My lord, spare his life!

"Isn't it just that you're stingy and don't feed them properly?"

Zhang Yang strongly suspects that Guan Sike withheld the bird food.

Guan Siqi laughed when Zhang Yang splashed dirty water at him.

"When have I ever skimped on its food? If it fails to hunt, I'm always the one who personally feeds it." This beast consumes enough food in one meal to feed hundreds of ghost guards three times a day. When has he ever mistreated this wretched bird?

Guan Si grew angrier the more he thought about it.

He yelled at the eagle, "Get back here!"

The falcon's eyes darted around, and it instinctively tried to flap its wings and fly to Guan Si's side, but its claws immediately returned to Zhang Yang's arm as soon as they left. It half-opened its wings, covering its head, as if this would allow it to escape Guan Si's murderous gaze.

Guan Si was furious when he saw this.

I already had a plan in mind how to pluck all the feathers off this bird.

He reached out to grab the falcon's wing, but Zhang Yang spun around to avoid him, then turned the tables on him: "What are you doing? What are you doing? How can you treat a pet like this? You're being stingy and starving it, and you think you're right?"

Guan Si: "This is my bird!"

Zhang Yang calmly replied, "Oh, not anymore."

She hooked the hawk's beak with her left fingers, grabbed a handful of birdseed, and teased it, "Good bird, good bird, how about changing owners? Leave that owner who makes you go hungry nine times in three days. If you come with me, I'll make you eat ninety times in three days."

The hawk made a gurgling sound from its throat.

Zhang Yang tossed a handful of birdseed, and it caught it with its beak.

They completely forgot about Guan Si, their proper master.

Zhang Yang admired the falcon's glossy feathers with satisfaction, and then named the falcon in front of Guan Si: "According to human social customs, once you're registered in my household register, you'll take my surname. According to the generational ranking, you'll be called Zhang Dagu from now on."

The falcon tilted its head and made a cooing sound in its throat.

Zhang Yang praised it: "Clever, Zhang Dagu."

Before the falcon could respond, its wing was mercilessly clamped, and no matter how hard it struggled, it couldn't break free; only a few feathers flew off. Zhang Yang frowned and said, "As a man, you should be more magnanimous. What's wrong with letting me keep a bird I can't afford for a couple of days?"

Can't afford to keep a bird, yet you're hogging it?

This is absolutely outrageous!

Zhang Yang said sternly, "Let go! You're hurting its wings!"

The eagle flapped its wings with all its might, its feathers flying even more wildly.

Guan Si loosened his grip slightly, and the falcon immediately flew towards Zhang Yang like a fledgling swallow, while Zhang Yang also opened his arms. The two, man and bird, rushed towards each other in front of everyone, making Guan Si look even more like a bully beating up the bird. The stubborn bully, standing there with a gloomy expression and dark eyes, looked exactly like a tragic supporting character who had wandered onto the wrong set.

"If you truly value it, have you given it a name?"

"Of course it has a name."

"What is it called?"

"Its name is..."

Guan Si paused in his speech.

Seeing the falcon still affectionately interacting with Zhang Yang, making incessant gurgling noises, his face turned ashen, as if he'd just drunk a bowl of excrement. Zhang Yang, unconcerned about his inner turmoil, simply stated frankly, "It prefers the name Zhang Da Gu; it won't call me by my former name anymore."

Guan Si: "..."

"Do you have other star beasts to raise?" Zhang Yang asked considerately. "If you can't afford to raise them, I'll raise your star beasts."

Guan Si, unable to bear it any longer, shouted: "Get out!"

Get out of here, you traitorous bird!

Zhang Yang looked at Guan Si's name, which resembled a traffic light above his head, clicked his tongue, and said to Zhang Dagu, "You see, birds shouldn't follow people like this who are emotionally unstable and prone to domestic violence."

Guan Zong wanted to drag Zhang Yang away before Guan Si turned hostile.

Guan Si is a capricious scoundrel; he's capable of harming his own father and brothers, let alone an outsider. Zhang Yang actually dares to provoke him again and again—he's a true warrior! Guan Zong felt a surge of admiration for this lord he hadn't been particularly loyal to!

"My lord, eliminating the bandits in the eastern territories is of utmost importance."

Do not let the ownership of a single bird ruin the alliance.

Guan Zong had seen people tear each other apart because of unequal distribution of benefits, people part ways because of beauty and power, and people turn against each other with swords because of being secretly sown by villains. But he had never seen anything collapse because of a bird. It was too outrageous.

Zhang Yang was not happy to hear this.

Players have their own rules, NPCs shouldn't give them orders. Besides, she's been doing the quest the whole time; Guan Zong's accusation is completely unreasonable! Her face was expressionless, her tone flat and even: "You think you can tell me what to do? I have my own rhythm!"

