Xie Fei rushed to support Old Master Xie, while Xie Hui offered continuous thanks to Zhang Yang, even inviting him for a drink, as they hadn't been able to drink during dinner while tending to the elder.

Zhang Yang declined the offer; the hour wasn't too late, and he wished to take Mi Xue for a walk on the mountain.

Mi Xue had invited him today. After finishing the acupuncture treatment for Old Master Xie in a few days, he would need to accompany her home to meet her parents. He needed to gather some intelligence now so he wouldn't be completely clueless when the time came.

Mi Xue was in the villa’s garden. As soon as Zhang Yang emerged, she followed right out.

Seeing the two of them together, Xie Hui felt it inappropriate to interrupt and play the third wheel. He could only caution them to be careful, not to wander too far, as though there were no fierce beasts on the mountain, the terrain was steep and high, making it unsafe to roam after dark.

“The air up here is so good. When I was little, I loved coming up the mountain with my sister to pick wild berries; so many of them were delicious!”

Stepping out of the villa gate, Mi Xue immediately began jogging ahead, spreading her arms wide.

Watching the cheerfully running Mi Xue, Zhang Yang felt his mood lift significantly. At least the sadness that had arisen from hearing the news about his great-grandfather earlier had somewhat subsided.

After learning the truth from Old Master Xie, he had completely given up hope regarding the people he knew in his previous life. He understood clearly that he would not see a single one of them in this lifetime.

“Zhang Yang, let’s buy a house on the mountain in the future too!”

Mi Xue suddenly stopped, staring wide-eyed at Zhang Yang. This time, she wasn't blushing when she spoke.

“A house on the mountain? No problem. Wherever you like, that’s where we’ll buy!”

Zhang Yang was slightly stunned, then immediately smiled and replied. He couldn’t afford a mountaintop villa like the Xie family’s yet, but that didn't mean he couldn't in the future. As long as Zhang Yang willed it, he could earn a vast amount of money.

The Xie family’s villa was enormous, occupying an entire peak. Zhang Yang estimated the construction cost alone must have been tens of millions, large enough to house over a hundred people simultaneously.

However, Zhang Yang didn't need such a massive residence; they didn't have that many people.

Mi Xue ran over and linked her arm through Zhang Yang’s, and they began walking slowly together, a smile blending sweetness and happiness on her face.

“Zhang Yang, why are you so good to me?”

After only a few steps, Mi Xue suddenly halted and asked Zhang Yang this question. Zhang Yang looked at her in astonishment; he hadn't expected her to ask something so direct.

This kind of question seemed cliché, one that many girls would ask. A smooth-talking young man could spout a stream of sweet nothings and easily make the girl overjoyed.

But Zhang Yang was clearly not that type. If he truly had to say those saccharine words, he simply couldn't manage it.

“It’s only right that I treat you well; our relationship is far from ordinary!”

After struggling for a moment, Zhang Yang managed to utter only that one sentence. Mi Xue was already covering her mouth, chuckling secretly, leaning closer against Zhang Yang as they continued walking forward.

Zhang Yang’s words were simple and honest: his good treatment was warranted because their relationship was extraordinary. By conventional standards, Zhang Yang’s reply was lacking compared to others; any young man who had pursued Mi Xue could have said something far more pleasing.

But Mi Xue loved hearing words like these. She knew Zhang Yang was speaking from the heart. She knew he held her in his heart, and that was more than enough.

“Then what is that?”

Mi Xue suddenly stopped, pointing at a white speck among the mountain foliage ahead. The moon was excellent tonight, making many things visible in the darkness.

Zhang Yang turned his head but immediately froze.

“Is that a little wild rabbit? Zhang Yang, can you catch it? But don’t hurt it!”

Mi Xue continued speaking, her voice edged with excitement. She had seen wild rabbits in the mountains many times before, but a pure white one was rare.

“Mi Xue, don’t move!”

Zhang Yang suddenly grabbed Mi Xue’s arm, gripping tightly. His expression was noticeably tense.

His eyesight was far superior to Mi Xue’s. After just one glance, he knew it wasn't a rabbit but a mountain weasel.

If it were just an ordinary mountain weasel, it would be fine, but this was a Vulpes Mustela—a species so exceedingly rare that it wasn't even recorded by the state; many people didn't even know such a weasel existed.

Even that wouldn’t have made him so nervous; a small weasel wouldn't scare him.

The issue was that the Vulpes Mustela was highly venomous. As a doctor, Zhang Yang had some knowledge of poisons, and the venom of this weasel was ranked among the top ten deadliest substances—not the ones ranked on television, but truly lethal agents.

A King Cobra in its presence would be considered a mere infant, or less than that.

Legend claimed that the venomous gas spat from the Vulpes Mustela's mouth could instantly kill an ox; its liquid venom was terrifying beyond comprehension.

Mi Xue fell silent. She didn't know what was happening, but she sensed Zhang Yang’s distress.

Suddenly, the hairs on Zhang Yang’s body stood on end. The weasel, which had its back to them moments before, now turned around, its green eyes fixed directly upon them.

