The two Knight didn't mind the rules, but ultimately they couldn't be completely immune to human relationships.
The burly Knight spoke again, asking, "What happened with that explosion just now?"
They were indeed attracted by the sound of the explosion; the Weird Race would never normally make such a noise.
Cynthia will give a brief introduction, omitting as much as possible.
It was only said that two Knight and one Knight Apprentice had died, and strange things happened last night, so they could only be burned and buried.
How could the ambiguity in his words possibly escape the notice of these two?
However, the burly Knight had no interest in such trivial matters—the situation was urgent, and petty schemes between humans were secondary.
What he was more concerned about was, "Has there been no strange activity in the vicinity?"
"We encountered Weird Transformation Azure Qiu," Cynthia replied seriously, "And it was a whole nest of them; Instructor Ke Li was still around at the time..."
It must be admitted that her statements were logically clear and focused on the key points.
Where powerful Weird Race have appeared, weaker Weird Race will instinctively give way.
The burly Knight listened intently, and after finishing, asked, "Where did the Weird Transformation Azure Qiu come from?"
Cynthia pointed out the location, but the two only approached and looked around before going inside to investigate.
Then he nodded slightly, "You're really lucky. The situation outside is extremely dangerous, yet you managed to find such a place."
Seeing an opportunity, Naimuer couldn't help but ask again, "Senior, could you provide some supplies?"
"We're here to scout, where would we get supplies?" The burly Knight shook his head, refusing outright.
He carried a considerable amount of supplies with him, but those were for survival; how could he possibly give them to outsiders?
However, the slender Knight's eyes darted around upon hearing this. "Want supplies? Sure, what will you offer in exchange?"
Thankfully, Naimuer wasn't completely foolish. "We... can confirm with the Martial Academy that we've received the supplies!"
Please, you two seniors, get this straight. We are on a mission, and you should discuss the related expenses with Red Pine!
"First, figure out where you are!" the thin man sneered. "It's a battlefield, a place where lives are at stake!"
"You should all be grateful that we're willing to trade, yet you want to try and buy on credit?"
"We only have the weapons we found," Naimuer, his vigilance heightened.
In Liang, there is no such thing as a "military force"; often, the military is more terrifying than bandits.
Finding a weapon on the battlefield is something anyone could encounter, and it wouldn't stand out.
However, at the same moment, Cynthia also spoke up, "How about gold coins?"
She was just thinking that since the Resentment Qi Crystal couldn't be exposed, the gold coins weren't that important; one crystal was only worth a hundred silver dollars!
"Gold coins?" A hint of greed flashed in his thin eyes. "They're not yours, are they?"
For these professional soldiers, looting corpses on the battlefield was commonplace; how could they not have guessed where the gold coins came from?
Although Cynthia is very clear-headed, she is ultimately young and lacks life experience in certain areas.
Hearing this question, her heart sank slightly; the other person's ill intentions were practically written all over their face.
Fortunately, she managed to maintain her composure. "Senior is joking. How could the gold coins in our hands belong to someone else?"
The skinny Knight wasn't buying it. "Did you bring this from home?"
"Senior," Naimuer couldn't stand it anymore, "You said this is a battlefield, gold coins are gold coins, why ask where they come from?"
It's like when someone goes to war, they don't loot the corpses. Is there any point in being so serious?
"Are you trying to teach me how to do things?" The thin Knight gave him a cold look. "Who gave you the audacity?"
The Liang's army has a bad reputation, and that's no exaggeration; far too often, they simply don't reason.
This aggressive demeanor was something even Cynthia found hard to accept, let alone Naimuer.
" Youren," she decisively called for backup, "Stop just watching the show!"
"What can I say?" Wu Youren was quite helpless. Even the Liang couldn't handle this; how could he expect a hostage from Jin to solve it?
But since they've already been called out, I need to offer some advice. "Seniors, on the battlefield, whoever finds it keeps it, right?"
"Hmm," the slightly thin Knight nodded slightly, "Theoretically speaking..."
"No need for arguments," the burly Knight interrupted him. "Just tell me, how many treasures dropped by the Weird Race do you have?"
The question immediately fell silent.
After a long pause, Naimuer finally spoke in a muffled voice, "They've all been taken away by Instructor Ke Li."
The burly Knight laughed in anger, "I see, you all thought I was particularly afraid of him?"
"I don't think so," Wu Youren said.
He didn't want to be a troublemaker, but if he didn't step forward now, no one else would be willing to do so for him in the future.
"Seniors, your mission is to investigate the strange situation... but the important matter comes first!"
"This little fellow is interesting," the two Knight exchanged a knowing smile.
The slender Knight scoffed, "Just kidding! But we'll pay a high price for any treasures dropped by the Weird Race!"
This is the style of Liang soldiers; their arrogance can turn into a joke in an instant, and they can switch between these two styles at will as long as they are strong enough.
