Chapter Twenty-One: A Hero Rescues the Maiden

The arm of the Third Divine General was thus crippled by Chu Han, who then stepped on him, regarding him with a look of disdain.

“Go back and tell that so-called General Danqing that I’ve guaranteed Sun Hao’s safety. If there’s any problem, he can come to me directly. Now get lost.”

With a cold snort, Chu Han’s strength and overwhelming speed left the onlookers frozen in fear—only Chu Han commanded such awe. Bai Lie struggled to his feet, gritting his teeth against the searing pain in his arm. He shot Chu Han a venomous glare, then slunk away with his men, utterly humiliated.

“Brother Chu, I never realized you’d been concealing your strength all this time. You’re so much more powerful than I am—I’m truly ashamed. Thank you for your help today.” Sun Hao sighed. As a Divine General, he had not noticed Chu Han’s hidden abilities, and the skill Chu Han had just displayed left Sun Hao utterly stunned. That power could well rival General Lantian himself.

Chu Han smiled and shook his head, helping Sun Hao to his feet. “General Sun Hao, your injuries are grave. You should return to the Tang family with the servant and find a doctor to treat your wounds. Otherwise, your life may be in danger.”

“As for the matter of Lantian Camp, let me consider it further. With the arrival of the Primordial Realm, Lantian Camp must be busy dealing with related affairs. As for suppressing the rebellion, we can discuss that when the time comes.”

After a few words of comfort, Sun Hao could only nod. After all, he was asking Chu Han for help—he could not press too hard, or else Chu Han might refuse and leave him with no way out.

Chu Han, of course, had his own plans. With General Lantian’s death, the next General would surely be chosen from among the Divine Generals. If the First Divine General, with whom he was unfamiliar, took the position, it would be less advantageous than having Sun Hao, who was on good terms with him. In that way, Sun Hao could also look after the Tang family.

After making all the necessary arrangements, Chu Han escorted them into Jingyuan City and then left the city himself, heading once more for the entrance to the Primordial Realm.

Though he had uncovered the Little Prince’s schemes, now was not the time to confront him. The foremost priority was to find a way into the Primordial Realm, as Chu Han was desperate to seek the remaining Lightning Emperor’s Techniques.

Returning to the mountaintop, he tried once more to approach the Primordial Realm. As expected, the system responded again, progressing to thirteen percent. Seeing this, he frowned—it still wasn’t enough.

He pondered for a long time and decided to stay at the foot of the mountain for now, to devise another plan and observe which forces were investigating the Primordial Realm. The powers from Jingyuan City had already finished their reconnaissance, but there were other sects and clans from outside the city. It would be wise to keep a close watch on them, for these major forces would never let such an opportunity slip by or allow others to seize the advantage.

He slowly descended the mountain, intending to find a place to stay. Just then, a woman’s cry for help echoed nearby. Pricking up his ears, he pinpointed the direction, his face turning grave.

After a moment’s thought, he decided to take a look. To simply walk away and leave a woman in danger was not in his nature. He dashed swiftly toward the sound, and soon saw a figure frantically fleeing. It was a woman, her speed hindered by her gender, and hot on her heels was a white tiger with glaring, fierce eyes.

The tiger was massive—at least two hundred kilograms in weight. As the woman was about to fall prey to its claws, Chu Han acted swiftly. He picked up a stone from the ground and flung it with all his might.

Just as the tiger’s claws were about to strike, the woman stumbled and fell, squeezing her eyes shut—surely convinced death was upon her. But after a few seconds, she felt no pain, no tearing of flesh. Opening her eyes, she saw the tiger collapsed on the ground, blood streaming from a wound on its forehead, and a tall, imposing man standing between her and the beast.

It was Chu Han. The tiger had been struck senseless by his throw and lay dazed, unable to get up. As it struggled to rise, it fixed Chu Han with a menacing glare.

“Quick, hide yourself,” Chu Han called out, taking up a battle stance, ready to confront the beast.

The tiger, king of beasts, though an ordinary one, rivaled a martial artist at the eighth level of physical refinement in terms of strength. Its speed and combat instincts were also formidable. Yet for Chu Han, dispatching such a creature was no challenge.

The woman nodded and quickly ducked behind a large rock, though she couldn’t help peeking out, anxious for Chu Han’s safety.

Man and beast faced off for a tense moment. Suddenly, the tiger let out a thunderous roar and charged, stirring up a gust of wind and sending a hail of stones clattering against Chu Han’s body. As the saying goes, the wind follows the tiger as clouds follow the dragon. Chu Han stood motionless—the stones and wind posed no threat to him. He waited patiently, searching for the tiger’s weakness, ready to strike.

In a flash, the tiger was upon him, its massive paw descending—larger than his own head. The woman gasped in terror.

But Chu Han moved. Dodging the tiger’s attack, he appeared behind it, and before it could react, he drove his fist into its back with the full force of ninety-nine thousand nine hundred jin, tearing flesh and breaking bone.

The tiger howled in agony, but Chu Han was not finished. Seizing its tail, he heaved and flung the beast aside. The woman, watching from behind the rock, was dumbstruck. To see a man hurl a two-hundred-kilogram tiger—such a feat was beyond human capability. Only then did she relax, realizing Chu Han was no ordinary man; handling this tiger was clearly no problem for him.

The tiger crashed heavily to the ground, dazed and trembling as it struggled to rise. Casting a fearful glance at Chu Han, it turned to flee.

“Trying to run? Since you’ve already attacked, don’t think you can leave here alive.”

Without hesitation, Chu Han pursued with lightning speed, leaping onto the tiger’s back and landing a powerful blow to its neck. The beast, overwhelmed by pain, collapsed and could not rise. Chu Han finished it off, smashing its skull with his fist, blood pooling on the ground as the tiger convulsed and then lay still, dead beyond doubt.

“It’s over—the tiger is no more. You can come out now,” Chu Han said, breathing a sigh of relief and beckoning to the woman with a gentle smile.

“Benefactor, thank you for saving my life. I, Shuang’er, will surely repay your kindness one day.” Tears streaming down her cheeks, she made to kneel, but Chu Han, startled, hurriedly pulled her up—this was the one thing he dreaded most.

He glanced over her—she was indeed an ordinary woman, dressed in white, her beautiful face rendered all the more striking under the moonlight. She looked to be about his age, a true beauty in the making.

“No need for thanks. I was just passing through. But tell me, how did you end up being chased by such a large tiger?” Chu Han smiled wryly and sat down on a nearby stone, his tone gentle.

“My father was injured while hunting, so I came out today to gather herbs to treat his wound. That’s when I encountered the tiger. If I hadn’t known the terrain well, I would have been eaten by now. It’s all thanks to you, benefactor, that I survived.”