Fierce tiger

"Easy to talk when you're not the one breaking your back."

Yin Yin rolled her eyes.

"Everyone, everyone, we all want to get the goods delivered safely.

We can't let our own ranks fall into disarray first, can we? Harmony should come first."

Hu Er stepped in to smooth things over.

Chen Shun asked bluntly, "Steward Hu, which do you choose, Redwood Forest or Peach Blossom Town?"

Hu Er looked awkwardly at Chen Shun, then at Li Ping'an.

Not wanting to offend either of them, he gave a vague answer.

"Well... why don't we discuss it some more?"

Chen Shun was young and hotheaded, after all.

In all his years, few people had ever gone against his wishes.

Especially now, when Hu Er actually trusted a swindler who sang on the streets. He could not stomach it.

His expression immediately darkened.

"Fine! Then forgive me for taking my leave."

With that, he turned to go.

"Wait, Young Master Chen, we were just talking. Why are you leaving?"

Hearing that Chen Shun meant to leave, Hu Er hurriedly caught hold of him.

If the people from the Peace Escort Agency left, what would they do?

"I never said we should detour through Peach Blossom Town. I only said we should discuss it," Hu Er said with an appeasing smile.

"Discuss it? Discuss what?" Chen Shun demanded coldly.

"Well..."

Hu Er looked awkwardly toward Li Ping'an.

"Young Master Li, what do you think...?"

Li Ping'an said evenly, "As I said, it was only a passing remark. Whether you believe it is up to you."

"Then we'll take Redwood Forest. Redwood Forest," Hu Er said hurriedly.

Chen Shun shot Li Ping'an a glance and stalked off in a huff.

After that, the caravan began heading toward Redwood Forest.

After traveling for about eight hours, they finally saw a dense forest ahead.

Dozens of large trees had been felled, forcibly carving out a clearing.

This was Redwood Forest.

"Let's rest here a while," Hu Er called.

Everyone found somewhere to rest and took out their dry rations and water flasks to replenish their strength.

Li Ping'an pulled two baked flatbreads from inside his robe.

One for the man and one for the ox, a bite of bread followed by a sip of water.

Hu Er walked up to Chen Shun and said, "Young Master Chen, it's getting late.

The nearest inn ahead is still thirty li away. Why don't we make camp here tonight?"

Chen Shun was still somewhat angry. He glanced at the sky and said,

"I have no objection. Why don't you ask that blind lord over there and see what he says?"

"Young Master Chen, surely you're joking," Hu Er said with a smile.

Afterward, Hu Er repeated his suggestion to Li Ping'an.

Li Ping'an had no objection.

His sleeping arrangements were simple.

He merely spread a cloth on the ground, lay down on it, and slept.

Today, however, Li Ping'an did not sleep, which was unusual for him.

Old Ox had already warned him that there might be danger around Redwood Forest.

From what Old Ox had conveyed, it probably posed no threat to him.

Still, he needed to stay alert. A cautious hand could keep a boat sailing for ten thousand years, after all.

Li Ping'an leaned against a tree, circulating his qi and resting his mind.

But they had barely rested before dark clouds filled the sky.

Before long, rain began to fall.

It grew heavier and heavier. Another flash of lightning and crash of thunder came, followed by rain pouring down in buckets.

They could no longer rest in the forest. With no other choice, they had to press on through the downpour.

The mountain path was narrow, muddy, and difficult to navigate.

Li Ping'an led Old Ox at the very back.

"Roar! Roar!"

A sound suddenly rang out from the forest, drowning out the thunder.

It came so abruptly that the few people at the front had not even had time to startle.

Then they saw a dark shape shoot out of the undergrowth and land at their feet.

They looked by the light of the flames.

The escorts from the Peace Escort Agency at the front nearly died of fright.

It was a savage-looking tiger, almost as large as the old ox Li Ping'an was leading.

The escorts had traveled far and wide and seen much.

Yet they had never seen a tiger as large as an ox.

The tiger pressed its forepaws lightly against the ground, sprang upward with its whole body, and pounced down from the air.

An escort immediately lost his life in its jaws.

The fierce tiger then attacked another man.

The man was already scared witless, his belly turning to jelly.

He could barely hold his weapon steady. After just half a second's hesitation, he turned and ran.

But the fierce tiger moved too quickly. In a few bounds, it landed amid the crowd.

One swipe of its paw sent that escort flying into the undergrowth, his fate unknown.

Everyone around it froze, unable to react.

Just then, a gleaming saber came slashing toward it.

It was Chen Shun, the agency's young master.

The fierce tiger did not even look at him. Its tail swept sideways.

Like an autumn wind sweeping up fallen leaves, it made the air hum and tremble.

Bang!

Chen Shun reacted in time, blocking the blow with the flat of his saber.

But the terrifying force jolted his entire body and knocked him onto his backside.

The saber fell from his hand as well.

"Senior brother!"

Yin Yin charged over with her longsword, its gleam flashing like lightning.

She attacked swiftly and was sent flying just as swiftly.

She landed in the fork of a tree three meters away and spat out a great mouthful of blood.

"Attack!"

The other escorts recovered their senses and tried to rush it together.

"Roar!"

The tiger's roar exploded like a thunderclap.

The escorts were instantly frightened into standing utterly still.

They dared neither fight nor flee, merely standing there trembling.

Both the fierce tiger's size and the aura radiating from it were far too intimidating.

Chen Shun's heart went cold. He knew his death was at hand.

Only a moment earlier, they had been chatting and laughing. Who could have imagined that the world could change so suddenly?

This was no tiger. It was clearly a Tiger Demon.

How else could it be so enormous?

Yet he had never heard of a Tiger Demon appearing around Redwood Forest before.

The fierce tiger's eyes blazed as it raised its head and opened its enormous, blood-red maw.

It stuck out its crimson tongue and licked its knife-sharp teeth.

Its cold gaze seemed to be inspecting its food, deciding which one to eat.

Suddenly, a vicious gleam flashed through the fierce tiger's eyes.

It let out a shrill cry in one direction, baring its fangs.

"Moo."

Compared with the fierce tiger's cry, Old Ox's call was languid, carrying a hint of pastoral ease.

Li Ping'an walked over slowly and stopped ten paces from the fierce tiger.

The clamor of the rain drowned out many sounds.

But the hot breath puffing from the fierce tiger's nostrils, the terrifying aura emanating from its body, and everything else...

Li Ping'an sensed it all with perfect clarity.

The fierce tiger's breathing grew heavier, as though it had sensed the presence of a powerful enemy.

The rain fell harder and harder, blurring everyone's vision.

Waves of cold seeped from the torrential rain into everyone's bodies.

Chen Shun stared at Li Ping'an in disbelief.

Suddenly recalling Li Ping'an's earlier warning, he was so full of regret that his guts might as well have turned green.

Blind Man reached up to press down his straw hat, holding his cane in his other hand.

He drew a light breath. "Young Master Chen, may I borrow your saber?"

Chen Shun froze, then hurriedly nodded. "...Yes, yes..."