The duty of a chang ghost was to clear the path for the white tiger in the mountains.
One could say that each chang ghost served as the white tiger’s eyes and ears on Wenshan.
During the day, how many merchant caravans passed below the mountain, how many hunters entered the woods, bears fighting wolves in the east, giant pythons slithering by in the west—none of it escaped the chang ghosts’ sight.
Therefore, nothing that happened in the forest could be hidden from the white tiger.
Now, with the chang ghosts’ remains incinerated and two old ghosts along with a new ghost slain one after another, the white tiger could naturally sit still no longer.
Having lost its chang ghosts, the white tiger was like a fierce beast that had had its claws snapped off.
“We meet again, Mountain Lord.”
Sitting beneath the tree, Nan Zhi calmly raised her eyes to meet the gaze of the white tiger atop the high boulder, offering a faint smile.
With every gesture, the demeanor of an expert subtly emerged:
“I merely disposed of a few ignorant chang ghosts. Why does the Mountain Lord need to be so furious?”
She recognizes me?
The white tiger hesitated for a moment, withdrawing its extended claw. Its eyes scanned up and down across Nan Zhi:
Dark and sturdy, her origins unrecognizable. She was shrouded in ghostly energy, yet looked more like a living human than a ghost.
What she wore was neither monk robes nor Taoist garb, nor was it the black armor of the Demon Suppression Division’s demon suppressors. It was merely coarse hemp clothing, cloth shoes, and cloth socks; nothing notable could be discerned.
It was just... the knife she carried looked a bit troublesome.
Still, it was not impossible to handle.
Having lived for so long, the white tiger had developed a degree of caution.
“F-Fellow... Daoist... Why, why kill... kill this tiger’s... chang ghosts?”
Forcibly suppressing its fury, it glared with amber eyes and bared its fangs at Nan Zhi, demanding:
“This tiger... has never... seen... you.”
“G-Give... this tiger an... explanation. Otherwise... I’ll eat... you.”
“I am Nan Zhi, a disciple of the 137th generation of the Qingyun Sect. Currently, I am traveling the mortal realm alongside my senior sister, Jinghong Fairy. Passing by this place, I heard that a fierce tiger was devouring humans in the mountain and came specially to investigate, only to find that it was indeed true. Those chang ghosts must have been raised by you, Mountain Lord, yet...”
Nan Zhi looked at the puddle of black mud on the ground, shaking her head with a sigh:
“If my deduction is correct, Mountain Lord should have been a natural spirit beast. When your mother was pregnant, she must have ingested some spirit herb or spiritual object before giving birth to you. But seeing the heavy karmic debt on you, Mountain Lord, and the lingering resentment clinging to your form, you must have committed countless evils.”
A flicker of suspicion showed on the white tiger’s face.
Its mother had indeed swallowed a spirit herb before giving birth to it with its unique coat.
Even Chunsheng, who had followed the white tiger for over a decade, knew nothing of this.
How did the person before it know?
“What... business... is it... of yours?”
The white tiger took a step back, growing even more vigilant as it fixed its glare on Nan Zhi:
“Killing chang ghosts... why? Subduing demons and evil... then... make your... move.”
“The Mountain Lord misunderstands. Our Qingyun Sect reveres the ancient Tushan Clan as our ancestor, and the disciples of our sect naturally share a fated bond with demon cultivators. When my senior sister passed by Wenshan in years past, she saw a fierce tiger give birth to a white tiger and kept it in mind. Today, I am revisiting this old haunt on my sister’s behalf. Seeing that the Mountain Lord has strayed onto an evil path, I wish to enlighten you for the sake of that past encounter.”
Nan Zhi smiled and patted the empty ground beside her:
“The Mountain Lord cultivates by eating humans and devouring living souls. Although your cultivation might advance quickly in the short term, when you face the trial of heavenly lightning in the future, I fear you won’t even withstand the first bolt of heavenly thunder. Yet heaven cherishes life, and I truly cannot bear to see a spirit beast remain ignorant only to perish beneath heavenly lightning later on. As long as you promise me that from now on you will no longer slaughter living beings, devour intelligent humans or beasts, and instead cultivate diligently in seclusion, I will pass on our sect’s cultivation technique, the 《Moon-Worshiping Breathing Method》, to you.”
