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Not to mention Erlang, even Gu Shi himself began to doubt his own judgment. He could clearly see that while the big rabbit was admitting its mistake and apologizing, its two feet were still digging the soil beneath its feet with slight movements, silently and efficiently, as if it was trying to quietly dig a hole and escape.
The big rabbit is now very weak and her body is so big that a lot of soil will be dug out after just a few diggings. If it was before her evolution, her tactic of secretly digging a hole while admitting defeat would be a really good way to escape.
After all, almost all the Xu have a tyrannical nature. When they see that the prey is so timid and easy to bully, they will inevitably play with it. At worst, they will taunt it a few times before killing it. Judging from the speed at which the big rabbit digs holes, a few words should be enough for her to crawl into the ground and escape.
...Such a skill of escape that has been honed through thousands of times cannot possibly be practiced just for the purpose of disguising oneself and deceiving others, right?
"Ahem, stop digging for a moment. I want to ask you something."
Seeing that the hole dug by the big rabbit was getting bigger and bigger, Gu Shi quickly interrupted it with a dry cough, otherwise a 30-meter-long big virtual rabbit would really dig in the ground and escape. That scene would be too torturous for the eyes and brains of the onlookers.
The big rabbit, who was still desperately apologizing, froze all over. He didn't expect that his secret escape technique had been discovered. He trembled even more violently. He secretly glanced at Gu Shi through the gap between his claws. Seeing that he really didn't seem to intend to eat him, he relaxed a little and hurriedly made a promise loudly.
"Ask me whatever you want, and I will answer you honestly!"
"Well, don't be so nervous. I just want to ask, you evolved so quickly, it shows that you have accumulated a good foundation before, and you must have eaten a lot of Voids. Did you hunt those Voids yourself?"
As time went by, Gu Shi became more and more straightforward. He was too lazy to play around with the questions and just asked directly what was in his mind.
Hearing Gu Shi ask this question instead of asking himself whether rabbit meat is delicious, the big rabbit was obviously more relaxed and answered as quickly as possible.
"No, I stole those!"
Then, without waiting for Gu Shi to ask further questions, the big rabbit took the initiative to explain with great tact.
“Some very powerful Voids would kill many Voids at once when hunting, and then eat them all at once. I just stole their prey.
"It's very simple. Every time, I just need to wait for them to start eating, then secretly dig through the ground, and then collapse the ground under the prey they haven't eaten yet. When the corpse falls, I just need to escape from the ground with the corpse. I can run very fast underground, and they can't catch up with me!"
Becoming a Hollow did change Big Rabbit's personality a little bit after all. He had more courage than before, although it was still insignificant, but when talking about the area he was best at, he couldn't help but raise his voice a little.
Gu Shi was stunned for a moment, and after some deduction in his mind, he found that the method mentioned by the big rabbit was quite feasible. Before evolving into a big virtual, most, or almost all virtuals, did not have the ability to launch virtual flashes. It is likely that there would not be even one abnormal one like a bat that could launch virtual flashes in the small virtual stage.
The little Xu who can't dodge can only rely on their claws and teeth to fight. How can they chase the enemy underground? Use claws to dig into the ground? Or hammer the ground hard, hoping to shock the prey underground to death?
With the small virtual's poor attacking means, the big rabbit only needs to dive one meter or at most two meters underground to be completely safe, unless it encounters other virtuals that are good at digging holes.
However, this big rabbit seems very smart. I think before stealing its prey, it will definitely observe whether the target will dig a hole.
...So, this big rabbit is really timid and cowardly, and has accumulated a good foundation without much hunting on its own?
Gu Shi glanced at the pit under the big rabbit's feet and nodded in agreement.
"Your ability to dig holes to save your life is indeed good, but when you reach the Great Void stage, it is basically useless. Void Flash can easily penetrate dozens of meters of soil. The underground is no longer a safe area."
After hearing what Gu Shi said, the big rabbit was shocked, and then he realized that his secret life-saving skill was no longer effective. The whole rabbit was terrified, and its body trembled violently several times, like a small flower thrown into the desert, and it quickly wilted.
