The two carriages stood side by side under the midday sun, their wheels coated with dust from the long road. Scarface Wang led Steward Zhao and his attendants forward, his expression unreadable.
He stopped by the first carriage. Steward Zhao, please allow me to show you the goods
He carefully opened the wooden door. The hinges creaked, and a gust of air carried out a musky, animal scent. Inside, bound tightly by thick ropes, lay a massive tiger. Its striped flanks rose and fell in steady rhythm, as if lost in a peaceful dream. Its fangs glinted between slightly parted jaws, but the beast remained motionless.
Scarface gestured toward it. There lies the tiger. Please, check for yourself.
Steward zhao's eyes flickered. He did not enter immediately but instead motioned to a guard.
"You," he ordered.
The guard hesitated only briefly before climbing into the carriage. After a long examination, he reemerged, bowing low.
Sir, the tiger is in excellent condition. No visible wounds, not even a scratch. It appears only unconscious.
A shadow of doubt crossed Zhao's face. His curiosity gnawed at him until he finally stepped into the carriage himself.
When his gaze fell upon the tiger, he froze. The creature was enormous—its head alone nearly the size of a man's torso, its body like a coiled mountain of muscle. And yet, not a single scar marred its striped pelt. It was as if no struggle had ever taken place, as if the beast had walked right into their hands.
How could these men possibly capture such a monster… unharmed? he wondered, his throat tight. Could it have been poisoned? Drugged?
He found no sign of stiffness, no trace of foam or weakness. The tiger's breath was steady, even peaceful. Zhao's unease deepened. He glanced sharply at the two men waiting outside.
Wang Shun's voice broke the silence. "Steward Zhao, are you finished inspecting? Our Miss is waiting."
Reluctantly, Steward zhao stepped down from the carriage, brushing invisible dust from his sleeves. Scarface led him to the second carriage and called softly, Miss, Steward Zhao of Tianyun Pavilion has arrived.
For a long moment, silence.
Inside, Zilan sat with her legs crossed, slender fingers tapping lightly against the armrest as she reviewed her mental calculations about the market. A tiger of this size and condition, if Sold to nobles or presented to the royal family as a pet. It would no longer be just a beast.. It was a living symbol of prestige, a display of power. The Pavilion stood to gain far more than silver from this deal.
Her lips curved faintly.
A cold, commanding voice drifted from within the carriage.
"Five thousand taels of silver," she declared. "Take it—or leave it."
Steward Zhao's eyes narrowed slightly. He clasped his hands behind his back and spoke with practiced politeness. Young lady, surely you jest. Do you think this is the price for ten tigers, not one?
Outside the carriage, Lu Hong and Wang Shun both stiffened, eyes wide.
Five thousand taels? Why doesn't she just go rob someone instead? they thought bitterly.
But Zilan's laugh was soft and mocking.
Tsk tsk… do you take me for some ignorant hillbilly?. Do you think I don't know the worth of a living tiger? Offer it to the royal family or to some prestigious noble house as a pet, and it becomes far more than a beast. It is a unmatched symbol of power and prestige.
Her voice grew colder, sharper.
I offered you a lower price out of courtesy, because this is our first meeting. And yet, you dare speak nonsense before me. Are you looking down on me?
Suddenly, a heavy, suffocating pressure swept out from the carriage, invisible yet crushing. Zhao staggered slightly, a sheen of sweat forming on his brow.
This presence… even when I stood before Young Master Su or the Su Family Head, I never felt such dread, he thought, his chest tightening. Just who is this girl…?
He forced a stiff smile, bowing low. "Miss… very well. Five thousand taels it is."
After he spoke, the tense atmosphere eased a little.
The tiger has been drugged. It will stay unconscious for the next six hours. You two take it to the pavilion by carriage and collect the silver.
Lu Hong and Wang Shun exchanged glances, bewildered.
He actually agreed… just like that?
Steward zhao, however, smiled sweetly toward the carriage, his earlier doubts hidden behind his merchant's mask. "Miss, it is a pleasure doing business with you."
With a flick of his hand, he ordered his men to move the tiger's carriage toward the Pavilion.
---
Half an hour later, Lu Hong and Wang Shun returned. They set down a small wooden chest before Zilan's carriage.
When the lid opened, neat stacks of silver notes of hundred dinomination each and a hundred taels worth of silver ingots gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting a blinding white light.
Zilan's eyes narrowed faintly as she murmured, almost irritably, After all that effort, only this much money…
Outside, the two men nearly choked.