Going from killing a Beast out for your life, to killing men out for your life, to killing those who had planned to take your life even after they gave up... Kill every threat to your life, then every threat to your place in the World, then every person who challenges. It'll keep growing and growing, until you start killing even those who, unknowingly, dare disturb your peace or your meals. As every Young Master should. Is this where you're headed, Lei?-
The Silver-Grade Beast's gaze repeatedly went from Lyu to the Young Master standing a couple of steps behind her.
The Young Master's hand moved, and the Beast growled, before holding its breath.
Borara stared at the moving hand.
It moved up, making the robe flutter on the way, before stopping next to the Young Master's cheek.
He scratched that cheek, but the Beast kept holding its breath.
The hand started going back down!
The Beast's eye widened!
It was moving towards THAT!
That instrument that only brings pain and suffering!
Instantly, the pain, humiliation, fear, and hatred sprung forth! Just how many times had that instrument been used? Just how many wounds, cuts, bruises, and scars?
Enough is enough-
To the Beast's surprise, the hand didn't take hold of the whip.
"Borara..." Lyu's tone was gentle and sweet.
She lay her palms around the Beast's broad face.
The blood that covered its fur was still hot.
"It's okay." She whispered.
The Silver-Grad Beast that had been preparing to move shuddered. Attack? Run away? It hadn't decided yet, but it was one of those two.
"It's okay..." Lyu repeated as she wrapped her arms around the Silver-Grade Beast's neck.
Only then, did its gaze move away from the Young Master.
Only then, did it breathe again.
"Thank you." Lyu said while stroking Borara's bloody fur.
A whimper unexpected from a Beast doted with such ferocious features and size echoed.
The Young Master suddenly stepped forward. The Beast lowered its head.
'Good.'
The Silver-Grade Beast felt its limbs tremble as it saw the expression on Zhao Laohu's face. As it saw the Young Master's smile. It was completely different from the expressions that it had ever seen on that Young Master's face. A much colder, dispassionate, and chilling smile than Zhao had ever shown in the past.
The Beast stuck its body to the ground, and the Young Master turned away.
'I need it to stay afraid... But not to hate me. If I want it to work for me, I'll have to keep her by my side. She can be useful in other ways too.' Zhao Laohu thought as he walked. 'To rid it of that hatred for me, I'll have to focus it on someone else. Make it forget that Zhao is the one that it hates...'
A dozen steps later,
"Shi, Fui, Jin. Collect the weapons and robes. We need to know what brought this on and who is responsible by any means necessary."
"Young Master!" They bowed and obeyed.
Ui? Feng? Ui Feng? Lei hadn't decided yet.
"You said that no one knew. That no one would attempt this."
"Young Zhao, it's... Uh..." The sweaty Personal Instructor had trouble formulating a complete sentence after everything that had happened. "I assure you, Young Zhao, that I will find whoever is responsible, and I will make them pay."
"Good."
"You can leave that to me, Young Zhao."
'I'm sure a lot of things were left to you in the past...' Lei noted mentally.
The Young Master walked past his Personal Instructor and,
"Make sure we can get back on the road quickly, Ui Feng."
At those words, the Personal Instructor slowly turned around, his eyes wide.
"Yes, Young Zhao." He started walking towards the Servant girl and the Silver-Grade Beast.
The Young Master stepped into the cabin that made up the rear section of the carriage.
"Ahhh, that's nice..." Lei whispered as he took a seat on the luxurious cushioned bench.
It only took a couple of seconds for Ui Feng's shouts to resonate.
'He's no fool... So I'm sure he'll stop once Borara starts growling or showing signs of hostility.' The Young Master thought as he pulled the arrows that had been shot through the cabin's windows out of the wooden paneling they had embedded themselves into. 'No signs, emblems, or even specific colors...'
Yawn-
'Come on, Ui Feng.' Lei peeked at them from the cabin's windows. 'Scream more. Shout more. Be more aggressive towards her. Towards her... In front of it. I'll focus Borara's hatred on you... Then get rid of you.'
The Young Master brought a hand to his chin.
'Preferably in front of Borara. Since you're the closest to Zhao Laohu, and the one it hates most after me, it just makes sense.' He shrugged. 'I'm sure you already have suspicions anyways...'
Indeed, Ui Feng's suspicions were at an all-time high.
The Young Master's actions and demeanor were strange but... What set him off more than anything way,
Make sure we can get back on the road quickly, Ui Feng-
The Young Master who used to refer to him as -Uncle Zhao- now refers to him plainly and coldly by name?
A fall from grace for the Personal Instructor, or...?
In any case, this wasn't something that Ui Feng could take lightly.
It had taken a lot of work to get here after all. To get the Young Master to refer to him as his 'Uncle'. To become the Young Master's Personal Instructor.
The Master of the One-Eyed Ravenous Tiger Sect had left, leaving the Elders in charge.
Those Elders couldn't stand up to the one that the Young Master called 'Uncle' though.
The two had met years ago, but Ui Feng had only become Personal Instructor one year ago.
The Young Master wanted to keep him by his side after all.
Drinking, partying, bullying those weaker than him... Ui Feng had introduced him to many, many fun things to do. Ui Feng had even introduced the Young Master to the pleasures of women, when he took that Young Master to a brothel. The Young Master's first time in a whorehouse, at the age of nine years old.