Main Story, Volume Three, Chapter 135: It Seems to Have Evolved!

I gently pried the stone loose and slowly dragged the scent-seeking beast out. After a careful inspection, I found it was unharmed, save for a leg that had been crushed.

Yu Mu wrapped the beast in vines and carried it to the remains of the steward. The steward had been crushed into a pulp, leaving nothing behind but a storage pouch amidst the mangled flesh. Yu Mu didn't even stop to open it; he tucked it into his internal space and carried the beast toward the cave entrance.

The entrance was barely a meter away from where the steward had met his end. In that single meter lay the divide between life and death; one could only imagine the despair and agony the man must have felt in his final moments.

The entrance was now buried under collapsed sand. Yu Mu began to burrow through the loose earth, moving as quickly as possible, unsure how long the beast could survive without air. Since mastering the Earth Spirit Path, his ability to tunnel had been greatly enhanced, and his speed was much faster than before.

Based on what he had seen earlier, the cave entrance was only a dozen meters or so from the teleportation array, and the two arrays were separated by nothing more than a single wall.

After tunneling for a short while, Yu Mu was blocked by an object. A sweep of his spiritual sense revealed it to be a felt mat; he had reached the chief’s bedroom. A moment later, he felt the resistance ahead vanish, and with a soft pop, he broke through the surface.

He shed his earthen form and returned to his human shape, but all he saw was pitch-black darkness. A howling gale was raging outside, and the sandstorm was so dense that he couldn't see his own hand, nor could his spiritual sense reach very far.

Anxious, Yu Mu called out loudly, "Anshu! Anshu!" His voice was instantly swallowed by the roaring wind and sand.

What now?

Yu Mu was burning with worry. It was incredibly dangerous for Anshu to be out alone in such weather. If she were lost in the sandstorm, the chances of her survival were slim.

Just then, he felt a movement at his feet. Looking down, he remembered the scent-seeking beast. The little creature was tugging at his pant leg, pointing its tiny claw in a certain direction while letting out soft, whimpering cries.

Yu Mu’s heart leaped with joy. The little thing was still faithfully performing its duty of tracking targets for its master. He immediately scooped up the beast and followed its lead.

After rounding a mountain ridge, he spotted a delicate figure shouting at the top of her lungs against the gale. Yu Mu rushed forward, pulled her into a windbreak, and cast a reed hat over them both.

The moment Anshu saw Yu Mu, she felt as if she had found her kin and buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Only then did Yu Mu notice that her voice had gone hoarse. She was a practitioner of vocal arts, and seeing her scream so desperately left Yu Mu feeling both heartbroken and deeply moved.

Anshu finally stopped crying, looked up, and asked, "Brother Earth Bear, is he..."

Yu Mu nodded somberly. Seeing her fair face smudged with dust and filled with sorrow, his heart ached all the more. He reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear and sighed, "Brother Earth Bear didn't make it."

Yu Mu recounted what had happened after she left. Anshu wept again upon hearing the news. Even knowing that the hated steward was dead brought her no joy.

Once she calmed down, Anshu shared her own experience. After escaping, she had stayed by the cave entrance, hoping to wait for Yu Mu and prevent the steward from chasing them. But when the palace collapsed, the spatial pocket connected to it was affected, and she was forced to flee through the teleportation array. Little did she know that the entire mountain would soon begin to collapse as well. She was driven into the sandstorm and lost her way; had Yu Mu not found her, she likely would have perished in the gale.

The intensity of the sandstorm made Yu Mu realize that the delays along their journey meant they had entered the windy season in the desert, and the road ahead would only get harder.

Yu Mu handed the hero who had found her over to Anshu and told her of the little creature's loyal deed. Anshu was immediately moved by the beast’s devotion, and the little thing instantly won her heart. She held it tenderly, coddling it, and her mood brightened as she played with it.

"Ying-ying!"