The white tiger did not believe a single word. Its eyes darted back and forth across her, unable to determine whether her strength was truly greater than its own or if she was merely bluffing.
“Why would I deceive you?”
Nan Zhi sighed and made a move as if to leave:
“I had intended to resolve a matter of karma on my senior sister’s behalf. Forget it, forget it. Since you do not believe me, then so be it. However, if we meet again in the future, I will show no mercy.”
A cultivation technique.
And one handed down from the ancient Tushan Clan at that.
The white tiger hesitated, its eyes shifting as an idea took shape.
It would feign belief first, keeping this human here while gently coaxing her.
Once it got close, it would leap up and bite through her neck!
At that point, whether what she said was true or false, she would have no choice but to yield obediently.
Besides, who knew what a cultivator tasted like?
Surely better than ordinary mortals.
And turning her into a chang ghost to command would likely make her even more powerful.
Better to just eat her, then force her to hand over the techniques and treasures.
The white tiger licked its lips.
With that in mind, it hurriedly leaped down from the boulder, its tone carrying a few extra hints of respect:
“Imm-Immortal, please wait.”
“I... I’m coming over... right now.”
The white tiger was waiting for an opportunity to get close.
Nan Zhi was waiting, too.
Seeing the white tiger approach slowly, her face remained calm as she beckoned:
“Come here. I shall impart this technique to you, but remember well, this technique must never be lightly shared with others...”
“I know... Thank you... Immortal.”
The white tiger crouched on the ground and crawled closer, looking just like a docile giant cat as it looked up at Nan Zhi.
The young woman smiled, lowering her head to stroke the white tiger, sharp light gleaming in her eyes.
The fierce tiger looked up, its beastly face filled with eagerness, its pupils brimming with greed.
—To someone unaware, this might have seemed like a profoundly heartwarming scene.
“Roar!!”
In the next instant, the illusion shattered.
The furry tiger head lunged forward abruptly, its bloody maw gaping wide as it struck like lightning toward Nan Zhi’s neck!
In the spark of a flint, a slaughtering knife suddenly appeared. Nan Zhi shoved it vertically into the tiger’s mouth, rigidly propping open the bloody maw!
Wedged open by the sudden blade, the fierce tiger froze in shock. That momentary daze was all the opening Nan Zhi needed!
Crack!
Her protection curse activated. Electric arcs danced along Nan Zhi’s fingers, and without hesitation, she thrust her hand straight into the tiger’s mouth!
Lightning crackled and flashed in all directions, shocking the white tiger until its scalp went numb as a burst of lightning detonated within its maw!
Boom!
“Awooo!!”
A thunderclap exploded out of thin air. Shreds of flesh and gore splattered from the white tiger’s mouth, and it rolled on the ground in agony:
“Kill you!! Awooo!!”
It snapped its jaws toward Nan Zhi, but having forgotten that the slaughtering knife was still wedged inside its mouth, it lunged into empty air—
Nan Zhi grabbed the tiger’s head with one hand and seized its fangs with the other, landing several solid punches squarely onto the tiger’s eyes. Leaping up, she flipped her body and mounted the tiger’s back firmly!
The difference in size between the human and the tiger was simply too vast; Nan Zhi could not reach the tiger’s head properly.
She could only grab handfuls of tiger fur and relentlessly pummel the white tiger’s spine with her fists—
Tiger fur flew everywhere, white tufts floating like catkins and drifting like falling snow. The white tiger was in excruciating agony.
“Get off!! Get off! Awooo-ooo-ooo!”
Driven mad by the pain, the white tiger twisted its head and spat a plume of black smoke straight into Nan Zhi’s face!
Unable to dodge in time, she took the blast head-on, and her vision blurred instantly—
【Cultivator has been afflicted with a curse】
【Temporary Effect: Combat Power -5, Constitution -5】
【Persistent Effect: Luck -10, Combat Power -5】
This white tiger truly had another trick up its sleeve!
