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Cang Hai Plays with the Qilin — Chapter 21. Flying Rats. Part 3


The surrounding rats immediately went berserk. They swarmed over the fallen one, gnawing at its broken body in a frenzy, devouring their own kind in an instant.

Wang Cang Hai looked away, covering his mouth as he suppressed the rising nausea in his throat.

Qilin, misinterpreting his reaction as fear of the flying rats’ speed and brutality, gently patted his shoulder. “Don’t be scared, Wanbao. I’m here.”

Then Qilin flicked his wrist, throwing something. In the dim light, Wang Cang Hai couldn’t see what it was—but he saw the effect almost immediately.

The flying rats’ method of ascent depended entirely on their layered relay, requiring a rat at the bottom to serve as the first step.

But now, as soon as they jumped together, something slashed through the air at the bottom of their climbing path. The moment they tried to ascend, their bodies were suddenly sliced open, splitting into two bloodied halves midair before plummeting down—only to be torn apart and devoured by their own kind.

This cycle repeated over and over. More than a dozen flying rats met the same gruesome fate.

A thin, glistening red line slowly became visible. Every time a rat leaped upward, it collided with this nearly invisible thread—only to be instantly split down the middle, spilling blood as it fell. The dark cavern was soon streaked with vivid crimson, a grotesque contrast in the shadows.

“It’s Jin Po’s hair,” Wang Cang Hai whispered. [Jin Po is a supernatural creature known for its deadly, nearly invisible hair.]

Qilin let out a quiet chuckle. “That’s right.”

The flying rats finally realized that continuing to jump in the same spot was a death sentence. But instead of retreating, they simply shifted their jumping sequence forward by a foot, avoiding the lethal thread—and started all over again.

Qilin patiently waited. As soon as they reached the seventh layer in their new sequence, he flicked his wrist again, throwing a second strand of Jin Po hair. The same trap repeated. More rats leapt upward, only to be sliced apart midair.

Then came the third sequence. The fourth. The fifth.

These foolish, black-furred creatures remained hopelessly fixated on the non-existent luminous pearl reflection. Hundreds of them died in the process, yet they showed no awareness of their impending doom, blindly repeating the same fatal mistake.

Wang Cang Hai’s heart grew heavy.

Qilin… he was so naive, yet so ruthless. Passionate, yet cruel.

What kind of place was Dong Xia [a mysterious land referenced earlier in the story], to produce both creatures like the Jin Po, Mi Luo Tu, Snake Cypress, and flying rats… and also someone like Qilin—a seemingly carefree trickster, but capable of orchestrating such brutal slaughter without hesitation?

A sharp, piercing screech suddenly shattered the eerie silence of the cavern.

Even though they were hiding, Wang Cang Hai could feel an overwhelming force rippling through the air—something massive was emerging from the depths of the cave.

And it was flying.

Another screech echoed, much closer than before. Whatever it was, it moved far faster than the flying rats.

Qilin suddenly began trembling violently.

“Ren Mian Niao… The Ren Mian Niao is here…”

His hands moved swiftly, snatching up the black-gold knife and the luminous pearl. Then he turned to Wang Cang Hai and shouted, “Run! The Ren Mian Niao is coming to eat us!”

Qilin shoved Wang Cang Hai forward, urging him to crawl deeper into the narrow cave.

Wang Cang Hai couldn’t resist glancing back. Outside the small opening, the flying rats were also fleeing in chaos.

But then—a third screech rang out.

At the same moment, a surge of crimson flames roared through the cavern, engulfing the flying rats in an instant.

The nauseating stench of burnt fur mixed with the scent of scorched flesh, thick and suffocating. Wang Cang Hai coughed as the acrid smoke stung his throat.

He also saw Qilin—crawling as fast as he could, his entire body trembling.

He was afraid.

Wang Cang Hai thought, Just what kind of terrifying creature is the Ren Mian Niao… to make even Qilin this terrified?

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