Lin Yao coughed awkwardly, walked up to the stone, and asked in a very gentlemanly manner, "Miss Beth, have you changed your mind and are willing to come with us into the Crimson Forest?"
Shi Tou looked up at the sky, then said with a hesitant expression, "Let's go together then."
Lin Yao's lips twitched. Lin Qi, who had been following behind him, spoke up: "Miss Beth, since you intend to enter the Crimson Forest, what kind of contract do you wish to sign with us?"
This time, Stone was firm: "The kind that costs 10 gold coins." Seeing Lin Yao and Lin Qi's petrified expressions, Stone pointed at Linda and added, "If Linda comes with me, can you give me a discount for the two of us?"
Instantly, Lin Yao and Lin Qi's expressions cracked.
Linda looked completely at a loss, wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Stone looked at them seriously: "How about a discount? 15 gold coins for the two of you?"
Lin Qi really wanted to ask, "Girl, as the daughter of a prominent business family, do you dare to be any more shameful?!"
"Okay, then 15 gold coins it is." Lin Yao was too embarrassed to haggle with a young girl, so he readily agreed.
They agreed on a time to enter the Crimson Forest, and at Stone's insistence, payment was also scheduled for that day. Lin Yao was too embarrassed to argue with Stone any longer, so he agreed to everything.
After saying goodbye to Lin Yao and Lin Qi, Shi Tou pulled Linda around the market again: "What should we prepare before entering the Crimson Forest?" Although Shi Tou had come from the Crimson Forest, she still felt that we should cherish life and be well prepared.
Linda looked around hesitantly: "Don't we need to prepare anything?"
Stone glared at her: "Have you ever been to the Crimson Forest or not?"
“This…” Linda lowered her head, looking guilty.
Stone sighed helplessly. "We shouldn't argue with a child, right?" After browsing the market for a while, Stone only bought two animal skin water bags and headed home.
“Miss Beth.” On the way back, Linda followed Stone silently at first, but just as they were about to reach the door, she finally couldn’t hold back anymore: “Could you please not tell my grandmother about the master-servant contract I signed with you?”
Stone gave a knowing smile, but she didn't immediately agree: "If you decide not to let your grandmother know, then what reason will you give for leaving town and coming to the Crimson Forest with me?"
Linda hesitated for a moment: "I'll tell Grandma I'm going on an adventure."
"Would she agree?" Stone raised an eyebrow. If what Linda said was true, that her father and brother had disappeared in the Crimson Forest, then logically speaking, her grandmother would definitely not agree to her going back in.
“She won’t agree, but I will persuade her.” Linda gritted her teeth. “And when we come out of the Crimson Forest, I will tell her that I’m going to study in the capital with you, and tell her not to worry.”
"Study?" Stone was a little dazed by this long-unseen word. Did he have to study in the capital?
Linda was startled. She thought Stone had misunderstood her and quickly clarified, "I'm not really going to school. I was just lying to my grandma, really!"
"Alright, let's do it your way for now. Don't worry, I won't expose you." Stone frowned. He'd ask Baozi about studying later; hopefully, it would know.
Linda finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In the following days, Linda was afraid of giving herself away to her grandmother, so she always left early and returned late. Stone, on the one hand, knew about her little scheme, and on the other hand, she was hoping that Linda wouldn't bother her, so the two of them got along peacefully.
In the past few days, Shi Tou inquired about the capital city from Bao Zi. Although Bao Zi knew everything about the capital city from hundreds of years ago, so much time had passed that Shi Tou wasn't sure if some of the information was still accurate.
She interrogated Baozi quite thoroughly, especially about the Beth family.
But Baozi insisted that the Beth family was merely a minor noble family. Moreover, they were numerous and diverse, making it easiest for Shi Tou to impersonate a member of the Beth family. Shi Tou had no choice but to temporarily follow Baozi's advice and continue playing the role of Miss Beth. Anyway, she had already decided that if things went wrong, she could simply run away when they were almost in the capital.
