The Heavenly Tiger Swordsman
Failing the Picnic Plan

Hao Zhao was sitting in the middle of the cave with a little boy who turned out to be the owner of a Golden Eye cat named Cang, he explained the reason why he could get there as well as what Cang had done to make the village nearby feel objected to his presence.

“But Cang is just foraging, is that a crime?" asked the Child before Hao Zhao with an expressionless face.

Hao Zhao was silent for a long time, he noticed the boy before him and realized that something was wrong with the boy.

“That's wrong, however you still can't let Cang just do something that harms others even for the food," Hao Zhao said trying to be friendly as if there was no weirdness.

Cang in the boy's arms as if understanding Hao Zhao denouncing him immediately groaned as he looked at Hao Zhao ferociously, further convincing Hao Zhao that Cang was not an ordinary spiritual beast.

“Sorry then, however, I have nothing to feed Cang so let him search for food by himself until something like this can happen," the boy said before Hao Zhao sounded regretful, even so there was no meaningful change from his expression that was impressed to not care.

“What is it because he is only a child so he does not know what is good and bad?" muttered Hao Zhao, trying to think of the boy before him as an innocent child who knew nothing about the world even though it was difficult.

The boy in front of Hao Zhao as if knowing he was being noticed immediately opened his mouth, “I've stayed here as far as I can remember, with no parents nor family. It's just Cang that I have so I don't want him to suffer."

Hao Zhao just stared fixedly at the boy, the story was quite depressing but it did not make Hao Zhao move at all.

“Oh, I'm Li Chen. What's your name, brother?" The boy with a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

Hao Zhao noticed the child's change in expression that was too rapid and not at all natural to remind him of the cat named Cang, making Hao Zhao realize one other thing from the boy before him.

"I'm Hao Zhao, nice to meet you," Hao Zhao said with a friendly smile.

The boy named Li Chen had looked at Hao Zhao fixedly like full of probing, after which widening his smile as if he had managed to ascertain something.

“Oh, Brother Zhao. It's late, will you spend the night here?" said Li Chen.

Hao Zhao immediately frowned. Not long ago Li Chen was still indifferent to him, now suddenly offering to spend the night in the cave where he lived was clearly suspect.

“Can? Then forgive me for bothering you," Hao Zhao said.

“Not a hassle at all, Brother Zhao. I'm even happy that there are people besides me who will spend the night here" Li Chen said with a big smile like a happy boy after buying a toy.

Hao Zhao only smiled in response, though in his head was guessing what Li Chen was trying to do by offering him a night there.

“This boy clearly has a lot of sense, it would not surprise me if his cat had learned to think short-sightedly from him," murmured Hao Zhao, looking forward to the plan the boy wanted to do.

***

It was late at night when Li Chen too Cang appeared to have fallen asleep.

Hao Zhao simply leaned his body against the cave wall with his eyes that were not the slightest bit off from where Li Chen was, he said, beware of course because this time he was the target of a boy and a cat that is clearly not unusual.

In the midst of the vigilance of Hao Zhao, he finally closed his eyes because he was tired of his trip some time ago.

Initially it was only the silence that Hao Zhao felt from the atmosphere inside the cave, until it had been quite a while Hao Zhao was closed but had yet to fall asleep, he heard a whispering voice from the boy Li Chen not far from him.

“What? You said he was a Soul warrior?"

“How can a Soul swordsman be around this place?"

“You don't know? Hufthh, it sucks to know you're not so careful as to invite a dangerous person like him here."

“Cang, don't be afraid. After all he is stupid to be fooled by my innocent behavior, if it is like this then he is no different from every swordsman we have finished because he dared to harass us."

Li Chen's voice continuously spoke alone, as if he was talking to someone even though there were no words at all.

“Oh, this is the real figure of this Chen boy?" inner Hao Zhao.

The sound of footsteps was heard approaching towards him Hao Zhao realized, which was getting closer to the footsteps, he was also ready to move to surprise Li Chen who definitely thought his plan had succeeded.

The sound of footsteps stopping sounded along with Hao Zhao who had known the middle Li Chen was not far from before him, opened his eyes abruptly before being able to see Li Chen with a small dagger that had been raised ready to be thrust towards him.

“Hey, what are you doing?" hao Zhao asked with a sharp eye.

Li Chen seemed surprised to know Hao Zhao was not asleep, but still without hesitation Li Chen swung the dagger in his hand to finish off Hao Zhao.

“Dead," said Li Chen.

Hao Zhao before the dagger hit him had already disappeared from Li Chen's sight, all of it was too fast that Li Chen didn't notice.

Svushhh!!!

Li Chen briefly smiled in satisfaction thinking his stab had managed to target Hao Zhao, before instantly silencing him because his dagger had only hit the air.

“Damn it, where is the idiot i—"

Li Chen had not managed to finish his words when a sword had already stuck to his neck from behind, there was no need to guess to know who the sword belonged to.

“K— Brother Zhao, this is a misunderstanding ...."

Li Chen's voice changed so rapidly from being initially confident to not, trembling even his body was clearly aware of his stupidity.

“Mistake? There doesn't seem to be anything like that from a 50-year-old Golden Eyes cat boy, not to mention ..You're a Soul Formation swordsman, Boy," Hao Zhao said.

Li Chen could only shut up, he thought Hao Zhao was not at all wary of him because he thought he was just an ordinary boy.

It turned out that Hao Zhao had known everything about him, clearly Li Chen realized he could no longer continue pretending.

“Thinking what? Now rest first, it's not good for a boy like you to stay up late like this" Hao Zhao said.

“Tu— wait ...."

Li Chen had not finished with his words when the sword hilt had first struck him, making him collapse right then and there with his consciousness that had somehow drifted to nowhere.

Hao Zhao despite having already managed to take Li Chen down was not just able to calm down.

Indeed the Golden Eye cat named Cang immediately jumped to pounce on him not how long the owner was successfully paralyzed.

Where on this occasion, Hao Zhao wanted to vent his frustration on the mischievous cat.

“The spiritual beast is the equivalent of a Soul warrior, I wonder how strong he is," murmured Hao Zhao with a fiery feeling, ready to serve the cat's safest which this time will be taken seriously.