Little White Tiger Jianbing

Chapter 22: Little White Tiger Jianbing

When Meow Meow returned to Clear Radiance Pavilion, dawn was almost breaking.

Qian Renxue was still awake.

She sat at the table, with White Dew sprawled across her lap. It looked as though she had been waiting for a long time.

When Meow Meow jumped in through the window, White Dew immediately raised her head and gave a quiet "meow."

Qian Renxue looked over as well.

"You're back?"

"Mm."

Meow Meow landed on the table and first tossed out the Black Eagle Copper Button.

Then he placed the Iron Slip marked "[White Tiger Sample, Batch Three]" beside it.

Qian Renxue's eyes turned cold as soon as she read it.

"The Black Eagle Family."

"And the White Tiger Sample."

Meow Meow nodded.

"I stole a whole box of things."

"Someone came to Black Water Marsh to move them. Five Soul Masters: one Soul King, two Soul Ancestors, and two Soul Elders."

"They knew the Crown Prince had returned to the city, and they also knew there were many eyes on Heaven Dou City lately."

Qian Renxue's gaze darkened slightly.

"It seems the Black Eagle Family was only responsible for transporting them."

"There's someone else behind them."

"And whoever it is, they're bold."

As Meow Meow spoke, he took a small wooden box out of the Calming Bell.

The box was sealed with Holy Fire.

Inside were seven bottles of red-black liquid.

Qian Renxue leaned closer for a look, and her brows immediately furrowed.

"This stuff has a foul aura."

"It's used to pollute Soul Beasts."

Meow Meow flicked his tail.

"I saw several Soul Beasts affected by it at Black Water Marsh."

"Some were centuries old, some millennia old, and it even stirred up a Ten-Thousand-Year Swamp Wyrm."

"Fortunately, I didn't let that thing go completely berserk. Otherwise, the outskirts of Sunset Forest would've been quite a scene."

At the mention of the Ten-Thousand-Year Swamp Wyrm, Qian Renxue paused.

"You handled it alone?"

"I didn't fight it head-on."

Meow Meow was honest.

"I used the Golden Feather you gave me to suppress it, then burned the source of the Pollution with Holy Fire."

"If I'd fought it head-on, I wouldn't have been that reckless."

Qian Renxue nodded.

That was more like it.

Although she knew Meow Meow had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, the idea of a three-thousand-year-old Soul Beast taking on a Ten-Thousand-Year Swamp Wyrm head-on still sounded absurd.

Meow Meow glanced down at the Calming Bell again.

"But the black bottles aren't the real trouble."

Qian Renxue asked:

"What else is there?"

Meow Meow fell silent for two breaths.

Then he gently nudged the bell with his paw.

A faint wisp of Holy Fire appeared inside the Calming Bell.

In the glow, the faint shape of a tiny white tiger gradually emerged.

It was small.

Even smaller than White Dew.

All four paws were tucked under him, his eyes wary, and the white light around him was so faint that he looked as if he might vanish at any moment.

The moment White Dew saw him, her fur stood on end.

"Meow!"

The little white tiger shrank back in fright, too.

"Don't eat me!"

Meow Meow: "..."

Qian Renxue's expression changed as she looked at the little white tiger's spirit.

"Is this the remnant soul of a Soul Beast?"

"I thought so at first, too."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"But he doesn't seem like an ordinary remnant soul."

"He awakened from that batch of White Tiger Samples."

Qian Renxue looked at the little white tiger.

"What's your name?"

The little white tiger shrank his neck.

"Jianbing."

"Jianbing?"

Qian Renxue furrowed her brows, clearly unfamiliar with the name.

Meow Meow glanced at him again.

The name sounded far too unusual for an ordinary Soul Beast.

Especially when paired with White Tiger, it made him feel there was something more to it.

But this was Douluo Continent.

It wasn't one of the mythological worlds from his previous life.

So he didn't rush to draw any conclusions.

