"Whew…"
Seeing the Fire-tail Scorpion dead, Lin Feng finally stopped activating his talismans. He let out a long sigh, took a few steps back, and slumped against a rock. Only then did he realize the qi he'd just recovered was depleted again. Looking at the two talismans in his hand, he saw they only had a few uses left.
Qin Ye and Lu Cheng were similar—both breathing sighs of relief, faces etched with overwhelming relief and surprise.
"Hahaha!! Finally killed it! I'm exhausted! Cough, cough…"
Zheng Kai laughed heartily, but it seemed to jar an injury in his chest. He grimaced, baring his teeth, and quickly sat cross-legged on the ground, beginning to circulate his qi to recuperate.
He Yuan also cast a rather surprised glance towards Lin Feng's group. He then found a spot and similarly began his own recuperation, temporarily ignoring the scorpion corpse on the ground.
After a moment, Zheng Kai, still regulating his qi, asked He Yuan, "He Yuan, how did you come from deeper inside? We saw no signs of anyone entering from the front."
He Yuan glanced towards the cave entrance. "We didn't enter through this cave. My team cleared a medium-sized Fire-tail Scorpion nest. Deep inside, we suddenly encountered this Tier 2, Level 3 scorpion and another Tier 2, Level 6 one. Besides me, our team had a Foundation Establishment Level 4 captain, a freelance cultivator. We barely managed to kill the strongest scorpion, but three companions, including the captain, died. This one chased me to a fork in the tunnels, and I ended up here. Lucky I ran into you, or I'd have been skinned alive, if not dead!"
"I see… So this cave connects to another nest…" Zheng Kai murmured, a flicker of relief in his eyes. It seemed He Yuan's team had drawn the attention of the other scorpions, sparing them a potentially deadly encounter earlier.
After exchanging a few more words, He Yuan stretched his limbs, seemingly mostly recovered. He stood up with a laugh. "Haha! Brother Zheng Kai, many thanks for today! I'll definitely treat you to drinks another time to repay this debt!"
As he spoke, he casually stowed the colossal Tier 2 Fire-tail Scorpion corpse into his spatial ring…
Watching He Yuan's action, Lin Feng's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. He subtly moved his hands behind his back…
"..."
Zheng Kai was stunned for a second, then frowned slightly. "He Yuan, what's the meaning of this?"
He Yuan pretended not to understand. "Meaning? I said I'll buy you drinks! You helped me so much today, how could I not show my appreciation? Haha!"
Not just Zheng Kai, but Duanmu Rui and the others' expressions darkened. Qin Ye, straightforward by nature, couldn't hold back her indignation. "How can you be so shameless?! We helped you fight this Tier 2 scorpion! A'Rui got injured, and Lin Feng wasted six Tier 2 reusable talismans! And you just want to hog the entire beast?!"
"Hmph!!" A cold glint flashed in He Yuan's eyes as he swept a dangerous look over Qin Ye, his smile thin and mocking. "I'm very grateful for your help. If you're free another day, come drink with Zheng Kai. I'll treat you all well."
"You—!!"
Qin Ye's face flushed crimson with anger. She wanted to argue further, but Duanmu Rui gently pulled her hand, shaking his head slightly, signaling her to stop.
The situation was clear. He Yuan intended to claim the spoils. Their group was weaker; challenging him was futile. This kind of thing wasn't rare in the cultivation world; it was common. Had they encountered a more ruthless cultivator, they might have already been killed…
Zheng Kai's expression was grim. "He Yuan, must you be this overbearing?"
He Yuan grinned, a sneer twisting his lips as he looked at Zheng Kai. "Young Master Zheng, are you trying to throw the weight of your Zheng Family around? Others might fear your family, but my He Family doesn't! Feel wronged? Go cry to your daddy and 'tattle'! I'll wait right here for him to come 'avenge' you. Maybe then I'll get scared enough to return the scorpion corpse… Hahaha!!"
A muscle twitched near Zheng Kai's eye. He ultimately said nothing more and gave a subtle, warning shake of his head towards Lin Feng and the others, indicating they shouldn't push it either.
In the cultivation world, strength was everything. While they might win if they fought together, the risk of injury or death wasn't worth it. They had to swallow their anger.
Seeing their suppressed fury, He Yuan felt immense satisfaction. He glanced back into the cave depths and shouted, "Cao Yang! Aren't you dead yet?! The scorpion's dead, you coward! Get out here! We're leaving!"
At his shout, Zheng Kai and the others were taken aback. Lin Feng's pupils constricted sharply as he looked up, startled and wary.
Rustle… Rustle…
After several seconds, a figure emerged timidly from behind a large boulder further in. His face was pale, his eyes darting nervously. He hurried over to stand beside He Yuan.
It was none other than Lin Feng's former 'colleague', Cao Yang!!
The very same villain who had betrayed Lin Feng, nearly costing him his life!
