26: Shadow Wolf Habitat

Jiang Donghua frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Liu Mingyu and Liu Yuting, before he finally couldn't help but ask.

"How did you two siblings get involved with those three guys?"

Liu Yuting pursed her lips, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes, and she whispered.

"We don't know either; they just suddenly came looking for us today."

Liu Mingyu also shook his head, his brows tightly furrowed.

"Logically speaking, we haven't been in the Academy for long, and we haven't offended anyone, yet they seemed to be deliberately looking for trouble."

Jiang Donghua stroked his chin, glancing thoughtfully at Liu Yuting, then suddenly a smile played on his lips as he said half-jokingly.

"Could it be because Yuting is too beautiful and attracted too much attention?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuting's fair cheeks instantly flushed, and she glared at Jiang Donghua, annoyed.

"Brother Donghua, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Liu Mingyu also couldn't help but laugh, but he quickly reined in his smile and shook his head.

"It shouldn't be that simple. Those three were clearly targeting us, and they even mentioned Black Iron City in their words, as if they knew our background."

Jiang Donghua nodded, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"It seems someone is watching you."

The three fell silent for a moment, unable to figure out the reason.

Just then, Liu Mingyu suddenly looked around, confirming that no one was paying attention, then mysteriously leaned close to Jiang Donghua's ear and whispered.

"Brother Donghua, interested in making a small fortune?"

Jiang Donghua was still pondering about Chen Xiao and the other two, but as soon as he heard the words "small fortune," his eyes instantly lit up, like a hungry wolf spotting meat, and he abruptly turned to stare at Liu Mingyu.

"How much?"

Liu Mingyu chuckled and said.

"A few hundred gold coins, with no upper limit."

"Jia Nan Academy has assessment missions!"

A glint flashed in Jiang Donghua's eyes, and a smile curved on his lips.

"Assessment missions? Interesting. You two siblings certainly know how to pick your timing to find me."

Liu Yuting took out a yellowish parchment from her embrace and carefully unfolded it.

"This is a map of magical beast distribution issued by the Academy. The red circles mark areas with magical beasts around the early Dou Practitioner stage, most of which should be around the Eighth or Ninth Stage of Dou Zhi Qi."

Liu Mingyu added.

"Each person needs to hunt five to complete the mission, but..."

He pointed with a wry smile at several darker ink marks on the map.

"These places occasionally have magical beasts of mid-stage Dou Practitioner strength. If the two of us encounter them, we might pay a bloody price."

"Got it!"

Jiang Donghua slapped his thigh, and Fire Attribute Dou Qi unconsciously circulated in his palm.

"You want me to be a bodyguard?"

"Not a bodyguard!"

Liu Yuting quickly waved her hand, her earlobes slightly red.

"It's... it's a team collaboration. According to Academy rules, a three-person team can share mission rewards, and if there are two Dou Zhi Qi, they must find a Dou Practitioner to hold the fort."

Liu Mingyu took out three bronze badges from his storage ring.

"Look, we even prepared the team tokens. After completing the mission, we'll split the profits three ways."

Jiang Donghua toyed with the badge, then suddenly grinned.

"Three ways? That's too formal, isn't it? Am I, Jiang Donghua, the kind of person who takes advantage?"

He deliberately dragged out his words.

"Four-three-three, I take four, and you each take three, after all, I'm taking on the risk..."

"Deal!"

Liu Mingyu agreed without hesitation, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes.

"But there's a condition: if we encounter rare materials, I have priority in choosing."

"Brother!"

Liu Yuting stamped her foot in exasperation.

"How can you be like that?"

"No worries!"

Jiang Donghua waved his hand, then suddenly lowered his voice.

"Anyway, don't you have a storage ring? It's not too much to casually... ahem, collect some medicinal herbs along the way, right?"

The three exchanged smiles, understanding each other implicitly.

"Hahaha!"

Jiang Donghua laughed heartily.

"Then what are we waiting for? We can't be careless about making money! Let's go now!"

The Ding-character dormitory area of Jia Nan Academy was silent.

Chen Xiao, with Chu Feibai and Liu Shiqing, furiously kicked open Liu Mingyu's door, only to find that he wasn't in the room at all; the bed was neatly made as if no one had ever slept in it.

"Damn it!"

Chen Xiao punched the doorframe, wood splinters flying.

"Where did this dog go?"

The dozen or so guys in the dormitory could feel the Dou Practitioner aura emanating from these people looking for Liu Mingyu, so they naturally shook their heads frantically.

Chu Feibai walked around the room, then suddenly kicked over a wooden stool.

"Did he know we were going to cause him trouble today?"

Liu Shiqing leisurely fanned himself, his gaze sweeping over the desk.

"Interesting."

The three looked at each other, Chen Xiao's face so dark it could drip water.

He gritted his teeth and said.

"We'll look again tomorrow! I don't believe he can hide forever!"

Jiang Donghua and the other two passed through the last patch of bushes, and the sight before them made them all stop at the same time.

"This?"

Liu Yuting's small mouth dropped open, and the ice crystal pendant in her hand almost fell to the ground.

Ahead, in the open forest clearing, people were packed densely.

There were burly men wielding giant axes, maidens holding daggers, and even a few students wearing Jia Nan Academy uniforms.

Bonfires flickered one after another, illuminating the entire forest like daylight.

"Damn it!"

Jiang Donghua slapped his forehead.

"This isn't a hunting ground; it's a marketplace!"

Liu Mingyu spread out the map with a wry smile, his finger repeatedly confirming the markings.

"That's right, it's the Shadow Wolf habitat marked by the Academy."

Just then, a burst of laughter came from not far away.

Five youths at the Dou Zhi Qi stage were dancing around a small puddle, in which a trembling grey rabbit was soaking.

"Look! I caught a magical beast!"

One of the blond boys shouted excitedly.

"Nonsense! That's clearly just an ordinary rabbit!"

His companion immediately debunked him.

Jiang Donghua's eye twitched.

"With this kind of lineup, let alone a mid-stage Dou Practitioner magical beast, even a Dou Master-level one would probably be beaten to death by a mob."

Liu Yuting suddenly tugged on her brother's sleeve.

"Brother, look over there~"

Following her gaze, any place here with even a hint of a magical beast had already been turned upside down.

"Bad luck!"

Liu Mingyu immediately pulled his sister down to squat.

Just then, a long wolf howl suddenly came from deep within the distant forest, with a hint of desolation in its sound.

Immediately after, howls echoed one after another from a more distant valley, as if responding to each other.

"Did you hear that?"

Jiang Donghua suddenly lowered his voice.

"The wolf pack is migrating deeper into the canyon."

Liu Yuting looked worriedly at the map.

"But that's already beyond the safe zone designated by the Academy."

The three exchanged glances, and Jiang Donghua suddenly grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"How about it, want to play a big one?"

A hint of struggle flashed in Liu Mingyu's eyes, but when he saw his sister's expectant gaze and touched the equipment in his storage ring, he finally nodded heavily.

"Let's go!"

They quietly retreated from the crowd, heading in the opposite direction from everyone else.

Under the moonlight, the three figures gradually disappeared into the depths of the dark dense forest, leaving behind the noisy crowd still arguing red-faced over a rabbit.