I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 92 - 86: The Might of the Exotic Insect

Daping County Town.

As evening fell, the moisture in the dark corners gradually began to condense into fog.

At the northeast corner of the County Magistrate’s Office, Gu Zheng stood in the shade of a tree, took out the coiled-up Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon, and sent it a mental command to get to work.

’Find the Night Demon!’

Unexpectedly, the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon sent back a message.

’It’s terrified!’

’Afraid?’

’What’s it afraid of?’

Gu Zheng hadn’t taken out the Divine Leech; it was still coiled up in his other pocket.

The Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon plaintively conveyed that it was afraid of the presence on Gu Zheng’s shoulder.

’On my shoulder?’

Gu Zheng turned his head slightly and looked at Pang Hu, who was playing with a seashell, a look of astonishment on his face.

’The Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon is afraid of the Little Fatty Cat?’

’This little fatty doesn’t just like to eat Spirit-Eating Ants, it likes to eat Mist Shadow Celestial Dragons too?’

’Or maybe... it likes to eat all Exotic Insects!?’

Gu Zheng froze for a moment, recalling the scene when Pang Hu had first appeared.

’So, Pang Hu has been following me for two days because I’m carrying several kinds of Exotic Insects?’

As realization dawned on Gu Zheng, he was left speechless.

’And here I was, wondering what was so charming about me that a Spirit Beast would refuse to leave my side.’

’Turns out it was just the Little Fatty Cat’s gluttony all along.’

Ahem.

Clearing his throat to compose himself, Gu Zheng reached out and nudged Pang Hu. He showed it the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon and started to bargain, "This is my good partner. Let’s make a deal—you spare it, and don’t try to catch it, alright? I’ll buy you other tasty food. Like dried fish, or charcoal-grilled rat heads. Those are even more delicious."

"Mrow?"

Pang Hu lifted its head, its sapphire-blue eyes fixed on the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon as it licked its lips.

"Hey, hey, I’m trying to make a deal with you here."

Gu Zheng waved his hand in front of the little fatty’s face to get its attention. "Spare this Exotic Insect, and I’ll find you other tasty things to eat, okay?"

"Mrow?" Pang Hu tilted its round head, a look of confusion on its face.

"Really, I’m not lying. It’s really delicious," Gu Zheng promised.

"Mrow!"

At that, Pang Hu nodded and looked away from the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon.

"You’re so good."

Gu Zheng grinned.

’With the Little Fatty Cat’s speed, catching the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon would be a piece of cake. If I hadn’t made a deal with it beforehand, the dragon would have been in its mouth the second I let go.’

’Alright, you can go now.’

He sent a mental command, and the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon unfurled its body.

After carefully sensing the change in Pang Hu’s aura, the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon tremblingly flew up and left Gu Zheng’s palm.

It waited a moment, and only after confirming that Pang Hu really wasn’t going to catch it did it suddenly shoot into the air. It hovered above Gu Zheng’s head, circling once as if sensing its surroundings.

The next moment, it turned into an afterimage and shot away like a bolt of lightning, vanishing from sight.

Gu Zheng closed his eyes slightly, sharing its vision.

Through its eyes, he saw the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon heading straight for the north side of the city. It left the county town and dove into a patch of forest.

At the edge of the forest was a river.

It followed the river upstream and entered a deep, secluded mountain ravine filled with miasma.

In a cave that would flood whenever the river rose, it found several shadowy figures.

WHOOSH!

The Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon shot forward and passed straight through the body of one of the shadows.

"AHH—!"

"It’s a Shadow Dragon! Run!"

The screams and cries of alarm reached Gu Zheng’s mind through his shared link with the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon.

Immediately, Gu Zheng called out to Cheng Zong, who was waiting in a nearby pavilion. He waved and shouted, "Lord Cheng, I’ve found the Night Demons! Follow me."

"Alright!"

Cheng Zong, who had been drinking tea, put down his cup, stood up, and walked out of the pavilion.

"Pang Hu, you stay here. I have to go take care of something."

As he spoke, he reached out, lifted Pang Hu off his shoulder, and placed it on a tree branch.

THUMP!

Gu Zheng leaped off the ground straight into the sky. He executed a Triple Jump, soaring through the air and gliding toward the north of the city.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Cheng Zong executed a Body Technique True Skill and also glided at a low altitude, keeping up with ease.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

One after the other, the two of them left the county town and entered the forest.

