Chapter 10: Mixed Blood Part 1

The once pitch-black sky was now largely illuminated by blazing firelight.

The intense flames burned fierce and domineering, instantly devouring every trace of metal magic elements and allowing not even a sliver to pierce through.

The beast tamer’s face drained of color. He stiffly turned his head to look behind him.

At the edge of the encroaching flames, a familiar black-furred magical beast came charging into view.

…It was that fire-type magic beast.

It had actually escaped without being caught?

And it had rushed here for the magical beast in Xuzhi’s arms?

The beast tamer forced himself to calm down and quickly made a decision. He called out to the golden crow to carry him away.

The flames had also burned away the lingering poison powder in the air. As long as he fled immediately and hurried back to the valley…

He had no idea what had happened to his companions. None of the three of them had managed to subdue this beast, and now he was poisoned too. He couldn’t afford to worry about anything else.

The surrounding flames closed in. Gritting his teeth against the poison’s effects, the beast tamer forced open an escape route and tried to climb onto the golden crow’s back.

But soon, several more fireballs slammed into them. The golden crow recoiled from its injuries, separating from him.

The beast tamer’s breathing grew ragged. Instinctively, he glanced toward Xuzhi, not far away.

—Xuzhi’s side was completely untouched, without a single spark.

The black-furred magical beast’s target was him.

The earlier poison continued to take effect. In that moment of stunned hesitation, the beast tamer let out a miserable scream as the flames utterly consumed him.

Under the tree, Xuzhi watched the entire scene unfold.

The mushroom’s poison was too potent. Even though it wouldn’t kill him, he still needed time to recover.

His expression grew grim. At first, he had thought it was the beast tamer’s companions arriving, but the fire had been aimed at the beast tamer instead.

The temperature in the air spiked sharply. The Little Dragon hatchling in his arms seemed terribly excited. Xuzhi propped himself up and retreated, trying to find cover quickly while softly soothing the hatchling. “Don’t be scared. Let’s hide first.”

Ming Shuang was too anxious to speak, but he gently nipped at Xuzhi’s hand through his clothes.

It was Coal Ball! Coal Ball!

Fortunately, Xuzhi was somewhat weakened by the poison, and the effects of the bewitching incense had mostly worn off. Ming Shuang’s strength had returned. He wriggled and successfully squirmed out from under the jacket.

By then, the black-furred magical beast had arrived nearby. It slowed to a stop, gazing at Xuzhi and Ming Shuang.

Xuzhi had no time to stop him. With an “Awoo!”, the little dragon hatchling flew straight toward it.

Xuzhi’s face darkened further. He tried to drive the black-furred magical beast away with magic.

Two bolts of lightning crashed down, but the black-furred magical beast dodged nimbly and bared its teeth in a low growl at Xuzhi.

Ming Shuang froze for a moment, nearly losing control mid-air. He hurriedly flew back, clinging tightly to Xuzhi’s hand to stop him from attacking again.

“Woo woo!”

The Little Dragon hatchling was frantic, a mix of anxiety and joyful reunion with his companion. There was no fear or wariness in his demeanor.

Only then did Xuzhi calm down and notice something.

This unfamiliar magical beast had only burned the beast tamer to death. It hadn’t attacked them, and no other beast tamers had appeared.

Still, he remained vigilant, eyes locked on the black-furred magical beast in the distance.

Ming Shuang was pressed back into Xuzhi’s arms. He raised a paw and waved it. “Woo!”

The black-furred magical beast retracted its teeth. After hesitating in place for a moment, it inched closer bit by bit.

Once it was a little nearer, Ming Shuang couldn’t hold back any longer. He broke free again and pounced over.

“Awoo!”

The Little Dragon hatchling barreled headfirst into the black-furred magical beast, nuzzling against it and sniffing everywhere.

The black-furred magical beast wasn’t much bigger than the little dragon hatchling. Its red bean-like eyes gleamed as it sniffed back at him and let out a soft sound. “Woo…”

Ming Shuang pressed close to Coal Ball, rubbing against its thick black fur. Suddenly, he noticed a fresh wound on Coal Ball’s side.

The Little Dragon hatchling felt heartbroken and furious. “Awoo?!”

Who did this?!

Understanding the tone in Ming Shuang’s voice, Coal Ball quickly shook its head. “Woo!”

It was fine. It had already shaken off those beast tamers.

Those beast tamers had mostly wanted to capture it alive, so they hadn’t used any extreme measures. They also hadn’t anticipated its second form.

The wound had come when its body had grown larger, making it harder to dodge, and the flower leopard had managed to claw it once. But it didn’t hurt anymore.

The Little Dragon hatchling huffed and puffed, leaning in to blow a couple of breaths of frost over the wound.

Coal Ball lay obediently still, not moving a muscle.

So many years had passed… It hadn’t imagined it would ever see Ming Shuang again.

And it was a good thing it had made it here in time. That beast tamer with the golden crow had indeed harbored ill intentions… But why had Ming Shuang shrunk?

Earlier, when the black-furred magical beast had caught the scent of dragon breath, something had felt off. Then it had seen Xuzhi holding the little dragon in his arms.

It was puzzled. Now, up close, Ming Shuang had indeed reverted to his juvenile form.

Coal Ball tilted its head. “Woo?”

