One person: Senior brother Zhang Zhiwei, the Celestial Master begged me to descend the mountain.

The air at the mouth of the canyon seemed to freeze, with only a nauseating, sour stench swirling in the wind.

That's a unique chemical reaction that occurs when stomach acid mixes with undigested, highly concentrated qi (vital energy) and comes into contact with air. It smells as pungent as if you've poured an entire bottle of strong toilet cleaner into a stale garbage can.

"vomit--"

Barron lay on the ground, his hands digging into the rubble with all his might, his fingernails peeling off and bleeding profusely.

But he seemed to feel no pain at all, mechanically opening his mouth wide, his chest heaving violently, emitting a hissing sound like a broken bellows.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Wang Zhenqiu pinched his nose, held his phone in his other hand, turned on the flash, and took a 360-degree snapshot of the muddy puddle on the ground, Baron.

Click!Click!

The stark white light of the flashbulbs frequently illuminated Barron's pale, tear-streaked face in the darkness.

"Look, everyone, come and see!"

While dribbling, Wang Zhenqiu, as if strolling through a zoo, gently nudged Baron's calf with his toe:

"This is the legendary foreigner Barron."

"A top-tier hunter in the international mercenary world with a bounty of up to nine figures, a fearsome invisible reaper."

"Now it's lying here vomiting milk, like a stray dog ​​with an upset stomach."

Wang Zhenqiu brought his phone close to Barron's face, the light from the screen causing Barron to instinctively squint.

"Hey, old ghost, looks like the food from the East isn't to your liking?"

Barron was too weak to answer.

He felt as if his internal organs had been burned, and his stomach, which he was once proud of and could devour everything, was now spasming like a knotted rope.

"Alright."

A detached voice rang out, interrupting Wang Zhenqiu's wicked musings.

Zhang Taichu stood three meters away, a twig he had broken off at some point, and was gently brushing the dust off his trousers.

He frowned slightly, his free hand covering his nose, his eyes full of disdain.

"Stop playing."

"It stinks!"

Upon hearing this sound, Barron, who was still convulsing on the ground, suddenly stiffened.

The fear that came from the depths of his soul made him even temporarily forget the excruciating pain in his body.

He struggled to lift his head, his vision blurred as he looked at the young figure standing in the moonlight.

The other party made no move whatsoever, not even glancing at him.

But he felt as if an invisible blade was hanging over his neck, ready to fall at any moment.

"Stop playing dead."

Zhang Taichu threw away the branch in his hand and slowly took a step forward.

This is just one step.

Barron's muscles tensed instantly, a primal reaction of the body when facing extreme danger.

"You have three seconds."

Zhang Taichu looked down at him, his gaze as calm as if he were looking at an ant.

Give me a reason not to kill you.

"three."

There was no preamble, no unnecessary words.

The countdown to death begins immediately.

The temperature in the air seemed to drop to freezing point in that instant.

Barron's pupils contracted sharply, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and he made a dry, gurgling sound.

He could tell that the other person wasn't joking.

Behind that indifferent tone lay absolute killing intent.

If he couldn't give a satisfactory answer within three seconds, the young man would crush his head without hesitation, just as easily as crushing those alchemical missiles.

"two."

Zhang Taichu's voice remained steady, even carrying a hint of languor.

He slowly raised his right foot.

That seemingly ordinary cloth shoe with its layered soles, in Baron's eyes, now resembled the scythe of death.

Barron was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

Under the pressure of life and death, the brain worked at high speed, and the thoughts that were just about to explode from being stretched by energy became clearer than ever before.

The will to survive triumphed over everything.

"Qu Tong!!!"

Just as Zhang Taichu's lips moved slightly, about to utter that one word...

Baron used the last of his strength to roar out the name with all his might.

"Qu Tong sent me!!"

"The president of the Shining Star Society!! He's also a successor of the Dual-Handed Technique!!"

Zhang Taichu's raised foot stopped half an inch from Baron's head.

A gust of wind swept by, ruffling Baron's full head of silver hair; a few strands broke off and drifted into the air.

"Oh?"

Zhang Taichu withdrew his foot, a playful smile curving his lips:

"Go on."

Baron gasped for breath, feeling as if he had just escaped death.

He dared not pause for even a moment, speaking at an extremely fast pace, for fear that if he slowed down even a second, his head would roll on the ground:

"She...she gave me a lot of money and provided this equipment."

There are only two tasks.

"First, intercept and kill all the strange people who try to enter Tongtian Valley in the Qinling Mountains, especially... especially the people from Longhu Mountain."

"second……"

Baron swallowed hard, his eyes darting around, but under Zhang Taichu's icy gaze, he could only steel himself and say:

"Secondly, we need to find what Wugensheng left behind... that thing."

"She said that thing can change a person's perception; it is... it is the core of the perfect body-cultivating furnace."

Upon hearing the words "body-cultivation furnace".

Zhang Chulan and Zhuge Qing, who had been watching the show from the back, both changed their expressions at the same time.

"It really was that crazy woman!"

Zhang Chulan gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked:

"Even after Ma Xianhong was arrested, she still hasn't given up and wants to mess with that damn furnace again?"

"Change your perception..."

Wang Ye stroked his chin, his brows furrowed:

"If she really gets her hands on something like that, combined with her dual skills, then probably no one in this world could possibly stand against her."

"At that point, turning whom into whom will be as simple as snapping her fingers, won't it?"

Wang Zhenqiu whistled, his face showing an expression that suggested he was enjoying the show.

"Wow, this is a huge surprise!"

"Yaoxing Society is a legitimate media outlet; who knew it was actually a terrorist organization behind the scenes?"

"If this gets out, President Qu's fans will probably cry themselves to sleep in the bathroom."

