Unexpected Offer.

"...but you didn't use that defensive killer move either. It withstood a Rank Two killer move from me before, so it would have helped you..." Luo Niu glanced at Rue Bu with a curious look.

"That's my original creation," he lied through his teeth. "I don't want anybody to know about this trump card of mine, so I usually train like I don't have it. When we practice together again, don't take it into account. And I don't need to remind you not to mention it to anyone, right?" His expression turned serious.

"Yes, Rue Bu. I won't mention it again." She had only been curious, and it wasn't unusual to have trump cards, so she didn't press further.

'But for him to create such a powerful killer move on his own... It was hard enough to create a killer move, but to make one that could defend against a higher-rank attack, even if only for seconds, was virtually impossible. At least, it is for someone like him. He just started cultivation, how could he conceive such a move without attainment in whatever path that move came from?' Still, she couldn't shake off the doubt.

He was essentially a baby in the Gu Master world. How could a baby start running before learning how to walk? It didn't make sense, but she didn't question it further because of his words, and because she couldn't go against them.

"Good. How did the Kui Twins situation go?" he asked nonchalantly. They had finally managed to remove the last of the metal fragments embedded in his face, and the healing had begun.

Inside his aperture, the Devouring Salamander Gu's eyes suddenly lit up. It breathed a stream of yellow fire that shot from his aperture and circulated through his body. The smaller wounds began to heal at a visible speed, closing in real time, while the larger ones were slower—but would eventually heal completely too.

"I did as you said and gave them a list of materials I needed from the metal and enslavement paths. Just like you predicted, they didn't provide the full list for either. But surprisingly, they did hand over the Violet Soul Flower. More importantly, they gave me all the materials from the wisdom and soul paths required to refine the Mindless Wasp to rank three, well, at least the ones I could confirm were necessary." She obviously didn't know the full recipe—he doubted anyone did outside of the Jin Tribe leader, maybe—but she had managed to get her hands on an incomplete one some time ago with the help of her master, Jin Shun.

"And you're sure nobody followed you here?" If someone had seen them together, it would only complicate this already tangled ordeal further.

"I'm confident. I used one of my Ancient Guardians, it picked up the materials, returned to the tribe, and is currently waiting there for me. Even if someone tailed it, they wouldn't know where I actually am." She reassured him.

"Good, then," he nodded and continued, "aside from what's required for the advancement of the mindless wasp, you can use whatever you need from that list. Is that Violet Soul Flower really that rare, or is it just important to you?"

"It's a Rank Three material. It's not necessarily rare in the region—more so within my Jin tribe. And it's an important component for advancing the ancient guardian's heart to Rank Three," she explained.

"Oh? Would that killer move of yours reach Rank Three after that?" He sounded intrigued.

"I'm still working on that... Not all Guardian hearts are Gu worms, and I can't use them in my killer move. But when I find one that has evolved into a Gu worm, I kill the Guardian without damaging the heart Gu and turn them into one of my puppets..." She looked hesitant, but explained in the end, "... Rank One worked essentially the same, with minor adjustments to account for the differences between rock and plant guardians. Combining both versions of the supplementary Gu worms with a Rank Two heart would yield an Ancient Guardian version. As for Rank Three, I'm still not entirely sure..."

"Hmm... but why don't you enslave them normally? Why go to such lengths to turn them into a killer move? Wouldn't that be extra work for no reason?" He still didn't understand.

'I had thought it was just the Gu worm's effect back then... but for someone to design a killer move specifically for that is... redundant?' he thought.

"Hahaha, you sound like someone I used to know," she chuckled. "It's mostly for convenience. I currently carry two Ancient Hearts that can form two Rank Two monsters immediately, and another two are stationed in the tribe to keep the rest of the Rank One normal monsters under control. But it also places less demand on the soul. Despite the Heart still being bound to my soul, because it's only a killer move using my own Gu worms, the soul foundation can be somewhat neglected and the enslavement effect still remains..."

"Oh? Were you trying to remove it completely?" It seemed like a simple thing to do—but how many had ever succeeded? Just one, as far as he knew.

"... Haha... ha... I was naive. How could it be so simple to completely get rid of something so essential to enslavement..." she said awkwardly, even though she was already under the effect of something that seemed far simpler than her killer move—and had achieved what she could not.

"Don't downplay what you managed to accomplish. The Mindless Wasp is an anomaly, and in my opinion, it's not such a simple Gu worm, despite what its generic description might make it seem. It's really impressive that you managed to lower that requirement at all." He didn't even know where to begin tackling something like that, let alone succeed in it even partially.

