Feng Shui Chapter 133: The Exchange

The feigned retreat by the black-tailed bat monkeys was a very bad sign for Chen Xiao and the others, but it greatly boosted the bat monkeys’ confidence. After that, whenever they tried to probe for an opportunity, they were always met with the bat monkeys’ vigilance, making it impossible to get close to the nest.

The group was frustrated and had no choice but to retreat far enough to avoid further contact with the bat monkeys. Only then did the creatures quiet down. As for the bat monkey king, who was jubilant in the mistaken belief they had been driven off, the cultivators didn’t bother to argue.

Shen Yongqing suggested, “Should we consider going all in and wipe out this group of bat monkeys?”

Xi Yunqing replied, “I’m afraid the cat beast would see it as too big a threat and relocate the nest with Daoist Tang. That would make finding her even harder.”

Tong Nuonuo sighed gloomily, “We never imagined things would come to this when we fought that battle with the bat monkeys.”

Chen Xiao patted him on the shoulder and said, “Don’t be discouraged. We’ll figure something out.”

But under the current circumstances, without any breakthrough in sight, they really had no better options.

Meanwhile, Tang Ru, without the protection of true energy and wearing only light clothing, stood anxiously at the mouth of the nest.

The cat beast had gone out hunting again, bringing back small prey like wild rabbits, foxes, and ferrets. Since these were small meals that wouldn’t fill it, the cat beast went out multiple times. It never strayed far from the nest, making Tang Ru too afraid to risk running away. She worried that if she tried to escape, the cat beast would catch her mid-route and watch her even more closely.

Tang Ru let out a long sigh, staring up at the sky. Did she have to wait until the warm spring before the cat beast would allow her to leave the nest and she could attempt to escape? But she also feared that by then, the cat beast would have gone wild, searching everywhere for her.

Suddenly, a small stone snapped against the rocky wall beside Tang Ru. Startled, she looked up to see a figure standing under a distant tree. It was one of Zhao Jiao’s subordinates, the same person she had once stopped from calming the poisonous viper inside the cave. Tang Ru immediately grew wary; she had no ability to fight back now.

“Don’t be alarmed, Daoyou." the man said. “If you want to escape, I can lend you a hand.”

Tang Ru didn’t trust him. “Unsolicited kindness usually hides ill intent. And since you’re an evil cultivator, I have even more reason to be on guard.”

The man smiled lightly. “You misunderstand. My name is Li Muye. I’m from the Lishu tribe, specializing in beast taming. My connection with Zhao Jiao is purely contractual, I help him communicate with poisonous vipers.”

By giving his name, he was making an initial peace offering. Tang Ru didn’t relax her guard but did give her name in return, though only the one on her official name tag. She said, “If you’re not an evil cultivator, then how can you aid Zhao Jiao in his cruelty? How can you watch innocent children suffer without stopping him?”

Li Muye’s expression turned icy. “What happens in the Middle Realm is for the Middle Realm people to handle. Those righteous sects pride themselves on being upright, but I’m just a barbarian meddling in things, I doubt they would thank me.”

Tang Ru raised her eyebrows and said sternly, “Zhao Jiao harms not only Middle Realm people but also children of our Dwarf tribe. How do you know that your Lishu tribe’s children won’t face the same tragic fate? You say you’re not evil, but your words and actions, how are they different from evil cultivators?”

Li Muye’s eyes narrowed. He said coldly, “If that day comes, I will act. Don’t be deceived by the Middle Realm people, they look down on us outsiders and call us barbarians openly. Their words and hearts never align. They are always scheming, only wanting to use us.”

Tang Ru shook her head. “Not all Middle Realm people are bad. Some are good friends. You just haven’t met them yet.”

Li Muye snorted. “You mean those fools outside the nest who tried to rescue you but got entangled with the black-tailed bat monkeys?”

Tang Ru had often heard noises outside lately but wasn’t sure if it was Chen Xiao and the others. Hearing Li Muye say that made her eyes light up, though she bristled and said, “They’re not fools!”

Li Muye could be friendly to Tang Ru as a fellow outsider, but he clearly harbored disdain for Middle Realm cultivators. Skipping over the potentially contentious topic, he asked, “With my beast-taming skills, I can communicate with the cat beast and get you out. Are you willing to try?”

When Tang Ru heard that he could tame beasts, she didn’t immediately ask for help, which surprised Li Muye at her composure.

To Tang Ru, Li Muye was a pragmatist, unconcerned with good or evil. She disliked such people and would rather figure out her own way than rely on him.

But thinking about her companions outside desperately trying to rescue her, she couldn’t act on personal feelings. Suppressing her frustration, she said, “I have nothing of value to pay you. If you agree to rescue me, I can serve you for two years, but only on the condition that you don’t make me do anything against my conscience.”

Li Muye laughed heartily. “You’re too small to boss around. Better get your so-called friends to pay me! You wait here, how fast you get out depends entirely on whether they agree.”

