The night passed, and Aotian and Rihai had more fun talking than they had expected.
Plans had also been made by the cultivators, and they declared that the hunt for the Red Tiger would take place in two weeks—enough time to gather more warriors.
As the banquet came to an end, the guests began to disperse, and Aotian looked at Liu Rihai with reluctance.
"Do you want to go out and keep talking somewhere?" Aotian asked, wanting to spend more time with her.
He didn't realize how unusual that question sounded to a woman of that era.
Rihai hesitated but eventually shook her head with a resigned sigh.
"I can't. I still need to figure out where I'll be staying... And also find my friend."
Despite her refusal, her bright blue eyes held a trace of longing.
She had never had so much fun with someone before. Only now, talking to Aotian, did she realize how lonely she was.
And just like him, she didn't notice how strange her response sounded for a young lady of that time.
Aotian sighed discreetly. He was a little disappointed but still forced a smile.
"Can I see you again?" he asked.
Rihai stared at him for a moment before smiling—a beautiful and unexpected smile.
"Are you going to the hunt?"
"The hunt? Probably…" Aotian replied, still uncertain.
"Then I'll see you there… Brother Aotian!" she suddenly said, blushing at the end.
Before he could react, she had already vanished from sight.
Aotian immediately searched for her and found her among the cultivators who were leaving. They were startled by Rihai's sudden appearance and quickly bowed respectfully.
But she paid no attention to them. Her eyes were fixed on Aotian. She winked mischievously, a playful smile dancing on her lips before continuing on her way with the three cultivators.
Only then did Aotian react.
"She's not an ordinary young lady… but a cultivator. And judging by her speed… she must be at the late stage of Qi Refinement!"
He furrowed his brow slightly.
As a martial artist, he had no spiritual energy in his body. Only during training did he channel a minuscule amount to temper his muscles, but that energy dissipated soon after.
To retain spiritual energy, one needed spiritual veins—something Aotian simply did not have.
And without spiritual energy, he also had no Qi sense, making it impossible for him to perceive cultivators around him.
That's why he had never imagined that Rihai was one.
"She did say her friend was among the crowd praising the cultivators…" he murmured to himself, shaking his head with an amused smile. "She was speaking literally."
Was he afraid because she was a cultivator while he was just a martial artist?
His only concern was whether she was talented enough—otherwise, she could become a burden on his future cultivation journey.
But now that he had fallen for her…
There was no turning back.
And had he fallen too quickly?
Well, men had always been experts at that.
Liu Rihai walked with the three cultivators.
"Miss Liu, these are the quarters arranged for you. I hope they meet your expectations," Young Master Li said with a flattering smile.
She nodded slightly, emotionless, and walked toward her room.
Young Master Li's voice sounded rushed as he saw her leaving.
Rihai stopped but did not turn around, waiting for him to speak.
"Who was that mortal you were talking to?" His question carried a faintly possessive tone.
Liu Rihai slowly turned her face, and her eyes were icy.
"It's none of your business. And if you want to stay alive, you'd better stay out of my affairs."
Her cutting voice made the air around them feel colder. Without waiting for a response, she entered the room and shut the door in the trio's faces.
Young Master Li paled. Fear gripped his body, and he quickly fled with the other two.
At a safe distance, he finally sighed in relief, but his expression soon twisted in anger.
"Elder Sister, where did you find this damned lunatic?" he growled, clenching his fists.
"Younger Brother, watch your words!" The woman beside him reprimanded him sternly. "I met Liu Rihai a few months ago, and back then, she saved me from a fierce beast at the peak of the first level. Even though she's an arrogant and selfish woman, not even our master, at his peak, could defeat her. I went through great effort to bring her here to ensure this operation would be flawless!"
The fierce beasts she spoke of were classified differently from cultivators. The first level was comparable to Qi Refinement cultivators, the second to Foundation Establishment, and so on.
"That's right, Younger Brother!" the third man agreed. "Nothing can go wrong! If we obtain the Red Tiger's heart, our master will be cured, and we'll be practically untouchable in Blue Cloud City. The resources we'll receive… Hahaha, I can't wait!" His smile was pure greed.
"I know…" Young Master Li lowered his head and nodded.
As a child, by luck, his father arranged for his spiritual roots to be tested, and by chance, he was born with one. He was the joy and pride of his family for a long time.
Then his father, the Lord of Red Tiger City, sent him along with trusted servants to roam near the city of rogue cultivators, Blue Cloud City, in hopes of finding a master to teach him immortality.
Unfortunately, his spiritual root was a low-grade five-element type. With such mediocre talent, no one would accept him as a disciple. For years, he wandered outside Blue Cloud City, desperately searching for a chance to enter the immortal path—without success.
Until, two months ago, he learned that a powerful cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refinement—one of the most feared in the city—was willing to pay handsomely or accept as a disciple anyone who brought information about the whereabouts of a fierce Red Tiger Beast.
It felt like the heavens were helping him. Without hesitation, he seized the opportunity and became an apprentice.
Unfortunately, his talent was so pitiful that, even with a cultivation inheritance, in two months, he hadn't even scratched the surface of Qi Refinement.
Still, he boasted arrogantly before the powerful figures of Red Tiger City, claiming to be a practitioner. All to intimidate others and reinforce his family's status.
But the truth was, he wouldn't even participate in the hunt in two weeks—simply because he was nothing more than a weak chicken.
Aotian returned to his room at the inn and threw himself onto the bed, a silly smile on his face.
After a few moments, however, his expression turned serious.
"Wake up, Aotian! You just met her! You don't even know if she's a good person or if she's just pretending!" he scolded himself. But then he hesitated.
"But she's so beautiful…"
"Beautiful women are the most dangerous!"
"She's a cultivator. She has no reason to deceive a mere martial artist like me."
"Come on, she's just playing with you!"
"...Gollum... Ahem! I mean… Let's sleep."