Chapter Forty-Three: Does Zhan Yu Actually Care About Him?

Kuang Shao followed behind, curiosity piqued as he reached out to touch the so-called “Man-Killer Vine.” No sooner had his fingers brushed it than the vine coiled swiftly around him. He struggled a bit.

“Hm.” The strength was considerable, but what effect did its sap have, he wondered.

He conjured a tiny flame and burnt away the part of the vine that had ensnared him, frowning as he lightly stroked his wrist. It felt a little numb.

Without even being pierced, he was already experiencing some numbness—this thing was formidable.

Seeing the other two had walked on ahead, he hurried to catch up, only to find them stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

Xuan Xuan glanced at him, then at his wrist, and tossed him a bottle of brownish, basic “detox potion” before carefully inspecting the surroundings again.

Zhan Yu gave Kuang Shao a sympathetic look—he’d been through this himself. Whenever he accompanied Xuan Xuan outside, he’d be curious when she collected plants, and inevitably he’d touch something. Then, there was that strange-tasting detox potion she made him drink, which still made him queasy at the memory.

Kuang Shao, unaware of the significance of the bottle Xuan Xuan had thrown at him, opened it, sniffed, wrinkled his nose, turned away, and quickly capped it—the smell was too strange. He cast a puzzled look at Xuan Xuan, weighed the potion in his hand, then stowed it in his pack and followed the pair.

Xuan Xuan, oblivious to the fact that Kuang Shao hadn’t drunk her potion, considered the toxicity of the Man-Killer Vine. Even without breaking the skin, its poison could seep in through contact and friction. Kuang Shao hadn’t touched much, but a numbed hand was almost inevitable.

Suddenly, Xuan Xuan’s eyes brightened. She’d found it.

Casting “Acceleration” on herself, she sped forward, and in a blink, she saw what appeared to be an ordinary plant, but was, in truth, the elusive “Morphing Grass.”

Delighted, she observed that there was quite a bit of it, all fully matured, even the seeds had formed. Such a good spot, indeed.

Frowning, she recalled that Morphing Grass was always accompanied by a magical beast—the Phantom Fox.

The Phantom Fox could transform into myriad forms, and Morphing Grass was one source of its abilities.

The fox itself wasn’t frightening—it was swift and could shift shapes unpredictably, striking unexpectedly and achieving the best effect through surprise.

Most were gifted with powerful mental abilities, making them nearly impossible to detect unless they acted. Xuan Xuan patiently scrutinized the surroundings, but found nothing. Perhaps things in this world were different, or perhaps the Phantom Fox was simply hiding.

She turned to the others, “I’m going to collect the seeds. You two be careful—there’s likely something hidden here, hmm, a Star Beast.”

Zhan Yu nodded. When Xuan Xuan spoke, she was usually confident.

Kuang Shao eyed her in surprise—he hadn’t noticed anything amiss.

Xuan Xuan ignored his doubts and cautiously advanced, shielding herself with several layers of “Air Shield”—the least conspicuous protection.

She approached the Morphing Grass, carefully gathering the fully matured seeds scattered about, placing them in a crystal vial.

The chances of these seeds sprouting and thriving here were slim.

But in Xuan Xuan’s hands, with proper care, while not guaranteed, she could certainly cultivate them.

Having collected the seeds, Xuan Xuan frowned slightly at the absence of the Phantom Fox. Could it be there truly wasn’t one here?

She looked at the Morphing Grass before her, noticing a tiny bite mark on one leaf. A smile curled at her lips. If you won’t come out, then I’ll force you out.

The Phantom Fox was one of the more popular magical pet beasts on the Mata Continent, but finding, capturing, and successfully taming one was rare.

Originally, Xuan Xuan hadn’t intended to uproot more than a few of the Morphing Grass, but perhaps she could take two?

Even in the Star Net, capturing a Phantom Fox as a pet would be worthwhile.

She reinforced herself with two more “Wind Shields,” glanced at Zhan Yu, who immediately understood and handed her an empty box suitable for storing Morphing Grass, ignoring Kuang Shao at his side.

She surveyed the area—still nothing.

Xuan Xuan glanced at Kuang Shao, who seemed skeptical of the Morphing Grass’s effects.

Perhaps she should let him try it?

The thought barely formed before she began picking, all the while alert, knowing that if she took the fox’s food, it would surely be provoked.

Left hand holding the box, she prepared a “Spatial Blade.”

Just as she was about to touch the Morphing Grass, she hurled her Spatial Blade and leapt backward.

Zhan Yu stepped forward, blocking Xuan Xuan.

She watched as a white blur zipped past—there it was.

Zhan Yu moved before Xuan Xuan, but the white shadow was gone.

“Are you alright?” Zhan Yu turned to ask.

Xuan Xuan nodded, signaling she was unharmed.

Kuang Shao finally reached them, “What was that?”

“The Phantom Fox.”

“Phantom Fox?” Kuang Shao frowned—what on earth was that?

The white blur had moved so quickly, he hadn’t seen it clearly, and now he was alert.