With that, Li Muye turned and quickly left. Tang Ru wanted to know what conditions he had in mind and risked chasing after him, but she couldn’t catch up. Instead, the cat beast returned to the nest and immediately grabbed her by the collar, taking her back without a word.

To avoid the black-tailed bat monkeys, Chen Xiao and the others had to retreat their camp by several dozen miles. By the time Li Muye appeared near their camp, the sky was already growing dark.

The first to recognize him was Tong Nuonuo. When he had rescued the children in the cave, he hadn’t seen this man calming the venomous snakes, so seeing him now took him by surprise.

Disgust showed clearly on Tong Nuonuo’s face, and for once his voice was sharp and serious. “You villain, how dare you show yourself! Sooner or later, the Guardians of Zhishi Hall will capture you and offer you as a sacrifice for those innocent cultivators you’ve killed.” It was a pity he wasn’t strong enough to take revenge himself right now.

Tong Nuonuo’s outburst puzzled the others. When he explained that this was the same Li Immortal Master who had escaped earlier, both Chen Xiao and Xi Yunqing’s expressions turned grim.

The tension in the air was thick, but Li Muye remained calm and indifferent. He simply said, “Survival is for the fittest. Those blinded by greed lose their judgment and ultimately their lives, it's inevitable. Wine, women, wealth, and desire are all temptations. The path of cultivation is filled with such trials. Countless cultivators die by these tests every year. Why should you mourn for them?”

As one who had joined the trial team driven by greed, Tong Nuonuo found himself speechless. Though Li Muye spoke some truth, something about his words felt off.

Li Muye’s blunt honesty left Tong Nuonuo unsure how to respond. Xi Yunqing then asked, “Zhao Jiao and his group are either dead or captured. You already escaped, so why show yourself now?”

Li Muye replied, “I’m here to propose an exchange.”

Tong Nuonuo, still angry, snapped, “We have nothing to trade!”

Ignoring the scowling youth, Li Muye said, “I have a way to rescue your comrades trapped in the cat-beast’s lair. In exchange, I want the bounty on me lifted.”

Chen Xiao frowned. “Tang Ru is an important member of our group. We’re willing to pay any price to save her. But your demand is too high, and we can’t meet it. The Zhishi Hall’s bounty covers the entire Gengsheng Minor Heaven realm, this isn’t something we can easily override.”

This was a matter of Zhishi Hall’s authority. Even though Chen Xiao owed Han Yuanzhi a debt, it wasn’t easy to cancel the bounty on Li Muye.

Li Muye had no illusions about getting what he wanted easily. He threw out the impossible demand as a setup for his real goal. “If that’s not possible, then at least cancel the bounty on me within Shen’s jurisdiction.”

Shen Yongqing was the uncle of Wang, and he had the authority. He immediately nodded. “Within the kingdom’s borders, I can turn a blind eye.”

With his goal met, Li Muye decided to call it quits. He nodded and said, “I hope you keep your word.” Then he turned to the anxious Chen Xiao and promised, “By this time tomorrow, your comrades will be reunited.”

His confidence piqued Chen Xiao’s curiosity, wondering what method Li Muye had to back up such a bold claim.

As a beast tamer, Li Muye naturally had a way to communicate with fierce creatures. His method was simple: since Tang Ru was disguised as a lost child, it would seem natural for an adult to come and take her away. But this was something only he could pull off. Without his skills, trying to reason with the cat-beast would only enrage it.

Whenever a beast raises an adopted child, there’s always tension between the foster parent and the biological one. The foster parent fears the real parents will come to take the child back. Anger and sorrow often lead to fights and lawsuits. Especially with the cat-beast, which is extremely protective. Even the true parents can’t wrest their cubs from its embrace.

Li Muye used his beast-taming skills to convey to the cat-beast that he was Tang Ru’s father. At first, of course, the cat-beast was furious and tried to kill him. Li Muye didn’t confront it head-on but circled around, using special calming techniques. Even the aggressive venomous snakes had responded to him, so calming the milder-tempered cat-beast was no problem.

Eventually, the cat-beast realized it couldn’t keep Tang Ru any longer. It was heartbroken. Its large eyes were wet and sorrowful as it gazed at Tang Ru. Though they’d only spent two or three days together, Tang Ru was moved by the cat-beast’s fierce love.

Standing on tiptoe, Tang Ru stretched out and hugged the cat-beast’s head tightly. Stroking its fur, she said, “Next spring, find a female beast early and have your own cubs. Then no one will ever be able to tear you apart.”

Reluctantly, Tang Ru slipped her hand into Li Muye’s, and the two slowly walked away from the cat-beast’s den. The cat-beast grunted softly, lowering its big head in dejection. How could a male beast ever snatch cubs away from a female?

Its eyes darted toward the group of black-tailed bat monkeys gathered at the entrance. From then on, those monkeys had no peace. Every one of them suffered nervous exhaustion, living in constant fear that the cat-beast would snatch their young to feed on raw meat. Heaven knows their cubs were still nursing!