Chapter 335: Thousand-Year White Tiger City

Chapter 335: Thousand-Year White Tiger City

The Grand Priestess had no retort.

The title 'First of Donghuang' carried undeniable weight.

However, the Thousand-Year White Tiger City had stood unshaken for a millennium, having endured centuries of turmoil.

While Su Mo, the First of Donghuang, might command awe elsewhere, within the walls of her White Tiger City, his reputation meant little.

Thus, in the beginning, she'd sorely underestimated this so-called Chief Escort Su.

The Chief Attendant’s actions, though reckless, had still been a calculated gamble.

After all, even if things went awry, she remained as their safety net.

Yet, when Su Mo finally made his move, the Grand Priestess was gobsmacked.

His martial prowess far exceeded her imagination. If such a man were to become their enemy, the Thousand-Year White Tiger City could be razed to the ground.

Her interference—seemingly aiding Su Mo against the Chief Attendant—had really been an effort to save the latter’s life.

Later, when she pursued Su Mo beyond the city walls and palmed off on him the Emperor’s Heart Sutra, her intentions had been downright treacherous.

This became unmistakable when Su Mo crossed the threshold into the Tiger Lord’s Hall and saw the sutra's core tenets.

In fact, the moment Su Mo entered the hall, the Grand Priestess had attempted to control him using the Emperor’s Heart Sutra. But she soon realized Su Mo shook it off like nothing—clearly, he had never practiced it.

This, combined with the very fact of his arrival, made it plain to her that Su Mo had peeled back her ploy.

Thus, his purpose here went without saying.

That was why, when she had begged Su Mo to subdue the white tiger, she had vowed to accept any punishment without complaint.

Now, hearing Su Mo’s words, she could only paste on a smile:

"Chief Escort Su speaks rightly. Our offenses run too deep, and I am left without words to defend myself.

"However, no matter how grievously the Chief Attendant or I have offended—

"Even if you were to kill us here and now, we would not protest.

"But the sacred relic of our White Tiger remnants cannot be allowed to leave with you.

"I ask your mercy."

"A sacred relic in exchange for two lives—do you call this a bad deal?"

Su Mo, perched on the tiger's back, looked down at the Grand Priestess and the Chief Attendant:

"Or should I simply run you both through here? I'll walk out with both prize and beast regardless."

The Grand Priestess sighed.

"Very well then, Chief Escort Su. Sate your vengeance by running me through right here.

"Spare the Chief Attendant, so he may rein in our White Tiger kin."

"In the future, whenever an expert from the Ziyang Escort Bureau passes through our White Tiger City, we’ll treat them like VIPs and never dare to cause trouble.

"But this sacred artifact... you’ll still have to leave it behind.

"Otherwise, Chief Escort Su, today you’ll have no choice but to wipe out all of us White Tiger remnants.

"Otherwise, we absolutely cannot allow you to leave this place!"

As she spoke, she paused slightly and gave a helpless smile:

"However, if that happens, Chief Escort Su, the Eastern Wasteland’s Number One, would suddenly fly into a senseless rage and wipe out our entire White Tiger remnant clan.

"If word of this gets out in the martial world, it would surely sully your rep as the Eastern Wasteland’s Number One."

Hearing this, Yang Xiaoyun furrowed her brow and scoffed:

"Grand Priestess, is that a threat?"

The Grand Priestess quickly shook her head:

"Not at all!

"Just laying out the facts."

"Facts?"

Yang Xiaoyun let out a sharp laugh, casually raising her Dragon Abyss Spear and pointing it at the Grand Priestess from afar:

"Seems like you’ve got the wrong idea about what's 'reasonable.'

"I’m not here to debate you. I’ll just ask you one thing—even if our Chief Escort lets every last one of you live out of mercy... would you even dare breathe a word about today?"

"......"

The Grand Priestess was struck silent.

Earlier, they had feared that Su Mo would leave and spread word of these events, worried that he might reveal their deeds to the White Tiger remnants' disciples.

With just a little spin—not even mentioning their efforts to protect the sacred artifact—they could be accused of trying to forge a fake ancestor.

