Pei Xianjue's expression darkened slightly.
She had brought these people in. They could raise objections, but shouting like that outright made Pei Xianjue feel humiliated.
Baozi was startled by Liang Zhou as well and stood to the side, studying him suspiciously.
Sensing the hostility, Cat Spider and Cat Owl moved in front of Feng Ling, baring their teeth at Liang Zhou in warning.
Feng Ling was instead the calmest of them all. She asked Liang Zhou, "What do you want?"
Liang Zhou said, "Until we reach the Safe Zone, everyone stays alert and no one acts on their own. If anything unexpected happens along the way, Deputy Captain Pei will direct our actions."
The corner of Pei Xianjue's mouth twitched.
Feng Ling asked him, "Are you done?"
Liang Zhou looked cold. "Am I wrong?"
A baffled expression appeared on Feng Ling's face. "I don't even know you. Who cares whether you're right or not? If you're unhappy, you can leave on your own. This Mountain is huge. Do you think I could stop you?"
"How ridiculous." Feng Ling turned and walked ahead, urging Li Qing, "Hurry up and lead the way. It'll be dark soon."
Li Qing withdrew his gaze from the group and continued forward.
Huangfu Miaomiao followed Li Qing, deliberately keeping her distance from Liang Zhou.
They were both Xenomorphs and were more sensitive to the hostility Liang Zhou displayed. They did not speak up only because they did not want to escalate the conflict in this environment.
Watching Feng Ling, the three others, and the two pets walk away, Pei Xianjue felt her headache worsen.
She sighed, rubbed her temples, and asked Liang Zhou, "I paid to hire you. Did I hire you to act like some lord?"
"You hired me to ensure your safety, but the