After an unknown amount of time, Yuwen Chengji and Yang Chen both opened their eyes.
"Huh?"
Upon seeing their surroundings, their faces immediately went blank.
"Where is this?"
Yuwen Chengji frowned. He had just had a terrifying dream. In the dream, his body had completely disobeyed him, and he had taken his own long sword to end his life. The scene was incredibly real, and even recalling it now sent cold sweats down his spine.
However.
When he opened his eyes, everything before him was both familiar and yet strange. Familiar, because this was clearly the scene within the secret realm! Strange, because the water in the secret realm was completely gone, and even the circular lake surrounding the manor had become dry. All of this was unbelievable.
"Boss, I'm not dead, am I?"
"If I get to die with you, I'm already content. But why did this guy follow along? It's like they won't let you rest even in death..."
On the other side, Yang Chen stared blankly at Ye Cangtian. His situation was similar to Yuwen Chengji's. The last image in his mind was ending his own life with the divine and demonic twin axes. Coupled with the changes in his surroundings, he truly thought he was finished.
"What do you mean you're content to die with me? Get lost. You're giving me goosebumps!"
Ye Cangtian rolled his eyes and shot the other person a glare. He then explained, "Nami has already been eliminated by me. After she died, it became like this."
Since Yuwen Chengji was still nearby, Ye Cangtian did not tell the truth but instead told the lie he had prepared.
"You killed Nami?"
Upon mentioning Nami, Yuwen Chengji's mind immediately recalled everything, and his eyes involuntarily revealed a look of dread. That Nami was too powerful. She had controlled his body with her zither music and nearly killed him.
"That's right, it was me."
"Nami was only more skilled in zither music, and it was quite peculiar. But with proper precautions, she was manageable..." Ye Cangtian nodded and said indifferently.
"So, you saved me?"
"Why!"
Yuwen Chengji's eyes were red. He wished he could slap himself twice. He had not yet avenged his brother, and now he owed Ye Cangtian his life. What was he to do!
"Uh, how should I put it! I did save you!"
"But ultimately, there must be a life-and-death battle between us, so I wouldn't let you die at Nami's hands."
"I want to take your life honorably in a life-and-death battle. Do you understand?"
Ye Cangtian understood Yuwen Chengji's hatred and did not want the other party to feel indebted, so he said this plainly.
"I understand."
Yuwen Chengji gritted his teeth and continued, "Regardless of how I live, you saved my life. I have always been clear about gratitude and grievances."
"How about this: during the subsequent investigation, I will do my best to help you, and after that, neither of us will owe the other anything!"
"Good!"
Hearing the other person say this, Ye Cangtian didn't hesitate. There would undoubtedly be dangers in the upcoming missions, and it wasn't good to be constantly wary of Yuwen Chengji. This way was just right. He believed Yuwen Chengji would keep his word, as even he himself would not want to owe a debt to his enemy.
"Cough, cough, Boss, you guys have settled your matters."
"Shouldn't we search the manor and see if there are any treasures inside?"
Yang Chen was not concerned about Yuwen Chengji's decision. Even if Yuwen Chengji genuinely helped, he would still be on guard. What he cared about now were the treasures in the secret realm.
"Don't even think about it. I've already searched it once, and there's nothing here," Ye Cangtian said. In fact, there were indeed many treasures in the room. Nami originally intended to leave them all for Ye Cangtian as payment. However, Ye Cangtian had firmly refused. He did not accept rewards without earning them, and before he had sent the other party to the southern sea, he would not ask for anything. Moreover, he hoped the other party would act on his behalf in the future.
"No way?"
"Such a powerful mermaid princess, and yet not a single treasure."
"Truly poor and shabby!"
Yang Chen's eyes widened. Although he grumbled, he had no intention of searching again.
On the other side, Yuwen Chengji took a deep look at Ye Cangtian. He clearly didn't believe there were no treasures and thought Ye Cangtian had pocketed them all. However, considering that the other party had saved his life, he chose to remain silent.
...
The mission continued, and the three moved further and further away from Dragon City. They traveled together. Yuwen Chengji spoke very little, but he did a lot. This time, he fully honored his promise. Throughout a series of missions, he caused no trouble and instead actively cooperated with Ye Cangtian. With Yuwen Chengji's cooperation, the investigation of both the secret realms and dangerous lands proceeded relatively smoothly. The only drawback was the scarcity of treasures in the secret realms. The three only obtained some materials and crystals. There were no cultivation techniques, weapons, armor, or elixirs. Ye Cangtian was extremely frustrated by this, but there was nothing he could do. Secret realms and dangerous lands were like Pandora's Boxes. Sometimes they would contain extremely powerful monsters and be deadly places. Sometimes they might contain elixirs, weapons, and other rare treasures. Everything depended on destiny. It was normal to find only crystals and materials like this. After the investigation of the last dangerous land concluded, the three embarked on their journey back.
In the carriage, Yang Chen happily fiddled with the crystals. Although the journey had been thrilling, they had collected quite a few crystals, exceeding a thousand in total. Divided equally, he would get over three hundred. It was important to note that these dangerous lands and secret realms had been explored by countless teams, and finding these was by no means easy. As for not obtaining any rare treasures, Yang Chen didn't care at all. What was his was his, and what wasn't, he couldn't force.
"When we get back, I will fulfill my promise. After that, we will each rely on our own means, and remain sworn enemies who will never rest until one of us is dead!"
The silent Yuwen Chengji hesitated for a long time before finally looking up at Ye Cangtian. To be honest, during his cooperation with Ye Cangtian, he had been truly worried that Ye Cangtian would ambush him from behind. But as time went by, he realized he had judged a gentleman by a vulgar standard, and Ye Cangtian had not harmed him. In some more dangerous environments, Ye Cangtian had even taken the lead. To be honest, putting aside the matter of his brother Yuwen Hao, he truly admired Ye Cangtian. But the facts had been established, and as an elder brother, he could not let his brother die in vain.
"As you wish," Ye Cangtian said with a faint smile, as if to say, bring on any conspiracy or scheme, I'll take it all. Yuwen Chengji's brow furrowed slightly. If it were in the past, he would have engaged in a verbal sparring match. But after a series of collaborations, he had come to recognize Ye Cangtian's strength. As the saying goes, in the face of absolute strength, all words are futile. And even though Yuwen Chengji had noticed Ye Cangtian's improved strength, he was still certain that Ye Cangtian had not revealed his true abilities. Therefore, he might not be a match for him now.
"Yang Chen, let's divide the crystals," Ye Cangtian said to Yang Chen, seeing that Yuwen Chengji was silent. Yang Chen nodded. Yuwen Chengji had been relatively well-behaved along the way, and Yang Chen found him more agreeable, so he did not refuse.
"I don't want any. Consider it repayment for your favor," Yuwen Chengji said without looking up. Crystals were indeed valuable, but he did not want to owe Ye Cangtian even a little, so he preferred to take nothing.
"We are already even, and these crystals are what you deserve."
"I am not the type to take advantage. If you don't want them, you can throw them away!" Ye Cangtian said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Yang Chen quickly chimed in, "Throw them away, throw them away! If they're thrown away, they'll become ownerless objects. I don't mind, I can pick them up!"
Ye Cangtian's face darkened. He really wanted to give this kid a shove; he was too embarrassing. Yuwen Chengji, upon hearing this, hesitated for a moment and finally accepted the crystals.
...