"Ah?" Upon hearing that the plan was to lure Ding Rong over, a flicker of fear appeared in Zhang Laosan's eyes.
"What? Is there a problem?" Jiang Chen's expression turned cold.
"You... Senior Brother Ding... is with Elder. It's very hard to lure him out alone."
"What if the temptation were Heaven Grade spiritual medicine?" Jiang Chen asked calmly.
Zhang Laosan froze, then suddenly said, "If I can lure Senior Brother Ding here, are you certain you'll spare my life?"
For a minor character like this, killing or sparing him made little difference. Jiang Chen knew that if he wanted Zhang Laosan to throw himself into this task, he had to give some tangible promise.
Moreover, if Zhang Laosan lured Ding Rong over, he would become a traitor to the Leiyin Sect. Whether or not Jiang Chen killed him had absolutely no bearing on the bigger picture.
At this thought, Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "I can swear a Heaven and Earth Oath to never kill you. But you must remember — if the mission fails..."
Zhang Laosan gritted his teeth. "I understand. In the end, whether I live or die depends entirely on whether I can lure Senior Brother Ding Rong here."
"Smart," Jiang Chen said with a faint smile.
"I want your Heaven and Earth Oath — if I bring Senior Brother Ding Rong here, not only must you not kill me, but you also have to give me the antidote."
"Rest assured. If I don't intend to kill you, I won't break my word. However, to keep my plan from being exposed, you'll need to find a corner and hide for a few months."
"Fine." Zhang Laosan had steeled his resolve.
The two struck a deal, and Jiang Chen used the Heaven and Earth Oath to ease Zhang Laosan's mind. Upon hearing the oath, Zhang Laosan was suddenly filled with determination.
Though he feared death, he was a clever man and knew that his survival hinged entirely on this one act.
Jiang Chen then turned to Huang'er. "Let's change our appearances first. We'll impersonate those two."
Huang'er was a master of disguise, and Jiang Chen was no slouch in that regard either — he had impersonated Mu Gaoqi and deceived the entire Myriad Phenomena Assembly, so this task was far from difficult for them.
Soon, Jiang Chen had transformed into the Senior Brother Hua who had been devoured by Little Xuan the Dragon.
And Huang'er became that Senior Brother Feng.
"Zhang Laosan, go find Ding Rong right now and tell him we've found a clue to some Heaven Grade spiritual medicine. Whether you can lure Ding Rong out alone depends entirely on your own ability. Remember — stay sharp. If things are exposed, not even the gods will be able to save your miserable life."
Jiang Chen reiterated his warning.
Zhang Laosan struggled to compose himself, trying his best to calm down.
"Send me out."
After Zhang Laosan was sent out, he labored to settle his emotions before dashing toward the camp. Along the way, many patrol squads spotted him but didn't bother to check his identity.
After all, they were all on the same side — there was nothing to investigate.
Zhang Laosan returned to the camp, but given his rank, he actually wasn't important enough to request an audience with Ding Rong.
However, he was a subordinate of Senior Brother Hua and could act as Hua's representative. By invoking Senior Brother Hua's name, he quickly secured a meeting with Ding Rong.
Ding Rong, ranked among the top three young geniuses of the Leiyin Sect, held an extraordinarily high position.
"Zhang Laosan? If I recall correctly, you should be on patrol right now. What are you doing here?" Ding Rong looked refined and scholarly on the outside, but every word and gesture already carried the authority of a man accustomed to command.
Zhang Laosan glanced furtively at the fellow sect members around Ding Rong and chuckled obsequiously. "Senior Brother Ding, I have a matter I'd like to report to you privately."
Ding Rong, with his red lips, white teeth, and air of a dashing young noble, frowned upon hearing this.
The powerful fighters beside him barked, "Zhang Laosan, stop being so sneaky. If you have something to say, say it openly. Senior Brother Ding's time is precious — he doesn't have time to waste on your nonsense."
Zhang Laosan simply plastered on an apologetic grin. "Senior Brother Ding, I was sent here by Senior Brother Hua. This matter is of great importance, and Senior Brother Hua instructed me to report it in private."
Ding Rong cast a deep look at Zhang Laosan. Though Zhang Laosan's manner was somewhat furtive, given his meager courage and ability, it was obviously impossible for him to harbor any ill intent toward Ding Rong.
He waved his hand, signaling the others to withdraw.
"Zhang Laosan, if Ding discovers that you're wasting my time, you know the consequences," Ding Rong warned coolly.
Once everyone else had left, Zhang Laosan lowered his voice. "Senior Brother Ding, I was on patrol just now with Senior Brother Hua and Senior Brother Feng when we accidentally discovered a spiritual medicine that appears to be Heaven Grade. Senior Brother Hua didn't dare make a final judgment, so..."
"What did you say?" Ding Rong's expression shifted dramatically. Heaven Grade spiritual medicine! He knew exactly what that meant!
Even the Sect Master of the Leiyin Sect might not possess a single stalk of Heaven Grade spiritual medicine!
Only those titled Emperors were qualified to use Heaven Grade spiritual medicine!
Zhang Laosan's acting was superb — he stepped closer, his face grave. "That spiritual medicine is sealed by some kind of force. Senior Brother Hua tried as well, but he was always just short of success. He sent me back to report, and I... I had a bit of a selfish motive. Instead of going directly to Elder, I came to... to tell you, Senior Brother Ding, personally."
Ding Rong listened and roughly understood.
This Zhang Laosan was trying to curry favor with him, which was why he'd come to report the information privately. He wanted to use this Heaven Grade intel to ingratiate himself.
As one of the sect's three great prodigies, Ding Rong held extremely high status. For someone of Zhang Laosan's lowly standing, there was normally no way to get close to him.
In that moment, Ding Rong was about seventy or eighty percent convinced.
"Who else knows about this?" Ding Rong asked gravely.
"Senior Brother Hua and Senior Brother Feng know, but they're both staying at the site and don't dare leave. They only sent me back to fetch reinforcements. I figured that if this Heaven Grade spiritual medicine falls into someone else's hands, it would be far better for one of our Leiyin Sect's top geniuses to claim it. So..."
Ding Rong was a shrewd man himself and understood that Zhang Laosan was trying to claim credit. He clapped Zhang Laosan on the shoulder. "You've done well. If this succeeds, I will certainly not forget your contribution."