Chapter 19: Tense Standoff – It Must Be Something He Stole Too!

The afternoon in Netherworld Mountain was unusually quiet, with not a single soul in sight along the outskirts.

This was all thanks to the Red Bird. It had spent the entire morning wandering aimlessly, scaring off two teams of Beast Tamers. Word had spread back to the city, and plenty of low-tier Beast Tamers no longer dared to venture out.

As for why a high-tier magical beast had appeared in the outskirts, others could only speculate that recent expeditions to the heart of Netherworld Mountain in search of treasure had disturbed the creatures. Some beasts had scattered in panic, and without finding suitable prey for a while, they would eventually return to their territories.

Xuzhi had set out late and was unaware of all this.

With no outsiders around, Ming Shuang poked his head out from inside Xuzhi’s jacket and looked about curiously.

He hadn’t gotten a good look yesterday. So this was Netherworld Mountain.

But where was the treasure…? Last night during shapeshifting, his mana had gone into disorder, and he’d been so exhausted that he’d forgotten to mention it to Xuzhi.

Before heading out, Ming Shuang had devoured the last two magic stones. He had no idea when his next shapeshifting would occur.

Oh well, he’d just wait a little longer… If someone beat him to his treasure, he’d simply rob it back!

The Little Dragon Hatchling shook out his wings and clambered onto Xuzhi’s shoulder, chin raised as he sniffed at the surrounding air.

In the distance, the Red Bird watched with eager eyes.

But it didn’t dare make a move just yet. It had been so long since they’d last met—who knew what had happened to Xuzhi or how much of his strength he’d recovered?

And there was Coal Ball too. For it to return to Xuzhi’s side, there must have been a reason.

Once it snatched the Little Dragon, it could probe Coal Ball for answers…

Xuzhi looked different somehow—younger, perhaps? And what were those ragged clothes he was wearing…?

Ming Shuang was staying far too close to Xuzhi right now. The Red Bird held itself back and quietly bided its time.

Xuzhi scanned their surroundings, a slight frown creasing his brow.

He could faintly sense a vague scrutiny—and it was coming from something already hidden in the forest.

Not a Beast Tamer. A magical beast?

With Ming Shuang here, he probably didn’t need to worry too much.

Even so, to be safe, a faint golden glow flickered in Xuzhi’s palm as he conjured a Metal Magic Barrier, enveloping himself, Ming Shuang, and Coal Ball in its protection.

The barrier was invisible to the naked eye, but churning within were formless Wind Blades ready to lash out.

Ever since awakening his innate talent, Xuzhi’s mastery of magic had begun with that single Basic Magic Book. Everything else had come from self-enlightenment or hard-won experience in battles against magical beasts.

His Wind Magic was still new; this was a perfect chance to practice.

Ming Shuang caught the scent of magic but paid it no mind, assuming Xuzhi had simply masked his own aura again.

His gaze drifted toward the distant thicket. He turned his head and called out for Coal Ball to hurry up.

The afternoon weather was delightful. Ming Shuang grew tired of squatting on Xuzhi’s shoulder and wanted to fly over to Coal Ball’s back for a nap. Just as he prepared to leap down, strong arms scooped him up.

Xuzhi held the Little Dragon Hatchling close to his chest. “Stay put in my arms for now. We’re in unfamiliar territory—don’t wander off.”

The Little Dragon Hatchling obediently settled down and gave Xuzhi’s finger a gentle lick.

From afar, the Red Bird witnessed the scene and nearly lunged forward—only to rein itself in at the last second.

The outskirts of the jungle were utterly ordinary, little more than a standard forest. After circling around for a bit, Xuzhi pressed deeper inward.

Beyond the perimeter lay rolling hills, dotted here and there with gravel paths half-overgrown with weeds.

Further in, even the paths vanished, and the terrain grew increasingly rugged.

The underbrush rustled now and then as low-tier magical beasts fled in alarm.

Yet along the entire route, Xuzhi hadn’t spotted a single valuable resource worth harvesting.

On second thought, that made sense. With so many Beast Tamers in White Cloud City, competition was fierce. Any spot they could reach had likely been picked clean long ago.

To find anything worthwhile, he’d have to venture into the more perilous inner forest.

Before leaving the city, Xuzhi had noticed hiring notices and wanted ads at several shops. Beast Tamers who could craft Storage Magic Arrays could make a tidy profit.

Typically, only tier-4 arrays or higher sold well. His Metal Magic was suited for defensive arrays, Wind Magic for offensive or support types, and Coal Ball’s Fire Element might work too…

Xuzhi glanced at Coal Ball, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Coal Ball sensed the gaze and subtly retreated half a step, inwardly grumbling to itself.

