Chapter 18

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Chapter 18 – New Weapons

As those three treacherous villains seized the opportunity to snatch the treasury key, their minds raced with greed. They were eager to claim the treasure and wasted no time using the key to unlock the treasury door. However, just as they joyfully stepped into the treasure room, a loud tiger’s roar echoed from within, and a group of tigers suddenly charged out, knocking all three of them to the ground.

The guard of the treasure vault slowly rose, walked over to the unconscious men who had been trampled by the tigers, and tossed them outside. He then turned and gestured for Mu Xiaofeng to come closer.

Mu Xiaofeng, with his heavy sword strapped to his back, approached the guard. The guard bowed slightly and gestured towards the entrance, inviting Mu Xiaofeng inside. “These tigers were meant to be the final defense of the treasure,” the guard said. “But it seems fate has chosen you, not them, to enter.”

Mu Xiaofeng glanced towards the treasure room and then looked back at his injured companions. He pointed to them and asked, “Can my friends come in too?”

The guard froze for a moment before laughing heartily. “Oh, you’re a kind one. But your friends have already found the weapons suited to them. They don’t need anything more.” Mu Xiaofeng looked back at Ximo and the others, who all nodded in agreement. Trusting the guard’s words, Mu Xiaofeng stepped into the treasure vault.

The entrance led to a spiral staircase, winding upwards in the dim light. From below, it seemed endless. After climbing for a while, Mu Xiaofeng finally saw a beam of light shining from above, signaling that he was nearing the top.

Excited by the sight of light, Mu Xiaofeng quickened his pace. Soon, he arrived at a golden door adorned with a large silver tiger’s head. He gently pushed the door open, and a dazzling golden light flooded out, momentarily blinding him.

“You’ve finally arrived, child,” said a familiar voice from inside. Mu Xiaofeng was startled—he recognized this voice from when he first entered the treasure vault.

As his eyes adjusted, Mu Xiaofeng saw a tiger with long white whiskers, slightly taller than himself, standing before him. This must be a member of the Tiger Immortal Clan, guarding the treasure. Behind the tiger, a sword lay horizontally on a golden platform. On closer inspection, Mu Xiaofeng noticed that it wasn’t the heavy sword he expected but a lighter, narrower one-handed sword.

The white-bearded tiger smiled at Mu Xiaofeng and said, “I am the guardian of this treasure trove and the protector of the White Tiger Sword. When you came near, the White Tiger Sword reacted strongly, signaling that its true master was approaching.” The tiger walked over to the sword and gently stroked its blade.

The sword was silver, emitting a soft white glow, with a snow-white tiger pattern on the hilt. This was the White Tiger Sword.

Mu Xiaofeng reached out to touch the sword, but as soon as his hand made contact, he felt a sharp pain and quickly pulled back. The pain vanished as soon as he withdrew his hand.

Puzzled, Mu Xiaofeng muttered, “Why did that happen?” The white-bearded tiger, seeing that the sword had rejected him, held the White Tiger Sword himself, closed his eyes, and began to chant softly.

After a moment, the tiger released the sword, stroked his beard, and explained, “Ah, now I understand! Your name is Mu Xiaofeng, correct? The White Tiger Sword recognizes you as its master but says it’s not ready for you yet. It will only be yours when the person who loves you the most and the person who hates you the most have both passed away.”

Mu Xiaofeng was even more confused by this, silently repeating the phrase, “When the person who loves me the most and the person who hates me the most die?” He then bowed to the white-bearded tiger and thanked him, preparing to leave. But as he turned to go, the tiger called out for him to stay.

Mu Xiaofeng looked back and asked, “If the White Tiger Sword isn’t meant for me now, why should I stay?”

The white-bearded tiger chuckled and said, “Though the White Tiger Sword is the most prized treasure here, there are other weapons as well. The White Tiger Sword itself has suggested another weapon for you, one that’s well-suited to you.”

Intrigued, Mu Xiaofeng looked around but saw nothing that seemed right for him. Then, he heard the white-bearded tiger let out a whistle, and a small tiger descended from above, carrying a heavy sword. The sword was pure white with blood-red lines running through it, giving it a powerful and intimidating appearance.

