Chapter 20: The Guardian Spirit Beast, the Fire-Scaled Profound Tiger

Even though she had already prepared herself mentally, she still couldn't help but gasp when she finally saw what lay at the very center.

The guardian spirit beast of the Glazed Heart Grass was none other than a Fire-Scaled Profound Tiger.

It was currently curled up, fast asleep. Yu Wanqiao took a few careful steps closer, and only after confirming that she hadn't disturbed the beast did she let out a sigh of relief.

The Glazed Heart Grass was indeed here! However, it was encircled by the Fire-Scaled Profound Tiger.

The cultivation level of this beast was on par with her own. While she wasn't afraid of facing it head-on, there were four others outside eyeing the grass covetously. If they heard the commotion and arrived while she was locked in a fierce battle with the tiger, it would only serve to let Xu Shaodeng and his companions reap the benefits of her hard work. She understood the principle of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Just as Yu Wanqiao was pondering her next move, she heard voices from outside.

"Third Senior Brother, I don't think we'll find the Glazed Heart Grass today. Why don't we rest here for a while? Besides, the Eldest Senior Brother won't be able to find us."

"Qinru, I'm afraid that wouldn't be appropriate." Xu Su was still hesitant.

Xu Qinru rolled her eyes. "I really don't know what goes through your head all day. I'm going to rest, regardless. It took us so much effort to find this cave; come if you want, stay if you don't."

Sure enough, after she said this, Xu Su followed her inside.

*Little brats, I’ll show you who’s in charge.*

Inside, Yu Wanqiao watched the Fire-Scaled Profound Tiger stir awake and couldn't help but curse inwardly. Why was it these two again? Did she have some unresolved grudge against the Nine Nether Sect in her past life?

As the tiger began to rouse and show signs of aggression, Yu Wanqiao slipped away and hid to the side.

"Senior Brother, why do I feel like something is off here? It feels saturated with spiritual energy, and the deeper we go, the more vibrant the colors become."

Upon hearing Xu Qinru’s observation, Xu Su began to look around as well. Previously, his mind had been entirely on Xu Qinru, and he hadn't noticed the abnormality of the surroundings.

Suddenly, Xu Qinru let out a sharp cry.

"It's—it's a Fire-Scaled Profound Tiger!"

Seeing the beast rising to its feet, Xu Qinru instinctively grabbed Xu Su’s robes. She tried to pull him away, but she was not as fast as the tiger.

The Fire-Scaled Profound Tiger was already furious at being awakened and discovering its barrier had been destroyed. Now, seeing these two skulking about, it immediately lunged, swatting at them with a massive claw.

Xu Su reacted first, shoving Xu Qinru aside, which saved them both from being flattened. As Xu Qinru tumbled to the side, her sharp eyes caught sight of the Glazed Heart Grass in the distance. She shouted to Xu Su, "Senior Brother, it’s really the Glazed Heart Grass!"

When the two had first seen the beast, they had realized its identity. Qin Pi had once mentioned that the Fire-Scaled Profound Tiger was the guardian of the Glazed Heart Grass. Although the records stated its cultivation was at the late stage of the Golden Core realm, its true strength was not to be underestimated.

Knowing he couldn't defeat the beast, Xu Su figured he could at least hold it off for a few rounds. Having settled on a strategy, he called out to Xu Qinru.

"Qinru!"

Hearing his call, Xu Qinru understood his intent instantly. She bolted toward the back of the tiger. However, before she could get close, the tiger, which was already locked in a heated fight with Xu Su, noticed her movement. Realizing it was being toyed with, it turned in a rage and swung its claw.

Xu Qinru failed to react in time; she was struck and collapsed, coughing up blood.

Xu Su’s eyes turned bloodshot. "Qinru!"

He attacked the tiger with even more lethal intent. Seeing that the time was right, Yu Wanqiao emerged to seize the Glazed Heart Grass. The tiger tried to use the same tactic against her, but Yu Wanqiao was fearless. She reached out, her gaze fixed on the charging beast.

"Xueyuan, return!"

In the next second, Yu Wanqiao struck with her sword, landing a precise blow on the tiger. Instantly, frost began to form over its hide. The tiger let out a long howl.

Yu Wanqiao swiftly plucked the Glazed Heart Grass, while Xu Su took the opportunity to drag the injured Xu Qinru to safety. With the herb finally in her possession, Yu Wanqiao couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. Seeing the clearly enraged tiger, she deftly tossed the herb into her universe bag.

She now wanted more than just the grass. The tiger’s inner core might just be enough to suppress the residual effects of the snow lotus within her.

Since her cultivation was on par with the tiger, and with the added strength of her sword, Xueyuan, she dispatched the beast to the afterlife without much effort. She reached in and extracted the inner core with her bare hands.

Just as she was about to leave, the two who had been silent until now spoke up.

"Your actions are rather dishonorable, don't you think?"

Yu Wanqiao laughed upon hearing this. "How so?"

Xu Su looked at Yu Wanqiao, who was completely unscathed, and then back at himself and Xu Qinru, feeling a sense of deep imbalance. "My Junior Sister and I were the ones who discovered this Fire-Scaled Profound Tiger and the Glazed Heart Grass first. Surely you understand the principle of 'first come, first served'?"

"And so what?" Yu Wanqiao looked at them, unfazed. "It seems that it was I alone who dealt with both the tiger and the herb."

If they wanted to talk about who was first, she was the one who had discovered the cave in the first place.

Xu Su knew his argument was weak, but seeing Yu Wanqiao about to walk away with the treasure left him filled with resentment. Xu Qinru voiced his inner thoughts: "My Senior Brother had already beaten this tiger to the brink of death, and you, a petty opportunist, swooped in to steal the spoils. How can you be so shameless and aggressive?"

Yu Wanqiao picked at her ear. "If I hadn't intervened, you and your precious Senior Brother would likely be inside that tiger’s belly by now."

She stopped paying attention to them. "If you're not satisfied, feel free to try and take it from me."

Xu Su knew they were both severely injured and stood no chance against her. He had hoped that by playing the moral card, he could manipulate her, especially since she was a lone woman. He hadn't expected her to be completely indifferent to their vitriol.

Having secured both items, Yu Wanqiao sprinted down the mountain, fearing that the prize might fall into someone else's hands—especially Xu Shaodeng’s.

When she returned to Wu Ping'an’s residence, she found Aunt Wu pacing outside the door with a lantern.

"Aunt Wu," Yu Wanqiao stepped forward to support her. "It’s so late, what are you doing out here?"

Aunt Wu smiled. "Ping'an saw that it had grown dark and you hadn't returned, so he worried all day. He wanted to wait here for you, but I refused. I told him I would wait instead, and only then did he agree to go inside and sleep."