"Kong Shishuang, just take me there."
"Xiaoning'er?"
"Leader?"
"Don't be in a hurry. You still have something to do here. If we all go together, I'll surely get distracted. That new second - level student must be hard to deal with. Your ranks are not high and you have little practical experience. Just let Kong Shishuang lead the way for me. You prepare some medicinal herbs. If we can save Xiaoli, we may need them for treatment later."
"Okay!"
After Zhao Shuning arranged everything, she immediately followed Kong Shishuang and rushed to the place where she came from.
Along the way, Zhao Shuning's mind was quite complicated. If it were in her past life, she would mostly ignore such a meddlesome matter.
She didn't know if it was because she had stayed in Zhao Village for too long and was influenced by Zhao Zheng, Lin Min'er and Zhao Huai. Now, Zhao Shuning was more likely to be emotional.
"Miss Kong, did they notice you when you came?"
"No. I was afraid of alarming the enemy. I'm no match for them. I was afraid that if they found me, I might be in danger myself."
"Maybe they'll spare you for your brother's sake. If you had been promoted normally, you should be a second - level student now. You should recognize them. Why do you look so scared of them?"
Kong Shishuang looked flustered.
"If it were other second - level students, there might be such a possibility. But that person is Viper."
Viper?
Zhao Shuning had also heard of this nickname. Among the second - level seniors, there was a person called Viper. He didn't join any of the three gangs. He was quite capable, above average. He originally wanted to set up his own faction, but because he was so cruel and ruthless, many people dared not join him.
This young man called Viper was also unwilling to be controlled by others and didn't join a gang like others.
"Viper is very scary. Zhao Shuning, you may not know. I once saw him cut off a common man's hand with my own eyes, just because that man blocked his view when he was out on a mission."
Zhao Shuning felt a little scared. If such a cruel young man grew up, who knew how many disasters he would bring to the Eastern Ze Great Wilderness.
"Moreover, his temper and behavior are very strange, and he is heartless. Several times, the way he looked at me made me feel scared."
"So, that's why you didn't dare to make a sound?"
"Yeah."
Zhao Shuning looked at Kong Shishuang who was huddled up. She was so scared, but she still dared to take risks for the raccoon cat she had only met once.
At this moment, Zhao Shuning didn't know whether to say she was stupid or to praise her for her courage.
When they arrived at the destination, Zhao Shuning and Kong Shishuang hid in a dense jungle and carefully observed the situation below.
Sure enough, second - level students really knew how to capture spiritual beasts.
Kong Shishuang was right. Judging from the current situation, the dying one on the ground should be Xiaoli's mother. At this time, many parts of its body had been cut by knives and forks, and the blood was constantly gushing out.
This big raccoon cat was completely hopeless. Even if they managed to save it, it wouldn't survive the night.
The big raccoon cat looked at the little raccoon cat trapped in the cage pitifully.
When Zhao Shuning saw this look, her heart ached. In the animal world, there was also emotion. This look always made Zhao Shuning think of the gentle Lin Min'er at home.
The sharp claws of the little raccoon cat trapped in the cage had been worn down a lot. Its palms were bloody, and many parts of its body were skinned and fleshy, showing the white bones inside.
The big raccoon cat couldn't move its body. It gasped heavily from its nostrils. There was an unknown liquid flowing out of its eyes, and it let out whimpers from time to time.
The little raccoon cat slapped the surroundings desperately with its claws in the cage, but the guardrails of the cage had been tampered with. It was the Mysterious Sky Thunder Formation, a formation specifically for spiritual beasts. If a spiritual beast touched the surrounding fences, it would surely let out a painful roar as if struck by lightning.
"Zhao Shuning, Xiaoli is so pitiful."
"I know."
"Zhao Shuning, what should we do?"
Zhao Shuning glanced at Kong Shishuang and had an idea. If Kong Shishuang was here, it would be inconvenient for her to act.
But if she didn't use the spiritual power of an alchemist, with her current rank, it would be wishful thinking to deal with a second - level student.
"Kong Shishuang, do you trust me?"
"Huh?"
"Do you trust me?" Zhao Shuning's eyes were extremely serious. Kong Shishuang didn't know how to answer for a moment. It was not until Zhao Shuning asked again that she nodded firmly.
"Then you go back the same way now. My weapon, that black whip, was left in our house. Could you go and get it for me?"
Kong Shishuang didn't have the energy to think about other things. Since Zhao Shuning said so, she believed it. She quickly got up and went back the same way, trotting all the way.
Zhao Shuning looked up at the starry sky.
It would take about two hours to go back and forth from the cottage to here. This time was enough.
She opened her fingers and took out the Qiankun Bag that her uncle had secretly stuffed for her before she left. She found a gray robe from the Qiankun Bag and also took some voice - changing pills that she had made in her spare time, preparing to take them before taking action.
Zhao Shuning was very nimble. With a light leap, she jumped into the middle of the field.
When passing by the big raccoon cat, Zhao Shuning stopped. She used to be a less emotional person, but now seeing the big raccoon cat's painful expression, she couldn't bear it.
She sighed. Although she knew that this would delay the best time to save the little raccoon cat, she still squatted down.
The Lotus Green Silk Cat was actually an ancient fierce beast, but after being tamed by humans, its temperament was no longer as tyrannical as before.
When the big raccoon cat saw the sudden appearance of the gray figure, it immediately looked at Zhao Shuning warily.
Zhao Shuning put her hand on its neck and closed her eyes.
The reason why alchemists were so powerful was not only because they could refine pills, but also because they were better at communicating with the animals in the beast world and understanding their nature than spiritual herbalists.
After feeling the warmth of Zhao Shuning's palm and realizing that she had no malice, the big raccoon cat's expression gradually softened.
"I will save your kitten."
Zhao Shuning opened her eyes again. At this time, the big raccoon cat's eyes slowly closed, but its expression was extremely peaceful.
Zhao Shuning stood up slowly and said to the big Lotus Green Silk Cat, "May you rest in peace."
Then, she slowly walked towards the little raccoon cat.
When the little raccoon cat saw a stranger approaching it, it immediately arched its back and took a defensive posture.
It was not until Zhao Shuning got closer and then slowly put down her robe. After seeing this familiar face, the little raccoon cat's expression changed instantly.