The body of the Purple Lightning Beast trembled slightly, feeling a mix of anger and shame. It couldn’t believe it encountered the same human again, and now it had been ridden twice!
“Don’t be nervous, there’s no need to be afraid. I once met a Purple Lightning Beast much braver than you. It was wild and unruly, baring its teeth at me, wagging its tail,” Qin Ming reassured it.
However, he soon realized that this summoned mount was trembling even more violently. Was its courage truly that small?
The fur of the Purple Lightning Beast stood on end in indignation; it felt like it might explode where it stood!
It was a good thing this enemy hadn’t recognized it, but how could it endure being humiliated again behind its back?
Baring teeth and wagging tails, what nonsense was this? With its noble status, how could it act so out of character? The Purple Lightning Beast wanted to scream in frustration!
“Quickly, let’s chase that person from earlier!” Qin Ming urged, telling it that once it started running, it wouldn’t feel so nervous anymore.
The Purple Lightning Beast was more than just angry; it felt like it might ascend from the ground in outrage!
If it were not for knowing that this human had a sticky strength, almost like a stubborn plaster that couldn’t be shaken off, it would have already thrown him off and kicked him until his face was unrecognizable.
It endured, taking small, hesitant steps forward to jog along.
The Purple Lightning Beast knew this man was strange; he had single-handedly wiped out Golden Rooster Ridge.
It silently waited for an opportunity. After all, it had been reborn four times, and it was no longer the same as before!
It carefully assessed their strengths. As long as the man wasn’t on its back, it believed it could kick him away.
“Stop, something feels off,” Qin Ming said, patting its back.
The Purple Lightning Beast felt its fur bristle, cursing silently. This man was such a bother, first urging to chase someone, then stopping again.
Qin Ming’s expression grew serious, his senses sharpening, feeling something was amiss.
In this sparsely wooded lakeside area, he easily spotted a peculiar “situation” lurking in the dark.
He noticed a Night Sparrow sitting still, nearly blending into a tree branch in the night, clearly watching him.
Qin Ming was furious. What kind of big force had sent this creature?
Hadn’t he disguised himself as a chubby person? How could they still spot him?
Maintaining an expressionless face, he continued to observe in silence, noticing another crow, which seemed not only to be watching him but also appeared quite nervous.
He had just entered the mountains, and already someone had sent cunning birds to tail him.
Qin Ming had no mood to chase after the gray-cloaked figure anymore; the hidden danger at hand demanded his attention.
Though he hadn’t brought the conspicuous heavy bow he had seized from Zhao Jingshuo, he still carried the bow and arrows he had bought earlier.
There was no doubt; both birds were clever and extremely vigilant, as soon as Qin Ming strung his bow, they both took off into the sky.
Unfortunately, they ran into Qin Ming, whose skills in archery were unmatched at such a distance!
“Ah, spare me, don’t kill me!” The Night Sparrow, known for its slippery nature, fell to the ground, its wing shot, begging for mercy.
The crow, with its resilient temperament, fell to the lakeside, silence in its fall despite being shot in both wings.
The Purple Lightning Beast muttered to itself that this was a disaster; even its secret watchers had been taken down.
Ever since its last mishap, it had to have two little companions keeping watch even while bathing. However, those two fools hadn’t done their job and were now caught.
The two birds felt wronged; who would have thought that man was so fast? Even the extremely perceptive Purple Lightning Beast had failed to react, so they naturally hadn’t noticed either.
Moreover, the two birds saw their master showing no resistance, leaving them a bit confused in deciding whether to report back.
“You, pull the iron arrow out of your wing and then come over here,” Qin Ming commanded.
The Night Sparrow felt it might go numb; what kind of ruthless person was this? Such indignities upon a bird!
The Night Sparrow, with its small hand-sized frame, was entirely light blue, its eyes like black gems—clearly a clever thief bird. Despite the excruciating pain, it struggled to free itself from the iron arrow.
“Go help that crow,” Qin Ming instructed.
The crow, which had been shot twice, wanted to roll its eyes; who was the crow here?!
“Master, that’s a Magpie, just oversized. Crows have black beaks so they are often called ‘black beaks.’ The Magpie has a yellow beak—oh, that’s gold,” the Night Sparrow chattered while helping the Magpie pull out the arrow.
Qin Ming, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, “Who asked you to explain? Blabbermouth!”
The blue Night Sparrow immediately fell silent, feeling it had put its foot in its mouth!
