The power gap between Loose Cultivators and Saint Sect disciples was enormous, and Linglong’s estimate was still on the conservative side.
Even so, it was enough to make Hua Jian gasp in shock. Damn, this is a guaranteed kd6-level Great Hand!
If this were a game, she’d be the ultimate top player. Someone like her, whose direct combat ability was close to zero, could only do one thing: stick behind Linglong, watch her slaughter everything wildly, and then scavenge the leftovers from the big shots.
“Really amazing, I can’t beat a single one of them,” Hua Jian said sadly as she wiped her eyes, putting on a look of being utterly defeated.
Of course, it was all an act.
Just because she couldn’t win head-on didn’t mean she couldn’t take them from the side. Given some time to prepare, she could take down several disciples of the same rank.
It all came down to the nature of their Cultivation Methods. Her method wasn’t a High-Level Cultivation Method from a major sect, so having an edge in even one area was already a blessing.
“I have a suggestion. After you get the treasures, I’ll go to an Exit Point to draw their attention and lead them far away. Once I’ve tied them up…”
“You’ll call down Thunder Magic and wipe them out directly?” Linglong figured that was the kind of thing Hua Jian would say.
But this time, she was wrong.
“No, you just go to the Spatial Gate and leave the Secret Realm without worrying about me.”
“Eh?”
“You take all the stuff I collected out with you. That way, it’s basically the same as me leaving too.”
Hua Jian patiently explained her reasoning. Using the Space Stone to teleport away wouldn’t cause her to lose any of her equipment—it was only missing out on a fifty Spirit Stone coupon.
And this method minimized risk during the process. With Linglong’s protection, she didn’t have to worry about her things.
If the stuff got lost… well, she believed that this Great Rich Lady Linglong would compensate for the value of those treasures. She wouldn’t lose out either way.
“So what about you?” Linglong frowned and asked.
Was this, in a way, a partner sacrificing her life to cover for her retreat?
“I’ll take down as many as I can. If I can’t win, I’ll just get beaten out.”
“Hmm, I don’t think that’s good…”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It feels like I’m abandoning you and making you cover for me with your life…”
Linglong’s words trailed off as Hua Jian gave her a strange look. Did this Saintess really have such complex feelings?
To have such thoughts… it was eye-opening.
Cover for you with my life? If my life was only worth fifty Spirit Stones and Linglong reimbursed me every time, I wouldn’t mind dying for her as many times as needed.
I could even let Linglong kill me for fun.
It’s just selling my ass at the station anyway. My lousy life isn’t worth much. As long as the pay’s good enough, I’m sold.
“If you can’t get over it, just pay me back my ticket money later. This is the Secret Realm, and a person’s life here is only worth a hundred Spirit Stones.” Hua Jian poked Linglong’s nose with a finger.
“My Storage Pouch has way more than that in Spirit Stones. And at that time, you’ll most likely be holding a treasure like a Dragon Scale. Using my life to escort you out of the Secret Realm is the most profitable choice.”
If she could die inside the Secret Realm, Hua Jian definitely wouldn’t do this.
But the problem was that the disciples inside the Secret Realm weren’t in mortal danger at worst—just a little flesh wound.
She would give her Storage Pouch to Linglong and let her take it out, then go solo to blow up those guys waiting at the Exit Point. Either way, she wouldn’t lose anything.
“Don’t feel pressured. You’re giving me plenty of stuff. Of course, I’ll use this life of mine that’s worth only a few Spirit Stones to protect you out.”
Hearing Hua Jian’s words, Linglong was speechless. She hadn’t expected this side of her.
Not having lived two lives, Linglong couldn’t imagine the Secret Realm was like a game to Hua Jian, where players didn’t really care much about their lives.
Especially a player who’d already earned back her investment and found that losing her life was more beneficial than saving it. Now all she was thinking about was how to die more profitably.
“Alright, the plan’s set. Remember, your mission is to take the treasures out of the Secret Realm. As for me, don’t worry. At worst, I’ll crush the Space Stone and embarrass myself trying to escape.”
“…Okay.”
“Don’t act on impulse. If you don’t bring my stuff out, I won’t let you off!”
“Mm.”
“Alright, get back to cultivation. We have things to do tomorrow.”
……
Hua Jian closed her eyes and cultivated seriously, while Linglong kept her eyes open, carefully observing Hua Jian.
Today, Hua Jian showed a side Linglong had never seen before. Although Hua Jian excused it as a way to maximize her gains, Linglong still felt something was off.
In her education, people like Hua Jian were extremely rare. But each one had left a shining mark on history.
Maybe Linglong was overthinking. The scene reminded her of certain stories where a character sacrifices their life to buy time for the protagonist, saying, “Your life is more important than ours,” exchanging their life for the chance for the hero to counterattack.
When Linglong was a child, she’d always sniffle at such scenes.
And now… she had become the protagonist in such a story?
Hua Jian was money-grubbing but willing to sacrifice a life worth a hundred Spirit Stones for her. Linglong couldn’t help but feel touched.
Even though she knew it was the best choice after calculating the cost-benefit, Linglong still hesitated.
Maybe… there was a win-win solution?
……
The next day, Linglong was beaten to a pulp by Spirit Beasts.
The disciples watching nearby noticed Linglong seemed distracted today, zoning out several times during the fight.
So where did that person who was with her yesterday go? The onlookers were puzzled.
Among them, a few new disciples looked thoughtful.
That Thunder Magic, that stance—it looked like she might be an accomplice of that little thief.
After so many days, the Reverse Huajian Alliance had become a force within the Secret Realm. Those who had been ambushed or tricked by Hua Jian had either voluntarily or passively joined the alliance, beginning their “eradication of evil.”
But in all these days, they had only destroyed some illusions and never caught Hua Jian’s tail, which annoyed them.
Some fishermen who had been tricked by Hua Jian with the Jinfenghua were also in the alliance. They were among the few who had seen Linglong and Hua Jian together.
Coincidentally, one of those fishermen had returned to his old stomping grounds and recognized Linglong as Hua Jian’s accomplice.
“Are you sure it’s her?” his companions were skeptical.
If that little thief had such a powerful partner, why would she bother with schemes and tricks? Just crush everyone directly and be done with it.