Chapter 49: Wenxiang Kedou Outwits KadiGou with Cunning

The driving force behind Wenxiang Kedou’s desire to grow stronger was its wish to evolve, though there seemed to be other emotions as well.

Luo Mu had some suspicions about this, but he could not yet be certain.

But this did not stop Luo Mu from placing KadiGou and Wenxiang Kedou on opposite sides, then crouching down to say: “I won’t give orders—fight each other.”

Wenxiang Kedou turned its gaze toward KadiGou, whose eyes blazed with battle lust, and though it hesitated, the thought of its three subordinates instantly sparked a flash of determination in its eyes.

Since hatching, Wenxiang Kedou had known it was far smarter than its kin, and so, with the allegiance of its three subordinates, it took on this responsibility.

No matter what, it must prove it could contribute to the farm like those fluffy ones—only then could it secure its place in this peach-blossom paradise.

“Three, two, one—begin!”

No sooner had Luo Mu spoken than KadiGou let out an excited howl and blasted forth several searing sparks toward Wenxiang Kedou.

Wenxiang Kedou had been lost in thought; even the countdown had not fully snapped it to attention, and its movement lagged a beat—forcing it to instinctively twist away from its vulnerable belly, taking the spark squarely on its back.

Wenxiang Kedou felt its damp skin first steam as moisture evaporated, then burn with searing pain—its heart sank.

Careless!

In the wild, Wenxiang Kedou often fought; relying on its meager experience, it first spat a stream of water upward, drenching its own body to ease the burn.

Then, it churned its hind legs through the mud soaked by its Water Gun, hurling clumps of dirt at the charging KadiGou.

KadiGou couldn’t stop in time and was smothered in mud, its fur now filthy and its vision partially obscured.

Luo Mu watched in surprise—this Wenxiang Kedou’s awareness seemed unusually sharp!

Though KadiGou quickly recovered and shook its head vigorously, some mud clung stubbornly to its fur.

With vision impaired, it relied on scent—KadiGou tracked Wenxiang Kedou’s odor and charged forward with Flame Wheel.

Seeing this, Wenxiang Kedou, aware of Flame Wheel’s power, activated its clever mind once more.

Vast waves of foam burst from its thick lips, coating the ground in a thick layer—yet Wenxiang Kedou did not stop; its eyes locked onto the approaching Flame Wheel, and at the perfect moment, it leapt high into the air!

KadiGou’s Flame Wheel ignored the foam beneath it, hurtling straight toward Wenxiang Kedou—on the surface, it seemed like a wasted effort, but in truth, the foam had greatly slowed the wheel’s speed and dulled its heat.

Worse still, Wenxiang Kedou had launched itself with full force—KadiGou could only crash helplessly into empty air.

Exiting Flame Wheel, KadiGou shook off the clinging foam—and suddenly, the world before it grew startlingly clear.

The foam had washed the mud from its fur!

Before KadiGou could rejoice at its “restored vision,” Wenxiang Kedou’s body began to descend—landing squarely before it.

KadiGou tensed its muscles, preparing to deliver a fatal Double-Edge Headbutt—but as the move began to coalesce, the spiral pattern on Wenxiang Kedou’s belly suddenly caught its eye.

Gazing at the spiral, KadiGou’s gathered momentum collapsed like a breached dam—its eyes grew vacant beneath its fur, then its body slumped sideways, snoring loudly as it fell fast asleep.

Wenxiang Kedou’s final move—Hypnosis!

“Brilliant!”

Luo Mu stepped forward, clapping his hands.

Today, Wenxiang Kedou had demonstrated how to outwit KadiGou despite being physically inferior.

Every move had been a setup for that final, decisive Hypnosis—this battle IQ was not merely promising, it was terrifying!

Wenxiang Kedou’s battle intelligence had clearly surpassed that of many rookie Trainers; Luo Mu had never expected the Wenxiang Kedou he’d impulsively brought back to harbor such potential.

Facing Luo Mu’s praise, Wenxiang Kedou blushed and lowered its head, though its heart leapt with joy.

Wonderful—I really can do it!

Luo Mu picked up the snoring KadiGou, checked it over, and confirmed it had no external injuries—even its fur had been cleaned by the foam.

Then he took out a bottle of burn ointment from the store and walked to Wenxiang Kedou’s side, smiling warmly: “You need to treat the burns on your back.”

Saying this, Luo Mu sprayed the specialized burn ointment onto the reddened area of Wenxiang Kedou’s back.

Wenxiang Kedou felt a cool sensation spread across its back—strangely, the burning eased, and the pain dulled.

“Wulu lu~” (〃『▽『〃)

Wenxiang Kedou closed its eyes in comfort.

“Right? This ointment works wonders,” Luo Mu said, smiling wider, his words flowing freely: “Once, I captured Tan Xiao Shi... oh, you probably don’t know that’s the pre-evolved form of Cangyan Ren Gui—the one with the shadow armor and twin flame swords, looking so cool.”

Wenxiang Kedou recalled—and instantly pictured that Pokémon in its mind.

It remembered: though that Pokémon usually seemed cold and expressionless, its body temperature would rise slightly whenever it saw its homemade kebabs eaten.

Happy, it seemed.

Seeing Wenxiang Kedou remembered, Luo Mu continued: “I’ll keep going—Tan Xiao Shi was incredibly proud back then.”

“It once had a Trainer... that guy wasn’t good. When it lost a battle against the Water Gym in Boping City, he abandoned it.”

“Wulu lu!” (▼へ▼メ)

Wenxiang Kedou jumped angrily, as if protesting Tan Xiao Shi’s mistreatment.

“I found Tan Xiao Shi in the wild near Boping City—it hated all humans. Getting it to trust me took tremendous effort.”

Luo Mu rolled up his sleeve, revealing a patch of skin on his right arm that differed sharply in color from the rest.