Martial Peak

After such a big event where everyone who survived was physically and mentally exhausted, although they knew that the Metal Devouring Beasts that were buried below wouldn’t die so easily, whether it was Yun Xuan or Ruan Xin Yu, neither of them had any desire to dig them out right now.

Instead, Ruan Xin Yu took out a small Universe Bag and handed it to Yang Kai.

“What’s this?” Yang Kai asked, somewhat confused.

“Your spoils,” Ruan Xin Yu grinned, “While you were resting, I took it off of the Charm Monster, guess what was inside?”

Yang Kai paused for a moment before offhandedly saying, “Probably a bunch of valuable refined metals.”

“How did you know?” Ruan Xin Yu immediately felt like something was caught in her throat.

Yang Kai simply grinned, “The Charm Monster previous said that those Metal Devouring Beasts were hers. Since that was the case, then these Monster Beasts showing up here wasn’t an accident but the deliberate actions of the Charm Monster. She let them devour the Sun Tin Ore and then collected their refined products. Moreover, when we were exploring the mine, we never found any traces of refined minerals excreted by the Metal Devouring Beasts. Everything must have been collected by the Charm Monster and stored inside her Universe Bag.”

Yang Kai’s sudden analysis made Yun Xuan’s beautiful eyes shine brilliantly.

Ruan Xin Yu also began seeing him in a better light, “You... I’d never have guessed it but it seems your wit is also quite sharp.”

Smiling as she followed up, “There’s a lot of refined Sun Tin inside that bag, if you take it and sell it all, you can earn a lot of Crystal Stones.”

Yang Kai thought about it for a while before throwing the Universe Bag back to Ruan Xin Yu and shaking his head, “You lost so much this time, after returning, you’ll need to offer Bold Independent Union some kind of explanation, so you should hold on to these things.”

Ruan Xin Yu smiled happily and accepted. She had also thought of this point but seeing how the Charm Monster was basically killed by Yang Kai single-handedly, she had still offered the battle’s spoils to him first.

Yun Xuan opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but eventually chose not to.

“We should leave here now, I’ll escort you two to a nearby town,” Yang Kai got up first. This sentence made Yun Xuan somewhat confused as she turned a slightly suspicious look towards him.

This place was on the border of Bold Independent Union’s territory. Two or three day’s journey was a small city that the group had passed on their way here.

Half a day later, the group of three left the forest and in a small nearby village, Yang Kai rented a carriage and let Yun Xuan and Ruan Xin Yu sit inside while he acted as the driver and proceeded towards the city.

This bit of gentle consideration improved Ruan Xin Yu’s impression of him and even caused Yun Xuan to smile softly.

After the two women chatted idly for a while, Yun Xuan succumbed to her fatigue and fell asleep. Ruan Xin Yu, now bored, hopped out of the carriage and sat side by side with Yang Kai, resting her head on her delicate hand as she stared fixedly at Yang Kai who was himself concentrating on waving the whip.

“Why are you staring at me?” Being observed in such a manner made Yang Kai feel somewhat uncomfortable.

“I’m just thinking about who or what you are,” Ruan Xin Yu grinned, “You were injured so heavily, yet now you’re basically bursting with energy?”

“My resilience is just a bit better than ordinary people.”

“I noticed,” Ruan Xin Yu gently nodded, “Being young is good.”

“You consider yourself old?” Yang Kai laughed as he glanced over at her.

“Compared to you at least. I’m almost thirty years old, the same as Yun Xuan,” Ruan Xin Yu laughed somewhat self-deprecatingly.

“Between you and Yun Xuan, what happened? Previously you two couldn’t stand being together, but now you’re practically acting like family. Are all women so fickle?”

When Yang Kai asked this, Ruan Xin Yu fell silent, her pretty face flashing a trace of sadness.

Seeing this unexpected reaction, Yang Kai knew he had asked something he shouldn’t have and quickly shrugged, “If you don’t want to say it, just pretend I never asked.”

However, Ruan Xin Yu shook her head and muttered, “We really should have been one whole family... Do you know what Yun Xuan’s real status is?”

“I only know that her identity is not simple,” Yang Kai replied casually. Whether it was Grandmaster Ma from the Artifact Hall or the former Transcendent Realm master Sun Ying, both of their attitudes towards Yun Xuan were quite polite and accommodating, even somewhat respectful. If she was just an ordinary Bold Independent Union disciple, such a display would have been impossible.

“It’s really not simple,” Ruan Xin Yu quietly glanced back and upon seeing Yun Xuan still asleep, she quietly said, “Yun Xuan is actually the daughter of the Union’s current master!”

Yang Kai couldn’t help stared at her blankly.

“That’s right, Bold Independent Union’s Union Master.”

“Then why is she...”

With such an identity, Yun Xuan shouldn’t be out here in the forest completing missions, but instead be occupying some important position. On top of that, she didn’t have the demeanor that the young lady of a big force should have.

“She has her reasons,” Ruan Xin Yu took a soft breath, “I can tell you, but you have to promise not to spread it around.”

“Do I look like someone who likes to gossip?” Yang Kai gave her a blank look.

Ruan Xin Yu looked at him seriously for a moment before nodding, “Yun Xuan had a younger brother with extraordinary aptitude. Even at a very young age, he displayed talent comparable to any core disciple of a first-class Sect, but because of our Bold Independent Union’s special system, the Union Lord intentionally let him start from the bottom of the ladder, making him go out and participate in missions as part of a team just like any other ordinary disciple. He performed quite well, and from his initial position, he quickly rose to become a team captain who was highly respected by his team members.”

