Chapter 176 Luck? (First Update)
"Huh?" Manna asked curiously, "You can charge for it? Don't you dislike fighting?"
"I'm more afraid of being poor," Kelvin glanced at her as if she were an idiot.
"Otherwise, why would I be tempted by tax exemption? Hmm, if you want to pay me to do something, think carefully, I'm very expensive!"
"Here we go again!" Manna rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Can't you just talk normally?"
Kenpa nodded slightly. "A free service... interesting. It proves your worth, so it's a good deal."
"Take it easy for the next couple of days, don't rush things," Kelvin said, then vanished in an instant. "Remember to call me 'Master' from now on!"
Clearly, the attitude of these Knight had somewhat broken his guard.
Manna was still fiddling with the token when she handed it to the boy. "Take a look?"
She felt that she should let this person take a look at this strange thing; only then would she feel more at ease.
"Forget it," Wu Youren shook his head slightly, "That person even cares about how to address me, my cultivation level... is not worthy!"
This is only part of the reason; ever since he saw the talking rat, he has remained highly vigilant about similar mysterious objects.
Not to mention him, even Kenpa and the female archer were reluctant to use this thing—neither of them had a Great Knight master.
However, Kelvin's words were quite right: we are currently in the eye of the storm, and we need to slow down.
That evening, it was difficult for anyone to find any peace and quiet.
At midnight, it was Wu Youren's turn to stand guard. He walked to the gentle slope next to the camp and sat down quietly.
Every now and then, he would encounter a wave of experience points.
The main problem is that this thing not only comes out of nowhere, but the amount is also inconsistent, sometimes more and sometimes less.
So when conditions allow, he prefers to be alone, and others are used to it.
He was sitting quietly, holding his breath, when suddenly he opened his eyes and looked ahead.
The night was dark in the wilderness, with very low visibility. Dark clouds hung in the sky, making it even darker.
However, he still saw it; a Little Snake was swimming towards him seven or eight meters away.
It was only a little over a foot long, like a young snake, and I didn't feel any threat at all.
The Little Snake swam to a distance of two or three meters from him and stopped, because the boy was about to stand up.
There's no need for him to disturb this little guy, but if he gets too close, he should still deal with him.
The Little Snake raised its head, hissing and flicking its tongue. It was too dark for him to tell what kind of snake it was.
The next moment, a faint voice came, "Not planning to go to Tianjing?"
Here we go again! Wu Youren was a little speechless. After thinking for a moment, he muttered softly, "That's not a suitable place for development."
The little snow hawk on his shoulder had already closed its eyes and was asleep. Hearing his movement, it twitched its claws slightly but did not wake up.
That's a bit strange, why isn't the other person possessing Little Ha's body?
The Little Snake continued flicking its tongue, "You don't trust me, do you? Hiding in the Martial Academy is indeed a good choice."
Wu Youren remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "It's true that you can't believe everything, brother. Please understand."
"I know you don't believe me," the Little Snake replied, "I helped you take down that Namuzha; that guy was hostile towards you."
"Huh?" Wu Youren's eyes widened slightly. "You... helped me?"
"We didn't find his identification tag, did we?" the Little Snake replied calmly. "I can't take the watch."
Wow, the boy was speechless.
Namuzha's death was somewhat strange, but he never expected that it was Chen Quanxu had made the move.
As for the identification tag, he thought about it carefully and realized he hadn't seen it—it was far less important than the communication wristwatch.
The former is just a QR code that can be scanned, while the latter is a smartphone!
"If you don't believe me, I can tell you where the identity tag is hidden," the Little Snake continued, flicking its tongue.
"Well... there's no rush," Wu Youren said, not that he wouldn't check.
There was no way around it; he was used to being cautious. The other party was unlikely to lie, but he couldn't afford to be careless.
"This snake is too small," the Little Snake wriggled its body, "Otherwise, I would have just brought it to you!"
In the present wasteland, martial artists patrol everywhere, and larger animals are rarely seen.
