This person was none other than Luo Ruofeng, the third son of Luo Xiaofeng, the current sovereign of the Shu Yun Kingdom—the Third Young Master of Shu Yun. The internal sectarian strife within the Shu Yun Kingdom had now completely concluded. The Heavenly Sword Sect, White Cloud Manor, and Tang Clan had all been utterly annihilated, and all other major and minor sects had wholeheartedly pledged allegiance to the court. For a moment, the authority of the court reached unprecedented heights, and the prestige of the sovereign, Luo Xiaofeng, peaked...
In a short while, it would be Luo Xiaofeng's sixtieth birthday. As a Martial Saint and the ruler of a nation, what could he possibly lack in terms of wealth, power, strength, or women?
In order to please his father, or perhaps, to earn his father's greater esteem, Luo Ruofeng disregarded the danger to his life, leading his trusted core subordinates deep into the Southern Wilderness Forest, hoping to capture a desolate beast of the seventh rank or higher as a birthday gift for his father. Only a present of such magnitude could match Luo Xiaofeng's status as a Martial Saint...
Yet, who could have predicted that the danger of the Southern Wilderness Forest would far exceed their estimates? In less than ten days since entering, more than three hundred of his elite guards had been reduced to just over twenty survivors, and they hadn't even glimpsed a desolate beast of the fifth or sixth rank, let alone one of the seventh.
Even less expected was encountering a pack of jackals today. If they had been ordinary beasts, it would have been manageable, but these were monstrous jackals the size of calves. Although most were merely first or second-rank desolate beasts, their sheer numbers were overwhelming, and they seemed endless. The twenty-plus people accompanying him, though all masters above the Martial Master realm, were completely surrounded...
If it weren't for the barbarian youth who suddenly burst onto the scene, this group might have suffered a devastating loss...
Originally, as a nation's Young Master, one would never use their true name while outside the capital. However, having just survived a life-and-death battle, the tension suddenly eased. Furthermore, this was the Southern Wilderness Forest, and the other party was a barbarian clad in animal hides. Losing his vigilance, he had carelessly revealed his true name, never imagining that this barbarian would actually know it...
Could the prestige of the Shu Yun Kingdom have already spread even to these Southern Wilderness barbarians who had never been conquered by any nation?
Compared to Luo Ruofeng's shock, the other twenty-plus men gripped their weapons tightly, instantly surrounding Ye Jingyu, and moved without hesitation to shield Luo Ruofeng behind them...
As Luo Ruofeng's most loyal subordinates, as long as they lived, they absolutely could not allow anyone to harm, or even threaten, Luo Ruofeng's safety. Although Ye Jingyu had just saved them, the fact that he knew Luo Ruofeng was royalty might stir other intentions in their minds...
"What? I just saved you, and you intend to repay kindness with enmity?" Seeing the tense, ready-to-fight posture of this group, Ye Jingyu let out a cold laugh. If Taotie weren't nearby, he might have felt apprehensive about these men, but with Little Taotie around, even though it was small, dealing with these few would be effortless...
Hadn't the sixth-rank Soul Master, Chi Yi, experienced extreme pain while confronting Little Taotie?
"All of you, stand down..." Luo Ruofeng also scoffed simultaneously...
"Young Master... he..."
"Stand down..." The men were about to protest further but were harshly reprimanded by Luo Ruofeng...
Only then did the group retreat to the side, though all of them watched Ye Jingyu with tense expressions, as if they would strike with their full force the moment he made any sudden move...
"Brother, I apologize. I am indeed the Third Young Master of the Shu Yun Kingdom, and they are merely concerned for my safety, so..."
"Enough, enough. You are the Young Master of a nation; that is natural. If it were me, I might have had them executed on the spot. But speaking of which, as a Young Master, why aren't you enjoying the comfort of the capital and instead running out here?" Ye Jingyu waved his hand, speaking with utter nonchalance...
However, inside his heart, a tremendous wave was stirring. The Young Master of Shu Yun, the third son of the current Sovereign Luo Xiaofeng—this was a figure high above him. He had actually saved him...
Could such a coincidence exist?
Seeing Ye Jingyu's casual demeanor, Luo Ruofeng's subordinates were filled with righteous indignation. Regardless, he was the Third Young Master of the Shu Yun Kingdom. Even if the Southern Wilderness Forest wasn't Shu Yun territory, shouldn't some respect be shown? Yet, speaking to the Young Master in such a tone was simply courting death...
Of course, if Ye Jingyu were truly some ignorant Southern Wilderness barbarian, they might have let it pass. But the problem was that he specifically knew Luo Ruofeng's identity...
"Heh heh, isn't it because Father's sixtieth birthday is approaching, and I wished to prepare a gift for him..." Luo Ruofeng didn't mind Ye Jingyu's attitude at all and instead chuckled, revealing his entire purpose for coming to the Southern Wilderness Forest...
"Heh heh, a seventh-rank desolate beast. You actually thought of that. Forget finding a seventh-rank desolate beast—even if you did, do you think this small group could capture one?" After listening to Luo Ruofeng's words, Ye Jingyu scoffed disdainfully (Few people in the entire Shu Yun Kingdom would dare to mock the Young Master of Shu Yun like this, right?)...
A seventh-rank desolate beast, what level of existence was that? Even he hadn't seen one. But since Little Taotie could make a sixth-rank desolate beast, the One-Horned Dragon Lion, fearful when it was so young, perhaps when it grew up, it could easily reach the seventh rank?
Hearing Ye Jingyu's slightly mocking tone, although Luo Ruofeng's subordinates were furious, they were completely unable to refute it...
Although they were elites handpicked by the Sovereign of Shu Yun to protect the Young Master, their capabilities were confined within the Shu Yun Kingdom. Facing a group of bandits, even ones who possessed the Martial Warrior realm, they could win easily. But against a pack of second-rank jackals, they found themselves in peril, let alone a seventh-rank desolate beast...
This was the Southern Wilderness Forest, a place even the legendary Martial Gods dared not tread lightly...
"Brother, you speak the truth. All this is because I was too rash, not only needlessly losing the lives of my brothers but now I've even forgotten the way back to the Shu Yun Kingdom. I wonder if Brother could point us towards a clear path... so we can return to the Shu Yun Kingdom..." Luo Ruofeng spoke politely, without any trace of a Young Master's arrogance. This trip into the Southern Wilderness had made him understand the peril here—it was far beyond what he could currently handle. The birthday gift for his father would have to be prepared differently...
"Of course, no problem..." Ye Jingyu agreed instantly. A flicker of joy crossed everyone's faces, but Ye Jingyu's next sentence completely swallowed that nascent hope...
"If I knew the way, that is..."