It was still raining, but much less intensely than before.

Su Yi’s question shocked the dazed Chang Guoke out of his reverie, and he let out a turbid breath before crawling to his feet.

He breathed heavily for a while, and when he spoke, his voice was tinged with pain. “It seems you picked up on some clues a long time ago, Young Lord.”    

Su Yi glanced coldly at him. "This Bright Tiger’s strength is unexceptional, but its bloodline isn’t so simple. I can tell that from the yao qi lingering around its corpse. If I’m not mistaken, it’s most likely the offspring of a tier-nine spirit beast.”

In the mundane world, spirit beasts were divided into nine tiers.

Ordinarily speaking, Blood Circulation Realm experts could fight spirit beasts tiers one through three.

Those in the Qi Accumulation Realm could handle beasts tiers four to six.

And after a spirit beast reached tier seven, only Grandmasters could slay them. 

Especially tier-nine spirit beasts. These were also known as beast kings, and they possessed a certain degree of innate talent and intelligence. Even Martial Dao Grandmasters generally dared not clash with them head-on.

Chang Guoke’s expression was admiring. “Young Lord, your eyes are so sharp, I can only sigh with admiration. I won’t hide it from you; that Bright Tiger is indeed a tier-nine Jade-Eyed Crimson Flamebeast’s descendant. I hunted it down as bait; my real target is its parent. But I never would have guessed that….”

His words trailed off, but Su Yi seemed to understand. “The Jade-Eyed Crimson Flamebeast is no ordinary tier-nine spirit beast, is it?”

“Exactly.” Chang Guoke sighed. “I wanted to hunt it down and take its core in preparation for attempting to reach the third level of the Grandmaster Realm. Who’d have thought that the beast was so fierce and so mighty? It’s on par with level five Grandmasters; it’s simply too terrifying. I had no choice but to flee. It was then that I encountered that woman, Hua Lianxiu….

He paused, then continued, “Hua Lianxiu, Ji Changhe, and Yin Tong are all the third prince’s retainers. They’re from different regions, but all of them were originally rogue cultivators. They’ve been famous for years. This time, they came after me because….”

He was about to continue when Su Yi frowned and cut him off. “You don’t need to tell me that; I’m not interested in knowing.”

Chang Guoke was briefly stunned. Then, he cupped his fist in apology. “Even though I’m the one who got you involved, you saved my life. If there’s anything I can do for you, I won’t refuse, even if it means casting myself into the flames!”

“If you want to repay me, that’s a simple matter,” said Su Yi offhandedly. “Just leave the Bright Tiger here.”

Chang Guoke instantly understood; Su Yi had almost certainly taken an interest in the Jade-Eyed Crimson Flamebeast.

He didn’t even stop to think. “Young Lord, please take it. You saved my life, and I will carve this benevolence into my heart. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me!”

“Leave as soon as the rain stops,” said Su Yi.

Chang Guoke nodded.

Before long, Cha Jin gathered up the spoils and walked back into the cave. “Young Lord, aside from their weapons, the three of them only had a handful of recovery medicines, spirit stones, and silver. They had no other items worthy of our attention.”

As she spoke, she presented these items to Su Yi. He glanced at them briefly, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Since when were Grandmasters so poor?

He picked up the scholarly man’s black wooden ruler.

It was made out of a spiritual material, the wood of a “Phoenix-Pattern Beech” tree.

There were seven phoenix patterns on its surface, which meant that this piece of beech came from a seven-hundred-year-old tree, a rare and precious material. 

The sects and clans of the mundane world typically planted laurel trees in front of their residences and beech trees in their back gardens. This arrangement was an expression of their desire for each of their disciples to “win laurels” and bring them back home.

 Even among cultivators, major factions would plant Phoenix-Pattern Beech and Dragonscale Grass in their immortal estates and grottos, as both were auspicious symbols.

But of course, that was just a beautiful dream.

