Under the cover of night, the black-furred magical beast advanced cautiously, pausing now and then. It remained oblivious to the golden crow trailing far behind.
Its heart brimmed with excitement and urgency at the thought of finding the little dragon. Yet upon spotting the numerous buildings in the town, it hesitated.
There were far too many humans inside—easy to be discovered, which would invite all sorts of trouble.
Even though it was nighttime, it didn’t dare venture in recklessly.
Moreover, the town carried the strong scent of people, but it felt comparatively peaceful and serene, unlike the mining district or the previous camp.
The black-furred magical beast wavered for a long time before finally deciding to skirt around the outskirts, proceeding slowly along the perimeter.
It continued to move in fits and starts, tracking the scent’s final direction.
Inside the inn room, Ming Shuang had already fallen asleep.
The fish and meatballs from tonight had tasted quite good, but with his body not yet recovered, his appetite wasn’t great. In the end, he only managed a few sips of soup.
The inn was quiet these days, with few outside guests. The only downside was how rough the bedsheets were—harsher even than those at the camp.
Ming Shuang simply flopped onto Xuzhi’s neck, using the warm skin as a pillow.
Xuzhi had no desire to sleep yet. He gazed at the hazy moonlight outside the window.
Tonight’s events hadn’t been part of his plans. Originally, he’d only intended to stop Husi from touching the Ming Shuang in his arms.
He hadn’t expected things to unfold this way—or for him to successfully reclaim the labor contract.
It had all gone too smoothly, too simply. Xuzhi even felt a sense of unreality.
Yet the magic within him was undeniably real, fully under his control.
After depleting it, the power recovered swiftly, just like his self-healing wounds always did.
So this was what it felt like to possess true strength.
His restless thoughts were gradually subdued by his habitual caution. Xuzhi began to weigh whether to leave the town.
He couldn’t return to the camp; the farther he got, the better. It was a shame he couldn’t bid farewell to Lante.
But before departing, it would be best if he had sufficient savings.
Xuzhi closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. He reached out to touch the little dragon hatchling’s cool tail tip. Only after a long while did he drift off to sleep.
The familiar dreamscape appeared. The silver-haired youth threw himself into his arms and looked up with tear-filled eyes, wearing a pitiful expression.
Why was he crying again?
In the dream, Xuzhi couldn’t think deeply. Instinctively, he brushed a finger over Ming Shuang’s eye corner.
“Master,” Ming Shuang nuzzled his palm, “I was so scared today.”
After waking that afternoon, Ming Shuang’s magic had only recovered a tiny bit. Normally, he wouldn’t have been able to form a mental link with Xuzhi.
But perhaps because they’d connected so many times before—and because he really wanted to talk to Xuzhi—he unconsciously slipped into the dream himself.
Ming Shuang’s mood was low. “I’ve gotten smaller, and my magic isn’t enough. Otherwise, how could I fail to stop that black bug? Back when I was bigger, it wouldn’t have had time to escape! I’d tie it up and toss it into the sea as fish bait…”
He grew angrier as he spoke, his voice trailing off softer and softer until he let out a sleepy yawn.
Exhausted, Ming Shuang leaned against Xuzhi’s chest and lifted his head, not forgetting to ask, “Master, does your wound still hurt?”
It had looked healed that afternoon, but it must have hurt…
Ming Shuang fumbled for Xuzhi’s arm, then tried to tug open his collar.
The gesture was all too familiar. Xuzhi stopped him in time and cooed softly, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Ming Shuang yawned again. Unable to hold on any longer, he buried himself in Xuzhi’s embrace and fell deeply asleep.
~~~
The next morning, the sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten.
Xuzhi opened his eyes and looked down at Ming Shuang sprawled across his chest.
The Little Dragon hatchling had shifted fully onto him in his sleep, even nuzzling aside the collar to press against bare skin for comfort.
Xuzhi zoned out for a moment, recalling the dream from last night.
Like the previous ones, he remembered few details upon waking. But something about this dream felt oddly familiar.
Xuzhi stared at the little dragon hatchling for a bit before looking away and closing his eyes to compose himself.
By the time daylight fully broke, Ming Shuang rolled over, stretched out his paws in a massive yawn, and finally woke.
He half-crawled forward, gave Xuzhi’s chin a lick by way of greeting.
Xuzhi scooped up the little dragon hatchling and got out of bed. “Hungry?”
