Kent stood at the edge of the cloud formation, gazing out at the vast, boundless lake ahead.
Suddenly, there was a movement behind him. Kent turned around and was surprised to see a familiar figure approaching. It was none other than his senior sister, Fan Qingmei, the stunningly beautiful flower of the Inspection Academy, known for her long legs and graceful demeanor, standing at 1.25 meters tall.
"Senior Sister Fan?" Kent exclaimed in surprise.
Fan Qingmei also froze for a moment, quickly recognizing Kent as the one who made an impressive appearance in the Wind and Cloud Tournament, ranking among the top one hundred. A curious gleam flashed in her bright eyes.
"Kent, what are you doing here?"
Her voice was like the sound of pearls dropping on a silver plate, clear and pleasant to hear. Her appearance was equally captivating, almost rivaling Zhao Mengxi in beauty. If Zhao Mengxi hadn't consumed the Snow Mountain Ice Lotus and gained a celestial-like aura, Fan Qingmei's beauty might have been enough to outshine her.
Furthermore, Fan Qingmei was not fond of socializing, often traveling in the wilderness and rarely appearing in public, which led to her losing the title of campus beauty. However, knowing her personality, she likely didn't care much about such things.
Kent looked at her flawless face and said, "I came here to find some materials. I'm about to leave now. What about you? How come you're here?"
Fan Qingmei snapped out of her reverie and replied, "Have you seen anyone else around?"
"Yes," Kent answered truthfully. "Are you looking for that eleven-member squad from the Ancient Moon Mercenary Group?"
"That's great! You've seen them! Please, tell me where they are."
Fan Qingmei's excitement was apparent as she almost lost her composure. "Sorry about this. They've been in the secret realm for too long, and our team leader was worried, so she sent me to check on them. Can you tell me where they are?"
At that moment, two blood-curdling screams echoed from afar.
Fan Qingmei's expression changed as she turned to follow the sound. A shocked look appeared on her face as she saw a tumultuous wave in the distance, with a group of vicious water monsters trapping the first island on the left. One particularly large water creature had created a towering wall of water, attempting to drown the island.
Kent thought for a moment and decided to tell her the truth. "Those two screams were probably from Li Motong and Gao Xiaokuang. I think your trip might have been in vain."
"What do you mean by that?" Fan Qingmei sensed something was wrong.
Kent immediately explained the situation to her in full detail.
Fan Qingmei fell silent after hearing this, gazing at the overturned speedboat in the distance with a look of unwillingness.
"Kent, I can't believe it. I'll head out now," she said, and with that, Kent felt the strain on his breath worsening. He didn't want to stay any longer, so he summoned Wukong into his beast-hand bracelet and stepped into the exit, being propelled forward by a force.
A minute later, Kent was back on the small mountain, breathing in the fresh air. His flushed face relaxed, and his tense heart finally felt at ease, as if he had narrowly escaped death.
He didn't rush to leave but sat on a rock, resting while replenishing his strength with some food.
About five minutes later, a figure descended from the cloud entrance above, landing right in front of Kent.
Kent was taken aback. This senior sister was truly impressive, ranked in the top ten on the Wind and Cloud list, and she had managed to jump down without hesitation, truly a no-nonsense person.
"Kent, are you sure they're all dead?" she asked, still not willing to accept the reality.
Kent was certain. "No one could have survived under those conditions. The only reason I made it out was because of a stroke of luck and Wukong's evolution, which gave me the ability to briefly fly."
Fan Qingmei nodded in acknowledgment but didn't speak further. The two of them fell into a brief silence.
After a couple of minutes, Kent broke the silence, asking, "Senior Sister, you seem mysterious. Could you share a bit about your story?"
Fan Qingmei responded casually, "There's nothing to share, really. It's just something you'll experience in time. By the way, most students at the Inspection Academy only begin outdoor solo training in their second year, but you've started early."
Kent replied, "There's no one at home, and I don't need to go back for the New Year, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to explore a bit more. What about you, Senior Sister? You're not going back for the holidays?"
Fan Qingmei's expression softened, her lips pursing slightly as she said, "My dad has a stepmother to take care of him."
The meaning was clear.
Kent opened his mouth to respond but ultimately said nothing more on the matter.
"Senior Sister, where do you plan to go next?" Kent asked.
"There's nothing in particular I want to visit. I'll just head north. I've heard that there's been some trouble at the Taiyin Mountains to the north, and there's a particularly dangerous monster there. I want to see it for myself."
"If it's not too much trouble, would you mind if I joined you?" Kent shrugged. "The semester is still far from starting, and I want to stay outside the city for a while."
Fan Qingmei's eyes lit up as she fixed her gaze on Kent, then paused before saying, "Alright, we can go together. But if we run into danger, my first priority is to ensure my own survival. That's the first rule of wilderness survival, and you should understand that."
Kent nodded, agreeing. "Don't worry. I won't slow you down. If something unexpected happens, you're the first to go."
"That's good to hear."
The two continued their conversation and gradually grew more comfortable with each other, though not in a romantic sense. It was simply that they were talking more.
After a rest, the two headed north. They needed to cross the Small Mountain, and the path through the forest was difficult. Kent summoned Wukong to clear the way, and as they walked, they chatted. If any monsters appeared, they were swiftly dealt with by Fan Qingmei.
Kent was surprised by how versatile Fan Qingmei was. She was skilled with firearms, swords, bows, and arrows, and was proficient in multiple combat techniques. Her agility was remarkable as well.
Kent silently observed, ultimately concluding that Fan Qingmei's reputation was well deserved. She was very strong.
Up until now, Kent still hadn't seen her summon her beast, which made him even more curious.
In truth, traveling alone was vastly different from traveling with a beautiful companion. It gave him a new sense of energy and purpose.
As the day began to darken, the two of them finally reached the outskirts of the Small Mountain, where there were no abandoned homes or human structures.
"Senior Sister, wait for me," Kent said as he extended his claws, channeling invisible energy to form wind blades, cutting into the mountain.
With the help of Wukong, after about ten minutes, they managed to carve out a larger cave with smooth walls and a space of about ten square meters.
"Not bad, haha. Seems like having you along is useful," Fan Qingmei smiled lightly.
"I'm glad to be of help. I was afraid I'd be useless and hold you back."
Kent laughed, using monster oil to start a fire in a cauldron to ward off the cold, while sealing the cave entrance with rocks and wood.
"Come, take a seat." Fan Qingmei pulled out two small wooden stools from her spatial bag, handing one to Kent.
"Do you carry all of this with you?" Kent laughed.
"This is very convenient," Fan Qingmei replied, nodding. She then took out a small water boiler with some drinking water, along with various food items, some cooked, some roasted, and all seasoned.
"I see. You've really thought this through."
Kent watched her carefully preparing the food, and a sense of appreciation for her began to grow, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly why.
After they finished eating, feeling much warmer, their conversation became more animated.
"Senior Sister, did you join the Ancient Moon Mercenary Group?" Kent asked, a question he'd been holding onto for a while.
"Yeah, I joined last year. Are you curious about it?"
Fan Qingmei answered her own question. "That makes sense. You probably don't know much about mercenary groups, especially those in Earthstar City. Let me tell you about them."