Beast God
Chapter 31: True Colors Revealed

"Worthless trash!"  

In the elite team's camp, Lu Kai spat on the ground in front of Old Bird, his face full of contempt and disdain.  

Old Bird's weathered face turned beet red, his lips trembling without producing any words.  

The rest of the elite team looked at him with equal scorn, as if watching a clown.  

Since rejoining the elite team, Old Bird had enjoyed smooth sailing, with Ji Nanhong and other team members taking turns helping him level up, quickly bringing him to level 10.  

He had thought this marked the beginning of his meteoric rise. But during their attempt to kill the Great Dark Heaven Demon Statue, Old Bird's arrows—normally precise during practice—failed to hit its vulnerable third eye, causing them to miss their chance. Ji Nanhong had no choice but to abort the mission and retreat.  

Old Bird desperately begged Ji Nanhong and the others for another chance, swearing he wouldn't fail again.  

Ji Nanhong granted his request, gathering resources for a second attempt. Yet Old Bird missed again—this time by an even wider margin.  

"How could this happen?" Old Bird couldn't understand. He was supposed to be a prodigy archer, never missing his mark. Why now?  

The way the elite team looked at him made him feel like a complete fool.  

He knew exactly what Lu Kai and the others were thinking—they saw him as all talk, collapsing under pressure when it mattered most, utterly useless.  

"Old Bird," Ji Nanhong said coldly, "these two failed attempts cost our team dearly. You know why we can't keep you anymore. I have to answer to the others."  

Old Bird's lips moved silently. He wanted to beg for another chance but suddenly realized he'd lost all confidence in himself. Even if granted another opportunity, he feared he'd fail again.  

"I understand," Old Bird muttered, handing over his elite team gear before turning away with slumped shoulders.  

Considering the heavy losses from both attempts, simply expelling him was already merciful.  

"Pathetic. Trash stays trash—can't even seize an opportunity when given," Lu Kai's mocking voice followed Old Bird as he left.  

Old Bird stiffened but didn't look back, gritting his teeth as he walked away from the elite team's base.  

Alone in the forest, Old Bird unleashed his fury on the trees, his frustration unbearable.  

"Why... why did this happen... I never miss... why now..." After his outburst, he collapsed to his knees, clutching his head in agony.  

He knew it was over. He'd ruined everything, with no chance of redemption.  

"I really am worthless... always failing when it counts..." The rapid fall from genius to laughingstock shattered his confidence completely.  

"No... I can't end like this... can't let them keep looking down on me... but my archery... my skills..." As self-doubt consumed him, an image of Rouge the rabbit flashed in his mind.  

"If that pet were mine, even with poor archery, I'd still belong in the elite team. No one would dare mock me then." His bloodshot eyes hardened with ruthless determination.  

Clutching his bow, Old Bird stood and marched straight toward Shituo Forest where he'd last seen Chen Guan.  

He would find Chen Guan and force him to hand over Rouge—by any means necessary.  

Previously, Old Bird had held back from seizing the rabbit—partly out of residual childhood neighborly courtesy, partly because Rouge's combat prowess gave him pause.  

Moreover, Ji Nanhong's rules forbade human practitioners on the island from killing each other or stealing possessions. Old Bird couldn't openly rob Chen Guan in front of the team.  

He'd deliberately kept silent about Chen Guan's rare, powerful pet, already nurturing dark intentions. Had Ji Nanhong known about Rouge, she might have recruited Chen Guan instead.  

Now, all restraint vanished. Old Bird cared only about finding Chen Guan and taking Rouge by force.  

He didn't fear resistance—as a level 10 practitioner against a rookie who'd just arrived days ago, even with a rare pet, Chen Guan stood no chance.  

With Rouge properly leveled, Old Bird would return triumphant to the elite team and make Lu Kai eat his words.  

After frantic searching yielded no trace of Chen Guan, panic set in.  

"Did that kid get killed by some powerful Mystical Spirit?" The thought terrified Old Bird—without Rouge, he'd remain a permanent failure.  

If Chen Guan died, his bonded Mystical Spirit would vanish too—the worst possible outcome.  

Refusing to give up, Old Bird expanded his search area, praying to heaven that Chen Guan still lived.  

Perhaps his desperation moved the gods, for in a distant canyon, he spotted human figures—one unmistakably Chen Guan.  

Holding back, Old Bird observed that Chen Guan's companions were all unfamiliar newcomers, likely recent arrivals. Their tattered clothes, lack of pets, and visible injuries suggested they were in dire straits.  

Chen Guan and Qin Ziyu's group noticed Old Bird too. Chen Guan frowned slightly.  

"Chen Guan, come here. We need to talk," Old Bird declared imperiously from atop his Ghost-Headed Horse.  

"Say what you want right here," Chen Guan replied, already guessing Old Bird's purpose.  

From Chen Guan's observations, those easily influenced by Cheerleader's Soul—whether humans or Mystical Spirits—typically had poorer potential.  

Old Bird's quick responsiveness to the talent's effects indicated mediocre potential that wouldn't last.  

It didn't take genius to predict Old Bird's imminent failure in the elite team. His current demeanor made his intentions painfully obvious.