"Young friend Qing, you really are exceedingly cautious."
Seeing Qing Chen return after refining the magnetic light, Abbot Hanshan rolled the string of blackwood prayer beads in his hand and teased him with a smile.
His gaze lightly swept over the faint aura of Corpse Refining on Qing Chen, and the smile at the corner of his mouth grew a little more pronounced.
An early third tier refined corpse, a trump card? That hardly counted as anything rare.
Hearing this, Qing Chen lowered his head slightly and gently brushed the magnetic sand from his clothes, saying with a wry smile, "Master, you have no idea.
"All these years, I've been fighting tooth and nail against those people from Lesser Cold Temple and the Eight Serpent Sect on the front lines. I've seen more arrows from the shadows, poison curses, and surprise attacks than there are grains of this magnetic sand. I can't afford not to be cautious.
"This position of deputy sect master is, frankly, a job where I stand at the front as everyone's target.
"I haven't reaped many benefits, but flashing blades, Divine Abilities, and spells are things I have to face every day.
"When I close my eyes to sleep at night, I instinctively feel my neck to check that it's still there, afraid that once I close my eyes, I'll never see the next day's sun."
After hearing him out, Hanshan wound the prayer beads around his wrist, slammed his monk's staff against the magnetic rock, and said gravely:
"Once we kill Huan Chan, then go out and raze Lesser Cold Temple, Xuanji True Lord will surely credit you with the foremost contribution.
"He'll certainly reward you handsomely then. Your future will be bright.
"With your abilities, who in the Condensed Jade Sect would dare not