The boy said he wasn't dwelling on that issue for the time being, and asked, "What brings you here today?"
"Don't touch that Kelvin token," the Little Snake seemed to know everything. "I don't have the energy to save you!"
Holy crap... Wu Youren felt he had been speechless far too many times encountering this guy.
He felt a little relieved; thankfully, he had been careful enough not to touch the token.
But Kelvin dare harm Manna? He thought it was highly unlikely. "Is that guy really that crazy?"
"A half-baked puppeteer, far from it!" the Little Snake said casually. "He might not harm you, but why invite trouble upon yourself?"
"Fortunately, I didn't let you down," Wu Youren said, lowering his tone.
What you know, the other party knows too; what you don't know, the other party can also explain in detail.
He felt it necessary to show some concern for such a being, saying, "You should also be careful; that guy might be Great Knight."
"I could easily beat three of them," the Little Snake said dismissively, "Just a Ability User Apprentice."
"There's no need to waste energy on him."
"I hope you're not just bragging!" Wu Youren thought for a moment before speaking, "Then, for the next raid on the Barbarian Tribe... could we invite him?"
"That's no problem," the Little Snake replied, "But it's best not to get too close to people from the Far West."
Is there any explanation?
"Now is not a good time to chat," the Little Snake flicked its tongue again, "It's too costly to talk to you like this."
"I'm a little puzzled. Why are you so focused on fighting the Barbarian Tribe? It's just a waste of time and extremely inefficient."
The website address for this novel is. ".". The website owner has only one website; other websites may be discontinued at any time.
After thinking it over, Wu Youren decided to trust the other party. The key point was... even if word got out, it wouldn't cause too much of a problem.
"I just wanted to find something for the Life and Death Knot to do; it's disgusting."
" The Court of State Ceremonial's Dark Night Execution Team!" Chen Quanxu understood instantly. "They are indeed disgusting. I'd rather go against the Intelligence Agency!"
"You'd better learn something from me. Those trash are just disgusting; they're nothing in a real fight!"
The young man couldn't hold back any longer, "Excuse my boldness, but what kind of abilities do you possess?"
The Little Snake remained silent this time, not answering for a long time.
Wu Youren wasn't in a hurry. The other party had already said that the cost of dialogue was relatively high, and he couldn't be ignorant and ignore their costs.
Besides, this question is a bit presumptuous. We're all from Jin Garden; he can be so cautious, but others can't be on guard?
Anyway, he's on night duty now, so he has plenty of time to wait.
About ten minutes later, the Little Snake replied, "There's no rush to answer that. Could you perhaps leave the Martial Academy more often?"
"It seems this mid-level Martial Academy is quite something!" Wu Youren thought to himself.
If Chen Quanxu wasn't exaggerating, this should be the strongest cultivator he has ever encountered.
Judging from Kelvin's performance, he doesn't seem to be afraid of Hong Da, but this guy claims he has the ability to easily defeat several Kelvin.
Even with such a structure, it's still not very convenient to get in and out of the Red Pine...
"You came to see me today because I said during the day that I wanted to go back to Red Pine?"
" Red Pine... you're right, it's suitable for developing quietly, but you should also come out for walks more often."
Wu Youren hesitated for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject, "How long can you use this snake?"
"As long as I don't die, I can keep using it," the Little Snake said calmly about its life and death, "The main problem is that I can't find any other suitable animals."
The young man pondered for a moment, then asked directly, "Senior, what exactly do you see in me?"
The Little Snake remained silent for three or four seconds, then gave a shocking answer, "I've taken a liking to your luck!"
Wu Youren was utterly speechless.
"It feels ridiculous, doesn't it?" The Little Snake didn't blame his reaction. "That's because you don't know how lucky you are."
"Me? Lucky?" Wu Youren really didn't want to speak. So, swearing could be this vulgar?
"If I weren't outmatched by you..."
"I told you you wouldn't understand!" the Little Snake declared bluntly. "Enough of that, let me ask you... why don't I control the Snowhawk?"
