In the cafeteria, Ye Tian deftly navigated the barrage of questions from Wu Qinghu and his companions while voraciously devouring his meal.
"Ye Tian!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from the entrance of the cafeteria.
Ye Tian looked up to see the little girl, Liu Hongwu, waving at him from the doorway.
"Why is this girl looking for me?" Ye Tian pondered, puzzled.
Meanwhile, Wu Qinghu and the others gazed at him with keen interest, chuckling and teasing him.
"Oh, our little brother Ye has already caught someone's attention," Bai Shui said, grinning mischievously.
"With such talent, even charming the ladies is a skill—how impressive!" Huang Fei added with an exaggerated sigh.
"Ye brother, have you grown fond of new things? Boohoo..." Yun Feifei chimed in, feigning sadness.
Observing these lively jesters, Ye Tian felt exasperated. Glancing at Wu Qinghu, who remained silent yet gave him a thumbs-up, he sighed softly.
"Now there's no way to clear my name!" Ye Tian sighed lightly, setting down his bowl and chopsticks as he approached the cafeteria entrance.
After all, she was one of his subordinates, and being a young girl, he couldn't simply ignore her.
"What do you need from me?" Ye Tian asked nonchalantly, harboring little fondness for this headstrong girl.
Liu Hongwu, sensing Ye Tian's cold demeanor, felt a surge of indignation and huffed, "Who would seek you out without a reason? Hand over my spoils, all that gold, silver, and jewels—do you intend to hoard them for yourself?"
"Oh... so that's what this is about. Follow me!" Ye Tian replied, momentarily taken aback, before smiling and leading the way.
Since returning, he had been in seclusion, and the spoils from the bandit extermination had not yet been distributed, remaining in his quarters under the care of the captains.
Ye Tian had intended to share the spoils with his brothers after finishing his meal, but he hadn't expected this little greedy child to come seeking him out.
Liu Hongwu, unaware of Ye Tian's thoughts, followed closely behind, her expression brimming with indignation as she glared at his back.
"This insufferable brat, his tone is still so irksome!"
"Hmph, my father actually wants me to curry favor with this wretch, claiming I should marry him—why? Just because he comprehended the will of the sword? So what if he's talented? I have no interest!"
...
Liu Hongwu gritted her teeth and muttered, regretting having informed Liu Bao about Ye Tian's understanding of the sword's intent. She had never anticipated her father would hold Ye Tian in such high regard, even planning to betroth her to him.
This revelation infuriated the usually proud Liu Hongwu. However, she didn't dare oppose Liu Bao's orders, so she could only sulk as she sought out Ye Tian.
Yet, she hadn't anticipated Ye Tian's cold demeanor, which only served to exacerbate her displeasure, prompting her to demand what was rightfully hers.
If Liu Bao had known this would be the outcome, he might have reconsidered sending Liu Hongwu to approach Ye Tian.
...
In the cafeteria, as Ye Tian and Liu Hongwu left together, the Blood-clad Guards began to gossip animatedly.
"Hey, did you see that? Lord Ye Tian is together with our little princess, and they seem quite close!" Since everyone knew that Liu Hongwu was the daughter of the Blood-clad Guard Commander, they affectionately referred to her as "little princess," albeit a somewhat headstrong one, making her hard to approach.
"Indeed, no wonder he became a centurion at just seventeen; Lord Ye Tian is impressive even in matters of romance!"
"Talent and beauty go hand in hand, especially with the Commander as a convenient father-in-law. With Lord Ye Tian's prowess, his future is truly bright!"
...
The Blood-clad Guards chatted lightly, and given Liu Hongwu's young age, there was little jealousy among them. After all, she wasn't their type, so why be envious?
However, in such a vast gathering, there was always someone who felt envious.
In a corner of the cafeteria, the young prodigy Yang Tianyou glared at Ye Tian's back, his eyes burning with jealousy.
The Yang family was one of the prominent clans in Xueyu City, and Yang Tianyou himself was a genius who had long set his sights on Liu Hongwu. Among his peers in Xueyu City, he believed no one else was worthy of him aside from her.
Moreover, their families were well-matched, and Yang Tianyou's elders supported this notion wholeheartedly.
Thus, Liu Hongwu had already been unofficially designated as Yang Tianyou's fiancée.
Unfortunately, Liu Hongwu was far too proud and had lofty standards. Although Yang Tianyou was talented, he still paled in comparison to her, and she naturally looked down on him.
However, Yang Tianyou was persistent; to win her heart, he even lowered himself to participate in the Blood-clad Guards' examination, hoping for an advantageous position.
But then Ye Tian emerged unexpectedly, throwing a wrench in his plans.
Yang Tianyou felt a surge of anger, yet he feared Ye Tian's strength, so he could only harbor his resentment silently.
