024: Building a Plan

The girl unpacked their food supply and the cooking tools. She began to prepare a fireplace.

An hour later, the aromatic vegetables and meat stew was ready. Waking up both of Arthur and Ming almost in unison.

"Urgh!" A stinging pain struck the back of Ming's head when he was about to sit. Followed with confusion since he was already in a totally different place. "Where am I?"

"Oh! Brother Ming, you're awake? Just in time the stew is almost ready, wash your hands first or there is no bowl for you!"

The same goes with Arthur, the only difference was, his eyes were blessed by a pair of huge twin mountains above his eyes.

"Oh… good evening Hui Ying, It seems like I have overslept a bit. I am sorry, it must be tough on you, holding still for hours."

"Not at all, Master. In fact, I am so grateful having you on my lap while enjoying your sleeping face."

Arthur's face blushed red, followed by his fake cough to cover his embarassement Truth to be told, Arthur himself couldn't help himself but to always lower his guard around her.

He averted his eyes clumsily like a teenager in front of his sweetheart.

"Stop with the lovey-dovey, both of you." Yin brandished her laddle towards the two. "Go wash your hands or no dinner!"

'Since when she's so pushy? Is she my nanny or something.' Arthur thought inwardly while his mouth yawned so wide. However, he couldn't deny the delectable aroma from the simmering pot, filled with wild veggies and venison meat that made his tummy grumbled so loud.

Arthur stood up, washing his hands and face to freshen his drowsiness. He  then approached the fireplace and sat by it to warm his body.

Hui Ying joined the three after she casted a shield array so their presence was hidden from the predatory beats that might lurk in the shadow of the night.

As they sat around the fireplace, Yin began to scoop the stew from the medium sized clay pot to the bowls and distribute them in order.

It was a rather fancy meal given by their circumtances amidst the wilderness.

"How's the taste?" Yin asked pridely with her arms crossed just below her still-developing bosom.

"Not bad…" Arthur commented after he swallowed a spoonful of meat.

Hui Ying commended Yin's cooking with her warm smile.

On the other hand, Ming's face showed a very sullen expression, anyone could tell that he was having such a rough moment due to the curse of the artifact.

"Do you fear the curse might overwhelm your mind and losing control of yourself?" Arthur deliberately confronted Ming.

Ming was taken aback, he glanced at Yin with fierceful eyes. He was aware that the girl told everything about the curse to Arthur.

"Yin! I told you to not tell-"

Before the atmosphere became so heated up, Arthur released a fair amount of his pure Yang Qi. Not too flashy, but enough to mute the Young Master.

"No need to lash your rage and anger towards her. She did everything in her capacity to help you out carrying your quest. Which, I don't really care about, since its not my concern either."

Ming and Yin was suprised, they never thought that Arthur was actually a cultivator, 3 Star Realm Warrior at that, even though their age gap wasn't that far apart from each other.

However, Ming's pride as an heir of venerable a martial artist clan wouldn't allow himself being deterred by a mere unknown cultivator.

"And why do you care about my curse?! It can't be undone, unless with the blessing from His Holiness to lift up the curse for every generation of my family, you just an outsider! A hired man to obey my order!"

"Fei Ming!" Arthur raised his voice, warned him to mind his tongue. "Calm down… And hear what I am about to tell you."

It worked splendidly, years of experience dealing with ruffians in his old days as a gang leader served him well.

Yin offered the young master a cup of tea to ease him.

"Since you are calmed down… I shall tell you my plan to retrieve this artifact of yours." As the situation much nicer, Arthur began to speak about his plan. "My only concern is to have meeting with the wolves. You might not notice it but I can converse with the beast and alikes. Therefore, you have to let me convince them to hand me the artifact. However, it must be done by myself and no one shall meddle with the mediation or everything would be just for nought."

Hearing that, Ming couldn't believe him just like that. "Huh! You must be insane! There is no human that can talk with those mindless beasts! That wolves must be attracted by the power of my artifact! We have to kill them while we still have strength!"

Arthur doesn't have any choice but to reveal himself as a beast master. At least for the time being, he had planned to get rid of them once everything was done.

Faking their cause of death or dispose their body would just as easy as throwing some trashes into the bin.

Thus, he summoned the massive serpent, Xiaoqing in front of them. Ming and Yin was terrified and frozen in place once his familiar fully emerged from beneath the summoning circle.

"Do you still not believe me? I am sorry to not tell you this sooner. But I am actually a beast master. If you still so stubborn, I am afraid that I have to kill you both. Right here, right now."

Ming was enraged, never once in his lifetime being belittled and threatened at the sametime. "How dare you to threat me with that lowly beast! You shall courted death by my sword!"

Arthur pitied that entitled young master, he could have a bright future if he able to kept himself level headed for just a moment. Being spoiled and drunk with the pseudo-curse made his mind wasted. A good for nothing rotten egg.

"Xiaoqing, do it."

The serpent bared her huge pair of fangs, lunge her enermous yet agile body, a deadly single attack that able to kill the young master with a single move.

"NO!"

Unexpectedly, Yin brace herself in front of Ming. Her eyes were fearless, even though her fragile body was shivered so hard.

Arthur halted Xiaoqing's attack at once. Leaving the serpent's fangs one inch apart from her face.

"Yin!"

Paa!

One backhand bitch slap landed on the young master's left cheek really hard. The sound itself was indeed really sharp like a cracked whip lash.

"Stop this non-sense right now! Young Master Fei! Can you stop being so haughty and value your life more?"

"Yin…" For once, the young master back to his normal self when he looked at Yin's teary eyes.

"Hahaha!" Arthur laughed so hard upon witnessed it. "Ah… that was fun. Xiaoqing, get back."

"Eh?" The two was askew, the looks like a fool who just being tricked in the broad day light.

"I changed my mind! Heh… Killing two innocents kids alikes would gave me a bad aftertaste. Not to mention I have to face the wrath from your clan. Not worthy for my time. But seriously, I will kill both of you if you blabber out about my ability, for real. Understand?"

The two younglings nodded almost in unison.

As the moon rose to its zenith, the valley was basked with a hue of blue velvet lights. All kinds of plants and fungy shone their colorful lights.

Everything looks so otherworldly beautiful. Until an eerie long howl echoed from afar. Followed by another roars from other beasts nearby.

Arthur was so excited, he was so eager to tame any beast that took his likings.

"Alright then… The game is on." He punched his palm, followed with his maniacally smile.