How would I know! The boy tentatively asked, "Because... more people are paying attention?"
So, you have a controlling relationship with these animals?
"Because it possesses unusual energy," the Little Snake answered readily, "I can't control it, but it recognizes you as its master!"
Wu Youren answered without hesitation, "That was a coincidence."
"I know you don't believe me," the Little Snake said without arguing with him.
"Given your current abilities, you have no access to the knowledge of Ability User, and you haven't awakened your powers yet."
"But you, you were just one step... half a step away. I won't ask how you did it, I'm just asking you, did I say something wrong?"
Wu Youren could only smile wryly, then muttered, "Everyone has a little bit of luck, it's just not convenient to share."
The Little Snake ignored his explanation, "You know in your heart how poor you were when you left Jin Garden, and how poor are you now?"
"Don't assume it's all your hard work; as a person, you must have a sense of awe!"
"Including your suggestion about tax exemption, why was it reported to the emperor? Do you think no one in Liang has thought of that before?"
So, am I really the chosen one? Wu Youren sighed inwardly.
"If I were truly that lucky, I should be in the Jin right now."
" The Jin?" the Little Snake scoffed. "If you were really in the Jin, would you have made it this far?"
Perhaps because of the state's influence, his tone was harsh, "Don't you know about the atmosphere there, you brat's Hidden Dragon Plan?"
"Alright," Wu Youren thought to himself, his mind clearing up at the mention of the word "brat," "You can't take away Little Ha's things... you can't do anything about it?"
"What do you mean, 'settle'?" The Little Snake was a bit confused, but it didn't think it was that important.
"If you really want to keep in touch with me, get a cat or dog, but it's best not to keep them in the Red Pine compound."
Wu Youren shook his head helplessly. Remote farming... Do you think this is Blue Star?
"Keep it outside the Martial Academy? The barbarians won't let any piece of meat go to waste. How about we use this snake?"
"There's a snow harrier perched on your shoulder!" the Little Snake said, a little annoyed. "Have you ever looked into its diet?"
============
Chapter 177 A Four-Legged Beast (Second Update)
The little snow hawk has grown quite a bit; the foot-long Little Snake in front of it is almost too big for one meal.
"I can stop it from eating you," Wu Youren, not thinking it was a big deal.
The Little Snake hesitated for a moment before saying, "Then you can keep it for a few days, but don't feed it."
"Why?" Wu Youren asked in astonishment. "Wouldn't that mean you'd die very quickly?"
"Because I don't want to eat insects and rats!" Chen Quanxu finally snapped. "Do you like it?"
"I eat them often," the boy replied calmly. "In Jin Garden, catching a big rat can make me happy all day."
"Okay, I was wrong," the Little Snake was completely speechless, "But I won't eat it!"
"Senior, please don't force yourself," Wu Youren advised the other party instead, "I'm just checking the feasibility of keeping this snake."
He said with a wry smile, "Even if I were to raise one, I'd have to consider whether it would be like Kelvin's token?"
"You... you're quite the conversationalist," the Little Snake turned and slithered away into the distance. "That's enough for today."
Watching the other person disappear into the night, Wu Youren showed no reaction whatsoever.
He was extremely satisfied with the outcome of today's communication; it far exceeded his expectations.
The last two sentences were a bit offensive to his senior, but he didn't think it was a big deal.
The one who complains about the goods is the one who buys them, isn't that right?
Seriously though... we still didn't get quite enough out of the conversation. For example, what exactly are Chen Quanxu's abilities?
However, good things come to those who wait, and kind words can be spoken gradually. Given the current circumstances of both parties, a step-by-step approach is the right way forward.
Trying to get rich quick is not only impatient, but also irresponsible towards each other's lives.
However, even though he knew this was how things should be, he still couldn't help but wonder: how much of the methods used by Ability User could I actually learn from?
Here we go again! The next moment, he gritted his teeth slightly: Damn it... who's doing this now?
