"What do you mean he said you've only been out twice?"
Hawkeye's question echoed the thoughts of the other three. Masters like Chen Peiyue were already extremely rare. It was known that once one entered the path of cultivation, it was as difficult as ascending to heaven to continue improving solely through secluded practice.
This was why martial arts fanatics like Culinan would join the ranks of freelancers. For him, the primary goal was to improve through combat, with earning bounties being a secondary matter.
Therefore, Yue Hai's earlier statement was quite problematic. What did "only been out twice" refer to? The second time undertaking a mission, or the second time emerging from seclusion?
Chen Peiyue, unaware of their thoughts, answered straightforwardly.
"I've always stayed at home and rarely went out."
Upon hearing this, the four were stunned into silence.
Culinan's expression was the most exaggerated. His jaw slightly ajar, a complex mix of shock and disbelief was etched on his face. As a martial arts fanatic, Chen Peiyue's words made him question his own life!
"You mean you trained all this strength at home?"
Chen Peiyue paused for half a second and shook her head.
For some reason, Culinan felt a surge of relief. However, Chen Peiyue's next sentence made his expression freeze again.
"Strictly speaking, not entirely. I recall my father having me complete four missions."
Even Yue Hai and Li Chonglou were unaware of this. If Culinan hadn't asked, she herself would have nearly forgotten.
What she didn't realize was that these words were worse than silence for Culinan!
"Damn it! How can someone be this monstrous?"
It wasn't until Culinan cursed that the other three reacted, their faces also a mask of shock.
"Holy crap, where did Mr. Li find such a genius? No, at this age, to reach this level solely through cultivation should be considered monstrous!"
Envy flickered in Hawkeye's eyes. Among the four, his talent was actually the weakest. In his youth, it was precisely because of his insufficient talent that he had chosen a unique path, becoming a sharpshooter in the martial arts world.
Now, he could feel his strength reaching its limit. Further improvement, without some special circumstance, seemed impossible in this lifetime.
However, his words also drew displeasure from Yue Hai.
"What are you saying? I'm not bad either, you know. Xiao Yue isn't much younger than me."
One thing Yue Hai didn't say was that in terms of strength, he was still a level above Xiao Yue!
But Hawkeye immediately retorted, "Don't be so conceited, kid. Xiao Yue is still in a rapid ascent. She might surpass you tomorrow. In terms of talent, she completely outclasses you!"
Yue Hai wanted to argue, but he was powerless. After all, Hawkeye was speaking the truth. Chen Peiyue was only in her early twenties and had limited combat experience. If she underwent a few more battles, she might even break through like he had previously!
"Alright, the bus is here. Stop arguing."
Chen Pao chuckled, interrupting their conversation. The six of them were waiting for the bus. Since it was still early, they didn't want to bother Li Chonglou and had no intention of taking the company's transport.
Moreover, with so many people, meditating would be inconvenient. As the leader of the team, Chen Pao had no choice but to lead the group to the bus stop.
Yes, this six-person team, no, the originally four-person team's provisional captain was Chen Pao.
Meat Mountain had no interest in such matters, and Culinan even less so; his eyes were fixed only on combat and improvement, and he was too lazy to think. As for Hawkeye, as an offensive player who needed protection, he wouldn't want to be captain even if it were offered to him!
This position, to him, was like the muzzle of a gun, always in the spotlight!
Therefore, when Chen Pao spoke, everyone immediately composed themselves. m..oΓg
The bus indeed arrived, but an awkward situation soon unfolded.
When Meat Mountain tried to board, he suddenly found that the door was not wide enough for his physique…
"Ahem, Brother Meat Mountain, why don't you take a private car first? I'll pay for it?"
Meat Mountain, looking dejected, replied in a muffled voice, "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up later."
Chen Pao cast him an apologetic glance. This was indeed his oversight. If he had considered this from the beginning, it would have been better for them all to travel together.
Now that the bus had arrived and Hawkeye and Culinan had boarded, it was awkward to call them back down. Thus, they could only let Meat Mountain make his own way.
Taking the bus was not only a first for them but also for Chen Peiyue. Being in such close proximity with so many people in a confined space made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
There were no empty seats when the six of them boarded. Chen Peiyue could only move to the very back. Initially, she didn't feel much, but as the bus moved forward and more passengers boarded, Chen Pao soon found themselves squeezed into a corner.
"Sigh, we really are from different worlds now."
Looking at the people around them who were accustomed to this, Chen Pao couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion. Since embarking on his path, he hadn't experienced the life of an ordinary person for a long time.
If he weren't leading the team today, and with the strict regulations from the General Bureau, he would never have chosen to take the bus.
With another stop, several young men with dyed hair boarded the bus.
"Damn it, that bastard revoked my driver's license. I have to get a new one in a few days."
"Don't even talk about it. They confiscated my car. Today, we'll just take the bus, damn it."
The three men, dressed like thugs, started cursing as soon as they got on, immediately drawing the attention of the passengers.
The last one merely placed his hand near the bus's fare box. The driver, sensing something was amiss, asked, "Um, did you put the fare in just now?"
"Don't you have eyes? Do you want me to put in double for you?"
The driver frowned, about to say something, but another blonde youth crowded closer, looking unfriendly and saying, "Do you want to die? I'm in a bad mood today, are you looking for trouble?"
The driver immediately backed down. After all, the bus belonged to the company, and he was just an employee. These three clearly meant trouble, and it was better to avoid conflict.
However, Chen Pao, inside, clearly saw that the blonde youth who had approached the fare box hadn't put any money in.
He frowned slightly, but Chen Pao didn't intervene. In the end, it was just a matter of a few yuan, not worth a confrontation.
But just because he didn't want trouble, didn't mean others didn't!
After boarding, the blonde youth at the forefront almost immediately fixed his gaze on Chen Peiyue, who was standing inside.
Although Chen Peiyue was wearing a mask, her stylish attire that accentuated her figure and her elegant posture exuded a temperament unlike that of ordinary women.