Finding a cave in the Forest of Trees is difficult, as this place is a flat plain, unlike the Red Soil Region.
However, the Forest of Trees boasts a wide variety of tree species, among which is a giant tree known as the Hundred-Handed Wood.
This type of tree is beloved by countless writers and scholars.
Especially those currently active on the Terminal Chinese Web, many authors wish their upper limbs could multiply like the branches of the Hundred-Handed Wood, evolving into a miraculous species called tentacle monsters, capable of updating their work with tens of thousands of words a day.
Tang Xian set up his tent on the tough, thick branches of the Hundred-Handed Wood.
Fortunately, he had brought enough red thread grass, and when Qing JiuYu left, she pinned a Seven-Leaf Dual Phase Orchid on Tang Xian's chest.
In the fox tribe, this gesture probably meant "I fancy you."
Tang Xian didn't think much of it, merely considering that perhaps it could serve as a deterrent to the creatures of the Forest of Trees?
The Seven-Leaf Dual Phase Orchid's fragrance is quite unique, and many creatures in the Forest of Trees recognize that its owner is not to be trifled with.
He himself had no Soul Crystal.
And he was one hundred percent human.
First, it was the hellhounds, and then the nine-tailed foxes, both regarded as mere mine-area creatures.
Once could be a coincidence, but twice suggested some kind of connection.
At the moment, however, Tang Xian really couldn't figure out the reason behind it.
There were many mysteries about him that remained unsolved,
such as why others would lose their abilities after leaving the mine area, but his vision remained full of information even after he left.
The biggest mystery of all was the strange talent data.
He could see the needs analysis of all living beings, even that of a caterpillar.
He even frequently passed time by betting with others on which person the mosquitoes in the mine area would bite next.
Tang always won the bet.
Most of the time, the root of the problem didn't matter. In this regard, Tang wasn't as carefree as the people from the ancient 21st century.
In that era, many high school students would experience rebirth or reincarnation, often hearing a 'ding' in their minds.
Anyway, the saying that heaven subjects those whom it wishes to see great to sufferings for their minds and toils for their bones no longer suited the later eras.
Having a rebirth or a system was the new standard for those destined for greatness.
Tang accepted this quite quickly.
Now, with no clues in hand, he could only wait to unravel the mysteries of his own body later.
Therefore, his gaze fell upon Dong Ran's ample bosom.
Dong Ran was a spy sent by someone, and someone who could make Dong Ran invest heavily at that.
When he first met Dong Ran, Tang Xian had discerned her identity from the current needs analysis.
To Tang Xian, a spy was nothing out of the ordinary.
He just needed to figure out who had sent her.
He recalled his short yet pleasant six-year study life.
First, Tang dismissed Jiang Ming.
Though Dong Ran arrived shortly after he saw Jiang Ming on the day he became an official guardian,
Jiang Ming wasn't close to him, at most harboring an obsession with him.
The values of good and evil showed that Jiang was an upright person, albeit not the most magnanimous. An old instructor who cherished the past was, at the very least, someone with traditional virtues.
He wouldn't send a woman to test him by selling her appearance.
And Jiang Ming didn't have the time to arrange such a thing so quickly.
After some thought, Tang Xian considered several other people, dismissing each one in turn.
None of them necessarily had an advantage over Dong Ran.
Dong Ran was a person with four unique talents.
Based on the level of talent selection trials from his own period, Dong Ran would have ranked high in the practical tests.
The range of people capable of manipulating Dong Ran was significantly narrowed down.
At last, considering Dong Ran's behavior in recent days, she had actually been quite decent to him.
Twice, she had risked her life to save him.
Perhaps, being a spy was one identity, and a bodyguard was another.
Tang Xian carefully thought about which family's son or daughter might have such a mindset during his student life.
Eventually, he frowned and thought of a woman.
If it was this woman, she could not be considered the mastermind behind the scenes. At best, she was a minor player. But the problem was, this woman was a lunatic.
"Her modus operandi and the financial power to ensure its execution could indeed be her doing. But there's an illogical point. It seems I still have to wait for this busty idiot to wake up."
Having said that, Tang Xian patted Dong Ran's face and cut a little piece from the wormwood.
He had always been a person who valued efficiency.
The unsolved mysteries regarding himself were not urgent, so he was not in a hurry.
But waking Dong Ran up was something that did not need to be delayed.
The strong stench of the wormwood was so unpleasant that even the calamity-level creature Qing JiuYu found it uncomfortable.
Even though Dong Ran was unconscious, the process of regaining consciousness was accelerated by the smell.
The girl quickly opened her eyes and looked at Tang Xian somewhat vacantly.
Then the sleepiness and haze in her eyes immediately dissipated, replaced by dry heaves caused by nausea.
"Get it away, get it away, it stinks to death."
Dong Ran became fully alert instantly.
"Good that you're awake. We're even now. Saving you from the hands of a calamity-level creature equals the push you gave me."
Tang Xian removed the wormwood, looking indifferent.
"But you have been freeloading these past days and, as a spy, your identity has been discovered. You should at least explain who sent you here."
Dong Ran shook her head, trying to clear the lingering dizziness.
The last thing she remembered was the fiery red nine-tailed fox descending from the sky. At that moment, she thought it was all over. The two of them, even if Tang Da was currently the strongest human with ten talents, nicknamed the First Hunter Akasi, couldn't possibly survive against a calamity-level boss creature.
So what exactly is going on now?
Tang had actually driven away the nine-tailed fox?
How could a person without any talents manage to repel the strongest creature in the mines?
"Tang, what exactly happened earlier? And the fox?"
Dong Ran didn't know about the events that followed, but she remembered that the fox indeed had nine tails.
And in its eyes… there was an extremely terrifying number.
Not to mention its attack, defensive power, or speed, just its health points alone were beyond Dong Ran's imagination; she never thought a fox could have nearly a million health points.
Even though the nine-tailed fox was not among the calamity-level bosses known for high defense and health.
Thinking about it now still sent shivers down her spine.
So how exactly had Tang taken her, unconscious as she was, and escaped from the fox?
This man was too miraculous, wasn't he?
"She seemed to take a liking to me and so left as if nothing had happened," Tang said.
"…"
"Alright, as to how one survives an encounter with a calamity-level creature, I can't share my experience with you. This ordeal was a unique case without general applicability or research value."
Tang Xian looked straight at Dong Ran.
People's needs can change.
With the "Current Honesty Level" and the change in "Current Needs," Tang Xian could occasionally achieve mind-reading-like abilities.
"Now let's discuss something meaningful. Put the calamity-level creature aside for the moment. Was it Li Xiaoyu who sent you to spy on me?"
Dong Ran was stunned.
She would naturally never admit it; she had a vivid memory of this second young lady's methods.
But whether she admitted it or not was one thing; Tang Xian guessing it was another matter entirely.
Dong Ran gritted her teeth and shook her head.
Current Honesty Level: 25 (Needs Further Analysis)
Current Needs: [Divert Tang Xian's attention (64%)]
Tang Xian already knew the truth, and it was exactly what he had thought. He frowned and said:
"So it really was that troublesome girl."