With such a massive White Tiger right here, even without any evidence, they would never be able to explain themselves clearly, no matter how smooth they talked.

Once folks make up their minds, no amount of persuasion will make them believe otherwise.

"Not only that..."

Su Mo gave a low chuckle: "White Tiger City has been using the Emperor’s Heart Sutra to control the White Tiger remnants. That set of core teachings carved on the back wall of the Tiger Lord’s Hall—would you even dare show it to others?"

"I..."

The Grand Priestess fell silent once more.

She couldn’t.

White Tiger City had lasted for thousands of years precisely because of the Emperor’s Heart Sutra, which allowed it to stand unshaken.

With the sacred artifact’s aid, it had persisted to this day, letting each Grand Priestess rule with an iron grip over the White Tiger remnants.

If this truth were revealed, the ordinary disciples among the White Tiger remnants would surely erupt in revolt.

If they were to learn that they had been living a lie from the very beginning,

God only knows what would happen!

The whole foundation of the White Tiger remnants would be shaken in an instant.

By then, this thousand-year-old legacy wouldn’t need Donghuang's top fighter to finish them off—they would collapse on their own.

Moreover, since the Emperor’s Heart Sutra’s general outline possesses such miraculous effects, once word gets out,

from this day forward, even if they barely manage to preserve the White Tiger remnants, greedy folks would come crawling for it, with waves of people fighting to grab it one after another.

The sacred artifact has already been taken by Su Mo and his companions.

Without the sacred artifact in hand, even if the Grand Priestess could hold her ground for a bit with her own strength, how long could she last against them all?

She's only one person - how many fights can she pick?

"So... let me tell you, Grand Priestess, what's actually reasonable here.

What's reasonable is this—today, we come and go as we damn well please.

We take the sacred artifact, and you don't get in our way.

We ride the White Tiger, and you don't try to stop us.

You keep that mouth of yours sealed tight, and we might still keep quiet about today’s events.

Otherwise..."

Yang Xiaoyun looked around with a faint smile as she spoke:

"White Tiger City with its thousand-year legacy—such a mighty reputation... Would it really be so difficult to wipe you out?"

The Grand Priestess was momentarily speechless, ultimately letting out a long sigh:

"You... just get out..."

"You're wrong again, Grand Priestess."

Su Mo shook his head lightly. "Our Vice Chief Escort made it very clear—whether we leave or stay is entirely up to us, not you. However, had you not said those words earlier, Su Mo would've been long gone by now.

"But now that you’ve spoken them, if Su Mo were to leave without giving you something to haunt you, wouldn’t that make the Grand Priestess underestimate us?"

Hearing this, the Grand Priestess was instantly sick with regret.

She wasn't stupid and understood she was totally outmatched.

In terms of martial prowess, she couldn't hold a candle to Su Mo.

In terms of leverage, she had no hold over him—instead, Su Mo had them firmly in his grasp.

Her attempt to stop them had stemmed from an old habit—probing for weakness.

Had Su Mo believed her words, even if he had cut her down right there, as long as the sacred artifact of their clan remained protected,

future Grand Priestesses could still maintain control over the White Tiger remnants.

But now, not only had she failed, she had brought calamity upon herself.

Now that the tables have turned, the Grand Priestess could only say helplessly:

"If Chief Escort Su wishes to kill me, go ahead and strike."

Su Mo, however, chuckled:

"Grand Priestess, you're being too hard on yourself. If Su Mo truly wanted to kill you, you would have been dead long ago.

"My deputy chief escort said that Su Mo believes in showing mercy. The scheming you harbored toward me before is water under the bridge now.

"But now, we've got some business to settle..."

He reached out and patted the head of the White Tiger beneath him, said with a grin:

"It’s no easy task for this tiger to grow so large.

"Since it has chosen to follow Su Mo, I will naturally look after it properly.

"However, it has your White Tiger remnants' sacred relic within its belly.

"Storing it for a long time will incur storage fees... Don't you think you should cover the costs?"

"...Costs?"

The Grand Priestess was stunned—it never occurred to her that the famous Su Mo of the Eastern Wastelands would bring up money!

