White Tiger Appears

As night fell and the stars sparsely dotted the deep blue sky, a bright moon hung high, casting a cold and serene glow.

Wen Chu and Cuihong, who had been gathering information from various shops, suddenly heard a loud sound in the distance. The man and the bird hurriedly crossed a winding path and finally reached their destination.

Upon their arrival, they saw, from a desolate open square, a large purple glow suspended in the air, plummeting to the ground like a meteor, shaking the ground upon impact.

The moment the purple glow hit the ground, it seemed as if time had frozen.

The ground cracked open under the heavy blow, dust and rubble were sent flying in all directions, creating a cloud of dust that spread like a fog, obscuring their view.

Cuihong flapped its wings, its face full of confusion. “What’s going on?”

Yan Heqing, a man who always wore a smile and was always happy to see them, was now standing with his back to them, silent.

In his hand, the glowing axe swung through the air a few times, and the purple light suddenly vanished. He looked around, but saw no signs of anything escaping. The axe transformed into a golden light and was returned to his palm.

Yan Heqing turned around, his expression exceptionally cold, his eyes devoid of emotion, as if possessed by another soul.

After a few seconds, the coldness in his eyes gradually faded, and his usual expression returned.

He looked at Wen Chu and Cuihong, asking in surprise, “You came so quickly?”

Cuihong, flapping its wings, lightly jumped from Wen Chu’s shoulder to Yan Heqing’s. Wen Chu, concerned, asked, “What exactly happened?”

Yan Heqing, after separating them, recounted everything he had seen.

He had only managed to strike once, but surprisingly, the thing was quite clever. When it sensed danger, it immediately hid.

Cuihong glanced at the large crack on the ground and quickly turned its gaze away, asking, “So it’s hiding now? Did we scare it? Are we going to have to search for it again?”

Yan Heqing’s face grew grim. He nodded in agreement, “That seems to be the case. But we have another problem. Our protective shield is about to disappear, and we need to hurry back to the car to rest. During this time, we don’t know if the White Tiger will come out to cause trouble.”

The group hurried back to the car before the golden light disappeared.

Everyone appeared somewhat exhausted. Cuihong transformed into its human form and slumped into the backseat of the car. It was only after Yan Heqing urged it to move to the corner that it finally settled down.

Wen Chu, wanting to discuss matters, joined Yan Heqing in the backseat.

The space, once spacious, felt cramped with three adults in it. Yan Heqing sat in the middle, and inevitably, his shoulder brushed against Wen Chu’s.

He pushed Cuihong, who was sprawled out in the seat, “Go sit in the front, there’s not enough room here.” But Cuihong seemed to ignore him, only offering him the back of its head, firmly rejecting his request.

Helpless, Yan Heqing bit his lip and shifted closer to Cuihong, attempting to create some distance from the person beside him. But it seemed that Wen Chu didn’t notice his intention. As soon as he created a little space, Wen Chu’s shoulder came back into contact with his.

With no room left, Yan Heqing thought for a moment and then bravely spoke, “Wen Boss, it’s a little hot in here.”

“Hmm.” Wen Chu, seemingly unaware of the deeper meaning in his words, shortly after the car’s air conditioning started blowing.

Yan Heqing: “……”

That plan failed. He had another one.

“Well, Wen Boss, do you have any food? I’ll go get it. Cuihong is so hungry, it can’t even get up.”

The next moment, a box of milk and cookies appeared in Cuihong’s hand.

Yan Heqing: “……”

Both plans failed. He still had one more.

“Well, Wen Boss, I think the air conditioning is a little too cold. Can you turn it down? I’m going to put on a coat.”

The next second, a coat appeared on his body, not too thick but enough to block the cold from the air conditioning.

Yan Heqing: “……”

“Well, Wen Boss……”

“Is there anything else you need?” Wen Chu, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke, cutting off his words.

After putting on the coat, even though the strange sensation on his shoulder was gone, Yan Heqing still felt the action was too strange.

But with Wen Chu speaking, any attempt to hint at him to move further away remained stuck in his throat, unable to be said.

In the end, the words remained unspoken, and he replied, “Nothing, I’ll rest for a while. Wen Boss, you do as you wish.”

After saying that, Yan Heqing closed his eyes, choosing to accept it.

: “Let’s just leave it at that.”

As the person before him closed their eyes, Wen Chu finally returned his gaze from the front to the person beside him.

In his eyes was Yan Heqing’s peaceful profile.

Since he saw him again, Yan Heqing had been acting carefree, with his mind focused on the final payment and his beloved broken items. It seemed like he had no worries and accepted everything with ease.

But earlier, when he rushed to the scene, he had indeed seen a different side of Yan Heqing. His face showed an unshakable sorrow, a feeling that seemed familiar, like something from millennia ago.