Several days passed quickly. When the appointed time arrived, Stone said goodbye to the old woman, but she didn't check out. Moreover, this time she didn't plan to take Rice Noodles with her. After all, Rice Noodles was an elf, belonging to the forest. She was afraid that if Rice Noodles went back to the Crimson Forest this time, she wouldn't want to come out again. In that case, what awaited her would definitely be Baozi's heart-wrenching cries.
"Alright, everyone's here. Now I'll explain the mission." The speaker was Lynch, and seven children stood in a row in front of him, including Stone and Linda.
“We are all members of the Starshine Mercenary Group. In addition to the mercenary group’s mission, we have also brought you seven children with us…” Lin Qi’s lips twitched noticeably as he said this. In fact, according to their original plan, twenty official members plus five children would be enough. Who knew that just as they had arranged the people here, Shi Tou and the others squeezed in.
"I'm not a little kid! I'm already nine years old!" Just as Lin Qi was about to speak again, a girl couldn't help but complain, "You're so long-winded! This is the third time I've come here, and I hear you say the same thing every time. Aren't you tired of it?"
Lin Qi was conflicted. Of course, he recognized the girl in front of him; her name was Huo Xiaoxiao, the eldest daughter of the Huo family. Although she came from a high social standing, her talent was extremely poor. She had indeed come to the Crimson Forest three times, and each time she had accompanied him. Every time she found Blood Pearl Fruit, this young lady would rush to buy it. In total, she had eaten seven Blood Pearl Fruits. If it weren't for the fact that Blood Pearl Fruit could only be consumed once a month at most, he seriously suspected that this young lady would have eaten all of them.
“Miss Huo, you are a distinguished guest who paid ten thousand gold coins, so you still have the right to purchase Blood Pearl Fruit first this time.” Lin Qi forced a smile. There was no other way; Huo Xiaoxiao’s father had already had a long talk with him this time. They talked at length, the main point being that this time, he absolutely had to awaken her fire magic talent.
"Hmph, of course!" Huo Xiaoxiao proudly raised her head and said to the other children, "Did you hear that? I can only buy the Blood Pearl Fruit first. You guys wait behind me!"
Of the other children, two seemed to know her, but the two girls reacted in completely opposite ways.
A girl who looked about five-tenths like Huo Xiaoxiao shrank back fearfully, lowering her head to her chest and barely daring to breathe. Another girl, however, was more amusing. She rolled her eyes at Huo Xiaoxiao, snorted through her nose, and then turned to talk to the person next to her.
Stone watched the show with great interest, tsk tsk, it seems this trip to the Crimson Forest won't be lonely!
"Lin Qi, stop talking and let's get going. We can talk about these things once we're in the car." Lin Yao came over and stopped Lin Qi, gesturing for him to quickly get the people on board.
Lin Qi sighed, looked at Lin Yao with endless sorrow, and said in a low voice, "Young Master, can you give me a different task next time?"
Lin Yao pretended not to hear and said loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, our mission today is to reach the outer edge of the Crimson Forest before dark. Are you ready?"
"Ready!"
Shi Tou was startled. She had only intended to nod perfunctorily, but the girl who had just rolled her eyes suddenly screamed in response, looking every bit like a fangirl. Wait, could it be…
Stone felt that her trip to the Crimson Forest was absolutely worthwhile.
From Tingyun Town to the Crimson Forest, it would take at least two days to travel along the same route Shi Tou took, but it seems Lin Yao doesn't intend to torture them.
"Get on!" After climbing onto the bus from the back, Stone first looked around the carriage. There were two fixed chairs with backrests on either side of the carriage. Three people were already sitting on the chair on the left, so Stone pulled Linda to sit opposite him and then put some of their luggage under the chair.
Soon, all the children boarded the bus. Lin Qi was the last to get on: "Sit still, and don't leave your seats until we arrive!"
"Hmph!" The girl who had just rolled her eyes and screamed dismissively snorted.
Lin Qi glanced at her, locked the car door, and then sat down in the empty seat: "Let me introduce myself first. My name is Lin Qi. In the next few months, I will be responsible for the daily life of the seven of you."
Stone raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.
“Now, let’s introduce yourselves, you start first,” Lin Qi said, pointing to the only boy among the seven children.
