Lu Fei glanced at Zhou Shuyi, who still had a trace of anger on her face. She had her arms crossed, pouting as if blaming Tang Ao for stopping her.
"Was that person very annoying?" Lu Fei chuckled.
"Yes!" Zhou Shuyi replied without hesitation.
"Sister Zhou," Lu Fei said, mimicking Tang Ao's address.
"Ah?" Zhou Shuyi was taken aback.
Lu Fei sighed, speaking with deep meaning, "That was how you used to be."
Before Zhou Shuyi could react, Lu Fei turned to the others and said, "Let's go."
Ke Xin frowned, looking at the stunned Zhou Shuyi. "What about her?"
"Let her question life for a while."
Lu Fei's group deliberately slowed their pace, walking away and leaving Zhou Shuyi frozen in place.
The dreadlocked girl's expression was complex, shifting from confusion to bewilderment, then to thoughtfulness, and finally to a frown of belated realization.
From childhood, she had been doted on by her father and brother. In her world, she was always the one bullying others. Let alone experiencing being bullied, even having her thoughts slightly defied would lead her to confront the other party immediately, demanding an apology or resorting to a beating.
Even if she couldn't settle the score then and there, her father or brother, Zhou Nanfeng or Zhou Tao, would later go to "seek justice"!
This was the first time she had traveled alone, and the first time in her life she felt like she had been bullied. She discovered how detestable those arrogant nobles who relied on their status truly were...
"Sister Zhou! If you don't hurry, the sun will set!" Lu Fei's group, already several hundred meters away, shouted loudly.
Zhou Shuyi snapped back to reality.
"Oh... coming."
She took small, quick steps towards the group.
...
The group continued their journey for a while longer.
At this point, Lu Fei squatted down, examining the horse tracks on the ground.
A smile touched his lips.
"These brats are going to get lost again," Lu Fei said, pointing at a fork in the road ahead. "The path they took follows the direction of the water flow, which will either lead to the sea or a cliff."
"Let's go, we'll enter from here," he said, pointing to the other path.
Suddenly, the air fell silent, and the group was plunged into quiet contemplation.
Lu Fei turned his head, looking bewildered.
Tang Ao appeared surprised. "Lu Fei, how are you so familiar with wilderness exploration?"
The others shared the same question, all looking at Lu Fei.
They were all receiving academy education, so why did he seem so… wild?
*If you were driven into the primeval forest for research every day, you could be as outstanding as me...* Lu Fei put on a pained expression. "Ah, it's a long story. You know, I was an orphan since I was young. When I didn't have anything to eat, I had to go into the forest to find wild fruits. Over time, I became familiar with living in the jungle."
The others suddenly understood.
Ke Xin suddenly said softly, "Lu Fei, I'm sorry."
"Hmm...?" Lu Fei was taken aback.
"We shouldn't have brought up your painful past..." Ke Xin explained.
Lu Fei twitched his lips...
*I made it up...* Immediately, he sighed and waved his hand. "Let the past be the past..."
After this small interlude, the group's trust in Lu Fei increased by several notches. The few of them traversed a narrow, winding path.
Suddenly, a "gigigi" sound echoed.
"That's the sound of a Da Ma Hou!" Tang Ao exclaimed, his face lighting up. The Da Ma Hou beside him also let out an excited cry, as if it had found its kin.
The group hurried over and found themselves facing a banana plantation, with groups of Da Ma Hou climbing amongst the trees.
This was Lu Fei's first time seeing so many contracted beasts gathered together.
It seemed that whether they were contracted beasts or ordinary animals, their racial habits remained the same.
His professional curiosity piqued, he couldn't help but step forward to observe them more closely. Just then, a banana peel was thrown at him.
Lu Fei dodged it in time.
He then noticed that the previously scattered Da Ma Hou had suddenly gathered together, their gazes all directed towards Lu Fei's group.
They all let out "gigigi" cries, as if accusing them!
Da Ma Hou were playful and active, but also very irritable contracted beasts. When their territory was invaded, they would unite to resist the intruders.
There were at least dozens of Da Ma Hou here, and the consequences of angering them would be unimaginable...
Tang Ao whispered a few words into his Da Ma Hou's ear. The Da Ma Hou responded with a "gigigi," indicating understanding, and then ran on all fours towards its brethren.
Seeing its own kind, the group of Da Ma Hou quieted down.
At this moment, Tang Ao's Da Ma Hou began gesturing animatedly.
Brother Ji translated in real-time: "Hand over the Da Ma Hou King! We'll spare your lives!"
"Hmm?..."
Brother Ji was the first to react. He exchanged a glance with Lu Fei. Lu Fei grabbed the closest Ke Xin and they bolted!
They hid behind a banana tree.
The next moment.
Dense banana peels, like hidden weapons, were hurled towards the nearest Tang Ao and his Da Ma Hou!
In just a short while, one person and one monkey were completely buried in banana peels...
However, what happened next surprised everyone.
The angered Da Ma Hou did not charge at Tang Ao to attack him. Instead, they orderly moved to the sides, leaving a passage in the middle.
A moment later, a figure much larger than the ordinary Da Ma Hou slowly emerged from this passage.
Da Ma Hou were pack-dwelling contracted beasts, and within their group, a monkey king would emerge, and all the tribe's Da Ma Hou would obey this king's commands.
This Da Ma Hou emerging from the passage was clearly different from the others. The fur on its head was curled up like a crown, and on its forehead was the character "王" (Wang, meaning King)!
"Gigigi"!
This Da Ma Hou raised its arms and beat its chest, a strange gesture akin to that of a gorilla.
Lu Fei took out his Beast Taming Manual and observed secretly.
——————————————————————
Contracted Beast - [Da Ma Hou King]
Level - [lv18]
Attribute - [Earth Element]
Combat Power - [162]
Rarity - [B-class]
Skills - [???]
Description - [Da Ma Hou King, an evolved form of Da Ma Hou. Only one Da Ma Hou King is produced per Da Ma Hou group.]
——————————————————————
At this moment, Tang Ao and his Da Ma Hou struggled to emerge half a head from the pile of banana peels.
Tang Ao let out a sigh of relief, feeling the joy of surviving a near-death experience.
But when he looked up, he found a pair of piercing eyes staring at them!
"This..." Tang Ao gasped, carefully observing the contracted beast before him. "The Da Ma Hou King!"
At the same time.
The surrounding Da Ma Hou began to emit piercing screams.
They held various objects in their hands and beat the banana trees, their cries filled with excitement.
In the distance, Lu Fei and the others emerged from behind the banana tree and approached Tang Ao.
Brother Ji translated: "This Da Ma Hou King says it wants to challenge the Da Ma Hou of the boy with the baseball cap!"
Tang Ao was slightly startled. He recognized this peculiar behavior from the Da Ma Hou; this was a stance they only adopted when competing for leadership!
"Da Ma Hou, you..." Tang Ao intended to ask his Da Ma Hou if it wanted to accept the challenge.
But when he turned around, he found his own Da Ma Hou standing opposite the Da Ma Hou King.
Its gaze was fixed intently on the other!
It let out a roar!