“You two, come over here,” Qin Ming threatened, bow and arrow in hand.
In the end, both birds flapped their wings and awkwardly landed on Qin Ming’s shoulder.
They felt as though their entire bodies were stuck, unable to struggle against a uniquely powerful force.
In that instant, the two sentinels of the Purple Lightning Beast guessed that this must be the same person who had caused their master to rage and grind her teeth last time, the one who acted like a "sticky plaster."
What… had they run into again? The two birds felt it was ludicrous and unbelievable, doubting their master’s incredible bad luck—she must be fuming!
The Purple Lightning Beast and the two birds were both cursing under their breath, feeling terribly upset.
Qin Ming was equally troubled; now on this journey, everything was going wrong and the pressure was immense.
He sighed, “The enemy never rests in seeking my downfall.”
Then, like a fierce spirit, he stared at the two birds, saying, “Tell me, who sent you? How long have you been secretly following me?”
What’s going on? The two birds were stunned, confused, bewildered.
“Look at those innocent little eyes. Are you trying to play dumb? Hurry up and tell me, or I’ll smack you both into meat patties!” Qin Ming warned.
With that, he slapped the back of the Purple Lightning Beast, producing a crisp sound.
The effect was immediate; the two birds trembled in fear, shocked at how their master was struck!
The Purple Lightning Beast let out an angry cry, its fur glowing with vibrant purple mist; it was truly fed up and had never suffered such indignities before.
But just at that moment, it horrifyingly sensed that the man bore an incredibly potent energy compared to the last time they met—had he… broken through?
The thought of battling this opponent suddenly faded; for now, it would endure!
“Crow, we’ll start with you. If you dare say even a single wrong word, I’ll pull out a hundred of your feathers on the spot!” Qin Ming threatened, believing the Night Sparrow was too sly, starting with the darker bird.
“Master, I swear I won't lie, though I can't be entirely sure if every word I say is precise, since I'm not human and don’t have such linguistic talent. Also… I’m a Magpie.” Its voice trailed off, intimidated by the glaring human.
“Are you expecting me to call you ‘brother’? You’re a crow now; don’t give me useless information.”
“Fine, I’m a crow, but that doesn’t mean I’m lying.” The Magpie insisted firmly.
It then swore it had never monitored Qin Ming, had never seen him before, and had no ties to him.
“Master, how could we provoke you out of nowhere? We belong to the mountains…” The Night Sparrow also swore it had never seen Qin Ming before, reminding that if it lied, it wished for its entire clan to be destroyed.
Qin Ming looked at it, questioning if such a cunning bird could swear with such conviction.
He recalled along the way there hadn’t been anyone following him.
“So what are you doing here?” Qin Ming questioned sternly.
The Night Sparrow replied, “Master, have you heard of the black market in the night fog? It shows up once a month in the mountains. We wanted to follow the esteemed Purple Lightning Beast in hopes of sneaking in.”
Qin Ming’s interest piqued; he had heard Xu Sheng mention it. It was a special place for trading between humans and beasts, requiring an invitation from someone familiar to enter, held once a month.
It was said the black market divided into levels; the higher the level, the further one had to travel into the mountains. Although there wasn't a mountain lord here, many dangerous creatures still dwelled deep within the mountains.
“What level of night market is this?” Qin Ming asked, feeling his interest grow, for if they were all beings at the mutation stage, he would not fear anything.
Beasts were like humans; those that had mutated nine times were exceptional and almost never encountered.
Qin Ming had tested the power of the energy fusion of his own seven reborn bodies, feeling that he could safely explore the black market in the night fog.
He didn’t fear being targeted by monsters; if any beings at the mutation stage followed him, it might satisfy what he currently needed.
“May I join you to sneak in?” Qin Ming inquired of the Purple Lightning Beast.
The Purple Lightning Beast stomped its hoof, shattering the rock beneath. Would it lose its hard-earned reputation by bringing this sticky plaster into its den? It would never hold its head high again!
The Night Sparrow chimed in, “Master, going in like this is certainly unwise. Other creatures seeing you riding such a noble Purple Lightning Beast would surely attract unwanted attention. You’d stand out too much; a crane among chickens, a tree standing tall in the woods will simply face the storm."
Qin Ming nodded in agreement and jumped down, realizing that the Night Sparrow’s advice made sense.
But his hand didn’t leave the Purple Lightning Beast; the sticky strength was always at his disposal.
