Windless Mercenary Group, Qiu Family Siblings

"So, this is the outskirts of Windless City?" Chen Yan looked around at the desolate scenery, confirming his suspicion.

Qiu Yashuang nodded.

"Where is Windless City? How much further is it to Black Wind Valley?" Chen Yan continued to ask.

Qiu Yashuang rolled her eyes at Chen Yan's face, feeling speechless. The moment their gazes met, she quickly looked away as if burned.

This exhibitionist who crawled out of a snake's belly must have something wrong with his brain! she muttered to herself. He doesn't even know about Windless City?

However... that face... well, it was certainly decent.

For once, she mustered a bit of patience and explained, "You want to go to Black Wind Valley? It's not too far, maybe three or four hundred kilometers."

"If you... come back to our camp with me, I might consider having the group's vehicle give you a lift."

"Camp?" Chen Yan seemed unfamiliar with the term.

Qiu Yashuang was starting to get used to this.

Before Chen Yan could speak again, she took the initiative to answer with a hint of pride: "This whole area is under our protection!"

"The Windless Mercenary Group! How about that? You've at least heard of us, right?"

Chen Yan's face remained expressionless, showing neither surprise nor admiration.

Qiu Yashuang felt a sudden sense of defeat and pursed her lips. "Fine, what kind of primitive man are you?"

Not far away, the brothers Qiu Rao and Qiu Jiu were hiding behind the massive snake carcass, whispering to each other.

"What's wrong with Sister Ya? She's being so patient," the younger brother, Qiu Jiu, poked his brother in the waist and whispered.

"If we had dared to ask questions like that, she would have served us her iron fists long ago."

Qiu Rao, acting like a seasoned veteran, hummed twice. "What would a kid like you know?"

"This is called a mating season for animals. Sister Ya probably thinks he's... well, big, and wants to drag him back to have kids."

"But," Qiu Jiu scratched his head and admitted honestly, "the guy is indeed good-looking. Better than any of the celebrities we've seen on posters."

"He also said he's going to Black Wind Valley. That place is extremely dangerous. He's probably an elite student from one of the martial arts universities in the city, out here for some field training..."

The two brothers were deep in conversation, completely unaware of a figure silently creeping up behind them.

"Having a fun chat?" Qiu Yashuang's chilling voice suddenly came from above their heads.

Qiu Rao and Qiu Jiu jumped in fright, reflexively hugging their heads and crouching down—a maneuver so practiced it was almost pathetic.

"Sister Ya, we were wrong!" they shouted in unison.

They braced themselves for a knuckle to the head, but the expected pain never came.

Qiu Yashuang merely glared at them. Although her tone was impatient, she uncharacteristically refrained from hitting them. "Shut up and get to work!"

As she spoke, she subconsciously twirled a strand of hair falling over her shoulder with her fingertips.

"Go on, cut some good snake meat and get it ready to take back! Don't dawdle!"

As soon as she finished, the brothers felt as if they had been granted amnesty. They scrambled to their feet and began working on the massive snake carcass with their tools.

Qiu Yashuang remained where she was, shaking her head slightly, trying to maintain the image of a "strict but caring" older sister.

She glanced sideways, trying to see Chen Yan's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

Instead, she saw Chen Yan staring blankly into the distance, seemingly indifferent to their actions.

Qiu Yashuang gritted her teeth, feeling an inexplicable surge of irritation.

Chen Yan's thoughts were not lingering on these people.

He had previously left an extremely subtle divine sense mark on his father, Chen Kefa.

Although his father had also practiced the Mystic Meditation Method, at his current level, he could never detect this mark that followed him like a shadow.

However, what puzzled Chen Yan was that the connection to this divine sense had become intermittent and erratic.

Sometimes he could clearly perceive its existence, as if it were right in front of him.

At other times, it was like a stone sinking into the ocean, leaving no trace, as if blocked by some invisible force.

But the only thing that brought him some peace of mind was that the divine sense had not completely dissipated.

This proved that his father, Chen Kefa, was still alive!

Calculating the time, it had been a long while since Chen Kefa and his companion stepped into that unknown rift.

In those moments when he could faintly sense it, Chen Yan could vaguely capture the blurry emotional fluctuations of Chen Kefa transmitted from the other end of the divine sense...

The feeling seemed to be... joy?

But mixed within it was a hint of nervousness?

Or perhaps both?

