Ch. 182 - Rule Three of the Bandit's Code

The moment Xia Yan heard the words "urea bag," his body flinched on pure instinct. He whipped around to look behind him.

Even the Inferno Raging Tiger in the arena froze mid-stride, its massive frame lurching backward as if trying to shield its master.

Xia Yan's eyes swept the empty space behind him. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Realization hit him like a truck.

"You fucking DARE trick me?!"

Tang Lie himself was half-stunned. He'd thrown that out as a Hail Mary -- a dead horse treated as a live one.

He genuinely hadn't expected it to work this well.

The Spirit Fighting Arena crowd murmured in confusion, having no clue what had just happened.

But inside the booth, every member of the Special Training Class silently turned to look at Chen Shu, who was playing on his phone.

Chen Shu wore a face of pure innocence. "Why's everyone looking at me?"

Nobody said a word. One tiny urea bag -- and Xia Yan might need a lifetime to heal from it...

...

That brief opening was all it took. The Wind Runner Beast shook off its dazed state and recovered.

Tang Lie didn't hesitate. He ordered the attack immediately.

Wind Runner Beast's talons blazed with skill energy. Its wings beat hard, and it slashed toward the Inferno Raging Tiger in a tearing dive.

"Young Master Tang's still too impulsive."

Chen Shu happened to catch the exchange and already knew how it would end.

Sure enough -- Wind Runner Beast unleashed its skill, but the Inferno Raging Tiger didn't retreat a single step. Its eyes burned like twin furnaces.

BOOM!

In an instant, a ring of fire erupted from the tiger's body.

"Aagh!"

Wind Runner Beast hadn't even gotten close before the wall of flame scorched it raw. You could literally smell the meat cooking.

"Xia Yan, just you WAIT!"

Tang Lie recalled his contract spirit with lightning speed.

Today's fight had shown everyone the Inferno Raging Tiger's strength. It was a flat-out massacre of A-rank contract spirits.

Most of the audience already figured Xia Yan had a real shot at the number one spot on this month's Spirit Fighting Rankings.

"Young Master Tang!"

Chen Shu had been waiting in the booth. The second Tang Lie walked back in, his face lit up with the warmest smile imaginable.

"What do you want?!"

Tang Lie's eyes filled with suspicion. He didn't dare step inside.

"Perfect timing -- everyone was hungry."

Chen Shu gestured at the BBQ grill behind him. The implication was crystal clear...

He'd been dying to find out what contract spirit meat tasted like...

"Enough! Put that thing away right now!"

Shen Wushuang barked at Chen Shu. You're genuinely a threat to class harmony, you know that?

Tang Lie's mouth twitched -- because he'd just caught Shen Wushuang quietly swallowing a mouthful of saliva before the outburst...

"You people are genuinely inhuman!"

Tang Lie's heart trembled. He silently retreated to a corner.

The day's battles wrapped up quickly.

With Shen Wushuang's special arrangements, quite a few students had fought opponents above their rank. They'd lost badly across the board, but their combat experience was skyrocketing.

Chen Shu had zero pressure. There was no way they'd match him against a Black Iron-rank Beast Tamer, right?

"Teacher Shen, what are we eating tonight?"

Chen Shu had learned his lesson from last time. He'd decided to stick close to the main group.

"Eating my ass! Figure it out yourselves! You think I'm running a buffet here?"

Shen Wushuang's mouth twitched. This little shit really was treating him like a personal meal ticket.

The school's funding was already pitiful, and on top of that, he needed to skim a portion for himself.

Where the hell was extra dinner money supposed to come from?

Chen Shu shook his head and turned to Ouyang Bao. "Bao-di, it's all on you!"

"..."

The four of them headed out onto the street, looking for a restaurant for the evening.

Dusk had settled in. The last rays of sunset cast a warm golden glow, painting the city in soft, fading light.

Chen Shu's sharp eyes caught it first. He shouted immediately: "Holy shit, there's a massive bird up there!"

The other three looked down, confused.

"It's in the fucking SKY!"

Chen Shu's mouth twitched. He pointed upward.

The three of them raised their heads -- and sure enough, there it was. A huge bird silhouetted against the setting sun.

Chen Shu didn't think much of it. He was about to shrug and walk off when the options materialized before his eyes.

Ding!

[Option 1: Run! Run directly! Whatever you do, DON'T look back and whistle! Completion Reward: One Level 2 Gigantification Fruit.]