“Brother Purple? Sister Purple? You wouldn’t hold a grudge for me riding on you again, would you? I trust you won’t; you seem quite agreeable now—much better than the previous fierce Purple Lightning Beast. I just want to broaden my horizons; can I travel with you?”
Mainly because Qin Ming’s confidence had grown, his own strength sufficient for self-preservation in such a place. Plus, with his appearance changed, he wouldn’t fear getting in trouble.
“Is your old nest not nearby? I’ll warn you in advance, if I run into trouble, you’ll definitely explode before I do.” After saying this, Qin Ming summoned the combined energy of his skills, dazzling light spilling from his right hand as he gently waved, and a massive rock along the path silently shattered.
No sound was more terrifying than the sound of destruction itself.
The Purple Lightning Beast tightened its body, feeling this rascal was now a hundred times more terrifying than last time, yet how had he become so fat after removing his mask and armor? It silently cursed: fat bastard!
“Brother Purple? Sister Purple? The two birds say you are noble; where is your home, and which mountain range do you reside in?” Qin Ming asked to lighten the mood.
The Purple Lightning Beast thought that if it mentioned the name of its secret place, this human would be scared to death, but it might also kill the beast to silence it.
“Just now you said Brother Purple or Sister Purple is noble; where does that nobility lie?” Qin Ming asked the talkative birds.
“Born with divine patterns,” the Night Sparrow boasted, wanting to flatter more without revealing too much, responding with just four words.
“Hmm, let me take a closer look; it seems you have some faint mysterious patterns on your neck—wait, are you even wearing fake mane? You’re not pretending to be bald, are you?” Qin Ming exclaimed, surprised, noticing the Purple Lightning Beast had an extra layer of skin beneath its neck.
“You're the one pretending to be bald! That’s my clothing!” The Purple Lightning Beast almost let slip its true voice, wanting to curse out loud.
“That’s just to keep a low profile. An entire body of divine patterns would be too eye-catching,” the Night Sparrow clarified.
This particular black market in the night fog was located in a valley, heavy with mist, guarded by a mountain monster that had mutated six times.
As Qin Ming approached, he warned, “You all better keep perfect expressions, or if I suspect anything strange, I will explode you on the spot, and you’ll better have smiles on your faces.”
He suspected he might run into familiar beasts from the Purple Lightning Beast's mountain.
But he didn’t mind; perhaps through this, he could gather some spiritual substances that would allow him to be reborn for the fifth time.
The valley was bustling with all kinds of life, from masked humans to stumbling one-horned giant bears, silver-feathered birds of prey, and numerous other unnamed creatures.
After just a brief look around, Qin Ming sensed something was off because the attention drawn by the Purple Lightning Beast was quite high; some remarkably notable creatures were watching them.
“Things are looking bad!” he realized, severely underestimating the identity of the Purple Lightning Beast.
“Hmm, I’m not worried; I can handle the current monsters. Make sure to check for rare items quickly; if not, we’ll run,” Qin Ming assessed simply.
Soon, he was shocked, as his energy resonated with a particular yellow stone at a vendor's stand, feeling an urge to… devour it.
What was this situation? He had never experienced anything like this before.
Then he noticed something wrong; as he reached for that palm-sized stone, it seemed to reflect a force.
“How much for this stone?” Qin Ming asked.
“It’s worthless; it’s just for holding up the stall cloth. If you like it, I’ll give it to you,” said the humanoid mountain monster grinning with green fur and fierce features.
Although it seemed polite in its words, its eyes were fixed eagerly on the Purple Lightning Beast.
Qin Ming figured it didn’t realize what the stone was, and it was probably trying to curry favor with the Purple Lightning Beast, hence the generosity.
“I’ll give you one day gold,” Qin Ming quickly pocketed the stone, ready to run as he sensed something was off about the Purple Lightning Beast.
“Hmm, how much for this book?” He had just not left when he saw an ancient book at a nearby stall, resonance surging through him, and he immediately halted.
“Ten day gold, it’s nothing significant,” the mountain monster proclaimed with enthusiasm.
The Purple Lightning Beast was about to explode, cursing under its breath; did they think this human was a friend? They were losing money, and the beast was being dragged into this situation!
It realized Qin Ming was using it to pick up discounts, and although it was furious, it dared not show it. It feared what might happen if that terrifying palm reached for it; most notably, there were no high-level beasts here.