As we walked on, I explained everything to Chang'e. Liu Meiling and Jin Garou got slightly suspicious of me as I slowed down.

They must be thinking that I am a gutless loser who's ready to run out on them the moment that Spirit Cat attacks.

They don't have a clue about what I'm going through here.

"So, you've been a naughty boy… haven't you?" Chang'e asks me, her seductive voice ringing inside my head.

I sigh upon hearing this. 'I told you, Mom. I'm doing this for my dignity. Otherwise, these fools will call me Mama's boy or something. I don't want to be a loser.'

"Sigh boys," Chang'e sighs back. "I guess I can't help it. But – if you get caught, tell Chao Mei that I tried my best."

I'm pretty surprised to hear this. 'Heh? So you won't be a pain right now… and you'll let me go on this mission.'

"Sure. I mean, if it's just a spirit cat, I know you guys can take it down. So, I'm not too worried. Also, I want to check how far you've progressed too."

I guess she's not overprotective like 'Chao Mei.'

"But – there are some conditions."

I frown. 'What's that?'

"If your moon essence oozes out and your real identity is revealed, you'll have to kill those two and escape."

My heart skipped a beat and my feet froze. 'Kill… those two?'

"What…?" I asked her, my heart beating like a drum.

"Ayo, just kidding! These guys are kids… they'll think you've obtained the power of a firefly."

I breathe out finally, calming myself down. 'Your humor is broken… Mom,' I reply to her in my mind.

'Sorry sorry… my bad. But – do try to suppress the essence. We can't be so sure.'

I nod. 'I'll try…'

Finally, after reasoning with Chang'e, I rush ahead and join Liu and Jin. They turn back as I approach them.

"Huh? Did you hear something coming?" Liu Meiling asks upon seeing me arrive.

"No no…" I shake my head. "Nothing as of yet. Were you guys… troubled cause I stayed in the back?"

Jin Garou laughs upon hearing this. "Eh… you said you wanted to watch our backs. Why would we be troubled because of that?"

It seems they weren't thinking of me as a 'loser' after all. Liu agreed with Jin. I smiled.

The data signals have entirely disappeared at this point. We can't view the maps now. However, we were walking into the woods in a straight line as a tactic. And if we got up to a tree, we could possibly see at least something in the distance.

"It's nine o'clock guys. We still haven't caught a whiff of this thing," Jin says, the exhilaration clear in his voice.

"We can't go back now, fool. What have we come for so far? Just to give up?" Liu replies, irritated.

I am getting tired of just walking into the forest too. At this point, it won't be just spirit cats that we'll encounter. However, there is no going back right now. We've come this far, after all.

I won't turn back without the money.

'Heh… I'm bored, kiddo. What is this forest? Forget spirit cats. We haven't encountered anything here,' Chang'e cries out.

It's taking way too long. She's right. I place my hands together, gather Qi and focus. The two in front stop too and looks at me.

They don't speak. They know I'm gathering Qi.

In just moments, the energy runs through my body and Qi envelops me whole. I close my eyes and focus on the distance, and – I feel something.

Something that has a huge amount of Qi. And whatever it is, it's approaching us real fast.

"Wha – guys, there's something approaching us! And it's coming fast!" I declare, turning my head in the direction of the coming obstacle.

"This Qi… it's pretty darn powerful guys! I think this is the cat!"

Jin unsheathes his sword and puts his left foot back. Liu gets on guard too, getting behind Jin.

I'm ready too. When it arrives, I'll get it with my freeze spell. It's going to die in a single shot. I am sure of it.

'Oh dear – finally. We get to see some action,' Chang'e says, joyfully.

Chang-e's pretty unusual. She isn't like Chao Mei. How can I put it…? She's a bit rough.

'Get ready, Xin,' she adds, her tone getting more serious. 'It's coming to take you guys out.'

My spine tenses up upon hearing this. I back up, facing the direction where the creature is coming from.

The Night is suddenly too silent. I forget the sound of the crickets and the constant rustles of leaves and bushes. My entire focus falls upon the object rushing forth.

'3…'

I place my left foot back, raising my hand towards the approaching Spirit Cat.

'2…'

I close my eyes and focus my Qi on the fingertips of my left hand.

'3 –'

"ICE SPELL: Freeze blast!" I scream out, and the entire Qi that runs through the left part of my body drains in an instant.

SWISH!

A blast of ice escapes my hand and shoots towards the undergrowth.

BOOM!

A chilling mist covers us entirely.

I don't shift my focus on the approaching spirit cat. But – suddenly, it's not there anymore.

"RWARR!!" The wild roar of a tiger resounds behind me. I jump back, turning around instantly. The wild spirit cat leaps through the mist towards us.

Liu and Jin are right beside me with their weapons directed at the beast.

Swish! A claw blasts away the mist from us, and – there it is. The spirit cat we've been searching for all this while – though, it's not entirely what I expected.

It's an 8-foot-tall spirit cat with a body made out of blue flames… and this wasn't just any spirit cat.

"Fuck!" I cry out, stumbling back. My right hand sways as I move, and my right foot had gone limp. The Qi had drained my body's energy. I'm still not entirely used to it.

"It's a mother fucking Azure Spirit Cat! It's made of fire – it's not supposed to be here!" 

"Wha – what is that… there are other types of spirit cats??" Liu cries out, gazing at me.

I'm expressionless. 'We're gonna die here… aren't we?'

"RWARRRR!!!" The 8-foot-tall Azure spirit cat roars in our faces. The wind pressure from its roar itself manages to blow us away from where we stand.

We fall on the grass, all three of us.

'Shit! Xin, RUN!' Chang'e cries out from the inside of my head.

I'm all too busy shitting myself from the fear right now to hear her, though.

Badump! Badump! Badump!

It's not even my own heartbeat I hear now. All three of our hearts beat like drums in sync.

The cat's claws dig into the ground, and it growls, showing all its razor-sharp teeth. It's going to charge into us head first!

"Someone, sword! Jin – kill it!" I cry out, squeezing my right hand and closing my eyes. I feel the chilling feeling running up my body.

It's now or never… I have to use the Moon Essence.

My life is precious. I can't throw away everything I've lived up to so far.

Suddenly, Liu grabs my shoulder. The cat leaps forth with its claws drawn towards us.

//Author's Note//

Yo, peeps! You enjoying it? Then go ahead and leave a comment and a review! Also, more power stones and support means more daily chapters! Have a great day fools!

If we reach 500 power stones per week, there will be 2 chapters daily!