The crowd could no longer remain calm. Just as they were about to speak, Cui Guangyu stopped them with a glance. Fang Xiaoyang had already decided to default on the payment, so he didn't care whether it was two billion or three billion.
The rest lowered their heads to ponder and, looking at Qinghe, nodded in agreement to her price increase.
Qinghe advised them with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Think it over before you agree. If you can't come up with the money when the time comes, it won't be a joke."
They looked up at her, and an involuntary chill ran through their hearts. Clearly, she was like a sprite of a girl, but her gaze was so cold. It appeared clear and transparent, but upon closer inspection, one would discover the abyssal darkness within those lucid eyes, convincing them that this girl was not joking.
Cui Guangyu took the lead in affirming, "What we've agreed to, we will definitely pay."
As the leader of the group, his assurance naturally meant he had the power to make the others contribute as well.
Qinghe nodded, patted the neck of the Snow Wolf, walked up to Fang Xiaoyang, and with a lazy demeanor looked at her, "Your eyes are telling me, you won't pay me the money. Me saving you, and you paying me money, it's a very reasonable trade, fair and voluntary."
"Just a friendly reminder, if you agree to pay now but default later, that would be bad. I will take back what I have offered."
Under the blazing sun of noon, an inexplicable chill overshadowed the moment. Riding on the wolf, untainted by dust, the girl's lazy posture exuded an unusual nobility. Perched atop the two-meter-high wolf, she looked down upon them like a queen.
Fang Xiaoyang's heart contracted. Being naturally proud, she couldn't tolerate the existence of someone stronger than herself. The girl's eye-catching presence only solidified her determination to take revenge.
Qinghe didn't wait for her response before casually leading the way, not bothering to check if they were following, and continued on her own.
Cui Guangyu squinted his eyes as he watched her receding figure, pondering over her words—"take back what she offered". She had saved their lives; did that mean that if Fang Xiaoyang didn't honor the agreement to pay, Qinghe would take Fang Xiaoyang's life?
Or perhaps it wasn't just Fang Xiaoyang she was hinting at but all of them. Evidently, the rest had come to the same conclusion and followed Qinghe quietly, their minds swirling with unspoken thoughts.
After an afternoon's march, the people really couldn't keep up with Qinghe who was at the front; their pace had slowed down. They were short of water, yet they kept walking without food. It was already commendable that they could persist until now. They wanted to rest for a while, but the earlier words from Qinghe had stunned them, so they continued walking in silence.
Observing the slow-moving five behind her, Qinghe lost her patience. It was truly troublesome. If she were alone, she could have left in an instant, but accompanying them would require at least three more days.
Bored and remembering the other Snow Wolves that were supposed to return, she gave some thought, stopped, then turned her head to speak.
"Wait here for me, I'm going to get us something to eat." As her words fell, her figure had already disappeared.
The Snow Wolves, who loved to run, had been holding back for a long time. They were barely crawling along, but upon receiving Qinghe's command, they sprinted off immediately.
The others were still in a daze and saw no trace of her. Thinking about her words, they dejectedly sat on the ground, waiting for the food.
Along the way, everyone had been unusually quiet, including the typically rowdy Zhao Qing, who also remained silent. They generally despised those incompetent, arrogant second-generation rich who were all bluster and no substance, strutting about day in and day out.
They felt they were different from the others, superior, but the past few days made them thoroughly realize they were still just children who hadn't grown up.
When truly facing danger, they were incapable of fighting back; even a mutual destruction was beyond their power.
This left them somewhat deflated. In comparison, their past pursuits of thrill and adventures into the deep forests seemed childishly trivial and not at all comparable.
Fortunately, their mental fortitude was commendable, as they quickly reassessed themselves. Failure is not to be feared as long as one makes an effort to learn from it. However, refusing to acknowledge failure, continuing the same mistakes, and believing oneself to be right is truly terrifying.
Upon this realization, everyone's mood cleared up. Now without any worries, they even started chatting. Naturally, the conversation turned to the strange, elf-like girl.
Qinghe moved away from the group by a few dozen meters and immediately used the power of the wind to teleport home.
She happened to see the Snow Wolves, who had been away from home for several days, heading back. The most amusing sight was one of them holding brightly colored flowers in its mouth, its neck wrapped in them. The contrast of white fur and bright, colorful flowers made Qinghe burst into laughter.
Hearing the sound, the Snow Wolves rushed over to Qinghe, surrounding her, with one of them even crouching down, suggesting she sit on its back.
Qinghe's smile broadened, revealing a sincere smile. She got off Xiaoliu, sat among them, and hugged the large head of Xiaowu, who was crouching, signaling it to stand up.
They all joyfully leaned against her, like treating their own child. One rubbed its face against hers, another took a sniff, while the one with a head full of flowers quickly put the flowers from its mouth into Qinghe's hand, then scraped off those around its neck for her as well.
Qinghe happily gathered the flowers in her hands, then picked one and placed it on the Snow Wolf's head, patting it. The anticipation in the wolf's eyes turned to sheer joy at being praised like a child who had done a good deed.
Watching this scene, Qinghe felt reluctant to leave. For sixteen years, they had raised her, treated her as well, if not better, than human parents would treat their children—they fulfilled her every wish.
She also loved the fresh air here, the freedom of living, and their company, leading a life like a little overlord of the forest, but after all, she was human. Her death in her previous life left her somewhat unresigned.
This life, with such strong capabilities, she always wanted to venture out and achieve something. Perhaps there would be many difficulties, but she still wanted to go. Maybe after spending some time out there, she would willingly return to a peaceful life away from worldly conflicts. Maybe…
Qinghe took a deep breath, no matter what, she had made up her mind.
Today, the wolves were unusually clingy. Generally, after a few days of return, they would be close to her for a while before going off to play, but today they clung to her persistently.
Qinghe felt something was amiss and observed them carefully. The wolves were full of Spiritual Energy, their mysterious green eyes radiated with reluctance, causing Qinghe's heart to skip a beat.
Could they sense that she was leaving? It was possible, as wolves are inherently highly sensitive animals, let alone the Spiritual Energy-infused Snow Wolves. Moreover, after so many years with her, they could certainly sense even the slight changes in her.
After much thought, Qinghe sat up straight and looked at them seriously, "I am about to leave. Do you want to come with me? If you do, I promise I will come back for you. But you surely won't like the outside world; this is the place where you belong."