Zi Yan's Arrogance

Zi Yan was still waiting for Shi Kang's answer. Just as she was about to make another concession and suggest a seventy-thirty split, Shi Kang spoke.

"Alright, let's go take a look. No need for a sixty-forty split either. We'll split it fifty-fifty."

Shi Kang had never thought much of such trifling gains. He might as well use them to earn some goodwill.

He did not give everything to Zi Yan because that was Shi Kang's principle. He could not work for nothing.

At his words, Zi Yan instantly grew excited, her eyes shining with delight.

She had already prepared herself for a seventy-thirty or even an eighty-twenty split. After all, they were leaving anyway, so there was no reason not to take what they could.

She had not expected Shi Kang to be so generous.

Zi Yan's favor toward Shi Kang soared. Grabbing his arm, she cheered, "Shi Kang, you're the best!" Her joyous voice echoed through the air.

Shi Kang chuckled as he looked at the lively, straightforward Zi Yan before him, who never hid what she was thinking.

Shi Kang quite liked that sort of no-nonsense personality.

"Then you lead the way."

Zi Yan happily pointed her tiny finger northeast, her eyes sparkling as she said excitedly, "Let's go to that forest first. Another Silver Jade Fruit has ripened there. I've wanted to eat it for ages, but the Monster Beast guarding it is too strong. Every time, I can only stare at it helplessly."

As she spoke, Zi Yan licked her lips as if she could already taste the Silver Jade Fruit's sweetness.

In truth, many Medicinal Herbs tasted terrible. The Silver Jade Fruit was considered one of the better-tasting ones. On top of that, Zi Yan disliked the guarding Monster Beast, which was why she had chosen the Silver Jade Fruit as their first target.

Shi Kang said, "Alright, we'll go there."

With that, he turned, changed direction, and sped toward the northeastern woods with Zi Yan like an arrow loosed from its bow.

At the same time, Shi Long and Shi Fei, hiding in the shadows, exchanged a glance and quietly followed.

Since Shi Kang intended to build a relationship with Zi Yan, he naturally would not let those two make a move.

After all, with Shi Kang's terrifying combat strength comparable to a Dou Zun, he could practically roam this area unhindered. Who would dare provoke him lightly?

Led precisely by Zi Yan, the two soon arrived at their destination.

After landing and steadying herself, Zi Yan excitedly pointed ahead. "Shi Kang, the Silver Jade Fruit is inside that cave."

Before them stood a massive cave several hundred zhang wide, its entrance black as ink.

However, Shi Kang's powerful Soul Power allowed him to keenly sense a Monster Beast inside whose strength was at the peak of the Dou Wang realm.

This Monster Beast looked exceptionally strange. It resembled a horse, yet it had a pair of incomparably sharp bull horns on its head. Its body was fiery red, and blazing crimson flames burned atop its head.

Shi Kang was not particularly knowledgeable, but he happened to recognize this Monster Beast.

Its appearance and name were simply too unusual. It was called a Blazing Flame Ox Horse.

It was called an ox horse, after all. How could it not be unusual?

At this moment, the Blazing Flame Ox Horse had not noticed Shi Kang and the others. It was sleeping soundly beside the Silver Jade Fruit it guarded.

The Silver Jade Fruit gave off a faint silver glow, looking especially enticing within the dark cave.

"Stupid ox horse, get out here already!" Zi Yan stood outside the cave with both hands on her hips and shouted into it at the top of her lungs. Her crisp, ringing voice echoed through the silent mountains.

Under normal circumstances, Zi Yan would never have dared to do this.

Zi Yan was also in the Dou Wang realm, but she had only recently broken through, while this Blazing Flame Ox Horse had long since reached the peak of the Dou Wang realm.

With its nimble speed and sharp horns, it could even contend briefly against a Dou Emperor.

The first time Zi Yan came here, this Blazing Flame Ox Horse had chased after her, trying to gore her.