Xuan Xuan eyed them, “Don’t hit too hard. It’s my pet now.”

Zhan Yu nodded, inwardly lamenting why she always favored such dangerous creatures.

Kuang Shao was exasperated—he hadn’t even seen the thing clearly and wasn’t supposed to use force?

Moreover, she’d already claimed it as her pet—wasn’t that a bit premature?

Xuan Xuan smiled faintly. Still hiding?

Previously, she couldn’t locate it, but now, having seen it once, her mental power could easily lock onto its position.

She shared the fox’s location with Zhan Yu.

After a moment’s thought, she shared it with Kuang Shao as well—he must be someone Zhan Yu trusted.

Kuang Shao suddenly felt something in his mind and recoiled. Zhan Yu glanced at him, and Kuang Shao composed himself, examining the mental map and furrowing his delicate brows.

What was this?

A layout of the area?

Seeing Xuan Xuan watching him, Kuang Shao wondered just where this girl had come from.

As he studied Xuan Xuan, a white blur launched itself from the left, heading straight for her.

Clearly, it knew she was the one who’d taken its food.

Under Xuan Xuan’s mental control, Zhan Yu detected it first and moved to her left.

Even with mental guidance, the fox’s speed was such that Zhan Yu could barely track its movements.

He quickly raised his right leg, delivering a spinning kick—a reflexive action, needing no thought.

This alone revealed Zhan Yu’s wealth of combat experience.

The Phantom Fox lived up to its cunning reputation; with a slight twist, it changed direction and charged at Kuang Shao.

Xuan Xuan’s eyes lit up—this fox was smart. And perhaps of the spatial element?

Kuang Shao saw the fox darting toward his face and grinned—since when had he become a pushover?

His right hand shot up, aiming to grab the fox’s neck.

But the fox, slippery as a ball, and endowed with spatial ability, eluded him; his hand brushed it, only to come away with a tuft of smooth fur.

Just then, Kuang Shao saw sharp claws coming at him from another angle, faster than anything he’d ever encountered.

Interesting.

He arched an eyebrow, reaching out with his other hand.

Suddenly, his expression changed—his left hand wouldn’t respond.

He tilted back slightly, hissing.

Kuang Shao lifted his head, a streak of crimson blooming across his left cheek.

On his porcelain-white skin, the red stood out. He looked up at the little creature in the tree, smiling slightly.

Xuan Xuan’s heart skipped a beat at that smile—when he smiled, he was truly mesmerizing, almost beguiling.

“Very good.” Kuang Shao raised his right hand and blew softly, dispersing the tuft of fox fur from his fingertips.

Xuan Xuan immediately conjured an ice shield in front of the fox, only to see a great flame blossom.

She glared—she’d said it was her pet; no heavy blows were allowed.

“Little Xuan Xuan wants to save it?” Kuang Shao arched a brow.

“It’s my pet.” Xuan Xuan replied seriously.

Kuang Shao’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Just Zhan Yu’s woman, and she really thinks she matters?

Is her pet allowed to harm him?

Xuan Xuan glanced at his face.

Zhan Yu suddenly stepped in front of Xuan Xuan.

A hint of displeasure flickered in Kuang Shao’s eyes, but his smile only grew more dazzling. A woman he’d met a few times, and Zhan Yu truly valued her?

Zhan Yu, knowing Kuang Shao well, understood his meaning and stood before Xuan Xuan accordingly.

Xuan Xuan tossed him a bottle of healing potion.

Kuang Shao glanced at Zhan Yu before accepting it.

“Because of your pet, my beautiful face is injured,” Kuang Shao remarked, scanning the area—the little creature in the tree had vanished, the flame had gone out, and Xuan Xuan’s mental sharing had ceased. He could no longer spot it. He said to Xuan Xuan, “I want you to apply the medicine.”

Xuan Xuan looked at his face, then considered his relationship with Zhan Yu. If he lost his good looks, wouldn’t Zhan Yu be even more likely to abandon him?

Besides, it was her insistence that he go easy which had led to his injury.

She stepped forward, took the potion from Kuang Shao’s hand, poured a little onto her finger, and gently applied it to his cheek.

This butterfly’s skin was exquisitely smooth, softer than even a peeled egg.

Kuang Shao inhaled the subtle fragrance of herbs, felt the soft fingers on his face, and the pain vanished, replaced by a tingling numbness.

He looked down at her earnest blue eyes, and the tingling seemed to reach his heart, as if a feather were gently brushing his soul.

Zhan Yu found the scene before him unbearably vexing. He snatched the potion from Xuan Xuan’s hand, pulled her away, and applied it himself.

Kuang Shao quickly jumped back—was this man jealous?

Zhan Yu snorted coldly, tossed the potion back to Kuang Shao, and returned to Xuan Xuan’s side.

Xuan Xuan mused that they must share a deep bond; Zhan Yu seemed quite concerned about him.

ps: A fox’s novel~ [bookid==“Red Attire, Chaos Under Heaven”]