#962 - Hunter and Prey

While Jun Wuxie was chatting with Yuan Ji, in a certain room within the Yuan family's inner courtyard, Yuan Feng was discussing matters with his two uncles.

“Feng'er, are you sure that was a Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast?”

Yuan Feng's two uncles, Yuan Shao and Yuan Zhuo, both looked at him with shocked expressions.

Earlier, when Yuan Feng returned, he mentioned his encounter in the Flowing Cloud Forest, only saying that he was attacked by an ancient beast, but he didn't specify what kind.

“Second Uncle, Third Uncle, the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast is recorded in the Records of Strange and异兽, along with its portrait. How could I, your nephew, mistake it?”

Yuan Feng gave a definite answer, stating that he absolutely could not be mistaken; it was indeed a Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast.

“That's strange…” Yuan Shao, amid his shock, had a fiery glint in his eyes, and said, “That Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast is a special ancient beast that grows and蜕变s. It is said that its bloodline can蜕变 to the level of a Sub-Divine Beast. Most importantly, the initial bloodline level of the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast isn't high, it needs time to grow, which means it's relatively easy to capture. When its realm is not high, its strength won't be too strong! But how could it appear in the outer areas of the Flowing Cloud Forest?”

“I also find this matter蹊跷, Nephew does.”

Yuan Feng explained that he and his clansmen were only passing through the outer area of the Flowing Cloud Forest when they unexpectedly saw the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast hunting. That's why they secretly followed its tracks.

“Well, the Flowing Cloud Forest has indeed been a bit abnormal recently.” Yuan Zhuo stroked his green beard and said, “Lately, I've heard from those hunting beast团s who go to the Flowing Cloud Forest that there are often powerful ancient beasts roaring deep within the Flowing Cloud Mountains. That kind of sound was rarely heard before, but it has been very frequent recently. Moreover, the number of ancient beasts and fierce birds near the outer areas of the forest has also increased significantly, it is suspected that a large number of ancient beasts and fierce birds originally living near the central area of the forest are abandoning their habitats and running to the outer areas.”

“Combining these situations for analysis, it seems that something really happened in the deepest part of the Hengduan Mountains and the Flowing Cloud Forest. It's just that the depths are too dangerous. Even with our realm, venturing deep would be very dangerous!”

As Yuan Shao spoke, he pondered slightly, then looked at Yuan Feng and asked, “What about the corpse of the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast? Did it fall into the hands of Young Master Jun?”

“No, if I tell you this, Second Uncle and Third Uncle, you might find it hard to believe.”

Yuan Feng smiled and said, “He didn't kill the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast, but instead let it go.”

“What?”

Yuan Shao and Yuan Zhuo's pupils contracted simultaneously, and after exchanging glances, they both revealed shocked expressions.

“He actually let the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast run away? Could it be that he doesn't recognize the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast and doesn't know its value?”

They couldn't understand; the value of the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast was immeasurable.

Even if an adult Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast couldn't be tamed and could only be killed, its skin, blood, and the beast core condensed from the energy within its body after death were all invaluable.

This was an astonishing fortune.

That Young Master Jun actually gave it up right before his eyes?

“Could it be that he wasn't confident in killing the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast? What exactly was the situation at the time? How did he repel the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast when he saved you?”

“He did it casually, with a palm strike that sent the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast flying, and it took a long time for it to get up from the ground. Judging from the situation at the time, that palm should have stunned the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast. If he really wanted to kill it, he would have finished it off then, but he didn't. He just stood there waiting for the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast's dizziness to subside.”

“This Young Master Jun is not simple. To stun the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast with a casual palm strike without injuring it shows that his control over power is superb and that he is many times stronger than the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast, otherwise he wouldn't be able to achieve such a feat.”

