Back to the Tiger's Den

"Child, Granny will leave your robe here. Put it on yourself when you're done washing."

Mu Bai was enjoying his comfortable bath when the silver-haired old woman brought him the robe she had sewn.

"Thank you, Granny..."

She was much like his own grandmother. Though Mu Bai felt shy, he was hardly blushing like a bashful maiden. Besides, the vat of clear water had long since become as murky as muddy water.

"That vat of Granny's is quite a treasure..."

The silver-haired old woman chuckled, and Mu Bai could only give an awkward smile. If it's such a treasure, why did you leave it lying around? You're not trying to trick me into chopping another stack of firewood, are you?

"You're such a likable child. Granny will add a little something extra for you."

As the silver-haired old woman spoke, several plants and fruits gleaming with blue light appeared in her hand as though by magic. Mu Bai was extremely sensitive to medicinal ingredients and could tell at a glance that none of them were ordinary.

"Don't worry, these are good things too. This one is Wind-Thunder Grass. It grows beside a Thunder Pool amid the astral winds, holding the power of Heavenly Gang lightning within its plant body. As for this fruit, it's a Thunder-Bathing Fruit, born from the gathered essence of that Thunder Pool. Wouldn't you call these treasures...?"

As she spoke, the silver-haired old woman squeezed the juice out of the Wind-Thunder Grass and Thunder-Bathing Fruit, dripping it into Mu Bai's bathwater. Before Mu Bai could feel what had changed, the black vat seemed to turn into a Thunder Pool. Endless lightning rays and liquid electricity intertwined with thunderous roars, and he was instantly scorched into charcoal.

"If you wanted to kill me, surely you wouldn't need to go to all this trouble..."

Before he even had time to feel afraid, Mu Bai let out a startled, agonized scream and passed out.

"Gawk!"

Hearing an unusual sound behind the house, Golden Roc flapped his wings and flew over the roof, just in time to see Mu Bai lose consciousness.

"Gawk..."

Golden Roc extended his sharp talons and lunged at the silver-haired old woman. With a cold bark and a wave of her hand, she stopped him in place.

"You fool who can't tell good from bad! Why would I harm him? I'm merely granting him a fortuitous blessing!"

As it turned out, the black vat had originally been a Thunder Pool amid the astral winds. Seeing Mu Bai use it for a bath, the silver-haired old woman had simply given him the Wind-Thunder Grass and Thunder-Bathing Fruit she had picked there as well. This was precisely the rare opportunity to temper his body in a Thunder Pool.

Golden Roc no longer cared about playing with Blood-Red Chick. He crouched beside the black vat, waiting for Mu Bai to awaken. Even when Blood-Red Chick kept hopping all over him and pecking him, Golden Roc paid no attention, merely staring blankly at Mu Bai's charcoal-like form.

Only when the sun slanted toward the west, and even Golden Roc had begun to doze, did Mu Bai suddenly awaken. The charred black layer on his body cracked apart with a crunch, revealing flesh as fair as jade, suffused with a gentle glow.

Mu Bai felt the changes in his body with delighted surprise. Golden Roc was overjoyed too and came closer with a few gawks. But the moment he caught the pungent stench of blood and rot from the black vat, even an unfastidious, foolish great bird like him nearly vomited. He hurriedly flapped his wings and fled.

"Does it really stink that much? Hmm... urgh..."

Even Mu Bai himself could not stand it. Just what had this lightning bath washed out of him?

People ate grains, beasts, and birds, so impurities and waste inevitably accumulated within their bodies. Over time, these became foul matter and impurities inside them. The thunder and lightning Mu Bai had endured had forced out the foul matter and impurities accumulated within him, making his flesh purer. This was precisely the essence of body tempering.

Putting on the Hemp Robe, Mu Bai threw punches to feel the changes in his physical strength. He truly had received a tremendous blessing: he had broken through to level two in one leap, even reaching the middle stage of level two. A single punch carried fifty to sixty thousand stone of force.

