Judging the book by its cover

Chapter 10

The light of the sun is slowly fading through the horizon as it gradually hid and a blanket of darkness covers the land. Within the endless forest, a group of people is currently walking towards a cave while talking to each other.

The three cultivators frowned as they felt insulted by the outrageousness of the shameless mortal who talks to them like equals. But since Cherry Lao followed behind him, they too walked towards the cave.

"Elder brother, I think this mortal is too shameless to talk to us this way, right?" Mei Wan said in a low voice to her older brother as she didn't want Cherry Lao to hear it.

She felt that although Cherry Lao is the strongest among them, she can see that she has some feelings for this trashy mortal. Which made her felt contempt towards the woman.

"Keep it to yourself junior sister. Their business is none of ours, it was already nice for them to invite us in so that we could rest, don't jump around like a rabid dog trying to bite the hands of those who extend their help on you." A soft voice of neither male nor female interrupted Mei Wan.

"Shut up, you tranny! Don't think that I don't know what you're thinking. I know that you're eyeing that lowly mortal, I saw the way you look at him." Mei Wan scolded in a bit of a loud voice.

When Shin Jiao heard this, it made him frown a bit but still continued walking as if he heard nothing. Cherry Lao, on the other hand, held herself from laughing.

While walking the group has already introduced themselves. The girl named Mei Wan's older brother is called Lei Wan, and the man she called a tranny's is called, En Bo.

Not long later they arrived and entered the cave. They each found their own place to sit and to recuperate from their wounds. Not long later, a delicious smell wafted through the air and filled the cave. The group who are focused on recuperating was interrupted by the salivating aroma.

"Guys, eat first then you can continue recuperating afterward." Shin Jiao said as he called for them.

He had already prepared the bowls and the chopsticks on a small stone table. On the table is a large pot of wolf meat broth mixed with some herbs and common vegetables that can be found in the forest. The delicious smell made the group salivate even more upon walking closer.

Seeing the served food the three cultivators immediately felt hungry and helped themselves on the small stone table. Mei Wan sat beside Cherry Lao and her brother sat on the other side, with En Bo.

Shin Jiao on the other hand just sat anywhere enjoying his own meal.

"Senior sister, the food smells nice. Your servant truly can cook good dishes." Mei Wan said while trying to insinuate that Shin Jiao is just a servant.

Shin Jiao already knew how cultivators think, he still didn't know why this young woman is picking on him. But then he noticed something about the way her older brother Lei Wan looks at Cherry Lao, there is a glint of lasciviousness on those gazes.

Actually, Cherry Lao already noticed this but she was indifferent toward these kinds of people, as she is already used to it way back when she was still in the Lotus Sect.

However, when Mei Wan noticed the way her brother look at Cherry Lao a crafty smirk appear on her face.

"Senior sister, judging from your strength and spatial tool, I'm guessing that you belong to a very powerful clan or a sect, right? If so then do you have a fiancé?" Mei Wan asked with a hint of naughtiness in her smile.

"No… I'm just… I'm just a vagrant cultivator." Cherry Lao said feeling a bit flustered upon hearing the word fiance, but her gaze darted towards Shin Jiao who is eating in the corner.

Cherry Lao's action did escape Lei Wan's eyes which made him frown and felt a little annoyed that some random trashy mortal gets to have the attention of a beautiful cultivator like her. So he plans to get her attention by his impressiveness background. So he sent an eyes signal to his sister who also got his meaning.

"Senior sister, you're truly amazing! If you could join our Thunder sword sect, with your cultivation level in the gold core realm, you'll be a core disciple or even an elder in our sect. And with our sect's resources, your cultivation would rapidly increase. Plus with my elder brother's influence, we can help you... Come with us tomorrow... Don't waste your time in here being trapped in this place while helping a mere mortal." Mei Wan said as she tries to bootlick Cherry Lao while taking a quick glance at Shin Jiao in disdain.