"You can get lost later. I have another question. If you continue to steal in this way, you will eventually evolve into a great hollow. Why do you want to come out and provide us with information? Aren't you afraid that we will regret it after we find the things and kill you directly?"
Gu Shi ignored the big rabbit's dejection, patted her head and asked the question that concerned him most.
"Rabbit is too lonely and wants friends."
The big rabbit was in a state of disarray, and seemed to have some strange habit of speaking. It looked like it was about to die, and rubbed Gu Shi's hand, answering in a hollow tone.
“Rabbit found you in the desert and thought you would kill them. Rabbit wanted to steal your prey, but I didn’t expect that not only did you not fight, but the atmosphere was so good.
"Rabbit is so envious, Rabbit wants friends too!"
The big rabbit's voice unconsciously became a little louder, but immediately became low. He hugged Gu Shi's thigh and wiped his tears unwillingly.
“But the rabbit is too weak. The rabbit is afraid of being eaten by you, so it can only follow you secretly underground. The rabbit can do addition and recite ancient poems, but the rabbit dare not be your friend!
“Then you fell down, and Rabbit fell down with you. Rabbit was extremely scared and ran away underground. Unexpectedly, you turned into big hollows, and Rabbit became even more scared and didn’t dare to be friends with you.
"Usagi also wants to become stronger. If she becomes a Hollow, maybe she can become friends with you guys. So when she heard that she could become a Hollow by helping you guys, she couldn't help but sneak out.
"Rabbit wants to help you! Rabbit wants to become a Hollow! Rabbit wants to be your friend!"
As the big rabbit spoke, he became sadder and sadder, his voice began to sob, and his tears burst out, completely soaking the hem of Gu Shi's black robe.
"Woo, woo, woo, but Rabbit is dying now! Rabbit's method of running away is no use! Rabbit is dying!"
Gu Shi listened patiently to the big rabbit's crying and was secretly surprised. He did not expect that this guy had been following him since the surface desert. Fortunately, the big rabbit had no bad intentions, otherwise it would have suddenly jumped out from the ground to attack him. At that time, he and Erlang might not have been able to cope with it. Perhaps only the bat that could fly would have an easier time.
"Don't cry, don't cry, you won't die, you are already a Hollow, very strong, you can survive without running away."
While feeling surprised, Gu Shi did not forget to comfort the big rabbit as gently as he would a child. He really could not feel any ill will towards this "little guy" who had no bad intentions and only wanted to make friends with him.
Although Gu Shi's comfort was simple, it was effective. Although the big rabbit's tears had not stopped yet, at least he stopped crying loudly. He stared at Gu Shi with a pair of bloodshot eyes and looked up at him with tears in his eyes, anxiously seeking Gu Shi's affirmation again.
"Rabbit, Rabbit is very strong?"
"Of course, you are a great hollow, very strong, but you just lack a little combat experience. You have been with us for so long, you must know what martial arts are. Later, you and Erlang will study martial arts well and make up for your shortcomings. Then you don't have to worry about not being able to beat others."
Gu Shi's words were heartfelt. Not only were they a simple consolation, he even thought of a solution to the problem for Big Rabbit.
However, what he didn't expect was that the big rabbit secretly glanced at Jilang and protested in a carefully lowered voice.
"Erlang, Erlang's martial arts are useless. How can I not learn them? I want to learn from you."
Erlang was originally quite moved when he heard the big rabbit crying heartfeltly, saying that he wanted to be friends with him and others. He rarely showed a gentle expression. He didn't expect that this guy would dare to despise his martial arts. He was so angry that his teeth itched. He grabbed the big rabbit's head and a chill sound came out from between his teeth.
"From today on, you are my first disciple. Don't worry, I will train you well and let you learn real skills."
Chapter 84 We are friends
"This should be it, right?"
The black cat quietly jumped down from the branch and landed lightly on the ground. Not only was there no sound, but it didn't even crush the dry grass under its feet. From a visual perspective, it would be more accurate to say that it was floating at a position with zero distance from the dry grass rather than standing on the grass.
