Chapter 60: Lin Xu

The attack was a jet of water from a talisman that exploded on the damp forest floor, splashing droplets into the air. The strike hadn't been aimed at her with lethal intent, but the timing was terrible. 

The attack seemed intended to prevent her from delivering the fatal blow to the bear, which was trembling as its wounds began to regenerate. Although it would take time to fully recover, it wouldn't remain unconscious for long. 

Tang Chun Xi narrowed her eyes, feeling tension grip her body once again as she tried to hide the signs of weakness and fatigue. She couldn't afford to hesitate, but she also needed to be cautious. 

Before she could launch another decisive strike, a figure emerged from behind a nearby tree—a figure she found somewhat familiar. 

The young man was tall, dressed in dark combat attire, and carried an imposing longsword on his back. His face was partially hidden by a black mask, but his eyes gleamed with a mix of determination and a hint of amusement. 

— "Forgive me for interrupting you, fellow Taoist," — he said politely, though without a trace of genuine remorse. — "But I need that bear alive." 

Tang Chun Xi didn't lower her guard or relax her body. Her fingers tightened around the handle of the Lunar Umbrella as she assessed the young man. If she wasn't mistaken, this was the person Captain Wu Jian had warned her about. 

— "Give me a good reason not to kill this evil beast," — she demanded, noting that his cultivation level was at the 7th level of Body Tempering, which didn't seem high enough to warrant the caution Wu Jian had shown. 

The young man tilted his head slightly, his gaze shadowed by the mask, but his tone remained calm. 

— "I need something from its den. It's my guide." 

There was a moment of silence. 

Tang Chun Xi furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes, searching for any sign of deception on his masked face. 

Before she could ask more, a more pressing question arose in her mind. 

Her eyes narrowed further as she tried to detect any hint of malice in his demeanor or expression when she asked: 

— "Are you an evil cultivator?" 

The young man's reaction was unexpected. 

He coughed lightly, as if choking on his own words, and used a hand that had been hidden to cover his mouth. 

'What kind of question is that?!' 

In his mind, Lin Xu wondered whether he should feel insulted or simply laugh at the audacity of the tense, disheveled girl in front of him. 

"Wouldn't it be more normal to ask what resource I'm after? How did she jump straight to this?!" 

Still perplexed, he finally crossed his arms and replied: 

— "Me, an evil cultivator? You're more suspicious than I am!" 

His tone shifted slightly, carrying a hint of indignation. He genuinely seemed to have taken the question personally. 

Tang Chun Xi remained tense and cautious, asking: 

— "If you're not, then why do you want a resource from an evil beast?" 

The young man let out a soft huff, his tone taking on a slightly provocative edge as he leaned against the tree and tilted his head toward her. 

— "It's ignorant to assume that only evil resources come from its den!" 

Tang Chun Xi opened her mouth to retort, but a sudden movement made her react first. 

The bear stirred. 

The creature's muscles twitched as its massive body began to rise. Its recovery ability was absurd. 

Without wasting time, Tang Chun Xi spun the Lunar Umbrella and attacked with a swift motion, though her fatigue slowed her down. 

 — "Clang!"

At the same time, a stone was hurled from the side and struck the bear's head. 

The stone hit the beast first, knocking it unconscious again, its body collapsing with a thud into the soaked crater. 

Tang Chun Xi redirected her attack almost immediately, holding the open canopy of the Lunar Umbrella in front of her as she cautiously glanced at the young man who had thrown the stone. 

Lin Xu took a step forward. 

— "If you let me take it to its den, I'll kill it myself afterward. That way, you lose nothing!" 

Tang Chun Xi hesitated. 

Though suspicious, she had to admit she was curious. 

She wasn't sure whether she was more curious about the young man's intentions or about the young man himself. 

'He doesn't have the cold, dissonant aura of an evil cultivator... It's warm and aggressive.' 

Still, her instincts told her to be cautious. Even though her body and aura had improved, she was still in a weakened state. 

On the other hand, Lin Xu was also assessing her. 

His gaze fell on the Lunar Umbrella. 

'A parasol as a weapon is unusual, but this one doesn't seem ordinary, nor does she seem like a typical Taoist!'

He felt an absolute harmony between the object and the girl in front of him. 

"Could it be a Natal Treasure?" 

However, now wasn't the time for such reflections. 

