Yunmeng Marsh.
Chen Baiqing's brows were tightly furrowed as she summarized the intelligence Wang Chuan and Li Zhuhua had brought back. Before her was a large sheet of paper, with intricate complex relationships connecting everything.
All these demons were within Yunmeng Marsh, rarely venturing outside. After going around in circles, they naturally knew most of each other.
Even the so-called Marsh God of Huaze Village was now on this relationship chart. The so-called Marsh God turned out to be nothing more than a mid-to-late Golden Core wild boar.
Cui Hao was also craning his neck to look at the relationship chart his senior sister had drawn. It detailed a bunch of insignificant figures and their approximate cultivation levels.
Lines indicated their relationships to each other, densely connected together. It was truly enough to make one's scalp tingle.
Sure enough, everyone had their own working style.
The Eldest Senior Sister's approach was basically—what's the point of calculating so carefully? One accident and half the plan is ruined. Just go up and test the waters first.
And that was when they weren't sure they could win. If they were sure they could win, the Eldest Senior Sister's plan would probably be—I'll go in first and lead the charge. You handle the cleanup.
In comparison, the Third Senior Sister's style was completely different.
Her approach was thorough in every detail, prepared for every contingency, starting from scratch. Only after mastering all information and confirming all intelligence would she choose to act.
She even started her probing from the most peripheral Golden Core boar demon.
And she was still somewhat hesitant, afraid of alerting the enemy.
Cui Hao, standing beside his senior sister and watching what she was doing, could naturally figure out Chen Baiqing's general thinking.
But many things, in Cui Hao's eyes, felt somewhat… over-prepared.
If the Eldest Senior Sister was reckless,
then the Third Senior Sister was the supremely, invincibly cautious immortal.
Caution was naturally a good thing. Cui Hao wasn't against being cautious.
But Cui Hao understood that his senior sister's sense of purpose would lead her to skim the surface of some things and turn a blind eye to others.
Cui Hao looked at the chart before him, then shifted his gaze to his senior sister and smiled:
"Senior Sister, these lines are drawn so densely. Can you actually remember them all?"
Chen Baiqing naturally replied:
"Of course I can."
"As expected of Senior Sister." Cui Hao casually praised her, then continued with a smile. "Are you planning to start with this boar demon?"
Chen Baiqing looked at Cui Hao and, without much hesitation, answered honestly:
"Not necessarily. I originally thought that the minimum cultivation for a demon to hold its ground outside Yunmeng Marsh would be Nascent Soul. I didn't expect a Golden Core to manage it too. It's much weaker than I anticipated."
"It could also be that Senior Sister is being too cautious." Cui Hao lightly pointed at the boar demon of Huaze Village. "Why not leave this boar demon to me, Senior Sister, while you scout for another suitable target?"
Chen Baiqing didn't answer, simply looking at Cui Hao quietly.
Cui Hao cleared his throat lightly, very naturally touched the Wanban at his waist, and then spoke:
"I'll handle it alone. It won't use up any of Senior Sister's manpower, and I'll report back regularly. If I do something wrong, Senior Sister can call a stop at any time."
"It's rare to come out on a mission. I should at least accomplish something. Otherwise, when we go back, Master will just laugh at me for being Senior Sister's little shadow."
Chen Baiqing looked down at the chart again, her tone calm:
"Yunmeng Marsh is full of dangers. As your senior sister, I can't just send you out alone."
"Bringing you back safely is my most important task."
Hearing this, Cui Hao naturally felt a warmth in his heart. The Third Senior Sister might not hold back when scolding him, but when it really mattered, she truly wouldn't abandon him.
However, he also had things he wanted to do.
Cui Hao cleared his throat loudly, drawing everyone's attention to him. He touched the Wanban at his waist again:
"Senior Wanban here can certainly protect me. Besides, I also have the care that Martial Uncle Xu gave me. If things go wrong, I might even be safer than you, Senior Sister."
Then, Cui Hao played his trump card:
"Senior Sister, it's fine if you don't trust me. But you can't not trust Master. Master personally told you to look at me with new eyes. You have to give your junior brother a chance."
Chen Baiqing sighed lightly at this, looking at Cui Hao with a helpless expression.
She believed she understood clearly what kind of person this Fifth Junior Brother was.
Cui Hao was probably planning to do something he didn't want her to know about and was trying to send her away.
But to dare to use their master as an excuse even after she had refused him…
Cui Hao might be unreliable most of the time, but he always had limits. To dare say something that so clearly challenged her bottom line…
Chen Baiqing wasn't angry. After a moment of silence, she pulled a protective magical treasure from her spatial ring and handed it to Cui Hao.
Cui Hao was stunned at this and instinctively reached out to take it.
Chen Baiqing returned her gaze to the chart and spoke softly:
"Go. You're my junior brother, after all. You should remember the most important rule in the sect regulations that Master drafted—still under revision, with only a few lines so far."
Cui Hao said with genuine emotion:
"Is it the one about safety being the sect's highest directive?"
Chen Baiqing's mouth curved into a smile:
"No."
"Huh?"
"It's: those who violate sect regulations will be penalized with ten Ten-Complete Great Tonifying Pills."
"Huh?!"
"You'd better protect your hair too. Otherwise, the Ten-Complete Great Tonifying Pills will protect it for you."
"Huh?!!"
"If you're scared, you don't have to go."
Cui Hao gritted his teeth and cupped his fists: "Just watch me perform, Senior Sister!"
Chen Baiqing nodded lightly.
Cui Hao no longer hesitated and turned to walk outside. But just as he reached the door, Chen Baiqing's voice came from behind him.
"Stay safe. I'll settle accounts with you when we get back."
Cui Hao's footsteps paused slightly, but he didn't stop, continuing outward while raising his hand and waving.
The Third Senior Sister had indeed seen through his plan, as expected.
But even though she saw through it, she still let him go do it.
At this moment, he felt an indescribable emotion in his heart.
Sure enough, their sect was truly one big family.
Lu Lingyi watched from the side as the two had a confusing exchange, and then saw the cautious and suspicious team leader actually send out the weakest member of the group, Cui Hao, to work alone.
Her expression showed slight hesitation, but perhaps the bond from the initial Cui Hao drinking party at Xuanqing Heavenly Sect had taken effect.
Lu Lingyi still asked:
"Team Leader, Cui Hao is…"
Chen Baiqing looked up: "Don't worry about him. If we're being honest, you might not even be able to beat him now."
Lu Lingyi looked skeptical:
"He's only at the Golden Core realm…"
Chen Baiqing replied calmly:
"He has a senior's great technique."
Lu Lingyi nodded, half-understanding.
Chen Baiqing stored the chart in her spatial ring:
"Let's go. We should act too. If we're not careful, my junior brother might finish everything himself, and then we'll be the ones getting scolded."
Lu Lingyi smiled at this:
"Cui Hao may have some ability, but finishing the job won't be easy."
Chen Baiqing smiled lightly:
"That's not necessarily true. Have you forgotten my junior brother's self-introduction?"
"He said he's a genius."
"Let's just wait and see."
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