Before the white lion could escape, Zhan Xinjia pushed open the iron gate and leisurely walked in.
Following behind her, Yan Xiyue nervously clutched a corner of her robe at the waist. Although she was still somewhat uneasy and apprehensive, Yan Xiyue was most concerned about something else at the moment—
Yan Xiyue pressed her face close to Zhan Xinjia's shoulder, glancing left and right, and spoke in a guilty whisper.
"But little sister, I really don't know how to tame animals, what should we do now..."
Zhan Xinjia's brow bone is raised.
While keeping a close eye on the figure crouching in the corner of the cage to prevent the restless white lion from suddenly attacking, she also managed to relax and comfort Yan Xiyue, who was hiding behind her, by patting her shoulder in a generous manner.
"Oh dear~ Why is our bold and daring Red Butterfly Flower, the beautiful and delicate Ice Crystal Tear Princess, so timid today? Don't worry! Just follow me when it comes to showing off, and you'll be all set."
When Zhan Xinjia brought up her embarrassing childhood history again, Yan Xiyue was so angry that she forgot to be afraid. Her face turned red and she poked Zhan Xinjia's shoulder and scolded her.
"When are you going to forget that lousy name?!"
Zhan Xinjia chuckled softly.
"How can that be? I was hoping to use that name to mock you for another hundred years. Sigh, but then again, we've achieved our goal today by some twist of fate."
You see, I came here to fend off unwanted suitors, but after this whole mess, everyone probably knows that Zhan Wending of the Zhan family has an ambiguous relationship with Princess Caixia. Sigh, but where is my little Shen?
At this point, Zhan Xinjia still seemed a little concerned.
But the situation was critical, and she didn't have time to think about such trivial matters of love and romance.
Enraged by the unfamiliar presence that had invaded its territory, the white lion slowly stood up, its growls growing louder, and cautiously approached the cage door from the corner where it had been crouching.
It was enormous, and its footsteps were heavy and imposing, making the entire iron cage creak and groan with every step.
Yan Xiyue paled, instinctively wanting to back away in fright, but Zhan Xinjia grabbed her.
"Don't move! If you retreat when it advances, you'll lose the momentum, and once you lose the momentum, you'll never be able to intimidate it again. Now we need to let it know that it's nothing at all, and nobody here takes it seriously."
As Zhan Xinjia slowly explained, she stared intently into the white lion's eyes. Her extensive experience dealing with wild animals was thanks to the bandit and hunter neighbors she had as a child.
After all, it was a wild beast that ate raw meat, and its mouth was full of odors. The closer the white lion got, the stronger the fishy smell of its saliva became.
Yan Xiyue pinched her nose with one hand and hurriedly hid behind Zhan Xinjia, only her eyes peeking out timidly from her shoulder.
Zhan Xinjia remained calm and composed throughout the entire process, her breathing steady.
As the distance between man and beast closed, Zhan Xinjia warily reached out and pulled Yan Xiyue to his side. One hand hovered around her waist, a protective stance. The other hand gripped his sword in a defensive position, his dark pupils fixed on the white lion before him.
Yan Xiyue shrank even closer to Zhan Xinjia out of fear. Not only her, but the hearts of the onlookers outside the venue were in their throats.
Perhaps unaccustomed to being looked at directly by tiny humans, the white lion hesitated and slowed its pace upon sensing the danger ahead.
Just then, another person squeezed into the cage.
"Ah Zhi! Your Highness Caixia!"
It was Meng Qiao who came in.
"Qiaoqiao??"
The scene became chaotic again. Ignoring the white lion, Zhan Xinjia, completely bewildered, asked, "What are you doing in here? It's dangerous."
Meng Qiao immediately adjusted her facing and position. Even though she was trembling with fear and her pupils were quivering, she still resolutely raised the only remaining scabbard in her hand and bravely stood in front of Yan Xiyue.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on her nose, and her voice was weak.