"Little sister, don't say it like that. Senior sister Lao has a benevolent heart. She is trying to help this little brother here. But hopefully, someone should be thankful enough and not shamelessly rely on a woman's protection. A man should be able to stand on his own and not be protected behind a woman's back." Lei Wan said with a righteous bearing.

"You're right! Big brother, Senior sister is truly a righteous woman. But alas, that sympathy would drag her down. Senior sister, you need to find someone whom you can depend on. A man with a strong, rich, and powerful background." Mei Wan added to hype up his brother.

"And who might that be? Your brother? Haha." Cherry Lao said with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"Yes, why not? We belong to the Wan clan from the capital of Yi city. Our family belongs to one of the top noble families in the city, and both of us are an inner disciple of the Thunder Sword sect. With my brother's background, you won't lose anything. And I can see that my brother took a liking on you, senior sister, it would be your honor to have caught his eyes."

Hearing the shameless words of his companions, En Bo was stupefied. He knows that this brother and sister duo are arrogant people, but he never expected them to be this shameless.

Shin Jiao, on the other hand, was also a little taken aback but he already has his fair share of shameless and arrogant people in his old world so he was not that affected.

But Cherry Lao, on the other hand, is seething in anger, deep within her heart she wanted to kick both of these clowns out of the cave. But she held herself back and just stood up from the table and walk to the bed to cultivate it was as if she didn't care about anything else. Her cold reaction made the duo a little stunned.

"Hey! Eat first before cultivating. I don't want to waste this food." Shin Jiao called for her, not minding the three people on the table.

Seeing that she didn't react, he just let it be. He knew that she is angry. The three people felt a little awkward from her cold reaction. Especially the two siblings as they discovered that their effort was for naught.

But they continue eating as if nothing happened.

Shin Jiao left a portion of the food for Cherry Lao and clean up everything after everyone was done eating. The three cultivators didn't bother him as they too started to recuperate and heal their wounds.

"Brother, I think this girl is not that simple. She didn't even bat an eye upon hearing the name of our school and your background. What should we do then?" Mei Wan whispered as she is still unable to accept the result of their machinations.

"Little sister, you don't have to worry about this. I have a plan, just be patient." Lei Wan replied in a low tone.

The next morning, the three left the cave peacefully which made Shin Jiao a little suspicious. Especially when they said nothing and just cupped their hands and left.

"That was weird, I thought they would convince you to go with them." Shin Jiao said as he stood beside Cherry Lao while looking at the three cultivators who disappeared through the thick forest.

"Humph… So you want me to go and leave you here alone?" She said with an annoyed face.

"Umm… No, of course not. Who would I bully if you leave me?"

"Hah! So, you think you can still bully me? Again huh... With my strength now, see if I won't make you suffer." Cherry Lao said as the temperature suddenly fell around her giving off a thin layer of frost.

Feeling the freezing aura, Shin Jiao immediately stepped away from her. With a sheepish smile on his face, he just raises his hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay! Sorry, I promise I won't bully you anymore."

"Do you want to go out? You know... see the place..." Shin Jiao invited with a smile.

"No! I will just stay here, for now. I still need to solidify my cultivation and strength." Cherry Lao said as she turns around and enters the cave and closed the door.

"Okay, I'll go out and look around the area..."

"This… Is this her true self? Why did her attitude suddenly turn from a sweet girl to a cold princess? Truly baffling." Shin Jiao thought as he shook his head while looking at the closed stone door.

From his ring, he took out and put on his goggles, then before he could take out the rest of his equipment he saw that not too far from the area, behind a thick patch of bushes there are three auras. They seem to be watching him and judging from their auras they are the three cultivators who just left a few minutes ago.

"Hmmm… What are they up to this time?..." Shin Jiao thought and then suddenly had an idea.

He actually didn't put these clowns in his sight as he could take them down if he wanted to, but he is not a bully so he would just watch them and decide what to do with them after.

Not too far from him, the three cultivators are watching Shin Jiao. They are confused about what he is thinking and, why he's outside of the cave?

