74: Chapter 74 Do you like it? Are you going to give it to me?

Not just her, but the expressions of the other members of the squad were also somewhat shocked.

Lin Jianqiu straightened up and stepped out from behind a half-broken concrete pillar. She looked at Su Wan, then glanced at Chen Yanzhi, her expression subtle.

Just now, Gu Changming and she had attacked almost simultaneously with perfect coordination, which had already earned him some recognition in her heart. And now, he had pulled off another move like this...

Oh my, if he joined their squad, wouldn't they be able to take on some minor bosses?

Seeing Lin Jianqiu's subtle expression, Su Wan arched an eyebrow: See, I didn't lie to you, his strength is indeed quite good.

When she first saw Gu Changming kill that madman so cleanly and decisively, she knew he was different from ordinary people.

After so much time, his strength would only have grown; it was impossible for him to be inferior even to her.

Chen Yanzhi pushed up his glasses, his expression also quite satisfied.

Zhang Yuanfan alone had the most complicated expression on his face.

He looked at the dead Razor-bristled Pig on the ground, then at the calm Gu Changming, unable to stop himself from grumbling internally.

Wasn't he just a newcomer who just joined? Why did it feel like... I've become the one at the bottom again?

Perhaps noticing Zhang Yuanfan's expression after dropping down from the high ground, Su Wan immediately spoke up: "You performed well this time. You didn't panic, and your strike was decisive."

It seemed the guy could still be cultivated into a proper member of their squad.

Zhang Yuanfan nodded, and the frustration in his heart dissipated slightly.

On the other side, Lin Jianqiu had already walked up to Gu Changming. She sized him up once more, "Your strength is pretty impressive, huh."

"It's alright," Gu Changming nodded.

As he spoke, he raised his hand and beckoned.

In the distance, the 'night erosion' deeply embedded in the pig's head trembled slightly, then turned into a blurred black shadow. With a 'whoosh,' it shot back, sinking directly into his arm and vanishing.

Seeing this scene, Lin Jianqiu's eyes brightened again. She also used long blades, and seeing a Tang blade with such unique functionality naturally made her heart leap with joy as a fellow practitioner.

Gu Changming noticed her gaze. With a flip of his hand, night erosion appeared in his palm again, and he held the blade out toward Lin Jianqiu.

Lin Jianqiu wasn't polite either; she took the blade, her fingers brushing over the cold blade body.

At this time, Su Wan and the other two, who were slightly further away, also gathered around.

Lin Jianqiu's attention was completely absorbed by Gu Changming's Tang blade. She weighed its heft and observed the blade patterns, her eyes shining brightly.

"Like it?" Gu Changming asked.

Lin Jianqiu looked up in surprise, then teased, "Giving it to me?"

"No, I can't bear to part with it," Gu Changming shook his head, "But if you like it, I can let you look at it for a few more moments."

Lin Jianqiu's expression froze, as if she had been choked by his words.

To the side, Su Wan couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle at the scene.

But soon, she remembered some similar scenes, and the smile at the corners of her mouth slowly faded.

Next, everyone set to work harvesting materials from the Razor-bristled Pig. The pigskin was tough and the bristles were sharp; they were all good materials.

In less than five minutes, the useful parts were cut off, packed, and tied up. The items of low value were also packed up and recycled directly by the Mall.

Once everything was settled, Su Wan surveyed the surrounding environment and spoke up:

"We need to leave here quickly. Once the scent of blood spreads, it'll easily attract other trouble. Moreover, we don't know where that 'Beast King' outside the outpost is active. It would be disastrous if it's nearby and spots us."

The others nodded, shouldered their packs, and began to move out.

Hearing the term 'Beast King,' Gu Changming also grew interested and followed the topic:

"I heard about it when I was at the outpost too. What's the specific situation with that?"

Lin Jianqiu, walking alongside, took up the conversation, "It's a boss-level demonic creature, extremely fierce. Several teams have already fallen to it. There was even a squad led by a D-Class Ability User that was broken by it, with only a few individuals escaping alive."

"If we run into it, we'll most likely face total annihilation," Lin Jianqiu said with some trepidation. "As for its appearance, I heard it's a spider."

"A spider?" Gu Changming pointed behind him, "Was it that pig we just killed?"

Hearing this, everyone's expressions turned puzzled, momentarily stunned. What was he talking about?

But at the same time, Su Wan's laughter rang out.

She rested her hand on Lin Jianqiu's shoulder, unable to suppress her laughter, "Just a pig, haha."

This pun somehow managed to tickle her funny bone.

Lin Jianqiu understood this time, but her expression became even more speechless.

Don't laugh, what's so funny about this...

Gu Changming, meanwhile, gave Su Wan an appreciative look. Ah, after not seeing each other for a month or two, she actually understood his humor.

...

The team continued forward.

At this moment, Gu Changming had habitually fallen to the very back of the team.

Up ahead, Lin Jianqiu leaned in toward Su Wan, gave her a gentle nudge with her elbow, then gestured toward Gu Changming in the back and whispered:

"Hey, he's really quite capable. How about... we try and see if we can get him to formally join our squad?"

She now fully recognized Gu Changming's strength. If he really joined, it would be much easier for them to kill minor bosses like that Venom Giant Toad from before.

Hearing this, Su Wan also glanced back. Gu Changming was walking at a leisurely pace, not having heard their conversation.

Turning back, she thought for a moment and then said, "I'll try."

Then, she slowed her pace, gradually falling to the back of the team to catch up with Gu Changming.

Sensing her approach, Gu Changming turned his head and gave her an inquiring look.

Su Wan didn't know how to start. Her gaze shifted and landed on the quiet black Mimic Beast on Gu Changming's shoulder, and she took the opportunity to ask: "Is this... your pet? It looks... quite special."

She would use this topic to chat for a bit, and when the timing was right, it wouldn't be too late to extend the invitation.

Hearing this, Gu Changming glanced at the Mimic Beast on his shoulder, then picked it up and naturally placed it on the head of Su Wan, who was a head shorter than him.

Toward a 'kindred spirit' who could understand his humor, Gu Changming was never stingy.

Though it was a bit strange, Su Wan still raised both hands and carefully cupped the Mimic Beast from the top of her head to hold it in front of her.

She gently kneaded it with her hands. It felt soft to the touch, with a hint of coolness; the texture was unexpectedly good.

"So cute," Su Wan praised.

"Like it?" A slight curve appeared at the corner of Gu Changming's mouth.

Hearing this familiar phrasing, Su Wan's expression blanked for a moment, then she shook her head and said in a flat tone, "Actually, if you look closely, it's just average."

Hearing Su Wan's answer, the hint of a smile in Gu Changming's eyes vanished, replaced by a bit of disappointment.

After the opening small talk ended, Su Wan intended to shift the conversation to business.

But before she could speak, she saw Gu Changming's eyes flicker. He quickly turned his head, his gaze locking tightly onto Chen Yanzhi, who was walking at the very front, as if he were waiting for something.

Just as Su Wan was feeling confused, Chen Yanzhi's footsteps ahead suddenly ground to a halt.

Immediately following that, his face turned deathly pale. He turned around in horror and shouted to everyone: "Watch out! We have a situation!"