"Whoever doubted me deserves to get beat up."
The Young Master's confidence brought on more admiration and compliments from the three.
'I guess they expected a response like that.' Lei smirked internally. 'Good. They're... Were Zhao's henchmen... I guess? They seem absolutely smitten. Or is surviving this that much of a challenge?' Lei thought as he was showered with compliments, barely listening to their words. 'I'd like to ask how long it has been but... They probably agreed on a time limit beforehand. If locked in there, your only solace would be the time limit. Every time, thinking about how many hours, how many days left... I doubt that's something I would forget. I'd be clinging to it. The same is true for the reason why he got in there... Plus, he already finds it weird that I can't remember him. A certain degree of memory loss happens from this, not total memory loss. I'll have to make it work somehow. Anyways, I wonder what he was he trying to achieve? Was there even a goal in doing something like that? Maybe it was just a challenge or something? I doubt that. The guy said Zhao didn't need it... So there must have been a goal. Which obviously wasn't reached, since I'm here.'
Another roar resonated. The Young Master turned around.
'What...' Only then, did he notice how large the boulder that had been moved was.
Something that no human, not even if a hundred tried at once, could even shake.
'Are these guys that strong? No, it must be...!'
As if on cue, it appeared from beyond the boulder.
Zhao Laohu's personal instructor was pulling on its reins, leading it forward. The Beast seemed reluctant, as Ui seemed to put in quite a bit of effort in guiding it. He was smiling, but the veins popping from his neck betrayed the ease that the personal instructor was trying to project.
The Beast was large enough to make the Young Master's hand shudder.
A bear the size of an elephant. Its thick and black fur reminded Lei of the darkness that reigned over the cave he had just exited.
"That's... My Beast?"
"Only you could tame such a Beast, Young Master!"
"That's right, it was thought impossible to tame or ride until you tried!"
"Many have desperately climbed up its body and pathetically fell, but not our Young Master! The Young Master managed to make it his with only one try! No one around at the time could believe their eyes!"
The Young Master coolly readjusted his robe.
Gulp-
He stepped towards the Beast, still two dozen meters away.
"Don't you dare embarrass me in front of-"
"Leave it." The Young Master said as he continued walking closer.
The Beast was huge, but the instant that Zhao had taken a step in its direction, it had stopped moving, even if it went against Ui's commands.
'Mm...'
The closer the Young Master got to it, the closer the Beast's head got to the ground.
Zhao stopped about three meters away from it.
It had practically lowered its body and head as much as it could.
The Young Master looked down on his Beast, trying his best not to let his hands shake.
If it wanted to, a swing of its paw could behead him. That's what Lei thought. What he felt.
'Is that true though? This body is stronger than I thought it was. Maybe I'm wrong about this too...'
What brought on this doubt, was mostly the huge Beast's shuddering.
Overwhelmed with fear, it remained with its head to the ground. Its eyes closed.
Or rather, its eye.
'An eye missing. They're hard to notice since the pelt is so dark but now that I'm closer... So many scars.' Zhao thought as he circled around the Beast, studying its body while remaining three steps away at all times. 'Not just strict, but sadistic. He tamed it through fear... And the Beast paid for disobeying him. Then the story those guys told is bullshit? I can't assume that yet. But the way they hold their Young Master in such high regard, it wouldn't be surprising that they would embellish or straight-up lie. All of the scars look really old. There are no recent ones.'
After walking a full circle around the Beast, the Young Master stepped closer, before crouching.
The Beast opened its eye slightly. It shuddered, finding the Young Master's face so close.
'It grew bigger and stronger, but the fear remained.'
The fact that the Young Master's lips had curled upwards slightly only made it shudder more intensely.
'The taming probably started when it was a cub. The fear and old, barely visible scars make it obvious.'
The Young Master's hand moved.
'It's missing an eye. The Ravenous One-Eyed Tiger's Young Master's Beast... Fitting, I guess.'
Watching that hand, despite it being tiny compared to its own body, move closer to its head, dread took over the Beast. It buried its head into the ground.
The Young Master suddenly turned around.
"You got something for me?"
Ui Feng seemed confused for a moment. The confusion quickly faded and a smile appeared on his face. A smile differemt from those he had shown earlier. One that seemed more natural.
"Just a second, Young Zhao."
He, once more, went beyond the boulder. The Young Master assumed they had simply left their belongings there.
"Here."
Lei didn't thank Ui. What hee was handing him was the Young Master's possession after all. Zhao Laohu doesn't thank others often, Lei assumed.
He rolled it up. Each time it moved, the Beast trembled.
'I'm not a fan of animal abuse but...'
The Young Master pushed himself off the ground before lodging the whip between his waist and pants.
'I'll keep that fear alive.'
Lei moved his robe over the whip, so that it would remain visible.
'You're too valuable an asset for me to lose over compassion.'
The Young Master fearlessly turned around, leaving his back to the Beast unprotected.
"Let's get moving. And where's that tea you promised me?"