"You said your name is Jianbing."

Meow Meow asked:

"Do you know where you came from?"

The little white tiger lowered his head and thought for a moment.

"From White Tiger Blood."

"When I woke up, I was in a bottle."

"There was a lot of blood."

"It hurt."

As he spoke, his form trembled.

The Calming Bell chimed softly, and he settled down.

Qian Renxue's eyes turned colder.

"They were extracting White Tiger Blood."

"It's very likely connected to the Star Luo Royal Family."

The Star Luo Royal Family. The Dai Family.

White Tiger Martial Soul.

It wasn't hard to guess when those things were put together.

Meow Meow nodded, too.

"That's what I thought."

"But it doesn't necessarily mean the Star Luo Royal Family did it themselves."

"Someone might've obtained the bloodline of a White Tiger branch family, or found a Soul Bone or Soul Beast material containing the essence of White Tiger somewhere."

"But this trail definitely leads back to Star Luo."

Qian Renxue looked at the words "White Tiger Sample, Batch Three" on the Iron Slip.

"Batch Three."

"That means there were at least two batches before it."

"And they've already moved near Heaven Dou. They may be testing something else now."

Meow Meow asked the little white tiger:

"Do you remember anything else?"

The little white tiger thought for a long time.

"Black Water."

"Bottles."

"Lots of Soul Beasts crying out."

"And... the scent of the Nether."

Qian Renxue's eyes shifted.

"The Nether?"

Meow Meow was taken aback, too.

White Tiger and the Nether.

On Douluo Continent, those two terms were almost impossible to hear without thinking of the Star Luo Dai Family and the Zhu Family.

The fusion skill of the White Tiger Martial Soul and the Nether Civet Martial Soul: Hell White Tiger.

It was one of the most important inheritances of the Star Luo Royal Family.

"Are you sure it was the Nether?"

The little white tiger nodded.

"It was cold."

"Like a shadow."

"I think... I saw it before."

As he said that, he lowered his head again.

"But I can't remember."

Meow Meow looked at how weak he was and didn't press him further.

The poor little thing had clearly been through a lot.

If he kept asking, they might get no answers and the little tiger might dissipate first.

Meow Meow circled him with Holy Fire, suppressing the black aura that still clung to him.

The little white tiger visibly relaxed.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet."

Meow Meow looked at him.

"Can you tell me why those people did this to you?"

The little white tiger was silent for a while.

"They said they wanted to make a new White Tiger."

"A new one?"

"Mm."

The little white tiger nodded.

"They thought the original White Tiger wasn't obedient enough."

"And they thought the Nether was too hard to control."

"They wanted an obedient White Tiger."

Meow Meow and Qian Renxue fell silent at the same time.

That changed everything.

If they were just polluting Soul Beasts, they could still be Fallen Soul Masters researching evil techniques.

But if they were altering the White Tiger bloodline and even getting the Nether involved, then this wasn't something ordinary Evil Soul Masters could do.

There had to be a larger plan behind it.

"An obedient White Tiger..."

Meow Meow murmured.

"Does someone want to create a controllable group of White Tiger Soul Masters—or Soul Beasts?"

Qian Renxue said:

"They might also be trying to sabotage the bloodline inheritance of the Star Luo Royal Family."

"Star Luo is different from Heaven Dou."

"The struggle for the Star Luo throne is brutal. The stronger the White Tiger bloodline, the more likely its bearer is to be dragged into it."

"If someone has this method of Pollution, they could destroy a branch of the White Tiger bloodline from within."

Meow Meow nodded.

"Maybe both sides are involved."

"Someone in Heaven Dou is taking charge, while someone in Star Luo is supplying the materials."

"The Black Eagle Family is responsible for transporting them."

"Prince Xue Xing has at least been in contact with them."

Qian Renxue didn't deny it.

But she didn't immediately jump to conclusions, either.

"We still need evidence."

"Yeah."

Meow Meow looked at Little White Tiger.

