Just as the tiger king had stabilized, Chen Nan punched it hard on the head again. The tiger king roared deafeningly and suddenly went berserk. Ignoring its downward momentum, it shook its head and tail in the air and tumbled wildly, determined to throw Chen Nan off its body.
The merchants in the distance watched the fierce battle in the air with immense fear, their bodies trembling like leaves.
The mercenaries on the ground were all terrified. They held their breath and stared nervously at the sky, secretly sweating for Chen Nan.
At this moment, only the little princess was still speaking: "Push...push! I almost threw that scoundrel off! But be gentle, just enough to make him half-dead. I still need him to undo that stupid finger spell for me."
A few mercenaries not far from her gave her a strange look, which earned them a big eye roll and a cold snort from the little princess.
Chen Nan rode on the tiger king's neck, his legs gripping its neck tightly, his hands clutching its fur. Hearing the whistling wind beside him and seeing the increasingly large figure on the ground, he felt a surge of tension, inwardly blaming himself for being too hasty and provoking the tiger king.
When it was still six or seven zhang away from the ground, the tiger king suddenly stopped tumbling and spread its wings to stop its fall.
Chen Nan let out a long breath; he was already covered in cold sweat.
The tiger king was already seriously injured, and after a series of violent movements, it was exhausted and staggered to the ground.
The fight between Chen Nan and the Tiger King was extremely dangerous. He could fall from the sky at any moment and be smashed to pieces, which made the people on the ground tremble with fear.
When the Tiger King landed less than three zhang (approximately 10 meters) from the ground, Chen Nan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He punched the Tiger King hard on the head, then pushed off its back and jumped down.
The tiger king let out a furious roar of resentment and plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ground with a loud thud, crushing a large patch of bushes.
The mercenaries on the ground shouted in unison and charged at the Tiger King with their weapons raised.
Merchants in the distance breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Chen Nan shoot down the powerful magical beast. After the initial tension, they all collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
Just now, the Tiger King unleashed its ferocity in the air, inflicting heavy losses on the mercenary group after a barrage of lightning and flames—many were killed and many were wounded. Now, the survivors, driven by a thirst for revenge, attacked it frantically. Its body was riddled with all sorts of weapons, and in the blink of an eye, the severely wounded Tiger King was on the verge of death, its blood staining the grass red, and a mist of blood drifting above its body.
The little princess suddenly ran behind the mercenaries, shouting anxiously, "Stop! Stop it! It's dying..."
All the mercenaries were stunned and turned to look at her. One mercenary, his face contorted with anger, said, "What are you saying, little girl? You actually want us to stop? This beast has taken more than twenty lives—those are our brothers who have been with us day and night!"
Chen Nan quickly came over and said, "This little girl is a bit off, a typical scatterbrain. Don't mind her, you guys continue." With that, he pulled her away.
The little princess struggled and cried out, "You bastard, you're the one with a problem! Let me go... Don't kill the Tiger King, I can compensate you for your losses."
One of the mercenaries roared, "How are you going to compensate us? What are you going to use to pay for the lives of those brothers?"
"The dead cannot be brought back to life, but I can offer some compensation to the families of the victims..."
The mercenaries attacked the Tiger King relentlessly, ignoring the little princess's cries for help. Only when the Tiger King finally stopped moving did they finally stop.
At this moment, the Tiger King's entire body was a bloody mess, with blood gushing out from those shocking wounds, and in some places even the white bones were exposed.
The little princess was both angry and anxious, but there was nothing she could do.
Chen Nan said, "Back then, you were such a wicked little witch, tormenting me in every way. Now you're actually showing sympathy for a ferocious beast. You're simply an unreasonable little devil."
The little princess huffed and puffed, "Mind your own business! The Tiger King is much better than you! You're the most shameless and despicable bastard in the world! One day I'll tear you to pieces!"
Just then, someone tried to cut open the Tiger King's chest and abdomen to retrieve its magic crystal core. The little princess immediately became agitated and cried out, "You mustn't do that! You didn't shoot down the Tiger King, so what right do you have to take its magic crystal core?"
The regimental commander walked over and asked, "What's your name, brother?"
Chen Nan said, "My surname is Chen."
"I never expected Brother Chen to be so skilled, actually managing to subdue the ferocious Tiger King and save many brothers from its clutches. The magic crystal core inside its body should rightfully belong to you."
The deputy leader also said, "The magic crystal core should indeed belong to Brother Chen. Let's all rest for a bit and bury the bodies of our fallen brothers."
The mercenary group suffered heavy losses this time, with twelve seriously wounded and twenty-three dying.
