Another Fight?

Although Cui Ciyou could not understand the gibbering shouts and discussions of those people.

From their instantly tense, hostile gazes and movements—all the guards had gripped their weapons and assumed fighting stances.

He could roughly tell that these people had clearly taken him for some kind of potential threat.

At that moment, the bearded swordswoman—Carl—stepped out from the crowd.

Her expression was the gravest of all, her sharp eyes locking onto Cui Ciyou like a hawk's.

She carefully looked him over from head to toe, assessing the level of threat he posed.

She did not immediately order an attack. Instead, she spoke several words in a low, hoarse voice full of caution and intimidation, directed at Cui Ciyou.

Though it was a completely unfamiliar language, the questioning and warning in her tone were obvious.

After hearing Carl's words, the young guard and the other guards seemed to calm down somewhat.

Yet they remained highly vigilant, gripping their weapons tightly as they vaguely formed an encirclement and slowly, cautiously approached Cui Ciyou.

[Were they trying to confirm my identity? Or were they planning to attack the moment things went wrong?]

[Should I run? With my current speed and strength, I should be able to shake off these guards.]

[But... I don't know whether my strength would count as powerful in this world.]

[With no common language and no idea who was friend or foe, showing that I'm harmless and have no hostile intent might be the best choice.]

Cui Ciyou's eyes flickered as he rapidly weighed the pros and cons.

So, he forced what he believed was a friendly smile onto his face, though it probably looked stiff and fake to others.

Then he slowly and calmly stepped out from beneath the tree's shadow, fully exposing himself to everyone's sight.

A tall young man with black hair and black eyes, dressed in strange black clothing they had never seen before.

Then he drew a steady breath.

He slowly raised both hands, spreading his palms outward to show that he held no weapons.

The caravan members' expressions became even more subtle and complicated.

The wariness in their eyes did not diminish. Instead, it was joined by greater confusion and scrutiny.

Whispers also rose among the crowd.

Though Cui Ciyou could not understand them, he could roughly guess what they were discussing from the glances constantly darting toward his hair, eyes, and clothes.

Just then, Carl, the bearded guard captain who had been closely observing Cui Ciyou, had a flash of resolve in her eyes.

Perhaps to probe him, or perhaps out of caution.

She suddenly gave a low shout and took a step forward.

Her right fist clenched, and the muscles in her arm instantly tightened. A pale yellow current of air—Battle Aura—rose from within her like flames, wrapping around her fist and arm!

[What is that? Supernatural power? Battle Aura from a Western fantasy world?]

Cui Ciyou's pupils contracted sharply. His body tensed in an instant, and he almost reflexively moved to dodge backward!

He could clearly sense the explosive energy contained within that Battle Aura, far beyond ordinary physical strength.

Though the pressure of this energy felt less dangerous than the lead Assault Hound from last night.

However, at the very moment Carl threw her punch, something unexpected happened:

The Battle Aura that had just surged from her body, coiling around her arm and radiating a formidable presence.

The instant it touched the air roughly three or four meters away from Cui Ciyou, it suddenly collapsed without warning, like ice and snow meeting blazing fire.

The Battle Aura seemed to have been completely swallowed by an invisible black hole!

["...?"] Carl's expression instantly froze!

Her eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at her suddenly dissipated Battle Aura, her face filled with shock and confusion!

[My Battle Aura... dispersed? Just who is this black-haired young man?]

[He absorbs Battle Aura? What a bizarre, powerful ability!]

This utterly incomprehensible turn of events left Carl rooted to the spot in shock.

[She launched an "energy" attack at me? So... were we going to fight?] Cui Ciyou's thoughts raced.

[There are so many of them, and that bearded woman gives me the strongest sense of pressure... but she still seems weaker than that lead wild dog from last night?]

The instant Carl released her Battle Aura, Cui Ciyou clearly felt some invisible "energy field" around his body being stirred.

Then, an extremely faint but tangible pulling force reached him.

That pale yellow energy approaching him was actually... "absorbed," or rather "neutralized," by his body or some invisible force field accompanying it!

[That was... Battle Aura? And then... I "nullified" it?]

[Could this... be another ability I gained after crossing over? Something like a passive Anti-Magic Field?]

He suddenly recalled the pale blue particles of light that had vanished whenever they approached him by the stream yesterday.

And his vastly enhanced body... was there some connection between all of it?

As both sides fell into brief silence and shock over this sudden development.

Carl truly was an experienced adventurer. She was the first to recover from her shock.

She tried mobilizing her Battle Aura again, but this time she did not attack, merely releasing it.

Yet the result was the same—as soon as the Battle Aura left her body, or rather entered a certain range near Cui Ciyou, it vanished at once like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

[So it wasn't an illusion!] A storm surged through Carl's heart.

[This person's ability is bizarre and unfathomable. If he truly were a bandit, he would never be acting alone.]

[For now, it would be best to test whether he has hostile intentions and avoid conflict.]

After confirming that it was no coincidence, Carl's face became extremely grim, yet also more solemn and cautious.

She gave Cui Ciyou a deep look, her gaze incomparably complicated.

In the end, she slowly gestured to the guards behind her, signaling them to put away their weapons for now while remaining on alert.

Then she made a move that surprised Cui Ciyou somewhat.

From a thick leather purse at her waist, she took out a coin gleaming with silver light—an Asla Kingdom Silver Coin.

She made no further attempt to approach him. Instead, from several meters away, she lightly flicked the silver coin toward Cui Ciyou with her fingers!

The silver coin traced a short arc through the air.

[Currency from another world?] Cui Ciyou's eyes flickered. Before the coin could hit the ground, he casually extended his left hand and caught it firmly.

At the same time, Carl pointed at Cui Ciyou, then at the carriage still stuck in the mud not far away, and finally at Cui Ciyou again.

Her meaning was obvious—she was offering the silver coin as payment, asking Cui Ciyou to help pull the carriage out.

[Giving both sides a way out? Fine. I don't want an unnecessary fight either!]

Cui Ciyou looked at the otherworldly currency in his palm, then at Carl, whose expression remained complicated but whose posture had visibly relaxed, as well as the nervous guards behind her.

The weighing of gains and losses took only an instant.

He said nothing. He merely weighed the silver coin in his hand, then casually slipped it into his pocket.

Next, he casually shrugged at Carl. The other side interpreted the gesture as agreement.

Seeing Cui Ciyou accept the silver coin without showing any hostility, Carl seemed to secretly let out a breath of relief.

She gave her subordinates several more quiet instructions, telling them to continue dealing with the carriage, though she had clearly also warned them to keep an eye on Cui Ciyou.

Afterward, she turned and walked toward the stranded carriage herself.

Yet there was still a trace of barely noticeable stiffness and vigilance in her steps.

Cui Ciyou stood where he was, watching the people resume their work.

His fingers unconsciously slipped into his pocket, rubbing the cool otherworldly silver coin as a faintly amused curve tugged at the corner of his lips.

[Interesting... it seems this "ability" of mine is quite intimidating. At least it's made them wary of acting rashly.]

Since the other side was willing to offer him an opportunity to make contact and integrate with them, Cui Ciyou did not refuse.

Having made up his mind, he no longer hesitated and started toward the carriage still deeply stuck in the mud.