"A high price?" Naimuer's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
Wu Youren helplessly touched his forehead: Who can escape the greed, anger, and ignorance of this world?
He had no intention of making fun of this person; when the time really came—even if you stomp your feet, you'd be numb!
The slightly thin Knight smiled and nodded firmly, "That's right, a high price!"
Cynthia remained silent; clearly, she hadn't lost her mind.
"Hmm, I think I can smell Instructor Ke Li!" Wu Youren looked into the distance, his face beaming with delight. "I'll go take a look!"
He had barely moved when a figure flashed in front of him, and a burly Knight blocked his way.
He spoke with a half-smile, "This young man seems quite extraordinary... What kind of martial art does he practice?"
Wu Youren abruptly stopped, and said expressionlessly, "Sorry, it's not convenient."
"You seem a little... unconvinced?" the burly man said with a half-smile.
Suddenly, he lunged forward, drew his curved sword from his waist, and slashed out.
Wu Youren stood there quietly, as if he had been terrified.
The scimitar stopped abruptly less than half a meter away from him, and the Knight's figure also froze abruptly.
It was as if the pause button had been pressed for a split second.
The burly Knight's face showed amusement. "You've got some guts."
Wu Youren did not answer, still looking terrified, but his eyes were unusually calm.
"It's not a matter of courage, it's a matter of confidence," the thin Knight chuckled from a short distance away, looking smug.
"You're too slow; you won't be able to hit him."
The burly Knight glared at his companion and slowly sheathed his sword. "He didn't sense my killing intent."
This should be the correct answer, but Wu Youren remained silent.
"No more joking around," the burly Knight said seriously, looking at Cynthia. "Treasures dropped by the Weird Race, I'll buy them at a high price!"
He sensed that the female warrior was the one in charge among the three.
"No," Cynthia shook her head and answered without hesitation, "I'm very sorry."
The two Knight exchanged a glance, realizing the situation was getting a bit tricky.
The three enemies held out in the mountains for so long, even burying two Knight. Who would believe they gained nothing?
Since there was no one around, the two of them did indeed become a little greedy.
Such has always been the prevailing attitude in Liang: weakness is the original sin. The military warriors are especially arrogant, and plundering by force is commonplace for them.
However, the three opponents were students of Red Pine, a local tyrant, and the consequences of acting rashly could be quite serious.
Finally, the slightly thin Knight spoke up, "Business comes first... I've got it, Cynthia, right? You'd better not be lying!"
Cynthia's lips twitched slightly. They were just two Knight; if she missed today, what could they do to her?
Behind the Mirage Sea Alliance alone were more than three or five Knight. After returning to Red Pine, she really didn't think they could pull off any tricks.
However, she wouldn't provoke them at this point, simply replying in a lukewarm tone, "Wishing you both a successful mission."
The two Knight vanished into the night in the next instant.
Naimuer glanced at Wu Youren and complained, "See? I told you not to blast the mountain, but you wouldn't listen."
"You have to thank him," Cynthia couldn't help but say. "If he hadn't stood still and didn't dodge, would we have gotten through so easily?"
"Maybe they won't come!" Naimuer muttered softly.
However, he also knew in his heart that the two were scouts in the army, and it was almost impossible to expect them not to discover their side.
Especially at night, the three of them might light a campfire, making them easier to spot.
Cynthia completely ignored him and instead looked at the Jin boy, "Are you sure you wouldn't have gotten hurt back then?"
Wu Youren blinked his left eye twice and replied calmly, "I was just completely terrified."
"Heh," Naimuer snorted softly, without saying anything more.
Unexpectedly, Cynthia didn't speak up for him anymore, only saying that Wu Youren didn't need to keep watch tonight.
I don't know what you're busy with, getting some rest is the most important thing.
Naimuer was a little puzzled, but the young man from Jin had worked the entire night and even killed a Knight Weird, so he certainly deserved to rest.
Cynthia was on night duty for the first half of the night, and just as it was time for her shift to end, her wristwatch gave a slight jolt.
It was a message from Wu Youren: "Someone is approaching, from the northwest."
The northwest is located near the mountaintop, and approaching from above in the middle of the night suggests a very clear purpose.
Cynthia waited a while, but received no further hints, realizing that the other party was asking her to make a choice.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to try and control the situation.
Even if the other party has obvious malicious intent, it's still best not to cause trouble in this kind of environment.
She darted away and hid behind a rock.
Then she spoke towards the northwest, "I advise you to leave; if you go any further, we will be firing the engine."
"Quite quick-witted, no wonder you came from Red Pine," came the reply from that direction, though the voice was rather muffled.
That makes sense, though; those two obviously couldn't reply in their natural voices.
A short while later, Cynthia's watch vibrated again, "The person has left."