114 Taming

"Flying Tiger King, are you satisfied now? This situation is exactly what you wanted, isn't it? Shall I send you on your final journey?"

Seeing Chen Linqing and the others remaining silent, Li Xintian turned his gaze toward the Flying Tiger King.

The Flying Tiger King finally understood why Li Xintian had been so furious and beaten it to such a pulp. Had it not been for its tough bones and ten thousand years of cultivation protecting its body, it would surely have died long ago. It turned out its own loose tongue was to blame for insisting that Hu Qiuyan become its mountain bride.

"Wait! I have a way to bring them back to life! I know I spoke wrongly just now; please give me a chance to mend my ways. It's not too late," the Flying Tiger King pleaded, sensing that Li Xintian truly intended to kill it.

"What method do you have to restore them to life?" Li Xintian stopped his movements and asked.

"Have you forgotten who controls the *chang gui* (ghosts of those killed by tigers)? Their souls were only consumed by the *chang gui*, but I am the one who controls those spirits. I can command the *chang gui* to spit out their souls and restore them, provided their corpses remain intact," the Flying Tiger King said, struggling to move while pinned down.

"Are you telling the truth? You aren't tricking us?" Chen Yuanwen asked, suddenly interested.

"Stop hesitating and make your decision. Although they can be saved, their lifespans will be halved. If they were meant to live to a hundred, they will only live to fifty. Don't linger," the Flying Tiger King said, ignoring Chen Yuanwen and looking directly at the contemplative Li Xintian.

"Do not try any tricks. I will trust you this one time." Li Xintian understood the stakes; if he delayed any further, they might not be savable, and even if they were, time was short.

"Zouwu, release all the *chang gui*," Li Xintian commanded.

The Zouwu opened its mouth and spat out the *chang gui*. Once released, the spirits flew to the side of the Flying Tiger King and knelt.

"I cannot do anything in this state. At the very least, you must let me recover my mobility," the Flying Tiger King complained, its entire body locked by Li Xintian’s righteous energy.

"Don't try any tricks, or I will kill you on the spot!" Li Xintian said. He extended his palm and withdrew the righteous energy from the tiger. Feeling the sudden absence of the oppressive force, the *chang gui* trembled and prostrated themselves on the ground.

The Flying Tiger King slowly regained control. The contorted state of its body felt incredibly uncomfortable, and it began to swell until it looked like a round, fat ball. It then channeled its demonic power, restoring its majestic, domineering tiger form. It let out a roar that rippled through the air, stunning Chen Linqing and the others.

"What are you roaring for? Why haven't you restored them yet? Do you want another beating?" Li Xintian dug into his ear and flicked a bit of earwax into the tiger's mouth.

The Flying Tiger King spat in disgust and licked its paw.

"Asking for a beating!" Li Xintian grew impatient and raised his fist.

"Wait! Alright, I'm doing it now!" Seeing that Li Xintian was about to strike, the tiger panicked. It slammed its paw onto the ground; while the earth remained unbroken, the surge of demonic power successfully commanded the *chang gui*.

The spirits opened their mouths wide, and the six souls that had just been consumed flew out. The Flying Tiger King then blew a breath of air onto the souls, and they drifted toward their still-warm corpses, re-entering their bodies.

*This Flying Tiger King is such a nuisance, only acting when I threaten to beat it!* Li Xintian cursed silently.

"My promise has been kept. They only need two or three days of rest to live like normal people again, aside from their shortened lifespans. Now, may I leave?" the Flying Tiger King asked.

"Who said you could leave? From now on, you are under my jurisdiction. As long as you follow me properly, I won't hold your past actions against you!" Li Xintian said, patting the tiger's head.

"Don't push your luck—no, don't push a tiger too far! After all, I have lived for ten thousand years."

The Flying Tiger King was naturally unwilling; a free and unrestrained life was all it desired.

"Fine then. If you won't follow me, I have ways to turn you into a common, ordinary tiger. You had better think carefully." Li Xintian stroked the tiger’s fur. "Such beautiful fur, what a pity."

"We can negotiate, we can talk! Must it be like this? Why must we fight to the death? I'm just a beast; treat me as if you'd just let out a fart and be done with it." The Flying Tiger King sensed a bad omen and resorted to shamelessness.

"Hey, you are a ten-thousand-year-old great demon; you are different from those common beasts. I am giving you two choices: one, follow me; two, I make you indistinguishable from those common beasts. Choose." Li Xintian squatted down and whispered into the tiger's ear.

"Others get three choices, why do I only get two? This isn't fair, is it?" The Flying Tiger King began plotting its escape.