The little nose twitched slightly a few times, and a hint of doubt flashed in the little black cat's golden eyes. It stepped lightly, and accompanied by a puff of smoke, the black cat turned into the appearance of a young girl.
"Could there be something wrong with the stealth maneuvering technology? Isn't this where the tracking device shows us? Why can't we find any clues after searching so many times?"
The girl, namely Shihouin Yoruichi, muttered to herself irritably. She had thought that the biggest difficulty in capturing Saito Yoruichi would be how to deprive him of his ability to resist without killing him.
But to her surprise, a problem occurred in the first step of the mission. She had a secret, mobile and most advanced tracking device in her hand, but she could not find any trace of the other party. The traces of Saito Yami's spiritual power disappeared out of thin air in a wasteland in the world. She searched carefully for several times but found no clues.
This was the first time in his life that Shifengyuan Yoruichi was carrying out such a formal mission. He was filled with enthusiasm and wanted to capture the target immediately to prove his ability and to maintain the dignity of the Xingjun and the Shifengyuan family.
Under the pressure brought by this psychological expectation, even though she kept telling herself not to be anxious and to calm down as soon as possible, a feeling of anxiety still rose up in her heart uncontrollably.
The sound of the autumn wind seemed to have turned into whispers, as countless people were talking about her. The elders accused her of destroying the thousand-year-old reputation of the Shifengyuan family, her peers mocked her for being a genius in name only, and other nobles who were waiting to laugh at her mocked her for her lack of ability.
“Ahhhhh!!! I’m so annoyed!!!”
With an angry roar and using his flash step to the extreme, Shifengyuan Yoruichi ran wildly across the wilderness at the fastest speed, both to vent his emotions and also in the hope of expanding the search range and finding useful clues.
After a while, Shifengyuan Yoruichi returned to the starting point. Although she gained nothing and failed to find any clues, the continuous cold wind blowing towards her while running calmed her anxious mood, allowing her to rationally rethink the doubts in the problem.
"It's impossible for her to disappear out of thin air. Even if she was eaten by the void or committed suicide, there should be some spiritual energy left. She must have cleaned up the traces herself."
Shifengyuan Yoruichi frowned and thought. Her superb instant step attainment, which was based on her instinct, allowed her to remain "suspended" above the grass leaves even without deliberately maintaining it. The dry grass under her feet did not bend at all.
“But, what kind of cleaning method did she use? It would be fine if she could hide it from me, but even the special tracking instrument couldn’t sense her spiritual energy?
"The instrument stopped responding after tracking her here. Could it be that she didn't continue to run away, but really stopped here and hid on the spot? Did she use a material similar to the murderous stone to completely wrap herself up to prevent her spiritual power from leaking out?
"Where can she hide? Underground? Or in the sky?"
Shifengyuan Yoruichi looked up at the sky. The weather was excellent today with not a single cloud in the sky. As long as he raised his head slightly, he could see the entire blue sky. There was no sign of anyone hiding there.
Then, Shifengyuan Yoruichi looked down at his feet again. The soil itself has a certain blocking effect on spiritual energy. Although the effect is far less than that of the murderous stone, theoretically speaking, if the hole is dug deeper and some murderous stone fragments are embedded in the hole, the effect of blocking the spiritual energy should be achieved.
Could it be that Saito Yami had already guessed that he would be convicted one day, so he prepared an underground base here in advance and hid in it immediately after escaping from Soul Society?
If this is the case, the situation will be a bit troublesome. If you want to find the base hidden underground, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack if you just search blindly. Even if you invest a lot of manpower and material resources, you may not be able to achieve results.
Thinking of this, Shifengyuan Yoruichi felt a little irritated again, and hurriedly took a deep breath to adjust his emotions and calm himself down.
[It would be great if Kisuke was here too, he would definitely be able to solve the problem. ]
Just as Shifengyuan Yoruichi was thinking this, a door to a world suddenly appeared in the air. As soon as the door opened, before anyone walked out, a nonchalant voice floated out.
