Chapter 140: Departure

The Imperial Sect, the second-largest sect within the Gran Empire, is a powerhouse whose strength and influence are difficult to match anywhere in the empire. In recent years, it has expanded rapidly, showing signs of rivaling the empire's premier sect, the Eternal Void City. Both are located in the southern part of the empire, standing in opposition to the Imperial Capital in the north, possessing the strength to rival the empire itself.

Due to its immense fame, even in the relatively remote Changling City, Su Yi had heard of the Imperial Sect. Not only is the sect’s influence vast, but its leader is also ranked as the fourth strongest individual among the empire's ten greatest experts. With such a powerful background, it is unlikely anyone in Lunluo City would dare to cross the Extreme Medicine Workshop. What slightly surprised Su Yi, however, was that while he knew the Imperial Sect was actively expanding, their base is located even further south than the Eternal Void City; the fact that they had extended their reach into cities in the heart of the empire revealed their significant ambitions.

"So you were transporting goods for the Extreme Medicine Workshop? I suppose they must be medicinal herbs," Su Yi said, pulling his thoughts back and smiling at Yu Li. Since the faction was named the Extreme Medicine Workshop, it was reasonable to assume they dealt primarily in herbs. Given the reputation of the Imperial Sect behind them, the herbs traded there were likely of high quality. If Yu Li could establish a connection with them, he would likely fare quite well in the future.

After learning that the Extreme Medicine Workshop existed in Lunluo City, Su Yi, feeling he had some spare wealth, felt the urge to purchase some herbs. Perhaps, with a bit of luck, he might come across some that would be particularly useful to him.

Upon hearing Su Yi’s question, Yu Li did not hold back. He smiled and replied, "Young Brother Su Yi is correct. We are indeed transporting herbs this time. Fortunately, it is precisely because they are such items that this storage ring can hold them. The quantity is not large; if it were a dozen cartloads, this storage ring would be of no use."

Su Yi nodded, knowing the man was telling the truth. Everyone knew that storage rings were prohibitively expensive, and the price rose with the size of the internal space. Even the Extreme Medicine Workshop likely could not afford a ring large enough to hold a dozen carts of herbs. Even if they wanted to, such rings were rare; the larger the space, the scarcer the item. Su Yi could not help but think of the storage ring he had obtained from the mysterious black-robed elder—the space within that ring was truly vast.

After chatting for a while longer, Su Yi learned that the group intended to attempt crossing the small village again the next morning. After a brief moment of thought, he smiled and said, "In that case, why don't I join you?"

As soon as Su Yi finished speaking, the young woman—who had been ignored for some time and was already quite displeased—sneered, "You want to come with us? Aside from being a burden and dragging us down, what use are you?"

Her words were filled with mockery and disdain for Su Yi, whom she perceived as having no strength at all. Su Yi, however, did not react, acting as if he hadn't heard her, and instead turned his gaze toward the other three.

Yu Li and his companions were momentarily stunned before nodding slowly. Yu Li smiled and said, "That shouldn't be a problem. If anything happens, we will naturally look out for you."

"Heh, don't worry, little brother, I'll have your back!" Gong Yan said heartily, thumping his chest.

Su Yi nodded with a smile, saying nothing. In truth, with his current physical strength, he did not need protection, even when facing walking corpses. Compared to his physical prowess, the walking corpses' strength and biting were minor threats. In reality, the person who most needed protection among them was the girl named Rou'er.

Seeing Su Yi treat her like air once again, the girl stomped her feet in anger. Hearing Yu Li agree to Su Yi's request, she protested, "Second Uncle, are you really bringing this guy along? What if he slows us down?"

*I wonder who will really be slowing whom down,* Su Yi thought to himself with amusement. Yu Li’s voice deepened slightly as he replied, "Enough, Rou'er. When we are away from home, everyone faces difficulties. We can't just leave Brother Su Yi to walk alone, can we?"

Hearing this, the girl huffed in dissatisfaction and fell silent. Beside her, Qin Shou nodded and smiled, "Miss Rou'er, Uncle Yu is right. With our current strength, having one more person won't be a problem."

"Hmph, it sounds fine now, but we'll see what you do when trouble arises. Fine, since you're all taking his side, I don't care anymore!" The girl turned away in a huff, sitting down further from the group and ignoring them.

"This child..." Yu Li shook his head with a wry smile and said helplessly to Su Yi, "Don't mind her, little brother. She’s been pampered since she was young, and that’s just how she is..."

Su Yi smiled faintly and nodded without speaking. Most young ladies from influential families who had been spoiled were like this. Although he hadn't met many such girls, he knew that those as approachable as Mei Ya were rare.

They chatted for a while longer, sharing bits of their backgrounds. Su Yi did not hide the fact that he came from Changling City, as there was no reason to lie, and revealing it helped solidify his identity. As for his occupation, he claimed to be a common worker at an auction house—a mix of truth and fabrication that left no obvious flaws.

To build rapport, one cannot remain tight-lipped. Naturally, Su Yi said nothing of his own strength; in his current state, few would believe him even if he told them. As the night grew deep, the group began to rest. The spoiled girl continued to make snide remarks, but Su Yi ignored her, choosing to rest immediately. This only served to frustrate her further.

The night passed safely. At the first light of dawn, Su Yi stretched comfortably and woke up to find the others packing. As they extinguished the fire and checked their gear, Su Yi brushed the dust and dew from his clothes. Before he could offer help, the girl’s shrill, mocking voice rang out.

"Hmph, sleeping until now—how lazy. No wonder you haven't cultivated any strength!"

*Do I need your permission to decide when to wake up?* Su Yi frowned slightly. While he could ignore her barbs, hearing such noise at the start of a beautiful morning was irritating. He even considered whether to continue with them; a woman’s nagging was sometimes more exhausting than facing a fierce enemy.

He glanced briefly at the girl, who was standing with her hands on her hips, looking more refreshed after washing up. Her arrogance was evident, making her look not cute, but rather repulsive. Su Yi looked away as if looking at trash.

The girl, noticing his dismissive gaze, grew even more furious and would have lashed out again had Yu Li not intervened.

After packing, the group set off. A few hours later, a wider road appeared. Yu Li’s expression grew grave as he cautioned Su Yi, "If we follow this road for a bit longer, we will reach the village. From this moment on, we must be on high alert."

Su Yi nodded, scanning the road ahead. He could faintly see the silhouettes of houses in the distance—the gathering place of the walking corpses. He noticed the girl’s face had turned pale with fear; the corpses had clearly left a deep impression on her.

Noticing her tension, Yu Li patted her head comfortingly. "Don't worry, Rou'er. These walking corpses are just animated shells without consciousness. As long as we make no noise, they won't notice us. With any luck, we'll pass through the village quickly..."

The girl nodded nervously, remaining silent as if afraid that speaking would summon the monsters. Su Yi felt relieved and secretly agreed with Yu Li. These corpses were victims of the corpse-beetles, reanimated without consciousness, sight, or smell. They reacted only to sound, often congregating wherever noise was made.

"By the way, Brother Su Yi, be extra careful. Our goal is to avoid combat if at all possible," Yu Li reminded him.

Su Yi nodded slowly and, following Yu Li, stepped onto the path and began to walk toward the village.