Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Why Do You Keep Staring at Me?
The clan elder lowered his voice, the result being a hoarse croak, grating and bizarre. Of course…compared to the current situation, it wasn't important.
The one-eyed man, unsure of their purpose, braced himself, anticipating a negotiation.
"Leader Xu, we've come to collaborate with you." Wu Sheng got straight to the point. Having cooperated once before, there was no need for unnecessary pleasantries.
The one-eyed man, intrigued, perked up. Working with this fellow was viable, certainly more reliable than other Starry Sky realm cultivators. However, the clan elder accompanying Wu Sheng made him wary. He could trust Wu Sheng, but the elder's intentions remained a mystery.
"Tell me more." He wanted to hear the details of the collaboration before deciding.
Wu Sheng explained, "We've discovered an ancient ruin in Changbai Mountain, potentially holding secrets from a bygone era. We've been investigating for some time now. You possess ancient myths, and in my opinion, these myths may not be entirely fictional, but rather sealed away somewhere. This ruin is dangerous. With my and the elder's strength, we can't explore it. Therefore, we'd like Lin Fan to lead us inside."
The clan elder shot a strange look at Wu Sheng, surprised by the directness, revealing everything to the other party. A little bit of secrecy wouldn't hurt. But then again, it was the young master's affair, not his concern.
The one-eyed man pondered, glancing at Lin Fan and Old Zhang, who were cheerfully petting a hen, laughing and chatting, completely oblivious to the serious conversation. To them, the negotiation seemed unnecessarily long.
He understood their objective: they needed Lin Fan's power. However, he wouldn't blindly agree just because a ruin was discovered. Lin Fan was currently their strongest fighter. Yanhai City's current peace relied on Lin Fan's presence. If something unexpected happened in the ruin…the consequences would be unbearable.
He didn't give an immediate answer, still contemplating.
Wu Sheng added, "Anything found within the ruin, we can split equally."
"I want to know how dangerous this ruin is," the one-eyed man inquired.
Wu Sheng shook his head. "I don't know. The specific dangers are still unknown."
Hearing this, the one-eyed man was even less inclined to let Lin Fan risk his life. If it were something absolutely essential, he wouldn't hesitate, but given the current uncertainty, even a Starry Sky realm cultivator admitted the unknown, making him even more reluctant.
The silent clan elder, sensing the hesitation, spoke up, "Leader Xu, let me tell you something. Various clans are currently eyeing this planet. We belong to the moderate faction, harboring no ill will towards you. However, if the main battle factions arrive, even if you haven't provoked them, they will actively seek trouble. With your current strength, confronting them is practically impossible."
"To increase your strength, you must take risks. If you're unwilling to even take risks, you understand the eventual outcome."
The elder spoke the truth, albeit bluntly.
The one-eyed man understood. The Starry Sky realm cultivators currently in Changbai Mountain were relatively friendly, not actively causing trouble unless provoked. This was why he had been relatively relaxed. However, the elder's words served as a reminder: don't be careless, danger lurks, even if it hasn't arrived yet.
"I'm willing to go," Lin Fan, who had been playing with the hen, said calmly.
The one-eyed man said, "It's dangerous."
Lin Fan smiled. "It's fine. I'm willing to go. Protecting this city is my responsibility. I'm willing to take the risk. Of course, I also hope to encounter powerful cultivators. I really want to spar with them."
Looking at Lin Fan's innocent face, the one-eyed man felt a pang of guilt. He owed Lin Fan too much. He had initially noticed Lin Fan's extraordinary abilities at Qingshan Mental Hospital and had schemed to recruit him. Later, he negotiated with Hao Ren and finally brought Lin Fan into the special department. Since then, Lin Fan had resolved issues that the special department might not have been able to handle in a lifetime, repeatedly saving the city and even the country. Yet, Lin Fan remained unassuming, content with strolling around the city with Old Zhang and their hen. If Lin Fan had made any demands, especially extravagant ones, he would feel less burdened. But Lin Fan wanted nothing, leaving the one-eyed man at a loss.
As the one-eyed man wallowed in guilt, Old Zhang asked, "Can you take me with you?"
"Of course, I'll take you wherever I go," Lin Fan replied.
Old Zhang said, "I don't believe you. You said you were going somewhere far away and didn't take me."
