He did not need to ponder much further about it. This woman seemed genuinely interested in the martial arts and nothing more. From the very start, while she had been clumsy, she did not show any harmful intents to him. This was what mattered the most.

Also, even if he refused her, she might not let him.

She was stronger than him after all. It was better to take a decent deal rather than push his luck and end up with nothing.

They chatted a bit more and settled on a fair deal.

As they were finishing their meal and resting in the tavern, drinking some Frone, she asked him: "Shouldn't we try to get more distance from her?"

Jin shook his head sideways indicating that there were no reasons to. Seeing her peculiar look, he stated: "She won't come after us. If she wanted one of us dead, with her superior strength to you, she would not have needed to wait. The fact that she introduced herself as a mortal means that she wanted to observe us. Well, it's only a possibility"

Ame nodded as she understood the point. She was far from stupid. She quickly comprehended that the woman acted in such a way to get closer to them while unnoticed. Basically, she was spying. She was probably planning to get closer to them but while hiding her true identity.

The Church would not have done such a thing. They did not need to bother with something so time-wasting. It was not their style. Which meant that this woman was after him. And it meant that he had great importance to someone powerful for such a strong cultivator to be spent.

Now the question was whether they tried to monitor him with ill or good intents.

Was he being secretly protected? Like a powerful or wealthy young master?

Or was he being hunted? But they refrained from acting because what he owned could not be stolen... Like a technique? His weird mystical arts that he displayed during those nights maybe? Or something else entirely?

In any case, she grasped the hidden meaning that he was being 'monitored'.

She looked at him with curiosity.

Jin did not mind. Whatever she thought would never be close to the reality. The truth was too far-fetched that it would seem to be a lie.

On the other hand, he wondered whether the woman would go after them. Since he ran away like that... If she wanted to continue monitoring him, she would probably not follow him. If she followed him, she would have to give up her 'secret' identity as a mortal. Though there were no reasons for her to keep this shit up unless she had a wild imagination or believed that he did not see through her disguise.

Those were actual possibilities.

In fact, they were the most likely ones.

If she really was an agent of the Cartel, she would be someone with ability. Hence, she would also have pride. And he certainly did not show any signs of having discovered her.

In such a case, he would meet her again at the capital.

If she pursued them... Either she was from the Church and he would ditch Ame in a second or she was going to stop pretending and simply monitor him in the open.

If she decided to monitor him in the open...He would be fucked. This would be the worst-case scenario. It was possible to manipulate someone that stayed at a distance but to mislead someone that stood next to you at all times? Harder! Tougher! Difficult!

In any case, it was unlikely, in his opinion, that she would chase.

It was also possible that he completely overthought the situation. Maybe she was a mortal. And maybe she was hiding her cultivation for completely different reasons and had nothing to do with them.

He would know after reaching the capital.

As for Ame...In all honesty, he did not need any protection. That woman might bring more troubles than anything else in fact. But he saw the future worth she could bring him.

Jin's goal was to settle down with a job at the castle. Being backed-up by a powerful force while remaining low-key. And this woman was without a doubt going to show her abilities to get a very high-rank over there. If he could get her to back him once they began to work there... His position would be more stable and there would be more leeway for him to make some moves.

He would teach her his mortal arts with sincerity and try his best to forge a decent relationship with her. She would be his coworker/boss and it would be useful to be in her good books.

By the time they reached the capital, he believed he would have managed to make her consider him a friend.

...

Meanwhile, the caravan departed with two less people than before. The head merchant waited for some time and even sent a few parties to search for the two to no avail. In the end, he could not delay for every second mattered to a businessman.

He gave up the search and decided to move.

The caravan left.

Within the carriage that Jin once had been, there were only two people now. A big guy and a young beauty. The big guy sighed as he said: "I wonder why they left like that?"

The woman tried her best to keep her composure and not shred her disguise as she answered: "Yes...I'm worried that something happened to them"

The big guy nodded and stated: "We haven't none each other for long but they were cultivators with decent personalities. I would have liked to get more acquainted with them"

She faked surprise as she inquired: "Cultivators? They were both-..."