What really floored her was that the money Su Mo demanded was for the "storage" of their sacred artifact...

Couldn’t we just keep it ourselves and save Chief Escort Su the hassle?

Yet she couldn’t voice this thought and could only nod in resignation:

"Chief Escort Su speaks reasonably. This sum... should indeed be paid. But how much would be appropriate?"

Su Mo waved his hand: "Let's take this one step at a time. For now, it’s just the storage fee. Next, we’ll calculate the cost of raising this White Tiger for you."

"..."

The Chief Attendant of the Imperial Court saw stars.

After all these years of raising this White Tiger, not only do you take it away, but we also have to pay you to raise it?

Compared to this, Su Mo might as well have just killed them outright—it would have been less painful.

"This White Tiger is so big—it must eat a lot in a single meal.

"You're looking at tens of thousands of taels just to keep it alive in a year."

Su Mo ticked off on his fingers, initially intending to mess with the Grand Priestess and the Chief Attendant.

But as he spoke, he actually started worrying.

He already had a Zhen Xiaoxiao to feed, and now there was this White Tiger too.

If these two were allowed to eat freely, the entire fortune of the Ziyang Escort might not be enough to sustain them.

Thinking about it now, sparing the Grand Priestess was truly the most reasonable decision.

At the very least, White Tiger City should pick up the tab to fill the stomachs of these two bottomless eaters.

From now on, even if Zhen Xiaoxiao goes to the tavern every day to order banquets, eating one table and throwing away another, he wouldn’t bat an eye.

Hearing this, the Grand Priestess could only grit her teeth and admit it, nodding as she said:

"Indeed, this cursed tiger sure can eat."

"Mm, the storage fee is one matter, a year’s worth of food and drink is another. As for lodging... that won’t cost much.

"I won’t nickel-and-dime you over this.

"Lastly, the Grand Priestess must pay us hush money every year."

Su Mo smiled and said, "There are three people present today, and I won’t gouge you—10K taels a head per year. What does the Grand Priestess think?"

"Hush..."

The Grand Priestess let out a long sigh. "If we pay this sum, will none of you speak of the White Tiger remnants’ affairs to outsiders?"

"Of course not."

Su Mo nodded. "I’m a businessman. My agency runs on trust and rep. We don’t double-sell secrets, so the Grand Priestess need not worry."

"Good."

The Grand Priestess took a deep breath. "Chief Su, skip the itemized bill. Just name the total sum for the year."

"Straight shooter."

Su Mo chuckled. "Alright—100K taels a year. Every year on this day, White Tiger City’ll deliver it to my Ziyang Escort. If they’re short on hands or wagons, you may also send a letter to my agency, and I’ll send someone to pick it up. Sound good?"

The Chief Attendant staggered, bracing himself against the remaining half of a pillar in the Tiger Lord’s Hall.

Su Mo said he wasn’t robbing them?

100K taels a year...

What the hell does this tiger eat to rack up that kind of bill?

The Grand Priestess, however, smiled and nodded.

"Good. Chief Su’s word is good enough for me.

"Then it shall be as you say."

She shot the Chief Attendant a look and added, "Go get 100K in notes."

The Chief Attendant looked at the Grand Priestess, wanting to say something, but in the end, he simply nodded and slunk off, head down.

He left quickly and returned just as fast, handing over a stack of bills, each worth a thousand taels.

After taking them, Su Mo counted it right there. But when he noticed the words "Big Fortune Bank" printed on the notes, he hesitated, thinking.

Finally, with a smile, he confirmed the amount and clasped his hands.

"We’re square. I’m out."

"...Take care, Chief Su."

The Grand Priestess wore a smile on her face, as if none of the previous events had occurred, and adopted a deferential send-off stance.

Su Mo studied her briefly before also smiling. He then gently patted the white tiger’s neck, and the tiger instantly bounded away. In a flash, its figure had already crossed the gate and vanished.

Xu Lu followed closely behind...

In mere moments, only the Grand Priestess, the Chief Attendant of the Imperial Court, and a few surviving Chief Attendants remained at the entrance of the Tiger Lord’s Hall valley, left staring at each other in confusion.

