Chang Long, Kitsune, Jane, and Hero, along with the two spirits who had turned invisible again, all looked at Siegfried in unison. An aura of murderous intent radiated around Siegfried. Sensing the danger, Jane quickly pulled Chang Long to sit on Siegfried's lap, hoping to calm his jealousy. She then whispered in Hero's ear, explaining that Chang Long was a girl.

Jane's actions seemed to work. When Chang Long sat on Siegfried's lap and their eyes met, the murderous aura vanished without a trace. Instead, Siegfried suddenly felt embarrassed, his anger and frustration dissipating quickly. He scratched his head awkwardly under Chang Long's unwavering gaze.

"Are you two dating!"

Hero asked loudly, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"Well... actually, it's..."

Siegfried mumbled shyly. Chang Long, her cheeks red as tomatoes, was about to protest when Kitsune covered her mouth and quickly answered for her.

"Yes, that's correct,"

Chang Long bit Kitsune's hand in anger, furious at his meddling. She shot angry glares at Kitsune and Siegfried before walking away.

"Ouccch. Master!"

Kitsune looked at the small bite marks on his hand, tears welling up but still managing to smile.

'Hmm. Master's tiny bite marks are so cute,'

"Chang Long!"

Siegfried hurried after her, noticing that she was angry with him too.

"They don't seem much like a couple,"

Hero remarked, raising an eyebrow as he watched Siegfried pitifully chase after Chang Long.

"Maybe they're still in the courting phase. Isn't that right, Mr. Kitsune?"

Jane suggested, giving Kitsune a sweet look.

"Hmm? They do have mutual feelings, but my master is quite stubborn. Master Siegfried has to work a bit harder,"

Kitsune replied with a smile, wondering how to make the bite marks last forever.

"What do you mean by 'your master'? What's the relationship between you and Chang Long?"

Hero asked, curious since Kitsune always referred to Chang Long as master.

"I'll leave it for my master to explain; otherwise, I might get bitten again,"

Kitsune smiled and walked away to sit by himself, watching as Chang Long and Siegfried disappeared into the tall grass ahead.

"Chang Long's friends are all so strange,"

Jane whispered to Hero as they sat waiting for Chang Long and Siegfried to return.

"Hmm, yeah. Kitsune talks just like one of those game AIs,"

Hero replied thoughtfully.

"If I hadn't seen the watch on his wrist, I'd think the same!"

Jane nodded. Though she did not get a good look, she was sure it was a player's wristwatch.

"I wonder how long it will take for them to make up. By the way, it's unbelievable that Chang Long is a girl!"

Hero smiled as he lay down, looking up at the late morning sky through the tree branches where they were resting.

"Don't tell me you've fallen for child Chang Long!"

Jane asked, shocked. Chang Long was indeed very cute as a child, a fact no one could deny. But if her friend had fallen for such a young girl, then he would be a lolicon!

"Of course not. I just didn't expect that such a tomboyish kid could be a girl,"

Hero chuckled, remembering Chang Long's behavior. It was impossible to see her as a girl. His eyes drifted to a small cloud floating by, and he began to feel a bit sleepy.

"Chang Long must be really beautiful when she grows up. Otherwise, Siegfried wouldn't be so protective,"

Jane said, lying down on the grass next to Hero.

"If you want to see how beautiful she is, let's just help her find the Miracle Doctor. Besides, hanging out with Chang Long is a blast!"

Hero grinned at Jane cheerfully.

"Yeah, I think traveling with Chang Long would be fun every day,"

Jane agreed.

"Hehehe,"

Kitsune, sitting almost ten meters away, chuckled softly, overhearing the sniper duo's conversation. This was one of the special abilities of beasts. Indeed, his master was beautiful, cool, and cute, and she brought joy to everyone who traveled with her.

"Chang Long, where are you? Wait for me!"

Siegfried called out, unable to see her small figure that was walking ahead through the waist-high grass.

Chang Long kept walking, not wanting to face Siegfried just yet. It was not anger that made her avoid him, but uncertainty about how to react. She knew from friends' teasing and Kitsune's support that Siegfried had feelings for her. She herself could also see that she had feelings for him too. A feeling different from the usual, which left her confused and unable to be herself around him.

"Damn it! Why am I feeling this way!"

Chang Long muttered to herself but continued walking forward.

"Chang Long, are you alright?"

Siegfried called out again. Finally, Chang Long stopped and waited for him to catch up. But then, out of nowhere, a large tiger pounced and grabbed Chang Long before Siegfried's eyes.

"Siegfriedddd!"

Chang Long screamed in shock.

"Chang Long!"

Siegfried's heart sank. He ran after the tiger, terrified it would hurt her.

The tiger ran further from their resting spot, dragging Chang Long along. Davy-chan and Hisa-chan, tied to her by a fifty-meter range, were pulled along as well. Not used to it, they screamed in surprise but this time they didn't miss the chance to show themselves to Kitsune, so she could follow the right path and avoid getting lost again.

"Little dog, hurry up and follow!"

Davy-chan yelled to Kitsune as he was carried away. Jane and Hero, startled, looked up just in time to see the two figures flying off like kites with broken strings.

"What's that, Kitsune?"

Hero shouted.

"No time to explain, just follow them!"

Kitsune replied and dashed after them. Hero and Jane were amazed at his speed, not expecting such swiftness from players in the game.

"What's going on? Chang Long and Siegfried haven't returned yet!"

Jane said, confused but quickly slung her gun box over her shoulder and ran after Kitsune.

"Let's follow them if we don't want to miss anything!"

Hero packed up quickly and ran after Kitsune too. He would not miss out on any fun with this exciting group.

"Hey, wait up, Hero!"

Jane shouted, sprinting to catch up.

