Chapter 3896 — Something's Off
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
That was not hard to understand. Though the ghostly thing was now no more than a wisp of primordial spirit, it had after all once been an elder of the spirit beast clan. Helping Wei Zhao intimidate other spirit beasts in ordinary times was fine, but helping human cultivators like Wei Zhao subdue spirit pets was a bit much to ask.
If the spirit beasts followed humans of their own accord, it would have nothing to say—but they meant to use spirit pet talismans to subdue them, an unequal contract that flatly violated the spirit beasts' will. That the ghostly thing had not leapt out to kill these humans outright already showed remarkable magnanimity; expecting it to lend a hand was pure fantasy.
"This is no place to linger. Let's withdraw first," Wei Zhao proposed.
Xiao Che nodded at once in agreement. The early Heaven rank Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle cub before them was not fearsome in itself, but if they stayed here, an adult Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle might arrive at any moment, and then the trouble would be enormous.
Qiao Hongcai, however, hesitated, his feet reluctant to move, looking rather unwilling to part.
"Don't tell me you want to subdue it?" Wei Zhao asked, his eyelid twitching.
Qiao Hongcai was silent for a moment, then drew a deep breath. "Leader, you two go on ahead. I want to stay and give it a try."
"What? Hongcai, don't joke around!" Xiao Che was startled.
At a time like this, even running for their lives might not guarantee they got out whole—and this fellow wanted to subdue the cub before them? That was plucking teeth from a tiger's mouth. Was he insane?
Wei Zhao frowned as well. "This is no small matter, Hongcai. Think it through. If we run now, the Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle may not give chase relentlessly, but if you take its cub, it will surely hunt you to the death. The consequences then would be nine parts death to one part life."
In human society, subduing a cub was no different from abducting a child; once the parents learned of it, frenzied revenge was certain. The same held true for a Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle.
With the strength and mobility of a Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle, if Qiao Hongcai truly drew its eye in the outer reaches of the rear mountain, calling it nine parts death to one part life would already be wildly optimistic—ten deaths and no life was the bloody reality.
"I know, leader, but the stronger the adult, the more precious the cub, isn't it? I truly don't want to let such a fine chance slip by, even if I must risk death for it," Qiao Hongcai said with firm resolve.
After all, he was a rootless vagrant cultivator with no backing at all. Had he not met Wei Zhao, he might now be in the same plight as bottom-tier weaklings like Cha Wu, with no hope of turning his fortunes around—and as for high-grade spirit pets, those were pure delusion.
If he missed this chance today, Qiao Hongcai might never in his life subdue such a ferocious spirit pet as the Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle. Given his hot-blooded style, making such a seemingly rash choice was unexpected, yet entirely within reason. (To be continued...)