Chapter 39: Golden Blood Rat (1)
Chapter 38 – Golden Blood Rat (1)
Yun Jong-seung shouted angrily.
“Namgung Cheon! What are you going to do now? Why did you have to say something so unnecessary to provoke that simpleton? It’s already midnight…!”
Thud.
In that instant, Namgung Cheon thrust his palm forward and struck Yun Jong-seung’s abdomen.
“Keugh!”
Hit by the strike, Yun Jong-seung flew back like a cannonball and crashed straight into a wooden pillar.
Crash!
Yun Jong-seung collapsed and retched.
Namgung Cheon furrowed his brows.
“Bastard, throwing up all that precious food. Typical of those raised eating their fill. They just don’t know the value of meat.”
Eventually, Jin So-hong, who had been watching, stepped forward quietly.
“But he has a point, doesn’t he?”
“Why?”
“The spirit beast won’t just crawl out on its own. Do you have some kind of plan?”
“What if it does crawl out on its own?”
“Huh? Is there such a spirit beast?”
When Jin So-hong asked with wide eyes, Namgung Cheon smirked and looked up at the sky.
“About half an hour is left.”
“For what?”
“I told you, didn’t I? The time for the spirit beast to crawl out.”
“Is a spirit beast really going to crawl out?”
“And a very extraordinary one at that.”
“An extraordinary one… Don’t tell me it’s the Golden Blood Rat?”
A strange gleam flickered in Namgung Cheon’s eyes as he looked back at Jin So-hong.
“Oh, you know of the Golden Blood Rat.”
“Of course. Isn’t it the only special-grade spirit beast written on the scroll?”
Namgung Cheon smirked.
It was just as Jin So-hong said. Among the spirit beasts listed on the scroll, the Golden Blood Rat was the only one classified as a special-grade.
But… knowing of the Golden Blood Rat was natural?
Not at all.
The Golden Blood Rat was a spirit beast that was extremely difficult for most people to know about.
For one, it was a very rare species, and it was exceptionally difficult to catch.
Even the Sect Leader of the Kunlun Sect, who was said to fly through the sky in his sleep when it came to lightfoot techniques, could not be faster than a Golden Blood Rat.
Moreover, it was a spirit beast that was hard to tame and extremely dangerous.
These creatures basically avoided humans, but if they had the misfortune of making eye contact, they would show immense aggression.
Therefore, if one encountered a Golden Blood Rat, the first rule was to never make eye contact.
For if one happened to lock eyes with its golden pupils, the Golden Blood Rat would fly forward like a ray of light at that very moment, and by the time they regained senses, a hole would already be pierced in their stomach.
Why would a hole be pierced in the stomach?
Because the Golden Blood Rat regarded the dantian of any martial artist it made eye contact with as a gourmet delicacy.
Thus, it would burrow into the navel and gnaw away at the entrails and dantian.
Namgung Cheon picked up the deer antlers he had prepared on the ground.
‘It brings back old memories.’
While running away without a single penny in his past life, how had he managed to establish so many safe houses and stock them with spiritual medicines and elixirs?
It was precisely the power of labor.
Here, labor meant hunting for spiritual medicines or spirit beasts.
Since traveling to and from uninhabited, remote regions meant discovering spiritual medicines or spirit beasts quite frequently.
He had sold them through the black market to earn money and buy elixirs.
Of course, the assistance of the Thousand Poison Elder, who created the Nine Dragons Iron Heart Pill, had played a major role in that.
Because that old geezer was well-versed in all kinds of spiritual medicines and spirit beasts.
The Golden Blood Rat was also a spirit beast he had learned about back then.
A spirit beast that was untamable, aggressive, and incredibly fast.
Since it had no particular practical value, it was barely known to the public.
Yet to think the Martial Alliance actually had it.
‘To meet a spirit beast that I couldn’t even encounter in my past life like this. No, I haven’t met it yet.’
Namgung Cheon tossed the deer antler to Jin So-hong.
Catching the deer antler in a daze, Jin So-hong asked.
“What are you planning?”
“What else? We have to catch the Golden Blood Rat.”
“How? The Golden Blood Rat is a spirit beast as fast as a ray of light. Do you even know what it looks like?”
That was indeed a problem.
Unlike other spirit beasts, the Golden Blood Rat was indistinguishable from an ordinary rat.
