The Lazy Sovereign

The glowing red eyes in the forest glared at Xu Tian and Shen Feng, unblinking. A low growl reverberated through the trees, sending chills down Xu Tian's spine.

"Please tell me that's just a hungry squirrel," Xu Tian whispered.

Shen Feng laughed, spinning his dagger. "Squirrel? That's optimistic. My guess? Probably something that thinks you'll make a tasty snack."

Xu Tian groaned. "Great. As if today wasn't already perfect."

The growling grew louder, and from the shadows stepped a massive, wolf-like beast. Its fur shimmered with an eerie silver light, and its fangs gleamed like polished blades.

Xu Tian froze, clutching his hoe tightly. "Shen Feng, I'm not ready for this. Can't we just… run?"

Shen Feng grinned. "Run? Where's the fun in that?"

"For me, survival is the fun!" Xu Tian hissed.

The beast let out a deafening roar and charged toward them, its claws tearing through the ground.

Xu Tian screamed and turned to flee, only to feel Shen Feng grab the back of his collar.

"Whoa there, buddy," Shen Feng said. "You've got to face your problems head-on."

Xu Tian flailed. "This isn't a problem! This is a predator!"

Shen Feng sighed and shoved Xu Tian forward. "Fine. Hold it off for a second. I'll think of something."

Xu Tian stumbled, gripping his hoe like a lifeline. "Think of something? You're the expert! Why do I have to stall it?"

"Because you're the one with the glowing seal and a knack for making things worse," Shen Feng said with a smirk.

The beast lunged, its jaws snapping inches from Xu Tian's face. He swung his hoe wildly, catching it on the nose.

To his surprise, the beast yelped and recoiled, shaking its head furiously.

Shen Feng blinked. "Wait a second. Did you just—"

Xu Tian held up his hoe, staring at it in disbelief. "Did I just scare it off? Is this thing actually… powerful?"

The beast growled again, circling him warily.

Shen Feng chuckled. "Not quite. It's probably just confused. But hey, keep waving that thing around, and maybe it'll work!"

Xu Tian sighed. "Great. My battle strategy is now 'wave the hoe and hope for the best.'"

As the beast prepared to pounce again, Shen Feng stepped in, tossing a small talisman into the air. The talisman ignited, releasing a burst of blinding light.

The beast howled, retreating into the shadows.

Shen Feng dusted off his hands. "See? Easy."

Xu Tian glared at him. "Easy? You could have done that five minutes ago!"

Shen Feng shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"

Before they could catch their breath, a rustling sound came from the opposite direction. Xu Tian groaned, pointing his hoe toward the noise.

"Please tell me that's just the wind," he said.

Shen Feng tilted his head, listening carefully. "Nope. Definitely not the wind."

From the bushes emerged a group of bandits, each one armed to the teeth and grinning wickedly.

"Well, well," their leader said, eyeing the glowing seal on Xu Tian's palm. "Looks like we've got ourselves a lucky find. Hand over the treasure, and we'll let you go."

Xu Tian sighed, slumping his shoulders. "Can't I get one moment of peace?"

Shen Feng grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Looks like things are about to get interesting again."

Xu Tian groaned, raising his hoe. "Why do I feel like your definition of 'interesting' is going to get me killed?"

The bandits laughed, closing in around them.