Chapter 66

Chapter 66

This was Xiao Jinghao’s first time facing a ferocious tiger-and at such close range.

He could clearly see its whiskers and smell the rank, bloody stench rolling off its body.

It was as if someone had pressed mute on the entire world. At some point, even the birds and insects in the forest had fallen silent.

All Xiao Jinghao could hear was the thunderous pounding of his own heart.

His feet seemed rooted to the ground. He gripped the dagger so tightly that it nearly dug into his palm.

“Waaah-sob-Third Brother, is Yu’er going to die?”

“Yu’er doesn’t want to die! Third Brother, Yu’er wants Mommy!”

Terrified, Xiao Jingyu had already fallen flat on his bottom amid the dead leaves.

The crotch of his pants was soaked, and two trails of tears streaked his little face. One swipe of his hand left his face filthy, while two streams of snot had already reached his upper lip. He looked utterly pitiful and helpless.

Xiao Jinghao snapped out of his daze at Xiao Jingyu’s wails.

“Don’t be scared, Yu’er. Third Brother will protect you.”

Xiao Jinghao grabbed Xiao Jingyu by the back of his collar with one hand and seized Jin Bao’s slender arm with the other, pulling both children behind him.

The tiger was enraged by his movement and threw back its head with a roar.

“ROAR-”

At the foot of the mountain, the Xiao Family was searching frantically through the woods for the children.

Lu Shuangshuang and Madam Liu were nearly out of their minds with worry. Xiao Jingyu was the only child in their branch of the family. If anything happened to him, the two women would lose their sole reason to go on living.

Pei Wanqing and Nanny Chen split off to search in another direction, calling Jin Bao’s name from time to time.

In the midst of the chaos, a tiger’s roar suddenly rang out from deep within the forest.

“Good heavens! That’s a tiger!”

Nanny Chen stared toward the sound, her face turning deathly pale.

Pei Wanqing’s legs went weak. Supporting each other, she and Nanny Chen stumbled toward Xiao Che.

“Husband, did you hear that? It’s a tiger.”

Pei Wanqing clutched Xiao Che’s sleeve, her eyes already red.

“Madam, get inside the carriage and hide. I’ll go take a look right now.”

Lu Shuangshuang hurried after him.

“Marquis, I’m coming too.”

Madam Liu held her back and refused to let go. “Shuangshuang, don’t go. You don’t know how to fight. You’ll only get in the way and slow the Marquis down. We should wait here.”

Lu Shuangshuang shook her head firmly. “No. If Yu’er is hurt, I can treat him immediately. I won’t slow the Marquis down.”

Lu Shuangshuang had built up some strength over the course of their journey. Though she could never keep pace with Xiao Che, she had to go. The thought of what might have happened to her son had long since driven all concern for her own life from her mind. A mother drew strength from love, and she would rather die in her son’s place.

“Marquis, please let me come. You don’t have to look after me.”

“Granny Liu, I’ll go with Aunt Lu.”

Xiao Jingmo strode over. He was worried about Jin Bao and the others too and wanted to see for himself.

With Xiao Jingmo accompanying her, Madam Liu no longer tried to stop them.

Xiao Che set off first, blowing the whistle in his mouth as he ran.

Several figures hidden in the shadows immediately darted toward the source of the tiger’s roar as well.

Deep in the forest, the tiger took one leisurely step after its mighty roar, its bearing that of a king looking down on all living things.

In its eyes, the three tiny humans before it were already prey trapped within its grasp.

It circled them unhurriedly, drawing closer and closer.

By then, Xiao Jinghao had completely calmed down.

He surveyed their surroundings. Towering trees rose on all sides, their crowns blotting out the sky.

Vines wound all over the trunks like giant snakes coiling upward.

“Little Sister, move when I give the word. Climb the tree first. Yu’er, wrap your arms tightly around Third Brother’s neck. I’ll carry you up.”

Their only chance of avoiding the tiger’s jaws was to hide in a tree for now.

Xiao Jinghao knew his own limits. He was no match for a tiger.

Jin Bao showed no fear at all. Her bright eyes fixed curiously on the beast.

“Third Brother, Baby isn’t scared of the big kitty. Baby can beat the big kitty to death.”

Jin Bao’s soft, childish voice sounded behind Xiao Jinghao.

Xiao Jinghao knew his little sister possessed divine strength now, but this was a tiger. The difference in their size was enormous. If she could not disable it with one punch, it would retaliate.

With Jin Bao’s tiny body, a single swipe of its paw could probably smash her into pulp.

Xiao Jinghao could not let Jin Bao take that risk.