"Thanks. I don't deserve such praise, honestly. My master provided me with a lot of help, though he doesn't like admitting it. Without him, I might not have achieved this small feat." She shook her head.

"Speaking of your master, what did he say about what I requested from you?" He wasn't referring to the incomplete recipes. Aside from the one she already had, the rest were going to be harder to get her hands on. She needed to climb the political ladder within her tribe first—and that was what he meant.

"About that... I'm not sure he buys my reason entirely... and also something unexpected happened..." She had never kept anything secret from her master, but this time she had no choice.

...

"I didn't think that job would be this hard. Your target was only a Rank One, wasn't he?" Jin Shun was sipping tea while his student listened attentively.

"It's not that he was hard to kill, but he never left his little hideout after that incident with Long Min until now. I doubt he even knows I was after him, just a scared little young master." She observed his reaction carefully before continuing.

"Mhm, spoiled brats are often like that, prioritizing their safety above all else." He didn't seem interested in questioning her further and continued sipping from his cup.

'It's a good thing I never mentioned the name of the student I was targeting. He seems to have bought it.' She had narrated a version of events to her master that closely resembled the story Chen Huan and Rue Bu told their tribe, with one key difference. She had tricked them into believing it was a wild monster, when in fact, it had been her all along. She'd eliminated her target without raising any suspicion of assassination.

That obviously came with its drawbacks. 'If Kui Lang doesn't comply and comes after me, Master will know something's wrong. But I don't have any other choice...' She couldn't tell him the truth. And if she claimed she hadn't attacked her target yet, her master would soon discover the lie—especially once he learned an alliance student had been killed in Jin tribe territory, supposedly by an Ancient Guardian.

'The student died at the hands of an Ancient Guardian, and I just so happen to have a mission to eliminate an alliance student—how could that be a coincidence? He would piece it together eventually. It was the sort of thing the alliance could use to blame the Jin tribe, after all.'

"But..." he started.

'Here we go... I knew there was just one problem with this story.' She braced herself, trying her best to stay calm.

"Wasn't he supposed to be from the Ma tribe? The name you just mentioned began with 'Shui,' if I'm not mistaken." He was still nonchalantly sipping his tea. "What were you doing in Ma tribe territory that Ma Long Min had to chase you down for?" Surprisingly, he didn't seem suspicious.

"No, Master, I believe you misunderstood because I didn't mention the name before. My target's name was indeed Shui Tao," she lied to her master with a smile. "But he was staying in the Ma tribe to train with his teammate—I don't remember his name, but I believe he's a talented B-grade. You know what the alliance is doing these days with the younger generation, trying to make them grow closer and whatnot."

"Mhm, that makes sense." He nodded and, contrary to her fears, didn't press her further.

'...I'm not entirely sure why he isn't paying much attention to the details, but that's for the best. I just need to mention my desire to...' She didn't get to finish the thought before Jin Shun interrupted.

"You need to advance to team captain as soon as possible, Luo Niu, and I'm not taking no for an answer this time." His expression was stern, and she knew he meant it.

'...Haha, perfect timing. I don't know what's going on exactly, but it's better than me having to initiate this conversation.' She thought, then immediately frowned.

"Master, we've talked about this more than once..." she began, but he suddenly raised two fingers.

"If you take this seriously, I'll provide you with two incomplete recipes of the Mindless Wasp. What do you say? Aren't they important to your research?" Luo Niu was stunned.

"You're joking, right?" She didn't believe it.

"Why would I? Look here." He tossed her a Rank Two Gu worm. She infused it with her red steel primeval essence and was surprised to see a vast amount of resources listed—and, more importantly, insights into the Mindless Wasp and its mechanisms.

"But... why? Why are you so intent on me advancing?" She asked as he retrieved the Gu worm before she could memorize anything, which annoyed her.

"If you reach rank three, I'll tell you." He winked and gave her a mocking smile.

"Please stop joking, Master... I..." Even if she hadn't been ordered by Rue Bu to rise in status within the Jin tribe, she would have been tempted to accept the offer—but it would still have been out of character for her to agree so quickly.

"Luo Niu, you're a talented individual, and I know you don't have that kind of ambition within the tribe specifically. But all I'll say is this: in the coming years, the tribe will change completely, and it will become ten times harder to gain a major role this easily. All I want is for you to take advantage of this small window before everything shifts." He looked sincere, and though she was already inclined to agree, she felt the need to put on a little show.

"Fine... I will do as Master says." She still wanted to appear hesitant, pausing briefly before responding. Jin Shun nodded his head in satisfaction.