The boy looked very weak, as if he had a congenital deficiency, and he was also a little shy: "My name is Cage Krug, and I am 7 years old."
After waiting for a while, the child didn't say anything more, so Lin Qi pointed to the girl next to him: "You."
The girl was much more outgoing than Cage Crew: "Hello, my name is Anne Crew, I am 7 years old, I am Cage's sister, his twin sister."
Before Lynch could speak, the girl next to Annie spoke up. She was the same girl who had rolled her eyes and screamed earlier: "My name is Nanako Kuruvis, and I'm eight years old." She pointed to the Kru siblings: "I'm their older cousin."
"My name is Huo Xiaoxiao. I am the second young lady of the Huo family. My father is a seven-star magician, and my grandfather is an eight-star magician. My whole family are very powerful magicians!" Huo Xiaoxiao looked very proud. "Also, I am nine years old this year. I am older than all of you, so you all have to listen to me!"
"Pfft!" A sneer rang out rudely in the carriage: "Listen to you? Listen to a piece of trash like you? Hmph, your whole family are very powerful magicians, except for you, of course!"
Chapter 109: Enemies are destined to meet.
"What did you say?!" Huo Xiaoxiao suddenly stood up, pointing her index finger directly at Nana Ke: "Nana Ke, what's there to be so proud of? Your father is dead, and you're just an orphan now. Hmph, how does it feel to be living under someone else's roof? You're already an apprentice mage, and what's the result? You still have to come to the Crimson Forest with your cousins. Hehe, isn't that a good feeling?"
"You!" Nana glared angrily: "Miss Huo, don't be so smug. You've been to the Crimson Forest three times, haven't you? I, Nana, really have nothing to be proud of. I became an apprentice mage after eating only two Blood Pearl Fruits. Tsk tsk, of course I can't compare to you, Miss Huo!"
Huo Xiaoxiao trembled with anger: "I'm telling you! I'm sure I'll become an apprentice magician this time! Humph, I'd like to see if you can shake off the word 'apprentice' now that you've lost your father!"
"What's the big deal if I can get rid of the word 'apprentice'? I think some people will never become apprentice magicians in their lifetime!" Nana rolled her eyes elegantly: "Tsk tsk, little sister, I heard you are the second young lady of the Huo family? Hmm, not bad."
"Nana!" Huo Xiaoxiao screamed, looking as if she wanted to pounce on Nana and strangle her.
However, Nana was not flustered at all. She parted her red lips slightly, and a small flame instantly appeared on her delicate and fair palm: "Apprentice magicians are really nothing special."
Huo Xiaoxiao immediately wilted.
Lin Qi watched the two argue with his arms crossed until they stopped on their own, then pointed at the little girl next to Huo Xiaoxiao and said, "You."
The little girl looked to be only 6 or 7 years old. She was thin and small, with a face no bigger than the palm of her hand and a pointed chin. Her eyes were very bright. "I... I am called Huo Yi. I... I am 7 years old."
Huo Xiaoxiao glared at her fiercely: "Idiot. You can't even speak clearly!"
Lin Qi didn't seem to care and looked directly at the stone.
Stone coughed lightly: "My name is Serena Beth, and I am 8 years old."
“My name is Linda Beth, and I’ll be nine years old in a month,” Linda added.
"Beth?" Nana exclaimed in surprise, "You two both have the surname Beth? But the Beth family has already..."
Before Nana could finish speaking, Lin Qi interrupted her: "Alright, that's enough about the introductions. Because the Blood Pearl Fruit only matures in three months, I will be taking you to stay on the outskirts of the Crimson Forest for about three months. Whatever grudges you may have had before, I hope that, at least during this time, you can maintain a friendly facade."
Slowly glancing at the faces of these young masters and ladies, Lin Qi was not surprised to see Nana's indifference and Huo Xiaoxiao's spoiled expression. He sighed inwardly. The Huo family, this generation of scions…
Lin Qi's gaze fell on the stone, and he said, "I know some of you are from noble families, but you must remember that even if you are the sole heir of your family, if you cannot become a magician or a martial arts master, you will lose your right to inherit the family business, and your family may even face extinction."
