Not A Cultivator

Chang Miao could not help but grumble.

It has been a couple of hours since they entered the Northern Dark Forest, but except for the gra.s.s and trees, they found nothing. To search such small keys within the entire forest was quite an impossible feat.

It was called the Northern Dark Forest for a reason. Although it was afternoon, and the sun was still up, it was like night inside the forest. One who walks inside could not help but lose track of time. The more to the north they went to, the darker it gets. They said at the farthest point in the north, nothing could be seen, nothing could be heard.

Still, not far from the southern border, the small amount of light already made the mission hard. Yet, Chang Miao and the others could not even discover a single key or even a trace.

n.o.body thought it was going to be this difficult. Especially, Chang Miao and her two friends, who were troubled. If finding the keys just to qualify was already impossible, how are they gonna find another thirty points as a penalty for killing Fei Bao Xing? At such thought, the girls felt they want to cry at the impossible hurdle in front of them.

The one who sincerely wanted to cry was Fei Bao Xing. How could he not notice? Ever since the incident from this morning, he always felt an uncomfortable aura from Chang Miao and the others. Because they said they wanted to kill him, it would be seeking death just by getting close to the girls.

However, Fei Bao Xing had no choice. When Chang Miao asked him to join the team in front of everybody, the other boys were staring.

Chang Miao was the prettiest and smartest. Out of them all, she was the G.o.ddess and the number one idol among the recruits. Then, there were Guan Ru Na and Guan Ru Yi apparently, they were sisters. Although their beauty was a bit lacking behind Chang Miao, they were still considered pretty girls. With all three of them at a young age of sixteen, no wonder many bees attracted. And, to join along with their teams, which healthy young boys do not want to?

Yet, the chosen one was Fei Bao Xing. The boys felt extreme jealousy and irritation, their menacing eyes made it very clear. And, if Fei Bao Xing would refuse them then, the boys would beat him to death.

"Fei Bao Xing... How dare you!"

"You dare reject Chang Miao"s offer!"

"Death is the only option for you!"

With those threatening silence words within their eyes, Fei Bao Xing reluctantly accepts.

Now, they were looking for keys. As a Silver Hand Owl recruit, it could be said that these girls were quite fast, at least quicker than the average girls.

"Fei Bao Xing, why are you so slow? Can"t you be a bit faster? Don"t drag us down to your snail pace!"

"That"s right, Young La... I mean Chang Miao won"t be able to complete the task at this rate."

"Wait... I"m coming... I"m coming..." At the nagging of the Guan sisters, Fei Bao Xing used his full power to run until he"s out of breath. But, since he"s not a cultivator, his speed was not even close to theirs.

"Ugghhh... Too slow!" said Guan Ru Na.

"Why such a small pace? Are you really this weak? What"s your cultivation level?" asked Guan Ru Yi.

Fei Bao Xing panicked at the sudden attack. Currently, it was not convenient to reveal his real level. Without any other choice, he has to quickly reply something to divert their attention.

"There"s a key nearby!" Fei Bao Xing lied.

"Fei Bao Xing... really? Is there a key there" asked Chang Miao.

"Don"t lie!" said Guan Ru Yi. "We three are faster than you, but we found nothing. There"s n way you could have found it."

"We already search that area before. It"s useless to do it again," said Guan Ru Na. "Chang Miao, and Sister Ru Yi, Let"s just go, and find someplace else!"

"Wait, there"s nothing wrong with searching that area one more time," said Chang Miao.

As far as Chang Miao takes joy in Fei Bao Xing being reprimanded by the Guan sisters. Nothing would make her happier if she can prove Fei Bao Xing wrong. Furthermore, even if she can kill Fei Bao Xing and pay the penalty, she still needs an incentive for one. Thus, the alibi of Fei Bao Xing dragged us down, so we killed him, could probably work.

But, they still need to keep up the acting. Probably, the elders and seniors of the Silver Hands Owl could be watching from afar to list of whom killed whom.

