Rich Second-Gen, Day Seventeen

Everyone was surprised that Xiao Wu had obtained her Second Spirit Ring, but no one pressed the matter. They were all Shrek Seven Devils—who didn't have a few things they didn't want to talk about? Flender even sighed in relief, saying that meant there was one less Spirit Ring they needed to find. Xiao Wu's guilt eased considerably.

A month had passed. Perhaps partly because of the soul beasts' self-destruction a few days ago, Dai Mubai still hadn't found a suitable tiger-type soul beast. Oscar also needed a new Spirit Ring, so everyone prepared to venture deeper toward the other side of the Star Dou Great Forest, hoping for new gains.

Nian Nian was still traveling with them. The little one's appetite had been growing lately. Whenever it smelled everyone eating, it wanted to take a bite as tax. Its domineering nature was beginning to show; after provoking someone, it would just meow at them a few times, and all their anger would vanish. Recently, Nian Nian's preferred ride had become Zhao Wuji's nape, greatly easing Ming Sui and the others' burden.

Another day without a target. Fortunately, Dai Mubai was open-minded and could remain calm. Everyone efficiently set up camp according to their assignments. Before long, the fragrance of food drifted through the air, and it involuntarily loosened everyone's tense nerves.

Ming Sui finished tending the campfire, washed her hands, and picked up Nian Nian again. To keep Nian Nian from begging for their dinner, she planned to fill its stomach before the meal. The little one was still too young to understand how devious pretty girls could be. It bravely launched its assault the moment it saw dinner, and soon its belly was round and full.

Then the round-bellied Nian Nian watched everyone eat meat! Fragrant meat! Glistening, oily meat!

Nian Nian wanted to eat, but Nian Nian couldn't eat anymore. Its big green eyes stared fixedly at the meat, looking exactly like a starving wolf on the wasteland. Nian Nian was sad. Nian Nian was dissatisfied. Nian Nian was about to cry.

"This trick probably won't work tomorrow. Our Nian Nian is very smart." Oscar stroked Nian Nian's head, his hand still carrying the lingering oily scent of grilled meat. Nian Nian clung to his fingers and refused to let go. Oscar mischievously raised his hand higher, making Nian Nian squeak in distress.

The camp was filled with cheerful energy.

The little cub had limited energy after all, and everyone soon played it tired. It fell asleep in Ming Sui's arms, its little mouth smacking away. It seemed to be eating grilled meat in its dreams, softening everyone's hearts. Xiao Wu took the sleeping Nian Nian from her. Ming Sui would take the first watch tonight.

The weather was excellent, and they had chosen the campsite perfectly. From this clearing, they could see a sky full of stars. Insect-repelling powder had been scattered around beforehand, so there were no insect calls—only the crackling of the campfire and the bubbling of boiling water.

Tang San took out a cup and poured Ming Sui a drink. It was her favorite Lotus Leaf Dew.

A gift for a gift. Ming Sui understood what he meant.

The hot drink dispelled the damp chill of the night. The Blue Silver Grass swayed with the wind, while the stars continued to glitter overhead.

"What would you like to drink next time?" Tang San asked.

Ming Sui was about to answer when Tang San's expression abruptly turned stern. "Enemy attack."

The plants truly were loyal. By the time the Wind Thunder Scorpion swarm launched its full assault, everyone was already prepared for battle.

Wind Thunder Scorpions were social creatures that favored damp environments and were unafraid of insect-repelling powder. Their Wind Blades were also highly destructive when gathered together, while Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame was their greatest nemesis.

This was a highly organized scorpion swarm. At the front were two powerful hundred-year Wind Thunder Scorpions. In the middle was a dense mass of ten-year and nearly hundred-year Wind Thunder Scorpions. Bringing up the rear was the swarm's leader, a thousand-year Wind Thunder Scorpion.

Phoenix Flame lit up the night sky, allowing everyone to see more clearly. The densely packed scorpions made Ning Rongrong frown, but she still gritted her teeth and lit up the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, boosting everyone.

At the same time, a green-gold light barrier covered Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun as they charged ahead. Under the cover of Phoenix Flame, Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Stab swiftly sent Wind Thunder Scorpions flying one after another. Xiao Wu's grappling techniques were no less formidable; Waist Bow combined with her grappling techniques quickly cleared another patch of ground. Dai Mubai broke through everything with sheer force, while Tang San's Blue Silver Grass surged outward, strangling Wind Thunder Scorpions one after another.

With everyone covering him, Oscar chanted his soul spell and made sausages. The finished sausages were passed to Tang San's vines, which delivered them to whoever needed them.

"Watch out!" Ming Sui drew a throwing knife and hurled it at a hundred-year Wind Thunder Scorpion preparing to stab Oscar.

Clang! The throwing knife struck the hard scorpion tail, followed immediately by Ming Sui's flying kick. "Pretty sly. Little Ma, make the fire brighter. There are hundred-year Wind Thunder Scorpions circling behind us!"

Ma Hongjun's expression tightened as he increased his output. Their greatest treasures were behind them. Zhu Zhuqing also swiftly returned to defend, while Ming Sui had already raised the Staff of Life and engaged the treacherous little scorpion in battle.

Ever since awakening her martial soul, Ming Sui had taken up staff fighting again. After joining Shrek, she had often sought Li Yusong's guidance on long-staff techniques, and she had achieved some success. For the moment, she fought the hundred-year Wind Thunder Scorpion evenly.

