Chapter 181: Executing The Plan

The Beauty and the Beasts Squad had packed up early in the morning, tidying up their tents. They had a more detailed map than that of the Redemption Society.

The Golden Lion Dog, Song Junhou, said, "Today, we're heading into Winged Tiger territory. Everyone, stay sharp. These tiger demons usually stick with their families, they don’t live in big groups. Most adult Winged Tigers are seventh order, and the younger ones are at least fifth. We must find a family, take down three or more, and bring them back. That'll wrap up our training mission. It's not too tough, but since we're in their territory, we have to be careful. Keep it down during fights to avoid drawing in more of them and getting swamped. Got it?”

"Understood!" everyone replied in unison, except for Mei Gongzi.

Since the incident the night before, Mei Gongzi seemed unchanged, but Song Junhou felt that she had become even more distant from the other team members than she used to be. He felt awkward about this but didn't know what to do. After completing this mission, he could only secretly allocate a larger share of the Winged Tigers' profits to her in hopes of re-establishing goodwill.

He didn't know that his desertion in the face of battle had greatly pleased someone in secret. At least this imagined rival was no longer a concern.

Even forgetting about Mei Gongzi's status as a Blue Class member of the Redemption Society, the Golden Lion Dog's desertion, abandoning Mei Gongzi in danger, already disqualified him from being Tang San's rival in any respect, love first and foremost.

At that time, Tang San least wanted to see Song Junhou playing the hero, desperately resisting. In that case, he could in fact leave a profound and positive impression on Mei Gongzi's heart.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Fortunately, demons seemed to lack humanity and were driven by self-interest. So, last night, Tang San didn't bother to show up. With Mei Gongzi capable of facing five eighth-order Peacock demons simultaneously and a rival who had already shown his true colors, what was there to worry about?

Song Junhou gave Mei Gongzi a glance, saw that she seemed indifferent as usual, and then waved his hand, saying, "Let's set off!"

The group of seven moved quickly. According to the map, it would take a little over an hour to enter the territory of the Winged Tigers.

Song Junhou led at the front, with the thick-skinned bear demon at the rear for defense. Mei Gongzi, as the team's long-range attacker, was positioned toward the back. The demon responsible for scouting flew ahead.

They advanced quickly through the jungle as they had practiced. And soon, as daylight broke, they entered the Winged Tigers' territory.

There seemed to be an invisible pressure in the air, slowing their steps as they waited for information from the scout.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes in the sky watched their every move, following them as they advanced.

They were not as lucky as Tang San and his team last time; the Redemption Academy team had encountered Winged Tigers just as they had reached the edge of the beasts’ territory. After entering the area, they searched for half a day but found no trace of the Winged Tigers.

It was almost noon.

"Everyone, take a break here and wait for Xiao Yun to return."

Xiao Yun, the team's scout, was a Shadow Sparrow demon. He excelled in ambushes from the shadows and was best at short-distance aerial assaults. Naturally, he was the one in charge of scouting for the team.

After a morning of searching without finding any Winged Tigers, the group, somewhat disappointed, gathered to rest and eat to replenish their strength.

Song Junhou frowned slightly, puzzled as to why they hadn't encountered any Winged Tigers yet. They had been in the Winged Tigers' territory for half a day, and according to the data they had, the tigers’ numbers were not lacking in the slightest. In fact, the team had been worried about encountering too many Winged Tigers, so the lack of any finds so far was abnormal.

A seventh-order student in the team asked with a frown, "Captain, why can't we find any Winged Tigers?"

It was an Ironback Ape holding a long metal rod as thick as an arm.

The Ironback Ape demons were known for their steel-like body and immense strength. Moreover, they were swift and moved like the wind. Among the ape demons, they ranked very high, and they were a vital combat force. Their tier was much higher than that of the Mighty Ape.

Apart from Song Junhou, this Ironback Ape was the strongest in the team, towering over the rest at three meters in height. Another seventh-order demon, slightly inferior, was a cat demon known for its speed.

"I also find it strange. Having been here this long, we should have found something by now," Song Junhou said, his brow deeply furrowed. "Everyone, have some food and rest while we wait for Xiao Yun."

"Okay."

At this moment, a shadow silently swooped in and stopped in front of Song Junhou, transforming into a somewhat slender and petite figure—it was Xiao Yun. The Shadow Sparrows were among the most diminutive and most delicate in form among the demon races, and Xiao Yun was a perfect example.

"Captain, I found three Winged Tigers. Two adults and one youngling, probably a family. The adult Winged Tigers are around the seventh order, and the cub is at the fifth," Xiao Yun reported excitedly.

Song Junhou's eyes brightened. "Can you confirm their location and lead us back?"

"No problem," Xiao Yun said without hesitation.

"Good!" Song Junhou exclaimed joyfully, waving his hand. "Let's proceed with the mission. We can rest once we've dealt with these three Winged Tigers."

Hearing that the Winged Tigers were finally found, the other demons got excited and immediately set off again, led by the Shadow Sparrow.

Mei Gongzi silently followed the team. Since that day's incident, she spoke even less than usual. Feeling somewhat ashamed, the demons didn't engage much with her, thus increasing the distance between them over the day.

After about fifteen minutes of travel, Song Junhou sniffed the air, and his eyes glinted with golden light. "It's the Winged Tigers. I can smell them. Prepare for battle. Remember to maintain formation during the fight. Old Yuan and I will take the front; you assist from the sides. Aim for a quick and decisive battle, and try not to make too much noise. After the task is complete, we'll immediately store their bodies and leave the Winged Tigers' territory. If all goes well, we can return after we rest a bit."

"Go!"

***

About two kilometers away from them, Du Bai was sweating heavily. He said to Wu Bingji, "The misfortune I cast on them has been withdrawn, as Little Tang requested. I need at least an hour to rest before I can control fortune again."

Wu Bingji nodded. “You should rest for now. Good job."

On the other side, Gu Li said, "Then I'll head over."

"Good, be careful. Don't forget Xiao Tang's instructions," Wu Bingji responded.

"Rest assured, elder brother," Gu Li assured, then quickly moved and disappeared into the jungle.

Wu Bingji looked towards the sky, unconsciously clenching his fist. The plan was about to begin!

On the other side.

Leading the pack like a lion king, Song Junhou approached the jungle ahead. The terrain of this mountain forest was rugged, fitting the lifestyle of the Winged Tigers. They preferred living in caves, as they could stay comfortable even with the wind and rain common in this area.

Soon, a cave came into view, with a strong feline scent emanating from it.

Song Junhou squinted his eyes and waved at a team member.

The team member chuckled, walked near the cave entrance and turned around. Suddenly, his body enlarged, particularly the buttocks.

With a light puff, a light green stream of air was ejected, shooting straight into the cave.