Shiqi’s father’s story was a little abstract. As Hua Jian listened, she couldn’t help but whisper her complaints to Linglong.
What do you mean by a Band of Heroes expert with a bright future eloping with a beautiful female slave?
And what do you mean, after the female slave was rescued she vanished without a trace, leaving only the Band of Heroes expert and Shiqi relying on each other to survive?
That’s just too illogical!
“Think about it. If that female slave’s only goal was to use your dad to escape, she would’ve left him as soon as she got away, right?” Hua Jian said to Shiqi.
“You say she might be your mother, but that makes no sense. There’s no way your mom’s idea of repayment to your dad would be to bear him a child.”
She’d already had a child, so why would that female slave leave Shiqi’s father after that—just suddenly wanting to become an Independent Woman?
If she had that idea, she wouldn’t have repaid him with her body in the first place, right?
So Hua Jian felt that Shiqi had always misunderstood the situation.
The man she thought was her father might not be her real father, and the woman she thought was her mother most likely wasn’t her real mother.
“But then… how did I come about?”
“That’s simple. You’re just an orphan your father picked up. Your real parents abandoned you.” Hua Jian wore a look like it was no big deal.
It’s just being an orphan. I’m an orphan too!
Shiqi’s face darkened. Why did Hua Jian’s words make her life seem even more tragic?
“Don’t be so down. Even if he’s not your real dad, he did raise you through hardships. There’s nothing wrong with you treating him as your father.”
“He was killed by the Gang Wolf Legion. It’s even more natural for you to take revenge for your father.”
From the story Shiqi just told, this girl really did have a deep grudge against the Gang Wolf Legion, and her reasons for killing them were more than sufficient.
When the Gang Wolf Legion was hunting down her father, they didn’t just stop there.
Anyone who’d had even the slightest connection with her father was captured, interrogated, and then ruthlessly killed. It was pure madness.
This kind of force was no different from the Magic Path. Even Linglong, after hearing it, was infuriated.
“These people deserve to die.” She spoke coldly.
If she’d had any intention of staying out of this before, now she was firmly standing on Shiqi’s side.
Everything she’d witnessed and experienced proved Shiqi was telling the truth.
The Gang Wolf Legion was a cancer—gathering all kinds of evildoers in one place!
Hua Jian snuck a glance at Linglong, silently asking, “Are you hinting I should help Shiqi?”
Linglong gave a slight nod—yes, that’s exactly what she meant.
“We’re already at odds with the Gang Wolf Legion. There’s no way we can stay uninvolved anymore.” Hua Jian immediately put on a sorrowful air, sighing softly.
It was as if she’d been greatly wronged—she hadn’t wanted to get entangled with the Gang Wolf Legion, but fate had other plans.
“You just need to leave right now. I killed everyone here, the Gang Wolf Legion won’t be able to trace it to you.” Shiqi sounded a bit embarrassed. This really was her fault.
If it weren’t for her, Hua Jian and Linglong wouldn’t be so deeply involved.
Though, knowing the Gang Wolf Legion’s temperament, they’d probably come after Hua Jian and Linglong eventually anyway.
Like that skinny archer cultivator, who deliberately caused trouble for Hua Jian and ended up getting killed by her in turn.
Even without Shiqi, Hua Jian and Linglong would’ve eventually clashed with the Gang Wolf Legion in a bigger way, and the burly axe-wielder would still have died at their hands.
But regardless, Shiqi was still willing to take the blame for Hua Jian. After all, with her hatred for the Gang Wolf Legion, what was one more grudge?
“You say that, but what if you can’t take the pressure and end up giving us up?” Hua Jian snorted.
Shiqi’s face changed. Saying something so distrustful to her face—Hua Jian was really tactless!
Couldn’t she have been a little more tactful?
“The cause has already been sown, the result will come sooner or later. The safest way is to erase the Gang Wolf Legion from this world.” Raising her right hand and clenching it lightly, Hua Jian said such a shocking thing in a breezy tone.