The tiger carried Chang Long out of the grasslands and headed towards the dense forest, four kilometers north of the path to Longshan City. This path led up to the Longshan Mountains, shaped like a crouching dragon. Siegfried kept running after the tiger, but the dense forest soon made it impossible to keep them in sight.

"Damn it! She's gone. Chang Long, Chang Long. Please, answer me!"

Siegfried called out loudly, hoping she would shout back and give him a clue to follow.

"Over here!"

Chang Long's voice responded. Siegfried's heart lifted, and he quickly ran in the direction of her voice.

After running for a while, he came to a small clearing about five square meters in size. Chang Long and the large tiger stood in the middle of it, seemingly waiting for something or someone. Fearing it might be the tiger's companions, Siegfried raised his sword, preparing to attack. But before he could move, a voice called out from behind him.

"Hold on, sir. Tai Yang is my pet."

Both Siegfried and Chang Long turned to see a thin yet healthy-looking man with honey-colored skin. He smiled kindly at Siegfried and walked over to pat the big tiger's head without fear, instructing it to release Chang Long.

Once free, Chang Long ran to Siegfried. He picked her up, holding the three-year-old version of her protectively, while eyeing the new arrival with suspicion. Did this man command the tiger to capture Chang Long!

"Apologies for the scare. Tai Yang often mistakes children for human ginseng. To make up for the fright, I offer this as a token of apology. Sorry, again,"

the man said politely, handing a small wooden box to Chang Long.

"Thank you,"

Chang Long nodded, accepting the box. A system notification told her she received ten Shape-shifting Pills.

"Did you say human ginseng?"

Siegfried asked, frowning and still eyeing Tai Yang.

"Yes, they can be quite mischievous. If I leave them alone, they wander off. Tai Yang usually retrieves them, but this time he brought back a child instead of human ginseng," the man replied with a friendly smile.

"Do you grow ginseng in this forest?"

Siegfried asked, still curious.

"No, my home and herb garden are on the summit of Longshan Mountain. If you don't mind, you are welcome to visit,"

the man offered.

"Uh, sure, but can we wait for our friends first? I think they're trying to catch up,"

Siegfried said, feeling less wary now. He could tell that this man, the tiger's owner, meant them no harm.

"Of course. By the way, I've talked so much and forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Zhang Yijie. You can call me Brother Jie,"

the man introduced himself politely. Chang Long and Siegfried introduced themselves in return, and they all waited for Kitsune and the others.

It was not long before Kitsune arrived with Davy-chan and Hisa-chan, followed by Hero and Jane. They were startled to see the large tiger lying at Zhang Yijie's feet and quickly drew their weapons. Zhang Yijie had to calm them down and introduce Tai Yang again.

"It's just a pet. That scared me!"

Jane sighed in relief, putting her drawn knife back into its sheath.

"Let's follow Brother Jie. He's going to give us a tour of Longshan Mountain!"

Siegfried told everyone. They all looked interested, though Zhang Yijie did not look like someone strong enough to lead a mountain tour.

After a day of hiking, they finally reached one of the thirty peaks of Longshan Mountain, guided by Tai Yang. Thanks to him, no monsters dared attack their group. Tai Yang seemed to take a liking to Kitsune, and they chatted along the way, though the others, except Chang Long, could not understand their conversation. Siegfried, having carried Chang Long once, refused to let her walk on her own.

"S... so beautiful,"

Jane said dreamily, gazing at the mountaintop scenery. A clear stream cut through the area near a small cottage, surrounded by a garden of flowers and medicinal herbs. The stream flowed to the edge of a cliff, becoming a picturesque waterfall. The mist from the waterfall caught the sunlight, creating a small rainbow. None of this was visible from below due to the thick forest cover.

"This place is like a herbal garden! There are so many strange plants and herbs everywhere,"

Hero observed, looking around. Every inch seemed filled with various plants, some familiar, some not, too numerous to estimate the area.

"Brother Jie, you must be the Miracle Doctor!"

Kitsune's question caught everyone's attention, and they all turned to look at Zhang Yijie.

Zhang Yijie chuckled lightly, petting Tai Yang affectionately before smiling at Kitsune and asking,

"Why do you think so?"

"It's not my own thought. Tai Yang told me,"

Kitsune replied. Now everyone looked back and forth between Kitsune and Tai Yang in surprise, except for Chang Long, who understood the conversation between Kitsune and Tai Yang.

"You say... Tai Yang told you that?"

Zhang Yijie looked at Kitsune with amazement.

"Yes, and I have a request. Could you please help my master, who is cursed by the baby mushroom and turned into a three-year-old?"

Kitsune nodded, gesturing to Chang Long, still in Siegfried's arms.

"Hehehe, it's surprising. I can't believe someone can communicate with Tai Yang. No wonder he kept talking to you along the way. Yes, I will help, but you must follow my rules first. Come with me, it's getting late, and the dew on Longshan Mountain can make you sick if you're out too long,"

Zhang Yijie said with a smile, inviting Chang Long and her friends into his cottage. The interior was luxurious and spacious, much more so than the exterior suggested. Tai Yang led Kitsune, its new friend to its quarters, continuing their chat.

The food Zhang Yijie prepared for everyone was infused with herbs but tasted delicious. Even Kitsune, who disliked vegetables, ate heartily. Davy-chan and Hisa-chan, seeing their friends enjoy the meal, wanted to join and asked Chang Long to offer some herbal dishes to them.

"What are you doing, Chang Long?"

Zhang Yijie asked curiously when he saw her taking several herbal dishes outside instead of eating them herself. She arranged the food on a table outside and placed the spirit tablets of Davy-chan and Hisa-chan there.

"I'm offering food to my spirits,"

Chang Long replied, continuing to set the table with Kitsune's help.

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