Chapter 654: Chapter 654 Kowtow Chapter 654: Chapter 654 Kowtow Just as they had driven off the lion and before they could catch their breath, Situ Yongjie had already arrived with his subordinates, torches in hand.
“Xuexue, you girl, why won’t you listen! This is a wild and desolate mountain, and it’s the third watch of the night. How dangerous it is for you to run off alone!” Seeing her, Situ Yongjie hurried forward, scolding her without pause.
“You say you’re alright, but I just heard the lion’s roar.”
“It’s fine, it has been chased away by this tiger!” Saying this, Xuexue turned and pointed at the large tiger beside her.
When Situ Yongjie and his men arrived, they all held torches and hadn’t noticed the large tiger standing in the darkness. Now, following the direction of Xuexue’s finger, they spotted the majestic tiger right beside them and were so frightened that they all stepped back several paces.
“Quick, protect the young mistress!” Situ Yongjie hastily shouted.
The guards drew their swords from their waists, enclosing the large tiger in a circle.
Xuexue quickly stepped in front: “Dad, don’t be too nervous. I’ve already said it’s my savior — why are you still treating it ?”
Seeing Xuexue standing right by the tiger’s mouth, Situ Yongjie became extremely anxious. “Xuexue, come here quickly. Beasts have no humanity; what if it hurts you?”
Xuexue: “I’ve told you, it has a sense of humanity and won’t harm people.”
Furthermore, she reached out and stroked the fur on the tiger’s head. Miraculously, the large tiger obediently sat down. Situ Yongjie and his men were stunned — it seemed this tiger truly had perception.
Xuexue looked at Situ Yongjie proudly and said, “Dad, now do you believe me?”
“Alright, if Dad believes you, will that do? Let’s head back quickly; it’s very late, and it’s not safe to be outdoors.” That recent lion’s roar had scared him to his soul, and he had thought that Xuexue might have met with disaster!
“Okay! I’m tired too.” Yawning, Xuexue walked towards the carriage, with the large tiger dutifully following behind her.
“Xuexue!” Situ Yongjie stood in place and called out.
“You’re not thinking of bringing this tiger back with you, are you?” General Situ and his men looked at the large tiger beside Xuexue with apprehension.
“What’s wrong with that?” Xuexue said as a matter of course. She had already been raising the tiger for over a month; of course, it would follow her.
Situ Yongjie: “Bringing a tiger into the Capital is far too dangerous.”
“Don’t worry, it doesn’t eat people, nor does it eat raw meat. It eats cooked meat.”
“You just picked it up, how do you know it doesn’t eat people or raw meat?”
“Uh…!” Xuexue then remembered that this was the first time the tiger’s identity had been revealed to everyone. She couldn’t possibly tell them it was Little Tiger transformed, and tell them not to be afraid. That’s not something Xuexue would say, not knowing what secrets the tiger carried; better to figure things out before speaking: “I’m guessing.”
“Xuexue, this is a matter of life and death, you can’t just guess. If the tiger hurts someone after we return to the Capital, as an Imperial Appointed Official and with obligations to the Emperor, your father has to give an account,” Situ Yongjie said.
No matter what Situ Yongjie said, he disagreed with bringing Little Tiger back to the Capital, and Xuexue had no other choice. Qi Miao was so clever, she couldn’t bear to abandon it.
“Large Tiger, you better kowtow to Dad a few times to persuade him to keep you, otherwise, we’ll have to part ways.” Xuexue patted the tiger’s head as she spoke.
The large tiger nodded, actually walked to Situ Yongjie’s side and, with a thud, its two front paws knelt down and it bowed its head several times toward General Situ.