The Chief Attendant couldn’t help but glance at the Grand Priestess:

"Chief Escort Su didn’t spell it out, but his meaning was clear.

"From now on, our White Tiger City must pay annual tribute and pledge allegiance.

"We’re to submit completely to his Ziyang Escort Agency.

"Grand Priestess, what’s our move now?"

The Grand Priestess exhaled deeply, but her words only deepened the Chief Attendant’s frown:

"Surrendering... isn’t that for the best?"

"Grand Priestess, what are you saying?"

The Chief Attendant was stunned.

"White Tiger City has stood strong for millennia. What do you think has sustained us, Chief Attendant?"

"An unbending will?"

The Chief Attendant ventured hesitantly.

"Bullshit!"

The Grand Priestess snapped. "If that were true, how could we have allowed Da Xuan to take a piece from the sacred artifact back then? Causing it to keep breaking apart. We wouldn’t have been struggling all these years..."

"This..."

The Chief Attendant was momentarily speechless. "Then what does the Grand Priestess believe?"

"To read the times and bend when needed."

The Grand Priestess sighed. "When the tide’s against us, we must yield where necessary. So long as the White Tiger bloodline survives, there is hope for the future. As long as our secrets remain intact, the White Tiger remnants remain a united front!

"So long as this holds true, whether you or I fall, White Tiger City will remain White Tiger City.

"Even if we bow to one man, even if we pay tribute year after year—what does it matter?

"No man stays on top forever.

"Su Mo won’t rule Donghuang forever.

"Even if he truly reigns invincible for a lifetime, once his time is up, our White Tiger remnants can still break free from these chains.

"By then, we might even reclaim the sacred artifact.

"A thousand-year-old White Tiger City—if it cannot endure temporary humiliation, if it picks fights over every insult—how could it have lasted a thousand years?"

The Chief Attendant listened, thoroughly persuaded, nodding emphatically.

But then he hesitated and said:

"But... the Sacred Artifact is gone after all."

"..."

With the Sacred Artifact gone, how will future Grand Priestesses be trained?

The core techniques of the Emperor’s Heart Sutra are of utmost importance.

Without the Sacred Artifact to aid in cultivation, how can they fully master the Emperor’s Heart Sutra?

Hearing this, the Grand Priestess was briefly silent before lightly shaking her head:

"Then we must find another way.

"When pushed to the limit, one must change; with change comes breakthrough, and with breakthrough comes success.

"The Sacred Artifact matters greatly, but we can’t neglect the succession.

"I’ll figure something out."

She stood up as she spoke:

"Remember, from this day forward, show no disrespect toward the Ziyang Escort.

"If any members of the Ziyang Escort pass through White Tiger City, treat them as honored guests.

"Even if it’s just a mere footman, this rule stands!"

"...Surely that’s excessive?"

The Chief Attendant blinked in surprise.

But the Grand Priestess smiled: "Exactly because it seems excessive, we must do it."

"Why?"

"There are two reasons."

She raised two fingers:

"First, to let Chief Escort Su know that White Tiger City shows him complete deference, without a trace of defiance.

"Second, a small leak can sink a great ship... If those people grow accustomed to White Tiger City’s hospitality, coupled with Su Mo’s reputation as the First of Donghuang, they’ll start expecting it everywhere.

"Over time, they may take such treatment for granted.

"But then, when they go elsewhere and aren’t shown the same respect, might they feel that others don’t respect the Ziyang Escort enough?

"That they look down on Su Mo’s standing?

"At first, it may start small, but gradually, the idea will spread.

"As more and more people think this way, even if the Ziyang Escort rules the land, their fame won’t outlive them."

She paused briefly before continuing:

"Additionally, we should leak another story gradually.

"The matter of the white tiger won’t stay secret for long.

"Tonight, Su Mo rode it away, and people will talk.

"So put out word that the Tiger Lord was moved and gave birth to a divine spirit, which chose Su Mo as its master...

"No need to elaborate on the reasons—let the gossips fill in the blanks."