"The way those people acted was quite ungrateful. We clearly saved them, but they didn't care about our lives and took the opportunity to escape," Tea Jin said angrily.
"I didn't save them for their sake," Su Yi replied calmly. Skillfully, he dissected the fangs, claws, and fur of the Bloodfire Wolf King, stowing them away in his ink jade pendant.
Some of these spiritual materials could be used for forging, some for medicinal purposes, and some for crafting talismans. They were all full of spirituality and far from ordinary.
"That's true..." Tea Jin pondered. They passed through this gorge not only because they didn't want to take a detour but also because they had targeted the Bloodfire Wolf King. Their goal was not to save people.
Since that was the case, even if the other party forgot their debt of gratitude, it no longer mattered.
"Let's go," Su Yi put away his Mystical Black Sword and took a step forward.
Just as they left the gorge, they saw the group of men in battle robes approaching.
"Thank you, young master, for your chivalrous act of saving us," the man in the battle robe said, taking the lead in cupping his hands in gratitude.
Every word he spoke came from the depths of his heart. He had thought he would lose his life here, but who would have expected Su Yi to display such formidable power, breaking through the wolf pack with his sword.
Based on Su Yi's previous display of strength, he had concluded that this young man had an extraordinary background. It was particularly astonishing that this young man was extremely young, only at the Gathered Qi Realm cultivation level, yet his power surpassed that of ordinary Grandmasters. Within the Great Zhou Empire, he could be considered an exceptional individual.
The other four attendants also paid their respects.
Tea Jin felt disdain in her heart. They had taken the opportunity to escape just a moment ago, and now they were showing gratitude. How laughable.
"I didn't save you for your sake, so there's no need to thank me," Su Yi said indifferently.
"See, I told you so. He couldn't possibly have saved us out of goodwill. In my opinion, there's no need to thank him," the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress sneered. "Besides, if it weren't for us distracting those Bloodfire Wolves, they wouldn't have been able to kill the Wolf King so easily."
"What did you say? If it weren't for us, would you still be alive? It's one thing not to be grateful, but how can you say such things?" Tea Jin couldn't help but speak up.
How laughable this girl was. Saving them was just something done on a whim. Not saving them would have been the expected course of action, and now she was making a big deal out of it.
Even the man in the battle robe felt a bit embarrassed and was about to explain.
However, Su Yi waved his hand and said, "Why bother arguing with them? Let's go."
"Hold on!"
To everyone's surprise, before they could leave, the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress angrily said, "Listen carefully, from the beginning, we never asked for your help. Why should we be grateful to you?"
Su Yi remained calm.
This was what it meant to fear power and not appreciate kindness.
When they were trapped in the midst of the wolf pack, how could this girl dare to act so insolently?
Now that they were safe, she was being arrogant, clearly relying on her prestigious background to act without knowing her place.
Su Yi couldn't be bothered and started walking away.
He didn't intervene because he didn't save them for their sake, and he didn't care if they felt grateful or not.
But seeing that he didn't refute her and was about to leave, the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress seemed to think that Su Yi was in the wrong and said, "I haven't finished speaking yet. You're not allowed to leave!"
Su Yi furrowed his eyebrows slightly, turned around, and looked directly at the girl. He calmly asked, "Oh, what else do you want to say?"
The atmosphere became inexplicably tense.
The man in the battle robe seemed to sense the trouble and said, "Miss, it's getting dark. The adults are still waiting for us in Yangku Town."
This was a reminder to the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress not to cause trouble and to leave quickly.
It was also a subtle message to Su Yi that there were important figures waiting for them in Yangku Town, and it would be best not to escalate the situation.
A cold and disdainful smile curved at the corner of Su Yi's lips. He remained silent, his gaze fixed on the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress.
"Elder Qiao, we are clearly in the right. Why should we leave? Doesn't it make us look like we're in the wrong?" the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress raised her arms and held her chest, standing tall. Facing Su Yi's gaze, she proudly said, "Our purpose for entering the mountains this time was to hunt down the Bloodfire Wolf King. Although you killed it, the spoils of war shouldn't be taken by you alone. After all, we played a role in restraining it."
Su Yi's gaze grew even colder as he asked, "So, are you suggesting that I should share the spoils with you as well?"
The girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress calmly replied, "Isn't that what you should do?"
Tea Jin almost burst out laughing upon hearing this. She felt a surge of anger and couldn't help but want to teach this ignorant girl a lesson.
The man in the battle robe inwardly sighed. This young lady by his side had been cherished by the entire clan and everyone around her since she was born.
She was the daughter of the head of the Hong family, one of the top five prestigious families in Gunzhou. Her grandfather was "White Eyebrows King" Cai Jinghai, one of the Nine Kings from an external clan in the Great Zhou Empire. Her grandmother came from the imperial family, and her great-grandmother was a senior elder who had retired from the Tianyuan Academy...
This upbringing had made her like a brilliant pearl from a young age, protected by countless stars wherever she went. She could have whatever she wanted, and her temperament inevitably became a bit indulgent.
