At the academy gates, Tang San and Xiao Wu were already waiting.
Big Black Ox stood beside them, leisurely swishing his tail.
Tang San was holding the reins of a carriage—not the battered one from Holy Soul Village, but a new one, with a spacious cabin and two plump, sturdy horses pulling it.
"Master!" Tang San came over. "I've rented a carriage. It's three Silver Spirit Coins a day!"
Su Mo nodded and glanced at the cabin.
It was quite spacious. There was room for four or five people.
Xiao Wu was already inside, leaning out the window and excitedly looking around.
Big Black Ox ambled up and settled into a comfortable spot.
Su Mo climbed aboard, while Tang San sat beside the driver and flicked the whip—
"Hyah!"
The carriage rolled away, heading toward the Star Dou Forest.
Yu Xiaogang crouched in a corner by the academy gates, shoulders hunched and eyes fixed on the entrance.
He'd been lying in wait here for a day and a half.
He'd waited all day yesterday and come up empty.
When he got back that night, he'd tossed and turned, unable to sleep, with Tang San on his mind the whole time.
He'd come back before dawn today to keep waiting.
Heaven rewards the diligent.
At last, he'd found what he was waiting for.
Yu Xiaogang saw Tang San lead out the carriage, saw Su Mo and Xiao Wu climb aboard, and saw it head out of the city.
His eyes lit up.
They were going to hunt Soul Beasts!
They had to be going to hunt Soul Beasts!
In his previous life, Tang San had killed a Datura Snake at the Royal Hunting Ground today and obtained his First Soul Ring!
Though there were a few more people this time, the general direction couldn't be wrong!
Yu Xiaogang trembled with excitement.
He stood up, ready to follow them.
Then he remembered a problem—
He was out of money.
Yesterday, the cafeteria staff had chased him for his debt, and he'd even pawned his ancestral jade pendant. Now he had only a dozen or so Copper Soul Coins to his name.
That wasn't enough to rent a carriage, or even a donkey.
Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth.
Never mind. He'd go see if he could find something cheap.
He hurried to the carriage shop beside the academy. As soon as he poked his head in, a shifty-eyed man sidled over.
"Looking to rent a carriage, sir?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
The man lowered his voice. "I've got a good deal. Half the price of the carriage shop. Interested?"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up. "Really?"
The man thumped his chest. "Of course! My horses are all top-notch—fast and steady, just like the ones at the carriage shop!"
Yu Xiaogang was tempted.
He took out all the money he had on him—seventeen Copper Soul Coins.
The man glanced at it and nodded. "That'll do, that'll do! Follow me!"
Yu Xiaogang followed him through a maze of turns until they reached a narrow alley.
At the end of it was tied a...
A...
Yu Xiaogang rubbed his eyes.
It was a dog.
No, was it really a dog?
The creature had a dog's head and body, but its four legs were thin as stalks. Its fur was patchy, revealing wrinkled skin underneath.
Most importantly—
It was old.
So old its eyes could barely open. It lay on the ground, panting feebly.
Yu Xiaogang's mouth twitched. "This is... a horse?"
The man nodded. "Yep, a horse! You've never seen this breed? It's called... uh... a Hyena Horse! Right, a Hyena Horse! It's incredibly fast!"
Yu Xiaogang: "..."
He pointed at the "Hyena Horse." "It can't even stand up."
The man walked over and kicked the creature.
It slowly got to its feet, its legs trembling as it swayed like it might fall apart at any moment.
The man looked proud. "See? It's standing! What a lively fellow!"
Yu Xiaogang fell silent.
He suddenly realized he might have been swindled.
But before he could say anything, the man had already stuffed the reins into his hand and run off.
"Deal's done! No refunds!"
Yu Xiaogang clutched the reins and looked at the creature before him...
A hyena?
An elderly hyena?
The creature looked back at him, its cloudy eyes filled with the bewilderment of someone wondering, "Which one of us has it worse?"
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath.
Forget it.
Something was better than nothing.
He swung himself onto its back—
Its four legs buckled, and it nearly collapsed.
Yu Xiaogang hurriedly steadied himself and patted its head.
"Go... come on."
The creature slowly started moving, swaying with every step as though it were walking on cotton.
Its speed was about the same as a human's walking pace.
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened.
He looked back toward the carriage shop—it was already out of sight.
Then he looked ahead—the carriage carrying Su Mo and the others had long since vanished.
He gritted his teeth.
It was fine. He knew where Tang San was headed.
The Royal Hunting Ground, a place he'd visited in his previous life.
He'd just have to ride slowly. He'd get there eventually.
On the main road.
Su Mo's carriage rolled along at an unhurried pace.
Inside, Xiao Wu leaned out the window, watching the scenery and humming an unfamiliar tune.
Big Black Ox lay in the corner, resting with its eyes closed.
Su Mo leaned against the carriage wall with his eyes shut, lost in thought.
Suddenly, Tang San's voice came from outside. "Master, I think someone's following us."
Su Mo opened his eyes, lifted the curtain, and looked back.
Far along the road was a tiny black dot.
It was moving very slowly, as slow as a crawling tortoise.
Su Mo narrowed his eyes and peered at it.
That black dot... looked like a person?
Riding something?
He couldn't make it out.
He looked away, unconcerned.
"Don't worry about it. We should keep moving."
Tang San acknowledged him and continued driving.
The carriage gradually disappeared into the distance.
Yu Xiaogang rode the elderly Hyena Horse at a leisurely pace.
The creature really was moving about as fast as a person walking.
No, slower than a person walking.
It took a few steps, stopped to rest and pant a few times, then started going again.
Yu Xiaogang was frantic, but he didn't dare urge it on, afraid it might simply lie down.
Would he have to walk all the way there himself then?
Suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats came from ahead.
A luxurious carriage came from the opposite direction and passed by.
Yu Xiaogang instinctively looked up.
The carriage curtain lifted at one corner, revealing a face.
Fair and clean, around six years old—it was Su Mo.
Their gazes met through the curtain.
Su Mo froze for a moment.
He blinked.
Yu Xiaogang blinked too.
Then—
The curtain fell.
The carriage continued on, quickly disappearing at the far end of the road.
Yu Xiaogang vaguely heard voices coming from inside the carriage:
"Master, who was that?"
"I don't know. He looks a little familiar."
"Familiar? Oh! Is he that idiot who calls himself Grandmaster?"
"Looks like him."
"Pfft—what's he riding? Is that a dog? Hahahaha, I'm dying!"
"Moo." (So stupid.)
Yu Xiaogang's face went red, then white, then green.
He lowered his head and looked at the creature he was riding...
A Hyena?
The creature looked up at him too, panting.
Yu Xiaogang fell silent.
Suddenly, he didn't really want to go to the Royal Hunting Ground anymore.
But he gritted his teeth and kept going.
For Tang San.
For godhood.
For...
Damn it, could this wretched dog move any faster?!
The main road split into two ahead.
One path turned left, toward the Star Dou Forest.
The other turned right, toward the Royal Hunting Ground.
Su Mo's carriage turned left first.
Yu Xiaogang's "Hyena" turned right.
Neither group noticed as they gradually went their separate ways.
The sun sank toward the horizon.
Yu Xiaogang rode his dog along the empty road.
The evening breeze blew past, and it was a little cold.
He wrapped his clothes tighter and looked toward the distance.
The Royal Hunting Ground was still far away.
But that was all right.
He firmly believed Tang San would come.
He would.