Chapter 134: Arrogance

The little cousin cheered.

The playmates who had followed behind her gathered around Tang Mubai, looking at A-Bao. They pointed and gestured, eagerly sharing their opinions.

"It's tasty, for sure, but it's a bit small," a chubby little boy said, biting his finger with a look of regret.

"It is small, but we could roast it whole!" a little girl with pigtails chirped, drooling.

"Like a roasted suckling pig?" a skinny boy asked, his own mouth watering.

"Roasted suckling pig, I love it! Roasted suckling pig, I love it!" a little girl clapped and chanted.

"You guys really have no vision. We should think long-term! We'll raise it until it's a fat pig, then slaughter it. That way, Grandpa, Grandma, and everyone can have some meat!" A buzz-cut boy, trying hard to act like an adult, stood with his hands on his hips, waving them about.

After speaking, he looked at Tang Mubai and grinned, "Big Brother Commander, don't you think I'm right?"

I... I'll give you a "right" upside your head!

Tang Mubai was left speechless, caught between laughter and tears. These brats were actually plotting how to eat A-Bao! Did they not know this was a national treasure?

Well, it seemed the Great Xia Federation had no such thing as a national treasure. In the original Earth, pandas were protected, but here, it was just an ordinary beast—or perhaps a powerful vicious beast or spirit beast. In the eyes of his cousin and her friends, it was merely a creature meant to be killed for meat. Thinking of it that way, he really couldn't expect too much from them.

"Woo-woo~"

A-Bao whimpered, burrowing deep into Tang Mubai’s arms. The hungry gazes of the children instinctively frightened the little creature.

"It’s okay, it’s okay, don't be afraid, A-Bao." Tang Mubai comforted the little one while looking at his cousin and her friends, warning them, "Listen closely: this is not for eating. Its name is A-Bao, and it’s our new companion! Not only are you forbidden from bullying it, but you must also protect it. Whoever messes with it will be grounded from meals for three days and assigned to clean the cafeteria for a month!"

"We wouldn't dare, Big Brother Commander, we won't do it again."

"Yeah, yeah, we will definitely protect it."

"A-Bao is so cute, I don't understand why you guys want to eat it."

The children shook their heads one by one, the clever ones immediately changing their tune to appease Tang Mubai.

Only the little cousin looked reluctant. She licked her lips and complained, "Why can't we eat it? Look how fat it is!"

"Listen to you—who made the rule that being fat means you have to be eaten?" Tang Mubai freed a hand and ruffled the girl's hair, exasperated. "Besides, A-Bao isn't really fat. It’s just like you—it’s just baby fat."

"Pfft~"

The little cousin shook her head and made a face. "Big Brother, you're just bragging. Fine, we won't eat it, it's not like this little bear has much meat on it anyway. Come on, everyone, let's keep playing!"

"Let's go play!"

The children scattered, running off in every direction. Tang Mubai had limited their play area to within the base grounds. The group ran up and down the four buildings or darted around the courtyard. Those old enough went to school with the cousin, while the younger ones stayed near the elders. Basically, the base was filled with the sound of children laughing or crying from dawn till dusk. It was much livelier than it had been a while ago.

It was precisely because there were so many rowdy children that Tang Mubai had warned them not to hurt A-Bao. Of course, there was also the possibility that A-Bao might hurt them. After all, it wasn't a real panda; any creature that popped out of a giant oval silver boulder had to be extraordinary. As of now, Tang Mubai couldn't be sure if the little thing had any tendency to harm people.

As for its capability, the little thing already possessed it. Despite being the size of a puppy and lacking teeth, its ability to lick an alloy battle blade was astonishing. If that tongue were to lick a person, it would surely strip the skin off with ease. Therefore, to be safe, it was better to keep it by his side for now.

Carrying A-Bao, he returned home, went into his bedroom, and set the creature down to play freely. Tang Mubai took out the metal cylinders containing the Yin and Fire baleful energies. He channeled the "Taiji Heart Scripture," fusing the two energies to condense new "Yin-Yang Sword Qi."

By the time all the Yin energy was consumed, he had successfully condensed six strands of "Yin-Yang Sword Qi." Looking at the content indicator, less than one-fifth of the Fire energy remained. If he wanted to condense more, it seemed he would have to make another trip to the bottom of Red Lake.

"I wonder if that incredibly handsome guy is still by the lava at the bottom of the lake," Tang Mubai mused.

A moment later, he put away the metal cylinders, preparing to meditate on the "Taiji Heart Scripture" to trigger the system and advance his cultivation realm.

His phone, left to the side, suddenly rang.

Seeing this, Tang Mubai stopped his practice, walked over, and answered.

"Hello, Boss, it's Old He." The voice of Manager He, hired for the Miracle Slaughterhouse, came through.

"I know," Tang Mubai nodded, asking, "Is there something up, Manager He?"

"It’s like this: someone came to the slaughterhouse this morning looking for you. I told him you weren't in, and he left. I tried calling you afterward, but couldn't get through, so I told Old Xu, and he said to keep it in mind. I thought that was the end of it, but this person came back just now, so I had to try calling you again," Manager He replied.

"So, this person is at the slaughterhouse right now?" Tang Mubai asked curiously, "Did he say his name? What does he look like?"

"He didn't give a name. He’s tall and broad, very sturdy, with a very honest face. Oh, and he stutters a bit!" Manager He added.

"It's him!"

Tang Mubai realized who it was. He immediately instructed, "I know who it is. Manager He, have him wait in the office for me. I'll be there right away."

"Understood."

Manager He hung up. Tang Mubai abandoned his meditation, picked up A-Bao, went outside, and drove toward the edge of the city. The person looking for him was the stuttering giant he had met when testing his "Water Resistance" ability in the river next to the slaughterhouse—the one who had mistaken him for drowning and tried to save him.

Although Tang Mubai hadn't actually needed saving, he still owed the man a favor. Before parting, he had told the man to come find him if he ever needed help. He hadn't expected the man to actually show up, especially since the giant had said he hadn't really helped much. He must have run into a real problem.

With this in mind, Tang Mubai drove quickly out of the city. As he neared the slaughterhouse, he saw a crowd gathered at the front gate from a distance. One arrogant voice rang out above the rest:

"Get lost! You think a slaughterhouse backed by some tiny mercenary group can block my path? Do you believe I could tear this whole place down, and your boss wouldn't even dare to let out a fart!"