The room had no private bath, so he headed to the courtyard outside to fetch water for a quick wash. He wiped Ming Shuang’s face too, then fed him another dose of the medicine Tuji had provided.
The potion was bitterly unpleasant. Ming Shuang wrinkled his nose but obediently swallowed two drops before tucking himself into Xuzhi’s coat.
Leaving the inn, Xuzhi bought supplies on the street: a simple cloth bag, bandages, a water flask, and the like. He also picked up a meat pie, which cost a fair bit.
The steamed meat pie was fragrant, soft, and juicy. Ming Shuang caught the scent early and wriggled in the coat pocket.
Once Xuzhi left the town and headed toward Red Coral Lake, the pie had cooled just enough.
With no one around, Xuzhi tore off a small piece.
Ming Shuang poked his head out stealthily, snatched it with his teeth, and ducked back in.
Meanwhile, the black-furred magical beast trailed at a distance.
After waiting all night, the target had finally emerged.
The little dragon’s scent was faint, almost entirely masked by Xuzhi’s, but the black-furred magical beast figured they wouldn’t separate.
Sure enough, Xuzhi held food but didn’t eat it himself. In this deserted stretch, his pace slowed, and he glanced down now and then.
The black-furred magical beast was certain: the little dragon was in his arms.
Even so, though it had suspected as much yesterday when it found the bloodied clothes—and now that it had located them—it hesitated to approach.
So much time had passed; perhaps Ming Shuang no longer remembered it, just like with Xuzhi.
And with Xuzhi there, its feelings were complicated. It wasn’t sure whether to go over.
For now… it would follow quietly.
It knew Xuzhi wasn’t the same as before—his strength had dropped considerably. What if they ran into danger again, like yesterday…
Remembering the battle traces, the blood on the ground, the remnants of ice magic and dragon breath, the black-furred magical beast grew anxious.
It sniffed the distant scent, hiding carefully along the roadside as it advanced.
Before long, the black-furred magical beast halted at the edge of a redwood grove.
Xuzhi had entered the woods with Ming Shuang, but ferocious red bees guarded the perimeter. It didn’t dare follow and could only prowl the outskirts, waiting.
Inside the woods, Xuzhi sat on the grass.
The poison in his hands faded quickly. He surveyed the surroundings, pondering which direction to head next.
Returning to this beautiful jungle lifted Ming Shuang’s spirits. He hopped down, scampered half a circle, then flopped into the thick grass for a roll.
The aftereffects of magic depletion lingered, though, and he tired quickly. Xuzhi carried him deeper into the grassland.
The middle section was relatively safe, but he’d passed through a couple of days ago—medicinal plants wouldn’t regrow that fast.
To gather more supplies, they’d need to venture into riskier areas, where venomous magical beasts abounded. Extreme caution was essential.
Xuzhi warned Ming Shuang, “If anything happens, hide in my arms first. Don’t come out on your own.”
Poison wouldn’t faze him much; he could recover on his own.
Ming Shuang nestled in the crook of his arm, mumbling in agreement while peering around curiously.
He liked this place, but yesterday’s events left him tense and alert.
What if they encountered another magical beast…? After a night’s rest, Ming Shuang’s stamina, magic, and dragon breath hadn’t recovered at all.
But Xuzhi had said… he could protect himself now.
That fierce human from last night had been dealt with by Xuzhi, who had even snagged dinner in the process.
With that in mind, Ming Shuang relaxed a little, hugging Xuzhi’s arm as he took in the surroundings.
The deeper they went, the darker the grass grew, with clusters of shrubs tangled in green vines appearing.
Such shrubs offered perfect hiding spots for ambushes. Xuzhi skirted them carefully, violet light gathering slowly in his palm, ready for anything.
Ming Shuang looked this way and that, then spotted a fluffy shape peeking from behind a shrub nearby.
The Little Dragon hatchling’s eyes widened. “Murr?”
It looked like a rabbit, but with strange pink fur…
The pink rabbit glared ferociously at the intruders, crouching low to prepare its attack.
But upon meeting Ming Shuang’s gaze, it shuddered and retreated fearfully.
Xuzhi noticed the pink rabbit too. He halted without a fuss, only to watch it whip around and flee in a pink blur.
Ming Shuang felt a pang of disappointment.
Did he not look scary enough? He hadn’t even growled yet…
Perhaps it was a trait of these small, venomous magical beasts. Though low-tier, they could keenly sense the intangible pressure from ultra-high-tier magical beasts.
Like the tier 1 green snake they’d bumped into before—even without doing anything, Ming Shuang made it bolt and yield its territory.
