"Heh heh. Looks like our luck is running strong, brother. And so is our luck with the ladies."
The two Outer Mountain Basic Level members had known they were dealing with two women with graceful figures from the moment they first spotted their silhouettes. When they finally saw them up close, the obsession and lust in their eyes were impossible to hide.
"That’s right. But brother, I think they’re new students here for the assessment," the short, stout man said, a bit worried.
"What the hell is there to be afraid of? They’re just new students. Besides, their Martial Artist Realms are laughably low. Let me see... hmm, one Fourth-Ring Martial Sect and one Second-Ring Martial Sect. They’re not even worth mentioning. I wonder how they even managed to get into Holy Tomb Mountain. Could it have been their looks?" the tall, thin man said, licking the corner of his mouth and narrowing his eyes.
As he recalled, new students in past years had always been at least at the Emperor Realm. For someone to be accepted into Holy Tomb Mountain at the mere Sect Realm... they either had to be an elite genius from a great family in the Central State, or they got in for... special reasons.
Obviously, in his eyes, Mu Bingling and Ye Shuangshuang were no elite geniuses from great families. That left only one conclusion: they had gotten in for special reasons. And considering their looks...
And those who entered Holy Tomb Mountain for "special reasons" usually had no background or strength to speak of. But... blinded by their beauty, the two men had forgotten something they were told ten days prior, at the Outer Mountain gathering place—this year, there were five groups of new students!
"What do you want?"
The four of them faced each other, and it was Ye Shuangshuang who spoke first. Perhaps it was because the tall and short brothers were just so "striking" in appearance, but all Ye Shuangshuang felt was utter disgust.
"’What do we want?’" The short, stout man chuckled, his eyes raking over Ye Shuangshuang’s graceful figure. "The Mist Forest is dangerous, and visibility is low. We’re just here to help you ladies get out."
Ye Shuangshuang sneered. "You’re Outer Mountain Basic Level members, aren’t you?"
"Hm?" The short, stout man was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. "How rare. I’m surprised new students like you actually know who we are. But why do you ask?"
Ye Shuangshuang replied in a cold voice, "Since you’re Outer Mountain Basic Level members, your real goal must be to steal our Jade Tokens, right? As for helping us leave... heh. You think we’d believe such a fairy tale?"
The short, stout man’s face lit up when he heard this, thinking, ’We’re in!’ But before he could speak, the tall, thin man put on a deceptively harmless smile and said, "Helping you leave is no trouble at all. Perhaps you aren’t yet aware of how vulnerable women are here on Holy Tomb Mountain. If a woman wants protection, there are only two ways to survive. First, attach yourself to a powerful faction. Second, have a powerful backer. There are no other options. I trust you understand what we mean."
Ye Shuangshuang’s expression darkened, but she responded with a smile. "I’m sorry. This humble girl is a bit slow. I’m afraid I don’t grasp your meaning. Please, spell it out for me."
"Spell it out?" The short, stout man laughed. "Alright. We’ll get you out of here, no problem. We won’t even take your Jade Tokens. But you have to attach yourselves to us. Become our dependents. Or, to put it more bluntly... our servants!"
"That’s right! As long as you two become our servants and do whatever we say, we’ll see to it that you don’t just pass the assessment! We’ll make sure absolutely no one harasses you within the Outer Mountain! How about it? It’s a deal that will solve all your problems at once!"
It had to be said, the short, stout man’s talent for persuasion was impressive. But it was painfully obvious that this time, his targets weren’t buying it.
"Heh... Dependents? Servants? So sorry, but this young lady is already spoken for—my heart has no room for anyone else! Even if I didn’t have someone I loved, I would never follow two things like you that are neither human nor ghost!"
Everyone has a Reverse Scale—a line that cannot be crossed. How much truer was that for a woman of the Extreme Martial Continent?