Guan Zong: "..."

He had no desire to command Zhang Yang, but he sensed Guan Si was about to turn on him. Their small force was no match for Guan Si and the Hundred Ghost Guards. Just as Guan Zong was breaking out in a cold sweat, Guan Si coldly asked, "Where are they?!"

Where are those scumbags from the Eastern Frontier?!

Guan Zong: "..."

Zhang Yang said, "Come with me."

Guan Si closed his eyes, his star power surging. A hundred or so illusory wolf shadows, resembling condensed black smoke, surged forth from the ground, trees, and shadows, their four paws moving as lightly as feathers, making no sound. Their eerie green eyes radiated a chilling ferocity, and saliva dripped from between their sharp teeth…

Guan Zong counted them briefly and felt a chill run down his spine.

Zhang Yang counted them briefly and felt his eyes light up.

She asked, "Are these all your pet star beasts?"

Wow, it turns out the guy in the Easter egg who's always talking tough is a beast tamer!

If players specializing in beast taming saw this number of beasts on the field, they'd be drooling with envy! In the game's mechanics, while beast tamers can subdue many beasts for their own use, only two beasts can join the battle at a time; others cannot be summoned. To summon a new beast, one must first be recalled. (Bonus: The stubborn guy summons over a hundred wolves the moment he enters the battle!)

Guan Si's face was tense: "Lead the way."

The tunnels were intricately structured, and to guard against enemy activity, the Eastern Bandits had designed countless observation holes inside. These holes allowed people to observe nearby movements at any time, and their locations blended seamlessly with the vegetation and rocks of the mountains, making them extremely difficult to detect.

Guan Si had located the entrance to the tunnel and sent his wolf pack inside. However, the tunnel was riddled with traps and maneuvers, and the wolves were thrown off and fell into traps as soon as they spotted any living people. By the time Guan Si had made his adjustments, the Eastern Bandits had already escaped.

The tactics are good.

It's a pity that it was defiled by a group of people who disregard human life.

Zhang Yang, carrying Zhang Da Gu, located the red-named players in the air. By observing their distribution, they roughly determined the layout of the tunnels and then relayed the information to Guan Si on the ground via a wolf cub. Yes, besides Zhang Yang, Zhang Da Gu also carried a fluffy wolf cub on his back.

The so-called wolf pack is actually just one wolf.

"Under this tree."

The wolf cub sat on the bird's back, raised its neck, and howled.

Zhang Yang ordered Zhang Dagu to fly at a low distance, pluck a thin twig as he flew over the treetops, flicked his finger, and stuck the twig into a blind spot in the observation hole. Repeating this several times, Zhang Dagu nimbly weaved through the forest, and just as his belly was about to touch the ground, his flight path suddenly straightened up, crossing the area.

Inside the tunnel, the Eastern Bandits, due to the limited view through the lookout hole, couldn't get a full view of Zhang Dagu, let alone Zhang Yang and the wolf cub on its back. They could only hear Zhang Dagu's movements as it flew, and they didn't know whether the beast was doing it intentionally or unintentionally. The dry leaves and dirt blown up by its wings were scattered everywhere, and many of them even flew towards the sentries' faces through the hidden lookout hole, splashing into their eyes.

"Pah—that beast!"

"Has Guan Siyin's little beast gone mad again?"

Guan Si was fond of raising star beasts.

Anyone who miraculously escaped his clutches would never forget the horrific atrocities he committed. The moment one wolf pounced on its target, seven or eight more would follow. These beasts would tear open their skin with their claws, tear out their organs, and bite off their heads. Guan Siyang's bird preferred to snatch people and slam them into the air to their deaths.

Especially that bird!

Even if Guan Si doesn't go out to hunt the Eastern Bandits, this bird will still suddenly attack them if it sees them, making it impossible to defend against. And Guan Si's Hundred Ghost Guards are even more ruthless killers! The sentries in the tunnel were caught off guard and their faces were covered in mud and sand again.

"Damn it, don't let me catch this beast!"

"If I catch it, I'll pluck all its fur off!"

The sentries stationed at the other lookout points realized something was wrong. They couldn't see Zhang Dagu's flight path, but they could judge where it was circling nearby based on the distance and duration of the movements. Had this beast lingered in the area for too long?

This is clearly not a good sign.

This most likely means that the Hundred Ghosts Guard is active in the vicinity.

"Quickly deliver this message to the master!"

Some sentries disagreed.

"What's there to be nervous about? Guan Siyin and his lackeys have been barking everywhere lately, but when have they ever found us? Tell them the location of the cave entrance, and even this newbie can't find the door." As the sentry spoke, the Dongfan bandits in the vicinity laughed.

"Hahaha--"

The cheerful, vulgar laughter did not last long.

An accident happened unexpectedly!