Lin Feng had never intended to let him go, but Cao Yang had fled quickly. Over two months had passed, and Lin Feng had almost forgotten him. Seeing him now, a surge of anger reignited, and a flicker of killing intent flashed in Lin Feng's eyes…
Lin Feng's composure wasn't yet flawless. Though he tried to conceal it, that sliver of killing intent was detected by He Yuan, whose cultivation surpassed his own. He Yuan's eyebrow arched, and his gaze, sharp as a serpent's, locked onto Lin Feng.
Not just He Yuan; Cao Yang, who had been watching Lin Feng warily, also caught the murderous glint. He trembled violently, his eyes filling with uncontrollable terror.
He Yuan initially thought the killing intent was directed at him, but Cao Yang's reaction made him reassess. He gave Cao Yang a curious look, then revealed an expression of amused interest. "Well now? Bad blood between you two?"
"..."
Lin Feng remained silent. He knew he'd slipped up, momentarily losing control of his emotions. Cao Yang was now aligned with He Yuan; seeking revenge would be difficult.
Zheng Kai and the others were also stunned, looking at Lin Feng in surprise.
Cao Yang's expression shifted under He Yuan's questioning gaze. Then, a sudden viciousness flared in his eyes. He looked up at He Yuan decisively. "Brother He, I need to tell you something…"
He lowered his voice, whispering urgently into He Yuan's ear.
From a distance, Lin Feng couldn't catch the words clearly, but he distinctly heard "spatial ring" and "spirit stones". His heart plummeted…
He Yuan had initially looked indifferent, but his eyes quickly lit up with avarice. "Oh? Is that true?"
Cao Yang nodded emphatically. "I saw it with my own eyes!"
He Yuan's eyes darted several times, a calculating look passing over Cao Yang. Then he laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Kid, your mind is cunning! I like it! Consider this little problem taken care of!"
His gaze, brimming with undisguised greed, settled firmly on Lin Feng.
He didn't bother with threats. He simply took a step towards Lin Feng, his sword pointing downwards, its edge gleaming coldly. Anyone could see he intended to kill.
"He Yuan!! Stop! What are you doing?!" Zheng Kai roared, shocked and furious.
He Yuan paused, turning his head with a vicious grin. "Zheng Kai, I'm not targeting you. Stay out of this! Or else… Don't blame me for silencing witnesses!"
His menacing gaze swept meaningfully over Duanmu Rui, Qin Ye, and Lu Cheng. Qin Ye trembled with rage, Duanmu Rui's expression turned thunderous, fists clenched, while Lu Cheng paled, shrinking back, unable to meet He Yuan's eyes.
Zheng Kai stood his ground. "He Yuan! Hear this clearly: Lin Feng came out here with me today. He is my friend! If you try to kill him, I swear I'll fight you to the bitter end!"
Hearing Zheng Kai's words, a thread of warmth spread through Lin Feng. They'd known each other less than a day. For Zheng Kai to stand up for him like this was rare. If he had previously considered Zheng Kai a casual acquaintance, he now saw him as a true friend.
"Zheng Kai, thanks for your support. I'll handle this myself."
To everyone's astonishment, Lin Feng stood up and spoke calmly.
...
Lin Feng's statement immediately drew all attention. Everyone stared at him in shock.
He Yuan looked at him as if he were an idiot, sneering coldly. "Heh! Should I call you brave, or just suicidal? Handle it yourself? Hahaha!! How do you plan to 'handle' it? Thinking of begging? Heh… If you kneel, beg nicely, and hand over your spatial ring and all your treasures, I might just spare your pathetic life…"
Cao Yang looked momentarily anxious, but He Yuan continued, "…I'd only cripple your dantian core. Useless cripple, sure, but alive at least? I am merciful… Hahaha!!"
Cao Yang breathed a quiet sigh of relief, though inwardly planning that if He Yuan only crippled Lin Feng, he'd find a chance later to finish him off…
Cao Yang feared Lin Feng deeply, especially after seeing him again and realizing he'd reached Qi Condensation Level 6. His panic fueled the desire to eliminate Lin Feng using He Yuan—he'd hidden earlier and witnessed Lin Feng taking the stack of talismans from a spatial ring. He'd told He Yuan this, adding that he'd coincidentally seen Lin Feng sell a batch of magic tools for hundreds of spirit stones outside a shop recently. He emphasized Lin Feng was just a lowly, background-less freelance cultivator.
A spatial ring was an incredibly tempting treasure for low-level cultivators. Add hundreds, possibly more, spirit stones?
He Yuan internally concluded Lin Feng must have somehow stumbled upon a powerful cultivator's 'inheritance', explaining his sudden windfall. How could such fortune belong to some worthless 'weed'? Treasures like that belonged to someone like him!
...
Listening to He Yuan's arrogant monologue, Lin Feng's expression remained calm. He stared intently at his opponent and spoke slowly, deliberately. "Want my spatial ring? Come and take it."
"Hmph! Ignorant fool! Since you want death, I'll oblige!!"
He Yuan was clearly infuriated by Lin Feng's defiance. With a cold snort, he pushed off the ground, gliding towards Lin Feng like a specter. His right hand shot out, fingers crooked like talons, aiming straight for Lin Feng's throat!