svetikya 701. Advance payment
701. Advance payment
"These are just guesses. You said your destination is extremely secluded, and no one would ever discover it. But how could a mere Dou Zun elder like you know such secret information?"
"In other words, if any Dou Zun powerhouse in the Yan Clan knew about this place, then it wouldn't be secretive at all, and it would probably have already been found by the Soul Palace."
"I see." Yan Chao nodded in agreement; it was indeed a flaw in his words. However, he had no choice at the time. He hadn't lied about the crisis the Soul Palace had presented him with. If Xiao Yan hadn't protected them, the danger level of their trip would have skyrocketed. Under the pressure of the Soul Palace's pursuit, in order to secure the escort of this incredibly powerful ally, he had indeed intended to mislead Xiao Yan, hoping to dispel his doubts with the promise of "absolute secrecy and safety."
"If I don't get a satisfactory answer today, I will leave immediately," Xiao Yan said bluntly. He disliked being schemed against, even though he was worried about Huo Zhi's safety. Even without Yan Chao's help, he had a high probability of obtaining information about Huo Zhi through the Soul Palace's channels. It would just be more dangerous and troublesome that way.
"Young friend Xiao Yan guessed correctly. My biggest mission in going to Luo City is not actually to escort these two children."
A glint flashed in Yan Chao's eyes, a composed look born of long-held high position. He was definitely not an ordinary member of the Yan Clan. "Within the Yan Clan, my duty is to collect, store, and distribute all the clan's precious herbs and medicinal materials. Eight or nine out of ten herbs needed for disciples' cultivation and elders' alchemy must pass through my hands."
"That stronghold in Luo City," Yan Chao continued, "is extremely well-hidden. It was established by an elder who had long since faded from the clan's view. It is our clan's last secret escape route in the face of annihilation. Its location information is only known to a very few top core elders and core stewards like myself who are in charge of supplies, just to ensure its absolute safety and secrecy."
He looked at Xiao Yan with a sincere gaze: "Therefore, while my previous statement that it was absolutely safe was an exaggeration and misleading, it wasn't entirely nonsense. At least, the Soul Palace shouldn't have grasped this secret line yet."
Xiao Yan didn't speak, but nodded slightly, indicating that he should get to the point.
"And what I took with me when I escaped was most of the core reserves under my control. In particular, all the top-grade rare medicinal materials used to treat severe injuries, restore the essence of a Dou Sheng powerhouse, and even refine ninth-grade pills were taken out!" Yan Chao's voice carried a hint of relief and lingering fear.
Xiao Yan gasped upon hearing this. The value and quantity of the reserves taken away by the steward of a Dou Di descendant family after the extermination of the clan were enough to drive any force to madness!
"My most important mission on this trip is to safely deliver these medicinal herbs to the stronghold in Los Angeles!"
"Why rush to send all your belongings at this time?" Xiao Yan pressed, needing a clearer reason.
"Because someone needs it!" Yan Chao said resolutely, a faint glimmer of hope burning in his eyes. "I am certain that after that fierce battle, there are several core members of our clan with extremely high status, who bear the hopes of the future. With the protection of Dou Sheng or even stronger elders at the cost of their lives, they have a great chance of breaking through successfully..."
Yan Chao paused, not mentioning Huo Zhi's name directly, but his meaning was clear: "Among them, there must be someone severely injured, their vital essence depleted, urgently needing these top-grade medicinal herbs in my possession to save their lives. Perhaps even to leave a possibility for the Yan Clan to reignite their flame in the darkness of the future!" His tone was firm and left no room for doubt.
This concerns the survival of our community!
He looked at Xiao Yan: "I can't contact them, and I can't for safety reasons. The only thing I can do is gamble!"
"I'm betting they'll find a way to reach this most secret escape route, I'm betting they'll get to Los Angeles! I must get these life-saving items there before the Soul Temple truly discovers this hidden network! Even if they don't get there, the Soul Temple must never get their hands on these things!"
Having finished speaking in one breath, Yan Chao seemed to have exhausted all his strength, breathing slightly heavily as he nervously watched Xiao Yan. Although Huo Zhi had said that Xiao Yan was absolutely trustworthy, what he possessed now was too important, and he had to gamble that Xiao Yan wouldn't change his mind in the face of such value.
He was also extremely nervous, because if Xiao Yan showed any abnormality, he would simply destroy these things, so as not to let the Soul Clan or others benefit from them!
Xiao Yan offered no response, and Yan Chao's heart pounded in his chest. He could clearly feel the invisible pressure emanating from Xiao Yan's silence. The young man's calmness and meticulousness far exceeded his expectations. He knew that this seemingly righteous explanation alone was probably not enough to completely regain his trust.
After a moment of intense internal struggle, Yan Chao finally gritted his teeth: He had to offer a sufficiently heavy weight!
"Young friend Xiao Yan!" Yan Chao broke the silence. "We agreed from the beginning that you would protect us all the way, and I will certainly offer you a satisfactory reward afterward!"
Xiao Yan's gaze returned to his face.
Yan Chao met Xiao Yan's gaze with a decisive air, almost like "paying for peace," as if to completely turn the page on their previous concealment: "Now that this trouble has arisen because of my deliberate concealment, fine! We don't need to wait until after the fact!"
He abruptly raised his hand and reached for his waist—the movement was fluid and concealed, clearly prepared beforehand—and a dark red metal storage ring with an ancient design and intricate flame runes engraved on its surface was tightly gripped in his palm. The unique Flame Clan emblem seemed to flow with flames in the dim light.
"I will now deliver on part of the reward I promised!" Yan Chao said decisively, without further hesitation.
"As long as you, young friend Xiao Yan, have any needs related to alchemy," he emphasized the word "any," "whether it's special auxiliary ingredients for refining ordinary pills, or main and auxiliary ingredients needed for refining grade nine precious pills, you can simply ask. As long as the materials are still available, I, on behalf of the Yan Clan, will do my utmost to fulfill your needs! Absolutely no questions asked!"
In order to ensure the safe delivery of this batch of medicinal herbs that was crucial to the survival of the clan, and in order to regain the trust of this key bodyguard, Yan Chao offered the most compelling offer to Xiao Yan—a family's entire reserve of medicinal herbs!
Upon hearing about the medicinal materials needed to refine a ninth-grade pill, Xiao Yan was instantly tempted!
He really needed these things, not for himself, but for Elder Yao!
The matter of Yao Lao's resurrection was the heaviest burden on Xiao Yan's mind. However, with his own power skyrocketing, his soul unexpectedly entering the Heavenly Realm, and fusing with four different flames, including the Red Lotus Karmic Flame, Yao Lao's initial resurrection plan was clearly insufficient. What Xiao Yan wanted was the best for his teacher—a perfect resurrection that far exceeded expectations!