The Ten Canvases

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Tong Wanhu cast a glance at Zhao Wanyan and said, “This is all because of Zhao Tingrui, father of the lady beside you, and the dignified King of Jingwei. Hmph!” When he spoke of this, anger and resentment clouded his eyes. Xiang Yang looked at Zhao Wanyan, her face pale as she gently bit on her bottom lip. The King of Jingwei had a bad reputation among the people. Many commoners covertly reviled and cursed him, spreading stories about how he had stolen money and oppressed the good people. Although the truth remained unknown, that was how the rumors spread.     

Tong Wanhu continued, “19 years ago, Old Thief Zhao came across a huge gang of assassins on this mountain, and at that time, we three brothers were his imperial bodyguards. Our second brother had shielded him from a poison dart, hehe, he didn’t die, but the poison had gone deep into his muscles and bones, and until now, we are still unable to completely get rid of the poison. He was once a sturdy tough man, but he has become what he is now. Is that clear, Lady Zhao?” Zhao Wanyan lowered her head and kept quiet.

Tong Wanhu started again, “I, surnamed Tong, tried my best to fend off the remaining assassins for him while my third brother rescued my second. He was under the protection of the other imperial bodyguards as they fled to the riverside together, and only one little boat was vacant. Hmm, second brother, how was the situation back then?” A sudden flicker of light flashed in Ding Ze’s pair of fine eyes, with a deep voice he said, “We all boarded the little boat, but the draft of the boat was so high that it couldn't go fast. The old thief saw that the assassins were right on our tails. Judging from my condition and my serious injuries, he considered me useless and pushed me into the river.” Tong Wanhu nodded and asked, “What about you, third brother?” Guo Degui replied, “The old thief suggested that I was too heavy and ordered a Taoist priest, surnamed Lu, to throw me into the river as well, but he didn’t expect that my second brother survived, and so I was rescued and brought to shore by him. I then escorted my second brother to seek treatment; a life for a life.” 

Xiang Yang could not bear watching Zhao Wanyan’s face turn increasingly crestfallen, and so he piped up, “Chief Tong…” However, Tong Wanhu went on, “As for I, surnamed Tong, had suffered quite a few injuries too after taking down two assassins. I rolled to the side of the mountain and lost consciousness. I thought that there was no way I would survive this. Unexpectedly, when I woke up, there were two lopped off arms laying next to me. Judging from the color of the clothes of the arms, they were no doubt the enemies who had pursued and attacked me. When I looked again, a giant white tiger came into sight. Brother Tiger, could you please come out to meet our precious guests?”

There came the sound of a tiger roaring in the mountains and forests. 

One after another, the group of brigands spread out to give way as a ferocious tiger with white fur and black stripes slowly made its way out. Xiang Yang and Zhao Wanyan were both flabbergasted, they had never seen such a white tiger before; they were told that it was a myth, but they had never expected it to be real. The white tiger was so much larger than any ordinary tigers and was extremely intimidating. There seemed to be a hint of light glimmering in its eyes as if it would attack anyone at any moment.

“Surprisingly this white tiger didn’t eat me, instead, it allowed me to recuperate in a cave. Two days later, it carried my second and third brothers on its back to the cave. It was all thanks to Brother Tiger that the three of us managed to escape our deaths. Perhaps it was due to my name that I was fated to have a connection with the tigers, allowing me to get along quite well with Brother Tiger. One day, after all our injuries had almost fully recovered, I went down the mountain to buy a few beers, only then I’d discovered that Old Thief Zhao issued a notice, saying that I’d conspired with the assassins, and a reward would be offered to arrest me. I exploded in rage as I rushed to Luoyang on my own to check on my family. Hehe, all the men were imprisoned, and the women were caught and brought to the palace; all of them died in less than three years,” said Tong Wanhu.

Speaking of this, he glowered at Zhao Wanyan, yelling, “I was too blind to have accepted such an ungrateful person as my master, but that was the least of my worries. My wife was being tortured by the old thief’s men until her life was at stake, yet the old thief didn’t care a single bit, instead, he was afraid that I was still alive, and planned to get rid of me. I knew that I was no match for him back then, and so I couldn’t do him any harm. Hehe, I came back to the mountain and set up White Tiger Tribe. Each and every brother in our camp had somehow been persecuted by Old Thief Zhao. Lady Zhao, our brothers had inquired that you are benevolent and kind-hearted, and everyone in Luoyang City claimed that you are a good person. I have no intention of harming you, but the crimes suffered by our brothers in the White Tiger Tribe cannot be spared without seeking vengeance, the sins committed by your father will be partly paid by you.” He went on, “Brother Xiang, you beat the socks off my third brother at the sight of injustice, that was an act of righteousness, so there’s nothing I can say to that. But this matter has nothing to do with you, please see yourself out and do not interfere.”