The Guan Ru Na nad Guan Ru Yi nodded. They too understood Chang Miao"s line of thinking. Thus, all three of them pretended to search the area.

"Nothing here..." said Chang Miao.

"It"s not here either," said Guan Ru Na.

"Nothing..." said Guan Ru Yi. "Fei Bao Xing, are you actually searching..."

Fei Bao Xing smiled wryly. Of course, there"s nothing around here. He just took a blatant lie so they would stop asking him about his cultivation level. But now, he started to regret it as it just made the three girls mood worsen.

* Clink *

"Hmmm... What"s this?" Before Guan Ru Yi could finish her words, her feet stumbled onto something, it creates a low but distinctive sound.

"This... This is..." Guan Ru Yi rubbed her eyes as she picked up something from the ground. "It"s a key!"

Fei Bao Xing, "Ehhh..."

"Moreover, it"s a red key that worth points..." Guan Ru Yi continued. "I can"t believe this, Fei Bao Xing is right. There"s actually a key right here."

Guan Ru Na, "..."

"..." Chang Miao was shocked and was unable to comprehend the current situation. She shook her heads to calm herself down, then said, "Good job, Fei Bo Xing... I know you can do it."

"..."

"But... How could you be so slow, but still be able to detect the key?"

"Ah... That..." then, Fei Bao Xing told another lie. "I intentionally being slow so I can trace the key accurately. You girls should also do it slowly. There"s no point in being fast but unable to find anything."

[Intentionaly being slow, my a.s.s!] thought the three girls.

There"s no way that Fei Bao Xing did it intentionally. At least not when he was gasping so hard during running. However, with the evidence at hand, they were unable to refute Fei Bao Xing"s words. In fact, they have to take on his advice seriously.

The girls thought it was just dumb luck, nothing more than a coincidence. Yet, as time pa.s.sed by they were once again proven wrong. After they slowed down their pace, the girls were able to detect some keys. Although it does not earn as many points as the red key, they were able to find 3 green keys and a blue key, totalling it to 18 points leading the group by a wide margin within half a day.

At such incredible progress, the girls felt happy and worried at the same time. With this pace, they would be able to earn sixty points in total. But, at the same time, they know first hand Fei Bao Xing"s scary ability. They were worried if they were able to take down Fei Bao Xing when the time comes.

Meanwhile, Fei Bao Xing...

* Krruukkkk... *

[Come to think of it... I haven"t eaten anything since yesterday. And, they did not even give breakfast nor lunch. How could I survive in such an environment? Ahh... my sausage skewer...]

At Fei Bao Xing"s stomach sound, Chang Miao suggests. "Then everyone, why don"t we take a break and eat something first?"

Thus, the Fei Bao Xing and the girls sat down. The three girls took a rice ball each from their own pocket and slowly ate.

"Ehhh... What about me?" asked Fei Bao Xing while staring at the girls.

"Ummm... Fei Bao Xing, you"re not eating?" asked Guan Ru Na.

"Eh... Don"t tell me you did not bring any food with you?" asked Guan Ru Yi.

"But, there"s no food around here? How are you going to eat?" asked Chang Miao.

"Wait. I"m supposed to bring my own food?"

"Isn"t that covered in the first lesson? Ah... Come to think of it you"re not here at the time." Chang Miao said. "Every day you should search for your own food. Usually, in the morning, some of us would go to the mountain to forage some herbs and mushroom or go fishing in the river. One could even buy" from the market nearby with enough money."

"Eh... But this is the Northern Dark Forest. There"s no edible food here." said Fei Bao Xing. "Can"t you give me some food..."

"You"re not allowed to share food with others. If caught, both the receiver and giver would be eliminated from the recruitment process."

[F*ck! I"ve never heard of this rule!] Fei Bao Xing cursed in his heart. How could he survive three days in this forest without anything to eat?