I Am Immortal in Great Yu

Chapter 189: Chapter 78: Exotic Beast 3

Fang Rui called out a warning and turned to look.

There it was:

An Exotic Beast with a shuttle-shaped head. It shared some traits with a Pangolin, but the two dense rows of legs under its body, each as thick as a human wrist, made it resemble a centipede.

However, it was far larger than any centipede. In fact, it was even bigger than the one or two zhang Steward Chen had described—its body was easily over three zhang long!

Steward Chen, still reeling from the shock, was stunned to see it. His mouth hung open wide enough to fit a toad. ”There’s another one here? Two Earth Armor Centipedes?! And why is this one so huge?!”

”HISS HISS HISS!”

The Earth Armor Centipede let out a sharp, urgent hiss. Perhaps the scent of blood had triggered its killing instinct, or maybe killing a single donkey just wasn’t satisfying enough. In any case, it lunged.

Despite its considerable size, it was extremely agile, and its speed was incredible.

Moreover, as it charged, the folded scales on its body unfurled like a folding fan, forming two iron fans composed of layered blades that glinted with a cold, sinister light.

’What a strange anatomy! No wonder that donkey was dismembered in an instant.’

A glint in his eye, Fang Rui’s figure drifted forward. With a flick and a tap of his still-sheathed saber, he heaved the entire Earth Armor Centipede into the air, where it hung for a moment before he shot out a kick.

BANG!

The Earth Armor Centipede was sent flying, smashing against the cliff face. Its fan-like scales scraped against the rock, creating a series of grating sounds that set one’s teeth on edge and left deep gouges in its wake.

’Indeed, an Earth Armor Centipede’s strength is comparable to a Middle Grade Martial Artist. This particular one is unusual, though. I’m afraid even an ordinary Fifth Grade Martial Artist would find it a handful.’

’However, it’s not that I can’t kill it. It’s just that there’s no benefit in doing so. I’d only earn their hatred and get tangled up with a whole swarm of elusive Exotic Beasts, each as strong as a Middle Grade Martial Artist.’

Fang Rui himself wasn’t afraid, but the caravan couldn’t handle it, and Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and the others certainly couldn’t.

At that moment, Steward Chen snapped back to his senses. Seeing Fang Rui send the Earth Armor Centipede flying and fearing he might act rashly, he hurriedly cried out, ”Lord Fang, please show mercy! You really can’t kill these Earth Armor Centipedes!”

”I know!”

Fang Rui called back in acknowledgement. Facing the charging Earth Armor Centipede again, he sent it flying once more.

Subsequently, the creature lunged again and again, only to be deftly sent flying each time. During the last few attempts, Fang Rui made sure to toss it right next to the still-warm donkey carcass, tempting it with the bloody meal.

After seven or eight repetitions, the creature seemed to realize it was no match for the human. It hissed at Fang Rui defiantly one last time, then lowered its head and began to feast on the bloody meal, bothering him no more.

Soon, men from the front of the caravan arrived, bringing more bloody offerings—wild rabbits and river deer—which they tossed over.

While the two Earth Armor Centipedes were preoccupied with their food, the caravan made a swift departure.

Once they were out of Eagle’s Beak Gorge, Steward Chen, still looking pale with lingering fear, said, ”Thank you for saving my life, Lord Fang. Otherwise, I’m afraid these old bones of mine would have been left behind today... But what rotten luck. I’ve heard that after an Earth Armor Centipede reaches adulthood, it only grows an inch a year. Judging by that one’s size, it must have been alive for one or two hundred years.”

”One or two hundred years?!”

Fang Rui found this intriguing. ’A native Extraordinary Creature like this can live for so long, grow to such a size, and even feed on what are likely Spiritual Objects, yet it still seems to lack much intelligence?’

This was an Extraordinary World, after all. There were no hard and fast rules here preventing creatures from attaining sentience. Viewed from that angle, the situation was all the more interesting.

Fang Rui was a Transmigrator, so his way of thinking wasn’t constrained. It was unrestrained and imaginative; he was skeptical of anything abnormal and dared to think critically about everything.

And because of this, he was increasingly able to see that behind everything that seemed normal in this world, there lay an unfathomable mystery!

...

「That same day.」

Perhaps it was because of Fang Rui’s clash with the Earth Armor Centipede, but the caravan’s assessment of his strength rose yet again. Even Steward Chen’s superior, the master of the caravan himself—Young Master Jiang Yan—came to pay a personal visit.

This was no woman disguised as a man, nor did Fang Rui have some fated romantic encounter. They simply exchanged a few polite words, got acquainted, and left an impression on one another before Young Master Jiang hastily departed.

Afterward, Steward Chen insisted on compensating Fang Rui for the donkey. After some back-and-forth, Fang Rui accepted only half the money, arguing that the donkey would likely have been attacked regardless of his presence. Even so, this act left Steward Chen feeling deeply grateful.

...

Time flew by, and after a few more days, Yunshan City was finally visible in the distance.

...