Ming Shuang was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. As he spoke, he leaned against Xuzhi.
Xuzhi set down the towel and helped him settle comfortably. “We’re camping outside tonight. Being smaller will be more convenient.”
Earlier, while wiping Ming Shuang’s face, Xuzhi had hesitated to say something but ultimately held his tongue.
With his eyes closed, Ming Shuang reached out and hugged him. “I can’t shift back…”
He had no control over his shapeshifting, and changing back wasn’t possible either. It would probably be like yesterday—reverting on its own by morning.
Xuzhi had no choice but to lead Ming Shuang into the tent and rearrange the sleeping mat.
Fortunately, the grass was thick and soft, and with Metal Magic enveloping the area, it wasn’t cold at all.
Ming Shuang lay down and pulled the outer robe over himself, but he saw Xuzhi preparing to leave. He quickly asked, “Master, aren’t you going to sleep?”
“I’ll stand watch outside a bit longer,” Xuzhi said softly to reassure him. “You go ahead and rest.”
They were in unfamiliar territory now, with a new Red Bird in tow. It was best to stay cautious.
Xuzhi then called Coal Ball inside to keep Ming Shuang company.
“Alright then…”
Ming Shuang hugged Coal Ball as it burrowed into his arms and watched Xuzhi exit the tent.
Once the flap closed, the tent plunged into darkness. Ming Shuang stroked Coal Ball’s soft fur, buried his face in the scent lingering on the outer robe, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Outside the tent, Tomato saw Xuzhi keeping watch and unceremoniously flew up into a tree, settling into a comfortable position. It decided to wake up later in the night to check on things.
The forest was quiet. Xuzhi paid no mind to the rustling in the trees as he inventoried the supplies in his Storage Bag.
~~~
The next morning, Xuzhi took Ming Shuang back to the city.
A faint mist hung in the jungle at dawn. High in the sky, a Red Bird sped toward White Cloud City.
Xuzhi sat on Tomato’s back, clutching the Little Dragon Hatchling in his arms. Coal Ball perched a bit farther forward, gripping Tomato’s neck feathers tightly.
After a good night’s sleep, Ming Shuang had indeed reverted to his juvenile form once more.
That was exactly why Tomato could carry them all back—otherwise, its size wouldn’t quite manage two passengers.
Tomato hadn’t been thrilled about it at first. It had never let Xuzhi ride its back before. Now that his strength had weakened, it figured it might as well give him a good thrashing…
In the end, the Little Dragon Hatchling had rubbed against it persistently, even licking the green feathers on top of Tomato’s head, before it relented.
But Tomato hadn’t registered with the authorities, and it couldn’t hide its large size. Xuzhi didn’t want anyone thinking he owned two magical beasts.
Moreover, with its bright red feathers, Tomato was far too conspicuous to bring into the city.
So after leaving Netherworld Mountain, Tomato landed in a secluded spot on the outskirts of White Cloud City and stayed there to wait.
Before they parted, it chirp chirped fiercely at Xuzhi, as if threatening that he had better return—or else it would rampage through the city.
Though Xuzhi couldn’t understand Tomato’s words, he could guess from the tone. He replied calmly, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back within two hours.”
Reassured by his promise, Tomato watched them go with longing eyes.
Once inside the city, Xuzhi went shopping first.
He restocked on food, daily necessities, and picked out an extra outer robe for Ming Shuang.
Ming Shuang had shapeshifted two nights in a row now, and no one knew when it might happen again. The robe could serve as a spare to conceal his form and features.
On top of that, Xuzhi bought a backpack to hide Coal Ball in.
If Tomato had to tag along too, there was still a risk of being spotted even outside the city.
Since Tomato couldn’t be concealed, Coal Ball would have to be the one hidden—emerging only if absolutely necessary.
After buying the backpack, Xuzhi had Coal Ball test it out first.
With its small, lightweight body, Coal Ball fit perfectly inside.
It seemed quite pleased, refusing to come out once settled and peeking out through the opening’s gap to observe the outside world.
Next, Xuzhi headed to the Mercenary Hall in the center of White Cloud City to register as a Bounty Hunter.
When reporting his rank, he said, “5th Tier.”
He had boosted his strength to take on more commissions—otherwise, the competition was too fierce, and anything below 4th Tier barely paid.
The staff member glanced down. “Huh? You were 3rd Tier when you entered the city. Quite the jump.”
His records synced with the city gates, including Xuzhi’s arrival time.
Xuzhi was prepared for this and didn’t bat an eye. “I was 5th Tier when I arrived.”
Meaning, he hadn’t been truthful at the gates.
