"Very well." Yue Qingshan nodded slightly, then slowly stated his second condition.
"Second, no matter what happens in the future, you must protect my granddaughter Miao Yue'er and Zhou Muyun!"
As he spoke, Yue Qingshan stared straight at Ouyang Changhe, his eyes more serious than ever.
An invisible pressure flooded the entire study like a sudden torrent.
Ouyang Changhe's heart gave an inexplicable jolt.
He knew what that expression meant. In all the years he had dealt with Yue Qingshan, he could count on one hand the times he had seen it.
When it appeared, the matter was of utmost importance to him!
Ouyang Changhe drew a deep breath, cupped his fists solemnly, and bowed low. "Rest assured, Martial Uncle. Zhou Muyun is our sect's finest disciple, and Yue'er is your granddaughter and Wuxue's daughter. Even if you hadn't asked, I would do everything in my power to keep them safe!"
Yue Qingshan studied him for a long moment before slowly looking away. The pressure in the room dissipated like smoke.
"Good."
He rose and walked to the desk, took a yellowed animal-hide map from his sleeve, and spread it out.
"The exact location is here."
Yue Qingshan pointed to a spot marked in vermilion, his voice measured.
"Tian Ming's hideout lies deep within the Ten-Thousand-Mile Marsh."
"The Ten-Thousand-Mile Marsh?"
Ouyang Changhe's pupils contracted. He bent sharply over the map.
That was one of the Western Extremity Circuit's most notorious death traps! Miasma hung everywhere, poisonous insects covered the ground, and unknown dangers lurked at every turn.
"He certainly picked a fine place!"
Ouyang Changhe glared at the spot through gritted teeth.
No wonder! No wonder the four sects' scouts had searched in every direction without finding a clue. The miasma concealed all traces of their presence, and the waterways