Only after entering the Wuyi Tribe's inner village did Su Jiu and Chu Luohen learn that these people could speak their common tongue.
And most spoke it quite well.
Even the people involved in the dispute they were watching used the common tongue.
Only a handful of girls whispering among themselves spoke the local language.
Perhaps sensing Su Jiu's curious gaze, one of the girls paused slightly when she spotted her, then broke into a radiant smile.
"Look at that young lady. Isn't she just too beautiful?"
"I think the male cultivator beside her is even more handsome."
"We simply have to get acquainted with a young lady like that."
The girl was just about to leave when her friend caught her arm, casting a wary look toward Su Jiu. "She's so beautiful. Aren't you afraid she might be one of our rivals? Don't forget the competition rules: when our Gu are roughly equal in ability, the one with the finer appearance takes precedence."
The girl waved a hand dismissively. "Look at her waist. She doesn't even have a Gu Mound. She's clearly not an outsider who came specifically to compete."
Her friend pursed her lips. "I'd advise you not to let your guard down. Plenty of outsiders have come here specifically to compete over the past few decades. Outsiders even snatched the position of Holy Maiden from us twice."
At that, the girl patted her friend's shoulder reassuringly. "Never mind that I've never been interested in that position to begin with. If my parents hadn't forced me when I was little, I wouldn't even raise Gu insects, all right? So if she really is capable and has entered the competition, what does it matter if she wins?"
With that, the girl left, leaving her friend behind with a bitter