novelLeaving Home Once Again
| ← Ch.076 | Ch.078 → |
By the time Wang Hu returned, Di Baijun had also come out of the cave with the two little fellows.
After settling them down, Wang Hu asked, "What do you think, Baijun?"
Di Baijun wasn't bothered even when she heard the familiar question. Without any hesitation, she replied, "This is good news for us, of course. The vast majority of tigers are unable to enter the dinosaur world to live there, causing their development to become very slow.
"Even the tigers in the dinosaur world would likely benefit more from this opportunity due to the overly great difference in spiritual energy density level in China and the dinosaur world."
"That's right. Generally speaking, this is good news for us tigers. Additionally, if nothing goes wrong, the animal invasion into China is an endless one. Even if their speed of invasion gradually slows down later on, it's nonetheless enough to give us tigers a huge boost in the short term, " agreed Wang Hu with a nod.
Di Baijun hesitated for a moment before she asked in puzzlement, "When China mentioned giving us remuneration, why didn't you ask for the tigers in the zoos and ecological parks? Judging from the current animal invasion situation in China, there's enough food to sustain them now."
Wang Hu blanked out for a moment and blinked. Could he say that it had slipped his mind?
After all, he was actually just a tiger with some smarts. In no way was he a legendary Zhuge Kongming[1] who could plan things very carefully with every conceivable possibility taken into account.
How could he possibly manage every single aspect perfectly when things had happened so suddenly at that time?
His thoughts had fully been focused on the benefits that the tigers could get at this moment, as well as on the impact it could bring. Thus, he had ended up forgetting about the tigers in the zoos and ecological parks.
Of course, he might have forgotten, but he naturally couldn't be so honest as to say it.
He considered the issue calmly for a moment and weighed the pros and cons. Several seconds later, he breathed a small sigh of relief. Fortunately, it didn't mess anything up.
He said seriously, "There are close to 10, 000 tigers in China's various ecological parks and zoos. Once we ask for all of them, even if we only manage to get some of them and not all, it can indeed still greatly increase the tigers' overall strength.
"But think about it carefully, Baijun. Can these tigers that have been reared and taken care of by humans all this time still dominate the mountains and forests?
"Even if we can pick out some decent ones and groom them, it's too troublesome. Not only will we effectively owe China a favor, but more importantly, we don't have the energy, ability, helpers, or time to take in those half-useless tigers at the moment. On top of that, we even need tigers that can protect them and care for them.
"Who's going to groom them and protect them when they come? You? Me? Old Third? Or are we going to watch them fight one another in actual battle, eliminate the trash, and pick out the elites through the slaughter?"
To be honest, it was exactly because of the lack of food supplies and shortage of energy in the past that Wang Hu had never thought of asking for those tigers all this time.
Otherwise, by virtue of his status in China, it was definitely no problem for him to ask for some more decent tigers if he made the request.
However, it was exactly because of those two reasons that he ultimately didn't entertain the thought. This was also an important reason why he had totally overlooked the tigers in the zoos and ecological parks during the business discussion this time.
Come to think of it now, even if he had thought of it during the discussion, he wouldn't have asked for them anyway.
They had no way of managing these tigers. He already found grooming the several hundred wild tigers currently in his care a hassle because he had to personally make all these trips to and fro, let alone protecting and grooming those other tigers.
Yet, if he didn't deliberately protect and groom them, placing those 10, 000—or even just 1, 000—tigers in the border forests would also result in many deaths and casualties, even if there was currently no shortage of food.
This wasn't something he wished to see. Tigers were low in numbers from the start. He would never make them fight and end up dying just for the sake of saving some time at the moment.
There wasn't a need to do that.
As expected, Silly Girl also thought the same way—or rather, Silly Girl cared about the tigers much more than even Wang Hu did.
Wang Hu's explanation had convinced her.
They indeed didn't have the energy, time, and helping hands to do something like that at the moment. Even if they were to take in only a few hundred tigers, it would still breed a lot of trouble.
Besides, that number was too low; they might as well just not ask for it. It also spared them for owing China favors and having to ask for more time and time again in the future.
Di Baijun nodded silently and said no more.
"I'll go to the dinosaur world now and assemble all the tigers with Old Third. Once the personnel from China arrive, I'll bring them with me and disperse them at China's borders, " said Wang Hu.
He found the whole process a hassle the moment he said that.
He had to bring 100-odd tigers in the dinosaur world to the borders, split up the territory for them, and then bring them to their territories again.
When that was done, he had to do it again for another several hundred tigers that were currently scattered in the wild.
One could tell the amount of hassle involved just by a mere thought.
Meanwhile, he only had one actual helper—Old Third. The people from China didn't count.
Were he to ask for another batch of tigers from the zoos and ecological parks, wouldn't that only overwork him to death without even getting the job done properly?
At the sight of Silly Girl nodding in approval, without further ado, Wang Hu took action immediately and entered the dinosaur world.
With Old Third's help, he assembled the 100-odd tigers in less than a day and led them out of the dinosaur world.
By this point, the personnel from China were already waiting nearby a long time ago.
They consisted of two men and a woman. All of them had already reached the Second Realm.
A rather envious Wang Hu cast a glance at them.
Out of all the tigers that he currently ruled over—inclusive of himself, there were only three Transformation Realm tigers, and among which was even Silly Girl whom he couldn't order about.
Yet, China had so casually dispatched three Second Realm cultivators over.
Although he could easily smack a couple of the three Second Realm cultivators dead with just one move, he nevertheless couldn't help but be envious.
If he had three Second Realm cultivators at his command right now, things would be so much easier for him during operations like the current one. On top of that, it wouldn't take away too much time from his cultivation, too.
