Ada and the others from the village walked ahead, while Zhang Tian and his group followed behind.
"Boss, he's bringing us here suddenly, he must have an intention," Fatty whispered into Zhang Tian's ear.
"Fatty, if you can see it, I can't. He's bringing us there probably because there's something over there that can deal with us," Zhang Tian said softly.
Fatty blinked his eyes.
"Him? Trying to deal with us? What a pipe dream for an old nun to desire a young monk!"
Fatty pouted, muttering a few words under his breath.
Just as Ada was walking ahead, his attention focused on the path ahead, a short, wiry young man from the village stealthily darted off to the side.
"No, I must tell the chief. I didn't expect Ada to betray us!" the young man mumbled. He glared at Zhang Tian and his companions, as if to say, "Don't mess with me."
"Hey, Boss, this guy dares to glare at us," Fatty nearly threw a punch at the sight.
Zhang Tian pulled Fatty back.
"Don't rush, let him go."
Zhang Tian waved his hand. Fatty was a little confused but just glared at the young man with his small eyes.
The guy snorted coldly, hunched over, and disappeared from the group in a flash.
"Boss, why did you let that guy go?" Fatty asked, puzzled.
"Here, I can see that many people are very unhappy with that big guy. This guy will either go back to call people or go back to spread the word."
"So, there's no need for us to stop him," Zhang Tian said softly.
After all, with this guy gone, or having gone to report, it didn't harm him in any way.
"Up ahead, there seems to be a cave," Hu Bayi pointed to the distance and said.
Zhang Tian also swept his gaze upwards.
As expected, led by Ada, they arrived at the foot of a high mountain.
At the mountain's base, a large cave, four to five meters high, appeared before them.
"This is the only way to the sacred land," Ada said plainly. The people around him looked at Ada with dissatisfaction.
Clearly, they were unhappy that Ada had disregarded the village rules.
"Lead the way," Zhang Tian said softly.
Ada frowned slightly but had no choice but to walk quickly inside.
As they entered the cave, a chilling sensation washed over them.
It felt like winter with the air conditioning turned on.
"Brother Ada, are we really taking them there? That's the sacred land!" a young man beside him hesitated.
Ada glanced at Zhang Tian and his group behind him.
He leaned close to the young man's ear.
"Do you really think I'm that foolish?"
"The sacred land is full of dangers. Do you think they can escape?" Ada's voice was cold. The young man rubbed his head.
"But the chief said no one is allowed in."
"Stupid, no need to enter. There's poisonous mist on the outskirts of the sacred land. We won't have to lift a finger then," Ada whispered.
The man's eyes lit up.
"Brother Ada, I'm impressed!" he said excitedly.
"Keep your voice down." Ada quickly covered the guy's mouth, his face becoming serious.
The cave was a bit damp.
Water dripped from the ceiling from time to time. Zhang Tian looked into the distance. Since it was night, there was no light to be seen.
Zhang Tian sniffed the air around him. He seemed to smell something other than the scent of these people.
"Could it be that someone else has been here?" Zhang Tian frowned slightly.
Logically, this was the sacred land, and they guarded it so strictly, there shouldn't be any visitors.
Unless someone had entered before Zhang Tian.
"Judging by the residual scent, they haven't been gone long," Zhang Tian estimated in his mind.
He wasn't in a hurry. After all, the sacred land was very dangerous. If they could find things so easily, that old man wouldn't have called it a forbidden zone.
Zhang Tian suddenly thought of something.
"Right, that old woman from before must be from this village too. Why isn't she here?"
"And that old man, he managed to get his hands on quite a lot of good stuff. He should have been here." Zhang Tian remembered something, his mind filled with questions.
Meanwhile, back in the village.
In the chief's hut.
A white-haired elder sat inside, and in front of him was an old woman.
If Zhang Tian were present, he would have recognized this old woman as the one he had met before!
"How is it, is your injury getting better?" The chief looked at the old woman with concern in his eyes.
"Alas, my natal Gu worm was killed. It was formed from my essence blood. How could it recover so easily?" The old woman sighed with helplessness.
"However, I truly didn't expect there to be such a powerful expert outside."
"Indeed, there are always people better than you, and heavens beyond the heavens. I thought my Gu techniques were invincible in the world, but that expert gave me the feeling of an eternal god, making me tremble." The old woman spoke with emotion in her eyes.
If she had another chance, she would never have been so arrogant.
Recalling Zhang Tian's methods, her heart trembled. Meeting such a person so easily meant there were many such people in the outside world.
Therefore, the old woman decided never to leave the mountain again.
"Did you find the Gu King yet?" the chief asked again.
"No, but I found the person who stole the Gu King. He sold everything for a few hundred yuan." The old woman gritted her teeth, anger flashing on her face.
For a mere few hundred yuan, was that comparable to a Gu King?
"Damn it, that's our clan's token of allegiance!" the old chief said agitatedly.
Just as the two were talking, the door was suddenly pushed open.
A short, stout young man rushed in.
"Chief, honored Gu Master." The man bowed respectfully upon seeing them.
"A'man, what is it? Why are you so flustered?" The chief frowned slightly.
Was this a place anyone could enter casually?
Moreover, apart from the Gu Master, no one else was allowed in here.
A'man quickly raised his head, his face showing urgency.
"It's like this, Chief. A, Ada has taken outsiders to the sacred land!"
"He wants to enter the sacred land!" A'man said excitedly.
"Is it that group of so-called archaeological experts?"
"No! It's another group of people. They're very strange, impervious to blades and spears!"
"Even Ada was scared." A'man gesticulated wildly.
"Impervious to blades and spears?" The Gu Master and the chief exchanged a glance, both frowning slightly.
It seemed some unusual people had indeed arrived at their village.
"Let's go, let's go see." The chief stood up, and A'man quickly followed.
The old woman, the Gu Master, also rose.
"They dare to trespass into our tribe, I will make them pay." The chief said coldly. On the other hand, the Gu Master was deep in thought.
Being impervious to blades and spears, could it be some master who had come?
With a sense of unease, A'man led the two of them towards Zhang Tian's direction.
A'man's lips curved into a smile.
"Hmph, Ada, you think you can be smug? You'll never get your hands on the chief's position!" A wicked smile spread across A'man's face.