"You can choose a third option if you like. The third is that I skin you and turn you into a rug; my floor at home is dirty and needs a tiger-skin carpet. Do you think I don't know you're thinking about how to run away?" Li Xintian grabbed the tiger's hide and warned, "I suggest you choose quickly. My patience is limited."

"I choose the first. If you expect me to share your life and death, that is absolutely impossible. After all, how long is your lifespan?" The Flying Tiger King knew it couldn't escape Li Xintian, so it decided to play along and look for an opportunity later.

"Rest assured, I won't have you bound by life and death. If you are in mortal danger, you are free to run. Even the Zouwu is not bound to me; if it encounters danger, it can choose to save itself. However, congratulations on choosing to follow me." Li Xintian smiled, having no intention of signing any life-bound contract.

"Put away your *chang gui*, and retract your wings to hide your true identity. It will blur your enemies' judgment," Li Xintian said, standing up.

The Flying Tiger King knew it was safe for now but complied, tucking away the spirits and its wings.

"Also, you are not to kill any innocent people in the future, unless I order it," Li Xintian added, turning back as he walked.

"What? You want me to become a vegetarian?" the tiger asked, stunned.

"Of course not. Tomorrow, I will prepare a feast." Li Xintian turned to Chen Linqing and the others, who were still in shock. "Grandpa Zhuo, please have someone carry them into the temple. They can rest in the carriages for the next few days."

"Yes, yes, of course. Someone, come and help!" Zhuo Guangdao finally snapped out of his daze.

"Hey, was that you roasting the meat?" The Flying Tiger King, recalling the aroma from earlier that day, nudged closer to Li Xintian.

"So you knew all along. Did you think it was hard to attack during the day, so you chose the night?" Li Xintian realized the tiger had been watching them since daytime.

"It is one of my talents. Tell me, what are you making tomorrow?" the tiger asked.

"You'll find out tomorrow. Now, go keep watch." Li Xintian looked at the sky; it was at least the third watch of the night.

"Everyone, get some rest. It's late; we'll discuss everything else tomorrow." As Li Xintian entered the ruined temple, many people swarmed him with questions, but he dismissed them all with a single sentence. He lay down in his spot, ignoring their curiosity about how he had managed to tame the Flying Tiger King. Seeing his indifference, they eventually went back to sleep.

The next morning, as sunlight hit his face, Li Xintian awoke.

"Flying Tiger King, go catch two fat pigs." Li Xintian washed up and added, "Wait, 'Flying Tiger King' is too long. Since you are bright red all over, I'll call you Red Tiger from now on."

"What the hell?" The Flying Tiger King was bewildered. It had been looking forward to hunting, but this name had completely ruined its mood.

"Don't just stand there! I’m making a big meal for everyone!" Li Xintian urged the stunned tiger.

He had the servants gather firewood while he prepared the seasonings. He roasted a porcupine for the Zouwu and the tiger, slicing it in two so there would be no fighting. After breakfast, they resumed their journey. Li Xintian had the tiger walk through the woods to avoid scaring people, while the Zouwu continued to tread on air.

"Big Brother, I don't know what's going on lately. So many mountain gods have appeared in the hills, and they're ordering us to capture people. Those are man-eating gods! We haven't caught anyone in days; we should run away," a man whispered in fear to the leader.

"If you run, that's suicide! You know the power of those gods. Brother, stop talking about fleeing. From the moment we started kidnapping, there was no turning back. You know how well the gods reward us—all that gold and silver! Just keep capturing people." The leader slapped him on the back of the head. "Don't speak of this again, or you'll lose your dog life!"

"Did you all hear that? Don't let me hear such talk again!" the leader roared at the rest of the group.

"Yes, Boss," the group replied.

"Boss, a group is approaching, about three hundred meters away," a scout reported.

"Good. Everyone, take your positions!" The leader gave the command, and the group hid, waiting silently for Li Xintian’s party.

Meanwhile, on Li Xintian’s side:

"There are bandits lying in ambush ahead, at least forty of them. Be careful," the Flying Tiger King appeared and whispered to Li Xintian.

"Good. Red Tiger, hide. When I snap my fingers, you come out," Li Xintian nodded. The tiger vanished into the woods.

"Everyone, be alert. There are bandits ahead, but do not worry. We have a protector with us, so there is nothing to fear. We continue forward," Li Xintian shouted.

"Yes, Young Master." The group felt emboldened.

"Xintian, are we really not going to take a detour?" Hu Qiuyan didn't want a conflict with the bandits.

"A detour would only make the carriage ride bumpier, and the two elders wouldn't be able to handle it. Besides, since there are bandits, we must wipe them out and see if they have harmed anyone," Li Xintian said. He would not let such criminals go free.