Chapter 92

"Master, Dong Ge isn’t a martial arts practitioner, and he runs such a large company, how could he have time to cultivate?"

Seeing Tong Dongjie’s face turn red from Master’s scolding, Su Xiaofan came to his defense. After all, this was his financier, and he still needed to rely on him for money.

"Hmm, you’re right. Dongjie has been in a high position for a long time, and he’s not really suited to this kind of environment."

Jing Shizhen stopped scolding Tong Dongjie. It was indeed quite dangerous just now, and he was still feeling a bit uneasy when he thought about it.

"Uncle Jing, you’re right. I was a bit too complacent."

Tong Dongjie said with a bitter smile, "I don’t have a talent for martial arts, so I went into management. I thought I still had a lot of passion, but it seems management really suits me."

Jing Shizhen had a high status in the country, so being scolded by him wasn’t a big deal, and Tong Dongjie didn’t really mind.

"Is that big guy dead? Master, should I go down and check?"

Seeing the giant python lying motionless, Su Xiaofan was getting impatient. If they waited any longer, the solid fuel on the ground would burn out, and they wouldn’t be able to see what was happening below.

"No, a cornered beast is still dangerous. If it’s not dead, none of us can withstand its final struggle."

Jing Shizhen shook his head and said, "I’ve completely destroyed the giant python’s heart. Even if it doesn’t die immediately, it won’t last long. Let’s wait until dawn."

Jing Shizhen knew what he had done. When he stabbed the sword into the python’s heart, he sent his true qi into it. If it weren’t for the python’s thick skin, it would have exploded on the spot.

Time passed quickly. The morning star pierced through the mist in the forest, and the sky was about to brighten.

"It’s dead!"

The three people on the steep slope all breathed a sigh of relief. The night had passed, and the fresh blood flowing from the python had already coagulated, clearly indicating that it was dead.

"I’ll go down first, you two wait here."

Jing Shizhen instructed the two of them and jumped down the steep slope. He was still cautious, so he first sent a palm strike to the soft sword embedded in the python’s heart.

The python didn’t move at all. No matter how large a creature, it couldn’t survive with a broken heart.

Perhaps when it first died, the python’s head could still make one last attack, but as time passed, all life had been extinguished.

"Come down." Jing Shizhen waved to the steep slope. He had used his qi-sensing technique at close range and confirmed that the python was dead.

"Master, did we two take down this big guy?"

Standing next to the python, Su Xiaofan felt a sense of awe. The thickest part of the python’s body was so large that one person couldn’t even wrap their arms around it. It lay on the ground, like a black dragon.

"Don’t take too much credit. Without that leopard, no one could have taken it down!"

Jing Shizhen shook his head with a bitter smile. Fortunately, he always carried his sword, otherwise, without a proper weapon, they wouldn’t have been able to kill the python.

"Right, what about the leopard?"

Hearing his master mention the leopard, Su Xiaofan remembered that it hadn’t shown up all night, and he didn’t know if it was alive or dead.

"Master, you and Dong Ge watch the python. I’ll go look for the leopard." Su Xiaofan remembered the direction the leopard had been flung and walked in that direction.

After walking about twenty meters, Su Xiaofan came to a large tree and saw the leopard’s body.

Its yellow and black fur was in disarray, and its body was curled up, appearing much smaller than a normal leopard.

Su Xiaofan didn’t dare to get too close and used his qi-sensing technique, just like his master.

"It’s dead too. Both sides lost." Su Xiaofan shook his head and walked over to pick up the leopard by the neck, intending to bring it back to the clearing.

"Meow..." Suddenly, a sound like a cat’s meow came from under the leopard.

"Is... is there a cub?" Seeing a small creature, no bigger than a fist, lying under the leopard’s belly, Su Xiaofan was stunned.

The little one, unaware that its mother was dead, was still trying to nurse. This was a natural instinct, and it was the only way it could survive.

Su Xiaofan sighed and picked up the little one. It seemed to feel disturbed and bit Su Xiaofan’s finger.

"Damn, it has teeth already?"

Seeing the blood seeping from the bite marks on his finger, Su Xiaofan was amazed. The kitten hadn’t even opened its eyes, but it could already bite through his skin.

Su Xiaofan grew up in the countryside and had raised cats and dogs. Typically, kittens open their eyes around eight days after birth, so this little one was probably no more than a week old.

Although it hadn’t opened its eyes, the little one seemed to have a bit of a temper, snarling and sniffing around, as if trying to find its mother’s embrace.

