“?????” Li Si tilted her head.Â
She knew that the supporters of the princess and the saint were skilled at badmouthing her, but she didn’t expect them to be this skilled.
What bullying?
They were almost making her out to be the team tyrant.
She was the one being bullied, wasn’t she?
“I can’t believe it! The you underneath the armor is actually this beautiful!”
Jian pointed her index finger at Li Si like declaring war, but then she froze, accidentally blurting out her true thoughts.
She quickly corrected herself, “Pfft, you’re too wicked! Do you think taking off the armor will absolve you? The princess’s suffering will be protected by us Honeysuckle!”
“Um… would you like to ride the carriage?”
Suddenly, a soft, gentle voice came from the side.
Jian turned to look.
It was the famous Lili Ya.
She clapped her hands in sudden realization.
Recently, news of Lili Ya’s growth had spread like wildfire, with everyone saying that Li Si was using Lili Ya to make Her Highness a laughingstock.
Dammit, she had recognized Lili Ya earlier, so why hadn’t she remembered that Li Si was right next to her?
“Um… if you don’t take the carriage, you’ll have to walk?” Lili Ya reminded her.
Jian snapped back to reality, looked at the long mountain road ahead, and quickly jogged to board the carriage first.
This return trip had already been delayed too long.
If she missed this chance, she didn’t know if anyone else would be willing to take such a hollow mission.
Jian had to swallow her pride and temporarily travel with Her Highness’s enemy, but she would never betray her beloved princess.
Jian adjusted the honeysuckle flower hat on her head, and before climbing into the carriage, she made her final declaration to Li Si like a warrior.
“Li Si! You are my eternal enemy!”
Li Si’s gaze was calm, her mind like still water.
Fortunately, in her past life, there was such a thing as a fan circle, or else she would have to send this brat to the church to see if her brain was clogged by Yi Li Sha Bai.
“It seems there are many who dislike you.”
Beside her, a long-haired swordswoman walked over, resting her hand on her sword.
She was clad in armor that clinked, with only her face exposed—a cool and heroic onee-san face.
Seeing that Li Si was disliked, she seemed quite pleased and couldn’t help but come closer.
Li Si knew who she was.
She had seen her once before in the camp of the dungeon conquering team.
Her name was Ailin, and she led a team called Violet.
Her four teammates were also nearby.
Teams named after flowers mostly had a bit of reverence for royalty, so it was natural for them to dislike her, given the rampant rumors about her and Yi Li Sha Bai.
Li Si couldn’t be bothered to trade barbs, so she turned the conversation to the mission.
To reach Soronwell, one had to pass through the area between Soronwell and Border Town—Hot Spring Village.
And this time, the Kind Mother’s detection point was very clear, even marking the exact kilometer.
It was in that village.
Considering it was on the way, Li Si naturally took this escort mission for the Hot Spring Village merchant caravan.
However, because of the dungeon’s emergence, most adventurers didn’t dare to travel far, and the caravan didn’t feel safe with just one team, so they arranged for two teams to escort together.
Compared to Violet’s full five members, Li Si’s side was rather shabby, but the caravan still accepted them.
“What are your thoughts on this mission?”
Ailin was a bit surprised.
She had thought the legendary Dictator was a cold and arrogant person.
Even though the recent successful conquest of the dungeon had changed some tavern talk, Ailin hadn’t changed her opinion.
After all, being forced back by the princess and the elf saint’s team was enough to say a lot.
But now that she was actually interacting with her, it didn’t seem to be the case.
Ailin recalled the image of Li Si dressed as the Goblin King in the camp earlier, and then looked at the renewed Li Si in a Level 15 Black Battle Skirt.
After a moment of silence, she hesitantly took over the conversation.
“This mission isn’t difficult. After you conquered the dungeon, the nearby magical beasts returned to their own territories. It’s just that fewer adventurers are willing to travel far, so the village chief wanted to hire two teams. It seems like a lot of people, but the difficulty is normal.”
Li Si nodded, but didn’t agree with the claim that the mission was easy.
“Hot Spring Village is sandwiched between Soronwell and Border Town. Although the magical beasts have calmed down recently, after the fall of the Holy Court, all sorts of things could happen. We can’t let our guard down.”
Ailin raised an eyebrow, not expecting Li Si to be so cautious.
Li Si’s main goal was to probe and see if the Violet team had traveled this road many times.
But after chatting, she found that they were also leaving town for the first time since the miasma was lifted.
So she didn’t continue the conversation and only reminded them again not to be careless.
Of course, that warning seemed useless, as the Violet team appeared completely unconcerned.
On the other hand, on her own team, Lili Ya and Yadana were both seriously vigilant.
Lili Ya’s vigilance was a habit she had developed, plus constant urging recently.
As for Yadana, she was just a people-pleaser, purely pretending.
She even deliberately climbed onto Lili Ya’s head, saying that from a height, she could see farther.
Li Si couldn’t be bothered to control her.
As long as Yadana didn’t rebel, she could do whatever she wanted.
She quickly walked to the carriage.
The mountain road was rugged, and the carriage was slow.
This time, the Hot Spring Village merchant caravan had only three people and not much cargo.
For a village to spend this much on hiring two teams of adventurers for such supplies was already a significant expense.
“Village Chief Luolun, these are grains, right? This little won’t last long in the village.”
“Sigh, the village’s fruit yield has declined. We can only trade for this much to bring back.”
The village chief was a simple old man with white hair.
As he spoke, he helplessly patted the goods on the cart.
Li Si nodded and glanced at the two Hot Spring Village people sitting nearby, a young man and woman.
They looked shy and didn’t dare to meet anyone’s eyes.
“Hey, Li Si, how much longer until we reach Soronwell?”
Jian, with her golden hair and blue eyes, hadn’t been in the carriage long before she impatiently poked her head out and stepped one foot onto a sack.
Li Si frowned, about to tell her to take her foot off, when suddenly the Strict Father’s battle instinct triggered.
Li Si quickly reached out and gripped her sword handle.
Jian froze for a moment.
Seeing Li Si’s expressionless face as she drew her longsword, she trembled in fear.
‘The people in the Honeysuckle group were right. Dictator Li Si was a ferocious demon!’
She was actually going to cut her down with a sword!
Jian was so scared she tried to step back, but it was too late.
A sword wind whistled past her ear, and suddenly two slimy segments appeared on her shoulder.
Jian was petrified.
Numbly, she turned her head and let out a scream.
“Waaa! So disgusting! What is this?!”
“A Mucus Snake, a level 1 magical beast.” Li Si sheathed her sword and explained flatly.
“Wah wah wah! Why didn’t you cut it off before it fell? My shoulder is all slimy! Something is dripping down my collar! So gross, so gross!”
“I suggest you go back into the carriage and wipe it off. And don’t come out again. There might be more magical beasts.”
“Wah! Damn you! You did that on purpose! Demon Li Si!”
Jian quickly ducked back into the carriage and was about to pull down her collar, but this so-called carriage was more like a canopy, a small space woven from straw mats.
Anyone outside could see whatever they wanted.
She was so angry she was about to cry, but the best she could do was wipe herself through her clothes.
“Li Si, magical beasts are coming.”
Lili Ya suddenly spoke, her eyes fixed on the sky where the Mucus Snake had just fallen.
This wave of magical beasts seemed to be coming from above.