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The whip that Meiniang had just cracked had indeed sent a hidden beast flying, but it was the sound from Li Chonglou's direction that truly made the sense of crisis disappear.
The bloodstain on the ground also seemed to explain the matter.
"Little Li, did you kill it?"
Li Chonglou retracted his stance and nodded, "Yes."
The two exchanged glances, and Xiong Da, with a confused face, said, "This is strange. Judging by the nature of hidden beasts, they should become even more frenzied when a companion dies. Why did they retreat so suddenly?"
Li Chonglou didn't reply. Although the moment had happened extremely quickly, he had seen the true form of the hidden beast before it died. It was a gray-furred wildcat with rat-like teeth. For some reason, he always felt that the one he had killed was different from the others. .oγg
Of course, it was just intuition. Li Chonglou had never encountered these so-called hidden beasts before.
The two didn't ask further questions. The oppressive feeling around them had disappeared, and Xiong Da continued to lead the way, but he had become even more vigilant.
Li Chonglou followed with a blank expression. Meiniang suddenly leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Kid, you're really lucky. A hidden beast is probably worth as much as a blood crystal. This little thing is considered a special category in our recipes."
"What category?"
Li Chonglou seemed to be lost in thought, then suddenly snapped back to attention, his eyes regaining their brilliance.
Meiniang rolled her eyes, "I'm saying you're really lucky, kid. Hidden beasts are a special category, almost as valuable as a blood crystal."
In fact, Li Chonglou had heard everything Meiniang had said earlier, but his consciousness had just returned and was still a bit slow.
However, for her to repeat herself like this was unlike her usual aloof demeanor!
She must be plotting something!
Li Chonglou's expression tightened, and he asked directly, "Meiniang, is there something you want to tell me?"
"You're really smart, kid! Cough, don't look at me like that. This time, I'm absolutely sincere in talking business with you."
Li Chonglou didn't refuse immediately, but instead probed, "What kind of business?"
Meiniang's eyes suddenly lit up, "It's like this, normally, three residual souls of hidden beasts can be exchanged for two blood crystals. You can ask Xiong Da if you don't believe me."
As she spoke, Meiniang called out to Xiong Da ahead, "Xiong Da, tell Little Li, is the exchange rate for residual souls of hidden beasts like this?"
Xiong Da looked at Meiniang with confusion, but still nodded, "She's not lying to you about this."
"What do you mean! When have I ever lied to Little Li? We're all on the same side."
Li Chonglou chuckled and asked directly, "And then? You want to sell me that residual soul from just now?"
There was blood splattered everywhere, and there was no need to guess that Li Chonglou had killed one. Meiniang nodded repeatedly and smiled, "Yes, and I won't treat you unfairly. You still owe me ten blood crystals, right? This residual soul will count as one!"
Meiniang's generous demeanor made Li Chonglou want to laugh.
"Sorry, I'm not selling."
Meiniang's smile froze instantly.
"Why?"
Li Chonglou spread his hands, "No reason. It's the first time I've owned something like this. I'll keep it as a souvenir."
Pfft!
Meiniang almost stumbled aside. Xiong Da reminded from the front, "No. 3 is coming soon. Stop messing around."
Meiniang ignored him and gritted her teeth at Li Chonglou, "Are you telling me you're stupid! I'm offering you a price higher than the market value, and you're not selling it. What, will it reproduce if you keep it?"
Li Chonglou's eyebrows shot up, and he almost burst out laughing, but he managed to hold back.
If Meiniang hadn't reacted so strongly, Li Chonglou might have considered it. But this kind of obvious attempt to conceal something made Li Chonglou instantly certain that the hidden beast he had just killed was no ordinary one!
"Kid, say something!"
Li Chonglou smiled, "Meiniang, let's forget it. I really don't plan to sell it."
"Are you perhaps thinking that this thing has some special properties and I'm trying to trick you? Don't overthink it. I just happen to be short on this particular energy. Besides collecting residual souls and deterring enemies, the功石 (Gong Shi) can also be used for self-preservation."
Li Chonglou's expression froze.
"What do you mean?"
Meiniang explained, "As long as the功石's energy reaches a certain standard, it can store the soul within itself before death. Of course, this is just a rumor, but we always do it."
Li Chonglou's heart skipped a beat. Meiniang's words reminded him of the souls in his soul bottle!
"Are you telling the truth?"
Li Chonglou's expression suddenly became serious. Although Meiniang found it strange, she nodded, "You can ask Xiong Da about this to verify. It's just that so far, we haven't seen anyone who can revive from it."
Xiong Da, who was leading the way, also chimed in, "Meiniang, Little Li doesn't want to sell it, so don't force him. This has never been proven true for so many years. There's no rush to figure it out."
Meiniang hadn't expected Xiong Da to speak up for Li Chonglou, and since things had reached this point, if she continued to pester him, anyone would know there was definitely something fishy going on.
Meiniang sighed, "Fine, if you don't want to, then forget it."
There was a hint of resentment in her tone. If he were a complete newcomer, he might have softened his stance, especially since they were his seniors.
However, Li Chonglou had been through too many storms to be fazed by such tricks. To him, it was like a university student encountering a middle schooler; he didn't take it to heart at all!
In fact, Li Chonglou had another reason for not wanting to sell.
That residual soul had already been used by the restless souls for experimentation.
The result was that Rainbow, whose energy was almost depleted, had been restored to full status!
Even now, he could still hear Old Lin's sighs from his soul bottle. If their communication hadn't been delayed, Li Chonglou would have already guessed what Old Lin wanted to tell him.
"It seems this place needs to be incorporated into the plan as well."
Li Chonglou sighed softly. Almost every step of this mission had exceeded his expectations. By now, he had almost forgotten that he had entered because of a central bureau mission.
However, this was indeed a treasure trove, and at least for now, Li Chonglou needed it greatly.
One was the special red wine from the Red Coast, the other was this residual soul, and blood crystals were also a target. If he could obtain these three things in a short period, Li Chonglou estimated that his strength could increase significantly!
"There's still more than a day left for the mission. If Wei Yin is really in here, then I need to consider whether to prioritize completing the mission or..."
Li Chonglou was somewhat conflicted. If he focused on completing the mission, he didn't know when he would be able to enter again. But if he ignored the mission, the company's affairs would also be difficult to handle.
If he disregarded the company to improve his strength, then it would be a case of losing the bigger picture for the smaller gain!
The more Li Chonglou thought about it, the more helpless he felt.