Chapter 267 - 257: The Interest Is Here
Chapter 267: Chapter 257: The Interest Is Here
"Are you sure there won’t be any problems if we just walk in like this, Tang Mo?"
Duoyang’s feet had already carried him into the forest behind Tang Mo, but he was still worried sick. His eyes darted around, terrified that danger would suddenly appear.
"Aren’t you holding a bear cub? Relax, it’ll be fine," Tang Mo said reassuringly, without turning her head.
’Holding this cub will probably just get me killed faster,’ Duoyang thought to himself.
Of course, he didn’t dare say that to Tang Mo. He could only hug the bear cub in his arms tighter and tread more carefully.
The forest wasn’t massive, but it wasn’t small, either. Tang Mo remembered where Lin Yu was, and the Bear Clan was surely waiting there for her to bring the "interest" and ransom him.
When Tang Mo saw Lin Yu again, he was sitting under a large tree, holding and eating a piece of fruit.
He had lost a lot of blood, and although Tang Mo had saved his life, his body was extremely drained of energy.
Seeing how excessively weak the human was, the Bear Leader, terrified he might die, had hastily found food for him.
Several mother bears who had lost their own cubs were now crouched in front of Lin Yu. The moment he moved the fruit from his lips, they would immediately use their large paws to gently push it back.
This was the one who could be exchanged for their children; they had to take good care of him. Not a single thing could go wrong.
At that moment, Lin Yu felt as if he had ascended from Hell to heaven.
’It’s just that this version of heaven is a little... bloating, isn’t it?’
Seeing Tang Mo arrive, Lin Yu immediately stood up as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, his eyes shining.
When he was dragged into the forest, grievously injured, he thought he was about to die. But the moment Tang Mo’s spiritual power entered his body, Lin Yu felt his internal organs slowly being repaired.
As a fellow Spiritual Attribute superpower user, he was all too familiar with whose spiritual power that was. It was Tang Mo’s.
Tang Mo had saved him.
"You’re back?"
Seeing that the woman from before had returned, the bears that were crouching all stood up, watching Tang Mo nervously.
"Your interest."
Tang Mo plucked the bear cub from Duoyang’s arms behind her.
"This is..."
The bears across from them stared with wide eyes. It was clearly a cub that had been born not long ago.
"This is a cub that was born on the plains. It’s the interest. I’ll trade it for my friend. Deal?"
The Bear Leader carefully took the cub into its arms.
Its own child had died a long time ago. The little cub in its arms opened its round eyes, looking at the bear that looked just like it, and waved its restless little paws. The sight melted the Bear Leader’s heart.
Duoyang had hidden the cub since its birth, so it had never seen another of its kind. Now, its eyes were filled with curiosity.
Seeing the cub he had rescued finally return to its big family, Duoyang felt his heart settle.
He no longer had to live in constant fear of Qiangba and the others discovering the cub. He could finally rest easy.
However...
The thought that Tang Mo could even negotiate with the bears of the forest deepened Duoyang’s reverence for her.
"So, are you satisfied with this interest?"
By now, the entire Bear Clan had gathered around the little one, cooing and playing with it. Who had the mind to pay attention to what Tang Mo was saying?
Helpless, Lin Yu could only be perceptive enough to walk over and stand behind Tang Mo on his own.
"You’ve taken such good care of this little one. I wonder, how can we rescue the other cubs?"
Seeing with its own eyes that the Baby Bear in its arms was alive and kicking, the Bear Leader was now completely convinced of Tang Mo’s words.
"I already have a plan for this. I’ll need your cooperation. Within the next few days..."
Tang Mo carefully explained her plan to the Bear Leader, detailing the parts where she needed its cooperation.
The leader nodded as it listened, and after hearing the whole thing, it immediately promised to lead the bears in full cooperation.
As long as Tang Mo could get all dozen or so cubs out unharmed, she would be the entire Bear Clan’s greatest benefactor. They would do anything she asked.
After everything was settled, Tang Mo led Duoyang and Lin Yu out of the forest.
Once they were on the plains, Tang Mo finally spoke to Lin Yu.
"What are your plans now?"
"I don’t know." Lin Yu lowered his head. He hadn’t realized how great the gap was between his own abilities and what he wanted to achieve.
Just now, watching Tang Mo meticulously and comprehensively lay out her plans, he finally understood just how vast the difference was between himself and others.
"Next time you think about doing something so dangerous, think of Xianxian. She’s still young, and you’re the only family she has left. If you die, she won’t be able to survive in this dog-eat-dog world with just that Xiao Xiao Space Treasure."
Tang Mo’s words were incredibly direct.
"I know." Lin Yu thought of Xianxian, all alone at the base. If he had really died...
A wave of fear washed over him.
"In this dog-eat-dog world, who doesn’t want to live a stable life? I just want Xianxian to be able to live as carefree as a normal little girl."
The reason Lin Yu was risking so much was simply so he could survive long-term with his sister.
"Otherwise, how about I take Xianxian and throw in my lot with you? If you can let Xianxian grow up in a peaceful environment, that is."
Lin Yu said this as a joke. Of course, he knew there was no such thing as a peaceful environment in this apocalypse.
But Tang Mo didn’t hear it as a joke.
"How about this: you throw in your lot with me, and I’ll put Xianxian in a relatively safe environment you won’t have to worry about. I’ll even let her go to school with other kids her age."
As someone who had been reborn, Tang Mo naturally understood Lin Yu’s value.
Besides, what Lin Yu was asking for wasn’t difficult at all.
"You can really do that?"
Lin Yu knew Tang Mo wasn’t the type to make empty promises.
"A promise is a promise?"
"A promise is a promise!"
"Well, since I’ve thrown my lot in with you, I have something to give you."
Tang Mo had saved him time and time again. He owed her a greater debt of gratitude than anyone else in the world.
Lin Yu took out a piece of goatskin from an inner pocket close to his chest.
Strange patterns were drawn on the goatskin, but to Tang Mo, they were incredibly familiar.
"Is this... that thing?"
’Could this be the pattern I’ve been searching for all this time, the one I had no clues about?’
Lin Yu nodded. He had stolen it from Qiangba, but he hadn’t found the bead yet, so he had kept it carefully on his person ever since.
Now, it was impossible for him to get the bead himself. And since he was now tied to the same rope as Tang Mo, giving it to her wasn’t like giving it to an outsider.
"The bead should be somewhere in the forest. Good luck."
Lin Yu said sincerely.
"I’ll take that as a good omen."
Tang Mo carefully put away the goatskin, finally feeling like her trip to the plains was making some progress.