8: Chapter 8 Wan Tailin

Nie Ning's eyes flickered as he summoned the Human-Faced Balloon once more, then approached the feet of one of the attendants.

However, the Human-Faced Balloon did not stay there for long; it swapped positions several times in the same manner, finally coming to a halt near the Elementary Knight, Kofi.

Kofi shivered inexplicably, feeling a sudden chill run down his spine as if he were being watched by something terrifying.

His gaze swept over the surrounding passersby and the other attendants, but he found nothing out of the ordinary.

'Could it be... someone has a secret crush on me?' Kofi thought narcissistically.

Meanwhile, Nie Ning remained expressionless, though he already intended to dispel the Human-Faced Balloon.

He had a nagging feeling that the woman was conducting a sting operation, which was why he had sent the Human-Faced Balloon elsewhere first.

Moreover, she was able to make a group of arrogant young lords and ladies act like primary school students; it was easy to imagine that her background or strength far exceeded theirs.

Nie Ning had no desire to get mixed up with someone like that.

...

Before long, the group of young masters and ladies walked out of the building in silence.

When the attendants downstairs saw this, they assumed their masters had been bullied and stepped forward one after another to protest on their behalf.

However, they were met only with warning glares from their respective masters and ladies.

"Stop talking and let's go, quickly!"

Evinny no longer looked as angry as before; she simply urged Kofi to follow her and leave immediately.

Though they didn't know what had happened, as attendants to these young nobles, they had enough sense to quickly bring the carriages around and escort them away.

Lilith also remained silent, beckoning to Nie Ning before stepping into her carriage.

Lilith didn't say a word on the way back, which piqued Nie Ning's curiosity.

However, adhering to the philosophy that fewer complications are better, and given his current status, he knew better than to ask questions he shouldn't.

Furthermore, the matter of the Human-Faced Balloon wasn't resolved yet; it would be bad if that woman really was conducting a sting operation.

Thinking of this, Nie Ning secretly controlled the Human-Faced Balloon to follow Kofi as he left.

Since the control range was only about a thousand meters, once it reached that limit, Nie Ning could only have the Human-Faced Balloon lie dormant underground, waiting for a future opportunity.

He didn't need the Human-Faced Balloon for now anyway, so it didn't affect him much.

...

Over the next half month, Lilith did not go out again, and even those young masters and ladies who frequently visited vanished without a trace.

Nie Ning, naturally, was happy to enjoy the peace.

As Lilith's attendant, and a supposedly deaf-mute one at that, Nie Ning didn't have much to do.

Normally, he would just follow Lilith when she went out to have fun; now that she stayed in the manor, there were even fewer tasks, mostly just watering the plants.

Besides, with the personal maid Norma around, Nie Ning didn't need to worry about most things.

So during this time, Nie Ning mostly hid in the woodshed to cultivate. With his keen perception, he could detect anyone approaching in time.

...

Late at night.

Nie Ning, clad in a patched black robe, stealthily slipped out of the manor.

After spending half an hour, Nie Ning arrived at a forest to the south of Ska City.

Wantai Forest.

A mountain forest teeming with green vegetation.

Because it was full of large wild beasts, ordinary people rarely came here; there was even iron fencing for protection on the side near the city.

As Nie Ning's pupils turned amber, the moonlit mountain forest before him became much clearer.

"Sigh, I really wish I could just find a rich woman to support me."

Looking at the forest, Nie Ning couldn't help but sigh.

The reason he went out so late wasn't because he was bored, but because of the pressures of life.

As a knight, his daily cultivation consumed a great deal of physical energy.

Although Lilith was very kind and would bring him food from time to time, it still wasn't enough to satisfy his body's nutritional requirements.

Furthermore, to progress quickly and far on the path of a knight, medicinal pills were an essential item.

Nie Ning's wages were very low—a month's salary wasn't enough to buy even two days' worth of cultivation pills. This was why he had come here.

To hunt!

As for why he didn't come during the day...

It was because Nie Ning didn't want to be seen, nor did he want to be too far from Lilith while in Ska City.

As his benefactor, Nie Ning felt an obligation to ensure Lilith's safety; otherwise, with his current strength, he could live comfortably anywhere.

This arrangement was actually quite good. Aside from the poor living quarters and clothes, staying with the Hervis Family brought few troubles, and no one noticed a nobody like him.

With Lilith back at the manor protected by knights, Nie Ning could finally find the time to do his own things.

...

Easily leaping over the outer wire fence, Nie Ning stepped into Wantai Forest.

One of the advantages of felines is night vision.

While it couldn't compare to daylight, it was enough to meet Nie Ning's basic needs.

Nie Ning moved freely through the forest, everything around him in clear view.

However, relying solely on Tiger Pupils wasn't enough to find prey.

After all, he wasn't a professional hunter; he only had a rudimentary grasp of hunting techniques, which wasn't enough to track prey based on the environment alone.

But within the framework of the Strange Beast Body, the presence of a dog was naturally included.

Nie Ning rarely used the dog's abilities because the city was foul with pollution; combined with this world being in the early stages of industrial development, one could imagine the smells in the air.

As a human, his brain really couldn't handle too many strange odors.

As Nie Ning activated the dog's sense of smell, a myriad of scents suddenly flooded his nasal cavity, making him feel so dizzy he nearly fainted.

After a moment of recovery, Nie Ning more or less adapted.

Compared to the rotting stench of the city, the scents in the forest were slightly better; the most potent was a fresh, mint-like fragrance.

However, compared to a real dog, Nie Ning's sense of smell was still lacking; he could only analyze the lingering scents in the air as he walked.

...

After nearly ten minutes, a familiar musky scent hit his nose.

Nie Ning's eyes lit up: "Found it!"

His target this time was a creature called the Three-Colored Fox.

The Three-Colored Fox is about seventy centimeters long, with a grayish-blue body and a tail of yellow, orange, and green.

It has sharp teeth and is extremely fast; its claws are capable of tearing through the hides of most animals, so it is classified as a fierce beast in this world.

Its beautiful fur made it a favorite among noble ladies, which kept the price of the Three-Colored Fox consistently high.

Nie Ning had encountered the Three-Colored Fox a few times before.

Unfortunately, the creature was too fast, and with its cautious nature, it would flee at the slightest disturbance.

The one he encountered last time was even more ridiculous; perhaps knowing Nie Ning was hunting it, it actually lured him into a swamp.

Though there was no life-threatening danger, it left Nie Ning with a mouthful of mud and caused him to lose a knight sword.

Nie Ning's goal this time was very clear: he was determined to catch that fox that played dirty tricks!

...