Chapter Forty-Three: Taming the Leopard

Hours slipped by, yet Long Yu remained motionless, testing the patience of those standing guard nearby.
“Captain, do you think this will work? It’s been hours and there’s not a single sign of progress.” Number Three finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up.
“How should I know? Number Four, what’s the situation with the leopard?”
Zhao Yihan admitted frankly that she had no idea whether Long Yu would succeed or not.
“Captain, everything’s normal on my end. The leopard is still right where it was, not moving at all.”
As they chatted, Long Yu’s body suddenly stirred. He stretched languidly, then stood up.
Zhao Yihan hurriedly asked, “How did it go?”
Long Yu twisted his stiff neck and loosened up, replying with a hint of dissatisfaction, “Of course it worked. When I take charge, there’s no reason for failure.”
Was it really that simple?
As the others stared in surprise, the leopard entered their sensory range, drawing closer and closer.
Soon, the majestic creature appeared before them, bounding up to Long Yu with affectionate familiarity, rubbing its head against him as if they’d been companions forever, as if Long Yu was its master.
“What’s going on?” someone asked, astonished.
Long Yu explained, “I’ve taken control of it, so naturally it’s friendly.”
He didn’t mention the full truth:
“Beast Mastery has two applications. The first is brute force control—I’ve used this before. It can instantly seize an enemy, but once you stop, the creature regains its senses.”
“The second application is what I just used. You replace the animal’s original memories with fabricated ones, achieving control by rewriting its mind.”
It was Long Yu’s first time using the second method, and though the results were good, the process was agonizingly slow.
“Since it worked, let’s move out,” Zhao Yihan declared at the right moment.
The team resumed their journey.
Long Yu stroked the leopard who was still playfully nuzzling against him, and continued forward with the group.
Along the way, Long Yu studied the leopard’s abilities: “Physical strength around 400, no supernatural powers, but it possesses the innate skill ‘Stealth.’ Even with my own abilities, if the leopard activates Stealth and approaches within a hundred meters, I may not notice it.”

Yet that’s not its most terrifying trait—the leopard also possesses an S-level martial skill: ‘Explosion.’
‘Explosion’ transmits a burst of energy into the opponent’s body upon impact, which then detonates internally, causing devastating harm.
An internal explosion—imagine the lethality.
What use is a tough defense when I can bypass it and strike straight at your core?
Stealth paired with Explosion—a flawless combination for assassination.
What a windfall! This leopard is far stronger than I imagined, Long Yu marveled inwardly.
Darkness soon settled over the land; a smear of orange remained from the distant sun.
“Let’s rest here for the night,” Zhao Yihan pointed to a cluster of ruined walls.
This must have once been a village, but rampant vegetation had long since destroyed its buildings, leaving only fragments of stone and mortar.
In another half-year, even these remnants might vanish. Without humans, the plants grew with wild abandon.
Five tents soon rose, and meanwhile, Zhao Yihan manipulated the surrounding plants, urging them to grow with eerie speed; branches stretched rapidly outward, curling towards the distance.
After a few minutes, she exhaled, ending her control.
Noticing Long Yu’s curious gaze, she smiled, “Just a little trick. At night, we need guards—these plants will do the job. If anything enters the area within a few miles, I’ll know.”
Abilities were endlessly varied, and Long Yu was no longer surprised. Whether martial skills or supernatural talents, one could gain them through secret realms or personal insight.
Learning from a secret realm was like inheriting ready-made knowledge, while personal insight was akin to original research and discovery.
Number Four soon returned with a pig—clearly a domestic white pig, not a wild boar. The catastrophe spared it from its original fate, but ultimately it still fell to Number Four’s hunt.
“Number Four, how can you be so cruel! Killing a living pig—eat less meat later, to honor its soul,” Long Yu joked as Number Four returned from the hunt.
After a day together, the five had grown familiar.
The four others were all easygoing and amusing, quick to get along.
Zhao Yihan’s aloof demeanor at first was only a facade—her appearance lacked authority, so she compensated by acting tough.
“Exactly, Number Four. Long Yu’s right—you should pay respects to the pig’s soul and eat less. You eat way too much!”
Zhao Yihan chimed in with Long Yu, and the other two joined in the teasing.
“If you want me to eat less, I’ll quit cooking. Roast it yourselves!”
Number Four shrugged, declaring his refusal if he had to eat less.
Everyone froze—had this guy learned to threaten them?
“Do you dare?” Zhao Yihan feigned anger, glaring.
Number Four wilted. “Boss, you’re bullying me too? I quit, I’ll leave the team when we get back…”
He grumbled in mock complaint.
Amid their lively banter, the pig was bled, butchered, and roasted.
Number Four’s culinary skills were truly impressive—the aroma of roast meat soon drifted through the air, tantalizing everyone’s senses.
“Number Four, how is it not ready yet?” a gruff voice called out—Number Two couldn’t hold back, driven mad by the scent.
“What’s the rush? It’ll be ready soon, just wait.” Number Four replied, with a hint of pride—clearly confident in his craft.
“You said the same thing ten minutes ago, and it’s still not done,” Number Two complained, his stomach long since empty.
“It’s no good eating it raw. Not only is it unsafe, it doesn’t taste right! I won’t let my cooking be sullied—my culinary skills are my pride. If it’s not perfect, you won’t eat it.”
Number Four was adamant—food must be at its best before anyone could taste it. That was his pride, the boundary every chef must uphold.
Number Two fell silent. He knew Number Four’s limits—his chef’s pride meant no one would taste the dish until it met his standards.