"Oh, it looks like you're in trouble, Yoruichi. No wonder the old man suddenly brought me to Shifengyuan's house and kicked me into the Chuanjie Gate without even saying a word of courtesy. It seems like he wants me to help you."
A somewhat vulgar voice was heard, and a blond boy, who looked like he had been staying up late for three months and slept less than three hours a day, scratched his messy hair in an indecent posture, walked out of the gate listlessly, and waved to Ye Yi casually, which counted as a greeting.
"Ye Yi, I'm really not a troublemaker, but the old man's actions clearly show that he doesn't believe in your ability. Ye Yi, you are such a proud and talented person, why do you need the help of friends? You can handle everything by yourself~"
As he spoke, the young man, who seemed like he would fall asleep at any moment, perked up for a rare moment, and with the look of a "good brother who sticks to his principles", he patted his skinny chest hard.
"I'm different. I completely trust you, Yoruichi. How about that? Yoruichi, as long as you say that you don't need help, I will go back immediately and will never disturb you from carrying out your mission!"
"Kisuke, if you say something sarcastic again, I'll beat the shit out of you!"
After a fierce roar, Shifengyuan Yoruichi's expression quickly softened, revealing a bit of guilt.
"Kisuke, it's not that I haven't thought about asking you for help. It's just that this is my first time to carry out a mission independently. I hope to accomplish it beautifully by myself and make those who intend to laugh at the Shihouin family shut up."
Urahara Kisuke raised his eyebrows, found a random stone to sit on, still looking lazy, looking up at his friend who bore the name of Shihouin.
"So, you left without saying anything or even saying hello? When I came to your house this time, the servants of the Shifengyuan family told me that you were out on a mission. Will I be able to find you next time you disappear?"
Will there be a day when you disappear completely from my life without a sound?
Shihouin Yoruichi understood what Urahara Kisuke had not said yet, and couldn't help but fall silent. If you put yourself in his shoes, if one day, Urahara Kisuke suddenly disappeared, and you couldn't find your best friend no matter how hard you tried, you would definitely be very angry, very sad... and very scared, right?
Silence brewed in the air between the two of them, making them feel increasingly dizzy. Both of them seemed to have lost the ability to speak, until a cool autumn breeze blew by, and it was Urahara Kisuke who took the lead in breaking the suffocating silence.
"Yoichi, I'm sorry?"
"……sorry."
"Okay! Then I forgive you!"
Urahara Kisuke clapped his hands, and the gloom on his face disappeared.
Yoruichi Shihoin looked at the smile on Urahara Kisuke's face in astonishment, not understanding why he forgave her so easily with just a simple "I'm sorry". If their positions were reversed, she would at least give that hateful "Yruichi Shihoin" two punches.
Urahara Kisuke ignored Shihouin Yoruichi's confusion, put on a frivolous smile and made a few faces.
"Don't worry, Yoruichi. The Urahara family is just an insignificant small family, and Urahara Kisuke of the Urahara family is a nobody who no one knows. In the eyes of those high-ranking nobles, I am just a little follower following behind you. Even if you accept my help, it will not damage your glory as the heir of the Shihouin family.
"Even if I stand beside you openly, the only discussion they have about me is probably whether I am responsible for holding the kettle for you or running errands. So, you can feel free to ask me for help!"
Urahara Kisuke stood in the afterglow of the sunset, his arms open happily, his face full of mockery towards those "higher-ups", and his tone was surprisingly light.
"I'll help you, Yoruichi.
"I will always help you. Until you subdue all those who dare to look down on you, until your authority as the head of the Shifengyuan family is unshakable, Urahara Kisuke will be a small person responsible for running errands. Remember, save a place for me in the second team~"
"Kisuke, I don't agree with this! This isn't fair to you!"
Shihouin Yoruichi could not accept Urahara Kisuke's proposal. She knew that Urahara Kisuke was a genius, no less talented than herself.