After cleaning up the scene, the mercenary group expressed their gratitude to Chen Nan and then headed towards the merchants, leaving only Chen Nan, the little princess, and Guan Hao at the scene.
Guan Hao chuckled awkwardly and said, "I didn't expect Brother Chen to be so unassuming, even more skilled than me, his bodyguard. Hehe..."
Chen Nan asked, "Do you want to return those one hundred gold coins to me?"
"Ah, the weather is lovely today. The sun is shining brightly, the sky is cloudless, and the blue sky is spotless..."
The little princess cried out, "What exactly are you trying to say, you dead rat?"
"Ah, I...hehe, I'd like to discuss something with Brother Chen. Could you give me those things you don't want anymore, like: tiger skin, tiger penis..."
The little princess, who was standing not far from him, suddenly pounced on him, kicking and scratching him.
"You greedy, perverted rat... get out of here, you won't get anything."
Guan Hao hurriedly fled.
The little princess turned to Chen Nan and asked, "Could you let me and the Tiger King be alone for a while?"
As Chen Nan walked, he muttered to himself, "Incomprehensible... He really is as close to the demons as family, actually developing feelings for such a ferocious beast."
Watching Chen Nan disappear into the woods, the little princess finally felt relieved. She muttered to herself, "It doesn't make sense. My master, that old geezer, said that growing magical beasts have very strong vitality and are extremely difficult to kill. How could this guy have died so quickly?"
She circled the tiger king once and sighed softly, "It seems he really is dead." Just as she was about to turn and leave, she suddenly heard a muffled breathing sound. The little princess was startled and quickly turned around to look.
The tiger king's eyelids twitched, then opened, followed by a tremor in its body.
"Ah, he's alive! He really didn't die." But now she was a little scared. She had just witnessed the Tiger King's ferocious power, and now she was filled with trepidation.
The little princess's voice trembled slightly: "Little...little tiger, don't be afraid, I mean no harm."
"Should you tell it not to be afraid, or comfort yourself not to be afraid? Haha... This is hilarious." Chen Nan had already left, but thinking about the unpredictable wild animals in the mountains, he was a little worried about the little princess, so he turned back. He happened to hear what the little princess said and couldn't help but laugh.
"How could this princess be afraid of a little tiger? Why did you suddenly come back, you scoundrel?" Seeing Chen Nan suddenly appear, she was no longer afraid.
"Please, don't call such a super behemoth 'small,' okay? You're not even enough to fill its teeth."
"Hmph, none of your business."
Chen Nan circled the Tiger King once and said, "I really didn't expect this guy to be so tenacious. Even though he's injured like this, he still can't bear to leave this world."
The little princess was a little nervous and asked uneasily, "You scoundrel, you don't intend to attack again, do you?"
"Yes, if this ferocious beast were to remain in the world, who knows how many people would suffer."
The little princess immediately stood in front of him, saying, "No, I won't let you touch it."
The Tiger King suddenly stood up unsteadily. The blood where it had been lying was now half a foot deep. When it looked at Chen Nan, its eyes flashed with ferocity, but there was also some fear in them. However, its gaze towards the little princess was much gentler.
"Huh, it's not hostile towards me, little tiger, you won't bite me, will you?"
Upon hearing the little princess's words, the Tiger King surprisingly shook his head in a manner quite human.
The little princess immediately cheered, saying, "My goodness, it can actually understand what I'm saying! It's unbelievable!"
Seeing the Tiger King stand up, Chen Nan had already drawn his long sword, its blade gleaming coldly and exuding a chilling killing intent.
Upon seeing his actions, the little princess cried out urgently, "Don't do it!"
Chen Nan asked, "What if it hurts someone again?"
The little princess said, "No, it definitely won't hurt anyone again."
"You're not it, what can you guarantee?"
"You... Hmph, it listens to me." The little princess turned to the tiger king and said, "Listen to me, don't hurt anyone anymore, or this stinky guy in front of you will kill you."
Tiger King looked at the little princess, then at Chen Nan, and finally nodded.
This delighted the little princess, who exclaimed, "You're so intelligent! You're even better than those stinky dragon knights' dragons! Little tiger, you'll stay with me from now on, and I promise I'll treat you well."
Chen Nan scoffed, "Save your energy. You're dreaming. You think such a big guy will obediently follow you? Besides, it's so badly injured right now that it can barely walk. Those mercenaries will definitely not let it go."
"I don't care, I will never let anyone hurt it again." The little princess ignored him and said with some distress, "The little tiger is seriously injured, has difficulty moving, and is so big, how can we get it away?"
