"Forget it, your money is too hot to handle; I'm not interested." Duan Feng'er looked at Lei Wei with a smile that was somewhat icy. Everyone could sense that Lei Wei's hostility had recently shifted towards Qian Jin. To oppose Qian Jin was to oppose everyone in this small group.

"One hundred gold coins a day for rent. Collect the money, and just give it back to me later."

Qian Jin flicked his horse's reins, not sparing a glance for the stiff-faced Lei Wei, and urged his horse forward. He left Lei Wei standing rooted to the spot, staring at Qian Jin with sheer resentment, unable to comprehend why the attendant of a Bloodline Warrior would treat a Bloodline Warrior with such an attitude, as if they were equals rather than a subordinate.

"Qian Jin said I should help collect the money. Three horses, three hundred gold coins. Thank you." Duan Feng'er took the gold bars, spurred his steed to accelerate, and shouted, "Comrade, wait for me!"

Lei Wei sat on his horse, glaring fiercely at Qian Jin's retreating back, his grip on the reins making them creak ominously.

"Young Master..."

"Trash!" Lei Wei glared at the two guards beside him, whispering harshly, "What kind of bandits did you contact?"

The two guards exchanged a look and remained silent. Everything had been perfectly planned; who could have anticipated running into four young warriors? And three of them were Demon-Slaying Warriors.

"Damn it!" Lei Wei sighed towards the sky, his pupils flashing with venomous light as he stared at Qian Jin's back. "So close! If those bandits had taken Song Xinghe, and I drove them off afterward—those two girls would have no choice but to beg me for help, and then I could do as I pleased! These four damned things..."

The group moved slowly, unable to gallop because Song Xinghe's injury made rough travel unbearable. They entered a small wood before sunset. Calculating the time, they could reach the Zhence Dynasty if they traveled through the night, but Song Xinghe's body wouldn't last that long.

"I'm sorry; my injury is holding everyone back," Song Xinghe said, leaning against a tree after sitting on the ground, his face etched with guilt. The firelight made him look even older.

"It's nothing," Qian Jin replied. He tethered the horses, tossed two logs into the fire, and scanned their surroundings. If they encountered bandits and fought them off while together, it was one thing, but if the four of them faced bandits, they would have to silence them to avoid future trouble. Resting for the night was better for minimizing complications.

Fen Tu Kuang Ge brought back some game meat, which they roasted by the fire alongside the dry rations everyone had brought. The forest was quiet, save for the crackling of the burning wood.

Song Xinghe, having wandered for many years, coughed lightly, breaking the silence around the fire. "I wonder where the four of you plan to go this time?"

"To the Earth Fortress, and then to Oakland," Qian Jin said after a moment of silence, turning the butter-basted rabbit roasting over the flames. "And then to Yongliu."

Yongliu? Lei Wei's neck twitched slightly, and a cold, dark smile flickered across his face in the firelight. Yongliu? That was an excellent location! Once you entered Yongliu, I'd find a way to make you pay for ruining my plans today!

"Yongliu..." Song Xinghe mumbled the answer, his gaze drifting to Lei Wei, a hint of worry crossing his features. This man was the Third Young Master of the Lei family, one of the Eight Great Powers of Yongliu. These four youths outside the passes had shown him such disrespect today; knowing his vindictive nature, what would happen when they reached Yongliu?

"Yes, the Conquest Academy," Duan Feng'er said, taking the roasted rabbit off the flames with a smile. "The four of us will be the first since the academy was established... Comrade... hey, that's my rabbit meat..."

Qian Jin unceremoniously tossed the half-roasted rabbit he held to Duan Feng'er and snatched the perfectly roasted one, glaring at him fiercely. Being constantly watched by the two girls made him feel awful, and Duan Feng'er's loose talk was the root cause of all this.

Duan Feng'er shrunk his neck and helplessly flipped the piece of roast meat in his hand. "Hey, I was just trying to roast it for you."