Thankfully, it shouldn't be Great Knight, but with such a continuous stream of them, the situation is far from minor.
This wave of experience points lasted for nearly an hour.
Just as Wu Youren was worrying about whether it would affect the night shift handover, the heat gradually stopped.
After absorbing the information for a while, Wu Youren relaxed his covert perception of the camp.
The next moment, his eyes widened slightly—he met a pair of eyes the size of soybeans.
The man and the snake stared at each other for ten seconds, then the Little Snake's tail twitched.
A small rope was hooked to the tip of its tail, and an identification tag was attached to the rope.
Wu Youren wanted to say something, but he had just eaten so much that he was worried that if he opened his mouth, something might leak out.
He simply nodded slightly, revealing a slightly embarrassed smile: Senior, you're taking this too seriously.
The Little Snake remained silent for another ten seconds before letting out a soft sigh, "Alas, it really is... I didn't want to see you cultivate."
Uh, the boy's body trembled slightly, almost choking: You figured it out?
Since he could no longer hide it, he made up his mind and began to slowly and quietly speak while absorbing the energy.
"Senior, could you please give your evaluation?"
"I don't understand," the tiny snake head shook slightly, "The energy seems like that of Ability User, but not entirely..."
"It's just like you said, it's really a bit inexplicable. And you still don't think you're lucky?"
I don't understand... Is this good or bad? Wu Youren was a bit conflicted.
He sighed softly, "You can't even tell, but who knows, one day he might just explode and die without warning."
"Your luck won't get you there!" the Little Snake replied without hesitation, with absolute certainty.
"If I had your luck, I wouldn't be in this situation now."
Wu Youren didn't know how to respond, and after a long pause, he finally said, "You're still young, you should have enough time."
When Chen Quanxu arrived, he was Knight and should have been around twenty years old.
The only slightly older member of the guard was a Great Knight, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Wei.
"It's good that it's not too late," the Little Snake's voice was as faint as a whisper, almost like a soliloquy, "You still have the Snowhawk to transfer the danger."
"Transfer... danger?" The boy blinked. What did he mean by that?
"The energy you two cultivate is from the same source," the Little Snake paused, "You didn't even know that?"
"I really... just heard about it," Wu Youren was a little confused, and subconsciously looked at the Little Ha on his shoulder.
This time, the Little Snake was speechless. "I knew it, I should have known..."
"Senior," the young man said, genuinely seeking guidance, "May I ask, can this little... little fellow also cultivate?"
"It doesn't know anything," the Little Snake said, clearly in a bad mood, even swearing. "Your aura conveniently took care of it!"
"How can something I can't even understand be cultivated?"
"However, since I've benefited from your help, even if there are deviations in my cultivation, there's a good chance I can transfer them to it."
The boy withdrew his gaze from the snow hawk, shook his head slightly, and looked blankly at it. "This... I'm sorry, senior, I don't quite understand."
"I don't know as much as you!" Chen Quanxu was indeed getting a little angry. "Stop showing off, okay?"
"The path of Ability User is also one of starting from scratch. If others can do it, why can't you?"
"Thank you very much, senior. I have learned a lot," Wu Youren said earnestly, finally putting aside his inner turmoil.
The next moment, he raised his hand and silently snatched the identity token from mid-air.
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed the Namuzha identification token. He exerted a slight force in his hand, crumpling the token into a ball.
The identity badge of the Central Martial Academy is a thin piece of metal, which is relatively flexible, not easily damaged in battle, and relatively resistant to high temperatures.
But the next moment, the boy opened his hand, revealing only a smooth little ball in his palm.
He casually tossed it on the ground.
"Impressive fire magic," the Little Snake flicked its tongue, "But the approach you're taking doesn't quite seem like elemental magic."
"It's a hybrid, a complete mess," Wu Youren demonstrated, not wanting his seniors to look down on him.
"So you've accepted it?" The Little Snake knew his meaning. "I'll emphasize again, no feeding!"
