Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 397: Chapter 397: Leaving the Body of the Venus Lion King Behind

After Wang Tianlin finished speaking, he glanced at Ye Qingchen and said with a foul temper, ”You two keep a close eye on this person. This kid looks like a pauper. If our caravan loses anything, I’ll hold you two responsible!”

Wang Tianlin turned and walked away, while Qin Meng and Old Liu smiled apologetically. ”Young Master Ye, please don’t take it to heart. Leader Wang has heavy responsibilities, so he has a sharp tongue.”

Ye Qingchen smiled and shook his head, not taking offense. Instead, he joined Qin Meng and the others in packing up and dismantling the tents.

The caravan continued its journey. During a break, Qin Meng led Ye Qingchen to meet Liu Wan’er.

Ye Qingchen now understood that if Liu Wan’er hadn’t nodded in approval back then, he likely would have been abandoned on the roadside, a fate that would have almost certainly meant death. Therefore, when Ye Qingchen saw Liu Wan’er, he offered a genuine and deep bow. ”Thank you for saving me, Miss. I will surely find a way to repay this kindness in the future.”

After speaking, he looked at Liu Wan’er with a remarkably clear gaze.

A stir went through Liu Wan’er’s heart. His gaze is so... clear. She was very confident in her own appearance and figure. Any man who saw her couldn’t help but let their eyes roam all over her, which was why she had a natural aversion to men. Yet, Ye Qingchen seemed completely unaffected by her beauty, merely here to express his sincere gratitude.

Liu Wan’er was momentarily disconcerted and could only nod stiffly. ”Your wounds have just healed. You should stay with the caravan for a while longer.” With that, she rode her horse ahead on her own. She still hadn’t gotten used to a man who was immune to her charms.

However, Liu Wan’er didn’t realize that to an outsider, such a response seemed cold. Qin Meng quickly explained, ”Young Master Ye, please don’t mind her. The young miss may seem cold on the outside, but she’s truly warm-hearted.”

Ye Qingchen smiled and nodded. If she were really that cold, she wouldn’t have saved me, let alone given me a fourth-grade Spirit Pill. It’s actually kind of cute and funny how she’s clearly still just a girl, trying so hard to act mature.

At that moment, Ye Qingchen’s gaze fell upon the enormous carcass of the Golden Star Lion King. A body that large was impossible to ignore. He recognized it at a glance. It was the very same one he had killed a few days prior. He couldn’t help but remark, ”This Lion King looks identical to the one I killed the other day!”

”HAHAHA! What did I just hear? Are you trying to say you killed this Golden Star Lion King?” Wang Tianlin, who happened to be passing by, overheard him and scoffed with contempt. ”Did that injury scramble your brains, boy? Do you have any idea what this is? When it was alive, this Golden Star Lion King was a Sixth Layer Martial King Realm Monster Beast! A powerless weakling like you could kill it? Let me warn you, don’t get any ideas about this lion. It’s a gift from heaven to our caravan! Once we get to Northern Barrier City and sell it for a good price, my good life begins!”

Ye Qingchen shook his head helplessly. The Golden Star Lion King was valuable, but the Liu Family Commerce Guild had saved his life. Besides, he had no shortage of Spirit Stones, so he decided to let them have it as payment for saving his life. With that in mind, Ye Qingchen said no more and continued onward with the caravan.

When Wang Tianlin saw Ye Qingchen fall silent, he assumed his lie had been exposed and he was now too ashamed to speak. His contempt for Ye Qingchen’s perceived cowardice grew, and after warning him a few more times, he stomped off viciously.

As the caravan traveled for another day, Ye Qingchen’s injuries fully healed. He began to consider whether he should bid farewell to Liu Wan’er. After all, for him, the caravan’s pace was far too slow.

But at that moment, news of the Golden Star Lion King had somehow leaked. A group of bandits was already blocking the caravan’s path.

The leader of the bandits, whose face was a mass of brutish flesh, had his eyes fixed on the Golden Star Lion King’s carcass. It was only a matter of time before such a large prize attracted bandits, but the caravan never expected that the first group they would encounter would be the notorious Black Tiger Gang from the area.

The Black Tiger Gang was known for burning, killing, and looting along this route. They not only stole valuables but were also infamously lustful, with each member worse than the last. Their leader, Hei San, was particularly infamous. Countless virtuous women had died at his hands. Each one was brutally tortured before taking her own life, unable to bear the shame. Because Hei San was a First Layer Martial King Realm expert, passing caravans didn’t dare to cross him. They could only pay regular protection fees in exchange for safe passage. This had only made Hei San more arrogant.

This time, when Hei San heard about the carcass of a Golden Star Lion King, he was ecstatic and immediately led a dozen of his men to investigate. If the Golden Star Lion King had been alive, even Hei San wouldn’t have dared to touch it. But now that it was dead, Hei San had no intention of letting such an immense fortune slip through his fingers.

In contrast, the strongest person in the Liu Family Commerce Guild was Liu Wan’er, who was at the Fifth Layer of the Martial Spirit Realm. The rest of the guards were of varying strength and stood no chance against the Black Tiger Gang.

Liu Wan’er didn’t recognize Hei San, but Wang Tianlin did. Seeing Hei San and his men appear, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Still, the matter had to be handled. Wang Tianlin trotted over to Hei San, produced a bag of low-grade Spirit Stones, and said with a hint of deference, ”Master Hei, we’re from the Liu Family Commerce Guild. We make our regular offerings to you, so please, be magnanimous and let us pass.”

Hei San glanced at Wang Tianlin with disdain as one of his men snatched the bag of Spirit Stones. ”The Liu Family Commerce Guild? Who the hell are they? But I see you have some sense. Leave the Golden Star Lion King’s carcass, and the rest of you can get lost.”

Wang Tianlin cursed his luck inwardly, knowing that with Hei San here, this would not end peacefully. He bowed his head again. ”Since Master Hei has given the order, we will naturally comply. However, please allow this lowly one to discuss it with our young miss.”

”Young miss?” Hearing those words, Hei San’s eyes lit up with a lecherous green glow.

Wang Tianlin cursed inwardly again. How could I have forgotten what kind of lecherous beast this man is? But it was too late. Hei San had already noticed Liu Wan’er among the group.

A single glance was all it took for Hei San to be captivated by Liu Wan’er’s beauty. Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth as he stared at her like a lecherous pig about to devour her whole. All the other women I’ve had are trash compared to her, Hei San thought. If I can have a beauty like this, I’ll have no regrets in life!

Hei San shoved Wang Tianlin aside and began walking toward Liu Wan’er with a sickening leer.

Seeing him approach, Liu Wan’er instinctively reined in her horse, backing away a few steps in alarm.