"Zhantian City belongs to the Ling Xiao Sect now." The green-clothed girl standing behind Yang Kai suddenly piped up.
She seemed to be trying to catch Yang Kai's attention.
Which girl wouldn't have a crush? Yang Kai had just saved her life as though descended from the heavens. At her age, she was especially sensitive to the trope of a hero rescuing a beauty.
What's more, from a side glance, Yang Kai's features were hard and chiseled, his back broad and solid. He wasn't old, and there was an aura about him that made her feel comfortable. Naturally, she wanted to draw his notice and make herself stand out.
"The Ling Xiao Sect, huh..." Yang Kai smiled and glanced back at her.
The girl's cheeks flushed slightly, but she chattered excitedly, "That's right — you must have heard of them too! They only rose to prominence in the last few years. I heard their headquarters are in the Flaming Sand Region. They even destroyed Star Emperor Mountain, the Zhantian Alliance, and the Thunder Terrace Sect. Right now on the Dark Star, the Ling Xiao Sect is the most powerful force there is."
She jabbered on without pause, as though she had an endless supply of words — quite the lively personality.
"Fei'er." The old man shot the girl a glare, secretly scolding the little lass for not knowing when to hold her tongue or how to behave properly.
"It's fine. I have heard of the Ling Xiao Sect." Yang Kai chuckled. "I just didn't expect their reputation to be this widespread. Anyway, carry on — I won't disturb you any further."
He had only come here to find out where the nearest city was. Now that he had the information he wanted, he naturally had no intention of lingering.
To his surprise, the moment he indicated he was about to leave, the green-clothed girl called out softly, "Wait!"
"What is it?" Yang Kai looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Second Uncle, we've been out for a while now. Shouldn't we head back? Father and the others will start to worry. Besides, Third Brother and the rest are injured — they shouldn't stay here any longer." The green-clothed girl turned to the old man.
"Mm, you make a good point. It is time to go back." The old man nodded gently.
"Then let's go with him. We'd have someone to watch our backs along the way," the green-clothed girl suggested.
"That's..." The old man looked at Yang Kai with an awkward expression. In truth, he naturally hoped to travel with Yang Kai. After all, Yang Kai had just demonstrated his strength, and while the return journey shouldn't be overly dangerous, one could never be too careful. With Yang Kai along, the trip back would surely be safe.
The girl's proposal was one he fully agreed with — he simply didn't know what Yang Kai would think of it.
"That works. I don't actually know exactly where Bibuo City is, so I'll have to trouble you all to lead the way." Yang Kai smiled faintly and nodded.
It was along his route anyway, so he wasn't in any rush.
"Then this old man thanks you, young brother!" The old man was overjoyed.
"I'll go collect the materials!" The green-clothed girl cheered and ran off toward the dead Crackling Copper-Headed Tiger lying on the ground.
The old man couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. With an apologetic expression, he said, "Please don't mind her, young brother — Fei'er is simply built this way. But rest assured, I'll hand over those materials to you in full shortly."
"No need. You can keep them. Those things are of no use to me." Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively.
The body materials of an eighth-rank demon beast truly were of no use to him.
The wealth Yang Kai possessed was beyond what ordinary people could possibly imagine.
The old man's eyes lit up at these words. After confirming once more that Yang Kai didn't want the materials, he was practically overcome with gratitude.
The Copper-Headed Tiger's inner core and head were a considerable haul for them.
Before long, the green-clothed girl, with the help of the others, had finished processing the demon beast's body materials. It was clear these young people knew what they were doing — their movements were practiced and efficient, suggesting they did this kind of work often.
After tidying up briefly, Yang Kai set off with the group, heading toward Bibuo City.
The green-clothed girl really was lively, brimming with curiosity. Once she started talking, there was practically no stopping her — she chattered endlessly, firing off questions one after another.
What was Yang Kai's name? Where had he come from? What was his background? Questions that others might find taboo, she seemed to have not the faintest idea she should avoid, asking them all as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Since they were traveling anyway, Yang Kai just made idle conversation with her, treating it as a way to pass the time.
Back and forth they went. In the end, he hadn't revealed much about himself, but she had laid her entire background bare.
The old man listened from the side with growing embarrassment. Fortunately, he could tell Yang Kai was not a person of ill intent, so he let the matter slide, privately resolving to give the girl a proper lecture once they returned to the family — to teach her about the dangers of the world and make sure she never spilled so much to a stranger again.
Along the way, they occasionally encountered demon beasts blocking their path. The old man and the others had no need to worry — Yang Kai dispatched them all with ease.
The group's harvest from these encounters was actually quite substantial.
From the old man down, every young person in the group looked at Yang Kai with absolute adoration. They all appeared roughly the same age, yet in terms of strength, Yang Kai stood an entire realm above them.
The admiration and respect that martial artists felt for the powerful was an innate trait, and Yang Kai's performance had thoroughly won over these young people.
The distance was tens of thousands of li. Had Yang Kai been traveling alone, he would have needed only an hour or two. But traveling with the old man and his group consumed an entire day.