"No, I don't agree."
Disagree?
The words weren't spoken by Li Zuoquan, but came from behind me.
Zhang Dabiao, leaning against the wall and supported by Xu Yi, stood up and looked at me with a determined gaze. "I don't agree."
I looked at him, puzzled, not understanding why he would do this. Before I could ask, he continued, "You were put in danger last time. I, Zhang Dabiao, will not let you venture into danger a second time. Even if it costs me this meager life, I will protect you."
He then broke free from Xu Yi's support, the Mountain Splitting Saber falling back into his hand. His expression was resolute as he looked at Li Zuoquan. The Mountain Splitting Saber reappeared in his hand, its blade steady, but his body trembled uncontrollably. This was something that had never happened before, indicating how badly he was injured.
Li Zuoquan might have some reservations about killing me, but he would not hold back against Zhang Dabiao and Xu Yi. From the moment he retaliated earlier, it was clear he truly intended to kill them both.
However, for some unknown reason, he stopped. But he had already severely wounded Zhang Dabiao, and Xu Yi's paper effigy had disintegrated in mid-air, almost scattering its soul.
Although Xu Yi remained silent, his eyes were also fixed on me with determination. It was clear his thoughts were the same as Zhang Dabiao's.
Hearing this, I was both touched and frustrated.
What tests a person's character? Undoubtedly, it is in the face of death. But there are exceptions, like Zhang Dabiao before me.
However, when you face death, you realize that all worldly gains are "shit," utterly useless. Not everyone will utter brave words of dying together at such moments. This is enough to show that we are brothers who can trust each other with our backs.
The frustration stemmed from the fact that this was not the time for brotherly affection. I didn't want to die either, but the current situation was not up to me. The one controlling fate was Li Zuoquan, not me. My thoughts were simple: if we could save one person, that would be one. Fighting for brotherly loyalty now was simply seeking death.
I ignored Zhang Dabiao and turned my gaze to Li Zuoquan. After all, the decision rested in his hands. I wasn't very confident whether the bargaining chip in my hand could be exchanged with him.
*Clap, clap—*
Our brotherly affection did not move Li Zuoquan. Instead, he applauded us.
"What a display of deep brotherhood. If I were alive, perhaps I would agree to your terms, but now..."
Li Zuoquan drew out his words, looking at me playfully, and said word by word, "I... do... not... agree."
"Why?"
I suspected Li Zuoquan was highly likely to reject my condition, but I still wanted to know the reason. In my opinion, Zhang Dabiao and Xu Yi no longer posed a threat to Li Zuoquan; they were even a liability. Keeping them would be of no use.
Li Zuoquan shook his head. "Don't think I don't know about your Yin Gua lineage. You possess an instinct for avoiding disaster. If they leave, how will I control you? So, don't even think about sending them away."
I hadn't expected Li Zuoquan to know so much about my Yin Gua lineage. The Yin Gua sect did indeed have a method to foresee future events, but no one had ever used it.
This method of avoiding disaster came at the cost of one's life for divination. In other words, it broke the rule of not calculating fortunes for the living, using one's own life to carve out a path of retreat for others. This was a secret passed down in the sect. How could Li Zuoquan know it so clearly?
Although I was incredibly surprised, I didn't show it on my face. He might have learned some of the Yin Gua sect's secret knowledge from other sources, but my sect was different from other Yin Gua lineages.
"If you don't agree, fine. Then you can open it yourself. Since we can't escape your clutches anyway, whether we die sooner or later makes no difference. Whether the door is opened or not, we die. So, do as you please."
"You..."
Li Zuoquan's eyes turned red, and his hands transformed into icy claws again, preparing to attack me.
Seeing this, I didn't retreat an inch. Instead, I took two steps forward, my chest pressing against his icy claws. "Think carefully. Time is running out. If they find this place, you'll lose your chance at eternal life."
The icy touch reached my chest. It stopped only when I felt a slight sting. If I had moved forward any further, he would have killed me.
We stared at each other for about ten seconds. Finally, Li Zuoquan took a step back. "Fine! I agree to your condition."
"Brother, you..."
"Brother Zhang, listen to me first. This is not the time for impulsiveness. If we can save one, that's one. It's better than both of us being left here. If I can't leave this place, remember to take care of my father."
I tightly grasped Zhang Dabiao's hand, looking as if I were about to bid farewell. But when Li Zuoquan wasn't paying attention, I slipped him a small piece of cloth.
Zhang Dabiao, who had been about to say something more, remained silent. He subtly clutched the cloth I had given him and patted my shoulder fiercely.
"Come back alive."
"Mm!"
"Xu Yi, take care of Brother Zhang."
Xu Yi nodded. "I'm sorry, it's my..."
"You don't need to say anything. We understand. Take care of Brother Zhang."
"Alright."
Only after watching the two of them disappear from my sight did I breathe a sigh of relief. The remaining task was to escape from Li Zuoquan, preferably to kill him directly, thus settling everything.
"They're all gone. You can open the door now," Li Zuoquan urged, seeing that I hadn't moved for a while.
I curled my lips. "What's the rush? What if I open the door and you regret it and have those two beasts by your side catch them again? Then all my efforts would be in vain."
Li Zuoquan sneered. "Song Qingyun, my word is my bond. Wasting time is not beneficial for you. If I don't get that thing, do you think I'll let you go? Even if you die, I won't let you have peace."
"Tch!"
Confident that Li Zuoquan wouldn't attack me, I responded to his threat with an international gesture and then looked at my watch, calculating where Zhang Dabiao and the others should be.
Only when I confirmed they were far away, to the point where even Li Zuoquan couldn't recall them, did I stand up.
Ignoring Li Zuoquan's face, which was darker than the bottom of a pot, I said, "I'm going to open the door. Do you want to follow me, in case I try something sneaky?"
"Heh heh..."
Without the obstruction of dust, the bronze door emitted a faint red-bronze glow, making everything around visible even without a flashlight.
Originally, there were two taotie heads on the door. Now, they had merged into one massive taotie, its face ferocious, occupying the central position of the door. Red light flickered from its mouth, and the six-pointed key was faintly visible within.
Taking a deep breath, I silently prayed, "Fifth Prince, please forgive me. If I survive and leave here, I will definitely kowtow to you in apology."
As I reached out to grasp the six-pointed key and was about to turn it to open the door, a wave of dizziness washed over me.
I quickly shook my head, trying to dispel the feeling. When the dizziness disappeared, I was stunned.