Truth be told, Ming Shuang hadn’t seen many magical beasts in person; most knowledge came from books, including about his own kin.
He was still fuzzy on the details and looked up at Xuzhi.
The Little Dragon hatchling’s gaze seemed to ask: Did you scare the rabbit away?
Xuzhi said nothing. He stepped forward to the spot the pink rabbit had vacated, harvesting a few medicinal mushrooms. Beneath some weeds, he found a small vein of natural crystal ore.
Ming Shuang perched on Xuzhi’s shoulder, watching as he wrapped bandages around his hands and collected the mushrooms along with a bit of the crystal ore.
Farther in, Ming Shuang spotted more odd little magical beasts: big-tailed black squirrels, a clump of patterned snakes huddled in the bushes, small birds camouflaged in the grass…
Not all were timid like the pink rabbit. Some lunged at the intruders, only to be repelled effortlessly by lightning.
Xuzhi wasn’t afraid of poison. The might of tier 3 thunder magic was more than enough for any tier 1 or 2 magical beasts here.
Just like his previous visit, they progressed smoothly.
He had gathered quite a few supplies along the way. Some of the stranger items that Xuzhi didn’t recognize, he took anyway. If he accidentally brushed against something poisonous, he recovered quickly.
Before noon, Xuzhi followed a small stream to a lake.
The Red Coral Lake wasn’t large, but he and Ming Shuang had reached its very center.
The grass remained a vivid red, the lake water crystal clear right down to the bottom, and colorful moss grew on the rocks along the shore.
Ming Shuang wanted to play by the lake’s edge, but without Xuzhi’s permission, he could only gaze at it from afar before obediently settling into his arms.
Xuzhi had no intention of lingering. He planned to forage for some food nearby, then head back to town.
There were plenty of poisonous fruits in the woods. He picked a few, tasted one himself to make sure it was safe, and only then fed it to Ming Shuang.
While waiting for Xuzhi to find food, Ming Shuang climbed onto his shoulder to keep watching the lake. Suddenly, his gaze caught a shiny patch of green.
The Little Dragon hatchling examined it closely and let out an excited “Awoo!”
It was a green-furred hedgehog, and a big one at that!
The hedgehog was hiding behind a rock, its beady black eyes peeking out cautiously. When it saw that Ming Shuang had spotted it, it didn’t flee.
Ming Shuang patted with his paw and urgently gestured for Xuzhi to look. “Awoo!”
Xuzhi followed his gaze and frowned slightly.
This green-furred hedgehog was no small beast—quite different from the minor magical beasts he’d seen before. Being in the heart of Red Coral Lake, this area was likely its territory, placing its strength at the 3rd Tier.
Xuzhi tucked away the fruit he’d just picked and took half a step back.
Should he leave quickly, or see what happened?
He had suspected as much all along. His smooth passage here was surely thanks to Ming Shuang.
In the past, he hadn’t gotten through so easily. The magical beasts must fear Ming Shuang and the aura of a high-tier magical beast like him.
Noticing Xuzhi watching it too, the green-furred hedgehog changed its attitude. It glared back fiercely, its quills trembling as they stood on end.
But it didn’t attack. Instead, it turned and burrowed into the nearby grass. A moment later, it reemerged, dragging something in its paws—a bundle woven from grass leaves.
The hedgehog slowly dragged the grass bundle closer and finally set it down in an open patch of grass.
It retreated two steps and let out two “squeak squeaks” toward Ming Shuang.
Ming Shuang understood its beast tongue. It meant these were a gift for him.
Huh?
The Little Dragon hatchling looked surprised and curious. He wanted to fly over for a closer look, but Xuzhi held him back.
Xuzhi remained vigilant. After a moment’s thought, he walked forward with Ming Shuang.
As soon as he approached, the hedgehog backed away until it hid behind the shore rock again.
The grass bundle lay quietly on the ground. Xuzhi bent down to inspect it and saw it was a crude net pouch containing some items.
He reached out to open it, but the green-furred hedgehog cried out loudly: “Squeak!”
It sounded angry as it glared at Xuzhi.
Xuzhi paused. By now, Ming Shuang couldn’t hold back any longer. He jumped to the ground and pawed open the net pouch.
This time, the hedgehog stayed quiet. Seeing no poison or trap, Xuzhi didn’t stop him.
Ming Shuang opened the pouch and found several different kinds of fruit inside. The largest one smelled especially fragrant.
