Chapter 335 - 257: Finding People or Annihilating the City?

Chapter 335: Chapter 257: Finding People or Annihilating the City?

With that, he exchanged a few words with the Red Bee King on his shoulder, and the Extraordinary Hummingbird took flight.

Tang Wen didn’t wait for the intelligence to return. He laid his cards on the table. "Yesterday, upon returning from my Cultivation outside the city, I sensed that some friends of mine might have met with disaster. So, I deployed the Mutated Hummingbirds."

"So it really was you!"

SLAM! A teacup crashed onto the table, its lid clattering and rolling away.

Tang Wen chuckled. "I had no choice. Those friends are also members of the Bai Family. I couldn’t find them without mobilizing the Hummingbirds. I can’t very well use a White Tiger to search the entire city, can I?"

Shi Lei took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He picked the cup back up, drained it in one go, and chewed forcefully on the tea leaves within. "How can you control the Hummingbirds?"

"Don’t be so grim, Uncle Lei. You’re making it sound like we’re mortal enemies."

"Tang Wen! This matter is far more serious than you think! Those Hummingbirds are the lifeblood of our Martial Arts Hall!"

Shi Lei used his full name, his tone grave.

"Speaking of which, I have a theory about the Hummingbirds’ use to you!" Tang Wen’s interest was piqued. He first shrouded them both in Dark Power before continuing, "You haven’t been too obvious, but seeing several of your Fifth-Grade experts carrying Red Hummingbirds, I’m guessing these Extraordinary Hummingbirds have some connection to your Cultivation Technique!"

Shi Lei’s expression shifted several times. The urge to kill Tang Wen and silence him for good flared up, but he couldn’t act on it.

After a long moment, he said in a raspy voice, "Just tell me how you control the Mutated Hummingbirds. If your methods can’t see the light of day, the consequences will be severe."

This was a tacit admission.

Tang Wen paid his words no mind. "It’s actually quite simple. These dozens of Mutated Hummingbirds... I raised every last one of them myself!"

"What?!"

The casual words struck Shi Lei’s ears like a thunderclap.

Shi Lei leaped to his feet, his strength flaring out of control. The stone tile beneath him instantly shattered into dust.

"What did you say?!"

Tang Wen shook his head, closing his eyes to perceive the Hummingbirds’ locations with his Spiritual Power.

A moment later, two Mutated Hummingbirds zipped over and landed on the tea table between them.

Following them was a Sixth-Grade expert from the Giant Rock Martial Arts Hall. "Young Master Tang Wen? My apologies, I’m truly sorry. We sent the Hummingbirds to investigate the trail of Huang the Seventeenth Lang..."

"Alright, you can go back now!" Shi Lei said, dismissing the man.

The two Mutated Hummingbirds hopped onto Tang Wen’s shoulders, acting remarkably affectionate.

"You really did rear them."

Tang Wen gestured for him to sit back down. "Some time ago, I snuck over the city wall you were guarding and was tracked by one of your Hummingbirds. After capturing it, I studied it for a while.

"I needed eyes and ears in the city, but controlling common birds or rat-like demonic beasts would attract too much attention."

"So, you set your sights on our Hummingbirds?"

"Exactly. The benefits are numerous. You raise them, and I just call on them when I need them. When anyone else sees them, they assume it’s the Giant Rock Martial Arts Hall at work and naturally show some deference."

Shi Lei felt a bitter taste in his mouth, the feeling of having been thoroughly taken advantage of. "You... You punk... you’re..."

"Freeloading!"

Tang Wen helpfully supplied the word.

Shi Lei grew even more frustrated. He wished he could lift his melon-sized fist and smash it right into Tang Wen’s handsome face. "You steal our Hummingbirds, use our resources, and in the end, if anything goes wrong, we’re the ones left holding the bag!"

Tang Wen laughed. "Don’t worry about the details. Haven’t I also reared nearly a hundred Mutated Hummingbirds for you?"

Shi Lei’s eyelid twitched. Forgetting his retort, he pressed on, "What’s your success rate when you rear them?"

"Very high!"

"How high?"

Tang Wen had used a hundred Hummingbirds along with Purple Pearl Honey to produce seventy or eighty Mutated Hummingbirds—a terrifyingly high success rate.

’But if he told the truth, he wouldn’t be able to explain the source of the Purple Honey.’

After a moment’s thought, he was forced to lie. "Three or four hundred."

"One in five? Are you sure?"

"More or less." Hearing the surprise in Shi Lei’s voice gave Tang Wen confidence. "It’s a pity I seem to be lacking some sort of restorative Elixir. I’m finding it difficult to make them evolve any further. Otherwise, there would have been an Extraordinary Hummingbird among these little guys long ago!"

"An Extraordinary Hummingbird? Do you have any idea how many resources it costs, how many failures it takes, to rear a single one?! You’ve got some nerve, kid!"

"I’m a Beast Taming Expert. My Talent for Beast Taming is just as good as my Talent for Martial Arts!"

Just as they were speaking, a fiery streak shot in from outside.

It was the Extraordinary Hummingbird that had just left, and it carried a small bamboo tube in its long beak.

Tang Wen extended a hand and cast "Calm."

