Chapter 47: The Struggle for the Lightning Beast (Part Two)

She distinctly remembered lifting her head when she landed, so how did she still manage to hit her nose and mouth? Zhao Hu was momentarily stunned by the sorry state of her face when she looked up, but quickly hurried to her side, helping her to her feet and adding, “Xiao Mo, why is your mouth stuffed with so many leaves? Spit them out, quick.”

Brother Zhao Hu, do you really have to be this honest and simple-minded? Can’t you see your little sister is already dying of embarrassment, unable to show her face? Ji Mo howled inwardly. Unfortunately, Zhao Hu couldn’t hear her thoughts. After helping her up, he clumsily wiped the dirt from her face and removed the leaves from her mouth.

“Junior Sister Ji, judging by your appearance, could it be that you ran into the Lightning Beast?” Mu Baiyun looked her over with a thoughtful expression and asked.

Yes! The Lightning Beast—where was that detestable creature? Wasn’t her disgrace just now entirely thanks to it? Having just been mortified and left somewhat dazed, Ji Mo immediately sprang to life at the mention of the Lightning Beast, shoving Zhao Hu aside and searching the area with eyes sharp as lightning, desperate to spot the culprit. But all she saw were rocks and tangled woods, with no sign of the beast.

“You shameless little brute with the short tail, come out and die! Let’s fight three hundred more rounds! If I don’t beat your teeth loose, I’ll stop calling myself Ji Mo!” Fuming at not finding a trace of the Lightning Beast, Ji Mo leapt onto a rock twice the height of a man, one hand on her hip, the other gripping the White Jade Flood Dragon Whip, its tip pointing into the forest. She stomped and beat her chest, shouting at the top of her lungs, looking every bit a ruffian.

Mu Baiyun and Wei Qiu exchanged glances, then both looked at Zhao Hu, their eyes clearly asking, “Is your sister always this unruly when angry?” Zhao Hu massaged his forehead, longing to say, “She’s not actually my sister…”

Completely oblivious to how she was destroying the cool, aloof image she’d worked so hard to establish with Wei Qiu and Mu Baiyun, Ji Mo continued to roar at the empty air.

“Chirp, chirp!” Just as the three youths sighed in exasperation, two sharp chirps rang out. Before they could look to see which bird was calling, Ji Mo, standing atop the rock, let out a shrill cry and dove toward a thicket to the northwest. Mu Baiyun reacted the fastest—could it be the Lightning Beast had appeared?

The thought barely formed before he charged after Ji Mo. Zhao Hu and Wei Qiu followed suit. The chirping just now, needless to say, had come from that cunning, golden-furred Lightning Beast. As soon as Ji Mo spotted it, old grudges and new flared up within her. She brandished her White Jade Flood Dragon Whip, which whistled sharply through the air as she lashed at the beast.

The Lightning Beast was perched on a pine branch just over a meter high, cocking its head at Ji Mo with pale golden eyes full of defiance. As her silver whip crashed down with the force of thunder, the little creature showed no hurry; in a split second, it launched itself from the pine onto another flowering bush.

The poor, stunted pine was obliterated by Ji Mo’s blow, reduced to dust. Her strike missed, Ji Mo spun on the ground and charged again. By now, Mu Baiyun had caught up and, upon seeing the golden little beast, was startled—its fur was entirely gold; was this a mutated breed?

Startled but without hesitation, a cold light flashed between his brows and the Rainbow-Cutting Sword flew from its sheath, slashing at the Lightning Beast without delay. Mu Baiyun had no intention of killing it, but having witnessed Ji Mo’s previous humiliation at its paws, he knew it was formidable—if they didn’t go all out, there’d be no containing it.

Seeing the White Jade Flood Dragon Whip block its path ahead and the Rainbow-Cutting Sword cut off its retreat, the Lightning Beast seemed to be trapped. Yet, just when it looked cornered, it did something that shocked them all: it rolled straight toward Ji Mo’s descending whip, instantly entangling itself.

Ji Mo hesitated for a split second instead of immediately withdrawing her whip—not because she was indecisive, but because she’d just recently fallen victim to a trick and was wary. Yet while she hesitated, Mu Baiyun did not; not knowing why Ji Mo froze, he resolutely swung the Rainbow-Cutting Sword at the whip.

Annoyed, Ji Mo thought, Mu Baiyun, you opportunist! She had no time to ponder further, instinctively flicking her wrist and snapping the whip back like lightning. The Lightning Beast chirped sharply and, as the whip recoiled, leaped for her shoulder.

Alarmed, Ji Mo dared not let the cunning thing settle there; she tightened her grip to try and snare it. But as soon as the thought occurred, the Lightning Beast slipped free with a swish and landed squarely on her left shoulder. It then made faces at Mu Baiyun, who stood three meters away with sword in hand, as if to say, “Come on, catch me if you can! But before you do, you’ll have to get through her first.”

A wave of helplessness washed over Mu Baiyun. He could now understand why Ji Mo had lost her temper earlier—if it were him dealing with such a slippery creature, he’d lose his cool too. Seeing the smugness in the beast’s eyes, he suddenly didn’t want to let it have its way. With a sly glint in his eye, he smiled at Ji Mo and said, “Congratulations, Junior Sister Ji. Since the Lightning Beast has chosen you as its master, I have nothing more to say. A bet’s a bet.”

Before Ji Mo could react, the Lightning Beast was dumbfounded. What was happening? In the past, whenever it jumped onto someone, it would bring a flurry of pursuers after them. But now…

“Are you serious, Senior Brother?” Ji Mo, unsure, fixed her gaze on Mu Baiyun.

“Of course I’m serious. We made a gentleman’s agreement that whoever caught the Lightning Beast would keep it—fair competition. Now that it’s jumped onto you of its own accord, naturally you’re the winner,” Mu Baiyun replied.

Chirp! As soon as Mu Baiyun finished speaking, the Lightning Beast on Ji Mo’s shoulder let out a furious cry, suddenly leaping off her with all four paws. It had only meant to shift the blame—who said anything about recognizing her as its master? How could they mistake its actions for surrender? The Lightning Beast raged inwardly!