At this moment, something happened that left Chen Nan and the little princess dumbfounded: the tiger king's wings and horn suddenly disappeared, and its huge body began to shrink rapidly, from three zhang long to less than one zhang long. The weapons stuck in its body fell to the ground, and its wounds healed quickly, returning to normal in just a short while.
The Tiger King shook its body vigorously, and the blood on its body was immediately shaken off completely, revealing its snow-white and shiny fur again.
Chen Nan exclaimed in surprise, "It's actually a demonic tiger! It has already mastered some transformation techniques!"
The little princess was also astonished and exclaimed, "This is incredible! It really knows some of the magic of transformation!"
Chen Nan pondered. Although he had never seen a demon, he had heard his father talk about them. Many spiritual beasts in the East could gather the primordial energy of heaven and earth and absorb the essence of the sun and moon. Over time, these beasts gradually became sentient and slowly discovered cultivation methods suitable for themselves. Many of these beasts became incredibly powerful, and in the eyes of the world, they became demons, with the more powerful ones being called monsters.
Both monsters and demons possess extraordinary supernatural powers. Monsters are generally enormous and can breathe clouds and mist, while demons are significantly more powerful. Legendary demons can transform into human form and possess magic, making them unmatched by anyone but the most skilled masters in the human world.
Years ago, his father, Chen Zhan, encountered a powerful demon. After a fierce battle, he defeated the demon and forced it back to its original form. After the battle, Chen Zhan pondered the matter carefully and gradually understood some of the mysteries surrounding demons and monsters.
During their cultivation, demonic beasts gradually alter their physique, enabling their bodies to better absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Therefore, demonic beasts are generally enormous, their massive bodies filled with powerful energy. Once a demonic beast is severely injured or on the verge of death, the energy within its body will slowly dissipate, revealing its true form, becoming about the size of an ordinary wild animal.
Monsters are far more powerful than beasts. They no longer pursue quantitative changes in their bodies, but strive for qualitative transformations. The reason monsters transform into human form is also to try to change their physique for better cultivation. Legend has it that the physiques of humans and some divine beasts are most suitable for cultivation, so monsters either try to transform into humans or into divine beasts.
Chen Nan stared at the Tiger King before him, his face filled with astonishment. He had previously thought it was just a powerful magical beast, but he hadn't expected it to know the cultivation methods of demonic beasts.
"This guy is truly remarkable. No wonder it possesses the bloodlines of both the Eastern White Tiger and the Western Demon Tiger. It understands the cultivation methods of demonic beasts and also has the innate magical abilities of them. This fellow has probably been cultivating for over a thousand years. It would be a real shame to kill it."
The little princess exclaimed, "We absolutely cannot kill it! The little tiger is so cute, beautiful, and magical. I must keep it with me, but I wish it were a little smaller!"
After hearing the little princess's words, the Tiger King swayed his body, and his body actually began to shrink slowly.
"That's wonderful!" the little princess exclaimed excitedly.
The tiger king shrank from ten feet to one foot in length, looking like a cute little porcelain cat.
The little princess exclaimed happily, "Oh my, you've really turned into a real little tiger! Come here!" She waved to the Tiger King.
The tiger king, about the size of a kitten, twisted its body, sprouted a pair of pure white wings from its belly, and a jade horn appeared on its forehead. Then, it gently flapped its wings and flew up, pouncing into the little princess's arms.
Chen Nan stared in disbelief, muttering, "How is this possible? When a demonic beast is severely injured and loses its power, it is forced back to its original form. How could it continue to shrink? This tiger is strange!"
The little princess hugged the pure white tiger king and giggled.
The Tiger King folded its wings and horn, and now it looked just like a docile kitten, comfortably closing its eyes in the little princess's arms.
Chen Nan sighed, "You lecherous tiger, you really know how to pick a spot!"
The little princess retorted angrily, "You scoundrel, what nonsense are you spouting? The little tiger is not as filthy as you."
The Tiger King opened its eyes and looked at Chen Nan. At first, it was somewhat afraid, but then it seemed to sense that the little princess could protect it, and suddenly it opened its mouth and spat out a small arc of electricity.
Suddenly, with a soft "crack," an electric arc struck Chen Nan's head, leaving his face blackened and his hair standing on end.
"You dead tiger, you lecherous tiger, I'm going to kill you, you XXXXX, how dare you provoke me!"
The little princess shoved him away and said, "Serves you right. You provoked me first. The little tiger was acting in self-defense."
He spent a great deal of effort smoothing his upright hair, then glared fiercely at the Tiger King and said, "Don't think you're safe just because you've turned into a cat. If I shout, those mercenaries will immediately rush up and tear you to pieces."
