Liu Yue's lips moved, as if he was about to speak, but before that he turned his head away: "The smell of fighting."
Fang Shan was curious: "What does fighting taste like?"
Liu Yue ignored him, and Zhao Tianchen enthusiastically explained: "To put it bluntly, it's the smell of blood."
These two people, one is extremely dull and the other is overly enthusiastic.
Fang Shan's sense of the smell of blood was actually more acute than theirs. He had long realized that something was wrong ahead, so he pretended to be timid and walked while holding onto Wei Sushen's arm.
The fat man looked at Mo Xiu who was being used as a turtle shell, then looked at the nightmare demon who was protecting him, and his unbalanced mentality gradually changed.
Liu Yue walked in front, without sheathing the dagger in his hand. Amid the sound of creaking leaves, a new world unfolded before his eyes.
A damp, cold air lingered in the air. The ground was littered with the carcasses of numerous animals. Judging by the crimson hue of their blood, they had recently died. However, all they could see was blood-stained fur and bones; the torsos had completely vanished.
A weak whimper was heard.
Liu Yue parted the grass and found a palm-sized cub lying inside. Its snow-white fur was covered with mud, and its pair of black eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of mist, filled with fear and panic.
It wanted to escape, and its short, thick legs trembled with fear. It just stood up and then knelt on the ground again.
Fang Shan stepped forward and asked, "What species?"
Liu Yue frowned: "It looks a bit like a cub of the Fire Spirit Beast, but the Fire Spirit Beast's fur is red."
Seeing that more and more people were gathering, the cub unknowingly found itself surrounded. It barked a few times in protest, but because its voice was too weak, it sounded more like begging for mercy.
Fang Shan squatted down, stretched out his hand, and smiled harmlessly: "Come here."
The cub hesitated for a moment, stretched out its front paws tremblingly, and walked over step by step after trying.
Fang Shan picked it up and gently comforted it: "Don't be afraid."
The picture is beautiful against the backdrop of lush green trees.
However, taking a closer look——
The cub's claws stretched out quietly, as sharp as the edge of steel.
As for Fang Shan, his hand was always stroking the cub's most vulnerable neck.
The cub gave the impression of having let down its guard, barking a few times in dependence. The smile on Fang Shan's lips disappeared the moment he picked it up. His expression was now cold, but his hands were even more gentle.
After all, the cub was held in the arms, and the other's expression could not be seen clearly. The weak body was closer, as if expressing its intimacy.
The next moment, something strange happened. The sharp claws suddenly reached out towards Fang Shan's heart, but just as they stretched out, he felt a sharp pain.
Fang Shan grabbed its neck and lifted it up, his playful look showing that he was on guard.
"You killed all these animals, right?"
The cub's half-extended paw froze in mid-air.
Fang Shan patted its head. "There's a saying... a human glint in your eyes. It's a perfect description of you."
Liu Yue watched from the side: "You should have solved it directly from the beginning."
What's the point of playing with a wild beast?
It turned out that Fang Shan enjoyed it very much. He was so happy that he hooked the cub's chin with his fingertips. The latter's wish was dashed and there was a pleading look in his eyes.
Fang Shan looked at Zhao Tianchen and said, "Senior, please check if there is a cave nearby."
Zhao Tianchen blinked: "I dare not disobey the beauty's request."
Fang Shan's smile was a little stiff. When acting, he was not afraid of people who did not cooperate, but he was afraid of people who cooperated too much.
Zhao Tianchen was very patient. He followed the direction of the bloodstain and pushed aside the vines hanging on the stone wall. The cynicism on his face froze after he saw the situation inside.
In the dark caves, there are not only animal skeletons, but also human skeletons.
The Imperial College was built above the clouds. This area was quite vast, with the college occupying a large part. The remaining part was allocated to the trading market, and the rest was left to the descendants of mentors who had made outstanding contributions to the college but died young.
These people often go to various mountains to gain experience, mainly to increase their strength, and to search for some precious herbs or hunt. It is normal for a few of them to die in the mountains occasionally.
But there were seven or eight hand bones in the corpse in the nest, which was a scary number.
Zhao Tianchen turned around and said, "Be careful, this might be a mutated Fire Spirit Beast!"
Almost at the moment he finished speaking, the fire spirit beast suddenly broke free from control and flew out into the woods.
Fang Shan grabbed in mid-air, using a much stronger force than before. The Fire Spirit Beast revealed a small row of sinister teeth, and its temperature was slowly rising.
The reason it's called a Fire Spirit Beast isn't because it can spit fire, but because its fur can rapidly heat up when in danger. Most wild animals are reluctant to hunt it, and because of its cunning nature, it's become a minor overlord in the forest.
Liu Yue walked up to Fang Shan and stared at the cub. "Logically speaking, a fire spirit beast shouldn't have such a high IQ, let alone a cub."
Fang Shan pondered and said, "Maybe it's rejuvenation."
“…”
Fang Shan pinched the Fire Spirit Beast's face and said, "Look, there are wrinkles at the corners of its eyes."
Liu Yue didn't know what to say. This nightmare demon was scary when he was smart, and even scarier when he acted stupid on purpose.
The Fire Spirit Beast's temperature had risen to boiling water, yet Fang Shan remained calm as he grasped the fur on its neck. The Fire Spirit Beast's most powerful attacks were its claws and heat. Heat didn't seem to work against Fang Shan, and his claws couldn't move freely, so he became anxious.