"I couldn't help it. Every time I wanted to remind you, I fell asleep," Lin Fan said helplessly. He genuinely wanted Old Zhang to accompany him, as he would be spending a considerable amount of time there, and having his best friend by his side would alleviate his loneliness.
Their exchange left the others speechless, unable to follow their peculiar conversation.
Suddenly, a phone rang.
"It's Xiaobao," Lin Fan said, answering the call upon seeing the caller ID.
"Xiaobao, what's up?"
"Take us abroad to play? Might not be possible, we're going on a long trip."
"You want to come with us too?"
"Sure, of course. You're my and Old Zhang's good friend, definitely coming with us."
After a brief conversation, he hung up.
The one-eyed man and the others watched Lin Fan's call with Xiaobao. To the one-eyed man, Lin Fan had an enviable friend, the son of the richest man, Xiaobao, a lad with immense financial power.
"Old Zhang, Xiaobao will come with us," Lin Fan announced.
Old Zhang cheered, "Great! With Xiaobao, we'll get to eat lots of delicious food."
Indeed, while others went to Changbai Mountain for a perilous adventure, for them, it was like a vacation. Those treading carefully in Changbai Mountain, fighting for survival, would be enraged if they witnessed this scene.
Wu Sheng knew who Xiaobao was, that shrewd little kid. Fortunately, the collaboration was settled, so the child's presence wouldn't matter.
The clan elder wanted to ask if bringing a child to such a dangerous place was wise, but as he was about to speak, Wu Sheng shook his head, signaling him to stay silent.
Wu Sheng asked, "When are we leaving?"
Lin Fan replied, "Once Xiaobao is ready, we can depart."
While the one-eyed man seemed to be the host, the true decision-maker was Lin Fan.
The clan elder whispered, "Who is this Xiaobao? He seems so important."
"His friend," Wu Sheng simply replied.
The clan elder was stunned. A friend more important than an ancient ruin? This was inconceivable in their clan.
At the hotel:
"Mu Qing, the organization is disappointed in you. After so long, you haven't made any progress. I just received orders requiring you to ask Lin Fan for a treasure from Changbai Mountain," Yao Ji said.
Mu Qing frowned. "Our relationship isn't at that stage yet. He wouldn't give me anything."
Yao Ji shrugged. "These are the organization's orders, not mine. How you approach him is your business. Figure it out. And you know the organization's methods. Failure has consequences."
Mu Qing's face paled at the mention of the organization's methods.
Bei Tao, undercover beside the Starry Sky realm cultivator, had made some progress. His flattery had earned him some low-level cultivation techniques from Mu Hao. Although considered low-level, they were invaluable to them currently.
He relayed the techniques back to the organization, which immediately gathered personnel to analyze and optimize them, hoping to refine and create even better techniques.
The Shadow Society dispatched numerous experts to infiltrate Changbai Mountain, searching for treasures. They did find some, albeit of low grade, but still rare for them.
Cultivators from various countries flocked to Changbai Mountain. No one knew what they experienced, but their gains were evident. Changbai Mountain, like a vast treasure trove, attracted and drove everyone to a frenzy.
Sun Xiao, focused on his live stream, documented his experiences, becoming a focal point for various countries, as his broadcasts provided valuable information.
A new online forum emerged, dedicated to ranking the Starry Sky realm cultivators in Changbai Mountain. Although the data was limited, the current top rank belonged to…Zhuang Yun.
The ranking information was slightly outdated. The strongest cultivator, Zhuang Tianxing, omitted from the rankings, had been killed by Lin Fan's unintentional use of the "Demon Subduing Seal."
July 26th.
The clan elder's gaze lingered on Xiaobao, an ordinary child, seemingly fragile. Yet, this child held such importance for these powerful cultivators, even delaying their exploration of the ancient ruin for him. It baffled him.
Xiaobao, with his slicked-back hair, felt the strange gaze upon him.
"Why do you keep staring at me?" Xiaobao asked, frowning.
The clan elder chuckled. If anyone else spoke to him like that, they would have been severely reprimanded for their disrespect.
"Just looking."
Xiaobao leaned against Lin Fan, whispering and occasionally pointing at the clan elder.
Lin Fan laughed and patted Xiaobao's head.
The clan elder thought to himself, their relationship must be extraordinary. However, he wondered if this trip to the ancient ruin would yield any results.
He hoped they hadn't arrived yet.
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