"Ye Tian, just wait! I will surely advance to martial master before you, and then in front of everyone, I will defeat you—Hongwu will undoubtedly come to her senses!" Yang Tianyou thought darkly, his face grim.
Little did he know, Ye Tian had already advanced to martial master, and he would forever be unable to match his pace.
Inside Ye Tian's room.
"Here, this is yours. Take it!" After briefly assessing the bounty, Ye Tian extracted a portion, packed it into a small box, and handed it to Liu Hongwu.
The haul was substantial, with the treasures and herbs confiscated from the mountain bandits totaling over one hundred thousand taels of silver. According to the regulations, the Centurion received half, the Ten Man Captain shared thirty percent, while the remaining twenty percent was equally divided among the ordinary Blood Clothed Guards.
Upon receiving her share of the spoils from Ye Tian, Liu Hongwu weighed it in her hands, nodded with satisfaction, and remarked, "Not bad; it makes my efforts worthwhile."
"By the way, what did you exchange for with the one thousand contribution points Uncle Zhao gave you last time?" Liu Hongwu asked curiously.
"The treasury? Oh, I haven't gone yet. Why do you ask?" Ye Tian replied, momentarily taken aback, then shook his head. He had been too busy refining the Dragon Fruit to find time to visit the treasury.
However, the little girl's question reminded him that, now that he had advanced to the rank of martial master and had an extra thousand contribution points from the recent bounty rewards, it was indeed time to visit the Blood Clothed Guard treasury to acquire some treasures to enhance his strength.
"Hmph, is it a crime to be curious? What's it to you?" Liu Hongwu glared at him with wide eyes.
"Alright, you can leave now that you've got your things." Ye Tian, disinterested, closed the door and prepared to depart.
"Hey, where are you going, you little brat?" Liu Hongwu shouted from behind, unsure of why she felt compelled to say that.
"Thanks to you, I remembered I have a thousand contribution points; I'm going to the treasury to exchange for treasures!" Ye Tian replied without turning back.
"But the treasury is this way!" Liu Hongwu pointed in the opposite direction, looking at him in confusion.
"Um..." Ye Tian suddenly halted, embarrassment flooding his face as he realized he had forgotten that he had never actually been to the treasury and had no idea where it was.
"Hehe, it seems you really don't know the way to the treasury!" Liu Hongwu chuckled, amused by Ye Tian's awkwardness.
Ye Tian gave an awkward smile, staring at the grinning girl before him, momentarily taken aback. He had to admit that if it weren't for her spoiled and arrogant demeanor, this little girl could easily be considered a breathtaking beauty.
"What are you looking at? Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll reluctantly take you to the treasury!" Liu Hongwu's face flushed at Ye Tian's gaze, and she shot him a glare before turning toward the direction of the treasury.
Ye Tian rubbed his nose and shook his head, following behind Liu Hongwu.
As they walked, the two began to converse.
"Hey, you little brat, what do you plan to exchange for? Hmph, you're lucky this time to have a thousand contribution points; you can surely acquire a powerful martial skill."
"Little girl, remember this: my name is Ye Tian, not 'Hey.' You can call me Lord Ye Tian or Captain Ye; as for what I intend to exchange, I haven't decided yet. I'll see what the treasury has before making a choice."
"Hmph, and you remember this: my name is Liu Hongwu, not 'little girl.' You can… only call me by my name. Considering we're on the same team, I should remind you that you'd better choose a powerful martial skill; after all, martial skills are fundamental for warriors, as my father told me."
"Thank you for your advice, but I have my own plans!"
"Hmph, suit yourself!"
...
The Blood Clothed Guard treasury was located within the main camp of the Blood Clothed Guards, surrounded by the residences of the four Centurions. Thus, it was exceedingly secure, having never lost a single item.
The treasury was not particularly large; it resembled a tower with three floors, rather unremarkable and even quite ordinary.
Upon entering the tower, Ye Tian and Liu Hongwu were greeted by a familiar figure.
"Ah, my dear nephew, what brings you here?" The newcomer was Li Tian, and Ye Tian was surprised to encounter him here. Curiously, he inquired, "Uncle Li, are you here to exchange for treasures as well?"
Liu Hongwu shook her head and said, "He's the administrator here. It's surprising you even recognize him without knowing what he does."
"Lady, you're quite right. Nephew, I'm the administrator here, recently promoted by the Centurion, so I hadn't had a chance to inform you," Li Tian replied with a chuckle, his gaze toward Ye Tian filled with gratitude, knowing he had been promoted largely due to recognizing Ye Tian's talent.
Ye Tian's eyes lit up upon hearing this; he was genuinely happy for Li Tian. The treasury was a lucrative place, and those who came to exchange treasures would surely need to "show gratitude" to Li Tian.