Su Xiaofan knew the habits of felines and used his other hand to rub the adult leopard’s belly, picking up its scent before transferring the little one to his other hand.

Sure enough, upon smelling the familiar scent, the little one calmed down and licked Su Xiaofan’s palm.

Holding the little one in one hand and the adult leopard in the other, Su Xiaofan returned to the clearing.

"Master, this one is also dead. Both sides lost."

Su Xiaofan placed the leopard’s body next to the python. These two creatures, which seemed to surpass ordinary animals, had fought to the death, but now they lay peacefully together.

"This isn’t a leopard, it looks more like a tiger."

Jing Shizhen came over, examined the creature, and said uncertainly, "This might be a tiger cat, a type of feline, but its size suggests it has mutated."

"This is a tiger cat? It doesn’t look like one."

Su Xiaofan was surprised. He had seen pictures of tiger cats before, and they were much smaller than this one.

"I said it’s mutated."

Jing Shizhen pointed to the python, "A jungle python that’s usually three to five meters long can grow this big, so it’s not strange for a tiger cat to be larger. Besides, it has tiger blood in it."

"Uncle Jing, are there any other mutated creatures around here?"

Tong Dongjie, standing next to the python, felt uneasy even though it was dead.

"It’s impossible for there to be a third one. Having two is already quite rare."

Jing Shizhen shook his head, "This python’s hunting ground isn’t here. This well must lead somewhere else, and the nearby prey was likely hunted by the tiger cat. You probably won’t find any larger creatures."

"Master, what about this one?"

Su Xiaofan lifted his hand, revealing the little one in his palm.

"A tiger cat cub?"

Jing Shizhen recognized it immediately, "You’re lucky to have found its cub. If it has extraordinary genes, you’ll have a great find."

"What are extraordinary genes?"

Su Xiaofan was a bit confused.

"Extraordinary genes are the continuation of the bloodline of extraordinary creatures. Some cubs of extraordinary creatures can also mutate, but some are just ordinary. It’s a matter of luck."

Looking at the cub in Su Xiaofan’s hand, Jing Shizhen hesitated, "If you decide to raise this little one, I won’t be able to skin and take the claws of the adult."

"Brother, do you want to raise this little tiger cat?"

Tong Dongjie looked at Su Xiaofan with enthusiasm, "If you don’t like raising cats, you can give it to me. Besides, it’s not convenient for you to raise a cat in the city..."

"Dong Ge, are you trying to snatch a bargain from me?"

Su Xiaofan looked at Tong Dongjie with a smile, jokingly. After seeing the ferocity of the adult tiger cat, how could he bear to give the cub to someone else?

"Cough, Xiaofan, I can pay for it. Name your price."

Caught in the act, Tong Dongjie laughed awkwardly but still wanted the cub.

"Let’s talk, Dong Ge. I’m not short of money!"

Su Xiaofan spoke confidently. This trip could earn him thirty million, and the money from the autumn auction would bring his total to about half a billion, enough to support his search for rare meteorites.

"Alright, Dongjie, I’ve only seen this kid get bargains, never seen anyone get a bargain from him."

Jing Shizhen laughed at Tong Dongjie’s reluctance, "I’ll make the decision. One billion. Do you want it?"

"One billion?"

Hearing Uncle Jing’s words, Tong Dongjie fell silent.

To be honest, if it were the adult tiger cat from earlier, Tong Dongjie would have borrowed money to buy it, even for two billion.

But this little tiger cat only had a theoretical chance of becoming an extraordinary creature. Whether it would grow up or even survive was uncertain.

Tong Dongjie’s company was already under financial strain due to the Shuangmen Village development project. Spending one billion on a gamble was too risky.

"Ah, there’s milk in the backpack. Give it some."

Tong Dongjie sighed and gave up on the cub.

Jing Shizhen and the others had brought three large backpacks of supplies into the mountains.

Two of the backpacks had been destroyed by the python’s rampage, and the contents were scattered everywhere.

The third backpack had been flung away but was mostly intact, except for a large tear.

Su Xiaofan took the milk from Tong Dongjie, squeezed it into his hand, and let the little one lick it.

Su Xiaofan knew that the saying "cats can’t be tamed" usually referred to wild cats or those adopted when they were older.

A kitten this young, still with its eyes closed, would usually be very attached to its owner, so feeding it was something Su Xiaofan had to do himself.

"Alright, the animals in the mountains are tough. It won’t die. Come and help figure out what to do with the python."

Seeing Su Xiaofan’s fatherly expression, Jing Shizhen was speechless. They still had a mission to complete.