In that moment, it felt as if he saw a version of Yan Heqing from another time and space, but it was only for a moment before it disappeared again.

Wen Chu lightly sighed and softly murmured, “Forget it. It’s better to forget, so you won’t be upset again.”

After thinking for a moment, he reached into the passenger seat and took a thin blanket, draping it over Yan Heqing, then leaned on his shoulder and quietly closed his eyes.

The lights in the car were soft, and the moonlight outside shone through the glass, adding a touch of tranquility to this extraordinary night.

However, the peaceful moment didn’t last long. The car was suddenly shaken violently, and both Wen Chu and Yan Heqing woke up in alarm.

Though Cuihong had already transformed into human form, its senses were exceptionally sharp, and it opened its eyes immediately.

The car shook violently, as if something with immense force was hitting it from the outside.

Yan Heqing quickly rolled down the car window, and the scene outside made all three of them gasp in shock.

In the moonlight, a giant white tiger, with its almost transparent body, was crashing into the car. Each collision caused the car to shake violently.

The White Tiger’s eyes emitted a faint green light, and it seemed unaware that the car window had been rolled down.

Yan Heqing immediately jumped out of the car on the other side. The axe appeared in his hand again, and the golden light cut through the night like a blazing streak.

He shouted and swung the axe at the White Tiger’s head.

The axe whooshed through the air, aimed at the White Tiger’s skull.

The White Tiger seemed to sense the danger, and its form suddenly blurred under the moonlight. It easily avoided Yan Heqing’s attack.

Wen Chu followed closely behind, his gaze firm. He drew a long whip from his waist, gleaming with black and gold light.

The whip moved like a serpent in the air, striking at the White Tiger’s abdomen.

The White Tiger let out a low growl. Its body became transparent again, and the whip passed through it without causing any harm.

Cuihong stood guard by the car, and suddenly a small, delicate bow appeared in its hands, with an arrow that glowed blue.

It pulled the bowstring tight, aiming the arrow at the White Tiger’s eyes.

The White Tiger seemed to feel the threat from Cuihong. In an instant, its form vanished from the spot.

Yan Heqing, Wen Chu, and Cuihong stood back to back, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

However, the White Tiger seemed to blend into the night, leaving no trace behind. All that remained was the low growl echoing through the empty wilderness.

In the tense standoff, the White Tiger suddenly attacked from Yan Heqing’s left. Its enormous claws, tearing through the air, lunged straight for his chest.

Yan Heqing reacted quickly. He leaned back just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack.

At the same time, he spun the axe in his hand, the golden light flashing, and slashed at the White Tiger’s abdomen.

The White Tiger’s form blurred again, and the axe only left behind a golden afterimage in the air.

Wen Chu didn’t miss the opportunity. His whip, like a silver lightning bolt, instantly coiled around the White Tiger’s hind leg.

The White Tiger let out an enraged roar. Its power was immense, almost breaking free from the whip.

Wen Chu gritted his teeth, pulling the whip tight with all his strength, trying to restrain the White Tiger’s movements.

Meanwhile, Cuihong’s arrow, like a blue comet, streaked through the night sky, aiming for the White Tiger’s eyes.

The White Tiger’s form again turned transparent, and the arrow passed through it without causing any tangible damage.

But this attack seemed to enrage the White Tiger. It let out an ear-splitting roar, and its form became clear once more. Its fur stood on end, exuding an overwhelming pressure.

Yan Heqing, Wen Chu, and Cuihong all felt a surge of pressure as they faced this mighty divine beast.

But they didn’t retreat. They knew that only by uniting could they defeat this invisible divine beast.

The White Tiger launched another attack. Its form flickered in and out of sight under the moonlight, each appearance carrying a deadly threat. The three of them kept dodging and countering, engaging in an intense battle with the White Tiger.

In the end, after a fierce exchange, the White Tiger seemed to realize it couldn’t easily defeat them. Its form once again blurred and then disappeared into the night.

The three of them panted heavily, their faces grim. They knew that the battle had only temporarily ended, and the threat of the White Tiger still lingered.

They returned to the car and closed the door.

By now, there was no one else around the street, and the shops on either side had closed under the merchants’ efforts.

The car slowly started moving again, heading toward Guangming Avenue. The extent of the White Tiger’s control over the area was still unknown.

Cuihong collapsed onto the seat, panting, its fingers sore from holding the bow. After a moment, it had the strength to speak: “Yan Xian, do you think this White Tiger is being controlled by something? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so relentless in messing with us.”

Yan Heqing wasn’t sure what was going on either: “Who knows? Who would have expected to encounter this on the way back?”

“But we can’t just leave the White Tiger. Otherwise, I’m afraid the world will descend into chaos sooner or later.”