Yuan Feng nodded, “He is indeed extraordinary, I wonder what level he is at in the Saint Realm. It's a pity that when I wanted to ask him to kill the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast, he refused, otherwise I could have captured the幼兽 of that Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast. If our Yuan family had a small Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast, and secretly raised it, who would be able to compete with our Yuan family in the future? That Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast can grow to the Saint King, or even Great Saint Realm and above!”

“There's even a 幼兽?”

Yuan Shao and Yuan Zhuo's eyes were burning with passion, and their breathing became rapid.

What would it mean for the family if they could possess a Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast?

It would mean that the family's status could be continuously elevated by relying on the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast in the future. Controlling the entire Flowing Cloud City would only be the beginning, and the family would be destined to be glorious and prosperous!

“It's a pity that after this incident, the Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast will definitely take its 幼兽 far away. In the vast Flowing Cloud Forest, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack if we wanted to find its踪迹 again, but how can we be willing to give up just like that!”

Yuan Shao and Yuan Zhuo revealed thoughtful expressions.

Yuan Feng said indifferently, “Second Uncle, Third Uncle, according to my observation, that Blood鬃 Lion-Hound Beast has very high intelligence. When Brother Jun let them leave at the time, it revealed a very human-like emotion in its eyes, which was a feeling of gratitude. Usually, beasts are different from humans; their minds have always been relatively pure…”

Hearing Yuan Feng say this, a flash of light suddenly appeared in Yuan Shao and Yuan Zhuo's eyes.

“Feng'er is right!”

Smiles gradually appeared on their faces, and they looked at Yuan Feng, suddenly laughing twice, patting him on the shoulder, and saying with great appreciation, “As expected of Feng'er, everything you do has deep meaning. Our Yuan family has successors, hahaha!”

…

The Yuan family's banquet was prepared very lavishly, with a full forty-eight dishes, all kinds of delicacies, filling the table, and the wine was also very mellow.

At the table, Yuan Ji, Yuan Shao, Yuan Zhuo, Yuan Feng, and the other high-level members of the Yuan family were all very enthusiastic, rising to toast one after another, thanking him for saving Yuan Feng's life.

The atmosphere was lively and harmonious, and they talked freely with each other, without any sense of distance.

After a few rounds of wine, the night was already very deep.

Everyone present had a slight sense of intoxication on their faces, even Jun Wuxie seemed a little tipsy.

Jingya drank relatively little. Apart from the round of drinks when the Yuan family members started toasting her, Jun Wuxie blocked the subsequent drinks for her.

The banquet ended, and Yuan Ji, Yuan Shao, Yuan Zhuo, Yuan Feng and others personally escorted Jun Wuxie and Jingya to a quiet and elegant courtyard.

“Young Master Jun, our humble abode is simple, please don't mind. Young Master Jun and Miss Jingya will stay in our humble abode for these days and wait quietly for news.”

They escorted Jun Wuxie and Jingya to the courtyard gate, stopped, and said with a smile, “It's late, Young Master Jun and Miss Jingya, please rest early, we won't disturb you any further. If you need anything, just call, and there will be maids to serve you.”

Jun Wuxie smiled and nodded, walked into the courtyard side by side with Jingya, opened the door and entered the house.

Yuan Ji and the others stood quietly at the courtyard gate for a moment before turning and leaving.

Not long after, they came to Yuan Ji's study. The moment they closed the door, the smile on Yuan Ji's face disappeared.

Yuan Ji sat down behind the desk in the study, with no trace of drunkenness on his face.

He took out a medicine bottle from his Naring, poured out a few brown pills, and casually threw them to Yuan Shao, Yuan Zhuo, Yuan Feng and others, saying, “Take it.”

The few people caught the pills and put them into their mouths.

Yuan Shao said, “This 'Dissolving Power Powder' is a奇药, very precious and extremely difficult to obtain. Wouldn't it be too wasteful to use it on him?”

