Chapter 90: Suffered a Setback.
Zhao Dajiang looked up in surprise and saw a tall, beautiful woman in a green dress standing behind Rong Xie. Her words were full of provocation, but her gaze toward Rong Xie was somewhat gloomy.
Zhao Dajiang keenly sensed that the woman in green probably had an unusual relationship with Rong Xie.
"Please excuse my poor judgment, young lady. I only picked up counterfeit goods. This has nothing to do with you, Fellow Daoist Rong," Zhao Dajiang said with a smile. "Young lady, your strength is unfathomable. May I ask your name?"
"This is Sister Qu Huaiyan, Brother Rong's childhood sweetheart from his hometown," Linglong introduced enthusiastically.
Rong Xie wanted to stop her, but it was too late. With Rong Xie's introduction, "Qu Huaiyan" barged into his social circle in a blatant manner.
He even sat down next to Rong Xie without any hesitation.
"Hey, Chen..." Rong Xie turned his head, "What exactly do you want?"
“I also want to join.” Qu Huaiyan said, slapping a map on the table. “This is a treasure map of the King of Ru Nan that I recently found. I don’t know if it’s real or not. If it is, it’s in the mountains nearby. We can explore it.”
"What? Let me see!" Zhao Dajiang was immediately excited. He stood up, placed his hands on either side of the map, and stared at it intently for a while, becoming more and more excited as he looked. "This mountain range, is that Nanshan? Look, there's even Lanyuan here! Such a detailed route... Whether it's true or not, it won't take much effort to go and see!"
"Brother Zhao, don't just look at it yourself, show it to Brother Rong too," Linglong reminded him.
"Oh, right, right! We also have Dr. Rong here!" Zhao Dajiang hurriedly sat down, clearing the space on the treasure map, and looked at Rong Xie expectantly.
Rong Xie didn't even need to look; he believed the treasure map was real.
The items that Shen Bingsi took out were generally from very reliable sources. They were either dug directly from tombs, entrusted to him by important figures, or even more impressive, such as items directly presented by a celestial mirror and drawn by a recorder.
Rong Xie simply couldn't understand why Shen Bing Si would do such a thing.
He felt he had made himself clear enough yesterday.
Shen Bingsi's reaction at the time seemed to indicate that she accepted it.
But only a day later, he came back to bother me, and this time he was disguised as "Qu Huaiyan"—what exactly did he want?
"Fellow Daoist Rong?" Zhao Dajiang reminded him when he saw that Rong Xie was not moving.
Not wanting to betray Zhao Dajiang's trust, Rong Xie took the treasure map. After seeing the unique markings and writing style of the Ru Nan Dynasty, Rong Xie said, "It should be real."
"It's true! That's wonderful!" Zhao Dajiang exclaimed with joy. "I'll gather the team right away—"
“However, this picture belongs to this… Miss Qu,” Rong Xie paused, “whether she takes it out or not, and how the profits are divided after she does, is none of my business. Captain Zhao should talk to her first before gathering the team.”
"..."
The atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly became tense.
Zhao Dajiang stared with his mouth slightly open, looking at Rong Xie and then at Qu Huaiyan.
Linglong tugged at his sleeve and whispered something in his ear.
"Oh, I see! They had a fight—" Zhao Dajiang exclaimed in realization, his voice as loud as ever.
Just as the conversation was about to turn into a well-meaning older brother trying to reconcile a quarreling young couple, Rong Xie didn't want to fall into this cliché trap.
As long as his relationship with "Qu Huaiyan" remains, regardless of their actual relationship, they will be labeled as a couple having a lovers' quarrel or arguing.
"No, we didn't have a fight, it's just... we never really had a relationship. We used to be friends, but now we're each going our own way. Captain Zhao, please make sure you find out the truth."
Rong Xie said solemnly.
Rong Xie's attitude was very serious, and Zhao Dajiang couldn't help but sit up straight. Linglong was also somewhat surprised.
Rong Xie felt Qu Huaiyan turn her face and look at him, but he did not look at Qu Huaiyan.
He stood up from the table and said, "It's getting late. If Captain Zhao has reached an agreement with this Miss Qu, you can bring me the map so I can take another look."
“Uh… okay.” Zhao Dajiang also stood up. “I will pay Fellow Daoist Rong a separate fee for his hard work later.”
"No need, consider this meal a token of appreciation for your hard work," Rong Xie said with a smile. "Actually, I quite enjoy archaeology. I'm happy to appraise antiques, artifacts, bamboo slips, and silk scrolls for free. Observing them is a pleasure in itself. Whether they're real or fake, they're all meticulously crafted by people. Just looking at the craftsmanship is very interesting."
Zhao Dajiang listened and couldn't help but show his admiration.
"Fellow Daoist Rong's realm is truly expansive," Zhao Dajiang praised. "Actually, our treasure hunting team is the same way. We often make a wasted trip, but we are always excited to be able to go out and practice."
“Yes, as long as there’s a place to go treasure hunting, it doesn’t matter whether we find anything or not,” Linglong chimed in.
"laugh."
Seeing that the other three people at the table were talking in unison, Qu Huaiyan couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
"Hmm?" Zhao Dajiang noticed Qu Huaiyan's attitude and quickly asked, "Miss Qu, do you perhaps have some insightful opinion?"
"It's precisely because of your indifferent attitude that we have no treasure to find. Treasure hunting isn't a picnic. What do you mean by only caring about the process and not the result?" Qu Huaiyan crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "With this attitude, who would come looking for you if they had a real treasure map?"