The little tiger bowed to the white-bearded tiger and said, “Tiger Mouth Heavy Sword guard, Tiger Zi Si, reporting to the patriarch.” Mu Xiaofeng realized that this white-bearded tiger was indeed the chief of the Tiger Immortal Clan.

The little tiger then turned to Mu Xiaofeng and, upon recognizing him, exclaimed, “It’s you, my benefactor!” Tiger Zi Si knelt and presented the heavy sword to Mu Xiaofeng.

As Mu Xiaofeng thought back, he remembered that this was the same little tiger he and Qiao Zi had rescued in the forest. At the time, they were shocked to encounter a talking tiger, but now everything made sense.

Mu Xiaofeng accepted the heavy sword from Tiger Zi Si, helping him to his feet. “So, you’re a member of the Tiger Immortal Clan. No wonder you thanked us in the forest—it really surprised us at the time.”

Tiger Zi Si smiled sheepishly and scratched his head, clearly a bit embarrassed. The white-bearded tiger, the Tiger Immortal Patriarch, approached and patted Tiger Zi Si’s head. “This child just can’t sit still, always wandering off. Now that the Tiger Mouth Heavy Sword has been entrusted to Mu Xiaofeng, you’re free to go. No more guarding it every day.”

Tiger Zi Si nodded happily and thanked Mu Xiaofeng again. “Thank you, benefactor! It was so boring guarding the treasury all the time. Now I can finally go out and explore. But please, take good care of the Tiger Mouth Heavy Sword. I’ve grown attached to it.”

Mu Xiaofeng admired the sword and promised, “Thank you for giving me such a fine weapon. I’ll treasure it always.”

Suddenly, the White Tiger Sword let out a sharp cry. The Tiger Immortal Patriarch waved to Mu Xiaofeng and said, “Child, it seems your friends are growing impatient outside. You’d better go. Remember, take care of your heavy sword, and when the time comes, return for the White Tiger Sword.”

Mu Xiaofeng thanked the Tiger Immortal Patriarch and Tiger Zi Si once again before hurrying out of the treasure vault. Little did he know that several pairs of eyes were watching his every move.

In Dean Kaga’s office, the dean was holding his staff, casting a spell on a large mirror. The mirror displayed the scene inside the treasure vault, showing the Tiger Immortal Patriarch. It turned out that Dean Kaga could monitor everything happening within the vault. A soft voice came from behind him, asking, “Did Mu Xiaofeng get the White Tiger Sword?”

Dean Kaga turned and shook his head. “No, Marshal Feng Mu. Mu Xiaofeng didn’t take the White Tiger Sword; he chose a heavy sword instead. Besides, Mu Xiaofeng prefers heavy swords, and the White Tiger Sword is a one-handed blade. There’s no need to worry.”

The person behind Dean Kaga was Marshal Feng Mu, who had been closely watching Mu Xiaofeng. Marshal Feng Mu stood up, frowning, and said, “The White Tiger Sword is the most important artifact in the White Land, and it must be protected. And Kaga, drop the formalities—calling me ‘marshal’ all the time makes me uncomfortable.” With a faint smile, Marshal Feng Mu left.

Meanwhile, Mu Xiaofeng exited the treasury with the Tiger Mouth Heavy Sword. The guard at the entrance, seeing him with the sword, silently began to close the vault door. Mu Xiaofeng turned back and smiled at the guard, waving goodbye. The guard, taken aback, hesitated before waving back awkwardly—perhaps not used to someone showing him such kindness.

Outside, Mu Xiaofeng’s companions were resting, waiting for his return. He waved to them and called out, “Hey, I’m back! And I’ve got my weapon too.” The group quickly gathered around to admire the Tiger Mouth Heavy Sword. Yun Jie, however, took only a brief glance before sighing softly, “He still didn’t get the White Tiger Sword.” She then walked away.

Though Mu Xiaofeng didn’t hear her, Feng Xun did. He hurried after Yun Jie and asked, “Yun Jie, did you really want him to get the White Tiger Sword? Is that why you brought him here?”

Yun Jie didn’t respond and just walked away with her head down. Feng Xun watched her go, shaking his head in frustration.