“Little Sister, be good. Climb the tree first. We’ll find a chance to deal with it afterward.”
Jin Bao had always been obedient. Hearing the tension in Third Brother’s voice, she docilely backed up several steps.

An ancient tree stood a dozen or so paces away. Its dense foliage and broad-spreading branches formed a vast green canopy.

Xiao Jinghao already had Xiao Jingyu on his back.

His gaze never left the tiger. As it changed direction and began padding toward them again, Xiao Jinghao shouted, “Little Sister, now! Run!”

At his command, Jin Bao spun around and bolted. In the blink of an eye, she had climbed onto a branch.

Xiao Jinghao ran toward the foot of the tree. When he looked up, he found his little sister already sitting at ease on the branch, swinging her short legs.

Xiao Jinghao felt a little embarrassed. He had worried for nothing. His own situation was far more dangerous now.

The moment the three children moved, the tiger launched its attack, pouncing straight at Xiao Jinghao’s back.

Xiao Jinghao had just reached the tree and was about to climb when a wave of foul, bloody breath swept toward him from behind.

There was no time to think. Gripping Xiao Jingyu’s wrists tightly, he dropped and rolled, barely avoiding the tiger’s first pounce.

Xiao Jingyu still clung firmly to his back, but Xiao Jinghao’s grip had partly dislocated his wrist. The pain made him burst into loud sobs.

The tiger snarled in fury when its first pounce failed.

It whipped around, preparing to strike again.

Xiao Jinghao’s movements were already hampered by Xiao Jingyu on his back, and he had not even managed to get up before the tiger turned and attacked once more.

They would surely die beneath this pounce.

And the tiger had no intention of sparing them.

Its second leap was even more violent, fueled by its earlier rage. It came down with a force that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth.

Xiao Jinghao’s eyes widened in terror. He could see the tiger’s razor-sharp claws and every strand of fur on its belly.

His nose filled with the rotten stench of its maw.

He could even feel the scorching heat of its breath wash over his wrist.

Xiao Jinghao squeezed his eyes shut and twisted around, shielding Xiao Jingyu beneath him while leaving his own back completely exposed to the tiger.

He roared, “Little Sister, don’t come down! Let’s be brother and sister again in our next life!”

Yet after waiting for what felt like an eternity, the claws behind him never fell.

He slowly raised his head and discovered Jin Bao gripping the tiger’s tail with both little hands.

Her tiny face was filled with fury.

“Bad kitty! Don’t hurt my brother!”

Jin Bao yanked the tiger up by its tail and began spinning in circles.

Xiao Jinghao stared, dumbfounded. Even Xiao Jingyu, who had been frightened senseless, sat on the ground with his eyes stretched wide.

Then Xiao Jingyu clapped his hands excitedly.

“Jin Bao is amazing!”

The praise made Jin Bao put even more effort into her performance.

After whirling the tiger around ten or so times, her steps began to stagger.

“Third Brother, why are the trees spinning? Why are you swaying too, Third Brother?”

Jin Bao suddenly let go. The tiger flew several yards away, snapping every thinner tree in its path cleanly in half.

It crashed into the undergrowth and lay utterly still.

Jin Bao toppled onto the ground with a thud, sprawled flat on her back as a ring of stars seemed to spin endlessly above her head.

“Little Sister!”

Xiao Jinghao rushed over and picked her up. It took quite a while for Jin Bao to recover.

“All better! The trees aren’t spinning anymore, and Baby’s head isn’t dizzy either.”

Jin Bao smacked her forehead with one little hand, then slid out of Xiao Jinghao’s arms with a giggle.

“Third Brother, Brother Yu, let’s go pick up the big kitty.”

Holding one of them in each hand, Jin Bao happily ran toward the tiger’s corpse.

Xiao Jingyu had been terrified out of his wits and did not dare go near it at all.

Afraid the tiger might be playing dead, Xiao Jinghao shielded Jin Bao behind him and approached slowly.

He kicked it hard. When it did not move, he finally crouched to examine it. The tiger’s spine had been broken into several pieces, and its eyes were tightly shut.

Xiao Jinghao dropped heavily onto the ground and released a long breath.

He had just brushed against death and escaped the tiger’s jaws. The lingering fear finally overwhelmed him now that the beast was dead, leaving his legs weak with terror.

“Third Brother, why are you sitting on the ground? Get up so we can dig up the ginseng!”

There was no way Xiao Jinghao could admit his legs had gone weak. That would be far too embarrassing.

“I’m tired. Let me sit and rest for a moment. I’ll be fine soon.”

Jin Bao believed him without question and obediently squatted nearby to wait while he rested.