Chapter 18: A Directionally Challenged Guide

The day passed quickly, and night fell over a dense forest.

"Senior Brother, have you actually been keeping track of the path? Do you even know where we are now?" Liu An couldn't help but complain.

Jian Yi, too stubborn to admit his mistake, refused to look back. "Don't be impatient. We are heading toward Fuzi Cliff. Just stay calm, keep your mouth shut, and follow me closely." In truth, Jian Yi was panicked; he simply refused to acknowledge that he had no sense of direction.

"Senior Brother, let's take a break. How about we catch some game to roast?"

Hearing the mention of food, the Four-Unalike immediately perked up. It leaped from Liu An’s shoulder to the ground and began sniffing the dirt.

"You’re not a real hunting dog, so stop acting like one. You don’t have that skill," Liu An muttered, giving the creature a light kick.

The Four-Unalike, sensing Liu An’s mockery, bared its teeth and clamped its jaws onto Liu An’s left leg.

"Ouch! You really have a bite! Let go!"

Jian Yi was still frowning, trying to find the path ahead. Hearing the man and beast scuffling behind him, Liu An grew annoyed and grabbed the creature, preparing to bite back. His temper had finally reached a boiling point; if he couldn't beat it, he would use his teeth.

"Enough! Both of you, stop making such a racket! You’ve made it impossible for me to concentrate on the way. Now look, we are completely lost. Are you satisfied?"

Liu An and the Four-Unalike felt wronged—how could this possibly be their fault?

"Senior Brother, why don't you fly up and scout for the nearest town? The Four-Unalike and I can wait for you here."

This suggestion hit Jian Yi like a ton of bricks. Flushing with embarrassment, he stammered, "How could I abandon you? No, it’s fine for me to carry you both. I wouldn't be at ease leaving you alone in such a dangerous forest overnight."

"Then stop wasting time, Senior Brother. Let's go."

"But the Master previously instructed that you must undergo further trials before reaching Fuzi Cliff. If I use magic to carry you now, wouldn't I be going against the Master's good intentions? I think your earlier suggestion was actually quite good. We’ll eat our fill, get some sleep, and continue on tomorrow."

Liu An and the Four-Unalike agreed, and the three of them set off to search for signs of animals.

An hour later, relying on his past experience, Liu An had a bountiful harvest: a pheasant, a hare, and some wild fruit. He gathered some dry branches and piled them up, and Jian Yi flicked his fingertip, sending a spark to ignite the wood.

The fire illuminated the surroundings. Liu An skillfully plucked and skinned the game, skewering them on sharpened branches. He kept rotating the meat to ensure it cooked evenly. The Four-Unalike lay by the fire, happily crunching on wild fruit, the crisp sounds echoing: "Sweet—so sweet and crunchy!"

Jian Yi sat cross-legged, eyes closed, hovering slightly above the ground.

Suddenly, the aroma of the roasting meat wafted through the woods, drawing out a beast's roar.

*Thump... thump... thump.* The ground trembled.

Liu An and Jian Yi immediately turned toward the sound, on high alert.

"Awoo, awoo..."

"What on earth? What kind of animal makes a sound like that? It sounds... kind of cute?" Liu An and Jian Yi found the situation almost comical.

A large silhouette emerged from the shadows, illuminated by the firelight, and the rustling grew clearer. A massive black-furred tiger appeared, baring two rows of fangs and speaking in a human voice: "Robbery! Leave the roasted meat behind, and I might let you leave alive."

"Well, look at that," Liu An and Jian Yi muttered, looking at each other. They weren't the least bit afraid.

The tiger was confused. *That’s not right. The last humans I met were so scared their legs turned to jelly. When they heard me speak, they immediately knelt and offered their food. What is wrong with these two?*

The tiger let out another roar. This time, Liu An and Jian Yi couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Hahaha!"

The Four-Unalike hadn't even spared the tiger a glance, remaining focused on the roasting meat. It had sensed the tiger's approach long ago and realized it was just an ordinary beast without enlightenment. Compared to the Four-Unalike—an auspicious creature by birth—the tiger’s ability to speak was barely worth noticing.

"What are you laughing at? Stop laughing, or I’ll eat you!" the tiger threatened.

The threat only excited the pair. Clenching their fists, they let out sinister laughs and dashed toward the tiger, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks.

"That’s for scaring people in the middle of the night! Still want to scare people?"

Since gaining intelligence, this was the first time the tiger had ever been beaten. It whimpered and wailed. The more it cried, the harder the two men hit, until the tiger’s frame seemed to swell from the beating.

"Stop, stop! I won't eat you! Please, let me go!" the tiger begged.

"Speak," Jian Yi demanded. "You’re just an ordinary tiger without any natural talent or enlightenment. How are you so large, and how did you learn to speak human language?"

Liu An’s eyes lit up. This tiger held a great secret—it must have stumbled upon some incredible fortune. He rubbed his hands together, staring at the tiger intently as if to say, "Out with it!"

The tiger felt uncomfortable under their gaze, trembling as it cowered on the ground. "One day, while hunting, I missed my mark and tumbled into a cave. I followed the tunnel down to the very bottom, where there were glowing bugs and some blue-glowing rocks. Water dripped from the ceiling, and by the light of the bugs, I saw a small pool. I was thirsty, so I drank some."

"Good stuff! A stupid tiger gets stupid luck—you actually drank Earth Essence Fluid! Tell me, did you finish it all?" Jian Yi asked, suppressing his excitement.

"Senior Brother, why waste words? Let it lead the way. Otherwise, we’re having a late-night snack. Tiger tail and kidneys are incredibly nourishing!" Liu An swallowed hard, looking at the tiger.

The tiger shuddered, tucking its tail between its legs as a phantom ache hit its loins. Its legs went weak.

"Get up! Or we’ll chop off your tail right now and let you watch us eat it!"

The tiger was terrified. *I'm in trouble. I met two psychos who want to eat me.*

"Junior Brother, don't scare it," Jian Yi said with a gentle smile.

*So moved... I'm almost crying,* the tiger thought.

"Kind sirs, I’ll take you there right now! My kidneys and tail don't taste good!"

The tiger scrambled up, ignoring its pain, and let Liu An and Jian Yi climb onto its back. Liu An scooped up the Four-Unalike with his left hand, clutched the skewers of chicken and rabbit in his right, and sat firmly on the tiger.