The Ten Canvases

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

A great dread and terror took possession of Zhao Wanyan as she saw the white tiger approaching, making her lean closely to Xiang Yang. All of a sudden, the white tiger stopped in its tracks, raised its head at Zhao Wanyan and huffed twice. 

Xiang Yang and Zhao Wanyan exchanged a glance, both feeling odd. The ferocious look on the white tiger in front of them had disappeared, it looked extremely friendly now as compared to moments ago. The white tiger came closer to Zhao Wanyan and let out a gentle purr. Feeling astonished, Zhao Wanyan braced herself and reached out gingerly to pat the fur on the tiger’s head. The white tiger immediately stroked its face against her hand.

Everyone was bemused at this moment. No one would have thought that the feral beast would act as tame as a cat under the hand of the beautiful lady. The white tiger bent over, swishing its tail at Zhao Wanyan before rolling over its back. “Big Brother Xiang, does it want me to ride on it?” asked Zhao Wanyan, her terror subsided a little. Xiang Yang was full of doubts as well, he replied, “I’ve no idea, perhaps it does?” The white tiger lifted its head at Xiang Yang and turned to stare at Zhao Wanyan, swishing and rolling over its tail again.

Zhao Wanyan summoned her courage and went forward to pet the white tiger’s fur. Suddenly, the tiger’s tail twirled toward Zhao Wanyan and coiled around her waist, lifting her up and placing her gently on its back. Zhao Wanyan was surprised but delighted, she shouted, “Big Brother Xiang, it won’t hurt people so come over!” Just as Xiang Yang was about to walk over, the white tiger roared at him and shook its head. Xiang Yang laughed out loud and said, “No can do. This tiger is only fond of beauty and it will definitely lay its paw on my head if I approach.” 

The white tiger glanced around them, its eyes wide open. It thumped its right front leg twice on the ground as if it was saying ‘All of you stay here and don’t move!’. Then, it carried Zhao Wanyan into the woods.

Shocked, Xiang Yang, Tong Wanhu and the rest immediately chased after the tiger. However, they could only take a few steps before the white tiger looked back abruptly, letting out a deafening roar. It glared at Tong Wanhu and huffed at Xiang Yang, as though it was implying ‘What are you all doing?’, ‘What’s the rush? I will send her back in a while!’. Then, the white tiger went into the woods while everyone was still in shock.

Watching the white tiger speed off, Zhao Wanyan could feel the trees passing by her quickly in consternation. She was literally riding on a tiger and found it hard to get off. All she could do was to hold the tiger’s head tightly to prevent herself from falling. She silently thought in her heart, this white tiger seems to have intelligence. I shall take a look at the place, wherever it brings me to. Although the fear was unavoidable, she could not help thinking about it. 

The white tiger moved about freely within the highs and lows of the wood just like a fine horse. Soon, they reached the front of a cave. The place was densely wooded and there were steep slopes nearby, showing no sign of human habitation. The white tiger dashed into the cave. Zhao Wanyan’s vision went black, but the light restored in an instant. It turned out that this was not a cave, but a small open space surrounded by rocks. The tunnel actually led to the outside. The white tiger stopped and bent down its body for Zhao Wanyan to get off.

After riding on the tiger for some time, Zhao Wanyan felt sore between her legs and could barely stand properly as the tiger’s back was wide. She surveyed her surroundings and saw nothing strange. Feeling surprised, she suddenly felt a heavy weight on her back. Apparently, the white tiger was pressing her down. Zhao Wanyan cried in fear as she was pressed down.

Pressing itself against Zhao Wanyan, the white tiger reached out its front paw to strip off her clothes, its claws already retracting into its paws. Zhao Wanyan was bewildered and embarrassed, hence she kept struggling. The white tiger stopped its movement and stared at her face, as though it seemed weird that she was resisting. Zhao Wanyan caught her breath and a thought came to her. It’s a tiger. Since beasts don’t wear clothes, it certainly thinks that I shouldn’t be wearing clothes as well. Seeing the white tiger reaching out its paws at her again, Zhao Wanyan’s face turned red as she continued her thought. Since it’s not even a human, it doesn’t matter if I’m not wearing any clothes. But…what exactly is it trying to do? She had no time to dwell on it before gently taking off her clothes. The white tiger took a few steps back, reached down and grabbed her bottom garment. Zhao Wanyan’s face boiled up instantly. Lying on her back, she bent over her body and took off her gauze skirt.