Page 10

"Me, go look?" She had to go out to forage anyway, so she might as well see whether she could find Red Beard's companions.

As though he had anticipated Ye Chuqi's reaction, Red Beard handed her his badge with a broad smile. "Then I'll leave it to you."

Ye Chuqi: "..." He certainly wasn't shy about asking.

The badge was an alchemical product, one of a kind. Only full members of the Red Wind Mercenary Group could possess one, and it served as proof of their identity.

Holding the badge, Ye Chuqi couldn't help imagining what would happen if the others didn't think it proved anything, or even suspected she had hurt Red Beard to get it. Would they simply beat her up? She still had only a vague understanding of this world's combat strength, and her injuries were barely under control. She had absolutely no confidence that she could win.

She first went near the enormous crater and soon found traces of people passing through. Judging by their direction, they had indeed headed toward the little oasis. After counting carefully, she found that there had been quite a few of them. It seemed one person had passed through first and left a signal, followed shortly afterward by a whole group. Because of the dust, it was actually difficult to tell when they had appeared or passed through.

Were they enemies or friends, and how was she supposed to tell?

From a distance, Ye Chuqi watched the group resting where they stood.

There were a dozen or so people, seemingly fresh from the little oasis. They gathered in twos and threes, all holding dry rations and occasionally exchanging a few words. They were too far away for Ye Chuqi to hear what they said; she could just barely make out the speech bubbles that occasionally appeared above their heads.

One person among them was particularly unusual. In this desolate place, he had actually set up a parasol and arranged an exquisite table and chairs, leisurely enjoying tea and pastries. He was worlds apart from everyone else squatting on the ground and gnawing on dry rations.

She was too far away to make out his features, but his entire bearing was at odds with his surroundings. He was like a clear figure sketched in ink that had somehow wandered into an oil painting thick with color.

His presence seemed to bring light into that otherwise dim space.

He was a luminous being with a halo all his own.

When that luminous being turned his head to "look" in Ye Chuqi's direction, she cried inwardly, Oh, no. She had been too reckless. She had already witnessed Red Beard's keen perception, and his companions surely couldn't be much worse. Yet she had still forgotten herself and stared at someone for too long. Now she had definitely been discovered!

Ye Chuqi's senses were keen too, of course, so when someone approached from behind, she evaded his attack with uncanny footwork. Still, she was utterly shocked. When had he gotten so close to her? She hadn't noticed him at all.

The astonishment in his eyes was no less than hers. He hadn't expected this either. As the Shadow of Red Wind, his speed, tracking, and stealth were second to none. His attacks had never missed, yet today a little squirt had slipped through his fingers. How was he supposed to show his face after this?

After dodging, Ye Chuqi immediately used her momentum to retreat, trying to put some distance between herself and the newcomer. But he was every bit as fast as she was and reached out to grab her again. After several narrow escapes, Ye Chuqi had gained a rough measure of his strength, unaware that towering waves of shock were already crashing through his heart.

Ed's green eyes were filled with disbelief. Where had this little monster come from? She looked so young—how had she managed to reach this level?

As the two traded moves in a furious deadlock, the others swiftly approached, subtly forming a ring around Ye Chuqi and trapping her in the center. Then a silver fishing net fell from the sky, sweeping down over her head.

Ye Chuqi swore inwardly. She spun on the spot, a broken sword instantly appearing in her hand, and slashed at the net overhead with irresistible, crushing force. She didn't know what the net was made of, much less whether the broken sword in her hand was sharp enough. But wherever her sword pointed, nothing could stand against it. What could sever everything was not merely the sword in her hand, but the sword intent in her heart.

Having only recently reached Foundation Establishment, Ye Chuqi had barely touched the threshold of sword intent. That did nothing to diminish how breathtaking that slash appeared to the others.

Especially since it had cleaved straight through the high-grade trapping net they had specially made to capture magic beasts. The girl stood there with the ends of her hair fluttering, like a keen sword drawn from its sheath, stunning heaven and earth around her.

Even the air seemed to freeze.

Ed's green eyes stared blankly as he muttered, "Is she human? She's a magic beast, isn't she?" How could her moves be even wilder than a magic beast's?

Ye Chuqi swallowed the metallic sweetness in her mouth. That slash had once again drained the spiritual energy she had painstakingly gathered. Before she had even had a chance to repair her meridians, she had wasted it on something like this. She felt terribly wronged too.

Seeing the complaint above Ed's head, Ye Chuqi ground her back teeth. She tossed aside the broken sword, which had failed to withstand her spiritual energy and shattered beyond all hope, then tilted her head with a curious expression. "The Red Wind Mercenary Group?"

Everyone was startled. Ed, unable to contain himself, pointed at Ye Chuqi and blurted, "How did you know?" They had disguised themselves and concealed their movements. None of them had expected to be recognized so quickly!

Everyone silently stared at Ed, who couldn't keep his composure. She might not have known before, but after his outburst, she certainly did now.

Ed, however, stared thoughtfully at Jun Ruofeng, who was slowly approaching, his graceful figure seemingly stepping out of an ink painting. "It must be you. With those fussy airs of yours, anyone could recognize you at a glance!"

When they were out on missions, everyone maintained a plain, frugal way of life. Only Jun Ruofeng never lowered his standard of living, no matter where he went. Even in the Ashen Wasteland, amid all that black haze and dust, he could still put on an elegant afternoon tea.

Jun Ruofeng lifted his gaze slightly. As he walked across the black earth, his features gradually became clearer, as though the ink of the painting were deepening. They heard him say, "Your badge gave you away."

Ed: ???

Since they were disguising themselves and concealing their movements, they naturally wouldn't wear something like a badge that could expose their identities at a glance. They had all understood that without being told and put their badges away before coming. Only Ed, in his blind confidence, had merely hidden his badge beneath his outer garment. During his scuffle with Ye Chuqi, he had exposed it.

Rankings

|

Pocket dimension fiction

Transmigration and rebirth romance

Big Black Loves Fish