"He's evidence, for one."

Hearing that, Little White Tiger immediately tensed up.

"You're going to hand me over?"

"Not for now."

Meow Meow said.

"But you have to help me investigate."

"There might be other things like you in those black bottles."

Little White Tiger's eyes lit up.

"There are others?"

"There might be."

Meow Meow didn't give a definite answer.

"Can you sense them?"

Little White Tiger shook his head.

"Not right now."

"I'm too weak."

"If I get close, I might be able to smell them."

Meow Meow thought it over.

That would be enough.

At least, if they came across materials related to White Tiger Blood again, Little White Tiger could help identify them.

Qian Renxue turned to Meow Meow.

"Are you planning to keep him in the Calming Bell?"

"For now, that's the only option."

Meow Meow said.

"He's too weak right now. If he leaves the Calming Bell and the Holy Fire, he'll dissipate soon."

"And he can't be seen."

"There are plenty of people in Heaven Dou City who know about White Tiger Blood. If anyone notices him, we'll be in even more trouble."

Qian Renxue nodded.

White Dew crept a little closer and cautiously sniffed Little White Tiger.

Little White Tiger looked back at White Dew.

The two little creatures gazed at each other for a moment.

White Dew gave a soft meow.

Little White Tiger visibly relaxed.

Watching them, Meow Meow suddenly found the scene a little amusing.

"Don't be afraid of her."

"She's called White Dew."

"She's a cat too."

Little White Tiger said softly:

"I know."

"She feels warm."

White Dew seemed to understand a little and swished her tail gently.

Qian Renxue watched them, her expression softening a little, too.

The tension that had weighed over Clear Radiance Pavilion eased somewhat.

But Meow Meow soon turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

"Qinghe."

"Yeah?"

"We can't leave things as they are at Black Water Marsh."

"When those people discover tomorrow that the stuff is gone, they'll definitely investigate."

"The Soul King saw me. He might not recognize that I hid in the Crown Prince's Mansion, but they'll know a white cat ruined their plans."

Qian Renxue said:

"I'll have people keep an eye on the Black Eagle Family."

"No."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"Having your people watch them would spook them."

"You've only just returned to Heaven Dou, and Prince Xue Xing is already watching you."

"If people from the Crown Prince's Mansion suddenly start keeping tabs on the Black Eagle Family, it'll only put them on their guard."

Qian Renxue frowned.

"Then what do you suggest?"

Meow Meow flicked his tail.

"Let cats keep watch."

"There are plenty of cats in Heaven Dou City."

"No one will suspect a cat passing over a rooftop."

"And nobody will pay attention to three stray cats sitting at the mouth of an alley."

"I'll have White Dew recruit some cats on the outskirts first, then gradually get a feel for the area around the Black Eagle Family."

Qian Renxue considered it and decided that it did seem workable.

Still, she asked:

"Can ordinary cats follow your instructions?"

"Not completely."

Meow Meow was honest.

"But I can guide them with the Holy Fire Aura."

"I'll start with food."

"Cats are easy to negotiate with as long as there's food."

Qian Renxue: "..."

That didn't sound like a very serious plan.

But she had already seen the feeding roster in the East Side Courtyard.

Maybe it really would work.

Meow Meow continued:

"Also, it'd be best not to make any moves at Black Water Marsh for now."

"Let them think the Soul Beasts destroyed the stuff, or that another faction intercepted it."

"Wait for them to reveal their next move."

"As for you, just act like the Crown Prince as usual. Don't rush."

Qian Renxue looked at him.

"You're getting more and more like someone handling my covert operations for me."

Meow Meow blinked.

Then he replied matter-of-factly:

"Aren't you tied to... I mean, aren't you on my side?"

"Helping you handle things is only natural."

At the words "on my side," Qian Renxue's eyes shifted slightly.

She didn't argue.

Meow Meow also realized that his words sounded a little ambiguous. He lowered his head to lick his paw, pretending nothing had happened.

