The Past of the White Tiger

It was a sealed case identical to the one Long Ao had taken out earlier.

Chen Guan's gaze landed on the case and paused for a moment.

"Open it and take a look." White Tiger gestured with his chin toward the case.

Chen Guan didn't move.

"This is the one you gave to Long Ao."

It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

White Tiger raised an eyebrow, a hint of approval in his expression.

"Sharp reaction. That kid Long Ao ran into me today and insisted on returning this thing. Said he didn't deserve it and felt embarrassed to keep it. I went back and forth with him for ages, and in the end, I had no choice but to take it back."

He paused for a moment.

"But what he doesn't know is that this beast core was never meant for him from the start."

Chen Guan looked up.

White Tiger leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Now it's returning to its rightful owner." He patted the sealed case. "This one's for you."

Chen Guan stared at the case on the table, silent for a few seconds.

This broken beast core was also a veteran performer.

It had been fought over in the Ten-Thousand Beast Tower, then somehow ended up in Long Ao's hands, and now it was sitting right in front of him.

The last thing that had passed through three owners like that was Lu Bu.

"What do I need it for?" Chen Guan asked, instinctively on guard. Nothing good came from an unsolicited favor—he didn't believe White Tiger had come all the way here just to deliver a gift.

"Your Lightning Cheetah—what rank is it now?"

"Fifth rank."

"Fifth rank." White Tiger repeated the number, a note of regret in his voice. "At your current pace of progression, letting it advance naturally will be difficult—almost impossible, actually. The Lightning Cheetah's upper limit is set as it is."

Chen Guan didn't deny it. That was the truth. But he guessed White Tiger was about to say "however."

"However, there's still the path of mutation."

"And it's not just about ranking up. The core of a tenth-rank Void Beast still holds traces of high-purity spatial attributes. Your Lightning Cheetah already has a natural talent for speed."

"Once the two are fused, its teleportation range and reaction speed will undergo a qualitative leap."

"If the combination succeeds, its potential will be limitless. Even I can't confidently predict where it might end up."

Chen Guan didn't take the bait. He waited for the punchline.

White Tiger wasn't in a hurry.

He pulled out another apple, didn't bite into it this time, just spun it in his hands twice.

"Of course, I'm not running a charity."

"Name your terms."

White Tiger tossed the apple up and caught it neatly.

"Help me with a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"No rush." White Tiger set the apple back on the table, stood up, and walked to the window. He pushed it open a crack.

The cold winter wind squeezed in through the gap, rustling the few loose papers on the desk.

With his back to Chen Guan, he stared out at the quiet night scene of Huaqing's campus.

White Tiger didn't rush to explain. He kept his back to Chen Guan, hands braced on the window sill, as if admiring the view, as if waiting for something. He was milking the moment for all it was worth.

Chen Guan didn't push either.

The silence between them lasted about ten seconds or so before White Tiger broke it himself.

"Chen Guan, do you remember something I told you once?"

"Which thing?"

White Tiger didn't turn around, his tone as casual as if he were chatting about the weather.

"About before I made it big."

Chen Guan leaned back against the headboard and thought for a moment.

White Tiger didn't talk much about himself, and this was one of the rare times he'd mentioned his past with any seriousness.

Still, Chen Guan wasn't entirely sure he believed it. White Tiger's reputation was just too legendary.

"I remember," Chen Guan said.

White Tiger turned around, leaning his back against the window frame, arms crossed. The cold winter night air blew in from behind him, tugging at the hem of his coat.

"Good. Your memory's solid."

He tilted his head slightly, a faint smile on his lips, though there was something complicated mixed into it.

"That old boss I had back then? He had a name."

"What was it?"

White Tiger didn't answer right away. He picked up the apple he'd set aside, spun it once in his palm, and then put it back down.

"Have you heard of the Sky-Thieving Circus?"

Chen Guan's fingers paused for a fraction of a second on his knee.

The Sky-Thieving Circus.

Of course he'd heard the name.

A gray-zone organization with a solid international reputation, active for decades, involved in nothing but heists that swapped heaven and earth. Stealing relics from ancient ruins, plundering tombs from old dynasties—they'd even raided several national-level restricted zones.

The most outrageous part was that after every successful job, they'd leave behind a circus-style invitation card printed with their emblem: a horse hanging upside down from the moon.

Arrogant to the core. Just like the man in front of him.

"I've heard of it."

That figured.

White Tiger could never have been just some clown in an ordinary circus. Even when he was weak, the arrogance and recklessness in his bones had never dimmed by even half a degree. He'd gotten stronger, not more human.

"Then you probably know that this circus has been inactive for many years."

"Yeah."

White Tiger nodded and continued unhurriedly.

"I joined when I was thirteen. Followed the old ringleader for ten years."

"We stole plenty of things, traveled plenty of places. Afterward, we all went our separate ways—I went mine, the others went theirs."

Chen Guan didn't interrupt. He listened quietly.

White Tiger rarely brought up his own past on his own. Saying this much today meant something was definitely up.

"Hold on," Chen Guan spoke up.

He sat on the edge of the bed, hands on his knees, looking at White Tiger.

"You said you joined at thirteen and followed the old ringleader for ten years."

"Yeah. What about it?"

"As I recall, the Sky-Thieving Circus's last recorded activity was twelve years ago. Twelve years ago, when you left, the circus had already stopped taking any missions."

White Tiger turned his head, a surprised look on his face.

"You looked into it?"

"Common knowledge."

To investigate the Return Source Group, Chen Guan had dug through plenty of materials on criminal organizations.

"Common knowledge?" White Tiger repeated with a laugh. "Fine. Call it extra credit in your studies."

"You're right. When I left twelve years ago, the group had already disbanded. More accurately, it wasn't disbanded—the old ringleader dissolved it himself."

Chen Guan didn't respond.

White Tiger placed the apple back on the table, withdrew his fingers, and clasped them together on his lap.

"That old man—if you'd ever met him, you'd probably find him interesting."

He paused.

"Not very tall, didn't speak loudly either. The first time you saw him, you'd think he was just some street performer setting up a stall on the curb."

"And in reality?"

"In reality?" White Tiger cocked his head. "In reality, he was probably the best thief I've ever known."

His gaze drifted up to the ceiling, as if picking through memories buried deep in time.