Under the blazing sun, Lu Wu had never expected Mu Nujiao to keep him waiting for a full hour and a half.
He looked at Mu Nujiao, dressed in an orange down jacket and a beige hat that could not contain her long hair.
She was panting slightly and looked as though she had run very fast.
"Why are you alone? Where's your friend?"
"She had something to do and went back first. Something at home, fairly urgent," Mu Nujiao replied. "You've gotten pretty full of yourself, haven't you? Leaving people hanging like that."
"Something went wrong with my cultivation. I was unconscious for over a day, then spent two days recovering," Lu Wu explained again.
If I'd known, I wouldn't have bought the group deal. These things aren't refundable.
"Why didn't you just cultivate yourself to death? Don't tell me you've already cast magic. How badly could anything have gone wrong?" Mu Nujiao said, pretending to be indignant.
Lu Wu looked at Mu Nujiao and could not help finding it funny. "To make it up to you, I'll keep you company the whole time you're in Rongcheng these next few days."
"Were you planning to leave me on my own?" Mu Nujiao rolled her eyes.
They had their tickets checked. When Mu Nujiao noticed the pained look on Lu Wu's face as he stared at the three-person group tickets, she snickered beside him.
"Judging by the map, there really are a lot of demon beasts here, all at servant level." Lu Wu pretended not to notice and looked at the guide map in his hands instead.
As he studied it, he held it out in front of Mu Nujiao. "Which direction do you want to start in?"
"Let's head toward the lake in the center." Mu Nujiao looked it over and pointed. "There seem to be warrior-level lake demons here."
"Let's take a bike." Lu Wu knew the Demon Beast Garden was enormous. Walking was out of the question.
Although the demon beasts' movements were restricted, their enclosures were very far apart.
The so-called wildlife aspect was really nothing more than a gimmick.
"Sure. Scan the code for a daily rental electric bike, the kind with a back seat. It's not very convenient for me." Mu Nujiao knew they could not possibly tour the place on foot, so she had Lu Wu take her.
Lu Wu was no fool and guessed the reason. "Let's go."
He bought a drink at the hot beverage shop by the ticket entrance and had Mu Nujiao hold it.
Then, after memorizing the route, Lu Wu scanned the code for a bike and sped off through the Demon Beast Garden with Mu Nujiao.
Mu Nujiao held the hot drink without drinking it, using it to warm her hands instead.
She watched Lu Wu, who was dressed rather lightly, taking her swiftly forward. With him blocking the wind in front and the warmth of the hot drink in her hands, she did not feel cold.
But reaching out to hold on to this guy was something Mu Nujiao could not bring herself to do.
"We're at the Azure Wind Python area." After two minutes on the bike, they reached the first area.
After parking the bike, Lu Wu led Mu Nujiao toward where the Azure Wind Python was kept. The stairs were very high and very large.
Although forest surrounded them, thick vines could be seen intertwining to form an enormous fence.
The flights of stairs led up toward the top of the twenty-meter-high vine fence.
"These vines are some mage's handiwork. Working together with an Earth Element mage, they made an enclosure whose end you can't even see." Mu Nujiao was somewhat awestruck.
She was a Plant Element mage herself, and the sight of those vines, thicker than a person, assailed her vision.
The sight struck Lu Wu's eyes and mind just as hard. He did not know what method the Demon Beast Garden staff had used, but an Azure Wind Python was currently basking in the sun in a clearing.
With enormous azure scales and a thick body over ten meters long, it stared at the people on the platform with its huge slit pupils, its forked tongue flicking in and out.
"This Azure Wind Python..." As Lu Wu looked at it, he could clearly sense its aura.
He had already noticed it as they approached, a feeling difficult to put into words.
Not all demon beasts knew how to conceal their auras. The aura they gave off made people shudder.
And when those slit pupils fixed on him, he even felt as though the Azure Wind Python might attack him at any moment.
Many people were watching nearby, but it was plain to see that the vast majority were sweating and averting their eyes.
Many children were even crying nonstop.
"Are you all right?" Noticing that Mu Nujiao had also gone rather pale, Lu Wu hurried to steady her.
He had seen Little Fire before, but that feeling was entirely different from what he felt seeing the Azure Wind Python now.
Although Little Fire also had a demon beast's aura, he was connected to Lu Wu's soul and had little impact on him.
The Azure Wind Python was merely resting a few dozen meters away, yet it gave him an intense feeling of discomfort.
"I'm fine. I've never seen a demon beast from this close before." Mu Nujiao shook her head.
She knew very clearly that she could not show fear.
"Urgh!!!"
Some ordinary people had already begun vomiting, their legs so weak they could not even stand.
And after one person vomited from nerves and fear, quite a few others began retching as well.
"Honestly, I was pretty shaken just now too. I've watched plenty of videos and looked at plenty of pictures online, and I know the demon beast encyclopedia like the back of my hand, but it still feels different seeing one now," Lu Wu said earnestly.
After he reached out to steady Mu Nujiao, her hand had clamped tightly around his arm.
He could clearly feel her nervousness and slight fear, but he did not point it out.
"It looks like this trip was well worth making." Mu Nujiao took a deep breath, trying to recover a little.
"I thought the wildlife part was just a gimmick, but now it looks like this Demon Beast Garden offers more of an experience than I imagined." Lu Wu wholeheartedly agreed.
Now he finally understood why some mages were killed before they could even cast magic when facing demon beasts.
They simply could not control their stars, let alone cast magic.
Mu Nujiao said softly, "But your nervousness and fear only lasted a little while."
Lu Wu knew Mu Nujiao did not want to lose to him. He was about to say something comforting when a voice rang out.
"What, a single Azure Wind Python has already scared your legs weak?"
"What's embarrassing about that? When you were my age, who knows how scared you were?" Lu Wu looked at Nangong Pei without backing down.
At the time, he had been busy looking for Grandpa Shen, and afterward he had followed Grandpa Shen, so he had paid Nangong Pei no further attention.
He had not expected to run into him here.
Enemies really did meet on a narrow road!
"What can you do besides talk tough?" Nangong Pei had already looked around and had not seen Master Shen Shitian.
If not for Lu Wu, he would already have become Master Shen Shitian's disciple, and the Nangong Clan's revival would have been just around the corner!
But Lu Wu had ruined all of it.
"What can you do besides be older?" Lu Wu was not afraid in the slightest.
Nangong Pei was indeed stronger than him, but if they actually fought, the outcome was far from certain.
Little Fire's aura was much stronger than this Azure Wind Python's. Holding Nangong Pei off for him would not be a problem.
This was Hunter Union territory. They could not possibly permit private fights.
Besides, the Magic Association itself prohibited private fights, especially in places crowded with ordinary people.
"There's a demon-hunting show later. If you've got the guts, compete against me. I won't use magic." Nangong Pei did not want to waste words with Lu Wu and asked him outright, "Of course, if you don't dare, just lower your head."
As he spoke, Nangong Pei was very confident Lu Wu would accept.
He was very confident in his grasp of Lu Wu's mindset. The girl beside Lu Wu was probably his girlfriend, and even if she was not, they were at least heading that way.
At this age, a high school brat, and in front of a girl at that-just a little provocation and he would take the bait.
Mu Nujiao, however, was not worried.
Lu Wu had indeed stood up for her, and he had fought plenty of times when someone offended him, but he generally did not act on impulse.
"Sure." Yet, to Mu Nujiao's surprise, Lu Wu agreed.