"Master!"

"I am weary. Let’s discuss anything tomorrow."

"Master, did you injure your arm?"

Lin Kong stopped in his tracks, looked at his arm, and said, "Yes, I accidentally got bitten by the Thousand Year Striped Tiger."

"That damned beast, it deserves to die for daring to injure Master."

"It’s just a minor issue. I’ll just apply some medicine when I return."

"Master, let me bandage it before you go!"

"No need, it’s late. You should rest." Having said that, Lin Kong’s figure flickered and departed from the Celestial Master’s Mansion.

............

Xuexue and Little Tiger returned to the War Prince’s Mansion, still feeling shaken.

"Oh dear, my God! I was scared to death. We actually ran into a nemesis tonight." Little Tiger reverted to the appearance of a chubby four or five-year-old, patting his small chest in fear, showing none of the majestic presence from earlier when he transformed into a big tiger.

Xuexue sneakily closed the door, making sure that Zi Xia didn’t discover their midnight escape, or else there would be another round of nagging.

"And you often boast about being the Thousand Year Striped Tiger, yet you didn’t even notice the enemy sitting beside us for so long." Xuexue turned back to sit on the bed with a sigh of exasperation.

Recalling the scene in the Silver Hook Casino when they saw Lin Kong, Xuexue’s heart still raced with fear.

This person is too dangerous; appearing beside them like a ghost, if he intended harm tonight, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

No way, I must practice martial arts immediately, can’t always be running when encountering experts.

With that thought, Xuexue decided to forgo sleep and swiftly entered the space to cultivate her technique.

Little Tiger followed closely behind, "Hey! Master, wait for me."

As soon as the words were spoken, the room was empty.

The last time Xuexue was in the space, she found a manual for practicing silver needle techniques, the full name being the Hibiscus Silver Needle Secret Manual, with explanations and images included.

According to the book, if one were to master the manual, it could both heal and kill. Ancient owners of the book even inscribed a sentence at the end, saying that if one with fate fully mastered it, they could dominate the world.

Xuexue has already learned half of this needle technique, but her foundation is too shallow, requiring frequent practice. In terms of martial arts, Xuexue has already made rapid progress, but she still falls short when encountering experts like Lin Kong.

Xiao Taohong noticed that as soon as Xuexue entered the space, she went to practice her techniques, prompting him to curiously ask Little Tiger, "Hey! Why is Master acting so strange today, practicing martial arts at the Third Watch of the Night?"

Little Tiger raised a finger to his lips, making a gesture to be quiet, "Shh! Be careful not to disturb her. We encountered an expert tonight and barely made it back. Master is motivated to get stronger!"

Xiao Taohong curiously asked, "Who did you meet today?"

Little Tiger replied, "Our nemesis, take a guess who it is?"

"Could it be Celestial Master Zhang and Lin Kong?" Master always tells us that these two are our nemeses, to be cautious of. Of course, Xiao Taohong knew them and asked right away.

Little Tiger praised, "So smart." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Xiao Taohong rolled his eyes, "Smart my foot, the Master talks about them every day, how could I not know?"

Little Tiger continued, "Xiao Taohong, did you know how perilous it was tonight? Lin Kong was sitting right next to us and we didn’t realize it at all. Thankfully the Master noticed, or you would never see me again."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Taohong was also extremely frightened, "So you came in just now to hide from Lin Kong?"