This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 237 Under the Night

A clear look of confusion appeared in Bai Yu's eyes.

No malicious intent? What makes you say that?
He couldn't quite understand Nie Weiyang's attitude. But some kind of animalistic instinct told him that he didn't need to ask too much. Meanwhile, Russell couldn't help himself and turned around, muttering something silently to the dense forest.

Nie Weiyang's smile remained unchanged.

He wasn't lying; he had no personal grudge against Zhao Deming, so there was no malice involved—well, he rarely harbored malice towards others.

Murderous intent is another matter. It has nothing to do with good or evil.

“Contact him,” Nie Weiyang repeated calmly, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. “He’s probably busy preparing to flee right now, too preoccupied to keep an eye on you. There’s a chance he missed our conversation just now because he was distracted. Even if he did hear it—it’s okay, just contact him as usual.”

Bai Yu was skeptical, but looking at Nie Weiyang, he ultimately chose to obey.

This might be because he had become accustomed to obedience, or perhaps he wanted to see what Nie Weiyang really wanted to do.

He closed his eyes and concentrated.

As Zhao Deming's contracted servant, he cannot actively sense his master's location, but he has a one-way communication channel for proactively reporting information.

At this moment, a message carrying his unique spiritual imprint was sent along the link of the contract to some mysterious being.

This application will not produce a notification sound; it will simply sink silently into a panel in Zhao Deming's system, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, waiting for the other party to check it when they have time.

The moment the message was sent, Nie Weiyang's gaze shifted.

His spiritual energy, lurking deep within Bai Yu's consciousness, acted like a keen hunting dog, firmly locking onto the trajectory of the message and rapidly spreading into the distance along the invisible thread of the contract!
Time passed by, minute by minute. Only the sound of flowing water and the rustling of leaves in the wind remained by the stream.

Bai Yu's face gradually turned pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

For him, taking the initiative to contact Zhao Deming was already a form of mental torment and exhaustion, not to mention the fact that the wait was fruitless and without any response, which only exacerbated his anxiety.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, shook his head, and said in a weak and disappointed voice, "He didn't respond..."

Nie Weiyang simply gave a smile.

"That's enough." He interrupted Bai Yu, his tone relaxed and gentle, yet his emotions remained unclear. "I'm leaving now."

“…Huh?” Bai Yu looked up at him blankly, completely out of sync.

That's it? I contacted them, no response, and then... they left?
“I said, he and I are leaving first.” Nie Weiyang pointed to Russell, who had a 'I knew this would happen' look on his face, and waved casually. “Go and wander around. See you later.”

After saying that, he actually turned around and gestured for Russell to follow.

The two of them walked upstream along the stream without hesitation, and soon their figures disappeared into the deepening twilight and shadows of the forest.

Bai Yu stood there alone, his expression shifting, completely bewildered.

He wanted to follow them and ask for clarification, but a strong instinct stopped him—

No matter what Nie Weiyang wants to do, he can no longer allow his eyes to become a window for Zhao Deming to spy on Nie Weiyang and the authorities.

Bai Yu gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes.

Even if Nie Weiyang didn't care, he couldn't provide Zhao Deming with any more useful information! He didn't even bother to think about what Nie Weiyang was going to do; his body reacted before his mind could—he suddenly turned around and sprinted away in the opposite direction from where he and Nie Weiyang had left.

Based on his understanding of Zhao Deming, the next time the other party contacted him, it was very likely to ask him to follow Nie Weiyang. And his ability to find people was too strong; he couldn't even use 'not being able to find the target' as an excuse...

He needed to get as far away from Nie Weiyang's location as possible before Zhao Deming issued any coercive orders. Even if it was a futile struggle, he had to make an effort!

In the forest, only the gradually darkening light and the faint sound of fish still gnawing on the snake carcass in the stream remained.

Meanwhile, Nie Weiyang, who had gone far away, was whispering to Russell:

"Southwest, about 1,500 kilometers away, at a very low altitude, possibly underground."

"Oh? You actually caught him?" Russell raised an eyebrow. "Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up! Don't let that old bastard get away!"

Nie Weiyang had previously introduced Bai Yu and Zhao Deming to him, and the two communicated without any difficulty.

Nie Weiyang grinned, flipped and leaped onto the suddenly appearing lucky sign, his speed increasing dramatically. Meanwhile, Russell whistled as he ran, and a rumbling sound gradually came from the depths of the forest. Soon, a giant tiger, two or three meters tall, rushed out of the woods. The moment its path intersected with Russell's, he grabbed the tiger's fur, leaped into the air, and landed on its back.

"Your car is great, and mine is great too!" he laughed, leaning on the tiger's back to reduce wind resistance. "You drink fuel, I eat meat, let's have a speed contest!"

Nie Weiyang chuckled and remained silent. He didn't activate many skill effects, but simply increased the speed of the Lucky Draw itself, transforming into a streak of light and rushing into the distance with Russell, one after the other.

……

As night fell, the campfire crackled in the makeshift campsite. Even though the temperature was no longer high enough to ward off the chill, camping wasn't complete without a campfire—especially since they also had to cook.

The giant tiger 'Jinhuang' lay to one side, purring wearily and contentedly, its huge head resting on its paws, clearly exhausted from the long, arduous run.

Russell sprawled out on a spread-out animal hide, utterly disgraceful, and lamented, "I can't go on anymore... I really can't run anymore."

"Jin Huang needs a good rest; his bones are practically falling apart. Your iron-clad mount is too much of a cheat, not eating, drinking, or resting..."

He glanced enviously and jealously at the lucky sign that sat quietly to the side. Nie Weiyang had just given it a full cleaning, and now it looked even cleaner than before it set off.

Nie Weiyang sat on the other side of the fire, poking at the flames with a twig and watching the trajectory of the flying sparks.

“Different principles and different positioning,” Nie Weiyang said. “Some things that you, the tiger, can do, even the lucky draw can’t.”

For example, they might cheer themselves up, or even bring back prey to cheer on their owner.

Three days of extreme racing, traversing mountains and rivers, would be an immense burden even for a nature enthusiast like Russell and his beastly companions. But for Nie Weiyang, it seemed to be just another long journey.

The two ate some simple food that Jin Huang had hunted and chatted about all sorts of things.

Russell kept asking Nie Weiyang about his experiences traveling—although he hadn't been to many places this time around, Nie Weiyang's footprints had covered the globe in the previous timeline. The swampy miasma of the south, the desert ruins of the west, the unpredictable winds of the eastern coast… He was like a tree accustomed to its roots, yearning for the distant sandstorms, yet knowing deep down that he cherished the land beneath his feet even more. Nie Weiyang answered patiently, his descriptions precise and calm, occasionally punctuated by a touch of dry humor, which made Russell laugh heartily.

But between their conversations, Nie Weiyang's thoughts drifted to Bai Yu.

Escaping alone in the opposite direction—that's an interesting act...

“…Speaking of which,” Nie Weiyang suddenly spoke, interrupting the discussion about the characteristics of a certain mutated plant, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible inquiry, “Why do you think Bai Yu believes that I can become his hope for revenge?”

(End of this chapter)