Well, that certainly sounded like the Tie clan’s way of doing things.
Rigid and inflexible, refusing to bend the rules even for their own family.
It reminded Lin Feng of a certain righteous woman who was obsessed with our Great Love Immortal Venerable.
“Um, aren’t you afraid that telling me something so confidential might make me harbor some ulterior motives?”
“Come on, it’s not exactly a secret.
At the very least, the Jia clan’s Gu Masters and my father already know about it.
Otherwise, how could a Rank 1 Gu Master like me sneak into a caravan so easily?”
“Then what exactly are you trying to do?
Your father already knows where you are, yet he still allowed you to stay with the caravan.”
Lin Feng found it difficult to understand what this young lady was thinking.
She had run away from home, but her father knew exactly where she was and had made no attempt to bring her back.
In that case, could this really still be considered running away from home?
“Hmph, I just want to make Dad worry about me and teach him a lesson!
Ever since Mom died, he hasn’t paid much attention to me.
And now, he won’t even give me a Gu to improve my aptitude.
What a stingy old man!”
Tie Yuning was righteous and outspoken.
In her eyes, her father was simply a stubborn bastard who had failed to fulfill his responsibilities as a father.
Lin Feng nodded thoughtfully.
The daughter of the Tie clan leader… If I kidnapped her, how much could I extort from the Tie clan?
Kidnapping the little princess of the Tie clan was no different from provoking one of the great righteous forces of the Southern Border.
Even setting aside whether the Tie clan would agree to his demands, the moment he got what he wanted, the entire clan would hunt him down.
The risk far outweighed any possible gain.
However, he could use Tie Yuning and the power of the Tie clan to deal with those blood slaves.
Their strength had increased considerably by now, and hunting them all down personally would cost Lin Feng a great deal of time and effort.
In any case, Lin Feng had already left methods on the blood slaves that allowed him to track their locations and monitor their condition.
He could simply let the Tie clan fight them first.
Once the blood slaves were severely injured, Lin Feng could appear afterward and collect their heads.
In just a few breaths, several thoughts flashed through Lin Feng’s mind.
When he looked at Tie Yuning again, his gaze had become noticeably gentler.
Tie Yuning, however, had no idea that the young man smiling so kindly at her had just considered kidnapping her, only to give up because the risk was too high.
________
Two weeks Later —
The sky burned with the afterglow of the setting sun.
The caravan, having only recently survived the beast tide, slowly made its way through the mountains and forests.
The entire group was unusually silent, and the Gu Masters still carried lingering fear and unease from the bloody battle.
Many mortals had been seriously wounded and received only simple bandages to stop the bleeding.
Groans of pain could be heard from time to time as they struggled along the rugged mountain path.
The Gu Masters were not much better off, with many bearing wounds of their own as they silently continued forward.
Crossing undeveloped mountains and forests meant constantly facing attacks from wild beasts and swarms of poisonous creatures.
Death could come at any moment, and every journey was a gamble with one’s life.
After leaving Wolf Ridge, the caravan encountered several more beast tides along the way.
Each attack claimed more lives, and the once-large caravan continued to shrink until fewer than half of its original members remained.
Fortunately, according to their past experience and the route they were following, Jia Village was already close.
It was the final destination of their journey, and after surviving countless dangers along the way, everyone could at last breathe a sigh of relief.
“We’re already close to the mountain stronghold.
If another beast tide attacks us now, we probably won’t survive.”
Jia Jinsheng walked over to one of the carts loaded with goods and ordered the mortal driving it to check the wheels.
The mortal naturally did not dare to object.
Following Jia Jinsheng’s instructions, he took out a yellowish-brown object that resembled a clod of earth, pressed it against the axle, and carefully secured it in place.
After inspecting the cart, Jia Jinsheng brushed the dust from his hands and patted the mortal driver on the shoulder.
“Do your job well.
Once we return to the stronghold, I’ll reward each of you with five extra primeval stones.”
“Thank you, Leader!
Thank you, Leader!”
The mortals could not hide their joy and immediately knelt down in excitement.
Five primeval stones was no small amount.
For an ordinary mortal family, it was nearly half a year’s income.
Jia Jinsheng laughed heartily.
Instead of telling them to rise, he simply strode away, clearly enjoying the sight of others kneeling before him and thanking him repeatedly.