Li Yue Takes the Initiative

Dongfang Yueming slowly sheathed his saber, walked over to Li Yue, and reached out to help her up. "Sister Li Yue, are you all right?" he asked calmly.

"I... I'm fine..." Li Yue answered as if talking in her sleep, her eyes still fixed blankly on the two piles of minced flesh on the ground.

Seeing how distraught she looked, Dongfang Yueming smiled faintly and lowered his voice. "Sister Li Yue, those two Azure-Scaled Leopards weren't weak. To kill them, you must have fought with your life on the line and made an indispensable contribution, right?"

"Huh?" Li Yue froze, then immediately understood what Dongfang Yueming meant. Was he... trying to give me the credit?

Sharp as ice and clever as snow, she instantly connected Zhang Meng's earlier strange behavior with the all-too-convenient ambush. Her disgust and suspicion toward him deepened! But she also knew that without evidence, accusing him rashly would only bring trouble.

Dongfang Yueming was helping her, and he was also avoiding unnecessary trouble.

A warm current of gratitude welled up in Li Yue's heart, and she nodded emphatically. "Yes! That's right! We... we killed them by joining forces!" She deliberately emphasized the words "joining forces."

Before long, Captain Wang Zhen and Zhao Tieniu arrived after hearing the news.

When they saw the two piles of Azure-Scaled Leopard "remains" on the ground, too gruesome to look at, even the worldly Wang Zhen couldn't stop his eyelids from twitching. Zhao Tieniu sucked in a sharp breath.

"These were... two Azure-Scaled Leopards?!" Captain Wang Zhen's voice was filled with disbelief. "And judging by the aura left behind... I'm afraid both of them had reached the Flesh Refining Realm!"

Li Yue stepped forward at just the right moment, her face showing both lingering fear and valor, and recounted the story she had already made up: chiefly, how she had fought bravely, how Dongfang Yueming had assisted her and kept the beasts occupied, and how the two of them had finally managed, with great difficulty, to kill the two ferocious Azure-Scaled Leopards by joining forces. Of course, she also "casually" mentioned that the appearance of the two leopards had been far too suspicious, as if someone had deliberately lured them there.

After hearing her out, Captain Wang Zhen gave Li Yue a long look, then glanced at Dongfang Yueming, who stood silently beside her. His eyes flickered, as though he understood something.

He didn't probe further. Instead, he praised them loudly. "Good! Well done! Li Yue, I didn't expect your strength to have improved again. You managed to turn the tables and kill two Flesh Refining Realm beasts! Dongfang Yueming, you did a fine job assisting her, too!"

Li Yue beamed at the praise and stole a glance at Dongfang Yueming, her admiration for him growing even stronger. This man isn't just powerful, he's so considerate of others. He's simply perfect!

Captain Wang Zhen made a decision on the spot. "These two Flesh Refining Realm Azure-Scaled Leopards are worth a fortune! According to the rules, killing a low-level peak mortal beast earns a reward of 20 contribution points per beast! Since Li Yue was the main attacker, all 40 points will be credited to you! Dongfang Yueming, you contributed by assisting her, so you'll receive an extra 20 contribution points!"

"Thank you, Captain!" Li Yue beamed with delight.

"Thank you, Captain," Dongfang Yueming said with a smile as well. Twenty points, picked up for free. I'd be a fool not to take them.

Zhao Tieniu watched from the side, green with envy. Another 20 points! Isn't Dongfang Yueming a little too lucky? He's only been here a few days, and he's already earned 50 points in extra rewards alone!

Zhang Meng, meanwhile, curled his lip when he heard the result. Although he also thought it strange that two Flesh Refining Realm Azure-Scaled Leopards had appeared, he didn't believe Dongfang Yueming was capable of taking part in killing them. As he saw it, Li Yue must have risked her life to deal with them, while Dongfang Yueming had simply been lucky enough to follow along and reap the benefits.

"Hmph, the brat was lucky to survive!" Zhang Meng thought resentfully. "Too bad the Azure-Scaled Leopards didn't kill him!"

Dongfang Yueming was also watching Zhang Meng's reaction.

Looks like... he really might not have arranged for those Azure-Scaled Leopards to appear, Dongfang Yueming concluded. Maybe it was just a coincidence? Even so, he didn't let his guard down around Zhang Meng.

Once the matter was settled, the patrol mission officially came to an end.

Dongfang Yueming said goodbye to the others and turned to leave.

He had only gone a short distance when Li Yue's clear voice called out behind him. "Dongfang! Wait!"

Dongfang Yueming stopped and saw Li Yue hurrying after him, her pretty face wreathed in smiles.

"Dongfang, about earlier... thank you," Li Yue said as she came up to him. She opened her personal terminal and began operating it. "Those 40 contribution points should have been yours in the first place. I'll transfer them to you now."

"Oh? Sure." Without standing on ceremony, Dongfang Yueming opened his own terminal, ready to receive them.

Li Yue's hands paused, and she looked up in surprise. "Huh? I thought you'd turn them down first?" In the script she had imagined, wasn't he supposed to exchange a few polite words with her first, then she would insist, and only then would he "reluctantly" accept?

"Why would I turn them down? I really do need contribution points. The more, the better," Dongfang Yueming said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He urgently needed contribution points to exchange for a Flesh Refining Method, so naturally, he wasn't going to turn them away.

"Pfft..." Li Yue laughed at his straightforward honesty, finding this handsome junior more and more interesting. "All right, all right, you certainly are straightforward!"

Smiling, she finished the transaction and transferred 40 contribution points to Dongfang Yueming's account.

[Contribution points +40. Current balance: 78 points] (including today's base 6 points)

After the transfer, Li Yue gazed at the handsome profile of Dongfang Yueming, who was right beside her. Her heart warmed, and as if guided by an unseen force, she rose on tiptoe and planted a swift kiss on his cheek!

Like a dragonfly skimming the water, she touched him and drew away at once.

"Hee-hee, that's a thank-you gift! See you tomorrow!"

With those words, Li Yue's pretty face flushed crimson. Before Dongfang Yueming could react, she turned and ran off laughing, like a startled fawn.

Dongfang Yueming stood rooted to the spot and touched the lingering warmth on his cheek, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

This girl... isn't she a little too forward?