Stone was casually playing with her fingers, completely unaware that Lin Qi's words were directed at her.
"In addition, you will be divided into several groups. I hereby announce that the Kru siblings will be in one group, with Anne Kru as the group leader; the Huo sisters will be in another group, with Huo Xiaoxiao as the group leader; and the Beth sisters will be in another group, with Serena Beth as the group leader. Also, Nana Koruvis will be the overall person in charge of your three groups."
As soon as Lin Qi finished speaking, a heated argument broke out in the carriage. Of course, only Huo Xiaoxiao was furious: "Why? Why is this brat in charge? I was the one in charge last time we came to the Crimson Forest!"
Nana glanced at Huo Xiaoxiao with arrogance and said disdainfully, "Because I am an apprentice magician."
"Lin Qi! Is this why? You've gone too far!" Huo Xiaoxiao immediately screamed, "You took so much money from my father, how dare you treat me like this?"
Lin Qi remained unmoved: "If Miss Huo has any objections, you can get off the car now. I, Lin Qi, can guarantee that our Star Glory Mercenary Group will refund all the expenses to your father in full."
"You...you!" Huo Xiaoxiao's pretty face flushed bright red. She knew in her heart that she was already nine years old. The Blood Pearl Fruit was indeed very helpful for awakening fire magic talent, but it was only effective for children under ten. If she really angered the Starshine Mercenary Group this time, she probably wouldn't be able to get the Blood Pearl Fruit. And if she didn't get the Blood Pearl Fruit…
Huo Xiaoxiao glared fiercely at Huo Yi sitting next to her, her face full of resentment. She would never let this little vixen take over the family heirship!
Huo Yi's thin body visibly trembled. She shrank even smaller.
"Now, does anyone have any questions?" The carriage was silent except for Huo Xiaoxiao's heavy breathing. Lin Qi glanced around: "Then, I declare the Crimson Forest Journey to begin."
Stone glanced at Linda, who looked quite uneasy. Touching the ring in his pocket, Stone felt that Linda was probably hiding a lot from him, but she was just too lazy to expose him now.
After some time, the car came to a stop. Lin Qi got out of the car first, and the other seven people also got out with their luggage.
Stone jumped out of the car and realized that they had arrived at the edge of the Crimson Forest. However, unlike last time, this time she saw a dense throng of humans.
Linda looked around curiously: "Where is this?" The question that was on Shi Tou's mind was asked by Linda, which successfully earned her a glare from Huo Xiaoxiao.
"You country bumpkin, you don't even know where this is. Humph, you still want to join in the fun." Huo Xiaoxiao looked at Linda with disdain, and also glanced at Shi Tou.
Shi Tou frowned; she really didn't want to lower herself to the level of this obviously pampered young lady. However, if she wasn't willing to argue, someone else was even more enthusiastic than her.
"Hmph, Miss Huo, do you even know anything about the Beth family?" The speaker was Nana, who was at odds with Huo Xiaoxiao. "The Beth family has been passed down for thousands of years. Their heritage is far beyond what a nouveau riche family like yours, which has only been around for a few hundred years, can compare to."
"Who are you calling a nouveau riche?" Huo Xiaoxiao retorted, pointing at Nana and launching into a tirade: "What makes you so great? The Kuruvis family is gone. You're nothing but a pitiful little thing living under someone else's roof now. What are you so smug about?"
Nana was furious that she had repeatedly hit her sore spot, so she retorted without any politeness: "Kuruvis still has me! I am the rightful heir of the family! Unlike your Huo family, where the eldest young lady is a good-for-nothing, so the second young lady has to take over! Tsk tsk, who is the second young lady? Your Huo family is really strange, the daughter of a slave is actually brought to the forefront and made the second young lady!"
"Shut up!" Huo Xiaoxiao's face was contorted with anger.
"Oh? Am I wrong?" Nana glanced sideways at Huo Yi, who was almost crying, and continued to fan the flames: "Sigh, maybe after we go back this time, this second young lady who appeared out of nowhere will become the eldest young lady of the Huo family. Tsk tsk, I really don't know if some people will still be able to be arrogant then."