CH 36

Chapter 36

Liu Zhongyuan rubbed his head against Qin Jiulin’s, and then they headed north. After realizing that they were getting farther away, the Snowy Owl stopped circling and flew north in the same direction as them.

In the darkness, a pair of eyes that had been somewhat startled a moment ago watched their gradually fading figures with a mix of seriousness and relief. However, after the recent scare, it wouldn’t make any sudden moves in the short term.

But, according to common sense, this creature came here with deep-seated hatred, so it didn’t want to miss such a good opportunity. It immediately chased after Qin Jiulin and the others in the direction they had left.

Confirming that they had indeed gone far and were unlikely to return in the short term, it quickly turned around and rushed to the villa area at the fastest speed. It crossed the wall and entered the villa area.

As soon as it entered the villa area, it sensed the strong scent belonging to Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan, but what intrigued it more was the unmistakable scent of its enemy mixed among them.

This little thing is quite good at hiding, but for it, finding it isn’t that difficult. Blame its large size. Even if it dug a hole and hid underground, it could still pass through the hole it dug.

After wandering around, it arrived near the villa that had been attacked during the day. There was a strong scent of the enemy and a mixture of blood. After searching but finding nothing, it continued to wander inside the villa area.

Finally, it arrived at the villa where Wang Boming and the others were currently resting. The previous villa was filled with the scent of these people, but after tracking them to this villa, it discovered a very fresh scent, probably lingering here for no more than two hours.

It also noticed the prey inside the villa, but for it, everything else had to take a backseat to that stinky rat. It had to kill that rat first.

Taking advantage of their absence, it moved quickly within the villa area, and eventually, it truly found a newly-made cave.

It silently lurked at the entrance of the cave, even sensing the movements coming from inside. Perhaps it had eaten its fill during the day and now, at night, it didn’t come out for hunting.

But that worked out perfectly. If the rat was outside, it would definitely smell its presence, and then the rat would run away quickly. However, because it was inside the cave, the rat didn’t notice its presence as it wandered outside.

Now, the rat was probably sleeping inside, fully satisfied with its meal!

There was a pair of icy eyes brimming with murderous intent in the darkness. It silently lurked into the entrance of the cave. Perhaps because the rat had just arrived here, the interior of the cave wasn’t intricate. There was only one forked path once inside, and it sensed it and went towards one of the tunnels.

***

Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan’s purpose for going out this time was not only to hunt for food but also to train Qi Yu. Additionally, they intentionally delayed their return to give the unknown creature ample time for hunting. Therefore, they planned to be back before dawn.

Qi Yu spent the entire night helping Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan search for prey and scout for danger. At one point, he even thought he was going to ascend to heaven. Fortunately, Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan finally told him to catch a prey on his own so they could go home.

Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan checked the area near where Qi Yu was planning to hunt. They only felt relieved when they found no danger. Of course, they didn’t directly tell Qi Yu that the area was safe, letting him judge for himself.

After about ten minutes, Qi Yu returned. He had a… big rat in his claws!

Qin Jiulin’s eyebrow twitched. Since he was in his beast form, he couldn’t speak, so he couldn’t express his thoughts. If he could wag his tail, it would be time to go back. He wondered if the creature had successfully hunted the big rat hiding in the villa area.

As they quietly approached the villa area, Qi Yu, in the sky, could see clearly that there seemed to be an animal chasing and fleeing from the villa area as the first rays of light from the east began to shine.

When they returned to the villa area, they made some discoveries. The creature they had encountered outside had indeed entered the villa area while they were away, leaving traces of its scent in many places.

Back in the yard, Liu Zhongyuan threw the prey he had on top of his head into the yard, while Qi Yu dropped what he had on his claws on the ground. The two entered the house through the first floor door, while Qi Yu went directly to his room from the balcony. When they finished showering and changing clothes and reached the living room…

Qin Jiulin asked the first question, “Qi Yu, how did you catch a rat? Do owls really like to eat rats? Then, you eat the rat, we won’t eat it.”

Qi Yu was startled by his words, “Huh? The rat I caught? Was it a rat? I thought it was a small black wild boar!”

Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan stared at him with wide eyes, “Is your eyesight bad? No, wait, you had good eyesight during your training last night…”

Qin Jiulin’s expression became a bit strange, “Could it be that the intense reconnaissance throughout the night made you a bit tired, so your vision became blurry at the end?”

Qi Yu replied, “Once I found out that I could catch a prey and go home, I just saw something suitable and caught it. I thought it was a lone little wild boar. I didn’t look closely, it had furry limbs and was digging the ground.”