The beast squeaked—Anshu had bumped its injured leg. She was instantly distressed, rushing to wrap the leg in a stream of water and massaging it gently. Before long, she had set the bone. Yu Mu then used his Rejuvenation Technique to heal it, and the injury was soon as good as new.

The creature was very clever. With its injury healed, it grew very affectionate toward them, darting around them playfully. This only made Anshu dote on it even more.

Yu Mu watched them play with a smile and said, "Since this little monster likes you so much, it’s yours."

Anshu was overjoyed but protested, "It’s not a monster! It’s so cute!" She turned to the beast and said, "I'll call you 'Little Strawberry' from now on, how does that sound?"

The beast seemed to understand, nodding its little head repeatedly. When Yu Mu saw its big, red nose, he couldn't help but chuckle—it really did look like a strawberry.

Looking at the nose, Yu Mu suddenly remembered something. He pulled out a yellow crystal shard from his robes; it had a pattern that looked like a lump of excrement—the demonic crystal from the giant dog in the Free City. He had remembered it because the dog, like Little Strawberry, was a beast with a keen sense of smell. As soon as he brought it out, the beast’s red nose twitched rapidly, and it dove into his robes, begging for it.

Surprised, Yu Mu handed the crystal to its little claws. Little Strawberry couldn't wait; it grabbed the crystal and crunched into it.

Seeing the pattern on the crystal, Anshu glared at Yu Mu. "Why are you feeding it such disgusting things? Ugh, how gross! Stop eating that, Little Strawberry!"

But Little Strawberry finished the shard in a few bites, patted its little belly in satisfaction, and scurried back into Anshu’s arms to fall into a deep sleep.

Anshu was left feeling both annoyed and amused.

As the creature slept, Yu Mu remembered something else. He took out the steward’s golden needle and the storage pouch. They opened the pouch and found, aside from some spirit crystals and daily supplies, only a scroll of beast hide and a small bag caught their attention.

The bag was a specialized "beast-rearing pouch," which contained its own internal space similar to a storage pouch, but capable of sustaining life. When not on missions, the beast would live inside, where a custom environment was maintained for its survival and growth. The beast hide contained the techniques for using the golden needle.

Yu Mu handed the needle and the scroll to Anshu. "You only have one spirit weapon left, and your flute was destroyed. See if you can master this golden needle; if you can, it will provide you with extra protection."

Anshu looked at Yu Mu with gratitude, took the needle, and began practicing according to the scroll. Yu Mu sat to the side and quietly practiced his *Record of the Immortal Path*.

By the time dawn arrived, the sandstorm had ceased. The scorching sun once again turned the desert into a furnace.

Anshu looked despondent as she returned the needle and the scroll to Yu Mu. "Sigh, I can't control this metal-attribute divine needle. You should be the one to practice it."

Yu Mu had seen her efforts throughout the night. The needle was so heavy that she couldn't even lift it, let alone manifest it. Yu Mu weighed the needle in his hand and tried to use it according to the technique, but he couldn't control it either, so he tucked it away.

"Let’s go, let's get some more water," Anshu said, summoning her Water Spirit Orb. Her smile had returned.

Their previous water supply had been limited, and they were both curious: as a spirit weapon, just how much water could the orb hold?

"Wait, look! Why does Little Strawberry look different?" Just as they were about to leave, Anshu noticed that the little beast, having just woken up, had undergone a massive change overnight.

Its nose seemed larger, and the whiskers on it were denser. Most importantly, its fur had turned very pale, almost transparent.

"It seems to have evolved!" Yu Mu exclaimed, sensing the intense fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from it.

"Could this be the result of eating the demonic crystal?" Anshu also sensed the boost in the beast’s power.

"If that's the case, it’s going to be very expensive to raise in the future."

Demonic crystals were extremely costly items. But Anshu didn't care. "What are you worried about? You’re so rich."

"Uh..."

She hugged Little Strawberry and headed out, full of excitement, leaving Yu Mu to sigh and force a bitter smile.