Chapter 197 The Villain Lady Arrives 25
"Miss, although you saved our lives, this Thunderbird is the mission target of our team, and the Warcraft Crystal Core should belong to us."
Chi Meng heard this and smiled lightly, with both disdain and amusement in her smile. She did not stop, but just turned her head slightly, her eyes like ice swept over Arthur, and said lightly:
"Oh? Mission target? So what? If I hadn't intervened, you would have been eaten by the Thunderbird by now."
Arthur's face darkened, obviously he didn't expect Chi Meng to refute him so directly. He snorted coldly, thinking that as a noble, he should be respected and obeyed by everyone, so he became even more unscrupulous:
"Humph, the honor of the nobility cannot be tarnished. Even if it is a life-saving grace, it cannot be a reason for you to plunder our spoils. I am willing to bid 100 gold coins to buy this monster crystal core. This is the greatest respect for you."
The mercenaries around him looked at each other in bewilderment, secretly worried about Arthur's recklessness. They knew that the woman in front of them, though seemingly weak, was actually extremely powerful and had a vigorous and resolute style of action. She was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
"One hundred gold coins?" Chi Meng stopped and turned around, his eyes full of teasing, "Do you think my life is only worth these one hundred gold coins? Or do you think this magic beast core is just an item that I can trade at will?"
Arthur was speechless. He didn't expect Chi Meng to refute him so sharply.
The air around seemed to be frozen, so quiet that the only sounds were the singing of birds in the distance and the rustling of leaves.
At this moment, the middle-aged man in the lead finally spoke, his voice steady and powerful:
"Arthur, that's enough. This lady not only saved our lives, but also allowed us to complete the mission. The monster core is important, but compared to life, what is it? What's more, she obtained it with her own strength."
Arthur's expression turned even uglier when he heard this. He glared at the captain, as if he couldn't believe his ears:
"Captain, you...you actually spoke for her? We are a team, we should advance and retreat together!"
The captain sighed, his eyes full of disappointment and helplessness:
"Arthur, we are a team, but more importantly, a collective that needs mutual respect and understanding. Your arrogance and selfishness will only cause our team to fall apart. Today's matter ends here, and I hope you can reflect on it."
After saying that, the captain no longer paid attention to Arthur, but turned to Chi Meng and bowed deeply:
"Miss, thank you for your help. Our team owes you a favor. If you need us in the future, we will do our best."
Chi Meng smiled slightly:
"Since you all acknowledge my life-saving grace, I will take this monster crystal core."
As he spoke, Chi Meng gently waved his hand, and the Warcraft crystal core that was emitting a faint glow began to emit a purple glow. Upon closer inspection, one could see flashes of lightning inside.
Arthur's face turned pale and blue when he saw this. He didn't expect that he would be fooled so easily by a woman. He thought that this noble woman wanted to hand over the monster core. He turned around angrily and wanted to leave this place that made him lose face, but was pulled back by the captain.
"Arthur, stop right there!" The captain's voice was filled with unquestionable majesty. "Your behavior today is not only disrespectful to this lady, but also a betrayal of our team spirit. If you want to continue to stay in the team, you must learn to respect and understand others."
Arthur lowered his head and remained silent, but his eyes were flickering with resentment and anger. He knew that he had indeed gone too far today, but his pride and self-esteem as a noble made it difficult for him to admit his mistakes easily.
At this moment, Chi Meng spoke again, her voice gentle but firm:
"Arthur, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. The important thing is to learn from them and grow. I hope you can remember the lessons learned today and become a better person."
Arthur's eyes burned with anger when he heard this. He turned around abruptly and stared at the captain fiercely, his eyes seemed to want to devour him. The pride of the nobility was like an invisible sharp blade, constantly cutting into his heart, making him unable to tolerate this "teaching" from a commoner.
"You! How dare you, a mere commoner, speak to me like that?" Arthur's voice trembled with anger, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "Who do you think you are? What right do you have to teach me a lesson? I, Arthur Deville, am the heir of the Deville family. My identity and status are beyond the reach of people like you."
The captain's face was livid, and his clenched fists betrayed his inner anger and helplessness. He knew Arthur's temper very well, but he knew even more about the importance of harmony and respect in the team. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and said in a deep but firm voice: "Arthur, no matter how noble your background is, here we are all partners fighting side by side. Respect and understanding are the foundation of our team. Your words and actions today have touched this bottom line."
However, Arthur could not listen to any of this. He felt that every word the captain said was an insult and provocation to him. He shook off the captain's hand and roared, "Shut up! You are just a mercenary captain of civilian origin. What qualifications do you have to judge me? I think you are tired of living!"
As soon as these words came out, the air around them froze instantly. Although the other mercenaries usually tolerated Arthur's arrogance, they could not hold back their dissatisfaction when they saw him insulting the captain so rudely.
"Arthur, you've gone too far!" An older mercenary stood up, his face full of anger and disappointment. "We respect you because you are a teammate, not because of your noble status. What you did today makes all of us feel chilled!"
"That's right, we've had enough of your temper!" Another young mercenary said indignantly, "If you really look down on us civilians, then please leave this team. We don't welcome teammates like you!"
Arthur was stunned. He had never expected that his teammates, who usually obeyed him, would collectively oppose him at this moment. His face turned pale and blue, and his anger was mixed with disbelief, as if the whole world had betrayed him.
"How dare you...how dare you do this to me?" Arthur's voice trembled, his eyes flashing with resentment and anger. "Okay, very good! Since you look down on me so much, I'll leave! I want to see what you can do without me!"
Arthur turned and walked away, his steps filled with a bit of determination and anger. He cursed as he walked, venting his dissatisfaction and anger, swinging the sword in his hand from time to time, chopping the grass and trees along the way into pieces, as if only in this way could he slightly alleviate the pain and humiliation in his heart.
The remaining mercenaries heaved a sigh of relief when they saw this. They knew that although Arthur's departure would temporarily make the team lose a powerful warrior, in the long run, it would be an important maintenance of the harmony of the team. They looked at each other, with relief and determination in their eyes.
At this time, the captain turned to Chi Meng again, bowed deeply, and said sincerely and apologetically: "Miss, I apologize to you on behalf of the entire team. Arthur's behavior is entirely his personal problem and has nothing to do with our team. We are grateful for your life-saving grace, and we also express our deepest respect for your tolerance and understanding just now."
Chi Meng smiled slightly and turned to leave, but suddenly an inexplicable impulse surged in her heart. She stopped and her eyes focused slightly in the depths of the forest, as if she had made a decision. Then, she flashed and disappeared from the spot, leaving only a series of light footsteps echoing in the forest.
After Arthur left the team, his anger did not subside, but grew stronger. He walked and cursed, venting all his dissatisfaction and resentment on the natural environment around him. However, just as he was venting his anger, a sudden sense of crisis made him stop abruptly.
He turned his head suddenly and saw a bright light piercing through the air and heading straight for him. It was a magic arrow, with an astonishing speed, carrying a chilling killing intent and irresistible power. Arthur was horrified and wanted to dodge but it was too late. He could only watch as the light pierced through his chest and nailed him to the tree trunk behind him.
"No... Impossible..." Arthur's voice was weak and trembling. He couldn't believe that all this was true. He struggled to pull out the arrow in his chest, but the arrow seemed to be integrated with his body and could not be shaken at all. Blood flowed out from his wound, staining his clothes and the surrounding land red.