Underground Cave

With everyone working together, they quickly excavated an underground tunnel dozens of meters long. It twisted and turned along the way, but thanks to their sensitivity to the Fire Attribute, they had not gone wrong in the general direction.

Finally, by afternoon, the underground tunnel had been completely opened. A wave of scorching heat rushed at them head-on.

Caught off guard, ninety percent of the mercenaries were sent into violent coughing fits, their faces filled with discomfort. Some were even struck dizzy and collapsed on the spot.

For a moment, the scene was utter chaos.

Below lay a Lava World. The fiery energy had been sealed away for years without circulation, and the air was already Filled With dense fire poison.

Those with a Fire Attribute or great strength could endure it well enough, but the strongest mercenaries present were only Dou Shi. They simply could not withstand the invasion of the fire poison.

After settling the Little Girl outside to wait, Chen Guan circulated his Dou Qi to block out the heat and entered the cave to inspect it. The dense Fire Attribute energy made his cultivation technique begin circulating on its own.

If the harmful fire poison could be isolated, this would be an excellent place to cultivate Fire Attribute Dou Qi.

Closed Eyes, Chen Guan cautiously released his Soul Perception to investigate. He could clearly sense that the deeper it went beneath the lava, the greater the pressure became. The intense heat waves felt as though they could burn even his soul.

At the same time, he noticed a lively, violent energy hidden within the lava. It exerted some pressure on him, but was not dangerous enough to threaten him.

If he had guessed correctly, that should be the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake hidden inside.

Retracting his Soul Perception, Chen Guan confirmed that this was where the Green Lotus Core Flame was located!

"Have them leave. Let them stay at the City Lord's Mansion for three days. We won't need them after this."

Chen Guan took out two bottles of Grade 1 Detoxification Pills, along with his Affiliated Gold Card, and handed them to Wang Yan and His Brother.

Three days was enough for him to leave with the Green Lotus Core Flame and find a secluded, safe place.

The two brothers nodded. Together with Old General Huang, they helped the soldiers carry out quite a few mercenaries who were in terrible condition and nearly unable to hold on.

Only after all the mercenaries had been brought back to the surface and each given a Detoxification Pill to ease their condition and wake them up did Wang Yan climb to a high spot and call out.

"My Young Master said this mission ends here. However, out of concern for your health, he has specially permitted you to recuperate at the City Lord's Mansion for seven days. You don't have to do anything, and you'll receive gold coins every day for free. Do you understand?"

"Can we choose not to go to the City Lord's Mansion?"

A dim-witted, burly mercenary in the group muttered.

"What do you think?" Wang Yan replied coldly.

Ever since Chen Guan had left the Imperial Capital, the two brothers had been by his side. They knew better than anyone how much effort the Young Man had put into this matter.

They did not know exactly what opportunity lay within the underground lava, but they could figure out with their knees that it was no simple matter.

In Wang Yan's view, to ensure the news did not leak, he could understand even if Chen Guan ruthlessly killed every last one of these people.

Now they were being fed and accommodated well, and even receiving gold every day as compensation for lost work. Yet someone still dared to question it. To Wang Yan, that was simply failing to appreciate kindness.

Were they determined to force him to play the villain?

Fortunately, most of the mercenaries understood their situation and readily agreed to cooperate with the arrangements.

They had no choice. They wanted to resist, and they were curious about what treasure lay in the underground lava, but an arm could not twist a thigh.

Old General Huang personally led the group back to the City Lord's Mansion, leaving only four or five soldiers behind to help guard the entrance to the cave.

In no time at all, fewer than ten people remained here.

Chen Guan emerged from underground and learned that the old general had already left, leaving him both amused and exasperated.

The man was a little too clear-headed. There was really no need for that—he was not some tyrant.

He had originally intended to have the old general help deal with the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake, but now he could only rely on himself.

It was already late, so Chen Guan was in no hurry to act immediately. He first adjusted himself to peak condition, and more importantly, suppressed the somewhat restless emotions in his heart.

The closer he got to a moment like this, the more he needed to remain calm. Otherwise, he might panic when the time came and trigger unnecessary complications.

Wang Yan and His Brother followed his example and seriously regulated their breathing as well.

Though the Young Master might not need them, there was never anything wrong with being ready to act at any time.

Under the night sky, the bonfire crackled fiercely. Everyone else sat as motionless as statues, while only little Qing Lin squatted nearby, boredly drawing circles. She did not even know when she had fallen asleep from drowsiness.

By the time the Little Girl woke up, it was already the middle of the night.

Feeling unusually warm, she reached out and discovered that someone had draped a fur coat over her. Nearby, the Young Master and the tall and short uncles were chatting quietly, the atmosphere harmonious as old friends catching up. They did not seem like master and servants at all.

As expected, the Young Master was this gentle with everyone.

Such a wonderful Young Master probably would not dislike her if he saw the scales on her body... right? The innocent Little Girl felt honored, and her trust in Chen grew to a new height every day.

"Young Master."

She climbed up, folded the fur coat over her, and offered it back. The Little Girl was glowing, her cheeks flushed red under the firelight. Delicate and adorable like a porcelain doll, she was utterly different from ten days ago.

Chen Guan had been chatting idly with the two brothers. He accepted the fur coat and put it into his storage ring.

"Did you sleep enough?"

The Little Girl nodded with a red face, somewhat embarrassed.

She had clearly been the one to insist on staying, yet she had not managed to last until the end. It made her feel as though she had Dragged Behind.

"Come on. Let's go underground and find you a little toy."

After casually giving the soldiers by the bonfire a bottle of pills, Chen Guan led the two brothers and the Little Girl into the underground tunnel.

With the three men helping block the heat and after taking Detoxification Pills, the Little Girl felt only somewhat stuffy and hot, without any other effects.

The reason Chen Guan had agreed to let her stay was also because of her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. Once activated, they could control that Fire Spirit Snake. With its feedback, Qing Lin could advance to Dou Zhe at an astonishing speed.

Common sense applied only to ordinary people. Special Physiques had never been judged by common sense.

The Poison Body of Misfortune was one such case, and the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils were another.

"Young Master, there seems to be something down there."

The moment they arrived beside the underground lava, Qing Lin sensed something unusual and spoke softly, though she was not entirely certain.

Her innate sensitivity toward snake-type magical beasts was evident. Even the two brothers, both Dou Ling, had not noticed anything yet. Only after hearing her words did they belatedly become alert.

"Don't worry. It's only a Fire Spirit Snake. It poses no threat to us. The only trouble is that it can move freely through the lava. If we fail to catch it in one go and let it escape, it will be hard to capture again."

The two brothers relaxed slightly, but did not lower their guard completely. They positioned themselves on either side, protecting the Young Man between them as they surveyed the lava below.

Unfortunately, they did not possess Chen Guan's absurd Soul Perception. With the lava blocking them, they could not sense the Fire Spirit Snake at all unless it exposed itself.

The Little Girl's thoughts were not so complicated. If she did not understand, she asked.

"Young Master, then how are we supposed to catch it?"

Chen Guan revealed a sly grin and waved his hand. Over Ten puppets appeared behind him under the three stunned gazes, their oppressive presence at its peak.

"It's simple. Just arrange a righteous group beating for it."