"Where are you going?" Mu Qi asked curiously.
"To find someone for A'Ran to spar with," Xiao Man said faintly. "Young Master Mu, you'd better not follow us. If we get up to something nasty, your guard won't be able to protect you."
Mu Qi's expression remained unchanged. He resolutely stepped forward, determined to follow them and see what they intended to do. If anything happened to him here, the guards he left in Wuming Town would not let them off the hook. He was quite sure that Xiao Man and the others wouldn't dare to harm his life.
"This guy is like a sticky plaster, incredibly annoying," Yue Ran said, not hiding his dislike for Mu Qi. It could be said that the three individuals, known as the Three Heavenly Talents, all found each other disagreeable.
"Even a sticky plaster has its uses. It's better than some people who would dismantle their own courtyard gate before even being assigned to guard it."
"You dare to scold me!"
"So what if I scold you?" Mu Qi retorted, not to be outdone. Even though Yue Ran had reached the Golden Core stage, he was only ranked second among the Three Heavenly Talents. "Eternal second place."
"I'm second, and you're third. At least I'm stronger than you!" Yue Ran's face immediately broke into a smile. "If you're so capable, go and unseat Ze Fang, who is ranked first, and take his place."
Xiao Man's expression changed, and he looked at Yue Ran. "You know Ze Fang?"
"Of course, his reputation is quite significant," Yue Ran snorted. If his feeling towards Mu Qi was dislike, then towards Ze Fang, it was filled with hostility. "One day, I will surpass him and become number one!"
"With your advancement speed, you probably won't be able to catch up even by whipping your horse," Mu Qi sneered repeatedly. "After all, Ze Fang is a Nascent Soul stage powerhouse."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Man shook his head. The Ze Fang they were talking about was likely not the Ze Fang he knew. The Ze Fang he knew was at most at the Foundation Establishment stage, nowhere near a Nascent Soul powerhouse.
"I will soon become a Nascent Soul stage powerhouse as well."
"By the time you become a Nascent Soul stage powerhouse, Ze Fang will likely have already become a Deity Transformation stage grandmaster. You'll never be able to catch up to him in your lifetime."
"As if you could catch up."
"I don't need to catch up to him; I just need to be stronger than you," Mu Qi said in a tone that was designed to provoke.
"What, do you want to fight?"
"If we're fighting, the opponent is over there." Xiao Man stood between the two, gesturing them to look ahead. In front of them, a Flood Dragon was coiled around a large tree, its bell-sized eyes staring at their group with menace.
Mu Qi showed no surprise. He had already anticipated that the Flood Dragon would come looking for Xiao Man and the others. "What exactly did you do to make it chase you relentlessly?"
"We stole its egg."
Mu Qi thought to himself, as expected, a Flood Dragon egg would be much easier to tame than a Flood Dragon.
"And then we accidentally broke it in front of it."
Mu Qi's expression twisted for a moment. As expected, they were utterly incompetent!
"It wouldn't have mattered if it wasn't broken. We were going to steal it to eat anyway."
You useless glutton! Mu Qi swallowed the curse that was on the tip of his tongue. When they had captured the Flood Dragon, they had also intended to eat it. Stealing and eating the Flood Dragon's egg was not surprising.
"So, the result is, you stole the Flood Dragon's egg, couldn't eat it, and then broke it. This is a case of killing its offspring. This Flood Dragon will likely not rest until it has killed you. It truly deserves to be chopped up and eaten," Mu Qi said, steadying himself. The murder of an offspring was an unforgivable offense, especially since Flood Dragons were known for holding grudges. As long as the Flood Dragon lived, it would hunt them.
Xiao Man reached out and pushed Yue Ran. "Go on, use it for practice!"
Yue Ran was pushed to the front of the Flood Dragon, and still a bit dazed, he turned back to ask Xiao Man, "Second Brother, if I catch it this time, can I eat Flood Dragon meat?"
"As long as you defeat it, you can have it steamed, stir-fried, or stewed. The choice is yours!"
"Good!" Yue Ran exclaimed with joy and drew his sword, charging forward with reckless abandon. The Flood Dragon also hated these humans. Not only did they steal its egg, but they also broke it. The murder of its offspring was an unforgivable sin, and today, it would use the blood of these humans to mourn its unborn child!
Mu Qi was quite envious of Yue Ran's combat prowess. Among the Three Heavenly Talents, Ze Tian had the best talent, the highest cultivation, and was most skilled in formations. Yue Ran had the strongest offensive power, while Mu Qi himself was best at healing.
Xiao Man surveyed his surroundings, keeping an ear out. The commotion from Yue Ran's fight with the Flood Dragon was considerable. Coupled with the Flood Dragon's immense size, anyone lingering in the East Yue Forest would surely be attracted by such a disturbance. To prevent others from coming to claim credit, Xiao Man needed to make some preparations.
Mu Qi was watching the battle intently. When he snapped back to attention, he realized Xiao Man was gone, and even Bai Chen was missing. His expression changed slightly. "Where did Xiao Qin go?"
Diao Han looked bewildered. He had been engrossed in the battle and hadn't noticed when Xiao Man and Bai Chen had left. Now that they were the only two remaining, and looking at Yue Ran entangled with the Flood Dragon, Diao Han felt a pang of pity. Indeed, the Three Heavenly Talents had no true friends. No matter who it was, when danger arose, those so-called friends would abandon them without hesitation.
"Young Master, let's go. He's no match for the Flood Dragon alone," Diao Han reminded him. After all, Mu Qi had stayed for Xiao Man's sake. Now that Xiao Man had fled, there was no point in staying.
Mu Qi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the increasingly fierce Yue Ran. After a moment, he slowly shook his head. He didn't believe Xiao Man would abandon him and flee. Xiao Man must have gone to do something else. As for what that was, he would likely only find out when Xiao Man returned.
However, a malicious thought arose in Mu Qi's mind. He stepped forward and raised his voice. "Yue Ran, Xiao Qin has left. She abandoned you and left."
Yue Ran was fully focused on dealing with the Flood Dragon and had no room to be distracted. Although he hadn't known Xiao Man for long, he understood her character quite well. Her departure must have been for a reason. What he needed to do was defeat the Flood Dragon before she returned, so he could eat its meat!
Seeing that Yue Ran was completely unaffected, Mu Qi raised his voice again. "Yue Ran, did you hear me? Xiao Qin has left. She's gone. Even if you kill the Flood Dragon, she won't come back."
"She feared the Flood Dragon's strength and fled!"
"No matter how strong you are, you're just a pitiful creature. No one wants to be your friend!"
Yue Ran remained deaf to his words, with only one thought in his mind: to defeat the Flood Dragon and have Xiao Man cook it for him in various ways. He loved Xiao Man's cooking; it was both delicious and invigorating, and it could also enhance his internal qi.
Mu Qi shouted for a long time, but Yue Ran showed no reaction. This frustrated him. After a moment, he said faintly, "Indeed, why would you care? You don't need friends at all, and you've never treated her as a friend. You're just using her. Whether she leaves or not is unimportant to you."