Chapter 142: Wild Beasts

"Anping, what are you trying to do? Step aside at once." Bai Yingnan cared not the slightest for Princess Anping; had she not come alongside Yun Yanyi today, she would not have deigned to spare her a glance on ordinary days.

"Why is the Princess in such a rush? Lady Liluo is racing horses with the Prince, what business is it of yours to crowd in?" Princess Anping's heart was filled with utter disdain. Clearly, Prince Yi had no wish to entangle himself with Bai Yingnan, yet how could this woman be so thick-skinned?

Furious to the extreme, Bai Yingnan shouted, "What business of yours is it what I do? Anping, have you grown tired of living that you dare to block my path?" Raising her eyes once more to look for Yun Yanyi and the others, she found they had already vanished without a trace.

"Hmph, I am not as shameless as you. Do you think Prince Yi invited you here? Truly shameless and brazen to the extreme." Princess Anping gave ground not at all. This was her territory, after all; surely Bai Yingnan could do nothing to her here.

The two women locked horns in a standoff, neither willing to yield an inch, yet neither able to catch up with Yun Yanyi and his companion.

Su Liluo gazed at Yun Yanyi, who was riding not too far ahead of her. She wanted to catch up and close the distance slightly, but whenever she did, Yun Yanyi would quicken his pace, leaving a constant gap between them.

Su Liluo bit her lower lip, determined to surpass Yun Yanyi. Seeing his utterly relaxed expression greatly displeased her. Their speed increased steadily, leaving a fleeting shadow as they crossed the meadow. Noticing the man ahead slow his pace, Su Liluo's spirits surged; she raised her riding crop and cried, "Hyah..."

Out of the corner of his eye, Yun Yanyi saw the light blue figure catching up to him. The corners of his lips curled slightly with a smile in the depths of his eyes. Pressing his legs against the horse's flanks and flicking his crop, he widened the distance between them once more.

"He's doing this on purpose," Su Liluo muttered furiously, fixing her gaze on the figure ahead and urging her horse to run faster. "I must win against him, just to see what excuse he has left."

Her ideal was beautiful, but reality proved rather cruel. Yun Yanyi remained completely at ease, occasionally speeding up and occasionally slowing down just enough to let Su Liluo almost catch up, playing with her like a cat with a mouse.

Su Liluo desperately wanted to pass him, but alas, her spirit was willing while her strength fell short. With her nerves taut and having ridden a horse for this long for the very first time, she gradually grew exhausted in both body and mind, leaving her no choice but to cry out for mercy, "Your Highness, Liluo concedes defeat. Let us stop here."

Her vision was no longer as clear as before. Only when she relaxed did she realize that night had fallen. Furthermore, she had no idea where this place was; it looked terribly far from the estate. Fear gripped her heart, and she longed only to return early.

With a soft "Whoa," Su Liluo brought her horse to a halt. She dismounted, feeling both legs tremble beneath her. Fortunately, she wore riding attire today; otherwise, the insides of her thighs would have chafed raw, leaving her to suffer the discomfort alone.

Seeing her voluntarily concede defeat, Yun Yanyi let his horse stroll leisurely over to Su Liluo. Noting that she was sitting on the grass with zero regard for her poise, he chuckled aloud and said, "Su Liluo, if the people of the Su household were to see you looking like this, I believe they would drag you back for a thorough retraining."

A blush crept over Su Liluo's face. Could this man never utter a kind word? Seeing him mocking her, she had to endure her exhaustion and struggle to her feet. "For Prince Yi to bully a weak maiden like me and mock me to my face is hardly the behavior of a true gentleman."

"Whether I am a true gentleman, Miss Su will come to know in due time. Judging by Miss Su's appearance, however, I hardly think you resemble a young lady of a noble house. Would you not agree?" Yun Yanyi immediately batted her words back. Su Liluo flushed crimson. This man...

Mid-sentence, the roar of a fierce beast suddenly pierced the air. Startled by the sound, Su Liluo's horse bolted forward with frantic strides. Abandoning all thought of the animal, Su Liluo hurried to Yun Yanyi's side, casting nervous glances about, terrified that a beast might leap out at any second.

The horse beneath Yun Yanyi grew somewhat agitated, merely shifting its hooves restlessly, yet it was far from as useless as Su Liluo's mount, which had already fled beyond sight.