Nan Zhi dared not let up. Clutching the fur on the tiger’s back with all her might, she slammed down another punch!
“Awooo!!”
In extreme pain, a vicious gleam flashed in the white tiger’s eyes. Roaring through its jaws, it exerted all its force and, willing to endure the injury, forcefully shattered the slaughtering knife wedged in its mouth!
A sharp metallic clang rang out. Before Nan Zhi could even mourn the loss, she dodged aside to evade the incoming whip of the tiger’s tail. As the violent gust descended, a small tree was snapped clean in two by the tail’s wind!
“Eat you! Eat you! I will definitely eat you!”
Refusing to give up, the white tiger slammed Nan Zhi toward a tree trunk. Unexpectedly, a large net fell from the sky, firmly entangling Nan Zhi and the fierce tiger together!
“Awooo-ooo-ooo!!”
“Roar!!”
The white tiger roared deafeningly, its beastly bellow echoing through the heavens and shaking the mountain forest. Yet with an enemy riding its back and the large net binding its body, it was unable to break free for the moment!
I planned ahead just for this!
I can’t drag this out any longer!
Nan Zhi clawed her way up through the tiger’s fur, groping for the soft cartilage behind the white tiger’s ear—
Seeming to realize her intention, the beast struggled frantically. Its thick tail wrapped around her leg as it twisted around, opening its maw to bite!
Found it!
Relying on her memory, Nan Zhi spotted the cleverly hidden death point. She shoved her left arm directly into the fierce tiger’s mouth, blocking the fangs aimed at her neck!
Crunch!
Sharp teeth sank into flesh. Two bloody holes instantly opened on Nan Zhi’s arm, but she did not let go!
A rusted arrow tip appeared in her hand, and she drove it viciously into that death point!
“Roar—”
The white tiger went completely berserk, tearing through the net on its body and ramming into a large tree with all its might, throwing Nan Zhi off!
Nan Zhi crashed heavily onto the ground, yet her eyes remained fixed on that white silhouette—
One step, two steps, three steps.
The white tiger staggered a few paces, shaking its massive head repeatedly, but in the end, it could hold on no longer.
With a heavy thud, the mountain-sized tiger collapsed to the ground.
The white tiger’s eyes were wide, its furry face filled with an almost human confusion.
It did not understand how this person knew its weakness.
And where had that arrow tip stained with its mother's blood come from?
Had Chunsheng betrayed it?
Why?
Lying on its back, it gasped for breath, refusing to close its eyes for a long time. After struggling a little longer, it finally ceased moving, its four limbs stiffening into a straight line.
Nan Zhi slumped on the ground, not approaching recklessly.
After waiting for a good while, she threw a rock at it to confirm that the tiger was as dead as could be.
Only then did Nan Zhi pick up the fragments of the slaughtering knife from the ground and cleanly sever the millstone-sized tiger head.
Crimson blood gushed out, and steam rose in waves from the still-warm wound.
【Congratulations to the cultivator for clearing the dungeon “The Tiger in Wenshan”】
【Dungeon Clearance Rewards: White Tiger Demon Core ×1, Azure Sea Sky Boots ×1, Azure Sea Sky Garment ×1, Dream Soul Flower ×3, Tiger Saliva Grass ×3】
【Enemies Slain: Chang Ghost ×7, Tiger-Chang ×1, White Tiger Demon ×1】
【Kill Rewards: Upgrade EXP *1000】
【Cultivator has leveled up】
【Current Level: 27】
【Current Cultivation: Qi Refinement level 7】
【Congratulations to the cultivator for slaying the area Boss, achieving the achievement “Tiger-Slaying Hero” (I), and obtaining Heavenly Treasure Tree Lottery Ticket ×5】
【Congratulations to the cultivator for completing a kill above their level, achieving the achievement “Vulnerable” (I), and obtaining Heavenly Treasure Tree Lottery Ticket ×5】
【Cultivator is afflicted by a curse.】
【“Mountain Lord’s Curse”: This is a curse from a fierce tiger. During the duration of the curse, cultivator's Luck stat -10, Combat Power -5】
Rate on N.U.
