She just nodded, channeling the arrogance of a hidden master. "And this is my guard, Xie Wangchen."
Wangchen stepped forward, placing himself slightly in front of Ji'an. He glared at Wen Shiru.
'Another one,' Wangchen thought, his hackles rising.
"Brother Lin," Wen Shiru smiled, his eyes curving into crescents. "A Rank 3 Thunder-Claw Bear is a formidable kill. However... skinning it is messy work. My team has specialized tools. Perhaps we could assist you? In exchange, we could travel together. The forest is dangerous, and there is strength in numbers."
It was a trap.
Ji'an knew exactly what he was doing: to absorb them into his group and observe whether he should let them live or take them as a threat.
He wanted to assess their threat level, control the Beast Core distribution, and ultimately, be the "Leader."
If they traveled together, Wen Shiru would naturally take command, and Wangchen would be pushed to the side.