Tang Chun Xi narrowed her eyes and asked doubtfully: 

— "And why should I trust you?" 

Lin Xu sighed. He was already being more patient than usual. 

— "How about a deal? You can follow me to the den. Once you're sure the resource I'm after isn't evil, you can leave." 

He then added, his tone growing more serious: 

— "Of course, you'll have to swear not to try and steal the resource! It would be a shame to kill someone like you!" — he finished calmly, though with a faint hint of pity in his voice. 

Tang Chun Xi raised an eyebrow. Her body remained tense, but her mind grew more alert. 

'I may not be in my best condition, but the ease with which he spoke about killing me… and worse, the way he said it makes it seem like he genuinely finds me interesting.' — What exactly does he find interesting about me? And he doesn't seem like a fool. 

— "And if I refuse?" 

— "Then I'll be forced to act. Besides..." 

He pointed at the unconscious bear. 

— "There's another bear in the den. This one is only Level Six. But the one inside... they say it's Level Eight." 

Tang Chun Xi fell silent for a moment. 

'I really don't want to leave this creature, but my safety… and this cultivator in front of me…' — She didn't feel safe traveling with someone like him, even though he had remained controlled and she didn't sense immediate danger from him… 

After some thought, she made her decision. 

He watched her in return, as if already knowing what her answer would be. 

Tang Chun Xi finally spoke in a serious and determined tone, her eyes locked on Lin Xu, attentive to his every move: 

— "Fine, but I need a guarantee. We both swear not to harm each other during our partnership!" — She didn't know what he was planning, but she didn't want to leave it at that. If his response wasn't satisfactory, she would flee immediately, even if reluctantly. 

Lin Xu was slightly surprised. He looked at the disguised face of the girl and saw caution and determination in her beautiful purple eyes. Even with her tense, tired, and dirty appearance, it didn't hide their beauty. 

— "Okay," — he agreed. Then the two of them made an oath. 

Tang Chun Xi immediately felt a restriction form as soon as she made the oath, and she knew that breaking it would end her cultivation path. But with that, she felt her tense mind and body relax. 

— "Since we'll be working together, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Lin Xu. And you?" — He spoke the truth but looked at her with curiosity, wanting to see how she would respond. 

— "Peng Chu," — Of course, she wouldn't give her real name, but she was unaware that Lin Xu already knew she was a girl. Now that she no longer had to worry about her safety, she could focus on the questions she had while her body recovered. 

— "So, companion Lin, how do you plan to have the beast lead you to its den?" — She was curious about his method. She didn't believe he would simply let the bear heal and follow it. 

Lin Xu felt a slight disappointment when the girl lied, though he barely noticed it. He was genuinely curious about her but didn't show it. He approached the bear and Tang Chun Xi. 

— "We just need to follow it!" — he said in a teasing tone, his gentle face revealing poorly hidden amusement at the curiosity in the girl's eyes. He almost laughed at the look on her face that seemed to say, "Seriously?!" but held back and added, trembling with suppressed laughter: "With this! Blood Amber! As soon as the bear sees it, it'll grab it and run to its den!" 

After he finished approaching, Tang Chun Xi was slightly impressed by how imposing he seemed up close. From a distance, he already seemed formidable, but up close, his warm and aggressive aura seemed to envelop her, along with his stature. She felt small, even though she was tall for her age at 1.72 meters. Still, he was a head taller than her. But she quickly recovered and noticed the paleness on his handsome face, though his expression held a playful smile and a look she couldn't quite place. 

— "I've never heard of it! Is this made from the sap of the cedars here? Are you really going to give this to the bear?" — Trying not to let her curiosity show, she turned her attention to the object in his hand. She could sense the bloody energy within the amber, but there had to be more to it. 

— "Smart! As you guessed, it's fake, made from cedar sap and blood…" — He stopped speaking abruptly. 

The two exchanged glances, and without another word, they hid behind a tree. The Blood Amber was left on the ground, and moments later, the Blood Armor Bear woke up. With its severe injuries, it looked around, saw the object, grabbed it with difficulty, and limped into the dense forest. 

— "Now's our chance," — Lin Xu whispered, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. 

By now, Tang Chun Xi had mostly recovered. And so, the two set off in pursuit of the bear. 

But neither of them noticed the feline shadowing them from the darkness.