Chen Xuan's eyelids twitched uncontrollably as he felt utterly speechless. Adding people to the team and charging 300 Golden Soul Coins per person—did they really think he was a fool?
He decisively refused. True, he did have a bit of wealth at the moment, but he wasn't an idiot.
"Don't be so hasty in rejecting, bro. How about this: I'll lower it to 250 Golden Soul Coins per person. Is that acceptable?" the bespectacled youth, Gu Jinchao, suggested.
Chen Xuan ignored him, quickly finished his dinner, and took Yi Yi upstairs.
"Hey, bro, the lowest I can go is 200 Golden Soul Coins per person. No less," Gu Jinchao called out from behind.
Chen Xuan didn't look back, leading Yi Yi into their hotel room.
Seeing the two disappear from view, Gu Jinchao felt it was a pity. He silently wondered, "Did I price it too high?"
Zhu Zhuqing had her own room, while Chen Xuan stayed with his sister in the adjacent room.
As night fell and the moonlight bathed the surroundings, the night passed quietly, and soon the next day arrived.
Chen Xuan woke up first and roused Chen Yi Yi from her bed—it was time to head out.
In the early morning, the sun rose, bringing life back to everything and the air was especially fresh.
After a simple breakfast, the three left the hotel and headed towards the Star Dou Forest.
Exiting the town, there was still a distance of five to six kilometers to the Soul Beast Forest.
"Hey, bro," a voice called out as they entered the wilderness.
A group of fifteen or sixteen people approached, fully equipped.
The leader was Gu Jinchao from last night.
"Bro, with just the three of you, how about joining us? I'll give you a discount: 150 Golden Soul Coins per person. What do you say?" he wasn't giving up.
"You're a Soul Master, and you're this short on cash?" Chen Xuan responded, feeling a bit speechless at the other's money-grubbing nature.
Seeing the imposing group of fifteen or sixteen, Zhu Zhuqing tightened her grip on Yi Yi's hand, her eyes filled with vigilance.
Gu Jinchao sighed and said, "Bro, you don't know how important money is until you're managing things yourself. Though money isn't everything, a life without money is a mess."
"By the way, are you the Soul Emperor? You don't look like one," Chen Xuan remarked. Last night, it was mentioned that the team was led by a Soul Emperor, but Chen Xuan thought this businessman-like youth didn't seem like a Soul Master at all.
Gu Jinchao didn't hide anything, admitting he was still far from becoming a Soul Emperor and was currently at the 53rd rank of Soul King.
He had a considerable status in this region, was somewhat famous, knew many hired teams, and had an extensive network.
He was indeed the leader and knew many Soul Masters, but the Soul Emperor mentioned was a friend he had met a few months ago. They were now in a hiring relationship, with him paying 10,000 Golden Soul Coins per month.
Chen Xuan frowned slightly. His sharp eyes noticed a trace of fear in Gu Jinchao's eyes when he spoke about the Soul Emperor, which he had caught.
There seemed to be something strange; it wasn't as simple as it appeared.
"Bro, have you considered it? Do you want to join my team? The Star Dou Forest is fraught with danger. With two such beautiful companions, it would be bad if they got hurt," Gu Jinchao continued, still not giving up and probing further.
He wore a friendly smile and glanced at the two women behind Chen Xuan, seemingly trying to target them.
The next moment, Gu Jinchao was stunned, his expression frozen, and the words he was about to say were abruptly cut off.
His gaze was fixed on Zhu Zhuqing, filled with shock and disbelief, as if he had seen something incredible.
Realizing something was wrong, he quickly averted his gaze and returned to his usual demeanor.
"Bro, since you don't want to join us, let's part ways here," he said, no longer insisting, and signaled his team to leave towards the Star Dou Forest.
As the crowd passed by the three, one person shot them a malicious look.
It was a burly, bald man with a strong physique and fiery eyes that continually fixated on Zhu Zhuqing with an unmasked, lecherous gaze.
The group of fifteen or sixteen continued forward, disappearing into the distant mountains.
Chen Xuan didn't follow them. Instead, he changed direction and led Zhu Zhuqing around the mountains ahead.
This detour undoubtedly added several kilometers to their journey.
He had a bad feeling and didn't want to risk anything bad happening by trailing behind that group.
"Do you know that person?" Chen Xuan asked after they had gone around another mountain.
He was referring to the bespectacled youth, whose reaction seemed to indicate he recognized Zhu Zhuqing.
"I don't know him."
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, feeling puzzled. She indeed didn't recognize the youth with glasses, but it seemed he knew her identity, which was very strange.
"Did he say he was from the Star Luo Empire and used to be a teacher? Is it possible he might have taught you or met you before?" Chen Xuan recounted what had happened last night.
Zhu Zhuqing still shook her head. She didn't recognize the face from her memory.
"Alright then."
Chen Xuan stopped, ignoring Chen Yi Yi's protests, and picked her up.
The sun was already up and had reached midday.
"We need to hurry. We should try to finish before sunset," Chen Xuan said, taking out two kunai engraved with a series of runes.
He had a persistent bad feeling and didn't want to stay in the Star Dou Forest for too long.
Zhu Zhuqing was surprised, not understanding. She thought Chen Xuan meant they should travel as fast as possible.
Although they could shorten the time, it would also increase the consumption of Soul Power. Given the dangers of the Star Dou Forest, it was very risky without sufficient Soul Power.
"Hold on to me."
Without further explanation, Chen Xuan threw the shining kunai into the air. It streaked across the sky, shooting off into the distance.
Zhu Zhuqing, a cool and aloof goddess, rarely interacted with men. When Chen Xuan called out to her, she didn't move, thinking it was inappropriate.
Chen Xuan sensed the kunai's imminent landing and decisively reached out, grabbing the still-hesitant Zhu Zhuqing.
In a flash of golden light, the three of them disappeared from their location and reappeared 200 meters away.
The speed was astonishing, as if shrinking the distance, covering it in under two seconds.
The three were airborne, and Chen Xuan swiftly launched another kunai into the distance.
Thus, golden light flashed intermittently across the area.
Chen Xuan continued to use the Flying Thunder God technique with the two women, covering several kilometers in no time, nearing the Star Dou Forest.
"Wow, brother, you're amazing!" Chen Yi Yi exclaimed with her hair flying wildly in the wind, her face full of excitement and joy.
This supersonic experience was thrilling, like taking a hundred meters per step.
Zhu Zhuqing's face was cold, her eyes like shimmering autumn waters. As she looked at Chen Xuan's close face, she was no longer calm.
At this moment, she felt a complex, indescribable emotion, as if she had just cleared away clouds and fog, revealing confusion and helplessness.
"So this is your true strength," she thought.
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