[Option 2: Strike directly -- kill the Iron-Wing Beast Lord! Completion Reward: Skill "Violent Butt-Drop Kill" +1.]

[Option 3: Fearless and undaunted -- produce a urea bag and cover the Iron-Wing Beast Lord's head! Completion Reward: Large amount of Beast Taming Power.]

Chen Shu's eyes locked on instantly. Two words jumped out at him: Iron-Wing Beast Lord!

He silently produced his urea bag and fixed his gaze on the massive bird in the sky.

"Little Xing, have your Mutant Thunder Bird carry me in a minute! I'm gonna show you all what a real man looks like!"

Chen Shu gripped the urea bag tight, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

Nanjiang Bandit -- fearless and undaunted!

The Iron-Wing Beast was a Black Iron-rank Lord, but its speed was sluggish. Its massive body wobbled in the air.

One wing hung at an unnatural angle, as if it had been snapped clean. The creature fought to stay airborne, coughing blood with every beat.

Behind it, a golden bird pursued relentlessly. A Dragon Guard sat astride its back.

The picture was clear: a fierce beast Lord had appeared near the city, and the Dragon Guard was running it down.

The Iron-Wing Beast drew closer to Daxing City. Its frame was enormous -- razor-sharp eyes, wings like forged steel, their surfaces catching the sunset and refracting it in a hard metallic sheen.

"Fierce beast! RUN!"

"It's some kind of giant metal bird! Everyone take cover!"

"Mommy, there's a bird flying in the sky!"

The streets erupted into panic. Crowds scattered, ducking into buildings for cover.

Chen Shu got a clear look at the Iron-Wing Beast's actual size, and quietly put the urea bag away.

He let out a sigh. Honestly, sometimes the Gigantification Fruit was worth more than Beast Taming Power.

If he rushed to break through now, his foundation would be unstable, and that could cap his potential down the road.

Also -- that goddamn System. Was it seriously messing with him?

A head THAT big -- how the hell was a urea bag supposed to fit over it?!

Ouyang Bao stood there with his mouth hanging wide open, looking like a landlord's idiot son, staring blankly at the enormous bird in the sky.

"Bros, what's the plan?"

Ouyang Bao seemed to snap out of it. He glanced around -- and his heart nearly stopped.

Where the fuck did everyone go?!

He spun around. A blue Mutant Thunder Bird had already spread its wings and was rocketing away into the distance.

"What the FUCK?!"

Ouyang Bao's whole body shook. He couldn't help screaming: "I'M NOT ON THE BIRD YET!!"

"I think I heard someone shouting?" Xu Xingxing blinked, glancing at the other two.

"Did you?" Chen Shu shrugged, unbothered.

Xie Sunan shook his head too, then suddenly asked: "By the way, what are we eating tonight?"

The three of them had paid zero attention to the Iron-Wing Beast. A single Black Iron-rank fierce beast showing up in the city? It would be taken down immediately.

That was the Spirit Suppression Bureau and the Dragon Guard's problem. Nothing to do with them.

"What are we eating?"

Chen Shu's eyes went wide as the answer hit him. The person paying for dinner.

"Oh shit -- where's Ouyang Bao?!"

Xu Xingxing and Xie Sunan snapped back to reality at the same time. "Uh... I think we forgot about him..."

They'd always been a three-person crew. Adding a fourth was genuinely hard to get used to...

"Turn around! Go back!"

The Mutant Thunder Bird banked hard, tail blasting exhaust, and shot back toward the street.

Ouyang Bao was squatting on the ground, drawing circles in the dirt...

"Ouyang Bao, get on the bird!"

Chen Shu shouted. The Mutant Thunder Bird touched down in front of him.

Ouyang Bao's savior had finally arrived -- but by now, the Iron-Wing Beast Lord was practically on top of them.

Its wings spread to a span of at least ten meters. Blood poured from its mouth in a continuous stream, and it let out a low, pitiful whimper.

"Injured that badly?"

Chen Shu raised an eyebrow. He'd originally planned to go with Option 1 -- just run.

Black Iron-rank was already beyond what he could handle, let alone a Lord.

But looking at it now... the thing's injuries seemed just a hundred-million-tiny-bit severe...

Taking advantage of the wounded -- wasn't that Rule Three of the Bandit's Code?!

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