Chapter 480: Successful Team-up

A male and a female Cultivator were caught off guard. As they scrambled to defend themselves, they couldn’t help but urge Lu Sangjiu on.

"Fellow Daoist, save us!"

Lu Sangjiu answered, "I’m coming!"

Lie Rufeng and his companion frowned. They were watching Lu Sangjiu warily, but were stunned to see her sword strike not at them, but at the male and female Cultivators!

"AH!"

The pair had never expected such a turn of events. They cried out and turned back in disbelief. "You..."

Lu Sangjiu gave them a slight smile. "Sorry, but you’re too green to trick me."

If the pair had any chance of struggling before, Lu Sangjiu’s strike completely robbed them of their ability to resist. Soon after, they both fell to the sword of Lie Rufeng’s fellow sect member.

Afterward, he even cut off their heads. "I’m taking these back as an offering for Senior Brother Li and the others."

The corner of Lu Sangjiu’s mouth twitched. She watched as the man expressionlessly stored the two gruesome heads in his storage space. ’Some of these people from reputable sects,’ she thought, ’have some seriously twisted hobbies.’

The two Cultivators’ storage rings ended up in the hands of Lie Rufeng and his companion. Lu Sangjiu had no intention of going over to get a piece of the pie and simply stood quietly where she was.

Seeing this, Lie Rufeng finally spoke up and asked, "Fellow Daoist, why did you choose to help us just now?"

He said, "You must have really wanted those two stalks of Brahma Sound Grass, right?"

Lu Sangjiu put on an air of immortal-like detachment, looking transcendent and unconcerned. She stated calmly, "A person of honor has lines they will and will not cross."

"Even if I wanted them, I would not aid a villain in their evil deeds."

A hint of warmth entered Lie Rufeng’s gaze. "Just now, both sides were telling a different story. How could you be so sure that they were the evil ones, Fellow Daoist?"

Lu Sangjiu wore a profound and mysterious expression. "It’s a secret."

Lie Rufeng fell silent.

After a moment of silence, he took the two stalks of Brahma Sound Grass out of his storage ring and offered them to Lu Sangjiu.

"Even if you hadn’t helped, we could have taken care of those two ourselves. But you did take action, and I don’t like being indebted to others. Consider these two stalks of Brahma Sound Grass as repayment for your favor."

’Is this my lucky day?’

Lu Sangjiu had already been prepared to leave empty-handed. She never expected Lie Rufeng to be so generous.

She looked at the two stalks of Brahma Sound Grass, and the desire began to stir within her again... ’I really, really want them.’

But she quickly suppressed the longing in her eyes and said, "Fellow Daoists, more than the Brahma Sound Grass, I would actually prefer to have two more friends to travel with."

"This forest is fraught with danger, and I’m finding it difficult to manage on my own."

"It’s not often I run into friends from the Qiyue Sect. A reputable sect like Qiyue must be trustworthy."

"So... I can do without the Brahma Sound Grass. I was wondering if you two could let me travel with you for a while?"

Lu Sangjiu looked completely sincere, but Lie Rufeng and his companion were clearly hesitant.

Simply letting him travel with them wasn’t a big deal. After all, there were two of them, so they wouldn’t likely be at a disadvantage if something happened.

But the problem was, they couldn’t completely trust a total stranger. Having someone like that around meant they would have to be constantly on guard, which was just a burden.

Seeing them remain silent, Lu Sangjiu knew they found her to be a nuisance.

She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. ’It used to be me who rejected others,’ she thought. ’Now the tables have turned, and I’m the one being rejected.’

But Lie Rufeng’s group were the only people in the entire Immortal Spirit Realm she could say she knew.

If she missed this chance with Lie Rufeng, the probability of meeting anyone else she knew in this Secret Realm was minuscule. The risk of trying to team up with someone she could trust would be too great.

So, even knowing they found her burdensome, she had to brazenly press on. "You two were chasing them this whole time, so I imagine you haven’t had time to make other arrangements, have you?"

"This forest gets very dangerous at night. It’s easy to get into trouble wandering around."

"It’s already completely dark, and you two aren’t in the best condition. It would be far too dangerous to head out like this."

"But I’ve already made preparations. My resting spot is not far from here, protected by an Array. It’s perfectly safe!"

"Those two from before wanted to use my spot to rest for the night, but I refused them. That’s why they came this way. I’m not lying to you."

Hearing Lu Sangjiu say this, both Lie Rufeng and his companion were somewhat swayed.

In truth, they didn’t need her to tell them. They were well aware of how dangerous this forest was at night. They could even feel gazes furtively watching them from the shadows.

It was only because there were two of them and they showed no obvious weakness that the things in the dark were merely watching instead of pouncing.

So, it had to be said, Lu Sangjiu’s offer was very tempting.

The two exchanged a look. In the end, confident in their superior skills, they chose to trust Lu Sangjiu this once.

Lie Rufeng’s companion clasped his hands in a salute toward Lu Sangjiu and said, "My name is Mu Lin, and this is my Junior Brother Lie Rufeng. We are both disciples of the Qiyue Sect."

Lu Sangjiu, playing along perfectly, replied, "My name is Lin Qiu. I’ll be in your care, fellow Daoists!"

After some pleasantries, Lu Sangjiu took the lead, guiding the two back to her original resting spot.

It turned out she wasn’t bluffing. Her prior arrangements did indeed allow them to pass the night in relative safety.

By dawn, both Lie Rufeng and Mu Lin had finished meditating and recovered to their peak condition.

Throughout the night, Lu Sangjiu had made no suspicious moves, which allowed both of them to breathe a sigh of relief. They were no longer so opposed to bringing this stranger along.

Besides, the place they were heading to next was indeed a bit risky for just the two of them. An extra hand wouldn’t be a bad thing.

So, before setting out, Mu Lin took the initiative to reveal some of their plans to Lu Sangjiu.

"We’re preparing to go to the Wild Ancient Forest in the center of this forest. It’s extremely dangerous, but there should be plenty of good things there as well. Are you willing to take the risk with us? You’ll be responsible for your own life or death."

Lu Sangjiu couldn’t be more clear on the principle that fortune is found in danger.

She needed a large sum of money right now, and her time in the Secret Realm was running out. If she didn’t take a risk, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to gather enough Spirit Stones.

So, after only a moment’s hesitation, Lu Sangjiu nodded firmly. "I’m in!"

Mu Lin had a favorable impression of people who weren’t timid or cowardly. He nodded in approval. "Straightforward!"

"In that case, Lin Dao You, we should probably get to know each other’s abilities better. It’ll make it easier to coordinate when we fight."

"Junior Brother Lie and I are both offense-oriented Cultivators. I handle long-range attacks, and he handles close-quarters combat. Our defenses, however, are a bit lacking."

"What about you, Lin Dao You?"