Seemingly remembering this sweet past, Ruan Xin Yu’s face overflowed with smiles as she rambled on about a few random anecdotes.

Although these things seemed irrelevant to Yang Kai, he didn’t interrupt her reminiscence.

“However, if you often walk next to the river, how can your shoes not get wet?” Ruan Xin Yu’s voice suddenly fell a lot, “On what was supposed to be a routine mission, the Young Lord unfortunately died, and his team was almost completely annihilated, with only one member barely managing to survive.”

“Yun Xuan loved her younger brother very much, so when he died, she blamed the Union Lord, saying that if it weren’t for his stubborn insistence that the Young Lord work his way up from the bottom of the Union, he wouldn’t have suffered such a fate. After that, Yun Xuan announced that she would discard her identity as the First Young Lady and like her young brother work her way up from the grassroots level of Bold Independent Union...” Ruan Xin Yu’s eyes were a little red as her voice gradually began to choke up.

Yang Kai remained silent and indifferent, not showing any outward changes in expression.

“She obviously made that choice in protest against the Union Lord and also to complete the task the Young Lord had failed to finish,” Ruan Xin Yu sighed, “Do you know why Yun Xuan doesn’t hate you for taking her innocence, even not showing any meaning of trying to hold you responsible?”

“Why?”

“Because when her brother died, he just happened to be twenty years old at the Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage!” Ruan Xin Yu smiled miserably and added, “Seeing you now, like this, alive and well, she simply can’t bring herself to hate you!”

Yang Kai gently took a breath and thought for a moment before asking, “The only survivor from her younger brother’s team was you, right?”

Ruan Xin Yu was dumbfounded, but soon nodded gently, “Your head is really quite good. En, I was a member of the Young Lord’s team and the only reason I survived was because he saved me, that’s why Yun Xuan and I were at odds. However, I know she wasn’t trying to blame me, she just couldn’t bear to face me, because every time she sees me, she can’t help thinking about him.”

“Were you in love with him?” Yang Kai grinned.

Ruan Xin Yu glanced at him and blushed, “Why would you ask that? It’s all in the past now.”

“Fine, then why are you telling me all this,” Yang Kai shook his head.

“You’re so smart, how can you not understand after everything I just said?” Ruan Xin Yu glared at Yang Kai hatefully, silently criticizing this little bastard for still trying to play dumb at this point.

Yang Kai put away his wry grin and wore a serious expression, only shaking his head and speaking after a long silence, “I won’t join Bold Independent Union. Nothing you say could persuade me otherwise. Although I sympathize with Yun Xuan’s experience, and I admire her persistence, I have my own things I need to do.”

“You bastard!” Ruan Xin Yu shouted, “After gaining such a big advantage you want to just walk away?”

“What kind of advantage did I get?”

“You have the gall to ask that? You and Yun Xuan... you...”

“What?”

“You know in your own heart,” Ruan Xin Yu was incredibly angry, not understanding how this young man could act so shamelessly, clearly knowing what she wanted to say yet pretending otherwise just to embarrass her.

“In any case, you need to take responsibility!” Ruan Xin Yu immediately played rouge, “If you don’t join Bold Independent Union, I’ll report everything that happened to the Union’s leadership and have them chase you down!”

Yang Kai suddenly turned to look at her and smiled grimly.

Ruan Xin Yu felt a cold chill run up her spine and couldn’t help clenching her fists, trembling as she asked, “What do you want to say?”

Yang Kai looked up at the sky and slowly muttered, “The moon is hidden, and it’s a good night!”

Ruan Xin Yu’s beautiful face went pale as she quickly recalled everything that had happened earlier. If this youth really wanted to silence her here, she wouldn’t be able to resist.

If he were to silence her here, in this vast wilderness, no one would be able to find her body.

Just as she was feeling afraid, Yun Xuan’s gentle voice rang out behind her, “You two... don’t make such terrible jokes.”

Ruan Xin Yu was stunned for a moment, and then quickly spat out her tongue towards Yang Kai before hopping back into the carriage.

A moment later, she emerged again, supporting Yun Xuan as the two of them sat together beside Yang Kai, breathing in the crisp night air.

“Do you really want to leave?” Yun Xuan asked Yang Kai, a trace of melancholy upon her face.

“En,” Yang Kai nodded sternly.

“Fine, Bold Independent Union is too small to accommodate someone like you, it’s for the best that you go out and see the rest of the world,” Yun Xuan tightly gripped her clothes, feeling slightly cold as she muttered, “Regardless, I should still thank you for this time.”

“Are you stupid?” Ruan Xin Yu stared at her incredulously.

“If it weren’t for him, Uncle Sun and Ji Hong’s deaths would have gone un-avenged and we would both be dead. Naturally, we should thank him.”

Ruan Xin Yu’s brow furrowed and had to admit Yun Xuan had a point. If there was no Yang Kai this time, everyone from Bold Independent Union would have been wiped out with no one ever knowing the truth.

“No need for thanks, I was just protecting myself,” Yang Kai shook his head.

Yun Xuan smiled and said no more, a while later whispering, “Xin Yu, help me back inside. It’s a little cold tonight.”

“En,” Ruan Xin Yu nodded and helped Yun Xuan get back into the carriage. Soon, a soft breathing could be heard coming from inside and Yang Kai looked back to see the two women sleeping in each other’s embracing, a look of calm upon their faces.