The attacking magic rats tore off nearly half of Yethree Ming's arm, causing even his dulled senses to ache. However, by utilizing a bit of his soul power, he managed to heal the wound just in time.
This marked the first instance of Yethree Ming using the death light entwining technique to mend his injuries. A touch of eerie green radiance seamlessly entered the wound, and tiny green lights continued to accumulate, resembling fireflies crawling over a battery-depleted landscape.
Yet, the sensation was devoid of chilliness, while the tingling feeling was unequivocally present. Yethree Ming felt as if his arm had been bitten off and sprinkled with a dash of pepper, followed by the refreshing sensation of a plate of live ants.
From Weng Ling's perspective, he appeared more like a second-rate individual, chest-concealed, head bowed, and shoulders twisted in an odd manner.
"What an ugly walking posture. Could this be some profound form of footwork?" Weng Ling recalled Yethree Ming's miraculous footwork when he single-handedly faced five hundred goblin warriors, attempting to imitate it but failing to grasp its essence.
Soon, the two of them, each with an awkward gait, approached the burning house and ceased the torment on their bodies.
"This should be Lao Jiang's smoked meat workshop."
Weng Ling sniffed the air, recognizing the familiar smell of meat. Amidst the splattering flames, she could vaguely see rows of smoked meat inside, continuously sizzling in oil before erupting into fiery balls.
Yethree Ming, still nursing his wounded arm, glanced at the blaze and turned to another house.
This stone house, although low-built, was remarkably spacious. Yethree Ming signaled Weng Ling to cast a few flashes of holy light inside before cautiously entering.
The floor inside had been dug into four rectangular pits over five meters deep, covered with thick and smooth stone slabs at the bottom and edges. Observing the remnants of crushed husks and a pile of tiny black strips at the bottom, it was evident that Lao Jiang used this place to breed magic rats.
The edges of the pits harbored four bodies torn to pieces, not a single intact part larger than a palm remaining. Judging from the fragmented cloth, one woman and three men seemed to be the victims.
"Look here!"
This time, Weng Ling carefully examined the surroundings before calling Yethree Ming to witness her discovery. Adjacent to the pit's edge was a long wooden spoon.
"Well, it seems they accidentally dropped the spoon while feeding the magic rats, and the rats climbed up using the spoon as a bridge, biting them to death."
Yethree Ming glanced at the broken grain bucket next to the bodies as he deduced.
"Moreover, these magic rats seem quite intelligent; they even tried to rescue their comrades."
Yethree Ming pointed to other pits where several spoons had been placed. It seemed the rats did it themselves.
This was somewhat horrifying— a group of unknown quantity of rats that not only knew how to use tools but also coordinated escapes. This would undoubtedly cause a significant stir once they made their way out.
"Should we go back and inform the Tian Shi Leader?" Weng Ling frowned.
It was harvest season, and the damage caused by so many magic rats would be considerable.
Yethree Ming gave her a disdainful look. "If you want to go, go ahead. I'm not interested."
"You!" Weng Ling was about to get angry when she suddenly recalled Yethree Ming's earlier words.
"Are you worried that we might be falsely accused?"
Snap!
Yethree Ming snapped his fingers, nodding approvingly at Weng Ling. "You finally catch on. There are four reasons:
First, how do we explain our presence here?
Second, how do we explain Lao Jiang's sword wound?
Third, Lao Jiang's abnormal behavior during the day and the rumors of our relation have already aroused significant suspicion. If we go now, won't it be like walking into a trap?
Fourth, these magic rats probably won't spread to our area, and White Rock Village is now part of Tian Shi Leader's territory. Do you remember that Tian Shi Leader is our enemy?
Even if this misunderstanding is cleared, can you guarantee that Tian Shi Leader won't take advantage of the situation to frame and suppress us?"
"This..." Weng Ling's face turned pale. "But..."
"Rest assured, if Tian Shi Leader doesn't want trouble, they will handle this matter properly. They might even issue an extermination task tomorrow. Besides, White Rock Village is currently guarded by soldiers. Timid magic rats won't openly attack."
Yethree Ming went to great lengths to dispel Weng Ling's concerns, but fortunately, she finally relented and stopped insisting on reporting back.
"Now what?"
Shh!
Yethree Ming suddenly moved his ears, swiftly walking to the edge of a pit. He looked down and his face brightened.
"Hey! There's still a nest of little ones that haven't escaped!"
Turning to the cart outside, he began rummaging through something.
Perplexed, Weng Ling approached the pit and saw four palm-sized baby magic rats at the bottom, with no fur grown yet, their pink faces still closed tight.
"Come, give me a hand."
Yethree Ming suddenly extended his hand to Weng Ling, holding a rope.
"What are you doing?"
Seeing the two small iron cages on Yethree Ming's back, apparently the ones he asked Little Qu to purchase before leaving White Rock Village, Weng Ling couldn't help but ask.
"Of course, we're catching mice."
Stuffing the rope into Weng Ling's hand, Yethree Ming flipped into the pit. He pinched the back of the baby rat's neck, lifting it up, then glanced at its belly.
"Two males, two females, perfect!"
Swiftly securing the baby rats in the cages, Yethree Ming then tugged the rope.
"Hey, pull me up."
"Huh?" Weng Ling snapped out of her confusion. "Wait, tell me first, what are you doing? Why are you catching these baby magic rats?"
"Of course, we're going to raise them. Hurry up and pull me up; down here smells like either feces or urine, utterly disgusting!" Yethree Ming carefully avoided the pitfalls, his face expressing evident displeasure.
"Raise them? Wait, weren't we here to expose the magic rat breeding nest? And now you're telling me you want to establish one too? Moreover, in the Lorand Territory?"
Weng Ling felt her brain struggling to keep up, but she still helped Yethree Ming out of the pit. After all, jumping up from a five-meter-deep hole was quite challenging for him alone.
If he accidentally fell back, the consequences would be...
Ahem!
After Yethree Ming came up, he checked the four baby magic rats in the cage. Seeing that they had only scratched a few times and then quieted down, he turned to look at Weng Ling.
"I just figured it out. In fact, Lao Jiang's business is quite conscientious. His mistake lies in not informing the customers of the truth. I think, since magic rat meat is harmless and tastes good, why not raise a few? Besides, I have over a hundred goblins and a cat waiting to be fed at home
. If necessary, can't I feed the cat rat meat? It's only natural for cats to eat rats, right?"
Weng Ling:...