"Qin Ran has set up formations above the second floor of the Research Building to prevent me from secretly concocting pills," Long Qiqi said to Tushan Youyou. "To make poison, we need the medicinal materials from the second floor. To steal the Tribulation Thunder Pill and Earth Fire Pill, we need to go to the fourth floor."
"What level have you reached in your formation skills?" Long Qiqi asked Tushan Youyou. "Can you break formations?"
"I can only set up simple two-layer formations at the moment," Tushan Youyou shook her head. "As for breaking formations, I don't know anything about that. Also, these are formations set up by Qin Ran, so there's no way I can break them."
"Qin Ran's formation skills are really that good?!" Long Qiqi asked in surprise. Qin Ran had told her before that his formation skills exceeded his pill concoction abilities, but she thought he was boasting at the time.
"Very good," Tushan Youyou nodded, not elaborating further. She then asked Long Qiqi, "So what should we do now? No poison, no stolen Tribulation Thunder Pill or Earth Fire Pill. Should we just go ahead?"
Long Qiqi furrowed her brows in thought for a moment before murmuring, "There's no rush. Perhaps there is still a way."
"What way?"
"Chasing the Wind!" Long Qiqi said. "With his ability to tread the shadows, he may be able to directly bypass the formations and enter the Research Building."
"But he's a daddy's boy," Tushan Youyou said. "Would he be willing to steal Qin Ran's things?"
"He would!" Long Qiqi said confidently.
Shortly after, Long Qiqi and Tushan Youyou appeared in the living room of the small wooden house.
At this time, Chasing the Wind and Li Shiyin were still battling it out over a game of chess. Chasing the Wind clasped a white chess piece in his black gloved paw and slammed it onto the chessboard with a snap. Brimming with momentum, he roared loudly, "A four point sequence! You're going to lose..."
"Lose your ass!" Li Shiyin threw a punch straight at him and cursed, "You've messed up all the pieces!!"
Chasing the Wind looked down at the chessboard and realized that with his oversized paws, he had indeed made quite a mess. He had also gotten a little too excited and hadn't paid enough attention.
"Hahaha, I didn't restrain my strength properly!" He scratched his ears sheepishly with his big paw, appearing extremely honest and cute.
"If you keep slamming the pieces down like that, the chessboard is going to break!" Li Shiyin said angrily.
The two of them reset the chess pieces and prepared to start another intense round... They were so absorbed in their game that they didn't notice Long Qiqi and Tushan Youyou watching them for a good while.
As she eyed the seemingly foolish tiger, Tushan Youyou murmured incredulously to Long Qiqi, "Does he look like someone who can traverse formations to you?"
"Cough!" Long Qiqi wasn't so sure anymore either.
She walked over and slapped the chessboard with her chubby palm, interrupting Li Shiyin and Chasing the Wind's game. Once she had Li Shiyin and Chasing the Wind's angry attention, she looked up at them and said solemnly, "Today is the day!"
"The day for what?" Li Shiyin clearly hadn't reacted yet.
Long Qiqi just kept staring at her steadily with those heavy eyes.
Slowly, understanding dawned on Li Shiyin. In an instant, she entered battle mode, her beautiful face turning icy cold as sword intent flashed in her eyes.
"What's the battle plan?" she asked.
She knew Long Qiqi was a lot like her shifu—just as cunning and scheming. For something this major, there was no way she didn't have a plan.
Instead of answering her, Long Qiqi turned to look at Chasing the Wind and said, "I need you to fetch a couple things for me."
"What things?" Chasing the Wind still hadn't reacted. His big eyes were full of confusion.
Long Qiqi took out a list of medicinal materials and handed it to Chasing the Wind. "Go to the second floor medicinal storage room in the Research Building and help me procure these medicinal ingredients."
She took out another piece of paper and pointed to the pills listed on it. "Go to the Black Technology Pill Room on the fourth floor of the Research Building and bring me these two types of pills."