To Su Yi, what mattered was that the Phoenix-Pattern Beech Wood contained a natural profound yin qi. Although he had no use for the ruler, it was a rare treasure for a ghost cultivator like Qing Wan.

Before long, Su Yi placed his spoils into the black jade pendant at his waist. He planned to exchange the items he couldn’t use for medicines and spirit stones once he reached the provincial capital. 

He then sprawled out in his wicker chair, closed his eyes, and rested.

Cha Jin was already long accustomed to Su Yi’s lazy way of doing things. She walked up to Chang Guoke and passed him a bottle of recovery medicine, whispering, “Here, take this.”

“Thank you, Miss.” Chang Guoke cupped his fist in gratitude.

“You needn’t thank me,” said Cha Jin. “If not for your courage in the face of death and willingness to die to clear a path for our survival, I’m afraid the young lord wouldn’t have saved you.” 

Chang Guoke couldn’t help but say, “Might I ask your young lord’s honorable name?”

Cha Jin pursed her lips and shook her head. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell him; she simply didn’t dare.

When he saw this, Chang Guoke could only let it go.

Gradually, the rain stopped. White mists rose, spreading throughout the valley and making everything indistinct, like an illusion or a dream.

Chang Guoke had already recovered some of his energy, so he immediately bade Su Yi and Cha Jin farewell.

Su Yi just sat there as if he were asleep, ignoring Chang Guoke completely, but Cha Jin lightly clasped her fist. “Safe travels.”

Chang Guoke nodded, then turned and left in great big strides. His figure quickly disappeared into the fog.

Suddenly, Su Yi’s eyes popped open, and he said softly, “The Jade-Eyed Crimson Flamebeast is sure to show up tonight. You stay put. No matter what happens, don’t cause trouble.”

Cha Jin was instantly solemn. She hurriedly nodded, then crouched cautiously beside the fire. Its warm glow lit up her fair, clear features, illuminating her delicate beauty. From time to time, her bright eyes glanced at the reclining Su Yi and his wicker chair.

She said nothing, but inside, her thoughts raced. He’s obviously my enemy. I know that! I ought to hate him more than anyone, but even though I’ve only spent a few days with him, it’s like I’ve already forgotten my hatred…

Cha Jin’s pretty features were uncertain, and different emotions flickered across her face. Her pearly teeth gently gnawed her red lips, and from time to time, her brow knit together in a mixture of bewilderment and melancholy. Her inner conflict was readily apparent.

It was so dangerous just now. On my own, I wouldn’t have dared rescue Chang Guoke, but with him here, I got involved of my own volition….

When she realized this, Cha Jin was shocked. Don’t tell me I already see him as someone I can rely on?

Also, it seems I’m starting to adjust to my role as a servant. Whenever I do anything, his feelings are the first thing I consider. I worry that he’ll get angry and that he’ll chastise me, but when I win his approval, I feel inwardly gleeful. I…. What exactly is happening to me?

Cha Jin sank into indescribable confusion and distress.

They weren’t sure how much time passed before a cold wind blew into the cave, almost extinguishing the bonfire. It startled Cha Jin out of her reverie, and she shuddered from head to toe.

It was then that she realized that the wicker chair was already empty. She didn’t know when he’d gotten up, but Su Yi’s tall, lean figure now stood in the cave’s entryway, his robes fluttering in the wind.

“It’s here,” he whispered.

Cha Jin’s heart shook. The Jade-Eyed Crimson Flamebeast is here!?

Her beautiful eyes widened, and she craned her neck and peered into the distance.

The night was dark as ink and shrouded in mist. Everything was indistinct.

Suddenly, a pair of bright, blue-green lights lit up within the fog. Their cold, eerie luster revealed undisguised bloodlust. 

Those were no lights; they were eyes!

As she met the beast’s gaze, Cha Jin’s heart shook, and her hair stood on end. She felt as if something were stuck in her throat, and a sense of impending lethal danger coursed through her, making it difficult to breathe.