The boy thought for a moment and then asked, "What if it's delicious food?"
"Food is an exception," indeed, most people's principles are flexible.
Wu Youren then realized it was a small, non-venomous earth snake that had coiled around his wrist.
"Well... I'm not picky," the Little Snake hesitated for a moment, but still accepted. "Actually, even if we eat mice, it won't be me."
"I just don't like that feeling. You can't just step in poop because you're wearing shoes."
"You're quite the analogy," Wu Youren chuckled dryly. "Actually, on the battlefield, poison is everywhere... I'll wear a wrist guard."
It's very common for martial artists to wear wrist guards, but wrist guards that fit snugly and don't hinder combat at all are rare.
The little snow hawk dozed off on his right shoulder, while the little earth snake coiled around his left wrist guard.
The next morning, as soon as Little Ha opened his eyes, he spotted the food and started chirping.
It didn't lower its shoulder, but waited for the chef at its feet to bring the food over.
"Don't eat it!" the boy patted its head. "Or I'll punish you!"
The little guy, with his limited intelligence, couldn't understand what he was saying at all, yet he kept shouting.
Wu Youren pulled out a few pieces of dried meat and handed them to his shoulder with his right hand.
Little Ha shook its head, seemingly a bit averse to pre-cooked food and preferring fresh ingredients.
The boy wasn't going to tolerate this behavior and immediately put away the jerky. "Not eating it? Then there's none left!"
Little Ha poked his head out to grab the Little Snake.
To keep himself from falling, the claws gripping his shoulders tightened, and the boy could feel a noticeable pull.
But there was no way to reach it; it really couldn't, and it cried out in frustration.
The female archer looked over at the sound, "Oh, I caught a mud snake... Let's feed it; live food will keep it wild."
"Don't indulge its bad habits," Wu Youren replied casually, "Always make it clear who the master is."
Hearing their conversation, Kenpa looked over and exclaimed, "Hey, Little Wu, what happened...? You finally awakened? A support-type?"
"Not awakened," the boy shook his head. "This snake suddenly coiled around me, and it's not poisonous anyway. Am I... born with an affinity attribute?"
It was quite inexplicable that Little Ha went out of the Weird Domain with him back then; everyone knows that.
Since that's the case, he's too lazy to explain—he'll leave it to you all to figure out.
"Maybe it's a matter of destiny," Manna was the first to jump in with her imagination. "I've heard that there are signs before Ability User awakens."
"If you ask me, Little Wu, never underestimate support-type characters; Beast Tamers are quite good."
"It really has nothing to do with me," Wu Youren, touching his forehead. "I just thought it was live food, so it would be convenient to take it if needed."
"Besides, Little Ha has been running wild for so long, it's time to discipline him a bit. He'll be harder to manage once he gets any older."
"That's true," the female archer nodded, "Isn't that how every child is raised?"
The biggest flaw in the whole story is why the Little Snake was so obedient.
However, everyone has witnessed Little Ha's previous blind following.
No one openly questioned it then, but how many people were envious when the Little Snowhawk later achieved great success?
It's obvious to anyone that there was some kind of covert investigation, but no further developments have emerged.
Therefore, his decision not to explain was indeed the wisest choice.
Besides, this little earth snake is really too ordinary; who hasn't seen a hundred or so?
After a while, the sky, which had been overcast for two days, finally started to rain.
"Alright, it's that weather Little Wu likes the most," Kenpa said with a smile. "Shall we go out and try our luck?"
Rainy days don't pose much of a problem for Knight, but the Weird Race tend to be more active.
Throughout the day, the four encountered three waves of Weird Qi, and after eliminating them, they gained nothing.
The rain was intermittent, and they didn't set up a new campsite, returning to their previous night's location.
The same thing happened for the next two days; they killed seven Weird Qi in total, but gained absolutely nothing.
This will truly test everyone's composure.
As night deepened, Manna couldn't help but mutter to the female archer, "We didn't even get any strange items when we wiped out that barbarian squad last time."