Chapter 145 - 145. Hunter Group
Apart from being rare, also because the animal is very dangerous. There are several incidents where there are humans who are desperate to find the animal but what happens? Not that he managed to catch the beast but that he died from falling prey to that tiger. That's why it's so expensive.
"Alright, thank you," said Fu Xie Lan and then instructed Wan Lie, Xue Ning, and Ju Xian to put their prey on the cart belonging to the hunting group.
"You two, keep entering the forest check the traps we set yesterday," came the order from the group leader to the other two peoples.
"The rest, follow me, return to the village to escort our guest," he said then laughed.
Guided by six people from the hunting group they met, Fu Xie Lan and her three friends finally came out of the forest of the Zu kingdom.
The first sight they met was a meadow that wasn't that wide, across the meadow there were several houses of residents lined up neatly.
"By the way, which village are these Mr and Miss from?" asked the group leader.
"Ah, before that, let me introduce myself, I am the leader of this group. Qian Cheng, you can call me Uncle Cheng," said the man kindly.
"Alright Uncle Cheng, thank you," Xue Ning said when she saw that Fu Xie Lan had no intention of answering the man at all.
"If I may know, which village are you from?"
"Erm, Oh that. Have you ever heard of a remote village at the edge of the Zu kingdom?" Fu Xie Lan suddenly spoke up, asking back without answering the middle-aged man's question.
"Secluded village at the end of the kingdom?"
"Yes, Uncle. The village is directly adjacent to another kingdom. Have you heard of it?" asked Fu Xie Lan again?
Wan Lie and the other two were slightly confused by Fu Xie Lan's question. Why did the girl ask such a thing? Even they do not know whether such a place exists or not.
Uncle Cheng was silent for a moment, "Secluded village huh? Hmm Oh yeah. Yes I remember now, I did hear about that Village. So you guys are from there?" said Uncle Cheng.
Fu Xie Lan who heard this had a smile on her face. In Fu Xie Lan's original memory, the girl had studied the geographic location of the Zu kingdom.
Never in history, that there was a village in the Zu Kingdom that was directly adjacent to another kingdom. as previously suspected. The hunter group had other intentions for her and the friends she was with.
Who is she? She is Clara the best former agent in her organization. She has met many types of people. Judging one person or group in one meeting is not difficult for her.
Perhaps the hunters thought that they would take advantage of Fu Xie Lan and company. They will never think that what is being used here is their group.
This was only Fu Xie Lan's conjecture. Whether it's true or not, time will tell.
'Miss, be careful. They seem to have bad intentions' Hao's voice buzzed in her mind.
'Why do you say such a thing?' Fu Xie Lan asked. Even Hao who was her magic beast spirit felt the same way.
'Just watch their gazes, Miss. It seems to be skinning you alive. Especially over there, his smile annoys me,' Hao said after turning his back to look at every one of them. The creature was perched on Fu Xie Lan's shoulder ever since his Miss left the forest of the Zu kingdom.
'Alright, thanks for reminding me,' Fu Xie Lan replied. Even though Hao didn't say anything like that, she already felt a little strange. And after hearing all Hao's words made her even more sure of her feelings and all her guesses.
'Don't worry Miss, I will protect you wherever you go,' Hao said.
Hearing this, Fu Xie Lan was silent and no longer replied to the furry little creature.
Returning to the conversation, Fu Xie Lan then responded to the middle-aged man's words. "Has Uncle Cheng been there?" she asked, turning to the man.
"Erm, about that, I've never been there but I did ever meet someone from that village," Uncle Chen replied and it managed to make a Fu Xie Lan grin behind her mask.
"Once in a while Uncle Cheng should visit there," said Fu Xie Lan to the middle-aged man.
"Yes, hopefully, one day I can visit your village, kid," Uncle Cheng replied then laughed. 'It's so easy to get this little boy's heart,' he thought.
Fu Xie Lan also laughed in response, whether she was happy that she had succeeded in deceiving the hunting group or because of the stupidity of Qian Chen, the leader of the hunting group.
They then continued on their way. Stepping on the expanse of grassland, the cool atmosphere they felt earlier in the forest of the Zu kingdom slowly faded to be replaced by the scorching sun, the breeze that blew created a dance on the grass. They walked along a path that looked like it was splitting two meadows.
'Hao, can you make contact with anyone other than me?' said Fu Xie Lan inviting Hao to speak.
'What is it Miss?' replied the little creature.
'I want you to send a signal to Ju Xian, Wan Lie, and Xue Ning.'
'Maybe I can Miss, but it will drain my mana a lot,' Hao replied.
Magic beast spirits could communicate with anyone, but it required a huge amount of mana especially if it wasn't their contractor. Even so, Hao never tried to make contact with anyone except his Master, as he had no interest in it and would only harm him.
But if Fu Xie Lan wanted that, then anything he would do as long as it could help the girl. Of course, like a magic beast spirit, Hao was eager to be of use to his new master.
Besides, the only person who can enter his mind and talk to him only by his Master, no. There's one more person. That man, the man with the grey hair who was always near his Miss, 'Gu Yi'. During his life as a Magic beast spirit, that had never happened to him.
'Is that so?' asked Fu Xie Lan.
'True miss, but if you want it. I'll do it,' Hao replied.
'So all this time, when I was talking to you. I'm indirectly draining your energy a lot?' asked Fu Xie Lan when she realized that.
'Not, Miss. It is something special for anyone who becomes my Master. I can communicate with her/him without draining any of my mana, and that goes for you too, Miss,' Hao replied.
'Oh that is good,' said Fu Xie Lan with relief. Even though Hao is just a magic beast spirit, she will feel very guilty if she harms the creature while all she gets is profit.