Pressing onward, they encountered three or four solo Beast Tamers hurrying back toward the city. None spared Xuzhi a second glance.

Tucked inside Xuzhi’s jacket, Ming Shuang let out a massive yawn and idly fiddled with Xuzhi’s buttons out of boredom.

In the blink of an eye, the sunlight had dimmed. The day was nearly over.

Xuzhi paused twice along the way and finally stopped at a small forest stream to refill his waterskin.

As the water flowed, he pondered their next move. It was time to head back.

The area was simply too vast. To enter Netherworld Mountain and return with something to show for it, he’d need to prepare for an overnight stay—at least two days inside, or the round trip wouldn’t be worth it.

Today had just been for familiarizing himself with the terrain. The smart thing was to return to the city, stock up on supplies, and plan ahead.

Coal Ball sidled up and took a couple of laps from the stream.

With no one else nearby, Ming Shuang wriggled free from Xuzhi’s arms and leaned in to inspect a small cluster of daisies along the bank.

Xuzhi didn’t stop him. His mind was occupied with future plans, and he’d already resolved to turn back.

Ming Shuang had mentioned wanting to find the Dragon Clan’s treasure, and Xuzhi hadn’t forgotten. It was why he’d come to White Cloud City in the first place.

But treasure wasn’t the top priority. Covering the Little Dragon Hatchling’s daily expenses came first—along with the supplementary medicine, now down to half its supply…

Suddenly, a disturbance rustled through the woods.

The grass shifted without a breeze, accompanied by faint sounds from underground, thick with Earth Element magic.

A red shadow streaked down from the low sky.

The Red Bird had finally found its opening, its eyes alight with excitement.

Form the array!

With a sharp crack, the Metal Magic Barrier surrounding Xuzhi shattered.

The inner layer of Wind Blades burst outward, hurtling in all directions.

It was an unexpected turn. Seeing two blades headed its way, the Red Bird dodged nimbly and perched briefly on a branch to catch its breath.

All this unfolded in an instant. Xuzhi’s expression shifted as he summoned another barrier, reaching out to scoop up Ming Shuang from the bank.

Ming Shuang stared blankly at the suddenly appearing Red Bird, his wide eyes bursting with delight.

It was Tomato!

Coal Ball was equally stunned, but before it could react, the ground beneath their feet began to shift.

Crack—

The barrier shattered once more, unable to halt the Earth Array as it cleaved the terrain apart.

Xuzhi’s hand closed on empty air, his vision blurring.

The Earth Array divided into three sections, instantly separating him from Ming Shuang and Coal Ball by a full hundred meters.

And Ming Shuang’s position was right in front of the Red Bird.

Overjoyed, the Red Bird wrapped its wings tightly around the Little Dragon Hatchling and shot Xuzhi a provocative glance.

Hehe! Snatched him!

Flying was awkward with the Little Dragon Hatchling in its grasp, so the Red Bird shifted the Earth Array toward itself and reactivated it, teleporting another hundred meters away.

The Little Dragon Hatchling poked his head out from the thick red feathers, his initial joy turning to bewilderment.

Tomato was here too!

Wait…

At that moment, Xuzhi’s face darkened ominously as he gave chase.

Coal Ball had just rejoined his side and hurried after him as well.

How had Tomato popped up out of nowhere…? This was bad— a fight was inevitable!

Xuzhi had lost his memories and didn’t recognize his old magical beast companions. From the murderous look in his eyes earlier, he seemed ready to slaughter Tomato on the spot…

His strength had declined, but Ming Shuang surely wouldn’t let him get hurt. He’d protect Xuzhi.

Tomato was as reckless as ever, snatching the Little Dragon right away…

Coal Ball raced after them, sighing inwardly.

So… who should it side with…?

The Red Bird couldn’t care less. It was thrilled beyond measure.

The surrounding landscape shifted and warped around them. The Little Dragon Hatchling wriggled slightly in its wings.

The Red Bird cooed softly twice to soothe him, its eyes gleaming brightly.

Little Dragon! It’s me!

Ming Shuang let out anxious “awoo awoos,” trying to ask where Tomato was taking him—Xuzhi and Coal Ball were still back there…!

But Tomato couldn’t understand, replying with a few more coos.

Don’t be scared, Little Dragon! I’m getting you out of here—we’ll hide on the mountaintop!

Now Ming Shuang was truly frantic and confused. He tried to stop Tomato from carrying him away, releasing his Ice Magic as delicately as possible to freeze the ground and halt the Earth Array’s movement.