They hurried upstream along the river.

Soon, they arrived at the dark mountain ravine, just as several shadowy figures were running out of the cave.

"BZZZZ—!"

Gu Zheng opened the Spirit-Eating Ant Nest and released over two hundred Spirit-Eating Ants.

"Go!"

WHOOSH—

The Spirit-Eating Ants scattered in a swarm. Without needing any command from Gu Zheng, they zipped after the shadows.

Although they weren’t as fast as the Night Demons, they trailed them closely from behind.

"Lord Cheng, I’ll have to trouble you."

Gu Zheng called out as he chased after two of the Night Demons that had split off from the group.

"Haha, no need to be so formal, Gu! Now that we have a pointer, these Night Demons won’t get away!"

Cheng Zong laughed heartily and gave chase, following the Spirit-Eating Ants.

As for the Night Demon still in the cave, the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon had bored into its body and was gnawing on it from the inside, causing it to scream incessantly.

Gu Zheng let it continue eating.

He zipped through the forest, chasing the two fleeing Night Demons.

His Celestial Frost Blade was ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice.

Then, in a flash— SLASH!

With a flash of his blade, one of the Night Demons was sliced in half at the waist.

SWISH!

"SPLAT."

With another strike, he cleaved its head open.

The Night Demon didn’t even have time to scream before it melted into a puddle of liquid.

Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +6]

He continued his high-speed pursuit, following the Spirit-Eating Ants after the second one.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

SLASH! SLASH!

"SPLAT."

The light of his blade flashed, slicing horizontally through the second Night Demon’s head and turning it into another puddle of liquid.

Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +5]

"Bzzz~"

With both Night Demons slain, the pursuing Spirit-Eating Ants stopped and landed on the puddles of liquid to feed.

The mental message they sent to Gu Zheng was filled with delight.

’Delicious!’

’So delicious!’

"...If it’s that good, then eat your fill."

Gu Zheng stood to the side, letting the Spirit-Eating Ants eat and drink their fill before recalling them and heading back to the ravine.

Back in the cave, the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon had also had its fill. It lazily returned to Gu Zheng’s shoulder and was about to curl into a ball when it seemed to remember something. It crawled into his pocket instead before coiling up to sleep.

Gu Zheng walked into the cave and saw a small remaining puddle of liquid in the corner, along with a few beads.

Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +4]

’Not bad, not bad at all.’

He scanned the cave but didn’t find anything else of value.

He turned and went back to the ravine.

After waiting a little longer, Cheng Zong descended from the sky, a swarm of Spirit-Eating Ants in tow.

Upon seeing Gu Zheng, he said with a face full of frustration, "I’m ashamed, Gu. Truly ashamed. I let one of the Night Demons get away. It was too fast, and the distance grew too great. Your Spirit Ants lost its trail, and now I don’t know where it went."

"It’s alright."

As Gu Zheng spoke, he recalled the Spirit-Eating Ants and offered some reassurance. "Don’t worry, it won’t get away."

Ever since their journey back from Thousand Star Lake, Cheng Zong had been addressing him as ’Gu’.

Gu Zheng knew this was a sign of respect for his strength, so he didn’t stand on ceremony either. By now, he was calling Cheng Zong ’old brother’ in return.

As he spoke, he ordered the sated and sleepy Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon to come out of his pocket and find the Night Demon again.

The Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon reluctantly unfurled its body, hovered in midair to get its bearings, then shot off.

"Let’s go, brother!"

Gu Zheng urged Cheng Zong to follow.

The Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon led the way, with the two men following behind.

They followed the river downstream, passed through the forest, and returned to the county town.

WHOOSH!

The Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon dove into a small alley, about to phase into a person walking toward them.

"Stop!"

Gu Zheng stopped it, commanding the Mist Shadow Celestial Dragon to circle in the air as he stared, his expression grim, at the approaching Sun Zhenyao.

"What is it, Gu?" Cheng Zong asked from behind, not understanding the situation.

"The Night Demon that escaped..."

Gu Zheng stared at the "Sun Zhenyao" who had now walked right up to them, and replied through gritted teeth, "It’s possessed Chief Sun!"