Wu Youren's cultivation was in a shallow state, so outside disturbances would not cause anything to go wrong.
He raised his eyelids to glance at the man and shook his head slightly. "You want to buy information about the Chang Ghost with that little money?"
Back in Jin Garden, that would have covered half a month of his expenses, but now... who was this man looking down on?
The middle-aged man was a little surprised. This boy really did not look wealthy.
He glanced at Luo Xi and found that the latter had merely cast a sidelong look their way, with no other reaction, so he steeled himself.
"Then tell me, how much would be appropriate?"
Wu Youren swept his gaze around, then asked curiously, "Are you paying for everyone?"
He knew the man belonged to a sizable convoy, but there were still so many outsiders here, weren't there?
The middle-aged man answered indifferently, "It doesn't matter. This information is important to everyone."
There were barbs hidden in those words, implying that the boy before him was too selfish.
"Oh." Wu Youren nodded slightly. "Then one silver dollar per person... count the heads yourself."
"Heh." Luo Xi gave a snort, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. The kid really wasn't short of money.
He understood even better how clever that answer was. If the man wanted to use this opportunity to probe their relationship, he could forget it.
It was a little like a heavenly steed soaring through the skies, yet not without method, and it refused to follow the other man's playbook.
The middle-aged man's face darkened. Of those sheltering from the rain here, there were at least seventy or eighty, if not a hundred. Had this boy never seen money before?
"Isn't that information a bit too expensive?"
"Mm." Wu Youren gave a soft grunt and said nothing more-say whatever you like, as long as you're happy.
The middle-aged man wanted to flare up, but after glancing at Luo Xi, he finally turned and left in a huff.
After he left, a slightly plump man approached and addressed Luo Xi. "I'll buy that Monkey Tiger head. Name your price."
Luo Xi glanced at him, saw that he was just an ordinary person, and lazily shook his head. "Forget it. You can't afford it."
The plump man persisted. "Name a price, sir. If I can't afford it, I'll accept that. All right?"
"Why are you so annoying?" Luo Xi frowned. "Can you afford the reward Red Pine gives?"
Some things were not for sale. They could not be measured in silver dollars.
Just then, several streaks of lightning blazed with extraordinary brilliance, followed by deafening crashes of thunder.
The rain came down harder still.
"Honestly..." Wu Youren frowned and stood up, looking thoroughly reluctant.
"Hmm?" Luo Xi gave him a questioning look.
"Let's find a corner," the boy from Jin said evenly. "Better prepared than sorry."
Luo Xi understood. Never mind the natural disasters this downpour might cause-the chances of certain possible accidents had risen as well.
This really was not needless worrying. The Monkey Tiger they had encountered earlier had been real enough.
He pushed the motorcycle beneath a cliff, then drew the broadsword from his back and scored the ground.
The ground was rock. A trail of sparks flew up, and a semicircle with a radius of over five meters appeared on the ground.
He offered no further explanation, but everyone understood that he had marked out a temporary exclusion zone.
They were going to spend the night here! Many people caught on.
With rain this heavy, even if it stopped immediately, the road would not be passable for some time.
Everyone began following his example, marking out their own defensive areas.
The weapons shop owner stared a little blankly. Were they really treating this supply point as their own home?
Within Red Pine's sphere of influence, he could not afford to provoke a Knight from the martial academy, but he was not particularly afraid of the others.
"What are you doing? We have rooms if you want to stay. Stop marking everything up. We developed this place ourselves!"
Luo Xi remained unmoved. The man did not dare bare his teeth at him, and he had no reason to volunteer to be cursed at.
After a bout of commotion, two convoys still marked out their own defensive perimeters.
The supply point was openly bullying the weak and fearing the strong, but that was normal in Great Liang.
One of the two convoys belonged to the middle-aged man's group. In the other group, seven or eight people remained inside a vehicle.
Sunshades covered the windows, making it impossible to see inside.
Immediately afterward, however, a female martial artist stepped out of the vehicle. She, too, was actually a Knight.
She came up to Luo Xi. "Are you two going to Suotu?"
Luo Xi looked startled. "What do you do?"
The female martial artist took out an object, flashed it, and put it away. "Understand?"
"Oh." Luo Xi nodded slightly, his relaxed expression turning a little more serious. "What do you want with me?"
"Just curious. I thought I'd ask." The female martial artist raised a hand and pointed at Wu Youren. "Who is he to you?"
"You're a little too curious," Luo Xi muttered before answering, "He's from the martial academy too."
Clearly, he was not particularly fond of this woman, but even more clearly, he seemed somewhat wary of her.
The female martial artist did not take issue with him. She nodded, then asked another question. "Why are you following his arrangements?"
"Oh, that's what you're asking." Understanding dawned on Luo Xi. He had thought the female martial artist had developed some other idea.
That also explained why she had ignored them earlier and only appeared now.
After a moment's thought, he answered, "There's a reason. It's not convenient to discuss it right now."
"What I want to ask about is precisely what you can't conveniently discuss," the female martial artist replied casually. "Let's talk in the vehicle."