Ming Shuang shook his head. He didn’t know the reason either.

He wanted to ask Coal Ball what exactly had happened before—why everything had changed upon waking, why his master didn’t recognize him, and why the master didn’t seem to recognize Coal Ball either.

The Little Dragon hatchling chattered away with “awoo awoos,” but Coal Ball’s eyes held a blank look.

At that moment, Ming Shuang realized the issue.

He was of the Dragon Clan and could understand all beast tongues, but other magical beasts couldn’t comprehend dragon language. The smarter ones could only grasp basic human speech.

So Ming Shuang raised a paw to point at himself, then turned to look back at the quietly observing Xuzhi.

Coal Ball’s eyes flickered with hesitation as it asked, “Woo?”

Had he shrunk because of him?

Ming Shuang was speechless for a moment, then deflated.

…Damn it. He needed to grow up fast so he could regain his strength and shapeshift.

Behind them, Xuzhi silently watched the two little magical beasts interact.

They knew each other?

So this black-furred magical beast had come to help.

Ever since he had seen the green-furred hedgehog deliver food to Ming Shuang at Red Coral Lake, Xuzhi accepted the situation with surprising ease. He wasn’t overly shocked.

Still, they needed to leave quickly.

Not far away, the golden crow trembled in fear.

It had also been dusted with the mushroom poison, though not much. Then it had been attacked by flames, and with its beast tamer dead, the forced severing of the contract brought excruciating pain.

It struggled to its feet, cradling its wounded body as it tried to flee.

But the moment it flapped its wings, a bolt of lightning struck it down.

Xuzhi had recovered his mobility. He rose and approached the golden crow.

Even if this magical beast escaped, it probably wouldn’t survive.

He glanced at the fallen golden crow, then recalled the giant scorpion from that day in the mining district.

Xuzhi drew near the golden crow and crouched down, gazing at it intently.

He still remembered clearly that sensation of devouring and plundering magic elements.

He wondered if he could try it again.

Xuzhi reached out and gripped the golden crow’s neck.

The golden crow struggled weakly and cried out once.

Ming Shuang and Coal Ball both turned their heads. A thin mist gathered and dissipated so quickly it was almost invisible.

Xuzhi stood up again, his expression unchanged as he walked back to Ming Shuang’s side.

Seeing him approach, Coal Ball’s eyes filled with wariness. It retreated half a step.

Ming Shuang noticed and felt puzzled.

Coal Ball was one of Xuzhi’s cards, just like him, so Xuzhi was also Coal Ball’s master.

Even though Xuzhi had forgotten the past, why was Coal Ball reacting to him so differently from what Ming Shuang had expected…

Had he truly been asleep for a very, very long time…? But Coal Ball had been thrilled to see him.

Ming Shuang couldn’t figure it out. Neither Coal Ball nor Xuzhi could understand dragon language, so he had no way to ask.

In his bewilderment, Xuzhi scooped him up.

“We need to leave this place immediately,” Xuzhi said, glancing at Coal Ball. “Let’s find somewhere to rest first.”

He recognized that golden crow. If he remembered correctly, the beast tamer who had died tonight was from the valley’s Miasma-Clearing Team.

No matter the reason, with one of the Miasma-Clearing Team’s beast tamers dead, they wouldn’t let it slide.

Xuzhi still planned to head to Red Coral Lake. He wasn’t sure if this black-furred magical beast would follow.

Coal Ball stared at Xuzhi, then at the little dragon hatchling in his arms, before slowly shuffling closer.

Xuzhi sized up Coal Ball. It was small and compact, probably not heavy.

Should he carry it too? The Little Dragon hatchling clearly had a good relationship with it. Keeping it in his arms would make it easier to control if something happened.

Xuzhi considered it, then bent down.

But just as he reached out, Coal Ball backed away a step and bared its sharp teeth silently.

Xuzhi withdrew his hand and turned away coldly.

Fine. He didn’t want to carry it anyway.

After he had taken a few steps and confirmed a safe distance, Coal Ball hurriedly caught up.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Red Coral Lake.

Coal Ball was initially hesitant to enter, but seeing Xuzhi draw the attention of all the red bees, it hurried to his side and slipped through the outskirts smoothly.

Xuzhi pressed on until they reached the central lake.

The green-furred hedgehog was nowhere to be seen. With the high-tier fire aura of the black-furred magical beast present, the other beasts in the jungle didn’t dare show themselves.

All in all, this was probably the safest spot.

He had left the medical clinic in a rush without bringing anything. Xuzhi tore a strip from the hem of his clothes to use as a towel, wiping the bloodstains from his body.

The beast tamer’s assault array had been dense, leaving wounds on his arms and elsewhere. Fortunately, they had mostly healed by now.

Ming Shuang stayed by his side, listening as Coal Ball spoke to him.

“Woo woo…”

Coal Ball explained that after it had left, it had wandered alone, hiding in remote, uninhabited areas and avoiding places with people.

High-tier magical beasts had long lifespans, so it wasn’t sure how much time had passed. It was overjoyed to see Ming Shuang again.

“Wuh?”

Ming Shuang wanted to ask why it had left in the first place.

Whose fault was it? What had happened?

And where had the other cards gone?

Ming Shuang had too many questions he wanted to ask, but he couldn’t voice them.

But now, he had found Xuzhi and Coal Ball.