Path Of The Dragon (A Dark Fantasy Cultivation Wuxia Xianxia Progression Series)

Chapter 19 Beast Cores

"Fine," Jie said.

She snatched the boy's pouch and poured the contents into her own. The stream of gleaming beast cores and green healing pills was almost endless. It took nearly a full minute before the final core dropped into her pouch.

"How the heck did he get so many more beast cores than me? And how does he have healing pills?" Jie asked.

"I suspect he may have been cheating, either that or he succeeded at robbing others. Possibly both. That is a lot of cores," Ming said.

"But the elders took everyone's storage treasures... did anybody even have healing pills?" Jie asked.

"Not in this quantity that I could sense," Ming said.

"So, the elders are helping him win then?" Jie asked.

"Almost certainly," Ming said, "it would seem that his family has some clout in this area. Yet another reason why you should kill him and wash your hands of the trouble he would most assuredly bring you."

"I won't do that," Jie said.

Ming sighed heavily. "At least break his other arm and knock him out so he doesn't try to stab you in the back on your way there," he said, "he already tried to kill you when your guard was down once. If you'll recall?"

Jie chewed on her lip and stared at the boy. He flinched as he met her cold gaze, as though he could sense what she was thinking. He still looked as though he wouldn't even be able to stand on his own, but she couldn't deny that Ming was probably right...

Jie gritted her teeth. "Fine," she said.

The boy's eyes widened as she approached.

His agonized screams lasted only until Jie knocked him out.

Once she'd subdued him more fully, Jie dragged the boy across the forest all the way to the elders. They were talking among themselves, but their conversation broke when they saw her.

"What is this?" Elder Kanev asked, "What has happened here?"

"This boy attacked me. He tried to rob me, and I hit him. I didn't expect him to be so hurt," Jie said.

The elders looked at Jie at the ninth star of the Disciple rank, then the boy of the first star of the Adept rank, and back again.

"You did this?" asked one of the elders. His eyebrows were raised so high that if they went any further, they'd leave his head and move up into the clouds.

"Yes," Jie said, "I brought him back so he could be healed. I have no wish to see him die."

A few elders nodded their heads. Elder Kanev, however, did not. A vein throbbed on his forehead.

"How dare you assault another student and claim he's the one in the wrong! You're only at the ninth star of the Disciple rank! There's no way you could do this to him unless you took him by surprise! Clearly, you are the thief!" Elder Kanev shouted.

His aura expanded and washed over her. It was oppressive, but Ming's familiar, comforting aura washed over her and drowned it out.

She looked Elder Kanev straight in the eye. "I have no reason to lie. Your rules didn't forbid robbing other students. I told you the truth. Whether you accept it or not is entirely your choice," Jie said.

Elder Kanev stood with his mouth open like she'd just slapped him across the face with a wet fish.

Ming chuckled and grinned. "You just humiliated him in front of the other elders. You've made yourself an enemy before even getting into the school. I like your style," he said.