Lei Wei, his accompanying guards, and the Song Xinghe father and daughter watched the scene unfold in astonishment. A mere attendant of a Bloodline Warrior dared to snatch food from a Bloodline Warrior! There was no sense of hierarchy! Moreover, the Bloodline Warrior actually backed down in such a situation?

What a weakling! Lei Wei scrutinized Duan Feng'er, his smile growing colder. While he wouldn't blink when killing enemies on the battlefield, his control over his subordinates was severely lacking! In this situation, he should have slapped the attendant a couple of times to show him who the center of the group was.

If someone so weak internally faced true external pressure? Lei Wei's cold expression softened into a faint smile. Faced with outside pressure, he would surely collapse! This discovery was crucial! Once they reached Yongliu, applying pressure through his family's influence would force Qian Jin to hand over that rich and irritating attendant.

Should I apply some pressure now? Lei Wei secretly shook his head; no, not yet! In this environment, truly forcing the Bloodline Warrior would be detrimental to me. His father had always said: consider things thoroughly before acting, and if the situation is unfavorable, endure it first.

"Uncle Song, where are you planning to go after this?" Duan Feng'er asked listlessly, turning the roast meat.

Song Xinghe frowned in thought. "I haven't really decided. If you don't find us too much trouble, perhaps we could travel together?"

Qian Jin smiled and nodded, feeling a bit of admiration for the old warrior's experience. An injury meant he couldn't take on any missions, and even protecting his two beautiful daughters was taxing. It was better to travel with a safer group.

After dinner, Song Xinghe fell asleep to rest his body. Qian Jin habitually climbed to the treetop to maintain a vigilant, light doze. The woods returned to complete silence.

The nights outside the passes were exceptionally cold; even restless bandits sought a warm place to rest first.

The night passed without incident. After breakfast, the group hurried on. Occasionally, they encountered passing bandits who only questioned them briefly, demanding a few gold coins before letting them go without robbery or attack. Bandits were not indiscriminate killers; robbing enough supplies for survival was generally enough. Slaughtering everyone was something almost exclusively done by the Black Wind Cult.

"The Earth Fortress is just ahead," Qian Jin said, looking at the small fortress on the horizon, letting out a long breath. He was glad they hadn't encountered any major dangers along the way.

Lei Wei, riding his horse, looked at Qian Jin’s back with confusion. Why was this man so determined to pass through a small place like the Earth Fortress?

The group advanced a little further when the gates of the Earth Fortress suddenly swung open. A scout on horseback galloped towards them, kicking up clouds of dust.

"You... you..." The eyes of the scout on the warhorse shot out gazes of surprise and disbelief as he stared blankly at Qian Jin. "You're still alive..."

Qian Jin awkwardly scratched his hair while on horseback. He hadn't been able to send any news back for so many days, coupled with the dark division's warrant; the people at the Earth Fortress must genuinely believe he had died.

"That's wonderful! Wonderful!" The scout spun his horse around, galloping away while shouting, "Hurry, hurry! The General is still worrying about you all."

Lei Wei watched Qian Jin and the other three with bewildered surprise. Was this General a relative of one of them? Even so, he was just the garrison commander of a small Earth Fortress, far inferior to our Lei family! The Eight Great Powers of Yongliu! Except for the declining Hongliu War Fortress, which power could be dismissed lightly?

After the scout returned, the gates of the Earth Fortress quickly swung wide open. General Feng strode out from the main gate, his bright armor shining, his wings unfurled as he walked on foot.

General Feng enveloped the dismounted Qian Jin in a bear hug, slapping his back heartily. "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

General Feng hugged the other three as well, but his gaze lingered uncertainly on Cekefulit, faintly sensing that the young man held wariness, even hostility, toward him.

Qian Jin smiled and shook his head. Although Cekefulit hated the Demon Race's royalty, he had grown up in a demonic environment and inherently harbored animosity toward the Zhence Dynasty. It was the same as if he went to the Demon Realm; meeting any demon, he would instinctively want to draw his blade and slay it.