“Better safe than sorry. No matter how precious the 'Dissolving Power Powder' is, it's not as precious as the lives of our Yuan family's direct descendants. This son is not simple. I smelled a dangerous aura on him, and I don't want any mistakes!” Yuan Ji had a smile on the corner of his mouth, “If we achieve our goal, what we get will be worth hundreds or thousands of times more than this 'Dissolving Power Powder'. No matter how you calculate it, it's a profitable business, so what's there to feel sorry about?”

“Brother is right, everything still has to be done with caution. We small families have been walking on thin ice all the way, and we must be careful and cautious at all times. We must not be careless and capsize the boat, we cannot afford such a price.”

Yuan Zhuo very much agreed with Yuan Ji's statement.

“How is it, have you notified Yuan Ye?”

Yuan Ji closed his eyes slightly, resting his mind.

“The message has been sent out using a灵符. It's been several hours, so Yuan Ye should have received the 灵符 letter by now, and may already be on his way back.”

Yuan Ji sat back in the chair behind the desk with his eyes closed, “Well, with Yuan Ye here, it will be even more secure. Otherwise, killing him is easy, but making him obedient is not easy. Yuan Ye's Mind-Controlling Technique can be put to good use. The kid said he was a rogue cultivator, but we can't completely believe it. Maybe he has a sect behind him. When Yuan Ye comes back, with him taking the lead, even if something happens, at least there is a backer like Qingyun Cave Heaven.”

“Well, what we have to do now is wait, wait for the kid's medicinal power to take effect. At that time, it will be difficult to use his true energy, and he will be a turtle in a jar. You instruct the secretly hidden experts to keep a close eye on the formation and not allow any mistakes.”

“Yes!”

…

Inside the quiet and elegant courtyard room in the Yuan family's residence.

Jun Wuxie and Jingya sat at the round table in the room.

At this time, fine beads of sweat oozed from Jingya's face.

Her crystal-clear forehead, between her temples, on her skin-like cheeks, and on both sides of her delicate nose, were all covered with a misty layer of fine sweat.

“This 'Dissolving Power Powder' is really powerful. Although it's only a Saint-level Lower Grade, once someone below the Saint King Realm is poisoned by it, their true energy will slowly dissipate and be difficult to condense, and it will take a long time to recover.”

“Jing姨, are you blaming me? You clearly said that there was 'Dissolving Power Powder' in the wine, but I still drank it, and even made you drink it with me.”

“Don't say such foolish things, how could Jing姨 blame you.” Jingya smiled and shook her head, gracefully smoothing a strand of hair that was sticking to her cheek, her eyes gentle, “As long as it's your intention, Jing姨 will listen to you, anything is fine.”

“Jing姨, do you trust me that much?”

Jun Wuxie was somewhat touched. Aunt Jing didn't ask anything, didn't say anything, and just followed his wishes without complaint, even when it seemed very dangerous, even when it might put her in extremely dangerous circumstances.

Jing Ya smiled faintly, took Jun Wuxie's hand, and looked at him gently, "Aunt Jing said, she'll listen to you in everything. Sometimes, Aunt Jing's trust in you even surpasses her trust in herself. Even if it's something Aunt Jing thinks is impossible, she believes you can do it."

"Thank you, Aunt Jing."

Jun Wuxie looked at the elegant and beautiful woman before him.

She was originally a great expert in the Holy Emperor Realm, and also a reincarnation of the Azure Sky. She needed to race against the current newborn Heavenly Dao for time. However, to save him, she was willing to pay the price of her origin being shattered, her realm falling below the Saint Realm.

"Don't say thank you in the future. For a long time to come, Aunt Jing will depend on you for survival and needs your protection to survive."

Jun Wuxie saw a hint of sadness flash in her eyes and immediately understood what she was thinking.

She must have felt that she was dragging him down, so he immediately said, "In the Lower Realm, Aunt Jing helped me at all costs. Now it's my turn to protect Aunt Jing. We can be considered helping and relying on each other. I don't want Aunt Jing to have even a trace of burden in her heart."

