Chapter 20: The White-Foreheaded Giant Tiger

Without Mao Xiang's reminder, Zhu Gaoxu could also hear that this was the roar of a tiger.

After all, he had been to the zoo plenty of times in his past life and had seen many tigers and lions.

Without feeling nervous or afraid, Zhu Gaoxu simply gripped the bow and arrow in his hand and looked toward the direction of the sound.

Seeing this, Mao Xiang, who was at his side, rode his horse to block Zhu Gaoxu's front without leaving a trace, shielding him behind his back.

Silently drawing the Xiuchun Dao at his waist, the other few Embroidered Uniform Guards saw this and also gathered around, doing their best to protect Zhu Gaoxu in the center.

Looking at this scene, Zhu Gaoxu helplessly lowered the bow and arrow he had just raised.

There was no help for it; he was surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guards in front, behind, left, and right, so what use was there in him holding a bow?

He couldn't exactly draw his bow and nock an arrow to shoot his own men.

In just this short moment, the roar sounded again, and it was even closer; clearly, it was not far away.

"It's coming!"

No sooner had Mao Xiang finished speaking than a large yellow-furred tiger walked out from the bushes with its head held high and a broad stride.

Suddenly, with an "Aow" beastly roar, a tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead leaped onto a giant rock not far away.

This large tiger was as tall and sturdy as an ox, with a large "King" shaped white patch on its forehead, its whole body covered in black and yellow stripes, and several patches of white fur on its chest, abdomen, and the inner sides of its limbs. That thick, black-and-yellow-striped fur looked like a large cotton-padded robe draped flat and neatly over its shoulders. Its four limbs were thick and sturdy, its claws protruding beyond its toes, and its tail was thick and long, marked with black rings, swaying slightly like a curved steel whip. It even had long whiskers on its white muzzle; it was mighty and majestic, truly worthy of being the king of all beasts.

Even though he was surrounded by layers of people, cold sweat could not help but break out on Zhu Gaoxu's forehead.

This was simply not on the same level as the tigers he had seen in his previous life.

Just the aura alone was different.

The tigers in the zoos of his past life had long since lost their wild nature; it would not be an exaggeration to call them oversized house cats.

But this giant tiger before his eyes was different; the killing intent in those bright, piercing eyes was not concealed in the slightest.

As if sensing its master's tension, the fine horse beneath Zhu Gaoxu also became restless.

Before Zhu Gaoxu could control his mount, he saw the fine horse suddenly lift its front hooves, then unexpectedly leap out from the protection of the Embroidered Uniform Guards and run toward the depths of the jungle.

And that white-foreheaded tiger, as if its lunch were running away before its eyes, hurriedly followed.

This scene was clearly something the Embroidered Uniform Guards had not expected; Mao Xiang was the first to react, and with a flick of his horsewhip, he followed as well.

Just kidding, Zhu Gaoxu was the person Zhu Yuanzhang had personally ordered him to protect; even if Zhu Gaoxu possessed divine strength, in his heart, he was still just a four-year-old child.

If he were caught by this white-foreheaded tiger, he would be dead or at least injured.

And at this moment, Zhu Gaoxu was indeed having a hard time.

It was not because of the white-foreheaded tiger, but because the fine horse beneath him was bucking and charging like it had gone mad.

Zhu Gaoxu was being jolted so hard it felt as if his internal organs were about to be vomited out.

Even though he pulled the reins hard, it seemed to have no effect; the fine horse beneath him continued to run toward the depths of the jungle like a madman.

Looking at the white-foreheaded tiger, which was still some distance behind, Zhu Gaoxu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and simply stopped trying to manage it, instead clamping his legs tightly against the horse's belly to prevent falling off.

But this made things miserable for Mao Xiang and his party behind him.

The forest had many obstacles and was not suited for horses to run in the first place; now that Zhu Gaoxu was darting left and right, in less than five minutes, they had lost sight of the tiger that lived in the forest.

Seeing that it was impossible to catch up by force, Mao Xiang could only stop first and instruct the Embroidered Uniform Guards beside him: "Xiaobao, go back and call for reinforcements; the rest of you divide into four groups and search in this direction separately."

There were thirteen people in total hunting with Zhu Gaoxu; one youth of eighteen or nineteen years old did not say a word, turned his horse around, and ran back, while the others formed groups of three and searched forward in a fan shape.

By this time, Zhu Gaoxu was already dizzy and disoriented, not knowing his current location.

He only vaguely knew he had been running toward the center of the hunting ground, and after reaching the center, he had run toward the outer edge on the other side of the hunting ground.

During this time, that white-foreheaded tiger acted as if it had taken drugs, viewing Zhu Gaoxu as a peerless beauty, and chased him relentlessly the entire way.

Just then, Zhu Gaoxu narrowed his eyes, as he seemed to have discovered three figures ahead.

Xi Liu was a Deacon of the Angry Blade Hall, known in the pugilistic world as Fast Hand One Blade Liu.

This morning, the Hall Master had given him a mission to assassinate a small child, and had even let him take two subordinates to assist him, insisting that he must kill the target with one blade and leave no future trouble.

Originally, this was not something he would have looked down upon, but it was said to be ordered by a big shot, so Xi Liu had no choice but to accept.

In his mind, it was just a four-year-old child; even if there were people protecting him, he could easily kill the target and retreat unscathed under the blade of "Fast Hand One Blade Liu."

But upon arriving at the designated location, Xi Liu felt that something was wrong.

This was the Royal Hunting Ground, after all; everyone who could enter was royal nobility.

Even if someone had opened a gap to let them in, what exactly was the identity of the child he was assassinating?

A person who had reached his position still had some brains, more or less.

For a moment, he even wanted to give up; after all, the Angry Blade Hall was merely a small sect in the pugilistic world.

But that "big shot" was also someone they could not afford to offend.

Just as he was cursing the big shots on both sides in his heart, he saw a rider running toward him at high speed.

And taking a closer look, wasn't the person sitting on the horse just a four- or five-year-old child!