Chapter Twenty-Eight: How Strange!

In a daze, Tang Tian vaguely heard someone calling his name. It seemed to be a girl, a voice unfamiliar to him, yet it was this voice that pulled him back from his befuddled state, and he slowly regained consciousness.

“Tang Tian… Tang Tian…”

With great effort, Tang Tian opened his eyes. The glaring sunlight made him instinctively squint, and it took a moment before he adjusted. When he opened his eyes again, an unfamiliar face came into view.

“Who are you…” Tang Tian asked, still feeling muddled. He struggled to sit up, glancing around at the strange environment. Where was he?

“Big brother! Big brother!” A cheerful voice piped up from below.

Huh?

Following the sound, Tang Tian looked down and saw a small hand striving to climb up. A middle-aged woman was chasing after her, calling anxiously, “Nannan, be careful, don’t fall.”

Suddenly, a little head with a sprouting ponytail popped up, her face alight with delight. “Big brother, you’re finally awake!”

Looking at the little girl, Tang Tian suddenly remembered, “Ah, you’re the little one who was being chased that day… Wait, how did I end up here?”

Tang Tian quickly glanced around, muttering to himself, “Did that big dumb ox bring me here? Where is this place? And where’s that big dumb ox?”

“Big brother, the big dumb ox is under your butt!” the little girl chirped happily.

Under my butt…

Tang Tian froze, looked down, then leapt to his feet in alarm. “Ah! Why is it under me? Wait, it’s not moving… Is it dead?”

Han Bingning had been quietly observing Tang Tian. Until today, she had felt nothing but disdain, contempt, and confusion towards him—the first two for Tang Tian, the last for Shangguan Qianhui.

But now, her view of him had been completely overturned.

Brave but reckless? Single-minded? Inhumanly tough? Wild?

Suddenly, Han Bingning found she couldn’t define this seemingly simple man before her.

What kind of person was he, really?

Nannan, however, was unburdened by such complicated thoughts. She lifted her chubby hand and declared with pride, “It’s dead.”

“Killed by me?” Tang Tian pointed at himself in disbelief.

Did I kill it?

How could I have killed such a fierce creature?

He tried to recall, but all he remembered was the big dumb ox charging madly into the bamboo sea, and him fiercely punching it. The rest was a complete blank.

How did it end up dead at my hands?

Han Bingning watched Tang Tian’s bewildered expression, finding him all the more unfathomable. Was he pretending? Did he really not know?

Impossible!

Han Bingning’s first instinct was to dismiss that possibility.

That was an Ink-Armor Iron Rhino, a mid-tier fourth-rank beast, king of the beasts in this region. Even she could only hold her own for a while against it; killing such a ferocious creature would require at least a high-tier fourth-rank warrior.

There were only a handful in all of Starwind City with such strength.

Yet the corpse of the Ink-Armor Iron Rhino lay right before her, its wounds clearly caused by Tang Tian. Tang Tian himself was covered in injuries—they had tracked the beast by following the devastation it left in its wake.

“When we found you, you were just like this,” Han Bingning said calmly. “We watched over you for three days.”

“You watched over me for three days?” Tang Tian immediately reacted, hastily expressing his gratitude. “Thank you, thank you so much!”

Suddenly, he remembered all the injuries he’d sustained on the big dumb ox. Looking down, he was surprised to find all his wounds scabbed over.

“Huh? How did my wounds heal?” Tang Tian was astonished.

Little Nannan raised her hand proudly. “It’s Bamboo Wasp King Balm! I put it on you, big brother. It works really well!”

“Wow, little miss, you’re amazing!” Tang Tian leaned in, genuinely impressed.

Nannan puffed out her chest, her face full of pride. “Nannan is the best!”

Tang Tian patted her head affectionately, finding himself quite fond of this kind and adorable child. Nannan squinted her eyes, basking in the affection.

“This time, we truly owe you,” Nannan’s mother finally spoke up, gratitude etched across her face. “Nannan is so mischievous—I never expected her to cause such trouble. If it weren’t for you, I can’t imagine the consequences!”

Tang Tian scratched his head, laughing heartily. “I still have no idea what happened!”

Suddenly, he thought of something, pointing at the Ink-Armor Iron Rhino beneath him. “What kind of creature is this?”

“Ink-Armor Iron Rhino,” Han Bingning replied suddenly. “A mid-tier fourth-rank beast, extremely powerful and fierce, with endless strength. It’s already developed a soul core and can wield true force. You must have felt its power.”

“Yeah, that hit was brutal! I nearly couldn’t get back up!” Tang Tian shuddered at the memory.

Han Bingning didn’t reply, but hearing this, she couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Anyone else would have never gotten up again.

Tang Tian hopped off the beast’s corpse, looking around curiously. “Why would such a heavy beast be in Greenmarsh Bamboo Sea? Wouldn’t it sink into the swamp?”

“No,” Han Bingning explained. “Its scales, known as Inkwater Scales, are excellent water-element scales. Not only can it live in swamps, it can thrive in great rivers and lakes as well.”

“Wow! That’s impressive!” Tang Tian was truly astounded.

Little Nannan raised her pink hand again, piping up, “Big brother is even more amazing!”

Tang Tian suddenly propped his chin on his hand, falling deep into thought. His expression grew solemn, as if pondering a grave question.

After a while, he remained motionless, prompting Han Bingning to ask, unable to contain herself, “What are you thinking about?”

Hearing her, Tang Tian looked up, fixing his gaze on her as he asked seriously, “Did I really kill it?”

“Yes,” Han Bingning nodded. “There were no other traces at the scene.”

“Really?” Tang Tian stared intently, his expression earnest and grave.

Was there some hidden story here?

Han Bingning’s heart skipped, but she still nodded. “You killed it.”

“It was big brother!” Nannan shouted, eager to be noticed.

Tang Tian nodded solemnly, his demeanor growing even more serious. “Very well.”

In the next instant, the sternness vanished, replaced by a brilliant, sunlit smile, revealing two rows of white teeth.

“So, where can I sell this thing? It must be worth quite a bit!”

* * *

“We’re here,” Han Bingning announced, her tone icy and expressionless.

“Whew, finally! I’m exhausted! If only the Fly Ox were here…” Tang Tian mumbled to himself, wiping sweat from his brow.

Han Bingning was utterly astounded by his physical prowess. She had tested the weight of the Ink-Armor Iron Rhino—it was over nine hundred jin, a veritable mountain of flesh.

Yet Tang Tian had dragged it on foot for dozens of miles, still brimming with energy.

This guy was the real beast!

Images of other so-called experts flashed through Han Bingning’s mind, each tall and elegant. Compared to Tang Tian, they were like bean sprouts.

Hot-house flowers, she mused for the first time. The young geniuses who usually surrounded her were all gifted, graceful in speech and manners, versed in romance and the pleasures of life, each convinced of their own talent.

Yet for the first time, she had met someone completely different.

If they were hot-house flowers, Tang Tian was wild grass—give him a bit of sun and fertilizer, and he’d grow rampant, thriving through wind and rain.

She suddenly wondered if that was what had drawn Shangguan Qianhui to him.

“Miss!” The shopkeeper, seeing Han Bingning, hurriedly set aside his work and ran over.

Han Bingning collected herself, feeling her earlier thoughts were a bit absurd—especially since she still didn’t know what kind of person Tang Tian was.

He was simply too strange!

Steeling her composure, she said coolly, “He hunted an Ink-Armor Iron Rhino but can’t find a buyer. If you have use for it, buy it.”

“Yes, Miss!” The shopkeeper dared not ask further and quickly sent a helper to the back to fetch the appraiser.

Soon, the appraiser arrived, greeted Han Bingning with a respectful bow, “Miss.”

She nodded. “Go ahead, pay market price.”

“Yes!” The appraiser quickly agreed.

He circled the Ink-Armor Iron Rhino’s corpse, clicking his tongue in wonder. “It really is an Ink-Armor Iron Rhino. Young man, not bad! Hunting one of these takes real skill!”

Tang Tian scratched his head, grinning foolishly. “I still don’t know how I did it.”

The appraiser paused, then waved it off. “Too modest! This isn’t something you can just luck into!”

Han Bingning nearly rolled her eyes.

“Hmm, it has a soul core—should be mid-tier fourth rank,” the appraiser examined carefully. “The quality is quite good, but it’s a pity so many Inkwater Scales are damaged—each one is a loss. Hm, looks like Small Collapse Fist, but the fissures aren’t this smooth with that technique. Besides, Small Collapse Fist can’t break Inkwater Scales. Odd, very odd!”

Han Bingning’s eyes narrowed. As expected, there was something unusual. She had stayed just to hear what the appraiser might deduce.

After a while, the appraiser shook his head. “I can’t tell.”

Han Bingning took mental note of these details to ask the headmaster at school later.

“Young man, the most valuable part is the soul core—it can be used to make a Soul General Card. But I’d advise you not to sell it. Use it to cultivate your Martial Soul. There are six hundred and twenty-one intact Inkwater Scales—just enough to craft a water-element scale armor. And this horn is worth a lot as well,” the appraiser recited knowledgeably.

“Cultivate my Martial Soul?” Tang Tian looked completely lost.

“You haven’t heard of it?” Han Bingning asked abruptly.

Tang Tian shook his head. “No.”

She turned to the appraiser. “Keep the soul core for him. Sell the rest.”

“Yes!”

The shopkeeper and appraiser exchanged glances, their eyes often drifting to Tang Tian.

Tang Tian ran up to Han Bingning, his face eager. “Cultivating my Martial Soul—what’s that? Tell me, miss!”

Peerless Tang Sect