"Brother, why did she closed the cave door? Did she just kick him out? This might be our chance." Mei Wan said excitedly.

"Hey, you two. What are you planning now? I will tell you this just once, if you are going to do something crazy, I'm out." said En Bo with a hint of threat in his tone.

"Hah! Who needs your help? I and my brother can do this... By the way, what is your plan, big brother?" Mei Wan asked remembering that she still didn't know what they would do.

"Hehe... Well, it's actually simple... You see, I think that bitch has feelings for that lowly mortal. So we just have to kidnap that mortal and then make her eat this meridian clogging pill. Once her cultivation level regressed back to the core-forming realm, we can then subdue her. What do you think?" Lei Wan said with a sinister smile on his face.

"Brother, you're a genius! That's right we can do that... Hahaha." Mei Wan laughed excitedly.

"Both of you are crazy. If I didn't promise master to help you two, I would have gone back to the sect already. This is such a waste of time." En Bo said with a tone of helplessness.

"Look, brother! He… he went to the forest by himself! Is he crazy?... He's just a lowly mortal... I think he's trying to impress that woman. What a fool... Well, this is also good for us. Let's go and follow him." Mei Wan excitedly said.

Shin Jiao casually walks through the forest while clearing some bushes every now and then. Acting as if he didn't know what he is doing. After some time he came across a two-meter tall 2nd level red mantis. The beast is busy digging something from the ground and was startled when a small young human appears behind it.

As if by reflex and mantis immediately swung its blade-like front leg towards Shin Jiao who quickly ducked.

Then Shin Jiao quickly ran away but his direction was towards the three people hiding in the shadows. When he was close to their hiding place a smile appear on his face as he made his pace a little slow. When the mantis was near him, he immediately jumped to his left dodging a cross slash from the beast.

That strike that didn't hit Shin Jiao cleared the bushes from where the three cultivators are hiding, and thus exposing them in front of the giant mantis.

"You! How come you guys are here?" Shin Jiao said with disbelief in his face.

The three were also surprised by the turn of events. While the red mantis was also surprised upon seeing that the number of its enemy has increased. Then, as if by instinct it became enraged as it pounced towards the one who is the easiest to hit. According to the physique, it deduced that the tall young male would be an easy target.

"Brother, watch out!" Mei Wan shouted as she draws her sword from her waist.

Seeing that the mantis is already slashing towards him, Lei Wan smirked and condense a large amount of Qi on his hands. Then he extended his hands in an attempt to catch the incoming blade-like front leg of the red mantis. When he got hold of the legs, Lei Wan was suddenly pushed back because of the force, but he didn't let go of his grip.

"Ha!" With a shout, he broke the front leg of the mantis.

Then he quickly dashed forward swinging it towards the beast's head. When Lei Wan landed on the ground the mantis' head rolled down and green gooey blood spurted out from its neck.

"This beast is too weak. Hehe..." Lei Wan said proudly.

"Hey, little mortal! What are you doing in the middle of this dangerous forest?" Lei Wan then turns his attention towards Shin Jiao who is standing on the other side.

"Me? Nothing much, just looking at some bugs." Shin Jiao replied with a ridiculing tone.

"You've got guts! Let me teach some lessons to trash like you." Mei Wan shouted as she suddenly swung her sword at Shin Jiao's head.

The strike is without a doubt aiming to take Shin Jiao's life. She has been gritting her teeth this whole time as she felt it was an insult knowing that a cultivator is treating this lowly human as an equal. She is unsatisfied with Cherry Lao's behavior towards this lowly mortal. As a young mistress of her clan, she would always throw her weights around and have her own way. She would kill whomever she wanted to kill without worrying about the consequences.

"Humph, this is what you get for acting like an ugly frog trying to eat the swan." Lei Wan said in a cold tone.

"No! Don't!" En Bo shouted with a frantic face upon seeing the dangerous situation that the young mortal is about to face.