The thousand-year Wind Thunder Scorpion had yet to make a move, but as it watched large numbers of ten-year and low hundred-year Wind Thunder Scorpions get slaughtered, it could no longer hold back. It launched Wind Blades at Ma Hongjun, the greatest threat, but Ming Sui's soul skill absorbed the damage. Ma Hongjun smugly increased his flames again and fiercely provoked the Wind Thunder Scorpion.

That move thoroughly enraged the thousand-year Wind Thunder Scorpion. It raised its tail and formed more Wind Blades. This time, they targeted not only Ma Hongjun, but also Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu at the front. Tang San swiftly controlled the Blue Silver Grass to form a barrier. The Wind Blades struck the Blue Silver Grass altered by demonic flames, sending sparks flying.

The thousand-year Wind Thunder Scorpion hadn't expected its enemies to be so difficult to deal with. With its swarm suffering grievous losses, it wanted to signal a retreat. The frontal Wind Thunder Scorpions could still withdraw, but the hundred-year Wind Thunder Scorpions that had circled behind to attack Oscar and Ning Rongrong were trapped. Ming Sui's relentless frontal assault and Zhu Zhuqing's elusive attacks left them miserable. Realizing the scorpion swarm was all bark and no bite, the Shrek group became even less restrained.

The hundred-year Wind Thunder Scorpion that had circled behind still failed to escape. After consulting Master, Oscar dealt the final blow to this seven-hundred-year Wind Thunder Scorpion and began recovering his Soul Power in preparation to absorb his Second Spirit Ring.

The thousand-year Wind Thunder Scorpion could no longer bear any greater losses. It hurriedly gathered its remaining kin and withdrew. Dai Mubai and the others also needed to prepare for Oscar to absorb the Spirit Ring. There was no need to chase a cornered enemy, so they let them go. When Ma Hongjun saw the last Wind Thunder Scorpion disappear from sight, he burst into laughter. "That was satisfying!" Flender immediately smacked him on the head.

"You were the main attacker tonight. Why didn't you maintain proper awareness? They circled behind us, and you still think that was satisfying? What were you doing?"

The fur atop Little Phoenix's head instantly drooped. "It was my fault."

"You may have had a satisfying time. You had the highest kill efficiency, but instead of moving flexibly, you stood there and attacked like a fixed turret. Everyone else bore the pressure for you. Mu Bai, talk to him properly. Teammates aren't there to wipe his ass. Covering for someone is one thing; leeching off them is another," Flender said sternly.

Dai Mubai pulled the obediently subdued Ma Hongjun aside.

Tang San still released a stalk of Blue Silver Grass to listen for movement around them. Then he heard Xiao Wu and Ming Sui discussing the uses of Wind Thunder Scorpions. "Their tail stingers are so hard. Could we add them when forging weapons?"

"I don't think anyone has used them that way before. Should we collect some and try it?" Ning Rongrong was very interested as well.

The girls immediately got to work, taking out daggers to test it. Ordinary daggers couldn't even remove the tail stingers of ten-year Wind Thunder Scorpions. Zhu Zhuqing possessed the Spirit Cat, sharp claws extending from her ten fingers as she cut off the tail stingers and placed them in a Storage Spirit Tool Ming Sui had emptied. The other girls also found sharper custom-made daggers and began collecting tail stingers. Tang San brought over his own forged tools to help.

When Ma Hongjun returned after Dai Mubai finished counseling him, he found everyone performing dissections together. Even Ning Rongrong, who had been disgusted at the sight of the scorpion swarm earlier, was now enthusiastically involved. He couldn't help but freeze.

"Dai Laoda, Little Ma, come help! We all think these tail stingers are very hard. Adding some during forging should produce great results. Hurry up and help collect them," Ming Sui called.

Having been criticized by the teacher for not being enough of a team player, Ma Hongjun felt lighter. My companions still don't dislike me. Thinking this, he walked briskly toward everyone.

Dai Mubai, who lagged behind, nodded at Ming Sui.

Under the teachers' protection, Oscar, restored to his best condition, began absorbing his Second Spirit Ring.

This hundred-year Wind Thunder Scorpion did not possess such powerful Spiritual Power and was relatively simple-minded. Judging from Oscar's expression, the process was far less dangerous than when Tang San absorbed that Bloodthirsty Demonic Flame Spider. The Shrek group, still jumpy from that experience, relaxed somewhat.

After cleaning up the battlefield—harvesting all the spoils—everyone sat to the side and recovered their Soul Power. Since the teachers were still helping, they might as well take advantage of it for as long as they could. Ming Sui also went into the tent to check on Nian Nian. Seeing it still sleeping soundly, she sighed in relief, then felt a little indignant. She poked its forehead. "Little piggy, oink oink oink." Tang San, who had come in with her to see Nian Nian, desperately suppressed the corners of his mouth.

The eastern sky gradually turned pale, and the night passed just like that. Facing east, Tang San practiced the Purple Demon Eye as usual. Only after the purple qi at the horizon dispersed did he finish. His eyes, still not entirely rid of their violet glow, met Ming Sui's when she came to call him.

Ming Sui felt as though she had been scanned by X-rays. It was also like tagging along with classmates to audit an elective traditional Chinese medicine class, only to be called up by the teacher for an on-the-spot pulse diagnosis. Fortunately, the feeling lasted only a brief moment.

"Sui Sui, I couldn't hold it back. Are you all right?" Tang San was a little flustered. He always seemed to mess things up around his cousin.

Ming Sui did not pay much attention to it. "I'm fine. The teachers called us over."