Chapter 2668: Chapter 2668
The black-clad men hadn’t expected Ye Liuyun to be so audacious. Yet seeing the corpses littering the ground, they dared not underestimate him.
"Attack together! Kill him first!" the leader barked, charging forward—only to be the first to fall. The assassins behind him surged in one after another, clearly executing a prearranged formation. But against Ye Liuyun, they merely toppled silently like dominos.
The remaining three killers skidded to a halt, their faces paling as they spun to flee. Ye Liuyun’s prowess had far surpassed what they could handle. There was no hope of victory—better to retreat and report back.
To conceal their identities, they carried no communication talismans. If word was to reach their master, at least one of them had to make it out alive.
"Too late." Ye Liuyun’s cold snort was the last thing they heard as his divine soul lashed out, striking them down in swift succession. A quick search of their storage rings yielded nothing but weapons.
"Waste of time," he muttered, annoyed at the lack of worthwhile spoils.
"Hey! Where are you going?" The maidservant’s voice rang out as she saw him turn to leave.
Ye Liuyun waved dismissively without looking back. "None of your business! I’m warning you—follow me, and you’ll end up like them. That pathetic formation of yours means nothing to me!"
The girl hesitated, then gritted her teeth and dashed out of the formation, chasing after him.
"Enough! You think I won’t kill you?" Ye Liuyun roared, lacing his voice with a soul-shaking pulse.
He was genuinely irritated. He’d saved her life, and instead of gratitude, she seemed determined to cling to him.
The maidservant staggered, dizzy from the psychic shock, and collapsed onto the ground. But she realized one thing—if Ye Liuyun had truly wanted her dead, he could’ve struck her down instantly.
Gasping, she blurted out, "Help me capture some beasts, and I’ll pay you!"
"Oh?" Ye Liuyun paused, intrigued.
He was about to refuse her, but then it occurred to him—since he had nothing better to do these days, why not make some money off her? After all, saving her life shouldn’t go unrewarded.
With a sly grin, he said, "My rates are steep, but I guarantee the beasts will be tamed."
"Money is no object!" the maidservant agreed without hesitation, not even bothering to ask the price.
Ye Liuyun, seeing her eagerness, immediately quoted an exorbitant sum: "Fifty billion top-grade divine crystals for a beast below Dominator-level. Take it or leave it—if you agree, you can tag along. Otherwise, don’t bother following me."
"Deal!" she replied without missing a beat.
Truth be told, it wasn’t a bad bargain for her. Ye Liuyun’s offer included taming, which usually took a year or two after capture—time that carried its own costs. Plus, traveling with him would ensure her safety afterward.
"Uh... did I lowball myself?" Ye Liuyun muttered, scratching his head when she accepted so readily.
"If you think that’s too little, you might as well just rob someone!" she snapped, rolling her eyes.
"Hmm, fair point," he said with a mock-serious nod, eyeing her sideways.
"You—!" The maidservant tensed, her hand flying to the hilt of her sword, as if expecting him to actually mug her.
"Ha!" Ye Liuyun burst out laughing. "See? If no one’s out to get you, you just can’t relax. Fine, you can come along—but keep your distance!" With that, he turned and strode off.
Realizing he’d been teasing her, the maidservant stomped her foot in frustration but hurried after him anyway.
After a few steps, Ye Liuyun glanced back. "So, how many beasts do you need, and what kind?" If he was going to make money off this, he might as well ensure his client was satisfied.
The maidservant thought carefully before answering, "Five Celestial-tier beasts. One must be fast in flight, another heavily armored, and the rest large and aggressive."
She sighed. "I’m constantly targeted by assassins. I’ll need them for protection, combat, or... a quick escape."
Upon hearing her words, Ye Liuyun immediately realized she knew little about ferocious beasts. He patiently explained, "For short bursts of speed, whether it’s a bird doesn’t matter—what counts is the beast’s cultivation level. Even a Golden Roc wouldn’t necessarily have the advantage. Birds only excel in long-distance flight, but you should prioritize endurance instead."
"Defensive and offensive capabilities include spiritual power too. You’d want beasts with strong spiritual energy and thick hides for defense and scouting. Then pick two more that are both powerful and stealthy for attacks. That’s enough. Relying too much on beasts will only slow your own progress."
"Also, intelligence is crucial. Otherwise, commanding them will be exhausting, and their teamwork will be inefficient. Size doesn’t always equal strength either. Oversized beasts often have glaring weaknesses!"
The maidservant nodded repeatedly before cutting straight to the point: "Then let’s do it your way! I don’t have enough divine crystals on me—I’ll pay you with primordial energy instead."
"Deal. As long as you pay, I can make change!" Ye Liuyun agreed readily. With a nod, he summoned his hunting falcon and mounted it, gesturing for her to climb aboard.
"What for?" she asked, puzzled. "Won’t riding this make me visible to everyone? It’ll draw assassins!"
"We’re hunting for suitable beasts! Walking step by step would take forever. Spotting them from the air and swooping down is way faster. As for those assassins—don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe until I’ve caught your beasts," he reassured.
The maidservant narrowed her eyes. "And after that?"
Ye Liuyun smirked. "You’re not planning to cling to me forever, are you? Once you’ve got your beasts, why would you still need my protection?"
After a pause, she insisted, "Then protect me until the competition ends and escort me back to camp!"
"Uh... so you’re sticking to me now?" Ye Liuyun hadn’t expected to be saddled with her. Recovering quickly, he countered, "Will you pay for the protection?"
"A hundred million top-grade divine crystals per day!" she shot back without hesitation.
Ye Liuyun pondered for a moment. The offer was actually quite generous—after all, he was just taking on an extra passenger without much hassle. Might as well earn the money while he was at it.
"That’s a hefty sum—100 million divine crystals! You could hire an entire squad of bodyguards for that!" The maidservant added when she saw his hesitation.
Ye Liuyun scoffed. "Then go hire your squad. I’m not taking the job."
The maidservant gritted her teeth in frustration before finally snapping, "Fine! Two hundred million premium-grade divine crystals per day. Happy now?"
That was more than enough for Ye Liuyun. He saw no point in haggling further.
"Deal. Get on."
"Money-grubber," she muttered under her breath as she climbed onto the falcon’s back.
