When Feng heard Huang Bei’s threat and Chen Li speaking up for him, a thought suddenly passed through his mind.
These guys are good people.
Even though he should have been more wary of the threat, his instincts told him otherwise.
These people weren’t truly hostile—just a group looking out for their own, ensuring everyone’s safety.
It was only natural.
When a stranger suddenly joined your group, suspicion was inevitable.
You could never know their true intentions, so staying cautious was always the more prudent decision.
Seeing that Huang Bei had already backed off, Yan Li and Yan Hao exchanged knowing grins before seizing the opportunity to throw in a few verbal jabs at him.
"Aigh, don’t mind that stone-faced guy," Yan Li said, waving a hand dismissively. "He’s always like that—serious, grumpy, and no fun at all. You’ll get used to it."
He turned to Feng with shining eyes. "Hey, I heard Raincloud Village keeps to itself and avoids contact with the outside world. Why is that?"
Before Feng could even open his mouth, Yan Hao chid in with an eager nod. "Yeah, from what I’ve heard, your village isn’t exactly welcoming to outsiders. People say it’s nearly impossible to enter without an invitation." He leaned in slightly, his expression filled with interest.
"Is it because of so ancient tradition? Or maybe you guys are hiding so kind of secret?"
Feng, who had always been a loner in the village, had never paid attention to such things. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say he had never cared.
Back then, all that mattered to him was the fact that he was a Broken Soul, shunned by his peers and ignored by the elders.
Whether the village isolated itself from the outside world or not had never been his concern—after all, he had already been isolated within it.
Dang, isolationist? Really? Why didn’t I know about that? Feng thought to himself, furrowing his brows.
He struggled to co up with an answer, but the truth was, he had no idea.
Had it always been that way? Or was it sothing that had changed while he was too preoccupied with his own struggles?
Just as he was about to fumble for a response, Chen Li, who had been watching closely, noticed the flicker of discomfort on Feng’s face.
Without hesitation, he stepped in, his voice calm but firm, effortlessly steering the conversation away before things could get awkward.
"Hey, you brats! Can’t you see that Lin Feng must be exhausted from his journey through the Blackwood Forest? If you want to ask him questions, do it after he’s had so proper rest!" Chen Li scolded the twins, clearly not wanting them to bombard Feng with unnecessary questions.
The two brothers imdiately cowered, lowering their heads.
It was obvious they were far more afraid of Chen Li than they were of Huang Bei, which was odd—especially since, as far as Feng could tell, Chen Li didn’t even have a Heaven’s Pact.
Is there sothing special about this old man? Feng wondered before shaking his head.
He didn’t want to overthink it. Regardless of Chen Li’s identity, all that mattered was that he was helping him get to Silverpine City, even though they barely knew each other.
That alone was enough for Feng to consider him a friend.
With that settled, Chen Li quickly instructed Yan Li and Yan Hao to prepare the carriages.
Then, he led Feng to the largest one and brought him inside. It was a small, horse-drawn carriage with stacks of wheat tied together with rope.
Though the carriage was clearly worn with age, Feng made no complaints as he sat down in the center.
"Sorry about all the wheat. I hope you don’t mind—we don’t really have much space left," Chen Li said, scratching his head in embarrassnt.
"You don’t have to worry, Sir Chen Li. I’m not a picky person—this is more than enough for ,"
Feng replied quickly.
He wasn’t in a position to be choosy, considering he was just a random traveler asking for a ride.
"You can just call Old Chen like the others," Chen Li said before stepping out of the carriage.
He glanced at Yan Hao and Yan Li’s progress.
It was already noon, and the heat of the sun made the surroundings feel sticky and humid.
Feng looked outside and saw Yan Hao, Yan Li, and even Huang Bei working together to prepare the carriages for the journey.
At the front, three horses stood with ropes secured around their bodies and tied to the carriages so they could move it.
However, Feng quickly noticed sothing unusual—they weren’t ordinary horses.
A faint trace of spiritual energy emanated from them.
Noticing Feng’s curiosity, Yan Hao, who was nearby, spoke up.
"Cool, huh? Those are Red Striped Horses. They’re one of the most common steeds used in the Eastern Territories. Pretty expensive, too—each one costs about 500 spirit stones."
Feng’s eyes widened like saucers. He had expected them to be valuable, but not that valuable.
Those three combined are almost my entire net worth! Feng thought to himself as he examined them more closely.
Though they carried traces of spiritual energy, he doubted they were true spirit beasts—they seed too weak and docile.
"The Red Striped Horses aren’t considered spirit beasts," Yan Hao continued, watching Feng’s reaction. "They just have a bit of spirit beast blood in them—kind of like a distant bloodline relation, if that makes sense."
"The reason they’re so expensive is because they can travel around 50 kiloters without getting tired. These things were bred specifically to carry cargo and passengers over long distances," Yan Li added, stepping into the conversation.
Before Yan Li could continue, a sharp, commanding voice sliced through the air.
"Hey! If you two brats have ti to stand around gossiping, why don’t you help finish tying down this wheat?" Huang Bei’s voice bood, carrying a tone of impatience.
The two brothers exchanged helpless glances before letting out a sigh.
"Aigh, Lin Feng, we gotta go," Yan Hao said, shaking his head. "Once we’re done, we’ll be setting off for Silverpine City—so get ready!"
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