Chapter 118: Intelligence

Banner quickly recovered from the setback; after all, as the leader of his tribe, the weight on his shoulders was immense. After consulting with Meng Qi, Banner extended an olive branch to the Elven and Dwarven clans, hoping the three tribes could unite against the Hunter God tribe.

As expected, the proud Elves and the rigid Dwarves politely declined their offer.

Dejected, Banner returned to the camp, where the Catwoman was tending to Ye Ran’s wounds.

“Your muscles, blood vessels, and skin are all damaged, but fortunately, there’s no permanent harm,” the Catwoman said seriously as she used her essence to heal him. “Ye Ran, if you keep acting recklessly like this, I won’t heal you anymore. At this rate, no matter how many lives you have, it won’t be enough—you get treated repeatedly, yet nothing changes.”

“I understand,” Ye Ran replied absentmindedly.

Seeing his expression, it was clear he hadn’t really taken her words to heart. The Catwoman snorted in frustration, stood up, and walked away.

Ye Ran suddenly grabbed her hand, looking into her eyes, “Miss, I remember now.”

Only then did the Catwoman’s expression soften, and she smiled. “It’s not that I want to be harsh with you, but in a place like the Forbidden Land of Ibo, if you don’t cherish yourself, who else will?”

“Look at Qianlong; he’s long learned to value his feathers. If he were as reckless as you, who knows how many times he’d have died already.”

“Qianlong said you saved his life, so you owe him a favor. Don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.”

Ye Ran nodded. “I’ll need his help very soon.”

After finishing the treatment, the Catwoman exchanged a few words with Shali and then left. Ye Ran noticed the surprise on Shali’s face.

“What? Is something wrong with my body?”

Ye Ran put on his coat. His body had mostly returned to normal—no more frightening veins or bloodshot eyes—though the ominous aura hadn’t fully dissipated.

Shali folded her arms and smiled, “The Catwoman said your abs look great—very manly.”

“Annoying,” Ye Ran buttoned up his coat. “I’m going out for a bit. Shali, I think it’s time we build our own temple.”

Shali looked troubled. “What do you take building a temple for? Without an expert guardian, no divine approval, and no land, how do you expect to build one?”

“If we had all that, what need would there be for us? The title of Divine Envoy sounds so grand, but is it just an empty name?” Ye Ran said firmly, waving his hand as he left the camp.

Shali watched his back, her anger simmering once more.

---

At noon, the Midnight Tavern was quiet, most tables empty. The stout owl was busy pouring drinks.

The unusual rabbit-person wasn’t there; in her place was Meowdilis, the “Magic Claw” Catwoman. She was bent over the accounts, her delicate curves catching even Ye Ran’s gaze.

Muttering softly, she looked up when Ye Ran approached, set down the ledger, and tilted her head with a smile. “Well, a rare guest! What’ll you have?”

“Just water,” Ye Ran replied.

“Hey! Are you here to ruin the place?” Meowdilis turned around after reaching for a drink, then stared at him like he was a fool, hands on hips, clearly annoyed.

“Meowdilis, don’t be mad. The Overlord Rabbit said even if Ye Ran orders just a plate of stir-fried tofu with vegetables here, he must be satisfied,” the owl chuckled, pouring a glass of water for him.

Ye Ran frowned. “Am I really such a weirdo in her eyes?”

“Exactly, you’re a weirdo,” Meowdilis shot back.

He shrugged. “I’m curious, you and Victor and Anai are supposed to be equals, right? So why do you all seem to listen to Anai?”

Anai, nicknamed the “Overlord Rabbit.”

Fuen laughed. “Though we’re equals, our duties differ, so our status varies. Victor handles poisons, I manage finances, and Meowdilis is responsible for…”

“She’s in charge of looking cute. Her nickname is Magic Claw, but she insists on being called Magic Claw Meow,” Fuen teased.

Before he could finish, Ye Ran interrupted. Meowdilis bristled, clawing the air in mock outrage.

Fuen grinned. “Meowdilis has a strong personality, but she’s undeniably an excellent fighter.”

Ye Ran glanced at her. “An… excellent fighter?”

His skeptical look both irritated and amused Meowdilis. Knowing he couldn’t argue or fight back, she snorted and ignored him.

Fuen waved helplessly and added, “Well, compared to Overlord Rabbit, she’s not the best fighter, but she’s a top-notch intelligence gatherer.”

“As for Overlord Rabbit, she’s our benchmark in battle. You know her domineering nature—if you don’t obey her, you’ll regret it.”

Leaning in, he whispered in Ye Ran’s ear, “You don’t know this, but that rabbit was driven so crazy because of Overlord Rabbit’s torment back then.”

Ye Ran was stunned, feeling a surge of sympathy for that rabbit.

---

Fuen asked, “But I assume you came here for something else?”

Ye Ran nodded. “I heard besides poisons, weapons, and rare foods, you also trade information?”

Fuen smiled and nudged Meowdilis.

“We have clear roles: Victor handles poison, Anai weapons, I manage finances, and Meowdilis intelligence. Of course, you can buy information from me or others, but only what Meowdilis shares. No one has more complete intelligence than her.”

Meowdilis turned with a sly smile, saying it all without words.

Ye Ran’s heart sank; karma is truly relentless.

Fuen looked at him sympathetically. “Meowdilis has the right to decide whether to sell the intelligence you want and at what price… so, well, it’s up to you.”

Ye Ran sighed. “Alright, Miss Meowdilis, I apologize for my earlier rude remarks.”

Meowdilis didn’t seize the opportunity to make things difficult. She waved her hand and said, “Speak up—what information do you want?”

“Just so you know, my information isn’t cheap.”

Ye Ran nodded. “I want everything you can find on Ronin—her true identity, current residence… all available intel.”

Meowdilis looked at him in surprise. “Wait a moment.”

She turned and went behind the counter to Anger, who stepped into the office upstairs. A short while later, she returned with a file.

“This is all we have on Ronin. It’s incomplete—intelligence east of the Forbidden Land of Ibo is hard to come by. This will cost you one hundred gold,” she said, sliding the file toward him.

Ye Ran stared blankly. He knew buying information here wouldn’t be cheap, but one hundred gold still felt like a rip-off.

Meowdilis hummed a tune as she jotted down a note in her ledger. “I know you can’t pay now. Put it on your tab. Remember to show some respect to me, or you’ll have a hard time asking for favors later. Hmph.”

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