"Our identities have already been exposed. Going back to the safe zone is definitely going to be difficult." Xu Jintang pondered for a moment. "That announcement just now about Yang Tuo being knocked out of the top ten is going to give a lot of people the wrong idea again. The moment we show up in the safe zone, we'll be targeted."
Worry spread across Wei Zixuan's face. "Then... what..." He stammered for ages without coming up with a plan.
Xu Jintang slowly raised her eyes, a slight curve forming on her lips. "Since everyone thinks we're bandits now, let's put that identity to good use."
"Huh?" Wei Zixuan froze.
A few minutes later, a team encountered a crisis in a patch of jungle near the safe zone.
The team consisted of five people. For the first three days, they had steadily hunted First Tier demonic beasts, but their earnings were far too meager to split five ways.
So today, the five mustered their courage and decided to try hunting Second Tier demonic beasts.
Unfortunately, their luck was terrible, and they encountered two Second Tier demonic beasts at once. All five team members were only First Tier ability users. After struggling to resist for a few rounds, they began retreating steadily under the beasts' attacks.
"This won't work! The five of us can't hold off two Second Tier demonic beasts!"
Just then, a powerful slowing effect descended over them.
The two demonic beasts, whose attacks had been so swift and fierce, became incredibly slow.
The five team members seized the opportunity to break away from the battle and flee in different directions.
"Split up! Don't let the beasts catch you!"
One of the boys ran toward the safe zone.
Before long, a blurred figure appeared, blocking his path.
The boy's heart tightened. He stopped and quickly covered the points jade token at his waist, on guard. "Who are you? What do you want?"
Xu Jintang leaned lazily against a tree trunk. With sunlight spilling over her, she stretched comfortably. "I never change my name, no matter where I go. Xu Jintang, at your service."
Then Wei Zixuan emerged from the trees on the other side, toying with a twig. With the thoroughly devil-may-care air of a bandit, he raised his head slightly, revealing a smile on his delicate-featured face. "Wei Zixuan, at your service."
By now, their reputation as bandits was firmly established in everyone's minds.
The boy's face instantly went deathly pale, his lips trembling slightly in fright. "Sister Jintang, Brother Zixuan, I have less than five hundred points altogether. They won't help you two at all. Please don't rob me!"
Xu Jintang folded her arms and walked toward him, one step at a time. "We're not taking points today. We only want nutrient solution."
"Hand over all the nutrient solution you have. We'll buy it at market price." Wei Zixuan walked toward the boy as well, smiling.
"I-I-I... only have one bottle left. I was planning to buy more when I went back to the safe zone tonight." The boy's legs began trembling in fright. He hurriedly took out his last bottle of nutrient solution and offered it with both hands.
Xu Jintang and Wei Zixuan exchanged a glance.
Wei Zixuan continued, "One bottle it is, then. At the safe zone supply shop's price, that's ten points a bottle. I'll transfer them to you."
"No, no!" The boy hurriedly waved his hands and shook his head. "I don't want any points. Just let me go."
Wei Zixuan walked toward him. "We're not actually bandits. It's only ten points. I'll transfer them."
He picked up the points jade token at his waist, about to make the transfer right there.
But that single movement terrified the boy. He immediately screamed, turned, and ran. "Don't steal my points! I'm really sorry!"
He shouted as he ran, disappearing from sight in no time.
Wei Zixuan froze, then looked back at Xu Jintang. "Are we really that scary now?"
Xu Jintang looked away. "Maybe."
Soon, the two repeated the same routine for several more rounds of robbery.
Every time Wei Zixuan tried to transfer points to someone, they grew flushed with fright and frantically shook their heads in refusal.
In the end, left with no choice, Xu Jintang threatened fiercely, "If you don't accept them, we'll crush your points jade token!"
The boy's breath caught, and he immediately changed his answer. "I'll take them! I'll take them!"
Wei Zixuan picked up his points jade token and transferred sixty points to him. "Six bottles of nutrient solution. Sixty points total."
"Thank you!" The boy sobbed his thanks. Seeing that the two made no further move, he hurriedly turned and ran away.
Chapter 33
"Sister Jintang, this nutrient solution should be enough for us." Wei Zixuan took out four bottles and handed them to Xu Jintang.
Xu Jintang put them into her bracelet's storage space. "Let's go find some demonic beasts."
"We spent all morning being bandits and didn't earn a single point. We'll have to pick up the pace this afternoon," Wei Zixuan replied with a nod.
Meanwhile, in the safe zone, the rumors about the pair were growing more and more outrageous.
"Have you heard? Xu Jintang and Wei Zixuan robbed loads of examinees this morning. They took everything and left them with nothing but their underwear. It's terrifying."
