Chapter 423 - 300: Eerie Figure

Chapter 423: Chapter 300: Eerie Figure

Twenty-one, in its small cat form, was about to say something when it suddenly arched its back, its fur standing on end. "Quick, use Invisibility! Someone’s coming."

Feng San Niang was startled. Before she could say another word, Tang Wen grabbed her hand. A moment later, she felt as if a cold, light veil had been draped over her, sending a faint chill through her body.

Her vision shifted. She felt detached from the world around her, yet everything still seemed within arm’s reach.

"This way."

Ignoring the thunderclouds overhead, Tang Wen led Feng San Niang up the black mountain.

CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

They had been climbing for less than half a minute.

A mouse the size of a goat, its eyes glinting with a scarlet light, sniffed around the spot they had just left.

"This doesn’t seem like a Sixth Grade Tracking Mouse, does it?" Feng San Niang was no Beastmaster, but as a prodigy of the Commerce Association, she had a discerning eye.

"It’s an Extraordinary one." As a Beastmaster Grandmaster, Tang Wen saw through it at a glance.

Hu Niannian, perched on Tang Wen’s shoulder, also joined their telepathic conversation. "That’s right. It’s an Extraordinary Exotic Beast. Its sense of smell is quite sharp."

As they spoke, there was another disturbance from the path they had come from.

A black-robed figure rounded the corner, appearing behind the Tracking Mouse.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"

The large mouse cried out, spinning in circles on the spot.

The two humans and one tiger, still concealed, hid quietly behind a rock and watched.

A pair of deathly pale hands, covered in blue veins, extended from beneath the black robes. A few muffled, indistinct words came from its mouth.

The Extraordinary Tracking Mouse immediately began to expand its search area.

Tang Wen and Feng San Niang exchanged a glance, and the two of them, along with the White Tiger, retreated further back.

The latter couldn’t help but ask via telepathy, "That thing just now... it felt very strange."

Tang Wen nodded, recalling what Hu Yun had said in the bath: ’The ones in black robes... they don’t seem alive.’

Hu Niannian nodded its cat head and wrinkled its nose. "The stench of blood is thick. It’s the smell of a corpse."

Looking at the thunderclouds not far overhead, Feng San Niang guessed, "The thunderclouds didn’t strike him. Does that mean he’s Sixth Grade?"

"Hard to say. Something’s strange. Let’s just watch for now."

’With only a White Tiger whose strength was suppressed to the Sixth Grade, plus Feng San Niang, a top-tier Sixth Grade fighter, he had a total of two Sixth Grade combatants. Tang Wen really didn’t want to take the risk.’

A gust of wind blew past.

The White Tiger scented something and turned its head to look in another direction. "There’s a Sixth Grade Thunder Lizard over there. Definitely Sixth Grade."

Feng San Niang suggested, "Should we lure it over?"

The White Tiger was about to nod.

But then Tang Wen said, "No. A Sixth Grade Thunder Lizard might be lazy, but it’s very smart. If we suddenly appear there, it might not fall for the trap."

"Then what do we do?"

"Let’s try this."

Tang Wen jutted his chin, pointing toward the black-robed person and the large mouse below.

Feng San Niang furrowed her brows. ’Isn’t tricking a person harder than tricking a lizard?’

However, she didn’t argue with her sweetheart. Staying alert, she obediently followed him.

Once they had put some distance between themselves and the black-robed person...

Tang Wen looked at Feng San Niang and whispered a few words in her ear.

A blush crept onto Lady Feng’s cheeks.

Hu Niannian tucked its paws in, disgruntled. ’I heard everything. Who do you think you’re fooling with your little secrets?’

Feng San Niang opened her Void Stone.

With a hint of anger in her eyes, she took a small piece of red cloth into her hand.

Tang Wen took it. It was silky smooth and still warm to the touch. He couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, "How exquisite."

"Pfft! Have you no shame? Examining a woman’s clothing like that."

"You’re right, now isn’t the time." Tang Wen reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I’ll have to study it properly later."

Feng San Niang’s heart skipped a beat, and she shot him a sidelong glance.

Pinching the triangular piece of cloth between two fingers, Tang Wen extended his hand outside their sphere of invisibility.

The little white cat, Twenty-one, waved a paw, and a gentle breeze drifted past.

It carried the scent from the cloth towards the Tracking Mouse.

Tang Wen felt like an angler today, using his lover’s intimate apparel as bait.

’If he didn’t manage to reel his target in, he would feel deep down that it was all a terrible waste.’

They raced along until the little white cat’s voice sounded in his ear, "We’re here."

He stopped in his tracks and deftly stored the small piece of cloth in his own Void Stone.

Feng San Niang, who had extended her hand, pulled it back.

’She hadn’t known Tang Wen for long and wasn’t sure if her sweetheart was just teasing her or if he was genuinely into this sort of thing.’

Rounding a bend, the two of them held their breath and looked ahead.

The Thunder Lizard’s rough, cyan, rock-like skin resembled a moving stone wall. A single horn grew from the top of its head.

A light sweep of its thick tail sent countless pieces of ore tumbling down.

The Thunder Lizard lowered its head and began to chew.

Its sword-like teeth ground together, and the ore shattered like brittle crackers.

Flashes of lightning-like energy sparked intermittently on its horn.

The two humans and one cat crept closer.

Before they knew it, they had reached a downwind position. Tang Wen once again took out the small piece of cloth.

He waved it in the air for a bit, and even picked up a relatively clean rock to rub it on.

Then, he handed it to Feng San Niang.

She looked at the sullied piece of clothing and narrowed her eyes. "...I thought you were going to keep it!"

Tang Wen smiled. "Next time, for sure."

"Pfft, dream on." She raised her hand, about to throw it away.

This small, satin-like red cloth was woven by embroiderers. Not only was it time-consuming and laborious to make, but the materials weren’t cheap either. In Ganshan City, it was considered a luxury item.

’Besides, this was the first time Tang Wen had taken her... To throw it away, she felt a little reluctant.’

So, with a flick of her wrist, she tucked it into her Void Stone.

HISS!

The Thunder Lizard suddenly whipped its head around, looking in their direction.

Tang Wen gently pulled Feng San Niang back, his right hand instinctively resting on the cat’s back.

Hu Niannian arched its cat back. ’Ah Wen still knows to protect me. Not bad, not bad. But it’s just a big lizard. If it really charges, I’ll just block it.’

’Tang Wen’s heart pounded with anxiety. He didn’t know much about Thunder Lizards and couldn’t be sure if it had discovered them.’