It was a complex state of mind, unique to a situation where immense opportunity and unknown risks coexisted.

In the dark, Chen Yan had an intuition that his father's encounter was likely extraordinary.

He had not fallen into a simple trap; it was more like he had embarked on a path filled with thorns, yet concealing hidden opportunities.

Since that is the case, there is no need to rush things.

Perhaps... waiting to see how the situation develops is the best choice for now.

Chen Yan's gaze swept over the three people before him, and his mind was already made up.

It would do no harm to follow them to this so-called camp for the time being.

Once there, he could borrow a map to study; with his Photographic Memory, he would soon be able to construct an accurate three-dimensional coordinate system within his mind's memory palace.

By then, whether or not he hitched a ride in their vehicle would be irrelevant, as he had his own means of reaching Black Wind Valley.

The hushed whispers of the Qiu brothers just moments ago had given him a bit of inspiration; he could pose as a student from the Martial University, which seemed like it would save him quite a bit of trouble when it came to explanations.

With his mind set, Chen Yan spoke up: "I will go back with you..."

As soon as these words left his lips, a flash of undisguised joy crossed Qiu Yashuang's face.

"...Can I borrow a detailed map when we arrive?" Chen Yan added.

"Yes, yes! Absolutely!"

Qiu Yashuang agreed without hesitation, secretly delighted.

Once you dare to step into our camp, don't even think about leaving!

According to the simple philosophy she had been instilled with since childhood, if you met someone you liked, you expressed your feelings directly; if they agreed, that was best, but if they didn't... then you found a way to make them stay!

Since he had dared to be stark naked in front of her, he had better be prepared to take responsibility!

Once everything was packed up, Qiu Yashuang led her two younger brothers toward the vehicle they had parked not far away.

It was a heavily modified open-top off-road pickup truck.

The body was covered in rough welding marks and reinforced steel plates, while the truck bed was piled with miscellaneous items and ropes, clearly used frequently for hauling the "spoils" of their hunts.

The massive snake carcass had been butchered, and its most valuable parts had been stuffed inside, filling the air with a thick, pungent scent of blood.

"Get in!" Qiu Yashuang patted the passenger door and gestured for Chen Yan to follow.

However, Chen Yan shook his head. He glanced over the vehicle and said indifferently, "No need, I can keep up."

Qiu Yashuang froze, thinking he was going back on his word. Just as her brow began to furrow, she saw Chen Yan ignore them entirely and begin to slowly practice his fist techniques right where he stood...

As he stretched his limbs, his aura became dense and steady, as if he were harmonizing with the surrounding environment in some invisible way.

"You... you can keep up?" Qiu Yashuang looked at the steel beast, then back at Chen Yan's long, slender legs, feeling that the very idea was absurd.

Chen Yan finished his stance and gave her a calm look, his eyes seeming to say, "Try it and see."

A competitive fire ignited in Qiu Yashuang's heart.

She was going to see if this guy was truly capable or just blowing hot air!

She slammed her foot on the accelerator, and the modified pickup let out a beast-like roar. The tires kicked up a sky full of dust as the vehicle shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

The needle on the dashboard climbed rapidly, soon hitting a terrifying speed of nearly two hundred yards, with the wilderness scenery blurring as it retreated frantically on both sides.

"Sis! Too fast!" Qiu Jiu, in the truck bed, screamed as he gripped the guardrail for dear life.

Qiu Yashuang looked through the rearview mirror. Amidst the swirling dust, a figure was trailing behind the car like a ghost, unhurried and as relaxed as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard.

The most infuriating part was... he was still practicing his fist techniques!

She felt a jolt of alarm and slammed the accelerator to the floor. The engine roared, unleashing its full potential, and the speed climbed even higher!

Yet, no matter how fast she pushed the vehicle—to the point where she felt the chassis might shake apart—every time she turned her head, she could see Chen Yan's excessively handsome face clearly through the side window.

He even had the leisure to raise an eyebrow at her.

His breathing was steady, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

What a dashing young man.

"I... holy crap!" Qiu Rao, in the passenger seat, had his mouth hanging wide open, staring fixedly at Chen Yan outside the window, his tongue tied in knots.

Qiu Jiu, in the truck bed, was completely dumbfounded, clutching his head and muttering to himself.

"He knows a technique to conjure things from thin air?! And he can shrink the earth into an inch!"

"Sister Ya! Did we run into a ghost?! Or did we meet an immortal?!"