From afar, the green-furred hedgehog watched. Seeing the little dragon hatchling apparently delighted, it assumed he liked them.
It nervously rubbed its paws together, then noticed the little dragon hatchling offering a fruit to the human beside him.
The hedgehog glared at Xuzhi, but he simply peeled the fruit and fed it to Ming Shuang.
That was more like it…
The hedgehog turned back to the little dragon hatchling, its eyes filled with joy, adoration, and an innate submission—though at its own tier, it couldn’t understand why.
Ming Shuang finished half the fruit and felt full. He turned and saw the green-furred hedgehog was still there.
“Awoo?” He tentatively greeted it, his tail tip swishing.
But the hedgehog apparently didn’t understand the dragon language and didn’t dare approach.
Xuzhi would never allow a venomous magical beast like that to get close anyway.
As he picked up the little dragon hatchling, intending to return the remaining fruits in the pouch, Xuzhi spotted a small magic stone inside.
Magic stones were natural minerals that helped magical beasts advance in cultivation. They formed randomly in specific environments and were relatively rare.
This one from the green-furred hedgehog was small but fairly pure. Its pale yellow crystal marked it as a mid-grade magic stone—not cheap at all.
Ming Shuang leaned down to sniff the magic stone, then looked at the hedgehog.
He knew what it was; his former master had often fed him similar gems. This one just looked a bit ugly.
The hedgehog let out a soft “squeak,” indicating it was also a gift for Ming Shuang.
How embarrassing…
Sensing the hopeful tone in the hedgehog’s voice, Ming Shuang hesitated, then only nibbled off a small piece of the magic stone.
That was all he needed; the rest could stay with the hedgehog.
Xuzhi watched the whole exchange and could guess the gist of it.
It was the first time he’d seen two magical beasts communicate like this.
With the little dragon hatchling’s belly full and a bit of magic stone besides, it was time to go.
Xuzhi stood with Ming Shuang in his arms and headed toward the exit of Red Coral Lake.
Ming Shuang poked his head out from Xuzhi’s embrace and waved a paw in farewell to the hedgehog. “Awoo woo!”
The hedgehog followed for a few steps, watching them until they were out of sight.
After passing through the bee swarm on the forest outskirts, Xuzhi waited for the red bees’ poison to wear off before hurrying toward town.
The surroundings were quiet and empty. Since the Thorny Jungle had been sealed off, few people used these nearby paths anymore.
Ming Shuang didn’t hide in his coat. Instead, he lay on his back in the crook of Xuzhi’s arm, rubbing his chin against Xuzhi’s fingertip.
In the distance, a beast tamer with a golden crow watched them covertly.
He had tracked the black-furred magical beast here and had been lying in wait for a long time.
If it weren’t still daylight, he might have already called his companions to act. Red Coral Lake was close to the Thorny Jungle, after all, and he had to prevent the black-furred magical beast from escaping into it.
After weighing his options, he decided to wait a bit longer and keep tracking.
Spotting Xuzhi’s figure came as a surprise, since he was coming from the direction where the black-furred magical beast was hiding.
He hadn’t been attacked?
That fire-type magical beast hadn’t slipped away upon encountering a stranger?
Xuzhi seemed to be cradling a small magical beast, but its features were unclear.
The beast tamer wondered if he should approach and strike up a conversation—ask where exactly this man had come from and if he’d noticed anything unusual nearby. That might help him figure out what the fire-type magical beast had been up to, hiding around here all morning.
In his view, the terrain here was poor for concealing a magical beast’s aura, especially so close to the Thorny Jungle.
As he hesitated, Xuzhi passed by on the path ahead.
Even from a distance, the beast tamer couldn’t make out the magical beast in his arms. The golden crow’s magic barrier concealed it, and Xuzhi remained unaware of them.
As Xuzhi hurried past, the beast tamer noticed his golden crow trembling inexplicably.
He frowned tightly and whispered, “What’s wrong?”
The golden crow kept its head low, not daring to look up.
Thanks to the beast taming contract, its emotions flowed unreservedly to its master.
Fear, timidity, disbelief…
The golden crow was a higher tier and, from years of training, acutely sensitive to auras.
Even though the little dragon hatchling wasn’t deliberately revealing anything—and had even actively suppressed and hidden his aura—the golden crow still sensed something off.
That was… something long absent from this continent, existing now only in legends…
The golden crow shuddered all over. If Ming Shuang weren’t so young, it might not have stayed on its feet.