Zhao Dajiang looked slightly embarrassed.
Linglong was also stunned. Clearly, she hadn't considered it from Qu Huaiyan's perspective. It seemed to make some sense, yet also...
“That’s not necessarily true. People driven by interest often go further than those driven by utilitarian motives,” Rong Xie said. He had already planned to leave, but upon hearing this, he turned back. “Captain Zhao has managed to gather such a treasure-hunting team. Even if there’s no time to search for treasure, everyone will still gather together in a lively atmosphere. That’s already quite impressive.”
Zhao Dajiang suddenly realized: "That's right, that's exactly what our dragon-hunting and treasure-hunting team does!"
“Yes, Brother Rong makes a lot of sense! How come I didn’t think of that!” Linglong chimed in. “Although Sister Qu’s words also make sense… I still trust Brother Rong more!”
"..." Qu Huaiyan didn't expect these three to huddle together again. He really looked down on this kind of useless, independent cultivator banding together for warmth. So, he simply poked the treasure map on the table and said, "Alright, you decide whether you want the treasure map or a lively family feast together."
Zhao Dajiang was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
Qu Huaiyan narrowed her eyes: "The treasure map is mine, and I will assemble the treasure hunting team. All four people at this table can go. The rest of your team will not be considered."
"What……?"
Zhao Dajiang and Linglong were both stunned, not expecting that Qu Huaiyan would offer such conditions.
Qu Huaiyan's meaning was quite clear: he wanted Zhao Dajiang to choose between the actual treasure hunt and his team members.
If he truly valued his team members and the harmonious atmosphere he portrayed, he wouldn't have abandoned them to explore the treasure of the King of Ru Nan alone.
"How about it? Actually, on the bright side, the two of you can represent your treasure hunting team and get the treasure. We can split it equally, or you can sell it for money. It can only benefit your treasure hunting team, not harm it." Qu Huaiyan coaxed patiently.
Of course, Rong Xie knew that Qu Huaiyan wouldn't have that much patience, so she even put forward a human nature test to see if the unrelated people were truly united or just pretending to be united.
He did this simply to kidnap Rong Xie and go with him.
Rong Xie sighed, about to refuse outright, when Zhao Dajiang made his decision.
Zhao Dajiang pushed the treasure map toward Qu Huaiyan with a regretful look, but his tone was firm: "In that case, Miss Qu, please take back this treasure map. We don't recognize the words on it, so let's just pretend we've never seen it."
“Yes, our Dragon-Seeking Treasure Hunting Team is a unified entity. Without the support of the other team members, we wouldn’t have the confidence to succeed…” Linglong muttered.
Rong Xie looked at Zhao Dajiang and Linglong in surprise. He had heard Linglong's complaints and knew that they hadn't officially opened for business for a long time. They were just doing some pointless work in Shengjing to keep the team alive.
However, what they really wanted was adventure and treasure hunting.
The opportunity was right in front of them, but they rejected it decisively.
Rong Xie couldn't help but look at "Qu Huaiyan," wondering what expression "Qu Huaiyan" had now.
Qu Huaiyan didn't use a disguise technique; instead, he used spiritual power to reshape the way his muscles and bones grew. Therefore, although his appearance changed, his face was real, and the expression on his face at this moment was also real.
Qu Huaiyan kept her mouth tightly shut, her face showing an incredulous expression, as if the two people sitting in front of her had lost their minds. Shen Bingsi's frustrated look could be vaguely seen in her tightly furrowed brows.
Shen Bingsi, who was always determined to get everything, miscalculated.
The unorthodox treasure hunting team had its own beliefs and didn't buy into his approach at all.
Since they couldn't kidnap Zhao Dajiang and Linglong, they naturally couldn't kidnap Rong Xie either. Shen Bingsi's plan to control Rong Xie's social circle failed.
"That's enough." Qu Huaiyan stood up from the table and said curtly. He put away the treasure map, stomped heavily on the floor, and left Tongqinglou.
Rong Xie watched him leave, then returned to the dining table.
He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Captain Zhao, won't you regret missing this opportunity?"
“Sigh,” Zhao Dajiang sighed, “Of course it’s a pity, but there’s nothing we can do. Our Dragon-Seeking Treasure Team doesn’t just go out together because we have nothing better to do. Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but each member of our team has their own role, and we have a well-established formation when we encounter danger. If I were to go alone, I simply wouldn’t have the fighting power.”
“Actually…” Rong Xie paused, “you can go now.”
"What?" Zhao Dajiang asked, bewildered. "Where to?"
"Let's go to the treasure of the King of Ru Nan," Rong Xie said. "I've already memorized that map."
Although it's not very classy to do this, it's because Shen Bingsi always disrupts his life without any sense of boundaries.
Since that's the case, Rong Xie will take advantage of the information that came to him and use his photographic memory to achieve his goal, and incidentally teach Shen Bingsi a lesson.
Amidst the delighted gazes of Zhao Dajiang and Linglong, Rong Xie lowered his eyes and said, "However, I also have my conditions for exchange... I need to inquire about someone, preferably in person, and this person is within the inner sect of the Xuantian Sect."
The Xuantian Sect is located near Shengjing. The Dragon-Searching and Treasure-Exploring Team has been active in Shengjing for more than half a year. With their connections and access to information, they might actually be able to find that person.
"who?"
"Elder Bai's disciple, the Ruthless Sword Cultivator, Lu Yingqi."
————————
There are red envelopes in this chapter too! [Sprinkling flowers]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com