Shiqi was nearly dumbfounded. She wanted to destroy the Gang Wolf Legion because they killed her father and many benefactors. Her revenge was only right and proper.
But Hua Jian’s reason for wanting to wipe out the Gang Wolf Legion was just too simple: because of a small grudge, she was afraid they’d bring her trouble.
So to avoid hassle, she’d just wipe out the Gang Wolf Legion? Why did Hua Jian’s habits seem worse than the Gang Wolf Legion’s?
“Wait, you decided this so easily?”
“It’s the choice that best serves our current interests. Can’t always wait for others to strike first.” Hua Jian’s eyes narrowed, a hint of menace glimmering within.
Shiqi remembered Hua Jian’s appearance in the Godsoul Space and understood a little better why Hua Jian would make such a decision.
Hua Jian herself said the people in the Godsoul Space were their truest selves—so the Hua Jian filled with demonic energy in that space, how could she be any sort of good person?
This Miss was definitely not as weak and delicate as she appeared. She was a wolf in sheep’s clothing!
“So, will you join forces with us?”
Hua Jian reached her hand out to Shiqi.
Shiqi was silent for a long while, waging a war within herself, but finally she reached out and grasped Hua Jian’s hand.
With two powerful allies who shared her goal, why would she refuse?
“You made the right choice.” Hua Jian was pleased with Shiqi’s attitude. Satisfied, she finally asked the question that had long puzzled her, “So why are you cross-dressing as a man?”
As soon as she said this, Linglong exaggeratedly opened her mouth wide, putting on a dramatic look of surprise, as if it was her first time hearing this.
“Shiqi the Young Hero is actually a girl?”
With Linglong saying that, Shiqi blushed and her eyes darted around.
“What are you talking about? I’m not a girl!”
Seeing Shiqi still stubbornly denying it, Hua Jian felt a complicated mix of emotions.
This cross-dressing girl in front of her seemed even less willing to acknowledge her female identity than she was.
Really, Hua Jian was the one who should be denying her own femininity—the truth was, she’d really been a young man once.
But Shiqi wouldn’t have that sort of experience. She must have been a girl all along. So why the confusion about her gender?
So strange. She was dying to find out.
With Hua Jian looking at her so curiously, Shiqi grew even more embarrassed. She turned her head away and said, “Let’s get going. I still need to get revenge on the Gang Wolf Legion!”
“Aren’t you going to rest a bit?” Hua Jian called after her.
“Rest? No nee—”
Before Shiqi could finish, several slender, colorful Binding Vines snaked around her from behind, tying her in place.
She struggled hard, but despite how thin they looked, these vines were abnormally tough—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break free.
If Hua Jian wanted to kill her right now, she’d just need to stab her once.
So this Miss was hiding such strength? Shiqi was a little shaken.
She’d thought she’d already overestimated Hua Jian’s combat power, but clearly, she’d missed this trump card.
Hua Jian’s fighting style had always been obvious: confusing enemies with Magic Mist and striking from the shadows. Cultivators who fought like that were usually not strong in direct combat.
But Hua Jian seemed to be an exception. How could her vines be even stronger than a Kun Ling Rope?
“If you don’t rest, you won’t have the strength to fight. Besides, it’s pitch dark—bad time to be on the road, right?” Hua Jian said, grinning as she walked behind Shiqi.
The closer she got, the stronger her control over the slender vines became. “If you don’t want to walk yourself, I can carry you.”
With that, the vine wrapped around Shiqi tightened and lifted her right off the ground.
But within seconds, Hua Jian was huffing and puffing as she set Shiqi down again.
“Wow, you’re heavy.”
“You’re just weak!” Shiqi fumed at Hua Jian’s complaint. How could she be heavy? She was lighter than most girls her age!
Look at her skinny figure. For Hua Jian to say “heavy”—she really had no shame.
