Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Determined to Get It

The atmosphere in the camp was tense.

Jiang Weifang wore a troubled expression.

She had finally found a powerful ally, but who would have thought that in less than a day, she would be losing him?

She had teamed up with Pei Ze for a better chance at survival and hunting barbarians. But now, under these circumstances, Pei Ze himself had become the source of danger.

It was clear that if she continued to team up with Pei Ze, they would be targeted by countless other apprentices.

Pei Ze might be able to withstand it, but she knew she couldn’t.

"Pei Ze..." Jiang Weifang began, then trailed off.

Pei Ze held up a hand, cutting her off. "I understand. We should go our separate ways."

After a pause, he added, "It’s late now. You can leave first thing in the morning."

Jiang Weifang breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, her expression turning apologetic.

"I’m sorry. I’ll still pay you as agreed."

"Don’t worry about the payment." Pei Ze waved his hand dismissively.

He and Jiang Weifang were only temporary partners, not true companions. She had no obligation to stay and help him.

Besides, Jiang Weifang deserved some credit for finding the Madness-Inducing Flower, so he could consider the half-day’s payment a thank-you gift.

Jiang Weifang fell silent.

Neither of them spoke again, and silence soon fell over the camp.

The Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy lay sprawled out beside Pei Ze, completely oblivious to the situation. It slept soundly without a care in the world, smacking its lips from time to time as if dreaming of something delicious.

Pei Ze watched it, shaking his head with a laugh, and went back to processing his materials.

...

At the edge of a cliff, on a rocky outcrop that jutted out like the point of a halberd.

Gu Lin sat on the edge of the outcrop, her smooth, fair legs dangling and swinging gently.

Sunlight bathed her from behind, revealing the pitted ground around her. The rock was covered with countless horrifying craters, as if it had been shelled by artillery. Charred skeletons and severed limbs were faintly visible within them.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning, but the girl seemed oblivious. She tossed an orange-red gemstone up and down in her right hand, her eyes fixed on a glowing screen floating in the air before her.

’Pei Ze... The name sounds familiar. Isn’t he that famous top student from my year?’

’No wonder he managed to catch a Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy.’

Gu Lin mused.

’A top student would definitely be knowledgeable. It’s not that surprising he could catch a Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy.’

’But catching it is one thing. Being able to keep it is another entirely.’

’That Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy is mine!’

A smirk played on Gu Lin’s lips as her right hand suddenly clenched, gripping the gemstone tightly in her palm.

The next second, she flung her arm and threw the gemstone.

A sonic boom instantly cracked through the air as the gemstone transformed into a blinding red light, shooting like a meteor toward the forest over a hundred meters away.

BOOM!

The massive tree struck by the red light exploded violently, sending countless splinters of wood, wreathed in a red glow, flying in all directions like bullets.

The dozens of barbarians who had been silently approaching the outcrop from the cover of the trees, preparing a sneak attack, were instantly riddled with holes and completely wiped out.

Gu Lin stood up nonchalantly, dusted off her hands, and walked down from the outcrop.

...

「By a riverbank, a stream murmured.」

Yin Guang sat on a smooth rock, frowning at the glowing screen before him.

’Someone beat me to it.’

He had some recollection of the name; his cousin, Yin Xue, had mentioned it before.

Apparently, he was one of the first ten elite students in his year to advance to Second-level Wizard Apprentice, and his knowledge was said to be quite extensive.

’His actual strength doesn’t seem that great, though. He’s only ranked 19th.’

’In that case, I won’t hold back. The Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy will be stolen from you sooner or later anyway. It would be better for me to... keep it safe for you.’

Yin Guang pursed his lips and leaped down from the rock, landing on the pebbly shore.

At the same time, the shadow at his feet twisted abruptly, and a black cat leaped out, nimbly landing on his shoulder.

"Go. Find Pei Ze’s whereabouts," Yin Guang ordered in a low voice.

The black cat let out a cry, leaped into the shadows of some nearby trees, and vanished in an instant.

...

「In a temporary camp in a forest clearing.」

Inside his tent, Pei Shaoqi was preparing to enter Meditation when he suddenly heard someone calling for him outside.

He frowned slightly, pushed aside the tent flap, and stepped out.

"What is it?"

The four apprentices from his team were gathered at the entrance to his tent, all wearing strange expressions.

Cheng Li spoke up. "Someone caught the Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Pei Shaoqi was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously asked, "Who?"

"Pei Ze."

’It was him!’

Pei Shaoqi raised an eyebrow.

He had always looked down on this "bloodless one" who had been driven from the family.

Even when he heard that Pei Ze had advanced to become a Second-level Wizard Apprentice, his contempt and disdain for him hadn’t lessened in the slightest.

Ordinary people simply couldn’t understand how broad and smooth the Path of the Wizard was for Wizard Apprentices like them, who hailed from Bloodline Clans.

Especially once they advanced to Wizard and awakened their bloodlines, their growth rate would far surpass anything an ordinary Wizard could imagine.

Pei Ze’s so-called "excellent aptitude" was completely worthless in his eyes.

To say nothing of the fact that Pei Ze’s current strength was inferior to his own.

"The guy’s luck isn’t half bad," Pei Shaoqi said, his eyes narrowing. "But I am determined to have that Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy!"

He turned to a gaunt-looking apprentice and said in a low voice, "Weng Zhang, release your Tracking Butterfly. We’re leaving immediately. We have to find Pei Ze before anyone else does and take the Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy."

The apprentice called Weng Zhang immediately nodded in agreement.

The others also began to pack their things, preparing to leave.

As Wei Ming dismantled his tent, he whispered to Cheng Li, "I never thought Pei Ze would actually manage to catch the Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy."

Cheng Li glanced at him and said coolly, "Pei Ze is extremely knowledgeable. He’s likely studied rare flora and fauna extensively. It’s not that surprising he could catch a Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy."

"I know, but I just never expected him to get this far," Wei Ming remarked with a sigh.

Cheng Li pursed his lips, his feelings complicated.

Back when he had advised Wei Ming not to get close to Pei Ze, he never would have imagined that Pei Ze would advance to Second-level Wizard Apprentice in just a month and a half, leaving him far in the dust.

Once you fall behind, you keep falling further behind. By now, the gap between him and Pei Ze was immense.

The leaderboard made it obvious.

Even after joining Pei Shaoqi’s team and greatly increasing his hunting efficiency, his current score only put him at 47th place—he couldn’t even break into the top thirty.

Meanwhile, Pei Ze had broken into the top twenty.

The difference was stark.

Despite all this, Cheng Li didn’t regret his past actions.

Even if he had the chance to do it over, he still wouldn’t have gotten close to Pei Ze.

As a "bloodless one" cast out from the Pei Family, it would have been one thing if Pei Ze had remained mediocre and faded into the crowd. But for him to start making a name for himself was undoubtedly a slap in the face to the Pei Family.

And the more outstanding his performance, the harder the slap.

The Pei Family would never be happy to see such a thing, and they would move to suppress him sooner or later.

’No, they don’t even have to wait.’

’That time is now!’

’Pei Ze caught the Ten Thousand Flowers Fairy, defying everyone’s expectations. But what good will it do him?’

’Once Pei Shaoqi makes a move, Pei Ze will have no choice but to obediently hand it over.’

Shaking his head, Cheng Li stopped overthinking and focused on packing his things.

A moment later, led by Pei Shaoqi, the group of five followed the Tracking Butterfly out of the forest.