In the pitch-black night, all was silent. Occasionally, a few shrill insect cries rang out without warning, enough to make anyone's heart jump.
Two dark figures huddled beneath a large tree, utterly motionless. In a mountain range like this, even their breathing seemed to have grown quieter, lest they attract an attack from a high-level magic beast.
An hour later, Jian Tongyao could no longer bear the numbness in her legs and shifted slightly. Ding Ding, curled up on her shoulder, rolled right off, tumbled twice across the ground, then was dragged back by a vine.
The fall left Ding Ding seeing stars. "Little Ninth."
"Shh."
"Seventh Sister, what if the Lightning Mouse didn't understand what you said earlier?" Worry filled Jian Tongyao's face as she whispered, "If it really didn't understand, won't we be waiting here for nothing?"
"It understood."
Qian Wanyu was certain. "The fact that it could pay you means it's very clever. It even knows bartering. That's already beyond an ordinary magic beast's intelligence."
Jian Tongyao's expression was conflicted. Alongside her unease was a trace of worry. The Lightning Mouse was a mouse, clever and quick-witted, if a little greedy, but it was still a low-level magic beast. If it really followed Seventh Sister's instructions and went stealing... one careless moment, and it might be slapped into pulp.
At that thought, she could not help sighing.
Qian Wanyu's eyes shifted toward her. "Are you worried, Ninth Sister?"
Jian Tongyao gave a barely audible assent. They were old acquaintances, after all, and the little fellow had never hurt her. She could not quite bear the thought of it dying like this.
As she fretted, a cool hand reached over and gently covered hers, inexplicably putting her at ease.
They waited from midnight until daybreak. As their surroundings