Well Done, Ning Rongrong! Chu Xiu and the Ten-Thousand-Year Owl Trade Blows

After finally finding a Spirit Tier Mutated Plant, Chu Xiu had no intention of giving up on it easily.

But he couldn't afford to ignore the Owl Spirit Beast in front of him.

The Owl hadn't attacked. There was probably still time to retreat, but if he went forward and provoked it, Chu Xiu wasn't sure he could beat it in a fight.

"I definitely can't do this alone. I'll talk it over with Shui Bing'er and Ning Rongrong first, then decide."

Keeping his eyes on the Owl, Chu Xiu backed away with gentle steps.

Meanwhile...

Ning Rongrong and Shui Bing'er soaked in the pool, their pretty faces wearing the same deeply satisfied expression.

"Rongrong, I'm about done washing. What about you?"

Shui Bing'er rose from the water with some reluctance.

The pool was shallow, reaching only Shui Bing'er's thighs. Clear spring water rolled off her like pearls, making her look as beautiful as someone who had stepped out of a painting.

Ning Rongrong said reluctantly, "I've only washed my hair twice. Without shampoo, it still doesn't feel clean enough."

Shui Bing'er laughed. "There's nothing we can do about that. We can always come back more often."

"Hehe, you're right."

The thought of coming here to bathe every day cheered Ning Rongrong up.

The two had just stepped onto the bank when they saw Chu Xiu creeping toward them. Shui Bing'er's face instantly flushed, and she hurriedly crossed her arms over her chest.

"Chu Xiu, why... why are you such a pervert?"

Shui Bing'er thought he was sneaking around to watch them bathe.

She had Chu Xiu all wrong.

His expression tense, Chu Xiu put a finger to his lips and hurried toward them.

Embarrassed and angry, Ning Rongrong spread her arms in front of Shui Bing'er. "What are you doing? Was peeping not enough, so now you're going to force yourself on us? Turn around, or I'll beat you up!"

She was so focused on shielding Shui Bing'er that she forgot she had just come out of the water herself.

When she realized it, she was so mortified she wanted to disappear.

[Ning Rongrong's feelings for you have deepened. Bond Value +10]

[Current Bond Value: 50 points]

Well done!

That's Rongrong for you.

There was no time to celebrate the ten Bond Value points. Chu Xiu hurried up to Ning Rongrong and lowered his voice.

"Shh! Quiet. There's danger."

At the word "danger," Ning Rongrong and Shui Bing'er forgot their embarrassment.

"What happened? What did you see?"

Shui Bing'er asked nervously from behind Ning Rongrong.

Ning Rongrong quickly picked up the leaves on the ground, wrapped some around Shui Bing'er first, then gathered her own.

Chu Xiu's expression turned grave.

"There's an Owl Spirit Beast not far uphill. It's at least ten thousand years old."

"What?!"

Ning Rongrong and Shui Bing'er cried out in shock.

How could they stand against a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast when neither of them had a martial soul now?

"Did it attack you?" Shui Bing'er pressed.

Chu Xiu shook his head. "No."

Owls could barely see during the day, so they slept by day and hunted at night. But that probably wasn't why it hadn't attacked him. More likely, it had just eaten and wasn't hungry.

"Thank goodness."

Ning Rongrong patted her chest and let out a long breath.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Shui Bing'er urged. "Let's leave before it reacts."

"Not yet."

Chu Xiu continued, "Besides the Owl, I found some rice growing up there. I want to try bringing some back."

Chu Xiu said nothing about the rice being mutated.

After all, Shui Bing'er and Ning Rongrong couldn't see the glow around Mutated Plants. Telling them outright would expose his ability.

"Is a little rice worth risking our lives for?"

Shui Bing'er frowned.

They were still short on food, but they weren't starving. A fight with a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast, on the other hand, really could kill them.

Ning Rongrong agreed.

"I think apples and seafood are fine. Besides, even if we get rice, it'll taste awful if we can't cook it properly."

Chu Xiu didn't know how to explain.

He could only insist.

"I still want to try. The Owl is weakest during the day. If we don't take this chance to kill it, we might never get another."

"But..."

Shui Bing'er looked conflicted. "Even if its sight is impaired during the day, its hearing is exceptionally sharp."

Chu Xiu had once tried absorbing Spirit Rings from countless Spirit Beasts, including Owls.

Most people knew Owls had excellent night vision. Few knew their hearing was even better—they could pinpoint a mouse hidden under fallen leaves.

That was a real problem.

But Chu Xiu already had a plan.

"That's why I came back for you two."

Chu Xiu said confidently, "The Owl's hearing is strong, but it works best in the quiet of the night. If there's enough noise around it, it'll have trouble pinpointing where we really are."

Shui Bing'er's eyes lit up. "You mean Rongrong and I should make noise?"

"Exactly."

Chu Xiu nodded. "You two can use branches to strike rocks or leaves while I try to approach it slowly."

"If I can get close enough, I'm confident I can kill it in one strike."

The Owl's weak point was its ear. There was no muscle or bone protecting it, so a blade could easily reach its brain.

Shui Bing'er still thought it was risky, but she trusted Chu Xiu's survival experience more than her own judgment.

Ning Rongrong loved excitement by nature. Given a chance to kill the Owl, of course she wanted to try.

After a brief discussion, Chu Xiu led Ning Rongrong and Shui Bing'er back toward the Owl.

This time, they got within twenty meters before the Owl reacted.

Its eyes flew wide and turned toward Chu Xiu. But its gaze was confused. It could tell something was wrong in that direction, yet couldn't make out what was approaching.

"Start."

Chu Xiu signaled, and Ning Rongrong and Shui Bing'er, close behind him, immediately began tapping the ground around them with branches.

The branches struck rocks and fallen leaves, making a scattered racket. It was enough to cover Chu Xiu's footsteps.

The Owl tilted its head, trying to work out what was happening over there.

The three seized the chance to move forward.

Nineteen meters, eighteen, seventeen...

Ten meters...

Five meters...

Soon, they were less than three meters from the Owl.

Chu Xiu crept forward on tiptoe. Sweat soaked the palm of his right hand around the Bone Dagger.

Just as his target came within reach, the Owl suddenly jolted its wings and shot toward them like an arrow.

"Watch out!"

Chu Xiu's pupils contracted. The Owl had misjudged their positions and swept past him, straight toward Shui Bing'er.

Its talons were like iron hooks, carrying the threat of death.

Shui Bing'er stared in terror as those talons closed in. She had no time to react. Just as they were about to kill her, Chu Xiu stepped in front of her.

Thud!

Shhk!

The Owl's talons pierced flesh at the same instant the Bone Dagger drove through its ear canal.