The joking look in Fang Shan's eyes faded: "Or maybe it ate something."
As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on the Fire Spirit Beast. Just when everyone thought he was going to ask a question, Fang Shan suddenly tightened his five fingers and twisted the Fire Spirit Beast's neck.
The ruthlessness and decisiveness of the attack were shocking.
Zhao Tianchen couldn't help but say, "If we keep it alive, we might be able to get more useful information."
Fang Shan said coldly, "This man-eating beast is much more cunning than the venomous snake from before."
Who knows, they might end up in the gutter.
The fat man intervened at the right time: "There are several footprints on the ground. If we follow them, we should find something."
Liu Yue remained calm and walked ahead silently, carefully observing every blade of grass and tree around him.
Apart from occasional disagreements, Zhao Tianchen treated Fang Shan with great care, often reminding him to be careful with the plants on both sides of the road.
Fang Shan initially thought that he had overacted, but he never expected that he would actually see some truth in the other person's eyes later on, which was horrifying... What was he trying to achieve?
Just when he was about to discuss something with Wei Sushen, he saw that his eyes were always wandering between Fatty and Zhao Tianchen, and it was obvious that he was plotting something again.
At first, there were only small paw prints of young animals on the ground. As we walked further, we saw many huge footprints. Judging from their shapes, they were similar to those of monkeys.
"What we encountered just now was just a mutated Fire Spirit Beast," Zhao Tianchen stared at the footprints and frowned. "If it's not a special case, there may be many unknown dangers ahead."
The fat man was also scared at this moment: "Anyway, the mission has been completed, and it's almost dark, why don't we go back."
Fang Shan stared ahead and said with a smile, "Perhaps it's an opportunity."
Zhao Tianchen shook his head: "I can't just watch you get into trouble."
When the two men were in a stalemate, Liu Yue suddenly continued to move forward: "Do whatever you want."
Obviously a decision has been made.
Fang Shan: "Stay, brave man, and take me with you."
Liu Yue shouted like a hero, his shoulders trembling slightly and he quickened his pace.
Fang Shan pulled Wei Sushen to catch up, and Zhao Tianchen sighed and followed behind.
It was already dark at this time. The fat man asked Fang Shan to give him the body of the fire spirit beast. Fang Shan was not afraid that he would keep it all for himself, so he threw it out generously.
After taking it, the fat man tore off a strip of cloth from his clothes and wrapped the fire spirit beast in three layers inside and three layers outside to prevent the smell of blood from spreading and attracting other beasts.
Fang Shan looked at his basket and said jokingly, "It's quite useful."
The fat man took out a bag of dry food from the basket and distributed one to each person, boasting: "This is all wisdom."
Before he could boast any more, he stumbled and nearly fell to the ground. Looking again, he saw a piece of wood blocking the middle of the road. The fat man sat down and rubbed his ankle: "It hurts so much!"
Fang Shan squatted down and touched the edge of the broken wood. It was very smooth, as if it had been cut off by a sword.
"A battle once broke out here." Liu Yue obviously noticed it as well. He even saw it more comprehensively than Fang Shan and found several other gaps caused by the sword blade.
Zhao Tianchen seemed to have thought of something, and his expression changed: "It's not advisable to stay here for long."
Liu Yue turned around, and Zhao Tianchen said, "If I remember correctly, three months ago, a student died here while performing a mission."
Liu Yue stood up and stared ahead, showing no intention of leaving. "I want to see what this dragon pool and tiger acupoint is."
Zhao Tianchen frowned and said to Fang Shan, "I'll go over and take a look too. You guys aren't strong enough, so go back first."
After saying that, he also walked forward.
As his figure gradually disappeared, the fat man, contrary to his usual attitude, said with a fearless attitude: "Although ants are small, they are still powerful. We can't let the seniors fall into danger alone."
You have to move forward even if you make a gesture.
Fang Shan held him back, wondering what play this was about.
Seeing that he had no intention of moving forward, the fat man stamped his feet and said, "How foolish! Liu Yue is gone. What if Zhao Tianchen comes back and kills us?"
Fang Shan raised an eyebrow: "How do you know that the problem is with Zhao Tianchen?"
"This isn't obvious." Seeing that he would be lost if he didn't leave now, the fat man spoke the truth anxiously: "The spy's records say he's good at disguise, but the identities of students at the Imperial Academy have all been screened through layers of screening."
The fat man took a deep breath and said, "Most people think that the spy killed a student and sneaked into the academy, but I think there is another possibility."
Fang Shan and Wei Sushen looked at each other and suddenly realized the side they had overlooked.
Fatty: "There aren't so many twists and turns. It all started with a student at the academy rebelling."
Fang Shan pondered, "Would someone abandon the son of a prominent family and join the evil?"
The fat man pointed to his head: "So there's something wrong with his brain. And compared to Zhao Tianchen and Liu Yue, it's obviously Zhao Tianchen who has the problem."
Fang Shan: "Why do you think so?"
"He likes you!" the fat man said anxiously, "Who in their right mind would have such a preference?"
Fang Shan was stunned for a few seconds, then subconsciously looked at Wei Sushen, who was also stunned for a moment before saying, "That makes sense."
The author has something to say: Fang Shan: I have to admit... from the perspective of human nature, it really makes sense.
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