"You're too kind, Senior Sister. If I were trapped here, you would surely have come too."
"Of course." Hu Yan smiled sweetly, looking quite pleased.
She could tell that Jiang Che also wanted to grow closer to her, and that was good.
For Jiang Che, having a good relationship with Hu Yan offered every advantage and no drawbacks.
In Ailin, this formidable senior sister could be a great help. Even after they returned, the generous reward Hu Yan received for this sect mission would add to her cultivation resources, giving her a strong chance of reaching Qi Refining, perhaps within the next few years. By then, Jiang Che himself probably would not have reached Qi Refining yet, but having a friend who had would still be a tremendous help.
With both of them intending to take their relationship a step beyond "teammates" and become "friends," the atmosphere naturally grew more cordial.
Still, pleasantries eventually ran their course, and they soon returned to business.
Jiang Che recounted everything his team had encountered, including the short-bearded "Hundred-Man Commander Zhang" in military attire, the "Master" whose hood hung over his face, and the words, "Not one of those from Azure Mystic is to be left alive."
Of course, he made no mention of his means of peering into minds, saying only that he had learned these things through interrogation.
"To turn three company commanders, arrange for all of them to be assigned to our teams, and have them strike on the same day... what an elaborate scheme!"
"Exactly. I'm afraid they noticed our investigation into Wang Baojun long ago. This trap was laid to silence us."
"There's only one hundred-man commander surnamed Zhang in the Ailin army. His name is Zhang Guilu. It should be him."
"Once we get back, our first order