Sensing Ming Shuang’s actions, Tomato tensed up. “Coo coo?”

What was wrong? Had it scared him?

It wanted to ask more—why had Ming Shuang regressed to his juvenile form? Was it because of Xuzhi…?

Tomato’s green crest feathers stood on end as it glared fiercely. “Coo?”

Ming Shuang desperately wanted to explain, but without shapeshifting, no matter how much he “spoke,” Tomato could only guess at his meaning from the tone.

In his panic, the Little Dragon Hatchling gave the Red Bird a light kick.

His Ice Magic successfully slowed the Earth Array’s motion. By then, Xuzhi had caught up.

Boosted by Wind Magic, his speed had multiplied several times over. Spotting the red figure ahead, he attacked without hesitation.

A Metal Array infused with Thunder Magic plummeted from the sky. Tomato flinched in alarm and dodged, hurling clods of earth at Xuzhi in retaliation.

But with most of its mana tied up maintaining the Earth Array—and unable to fly properly while cradling the Little Dragon Hatchling—its counterattack barely registered.

Coal Ball trailed far behind Xuzhi, hesitating for a long moment before unleashing a burst of fire toward Tomato, aiming to block its path.

Sigh… It had been sticking with Xuzhi and Ming Shuang, so it understood the situation best. Ming Shuang still relied heavily on Xuzhi, viewing him as his master.

Or perhaps… Ming Shuang was the only special one.

A wave of black fire ignited the jungle, stretching across Tomato’s path like a wall.

Tomato whipped its head around and glared viciously at Coal Ball. The second Metal Array clamped down just as the Earth Array was mostly frozen solid by Ice Magic.

Tomato was utterly unwilling but had no choice except to halt.

A burst of brown Earth Magic light flared up, blocking the lightning strike but failing to breach the second layer of golden barrier.

In a flash, Xuzhi closed in, magic power condensing once more in his palm.

His eyes darkened as he stared at the unfamiliar Red Bird, his killing intent on full display.

How dare it take Ming Shuang away. It was begging for death.

But with Ming Shuang right beside the Red Bird, any reckless strike might accidentally harm him.

Xuzhi switched his magic power. Sharp Wind Thorns took shape as he prepared to pierce straight through the Red Bird’s skull.

Tomato was quietly gathering its own power, planning to bury Xuzhi in the earth and then crush him under a pile of rocks.

With both sides on the brink of violence, Ming Shuang grew extremely anxious.

The Little Dragon Hatchling struggled fiercely to break free and flew toward Xuzhi.

Xuzhi and Tomato both hesitated for a moment before withdrawing the magic barriers blocking the space between them.

Tomato deflated its beak, its green crest drooping limply. It looked utterly dejected.

Fine… so it had all been one-sided wishful thinking on its part.

But Ming Shuang didn’t return to Xuzhi’s side. Instead, he stopped halfway.

The Little Dragon Hatchling gazed at Xuzhi before twisting its head toward Tomato. “Awoo?”

A thin layer of Ice Magic enveloped the surroundings, freezing the very air and halting any further action from either side.

Xuzhi hesitated and dispersed his final Wind Thorn as well.

Seeing that Coal Ball was holding back its flames, he had already guessed that this was another magical beast who knew Ming Shuang.

As long as Ming Shuang was unharmed, he could let the Red Bird live—at least, he wouldn’t strike in front of Ming Shuang.

Xuzhi masked the chill in his expression and took a step forward, extending a hand toward Ming Shuang. “Come here first.”

The Red Bird let out a loud “Cheep cheep!” urging Ming Shuang not to go with that man anymore.

Coal Ball hurried over as well, sluggishly shifting to a safer spot farther away.

Ming Shuang couldn’t shapeshift yet and thus couldn’t speak. After a moment’s thought, he let out a sound. “Woo woo…”

The general meaning was that Xuzhi was still his master, so Tomato shouldn’t make trouble.

Ming Shuang turned his gaze to Tomato. “Awoo?”

Right… wasn’t Xuzhi Tomato’s master too?

It had been so long since they’d seen each other. Why did the relationship between Tomato and Xuzhi seem so poor…?

Perhaps because the Little Dragon Hatchling’s eyes held such bewilderment, Tomato understood the unspoken question.

It grumbled softly with a few “cheep cheeps,” shooting Xuzhi a sidelong glance.

Xuzhi wasn’t its master at all. Back then, it had been forcibly captured, and the same went for Coal Ball and the others.

So, this Little Dragon must have been stolen by him too!

Ming Shuang froze upon hearing this.

~~~