The fiery red Hummingbird sensed goodwill and comfort. Without a second thought, it adjusted its flight path and landed directly on Tang Wen’s shoulder.

The mocking expression on Shi Lei’s face froze.

’This kid!’

’He’s seducing my Red King again.’

Tang Wen hit it with two more pulses of Calming power, and the fiery red hummingbird began to nuzzle its little head against his neck.

"Here, Red King! Come back over here."

Shi Lei’s heart leaped into his throat. He quickly tried to call it back, but when that had no effect, he simply snatched Red King out of the air.

"CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!"

The Extraordinary Hummingbird chirped in displeasure.

Like a desperate man trying to win back his girlfriend, Shi Lei pulled out all sorts of treats, trying to appease the bird.

The fiery red Hummingbird gave him the cold shoulder, constantly twisting its head to look back at Tang Wen.

Playing the part of a cool, aloof heartthrob, Tang Wen didn’t spare them a glance. He picked up the newly delivered bamboo tube and tipped out the secret message within:

Last night, two top-tier Sixth-Grade experts of unknown origin engaged in a fierce battle with masters from the Boat Gang. The Boat Gang was suspected of deploying two Fifth-Grade experts. The two Sixth-Grade experts yelled that it was a trap and fought desperately, nearly breaking through the encirclement. At the critical moment, three Fifth-Grade experts from the Huang Family appeared and joined the battle. The two Sixth-Grade experts were heavily wounded and captured alive. Their current condition is unknown.

Tang Wen’s expression darkened. ’The situation was already obvious.’

’The situation was likely this: Bai Shuo and another Sixth-Grade expert came into the city looking for the Bai Family’s exploration team.’

’He must have thought that with the power of two top-tier Sixth-Grade experts, they could easily escape even if they ran into trouble.’

’There’s an unwritten rule in the Bai Family’s succession struggles: you don’t deploy Fifth-Grade masters.’

’After all, it’s an internal family conflict. Deploying Fifth-Grade experts is, for one, a waste of resources, and for another, it could easily lead to a true blood feud. The family chooses an heir based on political skill and capability, not on who is the most vicious toward their own kin.’

’But in the end, that so-called Miss Bai, Bai Ningbing, actually roped in the Huang Family and the Boat Gang, deploying five Fifth-Grade experts to ambush Bai Shuo and his companion—two of their own Bai Family members.’

’But this intelligence report mentioned two top-tier Sixth-Grade experts and said nothing about the Extraordinary Woman.’

Tang Wen produced portraits of Bai You Ruo and Bai Xue. He showed them to Shi Lei, who was still trying to pacify his hummingbird. "Help me find these two."

Shi Lei took a look. "Two beauties, huh? Simple enough. Do you have any of their clothing? Personal items would be best."

Tang Wen stared at him, speechless.

Shi Lei said, "Hey, kid, what’s with that look? It’s for the Hummingbirds to track. They’re very sensitive to scents."

Tang Wen’s expression cleared, but then he looked troubled. "We’re just friends. Hmm? Would the place where they slept work?"

"Heh heh. You’ve already slept there, and you still call yourselves ’just friends.’"

Tang Wen was silent.

"I can help you find them. But you’ve got to offer something in return," Shi Lei hinted.

"You want me to help you rear Extraordinary Hummingbirds?"

"To *try*."

The Giant Rock Martial Arts Hall had tried countless breeding methods and hired innumerable Beastmasters, but in the end, they could never increase the number of Extraordinary Hummingbirds.

Shi Lei didn’t really believe Tang Wen had the ability to succeed where all others had failed.

"It seems you don’t trust me, Uncle Lei. What if I do manage to rear one?"

Shi Lei said irritably, "If you really can rear one, then everyone in the Giant Rock Martial Arts Hall, from top to bottom, will view you as our future Hall Master!"

"Hmm?" Tang Wen thought he was bluffing.

’But on second thought... could it be that these Extraordinary Hummingbirds are even more important to the Giant Rock Martial Arts Hall than I imagined?’

Shi Lei didn’t elaborate. Tang Wen led him to the inn and into the room where the three Bai Family members had stayed.

"CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!"

The Red Bee King called out, its cry carrying far and wide with incredible piercing power.

Several squads of nearby Hummingbirds converged on the location. They flew into the rooms, memorized the scents inside, and then scattered in different directions.

Tang Wen thought for a moment, then took a Bone Flute from his robes and blew a pattern of three long and three short notes. The Bone Flute emitted no sound.

But soon, seven men and five women from the Tiger Race arrived together in the courtyard.

Tang Wen explained the situation, then suggested, "Should we split up to track them?"

The members of the Tiger Race didn’t move. Hu Li said, "The Boat Gang and the Huang Family are very powerful. There are twelve of us at the Fifth Grade; we shouldn’t split up. Elder Tang, you should notify the Saintess as soon as possible and request reinforcements. Ask for one or two Fourth-Grade experts to lead, bringing along plenty of Fifth-Grade Forbidden Guards. Only then can we guarantee success."

Tang Wen and Shi Lei were dumbfounded. ’A Fourth-Grade expert to lead, just to guarantee success?’

’What kind of guarantee is that?’

’Are we trying to find people or wipe out the whole city?’