Little White Tiger Jianbing watched them from the side.

Though weak, he could still sense the strange atmosphere between them.

One was a girl disguised as the Crown Prince.

The other was a cat who could talk.

Yet the two of them discussed Heaven Dou's covert operations, the Star Luo White Tiger, and Soul Beast Pollution as if they were already old friends.

Little White Tiger asked softly:

"Are you friends?"

Meow Meow's tail stopped.

Qian Renxue fell silent for a moment, too.

White Dew looked up at one, then the other.

At last, Meow Meow spoke first.

"More or less."

Qian Renxue glanced at him.

"Mm."

Little White Tiger nodded.

"That's nice."

"I used to have a friend, too."

Meow Meow asked:

"Who?"

Little White Tiger lowered his head and thought for a long while.

"I can't remember."

"I only remember a black cat."

"She ran really fast."

Meow Meow and Qian Renxue exchanged a glance.

A black cat.

Nether.

The connection was becoming clearer and clearer.

The Zhu Family.

They were very likely involved, too.

Meow Meow sighed.

"This just keeps getting more complicated."

"I only came to Heaven Dou City to enjoy a few peaceful meals."

"But before I could even eat, I found a White Tiger Remnant Spirit."

Qian Renxue said:

"If you don't want to get involved, you can hand him over to me."

"No."

Meow Meow immediately tucked Little White Tiger into the Calming Bell.

"He's still too weak. He wouldn't do well with you, either."

"Besides."

He paused.

"The cat... tiger I found is my responsibility for now."

A hint of amusement appeared in Qian Renxue's eyes.

"You don't mind the trouble, do you?"

"I do."

Meow Meow sighed.

"But the trouble is already curled up in my bell. I can't just throw him out."

Little White Tiger said softly from inside the Calming Bell:

"I can be very good."

Meow Meow: "..."

That made him even less willing to throw Little White Tiger out.

All he could do was set aside a clean spot for him, dilute the Holy Spring Dew a little, and give him a drop.

Little White Tiger's body steadied somewhat.

The system prompt sounded at that moment.

[ Ding! Special remnant spirit discovered: Jianbing.]

[ Side quest triggered: White Tiger Sample.]

[ Quest objective: Determine the connection between the source of the Pollution in Black Water Marsh and the White Tiger Bloodline experiment.]

[ Reward: Depends on completion level.]

Meow Meow looked at the prompt, and things had gone just as he expected.

This Little White Tiger hadn't been picked up by chance.

"Fine."

"The side quest's already started."

"Then let's investigate."

Qian Renxue didn't know about the system prompt. She only noticed that Meow Meow had suddenly gone quiet.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Meow Meow looked up.

"I just think this White Tiger Sample might be more troublesome than we imagined."

Qian Renxue nodded.

"Then we'll investigate it slowly."

"I'll keep things steady here in Heavenly Dou."

"Don't alert the Black Eagle Family yet."

"I'll keep an eye on Prince Xue Xing, too."

Meow Meow looked at her.

"Don't take too much on by yourself."

Qian Renxue was slightly taken aback.

Meow Meow continued:

"I'm in Heavenly Dou now."

"White Dew is here, too."

"And we can slowly expand the Cat Net."

"You don't have to shoulder everything alone."

Qian Renxue fell silent for a moment.

Finally, she nodded gently.

"Okay."

Clear Radiance Pavilion grew quiet again.

Dawn was near.

Meow Meow was finally getting sleepy.

He curled up on the cushion, his tail wrapped around himself.

White Dew lay on Qian Renxue's lap.

Inside the Calming Bell, Little White Tiger Jianbing curled into a ball and gradually settled down, too.

Before closing his eyes, Meow Meow took one last look at the side quest in the system.

The Star Luo White Tiger and the Nether.

This thread had probably only just begun.

"Forget it."

"Sleep first."

"Even if the sky falls, it can wait until this cat wakes up."