“Who dares be impudent in the presence of this General!?”
The moment the roar like that of a tiger entered the crowd, the cat banner also began to shake violently in the sudden gusts of wind in the woods.
Everyone looked towards the white cat perched atop the horse's head, roaring with its mouth open.
The assassins' gazes shifted from indifference, to puzzlement, then to astonishment, and finally to alarm.
The cat was talking!
Could this be...a demon!?
However, Su Qiluo and the assassins' reactions were completely different. The frightened, helpless, bewildered little girl's eyes lit up the moment she saw the white cat.
Although there were still tear stains on her face, the fear and helplessness in her eyes were gone, replaced by indescribable ecstasy, excitement and elation.
"Ge...Ge...Ge..." Su Qiluo, incoherent with excitement, shouted in the next moment with sobs in her voice: "General!"
"Lass, I'm back!"
Just as Du ke finished speaking, the steward of Thousand Li Village rushed into the crowd with his three subordinates, walking tall and upright.
In the blink of an eye, the four giant horses over ten feet tall had arrived in front of the lass.
"Neighhh!"
The jujube-red horse stopped in its tracks in front of the lass, standing erect, while the other three steeds surrounded the steward protectively.
"Anyone who dares bully my lass, tell me your names and I guarantee you a graveless death!"
Du ke, perched atop the jujube horse's head, had the form of a fierce tiger. The spiritual glow in his golden eyes spread and crawled out of his eye sockets, carrying an indescribable aura of authority.
"Ge...Ge...Ge..." Su Qiluo called out sobbingly at Du ke's back.
At this time, Shi San's head also emerged from the horse's back as he stuck out his tongue and glanced at Su Qiluo. Seeing Su Qiluo notice him, she also wiped her tears and said, "And Shi San too!"
Seeing that Su Qiluo's reaction was far less excited compared to when she saw Du ke, Shi San also rolled his eyes.
So in your eyes there's only the cat lord, the dog is just an extra?
Du ke also turned his head back to look at Su Qiluo then. Meeting each other's gaze, the tenderness and fondness in Du ke's eyes as he grinned and gently said, "Lass, I'm back."
"General, I knew you'd come back!" Su Qiluo exclaimed as she stood up.
"I knew you'd definitely come back!"
"I've been waiting for you, waiting for this day all along."
"And now you're finally back, finally...back by my side."
As she spoke, the lass began tearing up again. Seeing her crying, Du ke gently comforted, "Don't cry, I'm here!"
"I'm not crying..." The lass wiped forcefully at her tears, beaming a huge smile at Du ke, "I'm just too happy!"
"Yes, you should be happy."
"This is how it should be."
As Du ke spoke, he also turned to look at the surrounding assassins, his gaze changing in an instant.
The previous tenderness and fondness were gone without a trace, replaced by endless chill and coldness.
"Now then, would you gentlemen care to die?"
The moment these words left him, the sword intent in Du ke's eyes surged as the cat flipped his paw and directly shot out dozens of sword qi.
The invisible sword qi tore through the void, effortlessly piercing through the foreheads of several people.
Seeing the thumb-sized bloody holes that appeared on their comrades' foreheads, the rest of the assassins' souls shuddered in fright.
"Demon..."
"It's a demon!"
"Damn it, we were told the target was just a little lass, how could a demon show up!?"
"Run!"
......
Screams, shouts, roars erupted almost simultaneously. Du ke said to the jujube horse below him, "May I trouble you once more, Steward?"
"Watch me work, Young Master!"
As soon as the jujube horse responded, Du ke leapt down from its head, bringing Shi San down with him.
As soon as the cat and dog landed, two streams of white smoke burst from the jujube horse's nostrils, scalding hot.
"My sons, get moving!"
As soon as these words left the jujube horse, the other three tall horses immediately began pawing the ground.
The bowl-sized hooves struck the ground, leaving deep impressions.
The impressions had just formed when they were trampled under the hooves again.
As the bowl-sized hooves sank deeply into the mud, then lifted again, leaving behind deep hoofprints, the four towering demon horses over ten feet tall began wreaking havoc in the woods as if they were heavyweight chariots unleashed at full speed.
Even without deliberately attacking the assassins, just lightly brushing them was enough to send the assassins flying high into the air.
In just a short while, galloping at nearly reckless speed in the woods, the four demon horses trampled out trails of bloody flesh and mud.
The demon horses' bodies were powerful. At full speed, just touching the trees was enough to fell them, not to mention humans.
The previously aggressive assassins with cold expressions were now strewn lifelessly around.
Shattered bones jutted out from the flesh, the twisted limbs were soaked in blood that filled the hoofprints, the nicely shaped heads were trampled to a pulp, and the internal organs were mixed together with the mud.
