A Helping Hand

Lan Mu acted at once, casting aside his doubts about human society. He turned and climbed up the mountain, using all four limbs. The steep slope was as flat ground beneath his feet. Digging his limbs into the rocks, he forcibly hauled his body upward! His movements were clumsy, but extremely effective.

Before long, he reached the area near the viewing platform halfway up the mountain. This was where he had fallen from.

Along the way, he could still see the bloodstains he had left on the slope when he rolled down.

"Damn it! If I find out who ambushed Laozi, I'll kill him!"

He was furious. Everything had started with that ambush, and now that he thought about it, the matter was highly suspicious.

It was his first time in Fuzhou City. He knew no one here, much less had any grudges. Why had someone attacked him for no reason?

And it was clear they had not been after his money. They had knocked him out and thrown him straight off the mountain. Not even robbers were that vicious!

After pondering it for a while, Lan Mu vaguely felt that this might be related to the poaching case. His only connection to this place was making that report.

It was also his own fault for being careless when questioning them. He had exposed his identity while speaking with the attendant. Could it be that the scenic area staff themselves were involved with the Poaching Gang?

"Tch, is this even something I can worry about now? I'm not even human anymore... Sigh, I should fill my stomach first!"

At the scenic area railing, a huge White-haired Lion nimbly flipped over it, bent low, arched its back, and crept along the mountain path.

There were quite a few tourists nearby, but they were all busy taking pictures, as though no one had noticed a monster approaching.

Lan Mu had already activated his Innate Ability and entered the Invisibility State. As long as he did not attack or touch anyone, he would not be discovered.

So he brazenly slipped to the cable car exit, outside the duty room window.

But getting here had been easy. Taking fire away with him was the difficult part.

There were people constantly coming and going at the cable car exit. Though not many, he absolutely could not let anyone see his appearance, or it would cause a huge panic.

Nearly everyone here had a camera or was filming with a phone. If they saw him, they would definitely leave behind images of him. If those spread...

As someone who worked at a newspaper, he naturally knew just how powerful the spread of information was in modern society. If he were discovered, this place would become famous—wildly famous!

Who had ever seen a White-haired Lion walking upright? A three-legged dog could make the news. If he were exposed, wouldn't people go insane?

But the problem was that the duty room was not hidden at all. It had been built right beside the cable car disembarkation point. The staff had to ensure every passenger got off safely, so naturally they stayed close by.

And the moment he made a move and touched someone, his invisibility would immediately be canceled.

"What am I supposed to do? Smoking is prohibited at this viewing platform, and no one would leave a lighter out in the open. If I want fire, I'll have to get handsy."

Lan Mu hesitated and deliberated for several minutes, and soon felt his body weakening.

He understood that his body could not hold on any longer. Invisibility itself consumed enormous energy. If he did not leave soon, he might reveal himself automatically.

Just as he was scratching his head in frustration, his nose suddenly twitched, catching the scent of food.

Looking closely, he saw many tourists sitting on the prepared stone benches, taking food from their bags and digging in heartily.

"Seems like it's mealtime... Oh my god! Don't eat in front of me! Do you people have no humanity?"

Seeing this, Lan Mu's hunger pains grew sharper, and his stomach rumbled loudly.

He was enormous, and his stomach was even more formidable than a cow's. The rumbling was exceptionally loud, like the sound of a flushing toilet, immediately drawing the attention of nearby tourists. They all looked his way.

Lan Mu was frantic. His instincts told him that his invisibility could only last a few more seconds.

"I'm done for. I have to leave immediately!"

Just as Lan Mu was about to go, a young man walked over while holding and eating a sausage, blocking his path.

"Th-this..."

Blocked by the young man, Lan Mu noticed quite a few people nearby moving closer, apparently wanting to find out what had made such a huge noise.

"Do you people have to be this curious?"

Lan Mu knew he could not escape within three seconds. His lion head swung swiftly, and he immediately leaped into a small single-story building nearby. Only after entering did he realize it was a restroom!

At the same time, his body flickered. He had become utterly exhausted and was forcibly ejected from the Invisibility State.

"Damn it." Lan Mu had no time to think. He pulled open a door and hid inside.

How clean could a scenic area restroom possibly be? His sense of smell was extremely sharp, and he could not help regretting hiding in such a terrible place.

The stall was tiny. He was taller than the door, so he did not dare raise his head. He could only curl himself up and squeeze into the cramped space as best he could.

People came and went through the restroom constantly, but his stall door remained shut, so naturally no one disturbed him.

He was temporarily safe hiding here, though he was suffering terribly.

After using his ability for too long, his body had no strength left and his mind was languishing. The ferocity of a Hunter kept battering at his sanity.

The king of the jungle, a born Hunter, was actually hiding in a cramped restroom while starving. The torment this inflicted on this body was simply unbearable.

"I want meat!"

Lan Mu was so hungry that he could no longer endure it, and he actually roared aloud.

