“What?”
“The Yu Feng Studio is closed!”
“Even though the business is so prosperous, could he have gone to restock?”
The next day, the Spirit Masters who came to purchase items looked at the Yu Feng Studio’s tightly closed door and the white paper with black ink characters pasted on it, all wearing expressions of disbelief.
“What a scoundrel!”
Upon hearing the news, Dongfang Rouxin’s hand trembled, breaking her beloved Yuhua teacup. Suddenly, she roared, “Immediately capture the shopkeeper and the assistants from his store! Now! Immediately!”
After other Spirit Masters left, Dongfang Rouxin’s knuckles turned white. Her previously soft and charming face was filled with hatred, distorting her expression into something hideous: “Good boy!”
It was obvious that by now she finally realized she had been thoroughly tricked by Wu Ming!
All that talk about paying fees and giving spirit eggs were just pretenses!
From the very beginning, he had intended to run away!
This couldn’t really be blamed on Dongfang Rouxin, as the matter was indeed too surprising.
Dongfang Suoming was merely a young boy, with little experience, growing up in Jushi City and tied down by family obligations. People like him often have fixed mindsets and find it hard to leave their hometowns.
As for examples? Consider how many fugitives in other worlds managed to hide for so many years, only to be finally captured at their doorstep.
How could such a person dare to leave his family?
“Mercy, Magistrate! Mercy!”
Not long after, Dongmen Fu and Ximen Qin were brought in, their faces showing panic and innocence: “The master ordered us to go out for procurement yesterday, but when we returned today, we found all the funds had been taken away, leaving us no choice but to suspend business!”
“He really ran away with the money…”
Dongfang Rouxin softly sank back into her reclining chair, realizing she had never truly understood Dongfang Suoming at all.
The clear image of that boy from her memories was immediately shrouded in a thin mist…
…
Such a scene was playing out in many places across Jushi City.
“Good boy, what courage! What decisiveness!”
In the Hall of Punishment, Dongfang Tie heard the news. Despite his cunning, he was stunned for half a moment before murmuring in admiration.
“Why did Brother Ming leave?”
Beside him, Dongfang Dieyu held the spirit egg, her face full of confusion.
“You wouldn’t understand…”
Dongfang Tie was silent for a moment, then said, “This boy’s ambition is too great; the small Jushi City can’t possibly contain him… Perhaps only the entire Yan Continent is his stage and sky…”
After soothing his granddaughter, his expression immediately turned cold: “Gather the elite forces of the Hall of Punishment. We must capture Dongfang Suoming at all costs!”
“What charges?”
A clueless Spirit Master beside him muttered the question.
The Yu Feng Studio had paid its spirit coins on time, and the remaining income was all legitimate. There was nothing concrete to bring to the table. Besides, his disappearance now? The Dongfang family was not a prison. How could they mobilize such a large force just because a family member left home?
“Whatever the reason, can’t you just make one up?”
Dongfang Tie coldly glanced sideways, immediately causing the Spirit Master to turn pale and retreat with cold sweat pouring from his head.
…
Just as the entire Jushi City became a boiling pot, with many people thinking about him, cursing him, Wu Ming lazily yawned.
He sat atop Xie Lang, swiftly weaving through the Xingying Mountains. He had crossed Xingyue Lake half an hour ago and was continuing deeper.
“Indeed, as I expected, although a million spirit coins are a lot, it’s not enough for the major powers to go crazy and send Master-level Spirit Masters to monitor me…”
The remaining Soldier-level Spirit Masters were naturally easily shaken off by him using simple disguises and a few small tricks from other worlds, leaving them completely lost in Jushi City.
“The other routes all have checkpoints and will leave traces, inevitably attracting pursuit from Master-level Spirit Masters!”
But by crossing the Xingying Mountains directly, even a Commander-level Spirit Master would be unable to find Wu Ming’s trail. After all, there were more than a dozen major cities bordering these mountains, and he had long since left the territory of Jushi City and the Dongfang family.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The fierce wind blew, lifting the youth’s hair, but not a hint of reluctance appeared on Wu Ming’s face.
He wasn’t the real Dongfang Suoming, so he had no feelings for the Dongfang family.
Previously returning to the family was merely for coveting their resources and channels.
Now, having used these to help Xie Lang successfully evolve and having made a huge profit, when else would he leave?
Would he stay and become an ox or horse for the Dongfang family? What a joke!
“After passing Xingyue Lake, we’ll reach the territory of some Soldier-level spirits. They are very hostile and will attack any powerful spirit that enters their domain…”
A gleam of light flashed in Wu Ming’s eyes as he patted the wolf beneath him.
“Aowww!”
Xie Lang obediently howled, its Soldier-level aura quickly weakening. Its fur color became subdued, turning gray and dull.
In an instant, it transformed from a powerful Soldier-level wolf into a seemingly young, mid-level gray wolf.
— Ever since evolving to the Soldier level, its ability to disguise and conceal its aura had improved, not to mention Wu Ming had poured a bunch of enhancements into Xie Lang’s techniques, naturally boosting the effects significantly.
Such a level of spirit was common in the Xingying Mountains and wouldn’t attract hostility from other Soldier-level spirits.