A sentry at a lookout point prepared to peer through the hole, simultaneously brushing away the clod of dirt with his fingers. He was astonished to find that the sunlight wasn't streaming through the hole; it remained pitch black. His heart sank. Had the sky turned overcast outside?

Suddenly—

A pair of eerie green eyes lit up in the darkness.

The Eastern Bandit sentry was so frightened by this scene that his heart almost stopped.

But what struck him even faster than terror spread through his brain was the oncoming claws. The black-furred claws pierced the sentry's brain, abruptly silencing his warning. With a soft thud, the claws retracted, and the sentry's body slumped to the ground.

Similar scenes played out in several places.

Before the stench of blood could even fill the relatively dark and enclosed space, the ferocious beast that had attacked the sentry had already blasted open the lookout hole, creating a passage large enough for one person to pass through. The shadowy beast leaped in without hesitation, followed closely by the Hundred Ghost Guards.

The Hundred Ghosts Guards and these wolves worked together seamlessly, making it safest to send them down the tunnel. Zhang Yang's personal troops, led by Guan Zong and others, continued their journey, blocking the exit for the red-named players! Zhang Yang watched from the sky as the red-named names turned gray one by one, feeling extremely displeased.

"These little monsters should be mine."

Zhang Yang made Zhang Dagu circle around again.

Most of the red-named individuals have already been driven to the two main routes, with a few scattered individuals still moving rapidly. Judging from their movements, they are either going to report a message or preparing to flee. The Hundred Ghost Guards and Evil Wolves are limited in number and unable to attend to them all.

However, Zhang Yang was able to take care of her.

She narrowed her eyes and took out a large bow from her game backpack.

She effortlessly drew the bowstring to its full extent. The surrounding air currents converged at her fingertips, instantly transforming into a visible, shimmering arrow. Zhang Yang mentally estimated the target's speed and the force required to pierce the soil and rock, aimed the arrow at its target, and released her finger. The arrow pierced the clouds, shooting through the thick rock like a shooting star. From top to bottom, it entered the target's body at an angle.

"Ugh—"

The target was pinned to the ground by the arrow, his escape abruptly halted. His eyes widened in terror, struggling to turn them towards the stone ceiling above. He died unable to comprehend how the arrow that had claimed his life had appeared, or where the enemy was!

In Zhang Yang's view, the bright red health bar was emptied in an instant.

The words "Eastern Bandit Sentinels" have turned gray.

Zhang Yang was satisfied with his performance.

Then they selected another target and repeated the same process.

However, success is not guaranteed every time.

One arrow could eliminate one of the Eastern Bandits at the top level of the tunnel, but for targets deeper into the second, third, or even lower levels, the penetrating power of an ordinary greatbow would be insufficient. Forcibly destroying the tunnel could even cause it to collapse.

It's fine to bury the Eastern Bandits, but it would be somewhat immoral to drag down those Yellow and Green Named Hundred Ghost Guards as well.

Zhang Yang sighed.

The Eastern Bandits inside the tunnels also realized the presence of a skilled archer in the shadows and ascertained Zhang Yang's shooting range. They immediately relayed this information: "Everyone down to the second level of the tunnels!"

"Awooo—"

The chilling howls of wolves stimulated their brain nerves.

In the darkness behind him, the wolf's gaze followed him like a ghost.

"It's that madwoman Guan Siyin again!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a dark figure suddenly appeared at the entrance to the tunnel. In the moment of despair, when he thought his life was over, a sharp sword shot from behind, grazing his shoulder and aimed at the wolf's forehead. The blade of air from the arrow sliced ​​open his shoulder, and blood soaked half of his chest.

The joy of escaping death filled his mind.

He clutched his wound, panting heavily.

"Get out of here—"

The Eastern Bandit, still leaning against the tunnel wall, hadn't even regained his footing when a tremendous force kicked him, sending him staggering. His forehead hit the ground, and blood splattered all over his face. In the dim light of the tunnel's candlelight, he could make out the figure of the newcomer. Judging from the silhouette, she appeared to be a female archer.

He opened his mouth to cry for help, but heard a contemptuous comment.

"Ants!"

His survival instinct beat his brain, and he subconsciously reached out to grab the man's boots, hoping to be rescued. But before his fingertips could even touch the target, a sharp pain pierced his skull, pinning him to the cold ground until his consciousness faded and he fell into darkness.

In the sky, Zhang Yang let out a sound of surprise.

A low-health [Eastern Bandit Guard] had his health bar instantly emptied, and near the gray-named player appeared a red-named player with a health bar dozens of times thicker than the other minions. Zhang Yang looked closely and realized he looked familiar. Wasn't this the red-named player who had shot her with a sneak attack?

Zhang Yang thought for a moment, then took out his large bow again.

"It is impolite not to reciprocate."