Chasing the Wind might be a bit foolish, but he wasn't that foolish. He quickly realized what was going on and asked, "Are you trying to steal Daddy's pills?"
"Not steal, borrow," Long Qiqi substituted the concept. "If your daddy knew, he would agree too."
Chasing the Wind wasn't fully convinced and looked to Li Shiyin.
Li Shiyin nodded at him slightly. "You go steal them. I'll take responsibility if anything happens!"
"There's no need for you to take responsibility, I'll steal them myself!" Chasing the Wind said... Stealing Daddy's things did seem pretty thrilling.
In a flash, a gust of wind whipped up in the living room and Chasing the Wind vanished in a swirl of white.
"Can he handle it?" Tushan Youyou didn't have much faith in Chasing the Wind.
But for some reason, Li Shiyin had inexplicable confidence in him. She nodded. "He can do it!"
"I'm not so sure..." Long Qiqi shook her head, reserving judgment.
But before her voice had even faded, another fierce gust of wind swirled up in the living room and Chasing the Wind reappeared.
Long Qiqi was taken aback. She looked at Chasing the Wind and asked, "You've already stolen the things? That quickly?"
"Hehe..." Chasing the Wind gave an embarrassed chuckle. He took out the list of medicinal materials and pointed out the items listed to Long Qiqi. "What are all these things? I don't recognize them."
Thanks to Qin Ran's patient guidance, he did know how to read, but he hadn't taken medicinal studies so he didn't recognize the medicinal ingredients.
Long Qiqi was rendered speechless. She had actually forgotten about this problem.
She hurried off to her room to grab a thick medicinal ingredient encyclopedia. Standing in front of Chasing the Wind, she flipped open the book and pointed out each ingredient, explaining them to him one by one. She also labeled them with a pen so he could bring the book for reference.
Chasing the Wind did have an excellent memory. He quickly memorized all the medicinal ingredients before zipping off towards the Research Building again.
With his blinding speed, he arrived at the Research Building in the blink of an eye and made a beeline for the second floor. Glancing down the corridor, he saw that formations had indeed been set up there as expected.
Although Chasing the Wind hadn't studied medicinal arts, he had studied formations. He did have a foundation in formations... As a tiger, he recognized with a single glance that these were obstacle formations overlayed with illusion and confusion formations meant for protection.
"These are no match for me!" The corners of his mouth curved up smugly and his lithe tiger tail gave a flick, shooting out two pure black little tigers that were identical to him, except they seemed like two pitch black kittens.
The two little tigers landed nimbly on the ground before lazily stretching. Then they burrowed into the shadows beneath the corridor railings, vanishing completely into the darkness.
Chasing the Wind manipulated them past the formations. Once inside the medicinal storage room, the two little tigers reappeared. Referencing the medicinal ingredient book Chasing the Wind held outside, he controlled the little tigers to carefully retrieve the required ingredients. Each little tiger carried a few ingredients before slipping back out through the shadows.
"Hehehe!" Chasing the Wind gave himself a silent cheer.
Utilizing the same method, he also fetched the Tribulation Thunder Pill and Earth Fire Pill from the fourth floor.
When he returned to the living room with the goods, Tushan Youyou was rather shocked and even alarmed. She asked, "So formations have no effect on you?!"
"Well, it's not exactly..." Chasing the Wind was just about to brag when Li Shiyin suddenly kicked him.
"You've brought the things, what's your plan?" Li Shiyin asked Long Qiqi.
Tushan Youyou took a deep look at Li Shiyin but didn't say anything more.
"A three pronged simultaneous attack for guaranteed success!" Long Qiqi held up three chubby fingers and said, "We attack with the Tribulation Thunder Pill as the main force while the poison acts in coordination. Big sister Youyou and Shiyin will carry out the plan!"
"Okay!" Tushan Youyou and Li Shiyin nodded.
"What about me? What about me?" Chasing the Wind hurriedly asked.
Long Qiqi ignored him and took the medicinal materials outside, saying, "I'm going to concoct poison."