"Chu Feng, you decide," said the Divine Deer.
"Alright."
Chu Feng agreed, turning his gaze toward the object in Long Zhuoyan's palm.
If it were left to him, then he would swallow this item.
The reasoning was simple. If the red-haired woman before him was truly the Long Zhuoyan the Divine Deer had heard of, then she was someone neither the Totem Dragon Clan nor he could afford to offend. Running away once was possible — but what about a second time?
Rather than make an enemy of her, it was better to take the risk and see if genuine goodwill could be forged.
"Little brother, why are you spacing out?"
"Getting scared, are we?"
Long Zhuoyan continued watching Chu Feng with her ever-present smile.
"Sister, this thing looks a little terrifying," Chu Feng replied with a smile of his own.
"Terrifying? Then it's supposed to be."
"Let me tell you, little brother — this item is related to Gu. If you swallow it, you must keep your word to me. If the day comes when I need your help and you refuse, this thing will take your life."
"And its toxicity is no joke. Anyone whose body isn't tough enough will drop dead the moment they swallow it."
"Everyone who has made a promise to me — your big sister here makes them all swallow one of these."
This red-haired woman was not one to beat around the bush. She explained the item's function outright.
And as she spoke, she kept watching Chu Feng with that same smile — only now, that smile sent a chill down his spine.
Old hag — that title was well earned.
But Chu Feng had long since steeled himself for this.
However, just as he was about to say he was willing to swallow it, the woman flicked her wrist and put the venomous thing away.
"But this is for dealing with outsiders. Little brother, you won't need to take one."
The red-haired woman's smile turned playful at that moment, and when she saw the stunned look on Chu Feng's face, it only deepened.
She was clearly toying with him.
But this was the kind of teasing Chu Feng wouldn't mind more of — after all, it spared him the suffering.
"Then, Sister — what about the Totem Dragon Clan?" Chu Feng probed cautiously. Their safety was what concerned him most at this moment.
"I'll let it go. I'll be waiting for you to do me a big favor in the future."
"But for now, there's a small favor — little brother wouldn't refuse, would you?" the red-haired woman said.
"This woman is crossing the line, isn't she?" Egg Dragon grumbled, clearly displeased.
She had found the red-haired woman quite attractive, but no matter how she calculated it, this arrangement was a raw deal for Chu Feng.
And after that woman had just produced such a terrifying item, Egg Dragon's impression of her had plummeted.
"Egg Dragon, this one is no ordinary person. Doing a small favor isn't a loss. Leaving a good impression would be a huge win."
Chu Feng quickly gave Egg Dragon a brief account of what the Divine Deer had told him.
"Are you serious? A top-tier Spirit World Master from the ancient era?"
Hearing this, Egg Dragon reevaluated the stunningly alluring red-haired woman before her.
Seeing that Chu Feng remained silent, the red-haired woman dropped her smile. "Is little brother having second thoughts?"
"Of course not. Not at all — please, go ahead, Sister," Chu Feng replied quickly.
"Young people should know this: the predecessors, in order to prevent all the treasures they left behind from being monopolized by powerful factions of later generations, placed restrictions in many locations — only the young may enter."
"For newcomers like you, that's obviously a blessing. You don't need connections or backing; as long as you have real ability, you can reap the rewards."
"But for those of us who've been around a while, it's rather troublesome."
"And your big sister here wants something — but I can't get to it myself."
"Even though I've stayed in this place all along, I still know a thing or two about how the martial cultivation world works."
"You are the strongest young cultivator of the current era, and some of your friends are among the finest of your generation."
"This task requires six young cultivators, so pick five more of your peers and we can set off," the red-haired woman said.
"Me, Wang Qiang, Xianhai Yu'er, Xianhai Shaoyu, Long Chengyu, Long Muxi — that makes six," Chu Feng said.
"Just those few outside? You don't want to pick anyone else?" the red-haired woman asked.