Volume One: The Emperor’s Command Chapter Fifty-Six: The Tiger with Pendant Pupils and Golden Eyes

Within the shop, the spirit beasts, cowed by the earlier display of power, bristled and dared not move. Only a small three-eyed tiger continued licking its paws, utterly unfazed.

Liu Xiaoyi struggled to his feet, sweat soaking his clothes. When he looked up at Granny Rong, her icy expression had vanished, replaced by a smiling face, gazing at him with satisfaction.

"Granny Rong, you are an elder of the Feng family. Why did you stop?" Liu Xiaoyi asked, bewildered. The old woman before him had strength like a mountain and could have captured him with ease, yet she refrained.

"The Feng family is nothing but a bunch of hopeless fools, bound to face retribution sooner or later!" Granny Rong spoke of her husband's kin with utter disdain.

She was not originally a Feng herself; a century ago, she married into the family and advanced in cultivation faster than any of the native members. Jealous, the clan hired assassins to attack her. But she had already mastered the Feng family's secret arts, eliminated all her assailants, stormed the ancestral hall, and crippled the clan leader. Since then, she had lived here, vowing never to return unless the Feng family faced annihilation.

Yet the birth of her great-grandson caught her attention. The child was born perfectly attuned to the family’s secret arts and, at five, was named successor of the clan chief, granted the best resources, and sent to Tianwang Dao to further his cultivation.

The Feng family’s goal was nothing less than the upcoming sect selection. Should Feng Changzai ascend to the top, the family could seize control of Yanliang Prefecture’s martial world, rivaling even the central court in power.

After years of indulgent upbringing, Feng Changzai’s unruly temperament disappointed Granny Rong. He abused the family’s influence to bully the weak, gathered a band of followers within the sect, and behaved like a petty warlord.

Someone who could make Feng Changzai suffer did not anger Granny Rong; instead, she regarded Liu Xiaoyi with newfound interest. Her curiosity led her to test his strength by pressing him with her aura.

This direct method was the best way to gauge someone’s skill, and from Liu Xiaoyi’s eyes, Granny Rong sensed a resilience absent in the Feng family.

"You two, each pick a spirit beast as my apology." Granny Rong handed Liu Xiaoyi a healing pill. "Once you enter the sect, help me teach my wayward great-grandson a lesson."

Liu Xiaoyi could only agree, not knowing how to respond, his attention drawn away by the spirit beasts.

Spirit beasts possessed intelligence and considerable power, able to choose their masters as much as their masters chose them.

Because of his resistance to Granny Rong, all the spirit beasts sensed goodwill toward Liu Xiaoyi, eager to follow him—among them rare creatures like wild geese and spirit magpies.

"Oh? You’re quite a peculiar little thing." Approaching a small cage, Liu Xiaoyi met the gaze of the three-eyed tiger. The tiny creature was palm-sized, yet its brow was stern and its cuteness striking in contrast.

Sensing Liu Xiaoyi’s thoughts, the little tiger let out a childish roar, its body thumping as it tried to grow larger. But the cage crackled with lightning, interrupting its transformation; it whimpered, curled up, and only after a long while did it stretch out again.

"Granny Rong, what’s this beast called?"

"I found it in a muddy hole beneath a nearby cliff. Its temper is stubborn and hard, and aside from getting bigger, it’s not much use. You’d do better to look at the others," Granny Rong remarked, unimpressed. All three of the tiger’s eyes glared at her, clearly disagreeing.

"You and I are fated. I choose you." Liu Xiaoyi opened the cage, and in an instant, the little tiger turned into a ball of white light, darting out in an attempt to escape.

But its movement halted as Liu Xiaoyi subdued it with his magic, scooping it into his arms. "Quite the troublemaker! I’ll be relying on you from now on."

The little tiger bared its fangs in protest. Granny Rong handed them some feed and a spirit beast manual, then settled back into her rocking chair, paying them no further mind.

After they left, Granny Rong muttered softly, "That old ghost’s disciple is as sentimental as he is! Came all the way here and didn’t even look for me!"

Meng Qiaoqiao naturally chose the jade spirit rabbit, naming it Little Jade—an utterly maid-like name.

The spirit rabbit nestled obediently in her arms. Though they possessed spirit beast rings to store their companions, neither was willing to let go, and so they walked out of the shop holding their new friends.

"You’re always getting lucky! You’re truly my good fortune!" Meng Qiaoqiao leaned in, her breath warm on his cheek.

Liu Xiaoyi quickly withdrew his head and strode down the street, leaving Meng Qiaoqiao stamping her feet in frustration: "Such a blockhead! No sense of romance!"

Companions with spirit beasts were a common sight on the street. Owning one denoted status; five hundred gold taels was not something every household could afford.

"You need a name. My surname is Liu, so yours will be Liu as well. With your white fur and golden hair, let’s call you Golden—does that please you?"

The little tiger was unimpressed, its face full of disdain, clearly thinking the name was atrocious. Palm-sized, it climbed all over Liu Xiaoyi, tugging at his loose robe and swinging like a child, drawing the attention of many passersby.