Qin Jiulin pointed outside the door, “Then go take a look for yourself. We definitely didn’t make a mistake.”

Qi Yu stood up, his steps wavering from the blow. When he opened the door, he saw a huge rat lying on the grass in the courtyard.

With a “slap,” Qi Yu slapped himself on the forehead, “Can I…?”

Of course, Qin Jiulin never intended for Qi Yu to really eat that big rat. They had other food options, and they didn’t need to endure something they couldn’t accept under certain conditions.

“If you don’t want to eat it, then just throw it away. But the sight of this corpse is disgusting. When you have time, throw it farther away,” Qin Jiulin said.

Qi Yu felt like he had been pardoned, “Okay, okay, I got it. So now, should we cook or rest first?”

Qin Jiulin: “Of course we’ll cook first. Staying up all night is nothing for us. We’ll eat during the day and sleep at night, so we won’t waste time.”

Qi Yu: “So, are we still going out tonight?”

Qin Jiulin: “No, we won’t go out at night. We’ll sleep early tonight and wake up at three or four in the morning to go out for a round. You only have a few days to adapt, and in two days, we’ll join the army. By then, we won’t be able to come back to the villa area for a long time. It’s even possible that once order is restored in the city, we’ll have to settle there.”

Qi Yu: “Do we have to give up this villa then?”

Qin Jiulin sneered, “How is that possible? This is my villa, it’s mine. Even if I don’t live here, I won’t give it to anyone, understand?”

Qi Yu: “I… I understand. So, we just need to inform the army when the time comes?”

Qin Jiulin: “Yes, for the convenience of hunting, we can stay here. We can live in a safer area in the city during normal times and have a more peaceful sleep.”

Qi Yu: “That’s good, that’s good…”

After safely passing the night, Wang Boming and the others, due to the lack of supplies, mustered up the courage to come to Qin Jiulin’s place. The person who came happened to be Duan Qiufeng.

Meanwhile, Liu Zhongyuan and the others were busy cleaning up the prey in the kitchen. Qi Yu had just gone out to dispose of the rat and returned, wearing his clothes and preparing to help, when he heard someone knocking on the door. He had no choice but to go and open it.

Qi Yu stood in front of the door, looking at Duan Qiufeng standing outside the iron gate. Both sides were momentarily stunned upon seeing each other. Duan Qiufeng had an expression of disbelief, while Qi Yu’s eyes were cold and emotionless.

Qi Yu quickly adjusted his emotions and walked towards the iron gate, his tone extremely cold, “It’s you. Who are you looking for?”

Duan Qiufeng looked at Qi Yu, feeling like they were worlds apart now, “I…”

Qi Yu: “If you’re here to reminisce with me, forget it. We have no connection now. And… I hope you haven’t forgotten what you did to me before.”

Duan Qiufeng finally remembered his past actions. At that time, he thought Qi Yu was undoubtedly dead, so he did what he did. But now, not only was Qi Yu not dead, he was doing well.

“Hmph! You seem to be doing fine, but Qin Jiulin, his friends, and you… all three of you are just ordinary people. So far, you’ve been surviving on what you had saved up, right?”

“I doubt they can sustain you for long. Your sister and I were always fond of each other. Between you and me, it was just a fling. You got too attached and thought too much. Don’t blame me for not treating you well.”

“Oh, by the way, if the three of you have any thoughts of joining our team, just let me know. I’ll convey your thoughts to Wang Ge and the others. We happen to be short of people after losing a few partners.”

Qi Yu sneered, “What? Are you done talking?”

Duan Qiufeng could tell from Qi Yu’s reaction that he hadn’t absorbed his words, “Not yet.”

He hadn’t forgotten the purpose of his visit this time.

Qi Yu asked, “So, who are you looking for?”

Duan Qiufeng replied, “It doesn’t matter who I’m looking for. Did you notice anything unusual in your villa yesterday?”

Qi Yu questioned, “Why should I tell you?”

Duan Qiufeng remarked, “Judging by how lively and energetic you are now, it seems like nothing happened.”

Qi Yu retorted, “If you already figured it out, why are you asking?”

Seeing Qi Yu turning to go back inside, Duan Qiufeng anxiously called out to him, “Hey, wait, A Yu!”

Qi Yu abruptly turned around and glared at him, “Don’t call me like that. Don’t you know my name? Our relationship isn’t good enough for you to address me like that.”

Duan Qiufeng, unfazed by his demeanor, said, “Oh, come on. We’ve been together for so long. Can’t you be a bit more compassionate, A Yu?”