"Why can't I go?" Min Ziqiong asked, puzzled.
Ying Chen frowned, about to say, "If I say no, you can't," but before he could speak, Min Ziqing, standing beside him, blurted out, "Yes, it's too dangerous, Sister, you can't go!"
"I'll go!"
"I only have three months left to live anyway. If I die at Shennong Sect this time, it's just three months less; if I don't die and bring back Nannan, it's a huge profit!"
"So, by all logic and reason, it's more suitable for me to go!" Min Ziqing stated righteously.
"Besides, you have another important task. That is to escort Master Luo to treat his injuries and to take one million from my account for him."
"Young Master Min... I am unworthy, I dare not accept!" Master Luo said quickly upon hearing this. He hadn't saved Nannan at all, and he had even implicated the Min siblings, nearly costing them their lives. How could he have the nerve to accept this money?
"I have always judged people by their intentions, not their outcomes. I saw your sincerity, Master Luo. You could have escaped by yourself at that time, yet you still rushed in to save me despite the danger. Just this alone is worth this price!"
"If you really feel embarrassed to accept it, then write me an IOU. Consider it a loan!" Min Ziqing said nonchalantly.
Master Luo hesitated for a moment, then thought of his wife and children who were in urgent need of money. He gritted his teeth, "Alright, then I'll write an IOU. This million is a loan to me from Young Master Min! I will repay it within a year!"
After speaking, Master Luo struggled with all his might. His body finally detached from the wall. He struggled to get up, found paper and pen, wrote an IOU, and pressed his fingerprint on it. He handed it to Min Ziqing.
Min Ziqing, without even looking at it, called out to Min Ziqiong, "Sister, you should take Master Luo away first. His injuries can't be delayed."
Min Ziqiong sighed helplessly, "You... be careful." She then looked at Ying Chen and suddenly bowed deeply, "Whether Nannan can be saved or not, I will always remember your kindness. Thank you!"
"Also, you be careful." After saying this, Min Ziqiong supported Master Luo and hobbled away.
Inside the villa, only Ying Chen, Aunt Tang, and Min Ziqing remained.
Ying Chen glanced at Min Ziqing indifferently, "You're quite an interesting person."
Min Ziqing rolled his eyes, "You're not very interesting at all. The reason I'm following you is because I'm afraid you'll play dirty!"
"Heh, I, Young Master Min, haven't seen much in my life, but I've seen plenty of scumbags! Don't think you've successfully moved my sister, you'll never get past me! I'll expose your scumbag face sooner or later!" Min Ziqing actually assumed Ying Chen was pursuing Min Ziqiong! He believed that going to Shennong Valley to save Nannan was just a show put on by Ying Chen. In reality, Ying Chen wouldn't risk his life and offend Shennong Valley for Nannan and would definitely run away halfway!
Facing Min Ziqing's misunderstanding, Ying Chen didn't bother to reply. Aunt Tang, however, widened her eyes and exclaimed, "Scumbag?"
"You call someone who can easily defeat a fifth-tier術法 (shùfǎ - sorcery/magic) user, a master of unfathomable strength, a scumbag?"
"Young man, you're truly brave!"
"It's just that I'm old. If I were twenty years younger, I'd want a whole stack of these kinds of scumbags for myself!"
"You have no idea how terrifying a術法 master of this level is! How valuable they are!"
"Do you think your Min family is some ancient noble clan? Do you think your sister is some royal princess?"
"Ridiculous, ridiculous..." Aunt Tang shook her head repeatedly. But why did she intentionally puff out her chest so much while shaking her head?
"..." Min Ziqing was rendered speechless by Aunt Tang's retort. At the same time, he finally gained a preliminary understanding of Ying Chen's strength. Even someone like Aunt Tang was acting coy and seducing Ying Chen. Could this scumbag, oh no, this guy, truly be a talent?
Inside an off-road vehicle.
It's unclear whether Aunt Tang was awakened by her own words or changed her strategy. In any case, any slight bump in the road would cause Aunt Tang to intentionally rub against Ying Chen. Her movements were so bold that Professor Li, driving, and Min Ziqing, in the passenger seat, kept glancing over.
Professor Li was now willingly serving as Ying Chen's chauffeur. At least, he wasn't willing to leave until he knew the true location of Bai Qi's tomb.
"I already know the location of your sect. If you move again, I don't mind crushing you right now and sending you to accompany Ma Zhenbang in the afterlife." Ying Chen said coldly.
Aunt Tang was startled, "Ma Zhenbang... is dead?"
For the rest of the journey, no matter how bumpy the road was, Aunt Tang didn't dare to move again, behaving as docilely as a quail. Ma Zhenbang's death had clearly dealt her a significant blow.
Professor Li, having extensive experience in off-road driving from years of fieldwork, managed to shorten the three-hour journey by a third. In just over two hours, they arrived at Yan Jue Mountain.
"The road ahead is impassable by car; we can only walk. Please get off, everyone, and proceed on foot!" Aunt Tang pointed to a rugged, rocky mountain path ahead. Passing through this path would lead them to Shennong Sect.
Ying Chen looked at Aunt Tang, "You'd better not try any tricks."
Aunt Tang sneered, "Tricks? If I had any thoughts on the way, I have absolutely no need for them now!"
"Because we have already arrived on Shennong Sect territory!"
"Do you know how many術法 masters our Shennong Sect has? We have one hundred and twelve disciples at the third tier of術法 alone! As for elders and masters at the fifth tier or above, there are ten!"
"Our Sect Leader is a top-tier expert at the seventh tier of術法!"
"Otherwise, do you think a sect like ours, so coveted, could stand for so many years without falling?"
"To put it bluntly, every year, there are at least eight hundred people like you who covet our Shennong Sect's medicinal herbs, and they all become paving stones in front of our sect! Do you think you'll be an exception?"
"Oh, is that very strong?" Ying Chen asked after listening, his voice flat.
"..." Aunt Tang was so angered she almost spat out blood. Anyone with normal intelligence would have been filled with fear upon hearing this, not asked such a question! Because Shennong Sect's strength was not just strong, it was overwhelmingly powerful!
"Hmph, as expected, all men are the same. They're only tough in the mouth, and useless everywhere else!" Aunt Tang huffed, accidentally revealing a secret about her former lover, Ma Zhenbang.
"Who's there?" At that moment, a figure appeared at the end of the mountain path. The person looked warily at Ying Chen and the other three and asked. As his shout echoed, more and more shadows faintly appeared on both sides of the path. A killing intent also quietly descended around the four of them. The terrain beneath their feet seemed to shift; what was once covered in moss now became a barren wasteland. Cracks extended from beneath their feet, revealing rolling lava within, and sparks leaped up like monstrous, grinning faces.