Lin Mu had seen Duan Ke multiple times, but this was the first time he had seen her break her composure and show such a surprised expression. For this very reason, he felt that something was wrong or he may have done something wrong.
"Is there something wrong?" Lin Mu asked cautiously.
Duan Mu came to her senses and realised that she had shown a surprised expression. When she saw Lin Mu's concerned face, she understood that he had noticed it this time. She forcibly controlled her emotions and spoke,
"How did you kill this high tier beast?" Duan Ke asked, trying to covertly justify the reason for her expression.
If Lin Mu was first confused because of Duan Ke's expression, now he was confused due to her words.
"What do you mean high tier beast?" questioned Lin Mu.
"This beast, it's a high tier beast of at least 9th stage body tempering realm." Replied Duan Ke.
Lin Mu's expression slowly changed from confusion to that of fear, once the words of Duan Ke sank in. He had avoided hunting a high tier beast, the Razor-maw Ox, which was also equivalent to a 9th stage body tempering realm expert. But somehow had ended up hunting and killing another beast of the same strength.
Lin Mu could not understand how he was able to do this daunting task successfully. He then remembered how the Steel-back wolf's skull was crushed in his one hit, but the coyote beast's didn't. But he still could not understand why the beast did not react when he attacked. If it really was a high-tier beast, it should have detected him the moment he exposed himself.
The only reason he was able to kill the steel-back wolf back then, was because the beast was focused on the mercenaries, along with it being injured and exhausted. There was no way the same tactic would have worked on it, if it was in its optimum condition, not to mention a beast even stronger than it.
Cold sweat covered Lin Mu's forehead and back. Duan Ke could see the dread and fear on Lin Mu's face.
'Don't tell me this boy did not even know the strength of this beast before hunting it.' Thought Duan Ke.
"Did you not know the strength of this beast beforehand?" asked Duan Ke.
Lin Mu, who seemed to have become a mute, finally came to his senses upon hearing Duan Ke's question.
"No, I don't even know the name of the beast." Replied Lin Mu.
Duan Ke just kept on staring at the beast corpse after hearing Lin Mu's reply and did not speak anything. Seeing that she was not replying Lin Mu asked,
"What… what's the name of the beast?" Lin Mu asked.
"It does not have a name, at least not until now." Duan Ke spoke without moving her gaze from the beast corpse.
"What do you mean, why does it not have a name?" asked Lin Mu, while wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
Duan Ke stayed silent for a minute before shifting her gaze from the beast corpse.
"This beast… it's a mutant. This is not its natural form." Replied Duan Ke.
"A mutant? What's that?" asked Lin Mu curiously.
"Some beasts, if they consume or come in contact with certain substances, can change their nature and physique under the influence of that substance. Though more often than not, these beasts cannot reproduce and thus end up becoming a unique specimen; the only member of their species." Explained Duan Ke.
This was completely new information to Lin Mu. He had never heard of such a thing, not even from his father, who was rather very knowledgeable about beasts and was also a hunter himself. Seeing that Lin Mu was engrossed in digesting the information she had just said, Duan Ke waited for a minute before speaking.
"So, how did you defeat a beast that was much stronger than you?" Duan Ke asked.
"The beast did not react as it should have. I ambushed it and was able to kill it in two moves." Explained Lin Mu.
"Care to explain more?" replied Duan Ke.
"I set some bait and waited for the beast. I was hiding the entire time and only attacked when the beast was in the right position and could not see me. My first hit stunned the beast, making it fall to the ground, and with the next attack I slashed its neck." Lin Mu explained thoroughly.
"Did the beast not finish its mutation completely? But this aura, it's very similar to that 'thing'" muttered Duan Ke.
"Umm, sorry what?" Lin Mu asked upon hearing Duan Ke mutter.
Duan Ke stopped and looked at Lin Mu, before she spoke curtly,
"It's nothing of your concern."