"General, this is a friend of ours," Qian Jin said, standing between the two sides. "He's a bit uncomfortable around strangers."

"Oh..." General Feng nodded repeatedly, dragging out the sound, his eyes continuously assessing Cekefulit. He felt something was wrong, but he couldn't pinpoint what. He even felt an instinctive urge to draw his sword and confront this young man.

What was happening? General Feng frowned in confusion. He only used to have this impulse when facing Demon Warriors. Why now toward a human? Had he killed too many demons, losing control of his urge to slay?

General Feng shifted his gaze to Lei Wei, his peripheral vision constantly sweeping over the two guards beside Lei Wei. "And you are..."

Lei Wei dismounted gracefully, dusting off his attire, placed his fist over his chest, and bowed slightly, a faint pride lingering in his features. "Greetings, General. I am Lei Wei, from the Lei family of Yongliu Province. These two are the guards assigned to me by my family."

"The Lei family?" General Feng's large eyes reassessed Lei Wei. "The Lei family from Yongliu?"

Lei Wei puffed out his chest, his chin tilting up slightly, adding a touch more pride to his smile. The influence of Yongliu Province extended far beyond a single province. Strictly speaking, even this Earth Fortress and the city of Oakland were part of Yongliu Province.

However, since the central city of Yongliu Province was also called Yongliu City, its people considered themselves the heart of the province, thus introducing themselves directly as being 'from Yongliu.'

General Feng turned around, throwing an arm around Qian Jin's shoulder and another around Duan Feng'er's shoulder, while giving Fen Tu Kuang Ge a meaningful look. He didn't spare Lei Wei a glance. Song Xinghe led his two daughters to follow the group toward the fortress.

What... Lei Wei watched General Feng's retreating back in astonishment. Knowing perfectly well he was from the Lei family of Yongliu, why was he treated this way? Did my prestigious Third Young Master of the Lei family rank lower than an attendant of a Bloodline Warrior?

Back in the main tent, General Feng ordered a few of his personal guards to secure the entrance, forbidding anyone from entering. His smiling face immediately sank. "You're fine, but you don't find a way to send word? Do you know how much I regretted sending you out after hearing the Dark Division issued a warrant for your arrest? You all have very bright futures ahead of you, and I..."

Qian Jin stood behind Duan Feng'er, obscuring the view, and took out the evidence of the deceased two-star Dark Division member from his dimensional pouch. "It was perilous then; communication was genuinely impossible. Here is the mission result."

"This... this is real..." General Feng took the evidence, looking at Qian Jin in disbelief. "If it wasn't for the reports that you killed their men, I would have assumed they were just embarrassed and lied. I didn't expect you actually killed Dark Division members?"

"It's a good thing it was only two-star," Qian Jin said, sitting on a fur blanket. "If it had been a seven-star Dark Division member, we wouldn't have made it back alive."

"Damn the military!" General Feng slammed the table with lingering hatred. "Someone clearly wants me dead."

"General, remember to report our military merits," Qian Jin said with a smile. "We'll be relying on that to become City Lords someday."

"Fine! I absolutely won't forget! Killing a two-star Dark Division member is a massive contribution." General Feng happily pocketed the evidence and plopped down onto the fur blanket. "Do you know? Your matter caused quite a stir this time. Even a squad from our Zhence Black Dragon Guard was dispatched. I heard they even clashed with the Dark Division outside the passes and fought a battle."

Duan Feng'er lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. "Who won?"

"It seems neither side won," General Feng quickly regained his cheerful expression. "But strictly speaking, the Dark Division suffered more losses. I heard that after fighting the Black Dragon Guard, while they were regrouping, they ran into a formidable figure whom the Demon Race calls 'Blood Blade'!"

"Blood Blade?" Qian Jin took the cup of water handed to him by Duan Feng'er. "That's a rather murderous-sounding title."