Truly, how could a golden-scaled creature remain confined to a pond? Soon, the heavenly book would descend from the nine heavens. This tremendous change in strength gave Mu Bai confidence and hope unlike anything he had known before.

"All right, child, it's getting late. Hurry along!"

This silver-haired old woman really was strange and changeable. She had just given Mu Bai such benefits, yet now she was eager to drive him away. Fine, he would go. Staying here and making himself unwelcome would be embarrassing anyway.

"I'll remember your hospitality, Granny."

"Go on. When fate brings us together, we'll meet again. With Granny's Hemp Robe on you, no beast will be able to approach you for one day. You can leave without worry."

Mu Bai felt the coarse Hemp Robe he wore, hardly able to believe it could be so powerful. Still, this granny was very likely an extremely powerful chicken spirit. She could even create a Thunder Pool, so the robe was probably genuine too.

"Thank you, Granny. Goodbye."

Mu Bai obediently said goodbye to the silver-haired old woman, then leaped onto Golden Roc's feathered back.

"Little Roc, let's go!"

"Gawk, gawk..."

Golden Roc gave a long cry, spread his wings, and soared. He did not want to linger here either; it felt terribly oppressive. That blood-red little chick, however, was growing ever more adorable and amusing.

"Goodbye, child. Granny has an agreement with your human race and cannot interfere in human affairs..."

Golden Roc sped away with Mu Bai on his back. The silver-haired old woman waved her hand, and an enormous Blood Phoenix shot into the sky, pierced the clouds, and flew north into the depths of Silver Frost Forest.

Mu Bai lay on Golden Roc's back as the bird beat his wings in swift flight, his mind growing lively.

"Since this Hemp Robe keeps every beast from daring to approach me, why should I rush back?"

With that thought, Mu Bai immediately called for Golden Roc to stop.

"Little Roc, come make a fortune with me!"

Mu Bai chuckled and gave Golden Roc a hard slap on the head. Golden Roc had no idea how Mu Bai intended to make a fortune. He simply whooped away and followed Mu Bai off to get rich~

"Gawk, gawk..."

Golden Roc flapped his wings and flew off. Everywhere he passed, beasts startled in terror. He truly cut a magnificent, imposing figure.

Mu Bai lay sprawled on Golden Roc's back as the bird flew over a tall mountain. Ahead lay a vast, boundless grassland. The season had reached the time when white dew turned to frost, and thousands upon thousands of acres of grassland shone golden beneath the setting sun.

Tens of thousands of Spotted-Horned Horses followed behind a herd of rhinoceroses. Some nibbled grass, some ran about crying and playing, while the males and females gathered together to sing and imitate donkeys' braying.

The rhinoceroses preferred peace and quiet and disliked being constantly surrounded by these noisy, free-spirited creatures that loved running wild. Yet whenever they moved a short distance away, even more came swarming around them, following behind all day in foolish merriment.

Why were the Spotted-Horned Horses so obsessed with befriending the rhinoceroses? Because the rhinoceroses' powerful physiques gave them a sense of security.

It would have been fine if they merely liked frolicking and braying, but these Spotted-Horned Horses were all skittish. At the slightest rustle of wind through grass, they bolted without a second thought, thousands upon thousands panicking and fleeing together. This brought terrible trouble upon their rhinoceros brothers.

A pride of fierce lions suddenly leaped out of the grass, charging against the evening wind. The rhinoceroses immediately formed a ring with their horns facing outward, leaving the pride no opening. But they could not withstand tens of thousands of Spotted-Horned Horses racing madly in all directions, and their formation was swept into the stampede. The fierce lions immediately took advantage of the chaos to pounce into the herd, savagely killing and sharing several rhinoceroses before leaving satisfied.

As for those Spotted-Horned Horses, they had long since fled like a surging torrent.

"Little Roc, these Spotted-Horned Horses may have horses' bodies, but their souls are just like yours. How interesting..."

Mu Bai always found opportunities to tease Golden Roc. It was one of the pleasures of living alone in Silver Frost Forest. Golden Roc rolled his eyes, deeply displeased, and prepared to give Mu Bai a taste of free fall from high in the sky. Mu Bai had only just mastered the power of flight. This scare sent his heart into his throat, and he hurriedly grabbed Golden Roc's feathers tightly with both hands.