White Cloud City wasn’t too strict about that sort of thing. As long as you behaved and didn’t cause trouble, it was fine. Plenty of people lied on their first entry.
Registrations at the Mercenary Hall came with penalties for failed commissions anyway.
The staff member chuckled. “Alright, alright. Here’s your badge.”
Xuzhi took it, and Coal Ball leaped onto the backpack before slipping inside.
After picking a few commissions and leaving the Mercenary Hall, Xuzhi stopped by a bookstore.
He wanted to try crafting Storage Magic Arrays to sell for profit, so he looked for instructional books on the subject.
However, the magic books in the store offered only basic theory at best—or utter nonsense. Real spells required a teacher’s guidance.
Xuzhi browsed several before reluctantly buying one to study in his spare time.
Ming Shuang grew curious about it all and quietly poked out half a claw to touch the pages.
Xuzhi looked down and gently pinched the claw. “Want to visit the Medical Clinic?”
What for?
The Little Dragon Hatchling in his coat let out a puzzled “Mm?”
“To see a doctor,” Xuzhi explained. “For a check-up.”
Tuji had treated Ming Shuang before, so there had to be other physicians who could. With the Mana Disorder from two consecutive shapeshifts, Xuzhi was concerned.
But White Cloud City wasn’t like the remote towns before, and he didn’t have anyone as trustworthy as Tuji. Someone might recognize Ming Shuang as a young dragon.
At the mention, Ming Shuang promptly nipped Xuzhi’s fingertip in refusal.
He didn’t think it was a big deal—probably just his strength not fully recovered. No need for a doctor.
Xuzhi stroked the Little Dragon Hatchling’s chin. “Alright, no doctor.”
Still, he had his own plans.
If Ming Shuang didn’t want to see a doctor, they wouldn’t. They were new to White Cloud City, after all—better to stay cautious.
But they could still buy medicine separately. Xuzhi found a Medical Clinic anyway.
After careful inquiries, he purchased a tonic to regulate the body and smooth out mana flow. It was safe for magical beasts too, with no side effects—just a daily supplement.
As he left the Medical Clinic, Xuzhi checked his Storage Bag. His savings were running dangerously low.
He needed to earn money fast.
Xuzhi stowed the bag away, patted the Little Dragon Hatchling through his coat, and hurried toward the city outskirts.
At the same time, a gray-robed elder brushed past Xuzhi.
A middle-aged man trailed behind the elder, laden with items, pleading earnestly, “Vice Dean, I finally found you. Please come back to the Academy with me…”
Xiang Lun strode ahead with his magic staff in hand, ignoring him.
“If you don’t want to go back, fine—but don’t ditch me on purpose again,” Ivan said, his face creased with worry. “I’m supposed to look after you. If something happens…”
Xiang Lun was advanced in years, yet he insisted on wandering into dangerous places without his magical beast.
He might be Saint Domain 10th Tier, but at his age, he should be resting in a quiet environment—perhaps teaching a few classes at the Academy now and then.
“Do I need your care? I’ve lived this long. What’s dying now?” Xiang Lun snorted coldly. “It’s about time I died anyway.”
Ivan nearly choked on his breath. He hurriedly soothed, “Please don’t say that…”
He quickly changed the subject. “By the way, where did you leave Nuomi?”
Xiang Lun replied, “Probably off playing in the nearby mountains.”
The two figures gradually vanished into the crowd.
On the outskirts, Tomato watched eagerly and finally spotted Xuzhi returning.
Right on time—almost exactly two hours.
It rushed forward, sniffing around Xuzhi nonstop, and quickly noticed Coal Ball hidden in the backpack.
The Little Dragon Hatchling poked his head out and stretched its claws. Tomato obligingly leaned in for a pet.
“I’ll need your help again,” Xuzhi said to Tomato. “Take me to Netherworld Mountain. I’ve got a few commissions to complete.”
Tomato was satisfied with his tone but chirped in confusion?
Coal Ball piped up from the backpack, explaining that commissions were a way to make money.
Money for buying treats for the Little Dragon Hatchling.
Tomato got it. It puffed out its chest. “Chirp!”
Let’s go!
Once Xuzhi was settled on its back, Tomato spread its wings and soared toward Netherworld Mountain.
~~~
The next two days went smoothly enough.
The Mercenary Hall in White Cloud City was much like the one in Green Pine Town, but with more Beast Tamers around—and more commissions to go with them. No one batted an eye even if Xuzhi took on several tasks in a single day.
He had promised Ming Shuang they’d search for treasure at the mountaintop, but he wanted to prepare first. Who knew what awaited in the ruins? At the very least, he couldn’t skimp on supplies.
The only snag was his attempts to craft Storage Magic Arrays in his downtime—all failures.
