hard on the rump!
"Hyah!" Ye Chen shouted. Already spooked by the snakes and insects around it, the horse bolted for its life. Tang Sanzang was quick enough to grab the reins, keeping himself from falling off.
The White Horse was remarkably clever. It found a gap between the snakes and insects and raced through it. There were venomous snakes ahead too, but the horse leaped high over them and escaped their encirclement.
When the tiger saw the man and horse get away, it let out a roar. Ye Chen could tell it was furious. To the tiger, the pair could have provided many hearty meals.
"Come on, kitty! Come eat your grandpa!" Ye Chen yelled, then immediately climbed the nearby tree. Countless venomous snakes bit him as he went, but he acted as if he felt nothing and kept climbing.
The tiger was truly enraged by the human before it. It