Though it was said to have golden eyes, they were just yellowish.
At night, the eyes of wild animals generally appeared yellowish, so distinguishing it was not easy.
The only distinct feature was that its blood was golden, but…
In short, there was no way to know until it was killed.
But who was he?
Was he not the Great Killing Star, who had gone through all kinds of hardships in his past life, searching for every sort of spirit beast and spiritual medicine?
Namgung Cheon spoke as he put the tip of the deer antler into the campfire.
“The Martial Alliance released such a fast spirit beast. That means there’s also a way to catch it again.”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
“We just have to catch it using that method. The time the Golden Blood Rat wakes up and remains active is the beginning of the Ox Hour. Exactly one hour of the day. The scent it likes most is the smell of burning deer antler. Injecting a bit of internal energy into it is the icing on the cake.”
“Ah…!”
“For the next hour, wander around the mountainside. Since it dislikes water, you just need to look for places that aren’t damp. Focus on areas thick with withered grass or bone-dry fallen leaves. Ordinary rats will run away, but the Golden Blood Rat will actually pursue you. If you spot it, never make eye contact and run back here. You have the signal flare distributed to each group, right?”
“Yeah. But can I ask you something?”
As Namgung Cheon nodded, Jin So-hong raised the deer antler and asked.
“What’s the reason we must catch the Golden Blood Rat?”
“There is none.”
“What?”
“Since there’s no reason, if you want to go catch another spirit beast, you can do that. Instead, I’m going to catch this one.”
Actually, it wasn’t that there was no reason.
He just didn’t need to explain that reason right now.
Besides, there was actually a separate way to catch the Golden Blood Rat.
Though it was a method only he could use.
Jin So-hong fell into thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.
“If we’re going to catch something anyway, we might as well try catching the Golden Blood Rat. At the very least, it’ll make a strong impression on the Martial Alliance officials.”
“That’s for sure.”
Namgung Cheon grinned.
Yun Jong-seung, who had been observing the situation, stepped forward hesitantly and asked.
“W-what about me?”
“You’ll only get in the way, so just rub your belly. Who knows? Reflecting on the pain might show you the path.”
Namgung Cheon turned away without any hesitation as he injected internal energy into the deer antler.
* * *
The Spirit-Tracking Corps Leader, wearing a black bamboo hat pressed down, quietly looked up at Mount Mulan.
He asked the Deputy Leader standing beside him.
“How many have been caught?”
“Eleven have been caught so far.”
“Faster than expected. It seems there are many high-quality cadets this time.”
“Yes, their understanding of spirit beasts is quite high, and above all, their individual skills are outstanding. We have received reports that even two intermediate-grade spirit beasts have been caught. We expect more passing groups than in previous years.”
“Good. Keep an eye out for potential recruits.”
“Yes, Leader.”
“Also, make sure to monitor them closely so the spirit beasts don’t escape outside Mount Mulan.”
“Of course. That is what our corps always does.”
The Deputy Leader grinned.
The Spirit-Tracking Corps.
Belonging to the Medicine Heaven Hall, they held the mission of wandering across the Jianghu to find and collect spirit beasts.
Consisting of two hundred members in total, though they were not a combat organization, they were superior to anyone else when it came to dealing with spirit beasts.
Indeed, inside the capes they wore around their bodies, countless tools for capturing spirit beasts were hidden.
The Spirit-Tracking Corps Leader pushed up his black bamboo hat with his index finger and looked up at the night sky.
“It is now the beginning of the Ox Hour.”
“It’s time for the Golden Blood Rat to wake up.”
The only special-grade spirit beast among those released by the Spirit-Tracking Corps.
Fortunately, since the Golden Blood Rat had a very low probability of encountering humans, it was on the safer side among special-grade spirit beasts.
“I don’t know why they released it when no one can catch it anyway.”
“It is to save face. Is this not an event hosted by the Martial Alliance? We must never look ridiculous in the eyes of the unorthodox and demonic sects.”
“That’s true as well.”
“Just as you said, there won’t be any cadets capable of catching the Golden Blood Rat, but keep a close eye on it just in case.”
“I have given strict instructions.”
The Spirit-Tracking Corps Leader nodded.
The Golden Blood Rat would never be caught.