Luo Xi went into the vehicle with her, leaving Wu Youren sitting there, wholly focused on cultivating.
Quite a few gazes turned toward him from nearby. Clearly, they had heard the conversation just now too.
Many had overlooked the fact that the Red Pine Knight had marked out a security perimeter after being prompted by the poor-looking boy.
Thinking back now, this boy, who also came from the martial academy, probably had some ability himself.
Yet although everyone was curious, no one dared make a move.
Red Pine Martial Academy was frightening enough already. There was even less reason to doubt the strength of a force that could make that Knight wary.
And now these two parties had established contact. Who would dare act rashly?
The two came back out after only two or three minutes in the vehicle.
The female martial artist walked up to Wu Youren and said evenly, "Want to rest in the vehicle?"
"Thank you, but there's no need." Wu Youren shook his head without betraying anything. "The air is better outside."
If anyone else had asked, he would not even have bothered to explain, but with this woman... that probably would not be appropriate.
The female martial artist gave a soft snort. "The person who issued your written order is an old friend of mine."
Wu Youren looked at Luo Xi in astonishment. "You told her that too?"
"Ahem." Luo Xi coughed twice. "We're all among friends."
"But I'm an outsider," Wu Youren said solemnly. "So let's forget it."
You think I wanted to agree? Luo Xi looked at the female martial artist. "Why don't you contact her?"
"Forget it." The female martial artist shook her head. She was only a Knight, while Hong Yan was a Great Knight.
She had spoken the truth: they had known each other for quite some time. But with her standing, she was not qualified to contact Instructor Hong from afar to discuss matters.
Paying a visit to discuss things would be acceptable.
So she could only look at Luo Xi again. "Once the rain stops, we'll go to Suotu together."
Luo Xi asked bluntly, "What do I get out of it?"
The female martial artist's answer was not only blunt but overbearing. "Whatever you gain belongs entirely to you."
"Well, thank you so much." Luo Xi could not help rolling his eyes. "Were you planning to rob us otherwise?"
The female martial artist was equally unceremonious, firing back, "Do you have a problem with that?"
Their exchange had something of a needle point clashing against a wheat awn about it. What was certain was that the female martial artist was the more forceful one.
"I don't want trouble with you people," Luo Xi answered bluntly, then pointed at Wu Youren. "Ask whether he objects."
"I probably... do, a little." This time, Wu Youren offered no further explanation.
He disliked unexpected complications, especially since the other party's identity might intersect with the Life and Death Knot.
Being watched by one organization was tiresome enough. He had no interest in adding another set of shackles to himself.
The female martial artist frowned at his response. Do you think you're qualified to refuse?
But when she saw his clear eyes, her heart softened for no apparent reason.
After a moment's thought, she said, "Do you want to become an Ability User?"
"Holy shit..." Someone nearby could not hold back. This poor-looking boy actually had that kind of potential?
The middle-aged man who had asked for a price earlier could not help muttering, "No wonder he doesn't take silver dollars seriously."
Yet Wu Youren's face remained largely expressionless. "Thank you, but is that just something you're saying?"
He had experienced more than enough promises of painted cakes. Even this body had witnessed the Seventeenth Highness going back on his word.
"Then forget it." The female martial artist waved a hand, her interest gone. "Young man, don't be too greedy!"
With an opportunity like this, you expect me to beg you? Don't be ridiculous!
"I'm really not greedy." Wu Youren shook his head, still saying little-you don't understand the pressure I'm under!
The female martial artist ignored him, instead looking around and declaring in a low voice, "Don't any of you get any crooked ideas about this boy."
"What he does best is sense the approach of the Weird Race. We in the military will keep watching over him."
Military, my ass! The corner of Luo Xi's eye twitched, but he said nothing.
Everyone else, however, wore an expression of sudden understanding.
Sensing the Weird Race was indeed an extraordinarily powerful ability, but the authorities' need for this type far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Unless a force was sufficiently powerful, there really was no need to compete with the authorities for talent.
"It isn't necessarily accurate!" Wu Youren could no longer sit still and took the initiative to dispel the rumor.
He was not exactly of the lie-low school, but he certainly did not like drawing attention either.
"Thank you all for thinking so highly of me. I'm just afraid of dying, so I think a little more about everything. It might have been a chance coincidence!"
This time, the female martial artist was truly annoyed. She glared fiercely at him. You think I can't handle a little brat like you?
"You're already very impressive, being able to kill a Chang Ghost all by yourself!"
What exactly are you trying to do? Wu Youren's face darkened slightly, and his hands began dropping naturally to his sides.
He said coldly, "Knight Luo Xi, don't you owe me an explanation?"
He really was a little angry-they were only collaborators. Was having such a loose tongue really appropriate?
"I was talking you up," Luo Xi answered with perfect confidence. "I didn't mention that it was mainly the Weird-Dispelling Powder's power."
"Well, now you've told them everything!" Wu Youren raised a hand and smacked his forehead in anguish.
"Can we even keep working together?"
(The update is here. Please support with continued reading, votes, and favorites.)