Zhao Luo's announcement fell on the disciple's ears like thunder. Smiles started to merge on their exhausted faces.
Wu Yang and the others gathered around Zhao Luo.
The disciples were helping the dwarfs who had scattered around the battlefield and bringing them together as they slowly moved towards the middle.
That is where Zhao Luo was.
After a while, the disciples were standing behind Zhao Luo in three rows.
"Are you all okay?"
Zhao Luo asked the dwarves that were standing in front of him. There were around 300 or so dwarfs that Zhao Luo and the other disciples had saved from the monwolfs.
'tap, tap.'
Instead of hearing the answer, Zhao Luo could hear light stepping sounds moving towards him.
Two dwarves were coming to the front from among the 300 dwarfs.
"Paying respect to the savior."
The two dwarfs bowed to Zhao Luo.
The moment they bowed, the three hundred dwarfs behind him also bowed.
This showed that these two were the leaders of this group.
"I couldn't have done it alone without them."
Zhao Luo said while showing a sincere smile.
The dwarfs looked at Zhao Luo who was pointing his hands towards the disciples behind him.
"Still, you lead them here and we will never forget this day. Thank you."
The dwarfs insisted as they bowed again.
After the little talk ended Zhao Luo was approached by one of the two dwarfs.
Just like the female dwarf that he had saved before on the dragon road, this dwarf also brought out a thick leather pouch.
"This is just a little show of our gratitude. Please accept it, savior."
The dwarf insisted as it placed the pouch on Zhao Luo's palm while showing a mysterious smile.
"..."
Zhao Luo wondered the meaning behind the dwarf's smile while thinking about what the dwarf had just said.
'Why is he even talking like that? It's not like I don't want the reward.'
Zhao Lup thought while tightening his grip over the leather pouch.
After handing the pouch to Zhao Luo, the two dwarfs at the front bowed one last time while bidding their farewell to Zhao Luo and the other disciple.
Zhao Luo looked at the dwarves as they started walking past him and the disciples as they disappeared behind the trees.
"They must be going back."
Zhao Luo mumbled as the scenario with the female dwarf repeated.
"Let's Go."
Zhao Luo said as he started walking towards the deeper parts of the forest.
The disciples followed behind him.
Many were whispering something to each other.
Zhao Luo didn't know as he was in the front and his main priority was to leave the forest, that was where his focus lied too.
His companions also didn't notice the growing unrest as they were walking alongside Zhao Luo.
From the third row, a statement was heard which was the reason for the current unrest among the two hundred or so disciples.
"If we all helped him then why is he keeping the reward for himself."
A disciple whispered just loud enough so that his complaining voice could reach a few of the surrounding disciples.
"Hmm."
The others also picked up this complaint which continued from one disciple to another till it reached the disciple in the first row which was walking behind Zhao Luo.
Among the dissatisfied disciples, some had already gotten a coin for doing nothing previously.
Yet these kinds of people were always greedy for more.
Even though the world had changed during the time Zhao Luo was sleeping, but the mind of humans remained the same.
Even if they were given a mountain of gold, they would still look around for another mountain of gold.
Zhao Luo who was unaware of this walked around the trees while looking ahead.
He was trying to find the exit of the forest which was still not anywhere in his reach.
The unrest grew more and more as some of the disciples even went ahead to accuse Zhao Luo of hoarding all the rewards and being a miser when he was the one leading them on the dragon road.
Just when these words reached a certain disciple he couldn't keep himself in check.
'Boom.'
His fist landed on the face of the disciple who was just passing what he had heard.
This disciple was none other than Hong Ling who Zhao Luo had saved from a monwolf.
"How dare you accuse the person who is leading you? Bastards!"
Hong Ling shouted in anger after he turned around to look at the disciples behind him.
Hong Ling was so loud that even Zhao Luo's focus was broken as he turned around to look at the situation.
"What's going on?"
Zhao Luo questioned the others with a confused look.
'How did a fight break out?'
Zhao Luo wondered as he looked at Hong Ling and the disciple that Ling had punched.
"Brother Zhao Luo they don't deserve to walk behind you."
Ling went close to Zhao Luo and said to him.
After which he told him about the ruse that had been cooking for a while now.
'...'
Zhao Luo was silent as he looked at the disciples.
His eyes showed nothing, not even an ounce of disappointment that he should be feeling because of them.
This triggered the disciples who believed in everything that they had been passing around, even more.
They were so mad that they had separated from Zhao Luo's group as stood on the left side.
These disciples who had left the group were all from the third row as they were only twenty or so.
But in a while, this group got bigger than the ones who were following Zhao Luo.
More and more people left Zhao Luo's side to stand with the new group on left.
Soon there more than 120 disciples in the new group.
One of the disciples came forward showing that he represented the disciples behind him and walked up to Zhao Luo.
"Distribute the reward and we will go our own way. You don't have to lead us."
The disciple demanded with an arrogant voice.
"So this is indeed the case."
Zhao Luo had heard everything that Ling had to say but he still couldn't believe it. But now after watching this disciple's attitude and the ones who had declared their stand as they stood behind him, Zhao Luo finally realized that he had been too decent with them.
"Hahaha."
Zhao Luo couldn't help but laugh madly as he took out the leather pouch.
'Fwoosh.'
Zhao Luo threw the pouch towards the disciple and looked at the ones behind him.
"Last time I fought for you all, I gave you the rewards. At the gate, I stood in front of you and the other disciples didn't even dare to bat an eye at you. But now for a reward which I would have given to you soon...no. I would have given it to you right after we had left the forest, you accused me of being a greedy miser. So take it and I hope you all have a good journey."
Zhao Luo was looking at the ones who were with him since the start. Those who were from the hundred disciples that he had led till here.
'It's enough.'
Zhao Luo decided as he turned around.
"Those who want the reward can leave."
Zhao Luo announced as he started walking past the trees that were blocking his path up ahead.
The others who were still behind him exchanged glances between each other as they also started leaving towards the other group and walking towards the disciples who had the leather pouch which had the reward inside it.
"Open it."
"Yeah let's share it now."
"I hope there are many gold coins in it."
"But Brother Zhao Luo is leaving."
"Let him go. We can leave the forest after distributing the reward."
The disciples started gathering around for the reward from the leather pouch.
Zhao Luo didn't care about these disciples.
He knew he already had the best friends that he could hope for. Even though they haven't been together for a long time but they already shared a deep bond.
He was left with only those who had been with him from the start.
Zhao Luo looked at his sides and found Wu Yang and Feng Mei closes to him.
Su Shi and Yan were next to Feng Mei while Wei Bin and Mo Lee were next to Wu Yang.
"Where is Mite?"
Zhao Luo was stunned for a moment. He even stopped walking.
'I thought that guy had already changed.'
Zhao Luo thought with a disappointed look on his face as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
'Tap.'
"Are you looking for me?"
Mite said with a grin. He was walking right behind Zhao Luo.
"Haha."
Zhao Luo laughed mildly.
There was another guy behind him who was walking behind Mite.
"Hong Ling, you didn't want the reward?"
Zhao Luo asked Ling who was still with him.
"Who needs a reward when I can follow you, my brother."
Ling answered Zhao Luo with an intense gaze in his eyes and an expressionless face.
"We got another cheesy one here."
Wu Yang interrupted as Zhao Luo had said the same cheesy line before.
"Hahaha."
The others started laughing while Zhao Luo only smirked.
"This is better."
Zhao Luo mumbled as the ones who had remained with him were the real ones.
