After hearing everything, Jiang Chen weighed it up. It should still be within his ability to handle. His heart eased a little, his eyes darted, and his body suddenly shuddered violently. His pupils lost focus, and his breathing grew heavy.
"Zhu'er, is everything you said true?"
"A mere youngster actually has such a powerful background. The Formation Gate... hiss."
"Go. Your father doesn't want to drag you down with him."
Tie Zhu froze at this, too. After some serious thought, he actually shook his head in a show of loyalty.
"I'm not leaving."
Surprise appeared in Jiang Chen's eyes, and he was just about to offer a word of praise.
Then he heard Tie Zhu continue, "I'm still waiting to inherit your estate, Dad. After this trip, our Jiang family's going to be wealthy!"
"With such a huge bag of sacrificial offerings, even if my life's in danger, I'll stick with you. Once you die, I'll take them and live a good life."
Jiang Chen: "..."
The brat had some filial devotion, but not much.
Meanwhile.
Jing Shou arrived on the scene. Shenji, up ahead, also stopped what he was doing and turned around, his gaze blazing. "Young friend Jing Shou, I knew you would come."
"You and I have lived through a thousand years and the ups and downs of a hundred lifetimes, so let's dispense with the high-sounding words. Rare treasures belong to the strong. That rule has never changed since ancient times. Let's fight."
Even Jiang Chen froze at those words.
From what he had heard others say, his impression of Shenji had been of an incomparably mysterious mastermind working behind the scenes, plotting across the ages and concealing his every move.
Yet the man had opened with, "Why waste words when we can fight?"
He was