Chapter 3657 — What Did You Say?

She simply could not imagine what state she would be in—what she would feel—if this little creature were to vanish from her life.

At her wit's end, Shangguan Lan'er was even prepared to summon the Hall Master of the Spirit Jade Hall and mobilize everyone to turn the entire Spirit Jade Hall upside down, just to find the little thing. And it was at this very moment that Meng Jiuming, who had long been lurking nearby waiting for his chance, stepped up behind her at precisely the right time.

"Miss Shangguan, this humble servant is Meng Jiuming, a steward of the Welcome Pavilion. Earlier today I saw a little Curl-Curl Bear here, but at the time I could not be certain it was your spirit pet, so I did not pay it particular attention." Meng Jiuming's eyes were downcast and his manner meek as he made his report.

"What? You saw Xiao Bai?" Only then did Shangguan Lan'er notice Meng Jiuming, and she pressed him eagerly: "Where did you see it? Where has it gone?"

Meng Jiuming pretended to rack his memory for a moment before saying, "At the time it seemed to be trying to slip into the mining district, but before it could get through the gate a new disciple spotted it. That new disciple kicked it without a word—kicked it half to death—then stuffed it into a bag and carried it off, saying he was going to take it back to his cave dwelling to roast and eat it..."

"Roast and eat it?" At these words Shangguan Lan'er turned pale with fright and nearly fainted on the spot. It was a long while before she caught her breath, and then she said through gritted teeth, "What is that new disciple's name? Why didn't you stop him?"

"Calm yourself, Miss Shangguan. That new disciple is called Wei Zhao—a newcomer from the secular cultivation world, a lone cultivator with no breeding to speak of, always arrogant and unruly, refusing all discipline. This humble servant tried to dissuade him again and again, but to no avail, and since the sect's rules forbade me from laying a hand on him, I could only let him walk away..."

Meng Jiuming put on a show of grief and indignation: "Had I known it was the young lady's spirit pet, I would have rescued the little Curl-Curl Bear even at the cost of being punished by the sect!"

"Wei Zhao? Where is he now? Take me to him at once! If Xiao Bai has lost so much as a single hair, I will fight him to the death!" Shangguan Lan'er shed her usual image of a pure and innocent maiden and snarled with a ferocious air.

"Certainly, Miss. This humble servant will lead the way this instant." Meng Jiuming laughed inwardly. A little girl is just a little girl—a touch of provocation and she took the bait at once.

Meng Jiuming led Shangguan Lan'er straight to Wei Zhao's cave dwelling. Meng Zhou, who had been crouching at the entrance keeping watch over Wei Zhao the whole time, hurried up to meet them the moment he saw the two of them.

"Miss, this is the new disciple Meng Zhou. He witnessed the events of this afternoon with his own eyes. I had him come back ahead of time to keep watch on Wei Zhao, precisely out of fear that Wei Zhao might really roast and eat that little Curl-Curl Bear—after all, where the lone cultivators of the secular cultivation world are concerned, one truly cannot vouch for their breeding." Meng Jiuming introduced Meng Zhou and heaved a feigned sigh.

Shangguan Lan'er, however, had no patience to listen to his lamentations. She asked Meng Zhou at once, "Is that Wei Zhao inside the cave dwelling? How is my Xiao Bai? Is it hurt?"

Meng Zhou glanced at Meng Jiuming before answering, "To report to the young lady, Wei Zhao has stayed inside the cave dwelling ever since he returned and has not come out. As for what has happened in there, I dare not say—perhaps he has already started eating..."

"What?" Shangguan Lan'er was so frightened by his words that her heart pounded wildly, and she pointed at Meng Jiuming and cried, "Then what are you two standing around for? Break down the door for me this instant!"

"As you command!" Having received his orders, Meng Jiuming raised his hand and sent a burst of fierce energy that shattered the restrictive spell on Wei Zhao's cave dwelling outright. With his strength at the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, such a feat was naturally child's play for him.

"Xiao Bai! Xiao Bai Bai!" Shangguan Lan'er rushed in without a moment's delay.

Meng Jiuming and Meng Zhou exchanged a smile of conspirators whose scheme had succeeded, and followed her inside.

As far as the two of them were concerned, matters had now progressed to the point where Wei Zhao was as good as dead. To do away with Shangguan Lan'er's spirit pet—what a monstrous crime that was!

Never mind the Welcome Pavilion—even across the whole of the North Island of Cloud Terrace Island, he would not have the slightest foothold left! With any luck they would truss him up and hand him straight over to the spirit beast clan of the South Island, to pay for a life with a life!

Yet when they saw the scene inside the cave dwelling, Meng Jiuming and Meng Zhou's jaws dropped in an instant.

"Woo woo! Woo woo!" That little Curl-Curl Bear, which ought to have been on the verge of death, was now bouncing about merrily, clinging to Wei Zhao, showing not the slightest sign of injury or weakness. From the look of it, it was actually playing happily with Wei Zhao? What on earth was going on?

"Xiao Bai, you're all right?" Shangguan Lan'er, who had been too frightened by Meng Jiuming and the other to even open her eyes, finally came to her senses. Joy was written plainly across the girl's face, and the heart that had been hanging in suspense at last settled back into place.

"Woo woo!" At the sight of Shangguan Lan'er, the little Curl-Curl Bear immediately sprang down from Wei Zhao in high spirits and scurried nimbly up onto Shangguan Lan'er's back on its stubby little legs, its movements so agile it was almost absurd. Did this look like a creature injured and at death's door?

Behind them, Meng Jiuming and Meng Zhou could only exchange bewildered glances, and Meng Zhou blurted out in sheer disbelief, "Good heavens! How is that possible! It was clearly badly hurt and about to die—I did it myself, don't I know... gah!"

Meng Jiuming clapped a hand over his mouth at once, while Shangguan Lan'er turned her head and looked at him with deep suspicion: "What did you say?"

"Uh..." At this moment Meng Zhou wished he could cut out his own tongue with a knife. What a wretched mouth he had! Was this the sort of thing one could just let slip? A life was at stake here!

Fortunately, Meng Jiuming was quick-witted. Sensing the danger, he hastened to answer, "Indeed! We saw the situation with our own eyes at the time—how could we not know?"

"Is that so?" Shangguan Lan'er looked the two of them over, half believing and half doubting, but she did not take it much to heart. At this moment only one thing mattered to her: that the little Curl-Curl Bear was unharmed.

Phew! Only then did Meng Jiuming breathe a sigh of relief, and he shot Meng Zhou a venomous glare. Thank goodness this young lady was easy to fool—otherwise, if the truth had come tumbling out, he would have been dragged down along with him.

As for Meng Zhou, he was by now close to collapsing to the ground in fright, clamping his hand tightly over his mouth and not daring to utter another sound.

Uneasy, Shangguan Lan'er picked up the little Curl-Curl Bear and examined it from head to toe. Though the creature was lively as could be, the large footprint on its chest was still plainly visible. Recalling what Meng Jiuming and the other had said, she turned to Wei Zhao and demanded furiously, "Hey! Was it you who kicked Xiao Bai in the chest?"

"No. When I found it, it already had that footprint on it," Wei Zhao denied, shaking his head.