Yuan Haoran knew not to push for more information and attract suspicion from Long Jingyi. But he kept the nugget of knowledge for future exploration. Based on his reaction, there was something he could use in Jingyi's life as leverage.
"The Coal-scaled Bison are only in temporary physical stasis. I do not believe their attacks will continue since they have their eggs back." Yuan Haoran replied. "I will release them, but we should probably get out of their way in case I am wrong."
"We can perch up there and make sure they return to their nest." Long Jingyi pointed to a tall tree with strong branches. "We do not want them to harm the other parties that are training in the domain. Most teams are probably making their way to the gate."
Yuan Haoran nodded before releasing the electrical charge coursing through the heads of the Bison. Then, he used his spiritual energy to leap up onto the tree and landed lightly on a high branch with a good view of the herd.
A breath later, Long Jingyi landed lightly beside him. The two of them squatted precariously on the branch and looked at the confused animals. At first, they seemed groggy and stumbled a bit, looking around for danger.
However, as soon as their minds cleared up, the group rushed to the eggs. Yuan Haoran watched as they used their surprisingly strong tails to pick the eggs. As he anticipated, once the beasts had their eggs, they did not linger.
"You are not as weak as I expected." Long Jingyi tilted his head and looked at the cloaked figure with curiosity in his golden eyes. "You did not need to be rescued from the herd. You could have handled yourself."
Yuan Haoran chuckled behind the hood. "You had the best intentions, and I was standing right in the path of the stampede like a fool. It is rare to see people who would take a risk to rescue a stranger without thinking about the consequences."
Long Jingyi laughed. "A few people have told me that I am too altruistic, but I do not think that is the case. I have a lot of duties to fulfil, such as protecting my hard-headed juniors, but most of the time, I just act on instinct. I only help people if my gut feeling tells me so."
"That is interesting." Yuan Haoran commented with obvious doubt.
"Do not sound so sceptical. If I was to jump around and help everyone, I would be long dead. You know the cultivation world is not for the faint-hearted. Most people will use every evil method to gain a few more resources and rise higher." The other man shook his head.
"So, why did you rescue me?" Yuan Haoran asked.
Long Jingyi punched his arm with a loud laugh. "I thought there was a beautiful girl with long legs beneath that scarlet cloak. Man, what a letdown!"
Yuan Haoran knew he was lying. At his cultivation level, Long Jingyi would have known that he was a man. He wondered if the action was based on that so-called gut feeling or if the cultivator was the altruistic hero he claimed not to be.
But it was not time to delve into the philosophy and psychology of the man. Based on the answer, Long Jingyi saw him as a friend, and this was a chance to establish camaraderie among men. It would give him a chance to stick around for longer and learn what he needed.
"Well, I might not be a girl, but I am handsome and have long legs. So, you did not lose out completely." Yuan Haoran replied in a deadpan voice.
Long Jingyi choked on air, causing him to cough and almost fall from the tall tree. Then, he started laughing loudly at Yuan Haoran's seemingly serious response until tears came to his golden eyes.
"You are one weird guy. I like it." He said after he finally stopped laughing.
Yuan Haoran did not know why the guy was that amused, but he believed that he had passed the brotherhood test. On earth, he did not have friends. He only had pawns and subordinates who followed his instructions.
The people he respected enough to consider equals, at least to some extent, did not like him. He understood them. It was difficult to like someone who tried to kill you. But again, how could he respect a person unless he tried to kill them and failed?
Yuan Haoran pulled back the hood of his scarlet cloak to his shoulders since the domain was no longer bright and hot. He adjusted the small black crown at the top of his head and brushed back his long white hair with annoyance. He wondered if he should cut it to a modern length.
"Well, you were not being arrogant." Long Jingyi stared at him for a long time before he spoke with another huffing laugh. "Although beautiful is probably a more suitable word."
"I am handsome." Yuan Haoran turned his head slightly and levelled a self-assured gaze at Long Jingyi with his scarlet eyes.
"No way! Your facial features are too delicate and refined, and your skin is too pale and fragile." Long Jingyi stood on the tree branch in a heroic pose. "A truly handsome man is someone like me: golden skin, firm muscles, and a robust jawline!"
Yuan Haoran snorted derisively.
"I am handsome. A lot of people tell me so." Long Jingyi could not help insisting because of the dismissive sound. "You will see when we leave the domain. Girls are always trying to get close to me under all kinds of pretences."
"What kinds of pretences?" Yuan Haoran asked.
"In the academy, a lot of junior sisters come to ask me for pointers in their cultivation." Long Jingyi crossed his arms over his chest with superiority.
Yuan Hoaran also stood up. "Have you considered the fact that they might genuinely want pointers from you? After all, you look like you are one of the top students."
With that, he jumped from the tree and landed gracefully on the ground. His lips stretched into a smile at messing with Long Jingyi and not giving him a chance to defend himself. As his antithesis, Long Jingyi was quite amusing.
Ping. [Mission: Save the Apothecary Feng Yie from a Snake Venom]
Yuan Haoran's face changed at the reminder that the Hero System was still with him. He took a deep breath to calm his irritation. He agreed to do the missions because he wanted the promised clues on what happened to the other people who transmigrated with him.
However, he still hated having an alien thing in his body.
'Who is Feng Yie?' He asked.
[An apothecary who has a snake bite.] The Hero System replied.
Yuan Haoran felt his jaw tick in anger at the smart-ass response. The more he learned about the system, the more he disliked it. Or perhaps, it was learning from him. He was not sure. Either way, he hoped he would not have to spend an eternity with it.
One way or the other, he would find a way to get rid of it.
"Somebody, help!" A voice screamed out.
At the same time, Long Jingyi landed beside him from the tree. The two of them looked towards the source of the voice and realised it was coming in the direction of the gate. After a puzzled exchange of looks, they both headed to the gate.
Of course, the two of them had different thoughts and motivations.
Yuan Haoran was interested in knowing the mission target. Obviously, it was not a coincidence that someone would start asking for help just as he was issued a mission. He was not anxious to help, but he was a little curious.
On the other hand, Long Jingyi was worried about his juniors. The cultivation world was dangerous and required careful action, and the younger ones were not equipped to deal with the intricacies. Even good deeds could lead to death.
He hoped they would not try to help before he got there. If one did not have enough power, it was best to stay out of other people's business.
When the two of them arrived at the clearing near the gate, they found that the camp was already almost completely occupied. It seemed like most groups had made it. Within moments, the two of them identified the group calling for help.
"Long Jingyi!" One of them called out in relief when he saw them.