The little princess said, "You wouldn't dare. Now that the little tiger is with me, I won't let anyone hurt it. Hmm, I should give it a name. What should I call it? It's pure white and shiny like jade, so I'll call you Little Jade."
Tiger King happily rubbed against the little princess's high breasts, making Chen Nan almost have a nosebleed. He began to secretly envy that guy.
The little princess giggled and said, "It really likes this name! Xiaoyu, from now on I am your master. You must listen to me and never be as wicked as this bad guy in front of you."
Xiaoyu nodded at the little princess with its fluffy tiger head, then shook it at Chen Nan. Chen Nan was so angry he really wanted to go over and crush it.
Next, the little princess began to pester Chen Nan relentlessly, demanding his cooperation in rescuing Tiger King Xiao Yu. Annoyed by her persistence, Chen Nan finally nodded in agreement.
The little princess was incredibly unruly throughout the journey, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she was a prisoner, and often did astonishing things. Sometimes Chen Nan wanted to punish her, but when he thought of that 170-year-old monster from the Chu royal family, he dismissed the idea.
That old man was the most terrifying cultivator he had encountered so far. If he harmed the little princess, who knew how that old monster would deal with him? Most importantly, he sensed that the old man had been following him all along, seemingly lurking in the shadows. This was the reason he hadn't dared to do anything too outrageous to the little princess.
Although Chen Nan found the little princess utterly detestable along the way, upon closer reflection, he realized that it all seemed to be the little girl's deliberate act. He felt that this little girl was quite cunning. With careful observation, it wasn't hard to see that she deliberately acted innocent, naive, and willful throughout the journey to lower people's guard against her.
In fact, the little devil is by no means a simple-minded person. Her behavior in the western border of Chu is enough to show that she is quite shrewd. Of course, her willful nature is also one of the reasons for her behavior.
There was another reason why the little princess didn't seem to care much about her current situation. She had already carefully analyzed the situation and knew that Chen Nan wouldn't dare to act rashly or completely break ties with the forces behind her and resort to violence. After all, he couldn't fight against an entire country alone, and he still needed her as his "protector."
At this moment, the little princess had whispered something to Tiger King Xiaoyu and carefully gave him some instructions.
"Xiaoyu, go to the main road ahead and wait for me. You absolutely cannot let those mercenaries find you now, understand?" After saying that, she put Xiaoyu on the ground and watched it disappear into the depths of the forest.
Then the little princess feigned exasperation and shouted, "Oh no! The Tiger King has come back to life..."
The mercenary group members were shocked. The leader rode his wounded earth dragon and was the first to rush over. The vice-leader also used the Wind Flight spell to fly over quickly, and the other members followed closely behind them.
When everyone rushed over, the Tiger King had already vanished without a trace.
The regimental commander called out anxiously, "Brother Chen, what happened?"
Chen Nan said, "Just now, I was about to cut open the tiger king's belly when it suddenly jumped up, spread its wings, and flew into that deep mountain." As he spoke, he pointed to a mountain range not far from this valley.
Everyone listened dejectedly, never expecting the Tiger King to feign death. Only the little princess was secretly overjoyed.
The turmoil surrounding the Tiger King passed, and after the stunned horses gradually awoke, the group resumed their journey. Along the way, everyone was quiet and reserved, a trace of sadness on the face of each mercenary, creating a somber atmosphere.
After traveling for more than ten miles, the little princess couldn't help but mutter to herself, "I wonder if Xiaoyu has gotten lost."
Chen Nan scoffed, "You little devil, usually as cunning as a fox, are actually being bewitched by a lecherous tiger today. How hilarious!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Tiger King Xiaoyu darted out of the forest with a "whoosh".
The little princess exclaimed, "What an adorable kitten!" She ran over and hugged Xiaoyu tightly.
Everyone was astonished, not only because the little princess was holding the "lynx," but also because the "lynx" bore a striking resemblance to the previous tiger king. Had the size difference between the two not been so vast, everyone would have immediately drawn their weapons and charged.
Chen Nan sighed, "This lecherous tiger is really something, he's actually still hung up on you."
The little princess muttered under her breath, "You're the most shameless bastard in the world!"
Xiaoyu nodded repeatedly in her arms.
Chen Nan was furious and cursed, "Damn it, you lecherous tiger, you can actually understand what we're saying! You bootlicker, one day I'll skin you alive and use you as insoles!"
Tiger King Xiaoyu often went out to hunt for food at night. At first, the little princess was very anxious when she found out that it had disappeared, but she gradually learned about its habits and stopped caring.
Nothing more happened along the way, and the group was about to reach the City of Sin.