The Pastoral Life of a Cultivation Master

Chapter 3067 Exploring Further
Qian Ying sensed that Zhou Zixing seemed to have some ulterior motives towards Ouyang Nan's team, though not much, but she could still feel it.

So what exactly is Zhou Zixing up to? Does Ouyang Nan and his group have some connection with the Zhou family? Or did his Zhou family and the Ouyang family have some kind of shady deal before they came here?

While it's not certain, it's not impossible either.

However, Zhou Zixing's heart trembled at the thought of Chen Mo, but he couldn't tell Qian Ying. He was worried about nothing else but that young Chen Mo. If he provoked him too much, he would definitely be in deep trouble.

Although Chen Mo was far away and seemed unable to hear the conversation between the two, there was something on his back that was constantly watching him.

Last time, in the hilly area, Qian Ying suggested that Ouyang Nan explore the canyon area. Since it was difficult to object at the time, and it was a decision made by everyone, and Zhou Zixing didn't say much, it was all brushed off.

Even if Chen Mo wanted to blame Zhou Zixing, it would be impossible. After all, this wasn't his suggestion or his decision.

But this time is different. If he and Qian Ying make a decision, Chen Mo will definitely hold a grudge against him and might send him away at any time.

Moreover, one of the girls in Ouyang Nan's team has a close relationship with that young man named Li Mo; it's obvious they're lovers. If this team goes to explore the bridge and something happens, and that girl gets injured or killed, I'll be in great danger.

Although others might not know what would happen, he was sure to be the first one to die. At this moment, Zhou Zixing felt an unbearable itch on the lump on his back, and even wanted to scratch it, which constantly reminded him that he was under someone else's control.

Damn it, why am I so unlucky? I escaped from the nursery from a different direction, which is why I got separated from Qian Ying. If I hadn't separated from Qian Ying, none of this would have happened. Or, if I had switched places with Qian Ying, I could have left the nursery from the front while she jumped down from the back, and then she would have met Chen Mo.

Naturally, everything that happened to me will be borne by Qian Ying. Perhaps at this moment, she will also be here nagging me, discussing an exploration mission and having to think things through.

Damn it, if it weren't for that itch on his back, he wouldn't be worried about Ouyang Nan's exploration or suicide. It's not like it's him or a descendant of the family, why worry so much? His current concerns are because he's worried about himself.

Therefore, it's best not to involve Ouyang Nan's team in this adventure. Qian Ying and I should be fine exploring the bridge ourselves.

Therefore, after thinking about it, Zhou Zixing said, "Elder Qian, you see, exploring along the iron chain bridge is quite dangerous due to the unknown. Besides, the strange beasts in this lake all have innate strength. If, in addition to the two strange beasts that have submitted to us, other strange beasts come up from the bottom of the lake halfway there, then the exploration team will definitely be in danger."

I think it would be better if we both cultivated and recovered a bit before embarking on the exploration mission. That way, if we encounter any strange beasts or other dangerous situations, we can handle them calmly.

This statement made a lot of sense, but it only made Qian Ying more certain that Zhou Zixing was definitely related to Ouyang Nan of the Ouyang family.

"Elder Zhou, do you have any connection with the Ouyang family?" Qian Ying asked directly when she saw Zhou Zixing's hesitation.

Sometimes, a single question can reveal a great deal. Of course, this is based on strength; only someone like Qian Ying, whose strength allows him to disregard other innate masters, would dare to ask directly. If it were anyone else, they would need to consider whether Zhou Zixing would become enraged or simply ignore them.

"Haha, Elder Qian, you're joking. My Zhou family is in the southwest, while the Ouyang family is in the northwest, thousands of miles apart, and we basically have no connection. So there's no connection with the Ouyang family at all. It's just that considering the strength of the team members, I thought it would be better for you and me to complete the exploration." Zhou Zixing explained with a dry laugh.

Qian Ying listened, but sensed that Zhou Zixing was trying to cover something up. He couldn't understand it; even if there was a connection, it wasn't a big deal. If there was a connection, offering some assistance wouldn't be a problem, but Zhou Zixing seemed to be desperately trying to conceal something.

It seems that Zhou Zixing is hiding something, and I must be more careful about this in the future.

Seeing that Qian Ying had been thinking for a while without replying, Zhou Zixing asked again, "Elder Qian, what do you think of my suggestion?"

Qian Ying initially wanted to agree, but considering the other martial artists and the ever-present dangers in the valley, and also the persistent grudge against Li Mo, he decided to stick to his decision.