Maybe his method was wrong, or he just wasn’t skilled enough. Learning solo, Xuzhi could only keep trying.
Ming Shuang hadn’t shapeshifted again these past two nights. He’d taken the new medicine Xuzhi bought, and the Magic Stones from before were gone too. Perhaps his mana had stabilized.
That morning, Tomato woke from its sleep and drank some stream water alongside Coal Ball.
Ming Shuang had woken up as well. He lay nestled in Xuzhi’s arms, opening his mouth to accept the breakfast being fed to him.
They had spent the previous night camping in the forest, and Xuzhi needed to head back to the city that morning to collect payment for all their commissions.
Suddenly, Tomato let out a sharp cry: “Cheep!”
Coal Ball, lying nearby, jumped in fright and lifted its head to glare at it.
Tomato flapped its wings frantically in place, utterly frantic: “Cheep cheep!”
Oh no, oh no! The Earth Array it had set up at the mountaintop seemed to have just been broken!
Mountaintop? Earth Array?
Ming Shuang blinked in confusion for a moment before it clicked. Tomato was talking about the Dragon Clan Ruins at the summit.
Tomato was terribly anxious and wanted to rush back right away to check.
It had been careless. The magic powering the Earth Array needed regular replenishment, or else its effectiveness would drop off sharply.
It should have gone back the day it reunited with Ming Shuang, but in its excitement, it had completely forgotten…
Now that the Earth Array had been breached, someone might slip into the ruins and make off with the Little Dragon Hatchling’s treasures!
Ming Shuang glanced at Xuzhi too, but right then, with two magical beasts and himself all present, none of them could speak.
Xuzhi gave Tomato a quick look before resuming feeding Ming Shuang his meal. “Whatever it is, we can talk about it after we settle up in the city.”
He could sense Tomato’s urgency, but they needed to restock their supplies first. They couldn’t afford to act rashly.
Tomato glug-glugged down several gulps of stream water and managed to calm itself.
Even if the Earth Array was down, plenty of high-tier magical beasts still guarded the ruins’ perimeter. It wouldn’t be easy for anyone to get inside.
Once Ming Shuang finished his breakfast, Xuzhi cleared away all traces of their camp and set off for White Cloud City.
Half an hour later, Tomato scooped them up again and raced toward the peak of Netherworld Mountain.
Spotting their flight path veering toward the heart of Netherworld Mountain, Xuzhi had a pretty good idea what was going on.
He pulled up the hood of his outer robe as he spoke. “When we get there, find some deserted spot to hole up in first. We’ll scope out the situation before doing anything.”
Tomato got the message and cheeped in acknowledgment.
The wind whipped fiercely outside. Ming Shuang huddled deeper into Xuzhi’s arms, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement.
He wondered what kind of treasures the ruins might hold.
Gems? Gold coins? A handful of magic stones would be treasure enough…
High above the forest canopy, a streak of red streaked past.
Twenty minutes later, they reached the summit of Netherworld Mountain.
Tomato didn’t charge in recklessly. Instead, it landed in an empty corner where no one lurked and led Xuzhi forward on tiptoe.
By the time they neared the edge of the Earth Array, a crowd had gathered nearby.
Xuzhi ducked behind a tree for a rough count. They were all beast tamers—most banded together in groups of varying sizes, though a few went it alone. Off in the distance, several magical beasts slunk away after being driven back.
Someone up front called out loudly. “Why don’t we team up? There are too many high-tier magical beasts around here. Everyone saw those poison spiders on the far side of the Earth Array earlier. It’s not smart to split up!”
Tomato remembered those spiders well. They despised humans trespassing in their territory, but the more silk they spat in quick succession, the weaker their venom grew.
With the other magical beasts stirring up trouble too, these people were lucky they hadn’t broken fully through the Earth Array into the ruins yet.
That array had taken Tomato days to craft. It crouched behind the tree now, racking its brains for a way to sneak past and reactivate it without being spotted.
A plain Magic Array attack risked giving away their position.
Xuzhi had other plans. Blending into the crowd and tagging along might be the simplest approach.
From inside his coat, the Little Dragon Hatchling poked his head out stealthily.
Ming Shuang peered around curiously, eager to see what lay ahead.
Just then, he caught a faint whiff of an unfamiliar magical beast’s scent. He turned his head on instinct.
Tucked in the corner of some nearby bushes hid a snow fox.
It was smallish, a jade plaque engraved with the character “Xiang” dangling from its neck. Its pale purple eyes fixed on Ming Shuang with open curiosity.
The Little Dragon Hatchling stared back at the snow fox. Realizing he’d been spotted, he whooshed back inside the coat.
~~~