Lin Mu was a little surprised with Duan Ke's curt tone, but did not mind it.
"So you want to sell this beast corpse?" Duan Ke asked, changing the topic.
"Ah no, not the entire beast. I want to keep the meat." Lin Mu replied.
"Why didn't you prepare it before coming here then?" Duan Ke asked with annoyance in her voice.
"I… I did not know what parts of it can be sold. So… I kept it whole." Said Lin Mu embarrassingly.
"Hmm, okay then. You can come to collect the money and the meat three hours later. And I'm charging you extra for dissecting the corpse." Spoke Duan Ke with a straight face.
Lin Mu was a little taken aback at the last part of the sentence, but nodded anyway and left the shop. He did not even ask how much money he would be getting, as he understood that the fierce woman was already annoyed with him.
After Lin Mu left the shop, Duan Ke's eyes suddenly turned fierce. She waved her hand and numerous runes materialised on the door of the shop. If a person looked at the shop right now from the outside, they would only find a plain wall. There was no sign of the shop ever existing in the desolate alley.
Duan Ke gestured with her hand and made the beast's corpse float. She walked through the door behind the counter, which automatically opened for her. The beast corpse floated behind her and followed her inside the door.
Duan Ke entered a small room that was illuminated by a lamp hanging on the roof. There was no other entrance or exit to that room except for the one Duan Ke had come in from. She then snapped her fingers and the lamp illuminating the room was extinguished. But instead of turning dark, the room started to fade into a white background, Duan Ke disappearing along with it.
Duan Ke soon appeared in what looked to be an enormous courtyard. There were elaborate ponds, rivers, streams, and fake mountains. Intricately designed bridges spanned over the rivers and streams. Beautiful and charming fishes could be seen swimming in the water.
On the other end of the courtyard, one could see a manor that was adorned with exquisite decorations consisting of statues, paintings, and calligraphy. Just in front of the manor was a small pavilion surrounded by hundreds of spirit flowers, which were emanating a pleasant fragrance.
An old man was currently sitting in the pavilion. He was drinking a cup of tea that was emitting an aroma that calmed one's senses. This old man was none other than the owner of Jing Wei's emporium, Jing Wei himself, and also the grandfather of Duan Ke.
Duan Ke gently walked towards the pagoda and arrived behind Jing Wei. The old man was facing away from Duan Ke and was currently enjoying his cup of tea.
"Grandfather" Duan Ke called out affectionately.
The old man finished his cup of tea in one gulp and turned around to face his granddaughter.
"You're back from the shop. Was it that boy Lin Mu again?" Jing Wei asked, as he enjoyed the taste of the tea with his eyes closed.
"Yes, grandfather. He… he brought something unusual." Replied Duan Ke with a little uncertainty in her voice.
Jing Wei opened his eyes upon hearing Duan Ke's words.
"Why, what did he bring?" He asked with a reassuring tone.
Duan Ke gestured with her fingers, and the corpse of the coyote beast came in front of her and rested on the ground. She pointed at the corpse and spoke,
"This beast corpse."
Jing Wei's gaze focused on the beast's corpse.
"Hmm, a mutant. That too having a strength of a high tier beast." Jing Wei spoke to himself.
"He killed this beast himself?" Jing Wei asked Duan Ke.
"Yes, that's what he said, and it did not seem like he was lying either." Duan Ke replied.
"It shouldn't be possible for him to kill this beast." Said Jing Wei.
"That's not what's bothering me, grandfather. The beast did not complete its mutation, it could not react to the boy's attack in time." Explained Duan Ke.
She then took a pause and continued,
"This beast's aura, it's very similar to that 'thing' from last year."
"I thought you cleared all of its traces back then, even the ones that could not be cleared by the disciples of Tri-cauldron peony sect." Jing Wei spoke with a questioning tone.
"I did, but now this beast appeared. I think it probably mutated due to the influence of that 'thing'." Duan Ke spoke with a lost expression on her face.