Only among the aristocratic sons and daughters in her circle would she maintain her dignity and modesty, restraining her arrogance.
Without waiting for the man in the battle robe to speak, the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress continued, "Of course, I admit that your appearance helped us out of the predicament. If you take out half of the spoils, I can exchange it for money. I won't take advantage of you in the slightest."
Su Yi replied indifferently, "Sure, bring me ten thousand second-grade spirit stones in exchange. Not a single stone less."
The whole scene fell silent.
Ten thousand second-grade spirit stones!
Even among the top families in Gunzhou, this could be considered an astronomical number!
"I have good intentions, but you're making an outrageous demand. Isn't that too much?" the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress exclaimed in anger.
Upon hearing her words, the man in the battle robe secretly cursed his luck.
Miss, how could you speak to such a powerful person who can single-handedly break through a pack of wolves like this?
Regardless of your prestigious background, in this wilderness, if you truly provoke him, no one would be able to leave here alive!
Su Yi calmly said, "I gave you an opportunity, but you refused. It would be best if you didn't attempt to provoke me again. Otherwise, your death will be very unpleasant."
With that, he turned around and left.
Tea Jin quickly followed suit.
The girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress was trembling with anger. Just as she was about to speak, the man in the battle robe grabbed her arm.
With a solemn expression, he said in a low voice, "Miss, Yangku Town is just ahead. Why do you insist on quarreling with someone in this desolate place? If something unexpected happens, the adults will never forgive us."
The girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress's expression changed constantly. After a while, she gritted her teeth and said, "Forget it, let's just drop this matter. I can't be bothered to argue with such a person."
The man in the battle robe breathed a sigh of relief. He vowed in his heart that he would never accompany this young lady on hunting trips again, even if it meant his life. It would be fine if they encountered ordinary people, but once they encountered ruthless individuals, it would be a matter of life and death!
The other four followers also relaxed.
In the city of Gunzhou, they feared nothing. Even if they provoked a more formidable opponent, as long as they revealed the identity and status of the young lady, the situation would be easily resolved.
But in this desolate wilderness, it was entirely different.
If that young man in the green robe just now had malicious intentions, they would not have been enough to fend him off...
"Let's go."
The girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress seemed completely oblivious to all this as she walked away with a sulky expression on her face.
The man in the battle robe and his companions hurried to catch up.
...
"Young master, I thought you would be furious and kill someone just now," Tea Jin whispered.
The mountains gradually became gentle, and in the distance, the outline of a town could be seen at the foot of the mountain.
"She's just an arrogant little girl. She didn't provoke me to the point of anger," Su Yi replied calmly.
Speaking of which, Yuan Luo Xi was also willful and capricious, but deep down she understood the concept of gratitude.
In comparison, the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress had clearly been spoiled. She acted as she pleased, completely lacking any sense of experience.
It's not that the other party is stupid; being in different positions and environments often leads to significant differences in perception.
After all, if it were any other martial artist, they would have likely been intimidated by the attitude of the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress and dared not show disrespect.
In that case, conflicts and friction would be unlikely to occur.
"If we talk about status, I'm not necessarily worse than her, but I would never be as ignorant of the concept of gratitude as she is," Tea Jin muttered.
"The world is full of different people, just like the countless aspects of the world. In simpler terms, there are all kinds of birds in the forest," Su Yi calmly remarked. "What happened earlier was nothing."
As they conversed, the two of them walked down a clearly man-made path through the mountains and could clearly see a town in the distance.
Night had quietly fallen.
The town wasn't large, but the lights were already lit, and the bustling and noisy sounds could be faintly heard, bringing with them the worldly atmosphere of human society.
After spending several days in the desolate mountains and rivers, stepping out into this human world and seeing the fireworks, Tea Jin couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.
In her arms, the Flame-Eyed Azure Beast poked its head out, blinking its round eyes, showing great curiosity.
This was Yangku Town, located next to vast mountains, only eighty miles away from Gunzhou City. Although it was just a town, it was extremely prosperous.
Throughout the year, many martial artists from Gunzhou City would gather here, either venturing into the mountains to hunt demons or collecting spiritual herbs, and so on.
"We'll find an inn to rest here tonight and head to Gunzhou City tomorrow," Su Yi said as he confidently walked toward the town.
Tea Jin followed closely behind.
Unbeknownst to her, after going through this long journey that spanned eight hundred miles across the vast mountains and rivers, starting from Yunhe County City, many subtle changes had quietly taken place in her heart regarding her attitude towards Su Yi.
The most noticeable change was that when encountering troubles and dangers, she had unconsciously started to see herself as part of the same camp as Su Yi, worrying and getting angry on his behalf.
The initial resentment, hatred, resistance, and fear seemed to have been gradually worn away during this arduous journey.
Shortly after Su Yi and Tea Jin entered Yangku Town, the girl in the pomegranate-patterned dress and her group also returned.
They went straight to a mountainside estate located on the east side of Yangku Town, nestled against the mountains and near the water.