"Be good, stay still," he soothed gently. True to his word, the horse immediately quieted down and lowered its head to graze, earning an envious look from Su Liluo.

"Your Highness, your horse is so well-behaved." Su Liluo desperately wanted to stroke the creature, yet feared it might detest her, leaving her hand frozen in mid-air, too timid to move.

Smiling, Yun Yanyi stroked the horse's spine, his tone brimming with smug pride, "Naturally. The Prince's horse has been with me for so long; how could it ever compare to that half-trained mount of yours?"

Seeing that even now he missed no chance to strike a blow at her ego, and with the roar of the beast growing steadily closer, Su Liluo panicked utterly. Daring not trade barbs with him any longer, she offered a soft, pleading plea, "Your Highness, a magnanimous man does not hold grudges against the petty. We are in dire straits now, so I beg Your Highness to extend a helping hand."

Hearing the beast draw ever closer, Yun Yanyi lost his previous casual demeanor. He dismounted, and Su Liluo frantically clutched at the hem of his robe. Suddenly, a tiger appeared at their flank, bearing a striking character for "king" marked clearly upon its brow. The sight terrified Su Liluo so deeply that she shrank behind him, her voice trembling, "Your Highness, you must not abandon this subject. My insignificant life rests entirely in your hands."

Rarely did she soften her tone like this. Yun Yanyi narrowed his eyes with a smile and said, "Is that so? I am not even certain I can defeat it. Shall I use you as a snack for it first, and then return later with reinforcements to rescue you?"

At these words, Su Liluo trembled all over, a look of utter despair on her face as she cried, "No, Your Highness, I shall never go against you again! Please, you must save me."

Clinging to him as her only lifeline, she was willing to do whatever he asked of her now, provided he was willing to save her.

As they spoke, the tiger drew closer still. Tensing his body, Yun Yanyi shielded Su Liluo behind him, pressing her close against the horse's flank as he instructed softly, "Do not move around. Just stand right here. With me here, no harm will come to you."

Su Liluo wanted to hug the horse, but finding nowhere safe to grab, she merely gripped its saddlecloth tightly and nodded with all her might, "Your Highness, rest assured, Liluo will stand here obediently." Seeing her behave with such rare docility, Yun Yanyi suddenly felt a reluctant pang at the thought of leaving her side.

Yet a formidable enemy demanded his attention first. Suppressing his personal thoughts, Yun Yanyi drew his soft sword and fixed his gaze entirely upon the tiger. Taking two pacing steps, the tiger unleashed a ferocious roar and lunged straight at them. With a light tap of his foot upon the grass, Yun Yanyi vaulted over the beast, whirling around to thrust his soft sword downward, leaving a fresh streak of crimson across the tiger's back.

The pain ignited the tiger's fury, and it charged headlong at Yun Yanyi once more. Watching from the sidelines with a pounding heart, Su Liluo feared that the next moment would find Yun Yanyi caught in its jaws.

Yun Yanyi deliberately dodged its attacks to sap the beast's stamina and confuse its senses. Gradually, the wounds on the tiger multiplied. Seizing an opportune moment to strike, Yun Yanyi feigned a strike, closing in on the tiger until its claws paused merely an inch from his face.

With a whimper, the tiger was flung aside, crashing heavily to the ground. Catching his breath, Yun Yanyi walked over to Su Liluo. Seeing him covered in blood, she asked with trembling hands, "Your Highness, you..."

Only then did Yun Yanyi notice he was stained with gore. Frowning slightly, he offered a gentle reassurance, "It is nothing. This is the tiger's blood; I am unhurt." After all, if a mere beast could injure him so easily, his martial arts would truly need to be sent back for retraining.

Su Liluo finally let out a breath of relief. Noticing the fatigue etched around Yun Yanyi's eyes, she supported his arm and asked, "Your Highness, what should we do now?" The surroundings reeked strongly of blood, and disinclined to linger, Yun Yanyi gently embraced Su Liluo's waist, lifting her onto the horse's back before mounting the saddle himself.

As their bodies pressed closely together, Su Liluo squirmed awkwardly, asking with stiff embarrassment, "Your Highness, this... surely this is somewhat improper."

Yun Yanyi let out a cold chuckle. Just as he was about to speak, the sound of an approaching beast drew near. Whispering into her ear, he asked, "Do you still find it improper now? Shall we linger a while longer, and see who ends up as the beast's meal?"