Clearly, the four perfect high-grade True Essence Pills completely won over Zhan Lei’s heart, making him start to trust Ling Xiao.
That’s why he asked for Ling Xiao’s name and shared his own.
“Yue Ling!”
Ling Xiao made up a name, combining Moon Lady’s and his own surname.
“Good name, but what’s your cultivation level, Brother Yue, to dare venture alone into the depths of the Fulong Mountain Range?” Zhan Lei asked again.
“Mortal Realm Fifth Stage, Early Phase!”
This was the template Ling Xiao redefined.
He planned to use this template after returning to the Moonlight Sect, otherwise, a Sixth Stage cultivation would be too exaggerated, likely scaring many people and causing unnecessary trouble.
Moreover, Wu Yang and Qin Wu already knew about this cultivation level and had probably told Meng Yuan, so hiding it wouldn’t work. Setting the template at this stage was the most suitable for now.
“Mortal Realm Fifth Stage! You’re bragging, how old are you even!” the girl called Xiao Jiao, Lin Jiaojiao, said, looking at Ling Xiao with suspicion.
“She’s my cousin, Lin Jiaojiao. Spoiled since childhood, so her temper’s, well, not great, but she’s very kind-hearted,” Zhan Lei introduced, “The other two are my cousins, Zhan Long and Zhan Hu. They’ve all just advanced to Mortal Realm Third Stage cultivation and came out with me for training.”
Though Ling Xiao wasn’t particularly interested in their backgrounds, since they’d introduced themselves, he figured he’d listen.
“Hmph, my cousin Zhan Lei is a Mortal Realm Sixth Stage, Early Phase martial artist. He’s only twenty-six this year and the most outstanding genius in our family,” Lin Jiaojiao said with a cold snort, proudly.
“And then?” Ling Xiao didn’t quite understand why she was saying this.
“And then? I’m just telling you, if you’re planning any funny business, you’d better give up now, or you won’t escape my cousin Zhan Lei’s thunderous methods. You’re worlds apart from him.”
Lin Jiaojiao seemed to adore and idolize her cousin Zhan Lei.
With him around, she seemed fearless.
Ling Xiao couldn’t help but smile, what a naive kid.
He didn’t bother arguing with her and instead looked directly at Zhan Lei, saying, “Brother Zhan, can you tell me about the thing I asked earlier?”
“You mean Sha Family Fort?” Zhan Lei sighed, “Fairy Linglong was killed, so it’s pointless for you to go there now. Sha Family Fort has become the territory of Beast King Palace. Their core disciple Wang She is stationed there, taking over all of Fairy Linglong’s territory and legacy. Oddly, though, Wang She doesn’t seem focused on that. He’s still offering a bounty to hunt down that Ling Xiao.”
Hearing this, Ling Xiao was glad he’d altered his face with some makeup, making it quite different from the portrait on the bounty.
“Then there’s no issue with me selling stuff to Wang She, right?”
“No issue, but the price might be lower,” Zhan Lei cautioned.
Ling Xiao smiled, saying no more, and the five continued their journey.
Along the way, they encountered several beast attacks. Ling Xiao secretly helped without revealing his strength.
This, however, greatly annoyed Lin Jiaojiao.
With her eyesight, she couldn’t tell Ling Xiao was helping, so she thought he was just hiding the whole time, unwilling to fight the beasts.
She wanted Zhan Lei to kick Ling Xiao out of the group.
Zhan Lei refused her request, citing that Ling Xiao was an alchemist.
Zhan Lei was quite level-headed. Though he didn’t notice Ling Xiao’s actions, he felt that dealing with beasts seemed easier after Ling Xiao joined, so he naturally regarded Ling Xiao more highly.
That brainless, big-chested girl Lin Jiaojiao really couldn’t compare to him.
“Brother Zhan Lei, how can you side with an outsider!” Lin Jiaojiao wiped her tears and ran ahead.
This foolish woman, they hadn’t even left the Fulong Mountain Range yet, did she think it was safe?
Just as Ling Xiao shook his head with a wry smile, Lin Jiaojiao crashed into someone’s arms.
“Haha, didn’t expect a beauty to throw herself at me while just walking. Look closely, she’s quite a catch. This master wants her,” the man said, a bald guy with a menacing look, his words crude and vulgar.
Ling Xiao didn’t know this man and had no interest in saving that silly woman. Lin Jiaojiao deserved a lesson, or she’d never know how dangerous the world was.
“Trouble!” Zhan Lei’s face changed drastically when he saw the bald man.
“Who is he?” Ling Xiao asked curiously.
The man’s cultivation was only mid-stage Mortal Realm Sixth Stage, slightly stronger than Zhan Lei. If Zhan Lei teamed up with his cousins, they could possibly defeat him, so why was his expression so horrified and fearful?
“Hua Hua Tai Sui!” Zhan Lei teased.
“Don’t know him.”
“Brother Yue must be from outside, so you might not know. Hua Hua Tai Sui is a notorious sex fiend in Sha Family Fort. He did plenty of dirty work for Fairy Linglong behind the scenes. The only brothel in Sha Family was Fort opened by her in partnership with him. He was one of her men, too,” Zhan Lei said with a bitter smile, “This guy’s cruel and vicious. Most women he’s played with end up worse than dead. He especially likes martial artist women, says it’s more thrilling.”
“Oh, a scumbag, huh,” Ling Xiao nodded.
“More than that. Recently, he’s pledged loyalty to Wang She, becoming his chief steward, managing the brothel business. He’s even crazier than before. If my cousin falls into his hands, she’s done for,” Zhan Lei’s face paled.
“So he’s Wang She’s man. He must have hunted that Ling Xiao too, right?”
“This guy’s cunning. Among the martial artists chasing Ling Xiao, he’s the only one unscathed and still at Sha Family Fort. The rest are either dead or fled,” Zhan Lei replied.
“That makes it easier,” Ling Xiao said.
“What?” Before Zhan Lei could process, a shadow flashed past him.
Then, Lin Jiaojiao was tossed back.
“Little girl, remember, think with your brain before acting, not just your mouth!”
*Bang!*
As the words landed, Hua Hua Tai Sui was already on the ground, four swords piercing his limbs, deeply embedded into the dirt.
“Ah~~” A shrill scream followed.
“When you hurt those women, you must have heard screams like this too, right? How’s it feel? More thrilling when it’s your own, isn’t it?”
Everything happened too fast, almost in the blink of an eye.
Zhan Lei, holding Lin Jiaojiao, listening to Hua Hua Tai Sui’s screams, was completely stunned.
Just moments ago, he was worrying about how to save his cousin. Now, the vicious man who’d been groping her was subdued.
“He’s definitely not ordinary!” It took Zhan Lei a while to snap out of it. He’d always felt Ling Xiao wasn’t simple, but he never imagined he’d handle Hua Hua Tai Sui so easily.
This guy was definitely hiding his strength.