Zhang Taichu did not show much surprise at this.

He stood with his hands in his pockets, looking at the still-shaken Barron on the ground, his eyes revealing a calm indifference that suggested he had seen through everything.

"That's all?"

Zhang Taichu raised an eyebrow:

"I had already guessed these things."

"If this is all the information you can provide, then I'll keep you..."

"It's pretty much useless now, isn't it?"

As he spoke, he lifted his foot again.

"No!! Don't kill me!!"

Barron trembled with fear, bracing himself on the ground with his hands and desperately trying to move his body backward.

"I'm still useful!! I'm still useful!!"

"I know the Qinling Mountains' terrain very well!! I've scouted this place before!!"

"And...and I am the successor of the Six Treasures Immortal Thief!!"

"I'm very sensitive to scents!! I can act as your scout!! I can help you find your way!!"

"I'll do anything as long as you don't kill me!!"

Baron had completely abandoned his dignity at this point.

What international tycoon, what top assassin?

Faced with absolute power, what does it matter if you're a dog as long as you can survive?

Moreover, the experience of almost being stuffed to death had left him with an indelible psychological shadow on this young man.

He can't even think about resisting now; just seeing Zhang Taichu raise his hand makes his stomach clench.

Zhang Taichu paused slightly as he looked at Baron's groveling and begging appearance.

He turned his head and looked at Zhang Chulan and the others beside him:

What do you think?

Zhang Chulan paused for a moment, then touched his nose and said somewhat awkwardly:

"Um... Uncle-Master, although this foreigner is quite hateful."

"But his skill in concealing his presence is truly remarkable."

"Who knows what traps or obstacles lie ahead? Having someone with thick skin and tough skin to hold them off... that's not bad, is it?"

Wang Ye nodded and yawned.

"really."

"My body is weak. If I were to suffer a few more of those sneak attacks, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to withstand it."

"Having a professional human shield makes things much easier."

Wang Zhenqiu approached with a grin, a rope now in his hand.

"Master Dao, I think it'll work!"

"It would be such a waste to kill such a useful tool."

"And I'm quite interested in studying his Six Treasuries Immortal Thief technique; I can use it as practice along the way."

Listening to these people discussing how to use themselves as tools, meat shields, or even experimental guinea pigs, as if no one else was around.

Barron felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

But he dared not utter a single complaint, and could only watch Zhang Taichu expectantly, awaiting the final verdict.

Zhang Taichu remained silent for a moment.

His gaze swept over Barron from head to toe, as if he were assessing the value of a commodity.

"Alright."

Zhang Taichu withdrew his gaze and uttered two words calmly.

Upon hearing this, Barron collapsed to the ground, the exhaustion from surviving the ordeal nearly causing him to faint.

"Thank you... thank you so much for sparing my life, Daoist Master..."

however.

He hadn't finished expressing his gratitude.

"but."

Zhang Taichu suddenly pinched his nose, took two steps back, and frowned deeply.

"You smell really pungent."

"The vomit smelled of blood, and it made me want to vomit."

He pointed to the dark pool of water not far away.

It was a pool of water, not large, but it looked very deep. The water shimmered with a cold, eerie light under the moonlight, indicating that the temperature was extremely low.

"go."

Zhang Taichu raised his chin:

"Wash yourself clean."

"If you don't wash yourself properly, don't come within five meters of me."

Barron paused for a moment, looking at the still chilly pool of water, then at his combat suit covered in various unidentified liquids.

"Yes...yes! I'll go right away!"

He dared not utter a single word of dissent.

Despite the excruciating pain and weakness in his body, Baron scrambled to his feet and stumbled toward the pool.

Pfft!

A muffled thud.

Water splashed everywhere.

Baron jumped straight into the icy cold pool.

"hiss--"

A bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped his entire body, making him shiver and his teeth chatter.

But he didn't dare come up at all. He could only desperately scrub the filth off his body in the water, and while washing, he would occasionally look up at Zhang Taichu on the shore, afraid that this man might suddenly change his mind.

"Tsk."

Wang Zhenqiu stood on the shore, looking at the disheveled figure in the water, and couldn't help but sigh:

"That's terrible."

"A dignified successor of the Eight Extraordinary Skills has actually fallen into such a state."

"If word gets out, who would dare to practice this thing in the future?"

Zhang Taichu ignored Wang Zhenqiu's sentiments.

He turned around, his gaze fixed on the even deeper darkness in the depths of the canyon.

That place is the deepest part of the Qinling Mountains.

This is also the true secret of Wugensheng.

"Pack up."

Zhang Taichu's voice sounded exceptionally clear in the night breeze:

"With this dog leading the way, the rest of the journey should be much easier."

"That crazy woman wants that thing."

"Then I'll let her keep a close eye on things."

"Some things are not for a rat like her who only knows how to hide in the gutter to touch."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chulan and the others became serious.

They knew that the real show was just beginning.

A few minutes later.

A figure, soaking wet and with lips turning purple from the cold, crawled out of the pool.

Barron had already taken off his tattered combat uniform, leaving him in only a thin vest, revealing his strong but scarred upper body.

He walked shakily to a spot five meters behind Zhang Taichu and bowed respectfully.

"Dao... Daoist Master..."

"It's...washed clean..."

Zhang Taichu glanced back at him.

Although it still looked as wretched as ever, at least the nauseating sour smell had lessened considerably.

"lead the way."

Zhang Taichu tossed out two words, put his hands in his pockets, and walked straight ahead.

"Okay! Alright!"

Barron felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly ran to the front of the line.

At this moment, he was no longer the arrogant man he once was.

His submissive demeanor was even more attentive than the most professional tour guide.