After that little episode, Shiqi’s wariness of Hua Jian faded quite a bit. The vines were indeed formidable, but Hua Jian’s strength was so pitiful, it actually seemed normal.
Her lack of strength didn’t make Hua Jian seem weak—instead, it made her more human. After all, no one could be perfect, right?
A Hua Jian with the weakness of being weak was far more believable than a flawless one.
And, honestly, weakness fit Shiqi’s impression of a Miss perfectly…
After Shiqi was restrained, the three of them found a quiet place nearby to sit and rest.
Once Linglong started cultivating, Shiqi exchanged a glance with Hua Jian.
“You’re not cultivating?” Shiqi was confused; she had planned to start cultivating as well.
Your guard has already started, why aren’t you? Don’t tell me you’re making me stand watch?
“My constitution is special. If I cultivate in a place like this, it might trigger some unfortunate events.”
Hua Jian shrugged, showing she’d like to seize the time to cultivate, but in a jungle like this, once she started, countless Spirit Beasts would be drawn to her.
That’d be a disaster.
“Huh?”
“Haven’t you noticed, when you’re near me, there’s a distinct floral scent?” Hua Jian tilted her head.
Shiqi was stunned by the question. It was only after Hua Jian mentioned it that she realized—it was true.
Ever since Hua Jian appeared, there’d been a lovely floral fragrance nearby, but she’d unconsciously ignored it.
Maybe it was this scent that had made her feel so positively about Hua Jian, even affecting her decision to team up.
“If I start cultivating, the scent will get so strong you’ll be overwhelmed, and Spirit Beasts love my scent—they’ll instinctively gather around…”
Hua Jian wore a helpless look.
“I once cultivated in a Secret Realm, and when I woke up in the morning, the little cuties around me were piled up like a mountain.”
Imagining the scene, Shiqi felt Hua Jian was right not to cultivate.
“A Special Constitution, huh? That makes you a real Heavenly Talent, right?” Shiqi didn’t know much about these things, but she knew there was a link between being a genius and having a Special Constitution.
Not all geniuses have a Special Constitution, but if you do, you’re probably a genius.
So, Hua Jian must be an incredible talent.
“That’s right. Except for her, I have no rivals among Lingshi-level Cultivators.” Hua Jian wasn’t modest—she openly admitted her own prowess.
Her record in Secret Realms could be checked. The “Dragon City Secret Realm Slayer King” Hua Jian was here!
But in Shiqi’s ears, that sounded like boasting. She admitted Hua Jian was formidable, but to say there were no rivals at the Ling Shi Realm was a bit much.
Forget about other cultivators—what about those Saint Sect Heavenly Talents? Hua Jian couldn’t possibly beat them, could she?
“Don’t treat me like a total fool. Even if you’re amazing, can you beat Saint Sect disciples?” Shiqi snorted.
Hua Jian, on this topic, was instantly energized. Others might get stumped, but not her.
Because she’d actually fought with Saint Sect’s Spirit Masters before. She knew their true strength.
“I can beat them. Don’t mythologize the Saint Sect disciples. Many of them aren’t that amazing. Even you might not be any worse than them.”
“Yeah right, keep bragging.”
“I mean it. Oh, by the way—how old are you this year?”
Shiqi wasn’t sure why Hua Jian asked her age, but it wasn’t a secret. She scratched her head and answered.
“I’m seventeen.”
She really is a bit older than me… Sixteen-year-old Hua Jian nodded, as she’d estimated.
Linglong seemed to be seventeen too, and the golden age to attend the Ascension Gathering was also seventeen.
So, could she rope Shiqi into joining the Ascension Gathering?
“What do you plan to do after you get your revenge?” Hua Jian changed the subject immediately.
“Why are you asking? Let me take revenge first—after that, I’ll just take things as they come.”
“Don’t you want to go to the Central Continent and take part in the Ascension Gathering? Maybe you’ll get chosen by the Saint Sect.” Hua Jian began fiddling with the dagger hidden in her map.