The Vulpes Mustela was incredibly fast, swift as lightning—which is why some people called it the Lightning Weasel. Zhong Ling's pet in the novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils was a Lightning Weasel, but the real Vulpes Mustela was far more terrifying than its fictional counterpart.

The weasel's cold eyes locked onto Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang remained motionless, a chill creeping through him. Despite its small, cute appearance, if this weasel became enraged, even a tiger would be doomed. Zhang Yang didn't feel this afraid facing a tiger, but against this weasel, he had absolutely no confidence.

Zhang Yang rapidly circulated all his internal energy (Nei Jin). He was unsure about the weasel, but if it attacked them, Zhang Yang wouldn't just stand there waiting to die.

“Zhang Yang, what—what is this!”

Mi Xue whispered, her voice trembling slightly. After the weasel turned, she too felt something was deeply wrong.

This was no wild rabbit; wild rabbits weren't this terrifying. Looking into the weasel’s glowing green eyes, Mi Xue felt as if a venomous snake were staring at her, filling her with dread.

“Mi Xue, take this Ginseng Pill first. If anything happens shortly, run back. Run as fast as you can. Keep running all the way home and lock all the doors and windows.”

Very carefully, Zhang Yang took out one of the Ginseng Pills he carried. Pills made from millennium ginseng possessed some detoxifying properties.

Unfortunately, the Vulpes Mustela venom was too potent. The pill might not be effective. Zhang Yang was only preparing for the worst; at least taking the pill would prevent the weasel's toxic gas from killing her instantly.

“I—I won’t take it. You take it!”

Mi Xue refused to take the pill, shaking her head forcefully. She rarely noticed how exhausting a simple head shake could be until now.

“I already took mine. Hurry and eat it!”

Zhang Yang didn't move his eyes, but he commanded in a low voice. He dared not divert his concentration now; the weasel was staring right at them.

Mi Xue took the pill and slowly swallowed it whole.

This was not the best way to consume a Ginseng Pill; it would be wasteful, and it might interfere with other potential effects, but Zhang Yang had no other choice given the extreme danger posed by the Vulpes Mustela.

Zhang Yang was also puzzled. He couldn't figure out how such a rare, supremely venomous creature as the Vulpes Mustela could exist on a mountain he thought had already been explored. A Vulpes Mustela! It was far scarcer than millennium ginseng.

Crack!

Zhang Yang suddenly slapped Mi Xue, shoving her aside, while simultaneously swaying his own body. In the instant he shifted, a white blur shot past him.

The Vulpes Mustela had launched its attack.

“Run!”

Zhang Yang shouted, pulling out a small knife he kept on his person—a fruit knife. Lacking any better weapon, he had to make do.

Mi Xue instinctively turned and ran toward the villa upon hearing Zhang Yang’s command. They hadn't been out long and hadn't gone far; running quickly, they could be back in under ten minutes.

Zhang Yang, now armed with the knife, actively moved to engage the weasel.

He knew that intelligent venomous creatures like the Vulpes Mustela could distinguish between strong and weak opponents. If the weasel abandoned him to attack Mi Xue, she surely wouldn't be able to defend herself.

The creature was too fast.

Now, his only option was to attack first, to tie up the weasel and give Mi Xue time to escape. At this moment, his mind held only Mi Xue's safety, nothing else.

The Zhang family's Qigong, created by Zhang Zhongjing, primarily focused on cultivating internal energy (Nei Jin). Later generations only began incorporating martial arts, though these techniques were rather ordinary, lacking profound depths.

However, they possessed an exceptional movement technique. This was gifted by an internal martial arts master whom a Zhang ancestor had once saved, bestowing the technique as gratitude.

The defining feature of this movement technique was flexibility. Zhang Yang was now using it to temporarily keep the weasel occupied.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak!”

The Vulpes Mustela cried out. The knife in Zhang Yang's hand posed a threat, and it recognized him as a difficult opponent, showing no complacency.

The white shadow darted incessantly, and Zhang Yang’s form shifted along with it. Zhang Yang was operating with twelve-tenths focus, exerting every ounce of his strength.

He had to keep the weasel engaged while simultaneously preventing it from closing the distance—a balance that required immense precision.

Mi Xue had only run a short distance before she stopped. Zhang Yang’s push and shout had triggered her instinct to obey—first, because she didn't know what the creature was, and second, due to the fear of the unknown.

Once she was running, she realized Zhang Yang was still behind her, still in danger.

If there were no danger, Zhang Yang wouldn't have told her to run, nor pushed her like that.

“Zhang Yang!”

Mi Xue cried out and immediately spun around, running back toward their previous spot. In that short time, both Zhang Yang and the weasel had shifted positions, moving to the other side of where they were originally standing. Zhang Yang was intentionally drawing the weasel away to ensure Mi Xue's safe escape.

As for the outcome for himself after drawing the creature away, he hadn't even considered it at that moment.

Returning to the spot, she couldn't see Zhang Yang’s figure. Mi Xue instantly panicked. A few sharp sounds suddenly echoed from the distance. Aided by the moonlight, she could finally see a white shadow and a faint figure constantly moving erratically far away. Both shadows moved so fast that she couldn't clearly discern what was happening over there... Fifth update. (To be continued...) RQ

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