The tiger soaking in the pool, a giant tiger at that, shot a cunning glance at the old Daoist priest before raising its massive paw from the water and striking at the priest’s fist.
With a *boom*!
The old Daoist priest let out a piteous cry, flying backward like a tattered rag doll, spinning through the air. He was in a terrible state, his bones, over a hundred years old, nearly being torn apart.
Ning Beichen frowned. He leaped from the tent and landed by the pool. He neither went to rescue the old Daoist nor attack the giant tiger.
“Where is your master?”
Ning Beichen asked the giant tiger, or rather, he was trying to trick it.
The tiger in the pool let out a roar. It slapped the water with its paw, and the pool’s surface churned, water splashing towards Ning Beichen like a deluge.
“Cunning beast.”
Ning Beichen snorted coldly. He made no apparent move, yet the pool suddenly exploded. A massive waterspout appeared, and the giant tiger, as if struck by a heavy blow, quickly retreated from the water and fled rapidly into the forest.
Ning Beichen did not pursue it. He was unsure if the giant tiger had a master behind it. If there was a master like the woman in coarse linen, it would be a troublesome affair.
However, even if there was, Ning Beichen was not afraid. The laws of this world were to his advantage, and he might not be weaker than a transcended being.
After the giant tiger fled, Ning Beichen retrieved the injured old Daoist priest. Seeing his pathetic state, he couldn't help but shake his head.
With such a temper and impatience, it was no wonder the old Daoist priest easily offended people.
“Can you still manage?”
Ning Beichen asked him.
The old Daoist priest nodded, his face flushed red. Although he had been swatted away by the giant tiger’s claw, his injuries were not severe; he just looked worse for wear.
“Don’t be so impulsive next time. This tiger is not as simple as you think,” Ning Beichen told him.
“Do you have any medicine for injuries?”
Ning Beichen then asked him.
The old Daoist priest shook his head. He hadn't expected to get injured, so he hadn't brought any such items. Despite being over a hundred years old, it was clear he was inexperienced, like a novice.
Ning Beichen tossed him a pill. “This is a pill for internal injuries. Take it. For external wounds, I’ll bandage them for you later.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ning.”
The old Daoist priest felt a little embarrassed.
He hadn't felt anything amiss before. He had always been successful, crushing all obstacles, treated with respect by everyone.
But ever since meeting Ning Beichen, everything had gone awry. He realized his past century had been lived in vain.
What made it even more incomprehensible was Ning Beichen’s youth. How could he accomplish things they couldn't?
It was no wonder those people speculated where Ning Beichen came from.
After taking the medicine and being bandaged, the old Daoist priest returned to the tent to lie down. After all, he was over a hundred years old and not a transcended being; his body couldn't withstand much strain.
Ning Beichen, however, did not return to the tent. He had scared away the giant tiger earlier and needed to be wary of its revenge or the revenge of its master.
Yet, as the night passed, the giant tiger did not appear. Ning Beichen didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed. Perhaps, in his heart, he hoped for the appearance of a transcended being.
Ning Beichen had originally planned to leave today, but with the old Daoist priest injured, he decided to postpone it by a day. He couldn't mistreat an injured old man over a hundred years old.
However, Ning Beichen wouldn't stay here to accompany the old Daoist for the entire day. He intended to search for the giant tiger.
The giant tiger was enormous, and its movements would surely leave traces. Therefore, finding its tracks wasn't too difficult for Ning Beichen.
Following the surrounding signs, Ning Beichen tracked it to a mountain stream. The traces were most abundant here, indicating that the giant tiger frequented this place, leaving so many marks.
Ning Beichen searched cautiously in the mountain stream. Soon, he discovered a large cave entrance below the stream.
The entrance was covered by vines, and water flowed out from within the cave. There were also large claw marks on the ground. This cave was likely the giant tiger’s lair.
However, he wasn't sure if the giant tiger was still inside. Ning Beichen kicked a stone, about the size of a human head, which flew into the cave with a loud crash.
Ning Beichen waited for a while. Seeing no sign of the giant tiger, he kicked two more stones in.
Then, Ning Beichen projected his voice towards the cave entrance: “Beast, get out here!”
This time, there was a reaction from within the cave. Ning Beichen heard a deafening tiger roar from inside, shaking the ground.
Soon after, the giant tiger, six meters long, rushed out of the cave. Its thick forelegs landed on the water’s surface, creating sounds like a drumbeat.
“Roar!”
The giant tiger opened its mouth and roared.
A blast of fierce wind erupted from its mouth, darkening the sky and causing sand and stones to fly like a tempest.
Facing the giant tiger’s gale, Ning Beichen stood unmoving.
When the gusts of wind reached about a meter from him, his clothes billowed as if an invisible protective film had been applied to him, deflecting all of the tiger's fierce energy.
“Brother Tiger, I'm not here to fight you today. I'm here to find your master.”
Ning Beichen began to employ his silver tongue to deceive the giant tiger.
Deep down, Ning Beichen didn't want to kill the giant tiger. Although tiger meat was indeed nourishing, he wasn't so desperate for a meal that he would kill a tiger without reason. There was no need for that.
Of course, if the tiger remained wild and untamable, Ning Beichen wouldn't hesitate to slay it.
“Roar! Roar!”
The giant tiger roared twice, its fierce energy intensifying. Dust and vegetation swirled around, but it caused not the slightest harm to Ning Beichen.
Seeing that its fierce energy was ineffective, the giant tiger forcefully pushed off the ground with its paws. Like a tank, its claws swiped towards Ning Beichen.
Its massive claws were half the size of Ning Beichen’s body. As one paw struck down, it was as if it blotted out the sun.
With a *boom*!
Ning Beichen easily caught the tiger’s claw strike. Before the giant tiger could react, its body was sent flying by a kick from Ning Beichen.
Its six-meter-long body crashed down from the air like a small mountain, shaking the very ground.
The giant tiger felt immense pain throughout its body, its internal organs feeling as if they would split. It was also filled with shock and fear. This human’s strength was even greater than its own!