Just then, a young nobleman, surrounded by a flock of beautiful girls, walked by. He turned back and said, "Daoist, that spirit beast is quite unique. Would you consider parting with it? The price is negotiable."

Liu Xiaoyi ignored him; he loathed those who flaunted their family’s wealth.

The young noble scrutinized him further and suddenly exclaimed, "Hey! Someone, seize him! That’s the man my brother mentioned! Quickly, someone!" He retreated into the crowd, hiding among the beauties, peeking out with half his head. He was a cousin of the Feng family, idle and extravagant, running several banks in the city and always eager to show off.

He hoped his brother could thrash this fellow, knowing his own paltry skills wouldn’t suffice, so he hid among the women, watching the spectacle.

At his call, a dozen or so retainers in blue hats converged from all directions, blocking Liu Xiaoyi and Meng Qiaoqiao in the middle of the street. Someone compared their faces to a portrait, and upon finding a match, lit a signal—red smoke shooting into the sky.

"Feng family again?" Liu Xiaoyi was exasperated. He wondered why members of the Feng family seemed to be everywhere in Seven Stars City. What he didn’t know was that the Fengs ran banks and granaries, controlling the city’s foundations and maintaining close ties with the major clans.

Once the Feng family acted, the bustling street emptied within moments. Shops shuttered their doors, peering through cracks to watch Liu Xiaoyi fight.

The retainers wielded swords and knives but dared not approach; lacking martial training, their weapons were only for show.

Liu Xiaoyi darted left and right, quickly pulling Meng Qiaoqiao through the alleyways until they reached the central avenue, where crowds watched the fight with calm interest.

"Thief! Where do you think you’re going? Taste my blade!" While fleeing, a man leapt down from a tavern awning, swinging his sword.

"Get lost!" Before the blade could touch Liu Xiaoyi, a blast of force sent the man back atop the awning.

As they advanced, more Feng family members appeared, finally blocking them at the city’s founding stone monument.

The cousin, panting, shouted to the meditating Feng Changzai beneath the monument, "Big brother! I’ve brought him to you!"

Feng Changzai snapped his eyes open, murderous intent blazing. Without a word, he attacked. Liu Xiaoyi was no pushover, and the two clashed once more.

With prior experience, Feng Changzai was much more cautious, knowing Liu Xiaoyi was adept with magical implements. He kept his distance, intending to wear down his opponent’s strength.

"Defeated foe, your fighting is as delicate as embroidery!" Liu Xiaoyi dodged blade flashes with ease, relying solely on his agility, not even using true energy. This, in turn, wore out Feng Changzai instead.

"You brought this on yourself! Spirit Summoning!" Suddenly, Feng Changzai bit his finger and pressed it to the back of his Starshatter Blade. A strange light flashed, and a giant silver wolf leapt out, snarling and lunging at Liu Xiaoyi.

The wolf’s three-meter-long body and two rows of razor-sharp teeth gleamed coldly. Liu Xiaoyi, startled, thrust his sword into the wolf’s maw.

Using the brief moment while the sword held the wolf’s jaws apart, he escaped its attack. Eighteen black-and-white chess pieces swarmed, striking the wolf’s silver fur with a clatter.

"A spirit beast? The Feng family does have some treasures!" Liu Xiaoyi’s praise annoyed the little tiger in his arms, who poked its head out to snarl at the silver wolf.

The wolf glanced at the tiger, its forepaws recoiling in fear.

No one noticed, as Feng Changzai’s next attack dazzled the crowd.

After summoning the silver wolf, Feng Changzai continued his incantations. Strange markings appeared on his skin, absorbing the wolf into himself.

His body grew two feet taller, his eyes shone silver, and new fur sprouted from his skin. He employed the Feng family’s forbidden secret: spirit beast possession.

By fusing a blood-fed spirit beast into himself, he could greatly increase his power for a short time. Outsiders risked side effects, but the Feng bloodline allowed reckless fusion with any spirit beast. Feng Changzai could wield over eighty percent of a beast’s power, unprecedented in generations.

With the wolf fused, his level surged toward the tenth rank of the Earth Soul realm. This trump card was meant for the sect selection but now was unleashed against Liu Xiaoyi.

"So fast!" Liu Xiaoyi could not keep up. A streak of silver light darted through his chessboard formation, soon cutting fresh wounds in his robe.

He was about to use the Lin incantation to seal the area when he suddenly felt a chill in his chest. As Feng Changzai’s movements slowed before his eyes, Liu Xiaoyi wasted no time, raising his sword to clash with the Starshatter Blade.

One strike pushed Feng Changzai back, icy energy radiating. Feng Changzai thought it a fluke; his speed should have outpaced even sect elders—how could a mere youth block him?

Clang! Another sword strike, even more precise than before—the Ice Sword appeared on his path ahead of time. Breath rising halfway, his rhythm disrupted, chest tight.

To Liu Xiaoyi, Feng Changzai now moved as slowly as a snail.

Taking advantage of the pause, Liu Xiaoyi glanced down and saw a small head peeking out, grinning mischievously. Most of the little tiger’s body had sunk into his chest, a faint golden aura spreading invisibly throughout him.

When had he learned this trick? Liu Xiaoyi grinned stupidly and flicked the little tiger’s head.