Shen Cong had talked the milu around, and it switched sides in the middle of the fight.

Luo Shouhai could have cried, except he might not have a body left to cry with. His voice shook. "What... what did you do to the milu?"

Shen Cong ignored him.

His Third Eye covered everything within a kilometer or two. In the blurred-vision field he could see Zhang Qi rounding up a lot of evolved people with strong auras to close a ring around them from outside.

Their strength didn't worry Shen Cong much.

What mattered most to him was the milu's attitude. It was a powerful evolved individual at his own grade, soon to be a Primal Beast, one of the eight species. He had to admit that where intelligence was concerned, it deserved to be treated as an equal.

"Milu, where's your herd?"

"Far away. There are fifty of them. Every one is my herd's most precious treasure. I cannot lose a single one."

"I'll give them the highest level of protection. But right now I need to kill the man who set me up. You can go back to your herd first. When this is over, I'll come find you myself and set up a reserve for them."

"Could you spare him?" The milu glanced at the pyramid battle-truck.

Shen Cong refused without hesitation. "No."

The milu didn't press him. "Remember what you said. Protect my herd, and I can protect you humans, too, from some of the powerful monsters."

With that, the milu left Zheng'an Town with the same earth-shaking strides and headed off into the distance.

It vanished deep into the land.

That left Luo Shouhai beyond tears.

His greatest asset, the backing he'd been so sure of, had just walked away and left him flat-footed, and no amount of calling could bring it back. Once he saw the game was up, he turned to Shen Cong at once with an ingratiating laugh. "Um, Boss Hu, this emperor... I mean, I was out of line just now. Please..."

Before he could finish, Shen Cong bent his legs,…