"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Shen Yao asked the three of them. "How else do you think I got poisoned by that specific toxin?"
Hearing Shen Yao say this, Xia Qingtian and Tang Youxi suddenly understood. Er Ya, however, was still full of surprise, "How did you get poisoned?"
"Did you go looking for that treasure?" Xia Qingtian asked Shen Yao.
"Yes, and I've already found its exact location," Shen Yao replied. "I took an entire elite squad, and in the end, only I survived after being poisoned."
After speaking, Shen Yao looked at Tang Youxi and said, "Tang family's poisons, Miao family's curses. I've certainly had my fill."
"Hmph," Tang Youxi let out a light laugh, raising her chin with considerable pride.
"Tell me quickly!" Er Ya was still excitedly asking, "How did you get poisoned by that toxin?"
"..." Shen Yao and the other two sighed in unison. Then, Xia Qingtian patiently explained.
"Ah! So you were poisoned while searching for treasure!" Er Ya blinked and mused, "Did you see the treasure then? Was it like in the movies, mountains of gold and silver?"
"I didn't see anything. The moment I entered, I triggered a mechanism," Shen Yao added, "The Lu family's mechanisms are the best in the world."
"That's only natural," Tang Youxi said. "The Lu family could be on par with the Tang and Miao clans, so their skills are certainly not just for show. It's a pity they were wiped out by the Miao family."
After saying this, Tang Youxi and Er Ya spat in unison, looking disgusted at the mere mention of the Miao family.
"Could there be some misunderstanding here?" Xia Qingtian couldn't help but interject. "The Miao family has also been saying it was the Tang family. They don't seem to be lying."
"You can't trust the Miao people!" Er Ya became agitated. "The Miao people are cunning and treacherous; they'll do anything to achieve their goals!"
"Including Xia Shang?" Xia Qingtian looked at Er Ya.
"Xia Shang is naturally different!" Er Ya's eyes lit up immediately. "My Xia Shang is the best cub in the world!"
Seeing Er Ya's biased stance, Xia Qingtian helplessly shook her head, then looked at Shen Yao and said, "Can you tell me the location?"
"Hm? You're interested too?" Shen Yao looked at Xia Qingtian with amusement. "You saved me and helped my sister. It's only right that I help you back. However..."
As she spoke, Shen Yao's gaze fell on Tang Youxi, whose expression was indeed a little subtle.
"Don't worry, I won't go digging for the treasure myself, and I don't have the capability," Xia Qingtian said, remembering her white jade dice. "If I were to go, I would definitely bring members of the Tang and Miao families with me."
"It's not that we're afraid you'll dig it up; bringing only the Tang and Miao families is useless," Tang Youxi said. "That treasure was jointly buried by the ancestors of the Lu, Miao, and Tang families. Only when descendants from the three families, holding the family head's tokens, go together will there be a chance to obtain the treasure. Descendants of the three families and three tokens are all indispensable. The Lu family has already been annihilated, and their tokens have vanished without a trace. To put it bluntly, that treasure is something that kills anyone who covets it." Tang Youxi took a deep breath and said, "If you go, your chances of survival are probably not high."
Hearing Tang Youxi's words, Xia Qingtian also fell silent. She had the Lu family's token, but she wasn't a descendant of the Lu family.
Should she just give up?
"How about this," Shen Yao interjected. "I've memorized the treasure map, and it's even more detailed than the original. Because I've been there myself, I'll draw it out with clear markings and give it to you. Whether you go or not will have nothing to do with me, and it will be considered me repaying your kindness."
"Alright," Xia Qingtian nodded upon hearing this. Shen Yao then returned to her room to draw the treasure map.
After she handed the treasure map to Xia Qingtian and personally explained it, Tang Ruiyang arrived in a hurry.
Upon seeing Xia Qingtian, Tang Ruiyang was also taken aback, "Why are you here?"
"If I remember correctly, this villa is registered under my name..." Xia Qingtian said, blinking. The villa originally belonged to Yue Chengfeng, who later gifted it to her. She had let Er Ya and her group move in. How could she not even be allowed to visit her own villa?
"Tang Ruiyang, what's happened?" Tang Youxi, seeing Tang Ruiyang's demeanor, knew that something had likely happened within the Tang family again.
"My Lord," Tang Ruiyang was about to report important matters upon seeing Tang Youxi, but the words caught in his throat as soon as he saw Xia Qingtian.
"You may speak freely," Tang Youxi had no intention of hiding anything from Xia Qingtian. In her eyes, Xia Qingtian was one of their own.
Tang Ruiyang then spoke, "In three days, at the Lei family's auction, the treasure map buried by the Lu, Miao, and Tang families back then will be auctioned."
"Qingtian has already told me about this," Tang Youxi replied.
"Not only that, but that faction of old fogeys in the Tang family plans to attend the auction with the [Tang Family Head] to legitimize the [fake family head] they've chosen!" Tang Ruiyang was truly anxious about this matter.
"What!" Tang Youxi's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. "Who gave them the audacity!"
"My Lord, they simply want to use this opportunity to officially announce your death. Even if you return later, you likely won't be able to reclaim your position," Tang Ruiyang said nervously. "And that person is not a Tang family member at all! Although those old fogeys claim he is a descendant of the main branch of the Tang family who was living abroad, I know that person is not from the Tang family!"
"This is handing over the Tang family's ancestral foundation..." Xia Qingtian narrowed her eyes slightly, unable to comprehend why those old fogeys would do such a foolish and wicked thing.
"Who dares to snatch my Da Ya's things!" Er Ya became indignant, waving her fist and shouting, "Let's kick their asses!"
"Who is this fake family head they've chosen?" Tang Youxi asked Tang Ruiyang.
"I couldn't hear very clearly from outside," Tang Ruiyang furrowed his brows, trying to recall. "It seems... someone named... something Qing Kong..."
"Qing Kong?" Hearing this name, Xia Qingtian's heart skipped a beat. A bad premonition followed. She immediately turned to look at Shen Yao, who indeed seemed to be thinking along the same lines, her eyes slightly narrowed in thought.
"Alright, I understand," Tang Youxi said. "The situation is sensitive right now. You should go back and don't let those people in the Tang family find anything amiss. This matter... I will find a way to resolve it."
"Yes." Tang Ruiyang acknowledged and was about to leave. Before he did, he looked at Shen Yao, and in that single glance, his infatuation seemed on the verge of spilling out.
Shen Yao turned her head, subtly avoiding Tang Ruiyang's gaze. Tang Ruiyang, reading Shen Yao's rejection, then strode away without looking back.