Chapter 173

When I got back to camp, I told everyone what had happened.

"What! You're gonna challenge their chief?" Mary asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Even though she didn't know the chief's exact strength, anyone who could become a chief had to be formidable.

Emily, standing nearby, also looked worried.

I, however, remained unusually calm, as if I wasn't the one about to challenge the chief.

"Relax, it's not a big deal. Why get so worked up?" I said nonchalantly.

"Can you even beat the chief?" Kurt asked.

I shook my head. "Not yet."

There was a moment of silence before the group erupted in exclamations.

"Then how can you say it's not a big deal?" Gary said, looking incredulous.

He couldn't understand my thought process at all.

"Kevin," Helen murmured, her voice filled with concern.

"What's up?" I asked gently.

Ever since I met Dorothy, I realized how precious it is for two people to be together. So I cherished every moment with Helen even more.

Helen had a lot she wanted to ask, but at that moment, she couldn't find the words.

"Kevin, why are you taking this risk? Is it because of her?" After hesitating, she finally asked.

I knew Helen's concern. She probably thought I had some connection with that girl, otherwise, why would I risk my life to help her?

I motioned for Helen to come closer. She obediently walked over.

I looked up at her and saw her eyes were a bit teary.

I pulled her into my arms and gently rubbed her head. "Silly, I'm doing all this because of you."

"Because of me?" Helen looked at me, puzzled.

I nodded. "Yes, because of you."

"Seeing her made me think of you. If we go back to the city and your dad doesn't approve of us being together, would I just give up?" I explained.

"I could never give up on you, so I have to save her, for you," I said earnestly.

That was why I hesitated. I thought if Helen and I returned to the city, her family's status would be a huge obstacle. Would I just give up?

Helen's eyes widened as she realized the reason.

A warm feeling surged in her heart, but she was more worried about my safety. She cried as she said, "But I don't want anything to happen to you."

I gently patted her shoulder, comforting her. "Trust me, nothing will happen."

Helen cried for a while before calming down.

She had a lot to say but chose to remain silent in the end.

There was no other reason, just trust in me, believing I would succeed.

Emily had been silent the whole time. Though she always appeared cold, I knew she was the most worried.

Because this involved her entire family.

I gently patted her shoulder and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Emily finally looked up, her eyes flashing with a complex emotion that she quickly hid.

After a while, she asked, "Have you met The Chief Elder?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"How strong is he?" Emily's voice had a hint of tension.

Though she hadn't directly interacted with The Chief Elder, judging by the strength of those people, he was formidable.

I pondered for a moment before saying, "Very strong."

My voice conveyed my acknowledgment of The Chief Elder's strength.

I wasn't exaggerating. From the last time I was in The Chief Elder's room and didn't notice his presence, it showed he was stronger than me.

Emily's eyes showed a trace of worry. She knew those people were very strong.

But she also knew I was someone who wouldn't easily change my mind once I made a decision, so she couldn't stop me. She just hoped I would return safely.

"Then why did you agree?" Kurt asked, unable to hide his frustration.

He couldn't believe that in the short time he was gone, I had caused such a big problem.

"We still have half a month, no need to be so tense," I said with a smile.

Seeing my relaxed demeanor, Kurt glared at me angrily.

"Half a month? Do you think you can match his strength, or even surpass it, in just half a month?" Kurt couldn't help but retort.

He was always like this with me. I was usually pretty sharp, but I could be stubborn about certain things.

He couldn't wrap his head around why I had to take this risk.

Just like before, he didn't get why I chose to jump off a cliff without knowing the outcome.

Most of the time, I wasn't wrong, but if I made a mistake, there'd be no chance to regret it.

After all, their strength was obvious.

"Did The Chief Elder say anything to you?" Emily suddenly interjected, her voice urgent.

I turned to Emily and smiled. "What do you want to know?"

My question left Emily speechless, unsure of what to say. She was usually quiet, and now she was even more so.

I knew Emily was hiding something from me.

But because she once told me I could always trust her, I chose not to believe The Chief Elder despite everything he said.

However, I had my own judgment. The Chief Elder's words were a mix of truth and lies.

From Emily's reaction, I was more certain she was hiding something. Though I couldn't be sure everything The Chief Elder said was true, it was at least partly true.

"Nothing, I was just asking," Emily said after hesitating for a while.

Then she fell silent, her brows furrowed, looking troubled.

I sighed and said, "Emily, I need your help with something."

Emily looked at me, puzzled.

"I need your help with my training for the next half month," I said seriously.

"You want me to train with you?" Emily guessed my intention.

She had always hidden her strength. Even last time, she didn't fully show her abilities, otherwise, some things would have been exposed.

With her strength, it was impossible for those people to hurt her.

One reason I dared to accept the challenge was my confidence in myself. The other reason was Emily.

I believed Emily's strength was more than what I had seen.

"Yes, please," I said sincerely.

Emily didn't refuse. She nodded and agreed to my request.

She knew that once The Verdant Guardian made a decision, as The Verdant Guardian, she had to follow and do her best to help me.

Why did I want Emily to help me? First, because Emily and they were from the same tribe. Though her tribe had split, they shared the same bloodline and had a deep understanding of each other's combat skills and abilities.

So, having Emily guide my training was the best choice. Emily not only knew the tribe's secrets but also might have unique combat skills, which were essential for me to defeat The Chief Elder.

Second, it was her tribe's matter, and it was unrealistic to expect her to ignore it.

With Emily's help, my training would undoubtedly improve significantly, and I would make progress in half a month.

We planned to rest well that night to be fully energized for the intense training the next day.

Meanwhile, in the village at the foot of the mountain, the night was peaceful and serene.

As night fell, the villagers finished their day's work and went to sleep.

However, in the quiet night, a mysterious figure silently left their home, blending into the darkness and quickly moving towards the village center.

Her movements were light and swift, like a night cat. She soon arrived outside a unique building in the village center.

This was The Sixth Elder's residence. Compared to the simple houses around, it looked more like a refined courtyard.

In the center of the courtyard was a two-story pavilion, its unique architectural style standing out in the night.

The shadow didn't enter the courtyard but went around to the back of the pavilion, climbing a small hill.

Halfway up the hill was a hidden cave, guarded by a burly, vigilant man.

The shadow walked straight towards the cave, but before she got close, the guard noticed her, his sharp eyes fixed on her.

His body tensed, ready to respond to any sudden situation.