She's Not A Mindless Ant.

"I got knocked off a cliff." Jing answered simply.

"But what about afterwards? How are you alive right now?" Wenling wanted to know.

"I refused to die. That's all you need to know." This caused Wenling to be silent for several seconds.

"Why are you so different...?" She got to the big question she had.

"The Jing you knew is dead. After what I went through, I realized there was no point to me being like that anymore." Jing answered her.

"I don't really understand but, I'm just glad you're alive..." It seems Wenling really cared about her safety.

  Jing decided to check on her System's Allies tab to see if Wenling was added to her group of followers. Bing, Wan Qing, Ying, Hu Tao, and Lei Zhi were there along with a newly added Wenling...

[Name: Xiao Wenling]

[Occupation: Bandit]

[Techniques: Siren's Voice, Draconic Spear Techniques, Dragon's Focus, Legs of the Quick Newt, Body of the Burning Dragon]

[Cultivation Method: Overwhelming Dragon's Fury]

[Loyalty: 85% (Isn't quite sure what happened to you after falling down that cliff but still cares a great deal about you. Has a small crush on you after what happened.)

  Seeing Wenling's info made Jing think about a few things. The first thing was her name was Little Wenling. Meaning, her background must be poor. The second thing was that being a bandit was an occupation apparently. But then again Martial Artist was an occupation as well based on Bing's, Ying's, and Wan Qing's occupations. What classified as an occupation didn't need to be something everyone would classify as a job. Lei Zhi's occupation was a Fisherman and Hu Tao's occupation was Berserker.

  Jing was still unsure how the system identified who were her allies and who weren't. The only reason she was confused on this was because Li Li was not listed as one of her allies. Did the system not consider him an ally because he was an animal? For its loose judgement with occupations, she'd expect it would be the same in judging allies, but it seems not.

"Where are we headed?" Wenling asked.

"To the Great Tower." Jing responded.

"It'll take us days to get there at this pace, don't you think?"

'Mom, why are we walking? We could just teleport there with a talisman.' Li Li brought up as he came flying from the sky. Jing told him to go eat breakfast to have her alone time with Wenling.

"Hmm. I suppose you're right." Jing quickly threw out 4 movement talismans around them. "Let's go then." A bright white flash erupted from the slips and soon they disappeared.

______________________________________________

  Wan Qing stared at her target from a distance. The man Jing wanted her to kill and in return she would be given valuable cultivation resources. As far as she could tell, he seemed like an average person. More talented than the rest but nothing that would warrant him needing to be killed. Despite pledging her life to Jing, that didn't mean she wouldn't question her decisions or requests. She was not a mindless ant that would follow every order from the Queen.

  She shook her head. The rewards for killing him were too great to hesitate on. She just needed to realize that she was doing this to strengthen herself, not simply because Jing ordered it. Wan didn't have a problem with killing the man, the issue she was struggling with was deciding for who should she kill this man for. The fact that Jing ordered for his death meant that he posed a problem towards her now or in the future. She also believed in getting rid of those that stood in her way.

  She wouldn't have made it this far in life without doing so. A person like her, misunderstood by the world, can't get by in this world by being kind and merciful. This isn't the type of world where you can hope that everyone will understand you with words. It's the type where you have to force those weaker than you to accept you. Which is only possible with overwhelming force and brutality. Wan Qing was on her path right now to accomplish that goal.

"If he needs someone to blame, then he can only blame himself for getting on Jing's bad side somehow..." Wan gave an excuse as she headed straight towards Wang Yong.

  Wang Yong was the 10th ranked disciple in the Inner Court. He was at the 6th stage of the Qi Consolidation stage like her. Skilled in formations and swordplay. Besides being the grandson of an elder directly under Head Elder Chang, that was all she knew of him. A simple young man with a positive future.

"I've come to kill you Wang Yong." Wan Qing greeted with Ni Xong behind her.

"Kill me? What kind of joke are you playing?" He responded confused.

  Ah this was rather strange. If someone was after your life, they would surely not greet you and let you know of their intentions. This whole situation was just so abnormal for Wan, that she wasn't sure how to proceed either. Her pride wouldn't allow her to sneak attack a man she had no grievances with. Neither would she be satisfied with such a victory.

"Someone has placed a bounty on your head. I've come to collect it." She suddenly thought.

"Hmph. Fine, I'll humor you, little bounty hunter. Follow me." He seemed confident in his skills even after sensing her cultivation stage. He also took several glances at her chest during his response.

  Wan followed behind him to a secluded location outside of the city. The Resting Area was a giant city that resembled great cities outside the Treasured Plains. If they were caught fighting inside the city, the city's guards would throw them in prison for a certain amount of time depending on their crime and how much damage they caused to the city. Wan only figured this out with Bing and Lei Zhi after seeing cultivators from the previous floors with past grievances with one another trying to kill each other after reuniting.

  The two even tried to get her to promise not to cause any trouble inside the city after seeing the powerful strength of the city guards. She refused to respond to them and only snorted. Who did they take her for? Hu Tao or Ying? She was mature enough to control herself in a place like this. A place where danger could lurk at every street corner. Wan didn't believe the old man and fatty would find themself in any trouble with their passive natures. Spending a few floors with the two made Wan understand them a bit more. Enough to realize that they would never bother anyone unless they were bothered first and even then they'd still try to avoid danger by running away.

  She split from Bing and Lei Zhi once she saw Wang Yong. Wan didn't feel like being the only one of the group to fail at her task given by Jing. It wouldn't be good for impressions and she would feel slightly humiliated being the only one to fail despite having the highest cultivation stage. It would be like saying that she was the worst out of all of them. Wan's pride and talent refused to accept an outcome like that.

"This place is fine. Alright, Miss Bounty Hunter, show me what you got." He grinned, obviously not taking this seriously. He hasn't once looked into her eyes, only her chest.

  He chose an open grassy plain, similar to the one she fought Hu Tao in. Wan Qing spread a few of her butterflies on the way here to check if this was a trap. So far, her butterflies detected no one nearby. He might actually believe in his strength enough to believe that he could deal with her. If so, this was good for her. A simple battle would be great.

"You don't wish to write a will before we fight? To any loved ones on the outside?" Wan asked in her feminine voice.

"I should be asking you that Miss Bounty Hunter. Becoming a Bounty Hunter with your appearance is such a waste." He clicked his tongue. "Instead, why don't you become my personal bedwarmer? I can guarantee good pay. My grandpa and I are well off." He suggested.

"You're not my type." Wan Qing looked at him as if he was an insect.

"What a cold glare. A look like that ruins your beauty. You should smile instead. Especially if you're after my life. A beauty like you smiling at me as I drift off into an everlasting sleep, it would be heavenly."

"I can see why a bounty is out on your head now." Wan grabbed her shut giant fan and pointed it at Yong.

"My flirting skills often get me in trouble with beautiful ladies." He sighed as if it was a great curse brought upon by the heavens.

"I'm doing you a favor by shutting you up then." She charged towards Yong who has yet to even unsheathed his sword.

"You wouldn't be the first to say so," Wan's fan was blocked by a barrier made by a talisman. "Nor the last." He threw a talisman on the ground in front of her.