"It is," General Feng said with an air of admiration. "He was once the idol of countless ordinary warriors, but for some reason, he suddenly retired. I heard he went to a small city to be a guardian. I really don't know what inspired Lord Fabredis to suddenly appear outside the passes this time and cut down two starred members of the Dark Division. Just thinking about it makes one's blood boil! It's a pity... a pity I wasn't there to watch the battle..."

'Fabredis?' The water cup in Qian Jin's hand trembled slightly. "The Guardian of Oakland City?"

"Yes, yes! The Guardian of Oakland City!" General Feng nodded repeatedly. "It's a shame I didn't witness Lord Fabredis's might! I heard that as soon as the Dark Division learned their opponent was Fabredis, they lost all desire to fight and immediately left two members to stall them while the rest fled for their lives."

Qian Jin forgot to drink the water in his cup, his mind replaying the usually calm and collected Fabredis, who never seemed angry, being so ferocious that his name alone was enough to terrify the Dark Division into flight.

"So, Fabredis is still outside the passes?" Qian Jin asked while sipping his water.

"Yes," General Feng nodded again. "Several groups have already tried to persuade Lord Fabredis to return soon. It's too dangerous outside the passes; if the Dark Division is provoked, the Demon Warriors won't be easy to deal with. After all, an Yi Tong Warrior against a Bloodline Awakened Demon Warrior... Ah! But he seems to be looking for something and simply won't come back..."

Qian Jin affectionately rubbed the water cup in his hand. Others might not know what Fabredis was looking for, but he did—Fabredis was looking for him.

"General Feng, send more men to the grasslands. If you see Fabredis, tell him the one who repairs his sword is back."

General Feng looked at Qian Jin. "He... is he looking for you...?"

Qian Jin smiled sheepishly. If it hadn't been for the difficulty of finding Fabredis in the vastness outside the passes, he wouldn't have wanted to ask others for this favor. The information network of the garrison concerning the situation outside the passes was far superior to that of an ordinary student warrior.

"No problem! I'll go right away!" General Feng quickly rose and headed for the tent entrance, then stopped and turned back to look at Qian Jin. "Oh, yes. Your teacher was very worried about you before he left. He asked me to tell you to hurry back to Oakland to prepare for the qualification exam. However... you probably won't make the exam."

"The exam? Never mind," Qian Jin stood up and shrugged. "I have to go back outside the passes."

"Back outside the passes?" General Feng frowned deeply. "Why go back?"

"Fabredis is looking for me out there. Should I just sit here comfortably and wait for him to come?" Qian Jin walked toward the tent exit. "With one more person, there's one more chance to find him, right?"

General Feng physically blocked the tent entrance, spreading his arms to face Qian Jin. "The area outside the passes is vast. One more person won't make a difference, nor will one less..."

"General," Qian Jin looked up slightly at the robust, tall General Feng. "If our positions were reversed, would you sit here and wait?"

...

General Feng fell silent and shook his head gently. As long as one was a true man, hearing that someone was risking their life for him, potentially in mortal danger at any moment, he absolutely could not sit idly by and wait—unless that man was a coward.

"So, thank you," Qian Jin gently pushed open General Feng's outstretched arms.

"And what about you all?" General Feng spread his arms again, separating Qian Jin and Duan Feng'er and the others. "Lord Fabredis is looking for Qian Jin."

"Us?"

Duan Feng'er laughed, grabbing the front of his tunic with both hands and tearing it forcefully to the sides. The raw power was far too much for the coarse cloth to withstand, and with a rip, the front of his shirt tore open, revealing his solidly muscled chest.

"Here, here, here, here, and here!" Duan Feng'er pointed continuously at his chest. "During that mission you assigned me, every single one of these places was broken! I couldn't even stand, couldn't even crawl. Without Qian Jin, I'd be dead by now, wouldn't I? How could I be standing here letting you block the way? My life was saved by Qian Jin; you want me to watch him go out to the passes alone now?"

General Feng's body shook slightly as he looked at the unyielding expressions on Duan Feng'er and Fen Tu Kuang Ge. Yes, he had been young once too. If he faced the same situation, wouldn't he do the same thing?