Before coming here, I never thought that Red Sea Shelter would try to eliminate us just by having bite marks. Then again, I can't blame them for being cautious. Who knows how many shelters have fallen due to the carelessness of the lookouts and guards alike.
If worse comes to worst, I may have to fight Shen Rong and I don't think I'll come out of this fight unscathed... if I ever come out of it at all.
Shen Rong sighed.
Fuwhooooo!
Before I knew it, the massive aura that dwelled in Shen Rong came out again, surrounding the whole place with its pressure. Unlike any other aura of the masters I've seen in my 'past' life, Shen Rong had a black and deep-blood red aura.
Shaaaaaaaa...
In just a split second, the aura that Shen Rong released returned to his body and I was able to breathe normally again. Liu Zhi and the others were already sweating but they didn't show any tiredness from their face at all. They were probably used to Shen Rong doing this out of the blue.
"Liu Zhi, Wu Yan, Blade, and Luo Zehn, you may enter." Shen Rong spoke up. "But you, Yong Rui, you stay here. I need to speak with you."
Wait, what? Why does he want to speak to me? It's not like I did anything wrong, did I?
Or maybe that pressure he released was some sort of mind-reading ability? Did he happen to see the System? Or maybe he saw that I'm actually a rabid human? Or... did he see my innermost desires?!
Oh no!
I looked at Luo Zhen with pleading eyes, hoping that he would disagree and help me. But instead of standing up for me, he shook his head and patted me on the shoulder. "Red Sea Shelter will continue to have a good relationship with Tang Shelter. I don't want to antagonize Red Sea Shelter just because Shen Rong wants to talk with you. Just don't be disrespectful, all right?" He said before joining Liu Zhi and his party as they headed inside the Red Sea Shelter.
Talk about betrayal! Luo Zehn! Did you forget that I saved you five years ago when you were still a weakling?! How dare you betray me now! How preposterous. Preposterous indeed!
I will get back to you once I'm done with this predicament!
"Yong Rui, before I let you in. I just want to know of your true identity." Shen Rong asked. "Because this is the Red Sea Shelter and I'm the leader of the said shelter, I have to be careful in whom I let in inside it. I hope you understand this, Yong Rui."
"I understand, Shelter Leader." I respectfully responded.
Although this pains me a lot since I was used to being the one bowed down to, I swallowed my pride and continued acting as respectfully as I could. I know that it was still not time for me to ask for respect since it would just affect the Tang Shelter badly. And also, it's not like I'm worthy of respect at the moment. After all, I'm still at the peak of Spirit Realm, specifically, on the Sixth-Level of the Spirit Realm.
"First of all, what are you." Shen Rong asked with eyes scrutinizing me. "It's evident that you have the zombie virus in your body. I know since I checked all of you with the blood element. It's also weird that I found Wu Yan to not have the virus. It was clear that she was bitten but it was probably just a wound incurred from an accident. As for you, you have the zombie virus and yet you can speak and act like a human. And also, why do you have two Qi Cores?"
"Um, esteemed Shelter Leader, would it be all right if I take my time to answer your question?" I asked, hoping that he would be as understanding as I thought him to be. In all honesty, however, I was prepared to fight if he were to reject my proposal.
"Yes, please take your time." Shen Rong waved his hand, telling me to just get it over with.
"Shelter Leader, regarding your first question, I am a human," I lied, but I was confident that he would buy it. "Although it is true that I was really bitten by rabid humans, I chanced upon a weird element and cultivated it, making me immune to the bites of rabid humans. Furthermore, I have the ability to extract the virus from a recently bitten human, and that's why Wu Yan didn't have the virus although she was bitten."
"You mean to tell me, you managed to extract the virus completely out of a person?!" Shen Rong exclaimed. "But... that's impossible! Even I, with the Blood Element, could only combat the virus inside the body using my cultivation. I can't really extract the virus from someone. How did you do it?"
"I don't know either, but once I know of its process, I will definitely inform you of it, Shelter Leader. After all, it's rare to find someone with the Blood Element like me." I nonchalantly announced.
The moment I said that Shen Rong's jaws seemed to drop all the way to the ground as he looked at me in disbelief. But just like before, it only took him a split second to regain his composure.
"I see, that explains everything." Shen Rong cleared his throat. "You don't have to answer any of my questions. You may come in."
"But sir!" The guard was about to complain when Shen Rong stopped him short using his pressure.
"You do know how the Blood Element could be obtained, right?" Shen Rong continued.
Gulp!
"But still, to think that I will find a master in the blood element in the form of a young man in a mere spirit rank... I must be dreaming." Shen Rong muttered to himself. "Yong Rui,"
"Yes, shelter leader?"
"I hope you don't have anything scheduled for tonight. I formally invite you over to dinner." Shen Rong continued. "We have a lot of things to talk about and catch up on, right?"
Sigh, and here we go again with all these formalities. I thought I finally escaped these when I turned into a rabid human. But as it turns out, prestige seems to overtake me in a flash.
'Let's not jump to conclusions here, Yongrui. He's only inviting you out for dinner!' I told myself as I meekly followed Shen Rong inside the Red Sea Shelter.