The dense reek of blood permeated the entire woods. The previously tranquil forest had now become a scene of carnage.
Amidst this bloody, muddy scene of carnage, Du ke also walked towards Su Qiluo.
"Lass..."
Before Du ke could finish speaking, Su Qiluo grabbed him into her embrace.
Feeling the tremendous strength conveyed through Su Qiluo's arms, Du ke was slightly startled. This familiar force, it was indeed the lass's touch.
"General, General, General, General..."
Burying her face in Du ke's fur, Su Qiluo murmured repetitively as she vigorously nuzzled him.
Seeing the lass in this state, Du ke also lifted his paws to stroke her little head.
"Don't worry, I'm here."
"I'm back, and I won't leave again."
Hearing this, Su Qiluo immediately raised her head. Eyes still wet with tears, she tentatively asked, "Really?"
"Of course it's true!"
Du ke stroked the lass's hair and gently said, "Didn't we already agree on this?"
"I'll stay by your side, and never leave you!"
"Didn't we already hook pinkies on it?"
Su Qiluo looked at Du ke and nodded heavily.
Then she hugged Du ke tightly once more.
Not far away, the jujube horse quietly watched without approaching rashly.
After a while, Su Qiluo suddenly lifted her head, "That's right, auntie...Aunt Yun!"
"General, go quickly and save Aunt Yun. To let me escape, she was shot with several arrows."
"Mm!"
Du ke nodded slightly, took out a vitality pill and threw it to the dog.
"Shi San, go take a look at Yun Shan. If she's still alive, feed her this."
"Woof!"
Shi San grabbed the vitality pill and hurried off in the direction Su Qiluo had come from.
Thirteen had just left, and Zaohong, the cunning horse demon, arrived with three fellow horse demons.
"Young master, we have delivered you to your destination. We shall take our leave now."
"Thank you for all your help along the way."
Du ke took out four Moonlight Pills and tossed them towards the four demon horses. As soon as the Moonlight Pills appeared, the horses' eyes lit up. The attraction of the Moonlight Pills to demonic beasts was unmatched. No demon could keep calm before the Moonlight Pills.
However, Zaohong forcefully suppressed its inner turmoil and said somewhat hesitantly, "Master Si Er has already rewarded us..."
"Keep them, do not decline!"
Hearing Du ke's words, Zaohong did not decline further.
"Then we shall respectfully obey."
"Very well, be safe on your return!"
"Young master, take care."
"Take care!"
After swallowing the Moonlight Pills, the four demon horses immediately left the chaotic forest.
Su Qiluo gazed at the departing demon horses and said softly, "General, they are so big!"
"Well, after all they are demon horses that have gained awareness."
"So this is what demonic beasts are like!"
Su Qiluo curiously looked around before lowering her head to look at Du ke. "General, have you also become a demon?"
"Me?" Hearing the maid's question, Du ke shook his head and casually said, "My situation is much more complicated."
"No matter what the General has become, Qiluo does not care!"
Seeing the silly maid, Du ke flicked her forehead. "Silly girl!"
"Ow!"
As the cry rang out, Thirteen also quickly ran over to Du ke and Su Qiluo. Seeing the much bigger Thirteen with a tiger head hat and a single shoulder cape, Su Qiluo also reached out and patted Thirteen's head.
"Thirteen has really grown up."
Thirteen squatted on the ground, stuck out his tongue and grinned foolishly. But before he could grin for long, Su Qiluo frowned and hugged her cat tightly.
"But not as cute as before."
Hearing this, Thirteen's expression immediately sagged, and Du ke laughed out loud.
"By the way, is Aunt Yun Shan alright?"
Remembering Yun Shan, Su Qiluo also asked Thirteen, who immediately nodded, the knots on his tiger head hat swaying along.
"That's good that Aunt Yun Shan is fine."
"Maid, did you participate in the Yun Family heir selection?"
Du ke also got to business. Su Qiluo nodded. "Yes, grandfather insisted I participate."
"I had no choice."
"Through my channels I heard that the Yun Family heir selection has three stages. You should be at the first stage now, right?"
"That's right."
"What does the first stage entail?"
The cat earnestly asked Su Qiluo, who unhesitatingly replied, "The content of the first stage is to obtain the seals and documents from the city lords of the cities in Yunzhou within ten days. The one who obtains the most enters the next stage."
"General, why do you ask?"
"Just wanted to find out what was going on!" Du ke replied with a smile, but his eyes flashed coldly.
They dared to bully my maid when I wasn't around huh. Well now I'm back, those who previously bullied her won't get away!
I will annihilate every last one of them!