But it was then that Su Yi laughed. For the first time in ages, the depths of his calm and distant gaze surged with fighting intent. “My chance has arrived!” 

Su Yi strode out of the cave without hesitation.

He'd always been calm and detached, as if he were above it all. But to Cha Jin, he now resembled a peerless blade emerging from its sheath. His tall, lean figure was now fierce and domineering. Sharp, unbridled energy billowed around him.

His body was like a sword, sharper than any blade! 

Cha Jin had never seen such a forceful bearing before. Her tense and stifled heart shook inexplicably.

When a sword was within its sheath, the glint of its edge was hidden from view. Once drawn, it revealed the full extent of its radiance.

Was this the real Su Yi?

As Su Yi proceeded into the mists, something seemed to suppress the fog in front of him; it split to the sides, clearing a path.

Shortly afterward, Cha Jin’s pupils constricted; she now saw the Jade-Eyed Crimson Flamebeast for the first time.

It was a full ten feet tall. Its fur was white as snow, but it blazed with intimidating, ferocious flames. Its blue-green eyes were bright and eerie, like lanterns lit with otherworldly fire. Its gaze was sinister, cold, and terrifying. 

It stood there, still and silent, but with each breath, its murderous intent expanded outward. Its ferocity filled the night skies, rising like the tide. 

The entire stretch of wilderness fell silent. Even the insects were still; the aura of a tier-nine spirit beast intimidated even them. 

Cha Jin was shaken; she couldn’t help it.

She was an inheritor of the Wheel of the Moon Sect, and she’d seen countless extraordinary and intelligent beasts of both land and sky. However, this was her first time seeing a Jade-Eyed Crimson Flamebeast.

This was no ordinary tier-nine spirit beast; its strength was in no way inferior to a fifth-level Grandmaster’s!

“Not bad. It’s just as I expected; it’s a beast with a trace of a True Spirit bloodline!”

As Su Yi advanced, he wasn’t just unafraid; his eyes actually lit up with delight, as if he’d just gotten his hands on a supreme treasure. 

The Jade-Eyed Crimson Flamebeast’s pupils flashed with jade-colored light. It seemed surprised, but also on guard. It couldn’t help but roar. 

Its roar rumbled like thunder, reverberating throughout the night skies. The mountains shook, and the sound snapped the nearby vegetation, sending bits of grass flying into the air. 

Cha Jin’s ears stung; she felt as if her eardrums were about to burst. She saw stars, and the sensation was so difficult to bear that she almost coughed up blood. 

Her expression shifted; she couldn’t help it.

That bestial roar actually carried a trace of oppression, shaking and terrifying the soul. Any ordinary martial artist who heard it would die where he stood!

But it was as if Su Yi didn’t even notice it. His footsteps didn’t so much as slow down as he proceeded forward. His fighting intent shining deep within his gaze increased, bit by bit, and his energy expanded around him, increasing with each passing moment. 

Since his reincarnation, he’d yet to meet anyone who could truly go toe-to-toe with him in battle. Now, he’d finally found a worthy foe!

The sight of Su Yi drawing ever closer seemed to provoke the Jade-Eyed Crimson Flamebeast. It arched its long, whiplike tail and launched its enormous body forward.

Whoosh!

It was like a streak of flame or bolt of lightning, charging toward Su Yi with terrifying bloodlust and murderousness. 

It swept its paws. Each of its knifelike claws fired a beam of long, fiery light. The light easily ripped the air apart in a series of shrill explosions. 

That imposing power was enough to strike terror into the heart of any ordinary Grandmaster!

But Su Yi merely raised his bare fist. He leaped, but made no attempt to escape as he called out, “Foul beast, today, I shall borrow your power to achieve ‘full spiritual awakening of the acupoints’!”

His voice resounded like a bell, reverberating throughout the night and dispersing the mists. The sound was utterly valiant and proud.