"Elder Zhou, under other circumstances, what you said makes sense. And it wouldn't be a big problem for you and me to deal with the strange beast. But right now, we're both already exhausted. Moreover, we don't know if there are other dangers lurking in this lake. And among the entire martial arts team, you and I are the strongest. What if the team is attacked after we leave?"
"We are responsible for the majority, not just the minority. Besides, sometimes necessary sacrifices are unavoidable, as long as the safety of the majority is guaranteed. Therefore, I still believe that sending Ouyang Nan's team to explore is the safest approach," Qian Ying said firmly.

"This..." Zhou Zixing was genuinely at a loss for words, feeling like he wanted to say something but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Moreover, if he continued, Qian Ying might become suspicious, so he hesitated again. How could he put it? You've already said it—ensuring the interests of the majority while sacrificing the minority is acceptable, and Zhou Zixing agreed—but the crucial point was that he couldn't say it like that.

After waiting a moment, Qian Ying asked Zhou Zixing again, "Elder Zhou, what do you think?"

Zhou Zixing didn't know what to say, so he could only wave his hand and say, "Elder Qian, it's up to you."

This time, he still chose to avoid the issue. Since he couldn't refuse, he decided to shift all the blame onto Qian Ying, so that at least he could have an explanation when Chen Mo questioned him later.

Besides, Chen Mo also said that as long as he wasn't contacted, he should continue as usual and make decisions based on his own position.

Sigh, if something happens to Ouyang Nan's team, I definitely won't be able to escape.

"Don't worry, Elder Zhou. There are also martial artists from my Qian family in Ouyang Nan's team. In fact, I also attach great importance to their safety." Qian Ying comforted Zhou Zixing.

But in his heart, he was thinking that if he could exchange one of the Qian family's eight-level Acquired Realm martial artists for two ten-level Acquired Realm martial artists, that would be an absolutely worthwhile deal.

In Qian Ying's eyes, Qian Zhenghao was just a consumable item. As long as he could bring enough benefits, Qian Ying would just consume him. After all, the Qian family had plenty of such minor martial artists.

After the two finished their discussion on the bridge, Zhou Zixing suggested that they go back first to meditate and cultivate to restore their strength.

After all, both of them had already exhausted themselves, and if they didn't recover in time, there would be a problem if something dangerous happened. So Qian Ying nodded in agreement and told him to hurry up and recover.

Zhou Zixing immediately walked to a spot more than 300 meters away, found Zhou Ke and the others, asked them to protect him, and then meditated to recover his strength.

In fact, Zhou Zixing's hasty departure was simply a way to shift the blame. After all, only Qian Ying could assign the exploration mission later, and Zhou Zixing wanted to avoid directly facing Ouyang Nan and his group. This way, he could also show Chen Mo that he hadn't been too involved in these matters, and that it was all Qian Ying's doing.

The main point is to avoid things if possible, and if it's unavoidable, then shift the blame. Although Zhou Zixing is already old and nearing the end of his life, he still wants to live a little longer.

Qian Ying didn't realize Zhou Zixing was shifting the blame. She thought it was because he had repeatedly suggested that the two of them, both experts of the Innate Realm, explore the area, but Zhou Zixing hadn't agreed to the suggestion and insisted that Ouyang Nan explore instead, which made Qian Ying a little unhappy.

After calling Qian Wantong over, he asked him to find Ouyang Nan.

Qian Ying wants to recover as soon as possible, but he has to postpone it slightly because he has to assign tasks.

After Ouyang Nan arrived, Qian Ying explained the preliminary exploration task, instructing Ouyang Nan to cross the iron chain bridge to the other side and explore the area.

"Oh, right! Also, if your team reaches the other side and it's safe, stand on the bridge and use the warning lights on your flashlights to let me know. Also, if there's no danger, you guys don't need to rush back. Explore the other side a bit more, preferably extending it further. That way, we'll have a safe area to rest after we cross the lake."

“Okay.” Ouyang Nan nodded in agreement. This decision was correct. After all, once they got through, they would naturally need to explore the surrounding area to gather more information. If they discovered any danger, Qian Ying and the others could prepare in time.

However, this decision was naturally very unfavorable to Ouyang Nan and his group. If Ouyang Nan hadn't known that Chen Mo was not a post-natal martial artist but a pre-natal martial artist, he would have thought twice before agreeing.

"Also, if there's no danger, you can rest on the other side tonight and return early tomorrow morning to report on the situation there," Qian Ying added.

“This…” Ouyang Nan was reluctant to agree. Was this order a bit too much to ask? What if there was any danger at night? How would they deal with it?