After the group returned to the inner sanctum, they began bragging about what they found in their respective chambers. It turned out that the chambers they went to were full of Metal Essence Beads!
Valenia heard their bragging with envy. She didn't feel anything at first, but hearing about how those Metal Essence Beads were supposed to be the ultimate treasure for metal elemental cultivators made her envious. Her chest tightened as their excited voices filled the air, each word a jab at her empty hands. Among the group, she was the only metal elemental cultivator, but she didn't find a single bead for herself at all.
How come I'm the only one who didn't get anything? So unfair.
While Valenia was complaining inwardly, suddenly the sound around the temple turned loud. It was pouring hard outside the temple. The rain hammered against the stone walls, a relentless roar that matched her growing frustration.
Due to the heavy rain, Ghossy ordered everyone to rest in the temple first until it stopped. Although they could just make a Qi barrier to cover themselves from the rain, traveling in rain would still be a pain in the ass, especially in a swampland like this.
Valenia, as usual, didn't interact with them and just stayed in a corner near a window, but this didn't prevent them from coming to harass her.
Ghossy came with his usual smug expression, demanding to know how many Metal Essence Beads Valenia obtained from the chamber she went to. He strutted over, his chin tilted high as if he owned the place.
"Oi, redhead, tell me, how many Metal Essence Beads you got? Since I'm the boss, you should offer half of them to me. After all, it wasn't easy to be the leader and carry the responsibility to protect all of you."
Valenia's jaw muscles flexed as she suppressed the urge to scoff. Protect? The man who consistently lurked behind others during fights, only emerging to claim glory after the hard work was done?
"I didn't get anything. It's all empty in that chamber." Her monotone delivery matched her blank expression. "That's why I'm in a bad mood."
"Come on, redhead, you think that's gonna work on me?" Ghossy said.
"What do you mean?" Valenia frowned. What an annoying guy. Her patience was wearing thin, his voice scraping at her like a dull blade.
"Me, Jayden, and Lan Chuan all got many things from the secret chambers. Do you really think you can lie to me like this? You think I'm stupid?"
A brilliant flash of lightning lit up Valenia's stony face for a split second as the rain's intensity redoubled, as if nature itself amplified the mounting tension between them.
"How is that my problem? I already told you the truth. There were only empty boxes in there. Even if I obtained anything from the chamber, it's none of your business! We already agreed to this arrangement earlier. Now you want to go back on your words? Hmph, now go away. Stop bothering me," Valenia retorted.
"You bitch, stop lying! Give me your space ring, let me check it for myself," Ghossy demanded, extending his hand. His fingers twitched with impatience, as if he could already feel her possessions in his grasp.
Valenia squinted, glaring at him. Her frown intensified. Ghossy had definitely crossed the line by demanding to see someone else's space ring. Her blood simmered, a sharp edge of anger cutting through her restraint. She contemplated whether to go completely hostile or still endure this nonsense.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Give me the space ring! You dare disrespect your leader?"
"Hmph, I never acknowledged you as the leader. I've never heard of people asking for someone else's space ring except for robbers. Don't bother me again!" Valenia walked away and exited the inner sanctum to the main hall, leaving Ghossy furious. Her steps echoed on the stone floor, each one a small rebellion against his arrogance.
"Boss, maybe it's time to take action against her. It doesn't seem like she would come around and accept you as the leader," Jayden approached Ghossy from behind and said to him.
"That's right, boss. Sooner or later, we will find more people to join our group. We don't need a rebellious bitch like her in our group. Might as well eliminate her and confiscate all of her belongings. A traitor should be dealt with as such," Lan Chuan chimed in, adding fuel to the fire.
He labeled Valenia as a traitor to their group so that they would have a justification to take away her belongings, so their actions wouldn't be called robbing.
"Hmph. Don't worry. We will definitely be doing that later, but for now, we still need her as the front line against the demonic beasts. We can exploit her as long as possible. Anyway, it's good to have loyal supporters like you two here. When we return, I will definitely find a way to bring you both to my continent and let you experience the power of our continent," Ghossy said. A sly grin spread across his face, his eyes glinting with the promise of reward.
"Wahaha, thank you, boss! We appreciate that. We'll do our best to serve you and soar together in the future!" Lan Chuan bootlicked.
At the same time, Valenia was already standing at the entrance of the temple, watching the heavy rain. The downpour roared like a living thing, a curtain of water she could almost reach out and touch. She figured that if she were to leave the group, a rainy time like this would be the best because all the raindrops would obscure their spiritual sense. The harder the rain fell, the better.
Meanwhile, her spiritual sense was still lingering in the inner sanctum, observing their movements. Not long after, Valenia felt that right now was the best time to leave.
The three of them were all preoccupied with their activities, which made Valenia believe they weren't paying attention to her anymore.
So, Valenia formed a Qi barrier to shield her from the rain and took this chance to leave the group. Using her movement technique, she ran as fast as she could. Her feet splashed through the wet ground, each step a burst of determination driving her forward.
She had already memorized the map, so she knew which direction she should run to. As long as she ran far enough beyond their spiritual sense range, the plan would already be a success. Even if they noticed immediately that she was missing before she completely went out of their range, hopefully the heavy rain would prevent them from locating her.
Unfortunately for Valenia, her plan didn't unfold as she expected.
"Huh? Dammit! That redhead bitch is trying to run away from us. Looks like I've been way too nice, and she thinks she can betray me like this! She's asking for trouble! Jayden, Lan Chuan, let's go!" Ghossy shouted and activated his movement technique, darting out with a blurry shadow.
When Jayden and Lan Chuan heard Ghossy's furious voice, they abandoned whatever they were doing and chased after him.
"Boss, how do you know where Valenia ran to? I couldn't see her at all in this rain," a man in red caught up with Ghossy quickly and asked. A moment later, a man in blue also caught up to them.
"Heh. Jayden, Lan Chuan, I haven't told anyone yet, but my household is a family of assassins working for the King. It wasn't that hard for me to leave an unnoticeable tracker on someone. From the beginning, she could never leave us. Now that she's betrayed me, only misery awaits her," Ghossy said with a sinister smile. His eyes glinted darkly, a predator savoring the hunt.
Jayden and Lan Chuan gulped. Ghossy wasn't just telling them casually—it was a reminder too that they couldn't escape him. A chill crawled up their spines as the weight of his words sank in. There were probably trackers somewhere on them too, and since they couldn't find anything suspicious on their bodies at all, it must be some kind of secret technique.
Ghossy laughed inwardly. The moment he managed to get a tiny sample of their blood, they were already in his grasp.
Meanwhile, Valenia, who thought she was already far from their spiritual sense range, had slowed down her pace but kept running toward the city's direction. Based on the distance, she estimated it would take her three days, moving at this pace. Her breath steadied a little, the rain a steady drum against her Qi barrier as she pressed on.
However, very soon, to her surprise, she discovered that the three of them were already not far behind her. Her heart sank, a flicker of annoyance cutting through her relief like a sudden blade.
---
Returning to the present time where Lan Chuan chased after her relentlessly, Valenia, realizing that she couldn't escape from them anymore, steeled herself and decided to face them. She stopped her movement technique and landed on top of a rock, facing them. Her jaw tightened, a surge of resolve steadying her stance against the storm.
Ghossy, Jayden, and Lan Chuan also stopped the chase and landed atop a rock as well.