That roar had felt good to let out, but it scared the person in the neighboring stall so badly that they nearly collapsed. Only after a long while did he recover and start cursing.

"What the hell are you howling for? Can't even take a shit in peace. You want meat? Are you brain-dead?"

After being cursed at, Lan Mu froze, then became delighted instead of angry. He realized that he could speak human language!

He had not communicated with anyone for six days and had nearly forgotten that he could talk.

Thinking of this, he was overjoyed and hurriedly placated the man. "Bro! Bro! I was wrong, don't be angry!"

The man was squatting in the stall next to his. Hearing Lan Mu apologize, his tone softened somewhat. "That's more like it. Why were you roaring? With that huge voice, Laozi thought you'd turned into a zombie!"

Lan Mu felt like crying. This was not turning into a zombie. He was far more powerful than a zombie.

He hurriedly said, "Brother, can we discuss something? Could you do me a favor?"

The man did not seem suspicious at all and casually replied, "What? Didn't bring toilet paper?"

"Cough, cough..." Lan Mu gave a bitter smile. "No..."

"Then what do you need?" The man was puzzled and curious.

"I... Well, I want to eat meat..." Lan Mu said awkwardly.

"..." Silence came from the neighboring stall. After a while, the man finally said, "You've been squatting so long that you worked up an appetite?"

"Sigh, brother, I'm begging you. Please help me out!" Lan Mu could not explain, so he could only plead.

The man was genuinely amused by him and laughed. "I've lived this long, and this is the first time I've heard of this!"

"People borrow toilet paper. People borrow cigarettes. Even borrowing a phone would make sense!"

"I'm saying, brother, what's this supposed to mean? Are you messing with me? You got hungry while using the restroom? And you fucking want meat?"

"I, Yang Qi, am a warmhearted person. I wouldn't stand by over some minor matter, but what kind of request is this? You can't shit without eating meat first? Does that make any sense?"

Lan Mu fell silent. I know my request is excessive, but do you have to ramble on this much? Forget it. Just endure it.

Seeing that Lan Mu did not speak, the man did not continue either. Before long, Lan Mu heard the sound of pants being pulled up next door, followed by a flush.

Yang Qi came out, knocked on the door of Lan Mu's stall, and laughed. "Say something. Did you faint from hunger and fall into the pit?"

"Damn..." Lan Mu was stunned. This guy's mouth was vicious.

"Oh, there's still movement. You really don't need help? Want a cigarette?" Yang Qi seemed terribly bored, his tone playful.

Lan Mu paused, then said, "Brother, if you can give me a lighter, that works too. I'd be very grateful."

Yang Qi became interested. "Now it's a lighter? You don't want meat anymore?"

Lan Mu's hunger truly made his stomach twist in pain. Hearing the word meat, he could not stop his stomach from rumbling loudly.

"Whoa! You really can shit. So that noise from earlier was you? How long have you been squatting there? Forget it, I'll give you my lighter. I've also got some sausages. Take them too!" Yang Qi was actually kindhearted, passing the lighter and sausages through the gap beneath the door.

Lan Mu moved his claws and said, "Thank you, brother. Just put them on the floor."

Yang Qi found that strange, but he still placed them down. He blinked, and the things he had just set down were already gone.

As he was wondering about it, he heard the sound of packaging being torn inside. Clearly, Lan Mu had already eaten the sausage.

"Brother, do you have any more?" Lan Mu shamelessly asked. After eating one sausage, he was even hungrier.

Yang Qi stared blankly at the stall and said, "Seriously? Are you treating the restroom like a restaurant?"

"Ah... I... Sorry, I'm really starving to death. My name is Lan Mu, and I'm from Shanghai. I'm in an emergency here. I'll definitely repay you someday." Lan Mu had no choice. He truly did not dare show himself, so he could only make an empty promise.

Yang Qi did not care about being repaid or not. He smiled and walked out of the restroom.

Hearing him leave, Lan Mu sighed. He thought that he would probably have to hold out until nightfall before he could possibly escape back into the mountains.

But before long, he heard footsteps again, followed by that familiar teasing voice.

"Brother, are ten sausages enough?"

Lan Mu froze, then was overjoyed. He said excitedly, "Brother! You're practically my own brother! Thank you so much."

He instantly grabbed all ten sausages from beneath the door. His sharp claws ripped open the wrappers, and with one opening of his bloody maw, he swallowed them all in a single bite.

Smacking his lips, he remembered the money in his pocket. Those people who ambushed him had not taken his money at all, and now it might finally come in handy.

"Brother, catch. Two hundred yuan."

Yang Qi was just about to leave when he heard that and saw two red banknotes lying beneath the door.

"Heh, I don't want money. It was just a helping hand in an emergency. It's nothing." Yang Qi refused the money and turned to leave.

Lan Mu panicked and shouted, "Brother! I'm begging you..."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Well... can you buy another hundred sausages?"

"..." Yang Qi stared at the tightly shut stall in astonishment, speechless for a long while.