Just as he was completely lost in his practice, he suddenly felt a pair of eyes spying on him.
He froze for a moment. ’Has this place been discovered already?’ was his first thought.
But he quickly realized the gaze didn’t feel like it belonged to an enemy.
There was no malice in it...
Fang Shuwen didn’t act rashly and startle the observer. He continued practicing the Sea-Shaking Divine Fist, but he split his focus, directing part of his attention to the owner of that gaze.
Taking advantage of a turn in his form, Fang Shuwen glanced in that direction.
What he saw made his eyes go wide.
He saw a big, white butt!
That’s right... a big, white, fluffy butt with a small tail!!
Further up was a section of black fur, looking like a little black vest worn over white fur.
Its head was also white, which made its two black ears all the more eye-catching.
Regardless of how sheltered Fang Shuwen’s life might have been, he would never mistake this creature, even just from seeing its back!
An Iron-Eating Beast!!
Later known as the Giant Panda.
Right now, the creature had its back to him, standing upright on its hind legs.
The movements it was making... Fang Shuwen recognized them in a single glance. It was the damn Sea-Shaking Divine Fist!!
’This thing is stealing my Martial Arts!?’
Twenty years since he’d been reborn into this world, and the first time he meets a giant panda, it turns out to be a thieving one!
After turning around, the Iron-Eating Beast seemed to realize something was wrong. If it turned, how could it watch the person behind it practice?
It immediately spun back around.
And came face-to-face with Fang Shuwen.
As expected of an Iron-Eating Beast, its reflexes were lightning-fast. Its eyes went wide, and it clearly understood that the best defense is a good offense.
Before Fang Shuwen could react, it bared its teeth viciously at him, then turned and fled.
Its speed was incredible... like a black-and-white bolt of lightning.
Fang Shuwen stood there, dumbfounded. ’Are all Iron-Eating Beasts this fast?’
’The ones I saw in the zoo weren’t like this.’
Of course, the ones in the zoo didn’t steal people’s Martial Arts, either.
Fang Shuwen pondered. Either this one truly possessed some of the skills that the zoo pandas had long since lost...
...or it was different from an ordinary Iron-Eating Beast.
"Speaking of which, that purple mist in the bamboo forest..."
Fang Shuwen suddenly felt that perhaps he should go and explore that forest.
With that in mind, he went inside to let Long Qingzhi know where he was going, then darted off toward the forest.
He didn’t plan on finding the Iron-Eating Beast to demand his stolen Martial Arts back, however.
Fang Shuwen had a natural soft spot for the creature. Even though it had stolen his Martial Arts, he didn’t feel angry.
Instead, he found its plump, adorable appearance quite endearing.
His main goal was to see what secrets the forest held.
The bamboo forest wasn’t far, and Fang Shuwen arrived quickly.
The purple mist hadn’t dissipated with the rising sun, adding a layer of mystery to the grove.
Fang Shuwen ventured deeper. The purple mist had no effect on him, but the surrounding bamboo stalks were all tinged with a faint violet hue.
The further he went, the thicker the purple mist became, yet it didn’t obstruct his vision.
Finally, Fang Shuwen reached the very heart of the bamboo forest.
A small pool of water appeared before him.
The pool wasn’t large. In its center was a small patch of purple soil, from which grew a stalk of bamboo. It was over three feet long and radiated a purple light.
Fang Shuwen had excellent eyesight and could tell at a glance that this Purple Bamboo was completely different from a normal one.
Though it was short, its entire body was like jade, lacking the typical texture of bamboo.
It looked as if it had been carved from a piece of natural, fine jade.
Fang Shuwen pondered for a moment before leaping into the air, flying toward the Purple Bamboo.
Suddenly, he heard a roar, and a chubby white figure in a "vest" leaped at him in mid-air, baring a mouthful of fangs.
Instead of being alarmed, Fang Shuwen was delighted and laughed heartily.
"Good timing!"
As he spoke, he reached out with one hand, grabbed the Iron-Eating Beast’s wrist, and with a casual flick, tossed its massive body aside.
With its thick skin and flesh, it didn’t seem to feel any pain.
It flipped over and got up instantly, about to pounce again, when it heard Fang Shuwen say with a laugh:
"You stole my Martial Arts, so I’ve come to collect a little tuition. That’s fair, isn’t it?"
The Iron-Eating Beast actually seemed to understand him. Its charging figure paused, and after a moment’s hesitation, it snorted, found a spot to lie down, and pointed its butt at Fang Shuwen.
"..."
Fang Shuwen didn’t argue with it. He casually pulled the Purple Bamboo out of the ground.
As soon as it was free of the soil, its leaves withered and its roots vanished, leaving only a three-foot-long stalk.
Looking at it, Fang Shuwen was suddenly reminded of another famous weapon: the Green Jade Staff.
Commonly known as... the Dog-Beating Stick.
The bamboo in his hand wasn’t green, otherwise it would have been a natural Dog-Beating Stick.
The object was slightly warm to the touch and exuded a faint, bamboo-like fragrance. Inhaling it was refreshing and helped clear the mind, a sign that it was truly extraordinary.
"A fine treasure."
Fang Shuwen smiled slightly and gave the staff a twirl. Although he wasn’t proficient with such weapons, simply carrying it on his person was beneficial. Whether he knew how to use it didn’t really matter.
"If I decide it’s not much to look at later, I can always cut it into three bamboo flutes.
"I just wonder if its effects would be diminished."
’There’s no rush,’ he thought to himself.
He glanced around and saw that the purple mist had not dispersed. This was mainly because the bamboo stalk wasn’t the true source of the mist.