As expected, humans were existences with cheats, and China was even the king of cheats. How shameless.
Despite secretly being full of envy, on the surface, he merely glanced at them coldly and haughtily before speaking dispassionately.
Roar~!
"Come over."
The trio naturally wouldn't dare to go near his home without his permission.
The reason for this was very simple: Big Treasure and Little Treasure were around. He and Silly Girl would never take any risks no matter what. Moreover, this was also a rule that they had set, and rules mustn't be broken.
Several kilometers away, Wang Ming and the other two found themselves drenched in cold sweat at this point.
The look in the Tiger King's eyes was so frightening.
Even though he clearly didn't do it on purpose and there was even a distance of several kilometers between them, they nevertheless felt as if an incredibly fearsome existence had set its eyes on them when his gaze flicked over.
It was as though they were but lowly ants in the clutches of an existence that could decide their life and death any moment, and moving would bring them death.
The pressure from the exceptionally intense fear they felt made even these three Second Realm cultivators—who could also be considered people that had undergone long and rigorous training—feel somewhat fatigued.
Awkward and uncomfortable, they dutifully responded and obediently hurried forward.
It was only when three pairs of eyes met at their peripheral vision that they could see one another's lingering fears and sense of reverence.
The Northern Tiger King's strength was simply too fearsome.
It was so fearsome that it was exactly like what all the rumors in China's, as well as the world's, cultivation world said: indescribable and unfathomably deep—because no one knew exactly how strong the Tiger King was.
All the major countries in the world had made a clear evaluation of how strong the Second Realm was for a long time already. They had also gained a rough understanding of how strong the Third Realm was.
The Tiger King was the only one that no one, no matter how confident they were, could be sure how strong he exactly was.
Even now, thinking back to the one and only time he had attacked or watching a video of it could still astound and impress someone.
The Tiger King then had straight-up butchered the peak-level Second Realm Hui. It practically didn't have any means of counterattacking at all.
The current Tiger King was undoubtedly far stronger than the Tiger King by then.
There was a huge difference in strength even among people of the same cultivation realm level. For example, the five-meter-tall Tiger King—when compared to the nine-meter-tall Tiger King—could completely be considered a toddler being bullied by an adult.
According to some Tiger King braggart fans, the current Tiger King could even challenge and fight those beyond his level and was comparable to some existences that had just stepped into the Third Realm.
Most of those Tiger King braggart fans loved to read novels, and they frequently talked about things like challenging and fighting people beyond one's level and whatnot. No one had paid them much attention. The three of them hadn't paid any attention to it or believed it in the past either.
However, a thought had suddenly popped up in their minds now: surely, the Tiger King wasn't really comparable to some Third Realm cultivators, right?
As they wondered about it, their expressions turned even more inhibited and reverent.
Wang Hu didn't know what they were thinking about, and neither did he care. He was fairly satisfied by how they were behaving, though.
From the looks of it, there wouldn't be anything messed-up or nonsensical happening anymore.
This made sense too, though. How could people that China had specially dispatched here possibly be fools?
"Greetings, Your Excellency."
As over 100 tigers looked on, Wang Ming and the other two and greeted Wang Hu with a nod respectfully the moment they came near.
Their respect for him was, firstly, out of gratitude toward him for helping China back then and, secondly, toward his strength.
At the same time, they couldn't help but feel chills running down all over them. The view of more than 100 tigers that stood at shoulder heights of over two meters tall simultaneously looking at them—even if it didn't include the Tiger King—was more than enough to cause chills to run down all over their bodies.
Roar~!
"Alright. Take out the map and bring this king there."
Wang Hu didn't stand on ceremony with them. He spoke straightforwardly, his voice cold and distant. Additionally, he also addressed himself as 'this king' for the first time in front of living beings other than Su Ling—because he was well aware that now that things had reached this far, they were truly and openly taking over an expanse of territory and ruling over it.
Besides, this was in the face of so many tigers, too. He might as well just be more straightforward with it.
"Okay."
Wang Ming, the leader of the trio, immediately nodded.
He raised his arm and carried out a series of simple actions, upon which the watch-like device on his wrist emitted and displayed a pale blue screen.
It was none other than the border region that Li Aimin had mentioned.
Wang Hu took a slightly longer glance at it before he then acted as if he didn't care that much about it. He turned around and glanced at the cave. Silly Girl had already brought the two little fellows together with her into the cave by this point.
After a momentary pause, he began to walk toward the north.
Roar~!
"Let's go."
His mighty and imposing voice seemed to suppress everything. More than 100 tigers immediately followed after him.
With so many tigers all moving at the same time, their momentum was as though a great majestic river pouring down in torrents, overwhelming and unstoppable.
It was as though even those firm and sturdy mountain peaks and endless forests that stretched on beyond one's sight had to bow down to them.
Everywhere they passed through, all the animals stayed away, and silence reigned.
Wang Ming and the other two followed beside Wang Hu and introduced the region in detail to him as they walked.
At the same time, Wang Hu was also contemplating and planning the kind of arrangements he should make for several hundred tigers.
Back at home, Di Baijun brought the two little fellows out of the cave the moment Wang Hu left with the tigers.
As she gazed at the back of that majestic form, a thought suddenly occurred to Di Baijun.
When is that jerk coming back?
Roar~!
"Mommy, when is Daddy returning this time?" asked Little Treasure somewhat pitifully as she tried hard to raise her round little head and gaze after Wang Hu.
Roar~!
"He'll be back very soon."
Di Baijun paused for a moment, an additional hint of complex emotions in her voice.
[1] He is a Chinese statesman and military strategist during the Three Kingdoms period, renowned for his intelligence and recognized as the most accomplished strategist of his era.
| ← Ch. 076 | Ch. 078 → |