“When the elders in the family find out I’m missing, the great and second elders will probably go mad and certainly send Spirit Masters to capture me… Perhaps even a Master-level Spirit Master leading the pursuit… The Punishment Hall won’t let me off either; I wonder what false charges they’ll bring against me…”
A cold sneer appeared on Wu Ming’s lips.
Relying on Xie Lang and his own unique abilities, he was essentially at home in the Xingying Mountains. If he were to set traps and lures with determination, he could wage guerrilla warfare, inflicting heavy casualties on the Dongfang family’s Spirit Masters.
But again, what benefit would come from killing the Dongfang family’s Spirit Masters?
Engaging in actions that bring no profit but easily provoke hatred is best avoided.
…
“This journey’s key goal is to obtain the inheritance treasure of Jia Kongming!”
At night, estimating that he had already left the family’s pursuers far behind, Wu Ming began setting up camp to rest.
Judging from the false trails he had laid before leaving, it would be difficult enough for them to guess his route. Even if they did, they would need to deploy elite forces and conduct widespread searches across the entire Xingying Mountains, which would require enormous manpower and resources. Whether it’s worth it or not is another question entirely.
Therefore, Wu Ming estimated that once he reached this point, the likelihood of encountering large-scale pursuit would be very small.
At most, he might run into a single elite expert due to bad luck.
“But the probability of that is still quite low, and besides, in preparation for future battles, I should replenish my strength…”
Wu Ming lit a campfire and roasted a prey captured by Xie Lang.
The prey was a pink, plump pig, round and chubby, emitting an aroma reminiscent of aged rice wine. Especially when roasted, its meat was tender and the fragrance became even more intense, making one’s mouth water.
“Yunding Fragrant Pig…”
He naturally recognized it. This Yunding Fragrant Pig was also a wild spirit creature, famous for its delicious meat, considered a top-tier ingredient in various high-end restaurants. It would require the deployment of Spirit Masters to have any chance of capturing it.
Of course, for Xie Lang, this Yunding Fragrant Pig was extremely unlucky, having been bewitched and practically offering itself to become Wu Ming’s meal.
After roasting, he tore off two thighs and threw them to Xie Lang, while he himself took a bottle of colorful Linglong tree juice in one hand and held a front leg in the other, feasting heartily.
“Excellent! Excellent!”
After a satisfying meal, Wu Ming patted his belly contentedly: “I’ve heard that this Yunding Fragrant Pig isn’t even the best of its kind. There’s a wild spirit called ‘Gem Milk Pig,’ whose meat is as dazzling as gemstones and whose body naturally grows various seasonings. When caught in the wild, it can be roasted whole with the skin on, immediately becoming an exquisite roast suckling pig…”
In the spirit world, spirits come in all sorts of strange and wonderful varieties, and naturally include such delicacies.
For any Spirit Master, such ingredients are gifts from heaven, and when encountered in the wild, absolutely must not be missed.
“Rest for one night, then travel quickly for a few days. I should be able to leave the Xingying Mountains and reach Qingmu City…”
Wu Ming spread out a rough map.
In ancient times, this would have been a strategic resource, something you couldn’t even buy with money. On the now-yellowed parchment, the Xingying Mountains were marked rather crudely, and Jushi City was no bigger than a sesame seed.
His finger traced the route from Qingmu City outward: “There’s still some distance from here to the Feiyu Falls, where Jia Kongming’s inheritance lies… However, I don’t seem to need to rush so much. Perhaps I can complete the contract with a second spirit right here in the Xingying Mountains!”
Specialized Spirit Masters can gain an additional summoning slot at the Soldier level.
Wu Ming had always kept this slot unused, mainly because he was too lazy to contract with a youngling.
Otherwise, raising a spirit to a combat-ready stage would be quite troublesome!
What he wanted to choose was naturally the second path other than contracting with a youngling—directly subduing a wild spirit!!
…
Late at night, the campfire extinguished, and in the ashes, small red glows flickered on and off.
Wu Ming sat cross-legged in the tent, pretending to meditate, when suddenly his eyebrows twitched and he stepped outside the tent.
Drip, drip…
Under the moonlight, countless fireflies danced in the forest, as if the Milky Way had been overturned, dazzling and indescribable.
In the distance, a streak of stardust continuously flickered, transforming into a beautiful butterfly silhouette. With just a slight flap of its two sapphire-blue wings, it generated astonishing air currents.
“Woof!”
Xie Lang came to Wu Ming’s side, eyes filled with alertness.
“It’s an elite Storm Blue Butterfly. This kind of spirit is gentle by nature and won’t attack first…”
A gleam flashed in Wu Ming’s eyes as his Observation Eye automatically displayed information:
[Storm Blue Butterfly]
[Racial Rank: Elite (Orange)]
[Racial Bonus: 1]
[Attributes: Wind, Insect]
[Class: Warrior Soldier Initial Stage]
[Techniques: Hurricane, Hypnotic Dust]
[Status: Calm]
…
“Pity its class and racial value are both too low…”
Wu Ming stood shoulder to shoulder with Xie Lang, watching the Storm Blue Butterfly turn into a graceful shadow and vanish into the dense forest…
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