Xiao Yu
Shen Fei had seen many people's attitudes toward him: hostile, probing, calculating, and contemptuous. Behind each attitude lay a logic that could be deduced.
But this person's relaxed demeanor was different; there was no probing, no weighing of options, no contempt, and he didn't even consider him and Xiao Ning'er as opponents who needed to be taken seriously.
It's like someone walking down the street and seeing two ants fighting. After watching, they find it interesting, casually remark, "Not bad," and then continue on their way.
That nonchalant attitude, which carried a sense of not taking it seriously at all, made Shen Fei's back tense up.
Shen Fei knew in his heart that if this person was really several levels above him, then even if he and Xiao Ning'er were combined, they might not be able to defeat him with one hand.
He quickly ran through all the possible escape routes in his mind: the cave entrance led directly to the valley, an open and unobstructed area, and he couldn't outrun someone of this caliber.
A direct confrontation is out of the question. The only way is to first ascertain the other party's intentions, avoid rash actions, avoid showing weakness, and avoid provoking the other party.
He suppressed the taut tension in his heart, his face expressionless, and asked, "May I ask what brings you here?" His tone was polite yet respectful, but his left hand never left the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at any moment.
The man smiled and spoke casually, as if he were just greeting an acquaintance on the street. "Young master, there's no need to be nervous. I merely watched the battle just now and had some thoughts to share. My name is Xiao Yu; would it be convenient for us to introduce ourselves?"
Shen Fei did not respond immediately. His left hand was still on the hilt of his sword, his fingers not loosening.
The man spoke in a very relaxed tone, as if chatting casually, but the feeling of Shen Fei's Soul Force sliding off the other person's body was still there, like reaching out to touch a smooth Stone, unable to find the bottom.
He glanced at Xiao Yu. She wore a light beige robe with green belt buckles, her hair was neatly combed, and she had a smile on her face. She looked harmless, but Shen Fei knew in his heart that the more harmless someone looked, the less likely they were to be treated as an ordinary person.
"My name is Shen Fei." He gave his name, then stepped aside to make room for Xiao Ning'er behind him. "Her name is Xiao Ning'er."
Xiao Ning'er stood behind Shen Fei without saying a word, only nodding slightly.
Her right hand hung at her side, her fingertips not far from the Short Sword at her waist. Her posture looked relaxed, but her weight was on the balls of her feet, ready to react at any moment.
Xiao Yu took two steps forward, her pace neither fast nor slow, her feet crunching softly on the pebbles in the valley.
He stopped about five steps away from the two of them, his gaze lingering on Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er's faces for a moment before he spoke, "You're here to participate in the selection of disciples for the Nether Domain Controller, right?"
Shen Fei didn't deny it. Most of the people who entered from these Nine-Layered Deathlands were there to be selected as disciples, so denying it was pointless. He nodded.
Xiao Yu continued, "This Nine-Layered Deathlands is extremely dangerous; why not travel together?"
Shen Fei glanced at him and said in a flat tone, "With your strength, it seems you don't need a companion."
That's a very direct statement.
Shen Fei knew perfectly well that if Xiao Yu really wanted to attack them, Xiao Yu could have easily sneaked in during the chaos of his fight with Mu Lin in the stone chamber and taken them both out in one go, without having to wait until now.
Since Xiao Yu watched the whole thing without making a move and even came out to greet them, it means that at least for now, he has no malicious intent.
His question was simply an inquiry, asking Xiao Yu what she was after.
Xiao Yu listened and smiled, a slight upturn of her lips. "This Nine-Layered Deathlands is far more dangerous than it appears. Besides, traveling with companions is much more interesting than traveling alone."
Shen Fei thought for a moment and nodded. He really had no reason to refuse. Since Xiao Yu had no ill intentions towards them, having her by his side was better than letting someone whose true nature he couldn't fathom wander around outside.
Having him by my side means I can at least see him, and react immediately if anything happens. It's better than having him watching me from the shadows.
"Okay," Shen Fei said.
The three continued walking. The path in the valley was difficult to walk on, with many loose stones that hurt their feet. The ground was uneven, and they occasionally had to go around Stone that were half a person high.
Xiao Yu walked to Shen Fei's left, and Xiao Ning'er walked to Shen Fei's right. The three of them were about the same distance apart, and it looked like they were walking together. In fact, Shen Fei could feel that Xiao Yu's stride and rhythm were unconsciously following him. He walked fast, and Xiao Yu walked fast; he walked slow, and Xiao Yu walked slow. They always maintained that distance, no more and no less.
As they walked, Xiao Yu casually remarked, "You two coordinated quite well in that battle in the cave. One of you held them off from the front, while the other looked for opportunities on the flank. Your timing was impeccable. That Mu Lin from the Spiritual Cultivation Family, with his Legendary Rank 2-Star foundation, was beaten so badly by the two of you Black Gold Rank cultivators. If word gets out, he'll be humiliated for the rest of his life."
Shen Fei hummed in response but didn't say anything more. He didn't want to talk too much about himself with someone he couldn't understand.
Xiao Yu didn't mind his coldness and continued, "However, your fighting style is too physically demanding. That young man's right arm injury needs to be properly cared for when he gets back, lest it become a permanent injury."
Shen Fei glanced at him. The man's tone was like an elder instructing a younger person, but he didn't look very old, at most a few years older than Nie Li. He nodded. "I know."
Xiao Ning'er walked beside her, remaining silent the entire time.
She was observing Xiao Yu. This person walked with a very stable center of gravity, his feet firmly planted on the gravel ground, the pebbles neither rolling nor slipping, each step solid and steady, quite different from the high-level cultivators she had seen.
Normally, people at the Legendary Rank level or above would walk with a slight limp, their feet barely touching the ground. But Xiao Yu walked very heavily, like an ordinary person.
Such a person either truly lacks cultivation, or they have concealed their cultivation so perfectly that not even their walk reveals any flaws. Xiao Ning'er leaned towards the latter.
After walking for about 15 minutes, the terrain ahead gradually opened up, and the gravel ground was replaced by a hard dirt road, with sparse withered grass appearing on both sides of the road.
Shen Fei saw a person sitting on Stone in the distance. He recognized Nie Li as he got closer. Nie Li also saw them, jumped down from the Stone, dusted off his clothes, and took two steps to greet them.
His gaze first fell on Shen Fei's face, then swept over Xiao Yu next to Shen Fei, and his brows immediately furrowed.
Nie Li spread out his senses and scanned Xiao Yu, but found nothing. He scanned again, but still found nothing.
His face remained expressionless, but having spent so much time with him, Shen Fei could tell what his furrowed brow meant. Nie Li turned his head to look at Shen Fei, his eyes questioning.
Shen Fei nodded slightly to him, meaning that he was fine and knew what he was doing.
Nie Li withdrew his gaze, looked at Xiao Yu, and asked, "And who is this?"
"His name is Xiao Yu," Shen Fei said. "We met him after we emerged from the fog, and we left together."