"Are those two bandits or perverts? Why are they stealing people's clothes too?"
"Anyway, whenever you leave the safe zone these days, make sure you watch out for a pair with one boy and one girl."
Xu Jintang and Wei Zixuan were still putting all their effort into hunting down Second Tier demonic beasts.
[Points +100] [Points +100]
As they fought more battles, their coordination improved. Working together, they could finish off a Second Tier demonic beast in under five minutes.
After venturing deep into the forest, Xu Jintang slowed down and lowered her voice. "If we go any farther, we might encounter Third Tier demonic beasts. We can't handle those yet. Fall back."
The tier of the demonic beast Wei Zixuan could summon with his ability was far too inconsistent.
If he had bad luck and happened to summon a First Tier demonic beast, Xu Jintang alone would be completely unable to contend with a Third Tier demonic beast.
Wei Zixuan nodded silently, bending slightly and maintaining a wary posture as he backed away step by step.
Just then, voices came from the nearby jungle:
"If you hand over your points willingly, I can let you stay in the exam. But if you wait until we take action ourselves, and we accidentally crush your points jade tokens, then... who knows what might happen."
"You... you're..." a trembling voice sounded.
A rough male voice burst into laughter. "That's right! We're Wei Zixuan and Xu Jintang! Hurry up and hand over your points!"
Xu Jintang and Wei Zixuan stopped in their tracks as they were about to retreat.
They exchanged a silent glance.
"..."
After taking the other party's points, Yan Zitao tossed the jade tokens back. "Since you cooperated, we'll let you off. Take your tokens and get lost!"
The two victims immediately got up, turned, and hurried away.
"Brother, that was a great idea! We've robbed at least eight hundred points in just one morning!" His younger sister, Yan Yuting, walked over with a smile.
Yan Zitao put his hands on his hips. "Come on. Let's find the next group."
The two were about to turn and leave.
"Hold on, you two." Xu Jintang walked slowly out of the trees.
Wei Zixuan followed her out right afterward.
Yan Zitao and Yan Yuting froze, stopping warily. "Do you need something?"
"Nothing. We just happened to pass by and see you two robbing people." Xu Jintang raised her eyes and looked them over. "I hear you're the famous Xu Jintang and Wei Zixuan?"
Yan Zitao froze for half a second, then a smile spread across his face. "That's right. If you know what's good for you, hand over your points willingly. Otherwise, once we take action ourselves, we'll eliminate you outright!"
Yan Yuting played along, planting her hands on her hips and putting on a fierce expression. "My brother has a bad temper. Be careful. If he gets angry, you won't even have a chance to run."
Xu Jintang pressed her lips together, then smiled faintly. "We're not running."
With that, a dark glint flashed through her eyes. She struck without hesitation, darting toward Yan Zitao.
Beside her, Wei Zixuan swiftly summoned the stone gate.
"You actually dare attack!" Yan Zitao's expression darkened. He immediately clenched both fists, and golden fur spread over his body. In the blink of an eye, he had become a gigantic humanoid ape.
"Snow Ape Thousand Mountains Force!" Dazzling white light erupted from his body, and a powerful surge of mental power could be felt rising around him.
Xu Jintang was a little surprised.
The boy swindling people under their names was actually a Second Tier ability user.
Realizing her opponent was no weakling, Xu Jintang grew more cautious than before.
She clenched her fist, gathering mental power in her palm, and met Yan Zitao's blow head-on.
When their strength collided, a powerful shock wave spread outward, scattering the fallen leaves nearby in every direction.
Surprise flashed across Yan Zitao's face. "You're a Second Tier ability user too?"
His ability was Blizzard Ape. Once activated, his body transformed into a Blizzard Ape, tripling his physical strength.
Ability users of the same tier were basically incapable of taking his punch head-on.
Yet this girl had just fought him to a draw.
Xu Jintang shook out her hand, raised her eyes, and replied, "No."
As the words fell, her gaze turned cold, and she leaned forward and charged again.
Just then, Wei Zixuan finished summoning his demonic beast.
His luck was good this time: he summoned a Peak Third Tier demonic beast outright.
Two minutes later, the Yan siblings had been subdued and tied to a tree.
Xu Jintang walked up to Yan Zitao and reached out to take the points jade token from his waist. "Tell us. How many people have you robbed of their points?"
Yan Zitao knew they had run into tough opponents.
He pressed his lips together and thought for a moment. "I don't know. Anyway, we only managed to steal eight hundred-odd points before you caught us."
Yan Yuting hurriedly pleaded, "Sister, my brother and I were only taking points. We let everyone go afterward. We didn't eliminate them early. Competition between everyone is inevitable in the joint exam, and we're not the only two robbing people. The other examinees are stealing points too."