Don't Take in a Stray Cat Lightly!

"This isn't about money." Tang Fei waved a hand, his expression serious.

When someone who loved money said it wasn't about money, it meant the price needed to go up.

Phoenix said nothing. She merely watched Tang Fei with an amused look, waiting for him to give his reason for refusing her.

"We can't take the risk." Tang Fei looked earnest as he said, "If it were just me, I'd gamble with you. What was that saying again? Fortune favors the bold. In times like these, what doesn't require risk?"

"But you've seen it yourself. I've got an Old Man and a Little Fatty at home. One's old, one's young, and neither of them has the strength to truss a chicken."

Phoenix shifted her gaze to Little Fatty beside them. When she got up that morning, she had clearly seen him bring his hammer down on a boulder weighing several hundred pounds and split it cleanly in two. The dividing line had been straighter and longer than her calf. And Tang Fei called a little monster like that too weak to truss a chicken?

What kind of chicken was he trying to truss, exactly?

Phoenix?

Pfft. Pfft. Pfft.

"I told you, you escaped here because someone was hunting you down. What if the people who want to kill you come after you? We're all pitiful people with no means of protecting ourselves. How can we stand against fully armed Masters? Sure, we want money and supplies, but we want to keep our lives even more."

"I don't just have to protect my own life. I have to protect the Old Man's and Little Fatty's too. Even the neighbors nearby could get dragged into this. I know exactly how powerful the weapons on New Star are."

"I can't let my kindness hurt other kind people. That kind of kindness is hypocrisy."

Phoenix nodded, acknowledging Tang Fei's words.

Then her fine brows rose slightly, and a captivating curve appeared at the corners of her mouth. She glanced sideways at Tang Fei and asked, "So, Mr. Tang Fei, what are you planning to do?"

"What am I planning to do?" Tang Fei stared at Phoenix with wide eyes. How had this become his problem?

I told you about my difficulties. Shouldn't it be your turn to convince me now?

Give me weapons, give me supplies, give me everything I need. Tempt me with money, seduce me with beauty.

How had she kicked the ball right back to me?

"Yes." Phoenix nodded with perfect obedience and said, "You brought me back. You're my lifesaver, and you're also the first person I've met on this planet."

"Just because I can't immediately leave in the Escape Pod or get in touch with my family on New Star, are you going to ignore me and leave me here to fend for myself?"

"You know I'm unfamiliar with this place. Besides, I know how insane and terrifying the people of the wasteland can be. I think you have more say in that than I do. If you don't take care of me, the only thing waiting for me is death."

"We have to help her!" Little Fatty chimed in from the side, deeply sympathetic.

This woman might not be able to help him smash rocks, but she was pretty, her voice was pleasant, and on the way here to find Tang Fei, she had told him that swinging such a huge hammer to smash rocks at such a young age must have meant he had suffered a lot as a child. She had told him to take care of his body and even taught him the proper way to exert force, saying it would keep him from straining his back.

What back? I only have a belly.

She had even asked Little Fatty for his name. He had said, "I'm Little Fatty," and she had said, "No, I mean your real name."

Little Fatty had been deeply moved. No one had ever asked for his real name before, and no pretty girl had ever treated him so gently.

He felt that they were already friends.

He couldn't stand by and watch Tang Fei abandon her, much less let her fall into the hands of the Predators or the Flame Society.

Who knew what utterly deranged things they would do?

Tang Fei shot Little Fatty a vicious glare. He had not expected a traitor to emerge in the team so soon.

He studied Phoenix thoughtfully, one brow lifting as he said, "What do you mean? Don't tell me you're trying to latch onto me?"

"There's a saying on New Star: don't take in a stray cat lightly."

"What does that mean?"

"Because it's easy to grow attached to it." Phoenix said with a sly expression.

"..."

"Of course, I know this will put you in a difficult position. My presence will increase your living expenses and may even put your lives in danger." Phoenix looked seriously at Tang Fei and Little Fatty. "But I definitely won't let you suffer a loss."

"Although the Escape Pod is broken and I can't contact New Star, if I go too long without checking in and letting my family know I'm safe, they'll come to Blue Star immediately to look for me. I failed to check in at the scheduled time last night. If I'm not mistaken, they should already be on their way."

"When my family finds me, I'm willing to give you double the supplies. On top of the deal we made before, I'll give you twice as many supplies to thank you for everything you've done for me."

"As for the people who want to kill me, if they arrive too late and my family has already taken me away, you can deny all responsibility and say you never knew me. I don't think they'd want to make things difficult for innocent blind... natives. That would only expose their tracks."

"If they arrive early..." A fierce killing intent appeared in Phoenix's eyes as she said coldly, "Then we'll make sure they never leave. Don't worry. My injuries are almost healed, and I'm not completely incapable of defending myself now. As long as we handle things properly, we definitely won't let them gain any advantage."

Tang Fei stared at Phoenix and asked, "You're a Cultivator?"

Phoenix did not deny it. She nodded. "Yes."

"What level are you?" Tang Fei asked.

"Realm?" Phoenix looked at Tang Fei. "On New Star, we call the classification of strength realms. I heard that term originally came from the wasteland."

Worried that the words "wasteland" might hurt the young man's pride, Phoenix gave Tang Fei an apologetic glance. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."

"It's fine." Tang Fei shrugged nonchalantly. "Look around. Isn't this a wasteland? Everyone's living neither like humans nor ghosts. Even the animals and plants have mutated."

"The first rule of survival in the wasteland is that nothing matters more than staying alive. As long as no one steals your food, they can even spit in my face."

Phoenix was startled. "Has someone done that?"

"They have."

"What happened afterward?"

"He died." Tang Fei smiled, once again revealing that signature smile that made people's hair stand on end. "He spat on me and tried to steal my prey, so I killed him."

"..."

After a long pause, Phoenix looked at Tang Fei and explained, "New Star's realm classification system came from Old Earth. The first five realms are Body Tempering, Qi Control, Nether Passage, Wish Fulfillment, and Grandmaster. These five realms are also known as the Mortal Realm."

Tang Fei nodded. This was exactly what the Old Man had told him.

"Of course, the Grandmaster Realm is further divided into Lesser Grandmaster and Greater Grandmaster. Though the difference is only two words, the strength and power they represent are worlds apart. A Lesser Grandmaster can guard a region, while a Greater Grandmaster can guard a nation. Greater Grandmasters are already at the pinnacle of human martial arts. Every Grandmaster is someone all nations compete to recruit."

"Beyond that are the three realms of Star Burning, Immortal Roaming, and Domain. These three realms are also called the Divine Realm. But they are legendary realms. I've never seen them, and probably no human has ever reached them."

Tang Fei's heart surged, his eyes burning with passion.

If I could one day step into the Grandmaster Realm, draw the eyes of the masses, and earn the admiration of the world... how glorious would that be?

Of course, he also knew the chances of that happening were minuscule. If becoming a Grandmaster were so easy, wouldn't Lesser Grandmasters be everywhere and Greater Grandmasters roam the streets?

What would be so remarkable about the Grandmaster Realm then?

Noticing Tang Fei's expression, Phoenix asked curiously, "Do you cultivate too?"

"No." Tang Fei shook his head. "How could we cultivate? We have neither cultivation techniques nor tonics. Every day, all we think about is how to stay alive. We have to cross an entire mountain just to find a mouthful of food. Where would we find the time to cultivate?"

"That is cultivation too." Phoenix said with conviction.

Tang Fei stared at Phoenix's face for quite a while. His gaze made her feel a little uncomfortable, and she finally took the initiative to ask, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"You're really pretty." Tang Fei said with utter seriousness. "Prettier than me."

"..."

"But you're a little too artsy." Tang Fei withdrew his highly aggressive gaze and said, "I hear people who read too much all have this problem. Every step is an experience, every place is scenery, every hardship is cultivation, and life should be full of uncertainty."

"Only people stuffed so full they have nothing better to do like saying things like that. If every hunt determined whether you lived or died, and every time you drew your blade might be your last, let's see how you'd still talk about peaceful years and a tranquil heart."

"Little Fatty and I just want to lie quietly at home, without having to go out hunting or draw blades against people."

Little Fatty nodded repeatedly, his face full of anticipation. "And we want meat to eat every day."

"..." Phoenix was speechless.

These two were very unfriendly.

But she could endure it.

To stay alive, she could endure anything.

"After all that, you still haven't told me what realm you're in." Tang Fei asked.

"The Qi Control Realm." Phoenix said, "I only recently entered the Qi Control Realm."