Chapter 48: The Wolf Sky Mercenaries on the move (Part-1)

Ryan explained patiently, “The monster that gave birth to you. The one that looks like you.”

This time, the Golden-Blood Blue Tiger froze for a second, then nodded slowly.

“So that’s how it is…” Ryan murmured. “No wonder there’s a cub of a future Beast Emperor wandering around the Forest of Death.”

His gaze drifted back to the small creature, now watching him anxiously.

“Meow~”

Seeing that Ryan still hadn’t hurt it, the Golden-Blood Blue Tiger cautiously padded over and tugged lightly at his pant leg with its tiny claws, looking up at him pleadingly.

That gesture alone could melt stone.

Ryan’s heart softened despite himself.

Killing it wouldn’t matter much. Letting it go, though… felt like a waste.

Then suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind.

“Little Tiger,” Ryan said casually, already setting the trap, “if I let you go, where would you even go? Back to living alone in the Forest of Death?”

The Golden-Blood Blue Tiger froze.

At first, it didn’t realize he was talking to it. Then it looked around, realized there was no one else, and finally pointed at itself.

Hearing the question, it fell silent for a moment, then slowly shook its head.

It didn’t know.

Since it could remember, it had been alone. Running, hiding, eating when it could, fleeing when stronger monsters appeared. Every day was chaos and fear.

It was exhausted.

Ryan saw the hesitation and knew the net was ready.

“You’re just a cub,” he said gently. “No mother, no protection. Forest of Death is full of powerful monsters. If I let you go now, sooner or later, you’ll be eaten.”

The Golden-Blood Blue Tiger’s ears drooped.

Ryan continued, voice calm and persuasive. “I, on the other hand, travel alone. It’s boring. You’re missing a protector, and I’m missing a companion. If you’re willing to be my partner, I’ll protect you… and I’ll help you find your mother.”

“What do you say?”

He smiled warmly, waiting.

It was the smile of a seasoned hunter luring a naive prey.

The Golden-Blood Blue Tiger hesitated for only a second.

“Meow~”

It nodded.

Simple, honest, and completely defenseless.

In its heart, the thought was clear: This human saved me, didn’t hurt me, and even wants to protect me and help me find my mother. How could such a kind human exist? Following him must be good.

Years later, the Golden-Blood Blue Tiger would finally understand how thoroughly it had been tricked.

But it would never regret it.

“Good,” Ryan said with satisfaction. “Then from now on, you’re my partner.”

He looked at the grateful eyes staring up at him and felt a quiet thrill in his chest.

A future Beast Emperor was fooled into tagging along with a few sentences.

What a deal.

The Golden-Blood Blue Tiger, unaware of any schemes, happily circled Ryan, tail flicking with excitement.

“Meow~”

“Well then,” Ryan said thoughtfully, “since you’re my little companion now, you need a name. Hmm… Xiao Hei sounds pretty good. That’ll be your name.”

“Meow~”

The Golden-Blood Blue Tiger cried out happily, clearly delighted with its new name, and rubbed against Ryan’s leg affectionately.

*Ding! Golden-Blood Blue Tiger has expressed its agreement to be a monster companion. Please register its name.

“Xiao Hei.”

*Ding! Xiao Hei has been registered in the database as a contracted pet.

“Good.” Ryan smiled, caressing its head.

*

Meanwhile;

Five miles outside Fengyue City, on the Yangsha Ancient Road;

This ancient road was the only main artery leading in and out of the city. Anyone entering or leaving Fengyue City had no choice but to pass through it.

At this moment, a group of people stood guard along the road.

Their faces were concealed beneath black masks. They wore dark robes, gripped cold weapons, and radiated a sharp, oppressive aura.

One glance was enough to tell that none of them were ordinary folk. They stopped every traveler, scrutinizing them carefully before allowing passage.

These people were not bandits.

Each of them held a portrait.

Every passerby was compared against it.

Anyone whose appearance vaguely matched the portrait was immediately pulled aside and pushed in front of a masked man with a long scar slashing across his eye. The scarred man would stare for a few breaths, then either nod or shake his head.

A shake of the head meant release.

A nod… meant trouble.

Their methods were domineering, yet strangely orderly. Though many travelers were dissatisfied, none dared to protest. The pressure emanating from these masked men was far too terrifying. Any one of them looked capable of killing with ease.

Better to endure a moment of inspection than invite disaster.

For three full days, they had stood here like this. And yet, nothing had happened.

No conflict. No resistance. No trace of the person they were looking for.

“Chang Bo, what’s going on?”

A masked man standing at the center spoke, his voice cold and impatient.

“It’s already been three days. Why haven’t we seen even a shadow of that kid Li Wei? Don’t tell me he’s already fled with the wind.”

The man he questioned, wearing a mask with a scarred eye, immediately bowed his head.

“No, Leader Song,” he replied respectfully. “Based on what we’ve learned, Li Wei left the city to train for the Western Mansion qualification test. The test is about to begin. He must return in a few days.”

This scarred man was none other than Chang Bo.

The same Chang Bo who had barely escaped with his life after crossing Ryan.

After his narrow escape, Chang Bo had used a secret method to inform the Wolf Sky Mercenary Corps of everything that had happened. The result was swift and ruthless.

The mercenary corps dispatched two high-ranking leaders and a large number of elites to handle the matter personally.

The man questioning him now was one of them.

Song Fengxi, a golden-robed warrior of the Wolf Sky Mercenary Corps.

A true Upper Exalt.

His strength stood leagues above Chang Bo’s. If Song Fengxi wished, he could crush Chang Bo with a single finger. The gap between them was absolute.

Among the fifteen masked men stationed on the Yangsha Ancient Road, Chang Bo was the weakest.

Aside from Song Fengxi and Chang Bo, every single person present was a Silver-Robed Warrior, all at the Exalt level.

Such a lineup was nothing short of terrifying.

Chang Bo had never imagined that dealing with Ryan would warrant this level of force. With two Upper Exalts and more than a dozen Exalts, this was practically an elite extermination team.

In a small place like Fengyue City, who could possibly withstand such power?

“Hmph.”

Song Fengxi let out a cold snort.

“When that brat comes back, I’ll seize him myself. I’ll make sure he begs for death and can’t even die properly. Making me wait for three days in this god-forsaken place… he has guts.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep