"Wanqing, come to my left side," Ye Mo instructed, guiding Chi Wanqing to stand on his left—because the Zilang was hiding to his right. It was crouched beneath a rock, its eyes locked on Ye Mo and Chi Wanqing, not fleeing but waiting for an opening to attack Ye Mo.
Chi Wanqing didn't know what he meant, but she obediently moved to his left. Ye Mo, knowing how cunning Zilangs were, held her hand and pretended to be unaware as they slowly walked past.
The Zilang crept closer from the side, believing Ye Mo had his back turned. It was poised to strike when Ye Mo came within reach.
"Why are you being so cautious?" Chi Wanqing asked softly.
Ye Mo didn't reply. Instead, he suddenly spun around and grabbed into the air with lightning speed—so fast that even Chi Wanqing couldn't react.
A sharp screech followed—"Screee!"—as the Zilang leaped to attack but was instantly caught in Ye Mo's hand, as if it had launched itself right into his grip. Without true qi reinforcing his palm, he wouldn't have been able to hold the creature.
Feeling the Zilang's intense struggle, Ye Mo immediately said, "Wanqing, quick! Bite your finger, hurry! This thing's stronger than I thought."
Realizing it had fallen for the trap, the Zilang screeched and thrashed even harder. Ye Mo was surprised—despite being a juvenile, its strength was shocking. If he hadn't caught it himself, he wouldn't have believed it.
Upon seeing its glowing green eyes, Chi Wanqing broke into a cold sweat—not from fear, but from concern that Ye Mo might be bitten. Still, she acted quickly, biting her fingertip even though she didn't know why.
Ye Mo pulled out a dagger and stabbed the Zilang in the middle of its forehead, creating a narrow blood groove. A line of blood trickled down. He picked up a drop of Chi Wanqing's blood and let it fall into the groove, while his hands began weaving intricate hand signs—like he was casting some kind of spell.
Chi Wanqing watched in stunned silence. Sweat had already begun to bead on Ye Mo's forehead. She wanted to help wipe it away but was afraid of disturbing him. Though his actions seemed strange—even a bit mystical—she trusted him completely.
The struggling Zilang gradually calmed, and eventually went completely still. When Ye Mo released it, it ran straight to Chi Wanqing's feet. Then it nudged her shoe with its snout, appearing affectionately close.
Chi Wanqing had been focused on Ye Mo and was startled when the snake-like creature came over. She nearly fainted on the spot.
Ye Mo's timely voice reassured her. "It's been tamed now. You don't have spiritual sense—oh, I mean, you can just use your voice to give it commands. Don't worry—it won't attack people on its own. It will only attack on your command."
He knew Chi Wanqing wasn't a cultivator, so although he had established a master-servant bond between her and the Zilang, she could only control it verbally. Over time, she might be able to direct it with intent.
"Wha… Brother Ye, that sounds weird. It's kinda mystical," Chi Wanqing said hesitantly. Seeing that the Zilang wasn't trying to bite her, she slowly calmed down.
Ye Mo chuckled. "It's an old folk trick. I learned a bit of it. But not all animals can be trained this way—only a rare few. The Zilang happens to be one of them."
"Zilang…" Chi Wanqing muttered. "That name's weird. I'll just call it Little Wolf, then. It won't bite people, right?"
She was already finding the creature kind of cute, but still a little worried—after all, not everyone could survive a Zilang bite like she had.
"It won't bite," Ye Mo reassured her. In fact, Zilangs didn't even attack ordinary people, let alone one bound by contract. "Just feed it bamboo shoots. Or let it hunt its own food—it's hard for people to even catch one of these."
When they returned to camp, everyone was amazed that Ye Mo had helped Chi Wanqing tame such a ferocious pet. They all gathered around to examine the Zilang. Finally, it was Lu Lin who suggested sewing a small cloth pouch so she could carry it.
Originally, Ye Mo had planned to just guide them out of the jungle and then leave. But after what happened with Chi Wanqing, he no longer brought up the idea of parting and continued to travel with them.
Although Chi Wanqing really enjoyed riding on Ye Mo's back, now that she had fully recovered, she felt embarrassed to keep asking. So she walked on her own.
Over the next few days, Ye Mo spent time teaching Fang Wei some basic combat techniques and skills. Later, Guo Qi and Lu Lin joined as well. Ye Mo's teachings were simple but practical, even sharing basic breathing exercises. While not enough to cultivate true qi, they could develop internal energy with consistent effort.
"Chi-jie, why don't you come train with us?" Guo Qi called out one evening after they finished setting up camp.
Lu Lin gave him a playful smack on the head. "Wanqing gets private lessons from Ye Mo. Why are you nagging?"
Chi Wanqing blushed while playing with Little Wolf. She glanced at Ye Mo but didn't argue.
Ye Mo just smiled. Though he didn't correct Lu Lin's joke, he also hadn't actually planned on teaching Chi Wanqing privately. If he had paper and a pen, he might write down some breathing methods for her—but without those, he let it be.
He did feel strongly about Chi Wanqing. She had risked her life to save him. And while she was a soldier, her behavior toward him seemed especially dependent—more than just gratitude. But Ye Mo knew clearly: there could be nothing between them.
His heart already belonged to Luo Ying. No matter how admirable another woman might be, there was no place left for anyone else.
That's why he gave her the Zilang. For Ye Mo, even now, the Zilang was extremely valuable. His cultivation level wasn't that high—there were many stronger than him. Having the Zilang's help meant much greater safety.
But to repay Chi Wanqing for risking her life, he still gave it to her.
On the eleventh day, they finally met up with the team sent to retrieve them. Ye Mo prepared to say goodbye to Guo Qi and the others.
"Brother Ye, if you ever have time, please remember to visit my friends in Luochang," Chi Wanqing said, reluctant to see him go. She felt like she was losing something precious, but had no reason to make him stay.
She could only hope he'd visit the company her mother had arranged—maybe she could return from the army then.
Ye Mo was silent for a moment. Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, he couldn't bear to disappoint her. He nodded in agreement.
But deep down, he knew that once they parted this time, meeting again would be difficult. He needed several years to cultivate Silver-Heart Grass, and he didn't know where fate would take him next.
As Ye Mo disappeared into the jungle, Chi Wanqing stood still, a deep sense of loss rising in her heart. Her mood dropped to its lowest point.