No, the cadets would not even catch a glimpse of the Golden Blood Rat’s shadow.
Since it was such a rare species and hard to tame, they wouldn’t have learned about it at the academy either. Nevertheless, there was only one reason for issuing such an order.
It was for the safety of the cadets.
For if the Golden Blood Rat, upon waking up, wandered outside and made eye contact with a cadet, it would lead to a disaster.
No one would want to see the corpse of a cadet with a hole pierced in their stomach.
Therefore, members of the Spirit-Tracking Corps were currently stationed throughout Mount Mulan to prepare for any unexpected accidents.
Even so, because the deployed personnel were few, it was not enough to completely prevent an accident from happening.
As if sensing those worries, the Deputy Leader smiled and said.
“Do not worry too much. It is only an hour at most. The Golden Blood Rat will avoid human presence on its own.”
The Leader quietly nodded.
Indeed.
There would be no crazy person who would catch a deer during the exam just to burn its antlers.
Even more so, there would be no crazy person who would inject internal energy into them.
However, the Spirit-Tracking Corps Leader had absolutely no idea.
That there were two of the crazy bastards he was thinking of.
* * *
Swish.
Jin So-hong ran as if she were flying.
Even though the dawn air was cold, beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
‘S-so fast!’
At first, she thought it was not the Golden Blood Rat.
Especially because it had appeared earlier than expected.
However, once she realized that something with immense energy was rushing toward her at the speed of a ray of light, she became certain.
This was the Golden Blood Rat.
Immediately after that, she turned around and dashed toward where Yun Jong-seung was.
However, the Golden Blood Rat was terrifyingly fast.
Swoosh.
It dashed like lightning, slicing through the blades of grass.
Left! Right! Up! Down! Left! Right again…
Swoosh!
Surprisingly, the Golden Blood Rat was running back and forth in all directions as if observing Jin So-hong.
She knew it was fast, but she truly had not expected it to be this fast.
Then, at some point, just as she felt something heavy climbing up her calf.
Stab.
The claws of the Golden Blood Rat dug deep into Jin So-hong’s calf.
“Aaargh!”
A scream burst out of her involuntarily.
Tumble.
“Gasp!”
Tumble.
Losing her balance, Jin So-hong rolled along the ground.
The Golden Blood Rat that had been clinging to her calf seemed to have fallen off somewhere, as it was nowhere to be seen.
Jin So-hong stood up, limping.
She still had a bit further to go to reach Yun Jong-seung.
‘I must stay calm! Calm!’
With the Golden Blood Rat, all she had to do was not make eye contact.
The attack on her calf was merely a case of it accidentally scratching her while trying to climb up toward the deer antler.
Nevertheless, the reason fear crept in was likely because the mysterious creature possessed formidable aura and speed.
Gulping down her dry saliva, Jin So-hong slowly turned her gaze.
Rustle!
“Ah!”
Rustle!
“……!”
No! Don’t be shaken.
The Golden Blood Rat was also just spying on her.
As long as we don’t make eye contact.
Jin So-hong turned her head back toward the direction of Yun Jong-seung, admonishing herself once again.
There were about thirty zhang left.
‘Just a little further…!’
It was just as Jin So-hong gathered her internal energy to display her lightfoot technique.
“Gasp!”
She was frozen to the spot, unable to move a muscle.
On a branch directly ahead of her, golden pupils shone.
The two eyes of the small creature flashed like a grim reaper.
I… made eye contact.
The moment her mind went completely blank.
Swoosh.
The Golden Blood Rat flew forward as if running through the air.
‘Am I… going to die like this?’
Damn it. I shouldn’t have gone around holding something like a deer antler.
An untimely regret washed over her.
Her body was frozen, and she could do nothing, yet paradoxically, everything unfolded in slow motion.
The moment the Golden Blood Rat, having arrived right in front of her, extended its forepaws to gouge out her navel with its sharp claws.
Clang!
Along with a clear metallic sound, the Golden Blood Rat bounced back.
Swoosh!
A shadow appearing like a comet blocked her path and shouted angrily.
“What are you doing! I told you not to make eye contact!”
“Namgung Cheon…?”
As Jin So-hong blankly opened her mouth, Namgung Cheon shouted while raising the Emerald Silk Sword.
“Stand back! Absolutely do not lie down!”