When Jing Ya heard him say this, she couldn't help but be slightly stunned, and then a knowing smile appeared on her face. She said, "Okay, Aunt Jing will listen to you. From now on, Aunt Jing will be at ease being your burden."

"Don't say the word 'burden,' because if you had said that in the Lower Realm, I would also be considered Aunt Jing's burden, otherwise Aunt Jing wouldn't have…"

"Don't say it, let's not mention the word 'burden' anymore."

Jing Ya interrupted him because she also felt that whenever he noticed that she had a psychological burden, he would feel guilty about what happened in the Lower Realm.

She didn't want that, didn't want him to blame himself in guilt.

Jun Wuxie nodded, withdrew his hand from hers, and instead held her soft, boneless palm. The Destiny Star in his body revolved, producing a powerful devouring force, quickly absorbing the Transforming Power Powder toxins in her body into his own.

No matter how magical these toxins were, they couldn't withstand the grinding of the Millstone of Annihilation in the Destiny Star.

In a short while, the toxins of the Transforming Power Powder were completely ground and purified by the Millstone of Annihilation.

Jing Ya looked at him nervously until she was sure that he was not uncomfortable at all. Only then did she feel relieved and said, "Little fellow, your ability is truly amazing. In the Lower Realm, you could resist the Dark Curse, and now you can ignore this seemingly poisonous but not really poisonous Transforming Power Powder…"

"I'm tough and immune to all poisons."

Hearing this, Jing Ya withdrew her hand from his and slapped the back of his hand, scolding playfully, "Smart aleck."

Jun Wuxie smiled and looked at the door of the room, saying, "They must be waiting for the medicinal effects of the Transforming Power Powder to take effect in our bodies. The Yuan family is very cautious. They have a foundation of a Saintly Paragon Heaven Realm expert, but they still use the Transforming Power Powder and have also set up a sealing formation in this courtyard."

"They are indeed very cautious. It's only because they met you. If it were any other Saint Realm cultivator, they would definitely be in a desperate situation this time," Jing Ya said, with a hint of curiosity on her face. "Did you suspect that Yuan Feng had bad intentions before even entering this mansion?"

"Yes."

"When did you start suspecting him?"

"It can't be said that I suspected him, but from the beginning, I knew that he was a ruthless and ungrateful person."

Jun Wuxie indicated that he had seen through Yuan Feng's character when he left the Flowing Cloud Forest.

That should be a detail that Yuan Feng overlooked due to his usual habits.

At that time, Yuan Feng actually left directly, without even looking at the clansmen who died in the Flowing Cloud Forest.

Although Jun Wuxie didn't know they were his clansmen at the time, even if they were just companions, it shouldn't have been like that. At least he should have buried the bodies, right?

To leave the corpses exposed in the forest, allowing wild beasts to gnaw on the bones, one could imagine how indifferent Yuan Feng was.

Would such an indifferent and ruthless person be grateful for his life-saving grace?

Moreover, he had released the Blood鬃 Lion Dog Beast that Yuan Feng had painstakingly wanted to obtain at that time.

Gratitude? It didn't exist. Calculation was more logical.

"Since you knew from the beginning that he wanted to plot against you, why did you still follow him to the Yuan family? Wouldn't it have been better to kill him in the Flowing Cloud Forest?"

"I wanted to understand this world. We will be staying in the borderlands of Azure Province in the Eastern Region for a while to start a new journey. I needed to understand the strength of the forces here, so I thought about coming to see what level of experts this small family in the borderlands of Azure Province has, so that I could infer the approximate level of forces stronger than them."

"So that's how it is…"

Jing Ya couldn't help but sigh. Jun Wuxie was, after all, Jun Wuxie. It was estimated that he had already thought of all this when Yuan Feng asked for help.

The ridiculous thing was that Yuan Feng was still guiding him step by step when he was talking to him, wanting to lure him to the family to plot against him.

Yuan Feng wanted to be the hunter, but he didn't know that he himself was the locked-on prey from the beginning.