Well? This badass bird hides great wisdom behind a foolish face. They're the ones who are truly stupid!

The grassland offered endless amusement. Mu Bai and Golden Roc were in excellent spirits in the air as well, and continued flying swiftly deeper into Silver Frost Forest.

"Fly! We'll go to Silver-Winged Giant Tiger's place first!"

With greater strength came greater daring. Mu Bai was not deliberately going to Silver-Winged Giant Tiger's place to flaunt his might. Rather, he could not stop thinking about that Moon-Howling White Wolf. Silver-Winged Giant Tiger had slapped it into a mountain ravine. Even if it had survived, it would be half-paralyzed. Its fur and beast materials were fine things indeed.

"Roar!"

Before they even entered that area, they heard Silver-Winged Giant Tiger's roar from afar. The might of a beast king truly made hearts tremble with fear. Mu Bai grew apprehensive too, hesitating over whether to continue. Before he could decide, Silver-Winged Giant Tiger had already appeared before him with a cold look.

Golden Roc was flying so fast that he could not stop in time and plunged headfirst toward Silver-Winged Giant Tiger. The tiger slowly raised a forepaw, its claws gleaming coldly, and swatted at the man and bird. Mu Bai hurriedly summoned the Crow Cauldron, preparing to meet that giant paw in a desperate struggle. Just then, a red gleam flashed from the chest of his coarse Hemp Robe, like Death suddenly opening a blood-red eye to reap lives.

Silver-Winged Giant Tiger froze, its enormous paw stopping in midair. Golden Roc, meanwhile, plunged straight into its embrace. With a yelp, Silver-Winged Giant Tiger turned and ran, no trace of a beast king's bearing left.

Ha! Look who's mighty now! Golden Roc strutted through the air, head high and chest out. You chased this badass bird so fiercely a few days ago. Why are you playing the groveling grandson today? Come on, come on, don't run. Give me a few meows...

"It really works! No beast can approach me for one day. Little Roc, charge into its lair!"

Mu Bai swept his arm forward. Golden Roc gawked joyfully and raced after Silver-Winged Giant Tiger with wild abandon, even faster than when fleeing for his life.

Silver-Winged Giant Tiger ran for its life, while Golden Roc chased, gawking away. This was simply glorious. Not only had he washed away his former humiliation, but the thrill of chasing a fierce tiger truly excited him.

A fox borrowed a tiger's might, and a roc chased a giant tiger. One fleeing and one pursuing, they scattered birds and beasts wherever they passed, letting Golden Roc truly experience the majesty of a king.

Silver-Winged Giant Tiger did not dare return to its lair. It picked some unknown direction and fled far away.

"Stop chasing. Go to its lair!"

Mu Bai knew Golden Roc could not catch Silver-Winged Giant Tiger even if he sprouted another pair of wings. But its cave could not run away...

What I want is the treasure in your den!

Swooping down above Silver-Winged Giant Tiger's cave, Mu Bai leaped off Golden Roc's back, darted behind a huge rock, and extended his Divine Sense into the cave. There were actually three little tiger cubs inside, all fluffy and crying softly. They were exceedingly cute.

In that fleeting instant, Mu Bai thought of countless uses for these three nursing cubs: roasting them to eat, stewing them for soup, using their bones and blood to refine medicine, or raising them to perform tricks for money...

"Forget it. Heaven cherishes life, and I, Mu Bai, am no heartless killer..."

Mu Bai picked up the three nursing cubs one by one and stroked them for a while, even taking special care to feel their little tiger teeth. He really wanted to take one away, but on second thought, that seemed terribly cruel. Reluctantly, he put them back.

"Be good now. Big Brother is leaving..."

Mu Bai walked out of the cave abode with regret. Something caught his eye, and he looked up to see a Rainbow-Winged Giant Tiger standing coldly in the air, one enormous paw clamped squarely around Golden Roc's neck.