In a single instant, many things crossed Pudgy Jiang’s mind…

What was the brat Jiang He doing at Mount Helan in the middle of the night?

Did the Sky Demon Cult’s elites come to kill him?

That made sense, since Jiang He had inflicted severe casualties upon the Sky Demon Cult in less than a month. In fact, setting aside the top lackeys he had killed and the number of plans he ruined for them, he had already killed five of their Heavenly Generals, and two of their Grands!

Even one of their elders had died by Jiang He’s hand!

It was worth mentioning here that since the Sky Demon Cult came to light ten years ago and clashed against various nations, none of their elders were ever killed!

In short, it would not make sense if the Sky Demon Cult was not trying anything against Jiang He.

“Wait, no!”

“Even if there is no telling how Jiang He killed Kun of the Left, aka the Sixth Elder of the Sky Demon Cult, the kid’s ability could not be understood through conventional means. For someone to corner him to the point that he had to self-destruct using a nuclear warhead, doesn’t that mean an Elder of the Sky Demon Cult who ranks higher than Kun of the Left had come for him?”

Pudgy Jiang’s eyes went red.

Soon, however, he was left utterly dumbfounded too.

Another martial artist who came out of Mount Helan was describing vividly what happened up there.

Naturally…

The martial artist was only rank three, and it was too dark and too far for him to see clearly. And was there a human who wouldn’t try to spice up the stories they were telling?

“I was sleeping at the time when I heard the noise outside, which was why I ran out there, and heard someone cursing the Sky Demon Cult about bullying someone or something, and the Sky Demon Cultists called him Jiang He…”

“But that person called Jiang He was really powerful. He fought three others alone, killing one instantly, shot another dead and scared away the last one…”

“Oh, and I’ve also heard something about Bound Star, Guilty Star, and Third Elder mentioned…”

Pudgy Jiang grabbed the martial artist by the collar at that, his eyes bulging like bells as he barked, “Are you screwing around with me?!”

***

Meanwhile, back at the creek.

Mu Wanqiu’s face was pale. She was cowering in the ten, her entire body shaking.

A Feral had attacked her just now.

Although she killed it immediately with flames, it was still her first time personally killing one, and being a little spooked afterward was unavoidable… but that was nothing.

Mu Wanqiu was born to an important family that had seen major action after all.

And yet, after burning the rank-three Feral, she was a caterpillar passing by!

Although the creature was no Feral, it has changed physically because of its surroundings, which in turn had been affected by the Revival of Qi—it was up to eighteen centimeters long, and was as thick as an infant’s arm. It even had some woolly spikes over its skin which was an absolutely disgusting sight.

That was when footsteps could be heard.

Mu Wanqiu exhaled lengthily, feeling her entire body relaxed. Opening her tent and running out, she scolded Jiang He coquettishly, “Where the hell have you been, Jiang He? Don’t you know… I was so worried about you!”

She was about to say ‘how afraid she was’, but changed that even though it was at the tip of her tongue.

After all, her grandfather was one of the founders of the Superpower Research Department, her father a major-general in the military and herself a B-class fire-type Awakened.

Someone like her, afraid of a caterpillar?

Be that as it may…

Mu Wanqiu noticed that there was something wrong in the atmosphere once those words left her lips.

Jiang He’s eyes were staring straight into her.

The star lasted seven seconds before he frowned and said, “Mu Wanqiu, did you run inside my tent?”

Mu Wanqiu breathed another sigh of relief at that.

Being stared at by a handsome man like Jiang He was really frightening. Her thoughts were almost messed up as her little heart thumped, pounding incessantly.

“I just…”

She was about to speak when she Jiang He snorted and barked, “Don’t you have any common sense, woman? Forget not bringing food or drinks when camping out. You didn’t bring a tent either?”

“And not only would you freeload my meals, you’re trying to claim my tent as well?”

“My tent is only for a single person—it won’t fit too. Solve your own problems!”

Yawning, Jiang He climbed into the tent, closing it from the inside with a zipping sound.

“…”

Mu Wanqiu was left gaping, unable to say anything in response just then.

She only came to her senses after a while, and stamped her feet while clenching her teeth in frustration.

“Humph!”

“All you did is bring a tent! What is there to be so smug about?”

Still, she felt wronged.

What the heck?

How much steel was that man made of?

According to the standard script, shouldn’t you be conceding your tent voluntarily, and act like a real gentleman? Sleeping outside on your own, while this beauty slept inside?

Mu Wanqiu even suspected…

Was she only seeing an imagination every day when she looked into the mirror?

Or am I, Mu Wanqiu, not a beauty but an ugly?

Now, it was autumn in September, and a chill extends along with a gust of autumn breeze that blew into the mountain forest.

With a twitch of Mu Wanqiu’s finger…

Whoosh.

A bundle of flames ignited before her, and the air around her became much warmer.

She crouched outside the tent, and fiddled with the fire miserably in boredom.

Nonetheless, she was not aware that inside the tent, Jiang He was feeling even more miserable than she was.

It was so deadly!

The side effect of the pepper had yet to fade. He did not notice it before since after he blew the Third Elder of the Sky Demon Cult to hell with two shots, he only encountered the black panther and the giant willow tree.

He suddenly found the black panther devilishly charming, and even felt the big willow tree awfully easy on the eyes…

But Jiang He could suppress those impulses.

However, the agony began when he saw Mu Wanqiu.

Her body-hugging sportswear fully accentuated her figure.

“Damn it!”

“I shouldn’t have sold her the corn if I knew this would happen!” Jiang He cursed, even pondering whether he should force-feed Mu Wanqiu several eggplants. He had a hunch that having a few eggplants that eases swelling… could flatten Mu Wanqiu.

Meanwhile, the side effect of the pepper slowly faded.

Jiang He sat up, a thought crossing his mind.

He should consider improving the pepper species or try growing another crop that improves combat ability in the same way. Of course, he should be open-minded and not limit himself to agricultural products.

If plants and fruits could be grown, Chinese Medicine definitely could be planted too.

“Oh, and if Chinese Medicine could be grown, I wonder if Western Medicine could be too…” Jiang He pondered.

For example, if anti-inflammatories like Amoxicillin could be grown, what would come up after he strengthened that with some Mysterious Soil?

Meanwhile, having heard the noise outside, Jiang He calmly said, “Stop playing with fire. I heard the old folks in my village said that you’d wet your bed if you do that.”

“Bleh!”

Mu Wanqiu spat outside the teeth, seething, “Why do you care, thug?”

Zip.

Jiang He unzipped the tent entrance and pulled Mu Wanqiu inside, saying, “I’m in a good mood tonight, so I could squeeze into the tent with you. However, let me put this out there: if you dare to take advantage of me, don’t blame me for kicking you out!”

After all, a young lady from an important family would never feel comfortable sleeping outside—he just had to compromise.

Even Jiang He had to inwardly praise himself.

“Alright, I’m going to sleep.”

He lay down and turned his back on Mu Wanqiu.

Suddenly however, he asked, “By the way, do you have snore or grind your teeth when you’re asleep?”