"I'm sorry, have I caused you any trouble?... But I'm very worried about you. Even if I can't do anything, I want to stand with you and do everything I can to protect you..."
Meng Qiao had only studied martial arts in the capital for less than three months. While she was more than capable of fighting ordinary thugs, she was clearly no match for this situation, a fact she herself knew. Yet, she simply wanted to protect Azhi, or at least protect Princess Caixia alongside Azhi.
Just like in the past, when she was in her most desperate moment, A-Zhi stood up without hesitation and protected her.
She also wanted to be like Azhi.
Even if... even if she dies, at least she can buy some time and give Ah Zhi and Princess Caixia more opportunities, right? For her, that's already enough.
During the years when she was arbitrarily beaten and verbally abused in the inn, Meng Qiao never imagined that she would be so brave one day.
Zhan Xinjia understood what Meng Qiao meant.
She was deeply moved and wanted to explain that she hadn't saved him with the intention of him repaying her in this way in the future, but she ultimately didn't speak. Instead, she gave Meng Qiao a reassuring look with a smile.
"That's great! You've been a huge help. With you by A-Yue's side, I can focus on dealing with the White Lion."
Upon hearing this, Meng Qiao's eyes lit up, and she was so happy that she didn't know what to do.
Really? Did I really help?
The fear in her heart vanished completely because of that affirmation. Even Yan Xiyue was infected by Meng Qiao's excitement, and her tense spirit relaxed. Thus, a scene unfolded in the iron cage that was enough to make anyone's heart race and their emotions boil just by watching it.
A huge beast was watching intently, ready to attack at any moment.
Just a dozen steps away, the girl in the white, wide-sleeved palace dress stood calmly and composed, like a fairy from the heavens, unmoved.
Two figures, one on her left and one on her right, bowed slightly and assumed battle stances, like eagles and wolves, poised to strike.
The female guard on the left, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, held her sword sheath horizontally in front of her. Her long eyebrows were furrowed, and her gaze was firm. Although she was slender, she did not back down. Her whole person exuded a sense of unwavering belief.
The boy on the right had an arrogant look in his eyes. He deftly raised his sword with a backhand stroke. The bright blade clearly reflected the golden pupils of the white lion in the shimmering sunlight. The boy held the sword horizontally, with the blade and scabbard close together, firmly protecting the girl in the white dress behind him.
The scene gave people a subtle sense of illusion, as if even if a mountain collapsed in front of them, it would not be a threat to them.
Just as the white lion was about to pounce, accompanied by a deafening roar, Zhan Xinjia, with lightning reflexes, gripped his sword and charged forward to meet it head-on, while Meng Qiao shielded Yan Xiyue and dodged to the side in time—
Everyone looked horrified and on edge.
Everyone thought it would be a tough battle.
But as everyone knows, once Zhan Xinjia has eaten her fill, she is invincible; she can fight even if a god descends to earth.
As I always say, I am invincible below the level of gods, but when gods come, it's a 1v1 situation.
The dust kicked up by the intense fighting inside the cage gradually settled. As the dust settled, the boy was calmly and steadily pulling at the white lion's mane near its neck, while his other hand decisively delivered a solid backflip, starting with 0 frames.
A crisp "snap!" sound.
The white lion's head was knocked to the side, and his mind was blank. It took him a long time to turn his head and look at the young man who was looking down at him with a cold and disdainful expression.
Seeing that it still dared to glare at him, Zhan Xinjia gave it another symmetrical slap without any hesitation.
She lifted her leg and straddled the white lion's back, grabbing its mane and yanking it upwards, tearing out clumps of fur. When the white lion began to struggle in pain, Zhan Xinjia pressed her knees together, squeezing the lion tightly and compressing its internal organs, forcing it to lie down again with brute force.
She gave a cold laugh with a displeased expression.
"Look at you, are you convinced or not? Can't you understand human nature? Is my heart pure enough? Huh? Speak up!"
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