It had frightened her badly back then. Fortunately, she was fast, and her natural defenses were strong enough for her to sprint all the way back to Jia Nan Academy.

The Blazing Flame Ox Horse seemed wary of Jia Nan Academy and did not dare continue the chase.

Even now, thinking about it made Zi Yan feel terribly aggrieved.

Bringing Shi Kang here this time was partly her attempt to regain some face.

Now that Shi Kang had her back, Zi Yan was arrogant beyond measure. With her hands on her hips and her little head held high, she looked as though heaven was first, earth was second, and she was third.

Watching her seemingly imposing but utterly unthreatening display, Shi Kang always felt the urge to laugh.

And of course, Shi Kang did laugh.

Given his status and strength, he had long since attained the freedom to laugh at whoever he pleased. If he wanted to laugh, he laughed. He did not need to worry about much.

Zi Yan was staring tensely at the cave entrance without blinking and did not notice that Shi Kang was laughing at her.

Although Shi Kang's presence gave her confidence, the shadow of being chased and gored last time still remained.

Not long after Zi Yan's taunt rang out, heavy footsteps sounded from within the cave.

Then, the Blazing Flame Ox Horse charged out menacingly. Its fiery red body stood out sharply in the darkness, and the flames atop its head blazed fiercely, as though they would ignite everything around it.

Seeing that Zi Yan, the girl it had defeated before, had come to bother it again, the Blazing Flame Ox Horse revealed an angry expression, its eyes seeming ready to spew fire.

It selectively ignored Shi Kang, the Big Shot, and threw back its head with an earthshaking cry that sounded both like a bull and a horse. The sound echoed through the mountains, shaking leaves down from the trees.

Then it stomped its heavy hooves, lowered its head to reveal its blade-sharp horns, and charged rapidly toward Zi Yan like a red bolt of lightning.

It thought that it would surely gore through this hateful little girl and teach her just how formidable it was.

The Blazing Flame Ox Horse's imposing charge startled Zi Yan, and she hurried behind Shi Kang.

Zi Yan pushed Shi Kang with her little hand and pointed at the Blazing Flame Ox Horse. "Shi Kang, hurry up and beat it!"

Shi Kang found it amusing. Where had all that swagger gone?

This little girl changed her expression faster than turning a page.

He even had the mischievous urge to suddenly run away and leave Zi Yan here, just to see how she would react.

Though he thought it, Shi Kang ultimately did not do it.

He figured that if he really did, then even if he saved Zi Yan afterward, she would hold it against him for the rest of her life.

After all, although this little girl seemed carefree, she was actually quite vindictive.

This peak Dou Wang Blazing Flame Ox Horse was indeed fast. In just this short time, it had nearly reached Shi Kang.

But Shi Kang did not take the Blazing Flame Ox Horse's fierce charge seriously at all. His gaze remained calm, as if he were watching an insignificant ant crawl.

He raised his right fist and, without even using Dou Qi, struck at the Blazing Flame Ox Horse with pure physical strength.

"Crack!"

Shi Kang's fist first easily shattered the seemingly hard bull horns, then continued without losing momentum and smashed into its horse head.

The Blazing Flame Ox Horse's skull shattered, and its horse head caved in from the blow.

And then there was no more then.

Under Shi Kang's punch, the Blazing Flame Ox Horse had already lost its breath. It died so quickly that it did not even let out a wail, passing away quite peacefully.

Against a peak Dou Wang Monster Beast, Shi Kang only needed one punch. He did not even need to use Dou Qi.

It was a complete stomp.

Zi Yan, watching from behind, was utterly stunned.

First, she was shocked by how strong Shi Kang was. Then came joy.

Shi Kang was so strong. If she brought him along whenever she searched for Medicinal Herbs in the future, would she not be able to sweep through everything and seize as much as she wanted?

At that thought, Zi Yan looked at Shi Kang as if brilliant light might burst from her eyes.