Jiang Zuo's words were coarse, but he was afraid they wouldn't understand if he wasn't.
He couldn't use spiritual pressure to intimidate them. What kind of pressure could he possibly muster with a cultivation of 1.1?
The two people inside were both at Tier Two Cultivation.
A man and a woman in their early twenties sat in the conference room. Neither of them looked pleased, and their expressions soured even more when they looked at Jiang Zuo.
They hadn't noticed it before, but it was clear now. The man's cultivation was a paltry 1.1.
'Someone with a 1.1 dares to be this arrogant?'
'Where does he get the nerve?'
If they weren't in such desperate need of two people, they would have never considered him.
But the people they needed couldn't have high cultivation—and preferably be Loose Cultivators—so they had no choice but to come here to look.
'Otherwise, with cultivation like theirs, how could they possibly be worthy of taking on their commission?'
But regardless, they had to accept this arrogant man, because there was no one else available in the marketing department.
They suspected Jiang Ran had done it on purpose. Why else would he send these two rookies just to fill the quota?
'Perhaps he's noticed something.'
Jiang Zuo and Ximen Linglong sat down, waiting to see what kind of commission the pair would offer.
"Outside Jiang City, there's a river. On the other side of that river is a patch of woods. Inside the woods, there's a wooden cabin, and inside that cabin is a Spiritual Talisman. We need your assistance in retrieving it," the man said.
Jiang Zuo narrowed his eyes. The commission sounded simple—unbelievably so.
Of course, that was mainly because they hadn't mentioned how perilous the journey would be.
Jiang Zuo asked, "Just the two of us?"
The man shook his head. "There are five of us in total. You two, plus our group of three. One of us has already gone ahead."
Ximen Linglong asked, "There must be dangers along the way, right? And how much are you paying?"
"There are dangers, yes, but your roles will be relatively safe. We'll take the dangerous routes ourselves. As for payment, we're offering two stalks of Profound Iron Grass."
Profound Iron Grass, also known as Profound Iron Wood, grows to about a meter tall. Its main stalk is as hard as iron, making it perfect for crafting Low-Tier Magical Treasures.
The Magical Treasures made from it are far harder and sharper than most metals.
Most importantly, the grass was like a leek; it would grow back after being cut.
The only drawback was its difficult propagation. It was impossible to grow Profound Iron Wood without a root or seed.
Therefore, Profound Iron Wood was considered precious and was an essential Spirit Wood for every Sect.
Of course, what mattered most to Jiang Zuo was the Spirit Wood itself. It was a Spirit Wood of the Five Elements Metal Attribute, which meant this commission was worth doing.
Jiang Zuo nodded. "I'll take the job."
The other two looked on with contempt. 'As if it's some great feat for you to accept,' they thought.
Then, they turned to Ximen Linglong. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Could you add a bit more money? Say, ten or twenty thousand? I'm a little short on cash lately."
The two were rendered speechless. In the end, they added another fifty thousand for each of them, and the deal was struck.
This was a rush job that had to be carried out immediately. As soon as the terms were agreed upon, Jiang Zuo and Ximen Linglong followed the two out of the city to the riverbank.
Along the way, Jiang Zuo learned their names: the woman was Xu Qing, and the man was Kun Tai.
Kun Tai said, "Remember, stick to the route on the map. We won't be responsible for any accidents if you stray. If you happen to find anything along the way, we won't ask any questions."
"But you are not to touch the Spiritual Talisman."
Jiang Zuo studied the map. He felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, yet he was certain he had never been to this place before.
Jiang Zuo decided not to dwell on it. 'I'll figure it out when I get there,' he thought.
Xu Qing said with displeasure, "Hey, are you listening? I don't get what a 1.1 has to be so smug about. Don't go in there just to die and ruin everything for us. Could you even afford to compensate us for that?"
Jiang Zuo frowned at the woman. He hated arguing with people, especially when he didn't know how to retort.
Soon, they arrived at their destination. It was indeed a river, but Jiang Zuo saw a special passage suspended above it.
'This is the aura of the Ancient Battlefield.' It seemed this place was related to the Ancient Battlefield; no wonder it felt familiar.
He had spent a very long time in the Ancient Battlefield.
However, there was still some time before the Ancient Battlefield opened. This was the period for vying for entry slots.
Kun Tai then led them into the passage.
They emerged on the other side of the river.
This was no longer the original riverbank. It was an extension of the Ancient Battlefield.
Kun Tai said, "Alright, head to your designated locations now. Remember, if you want to stay alive, don't do anything stupid."
After that, Jiang Zuo and Ximen Linglong parted ways with them.
Ximen Linglong asked, puzzled, "Are we just here for show? I feel like they haven't given us anything to do. We're useless here. What a waste."
Jiang Zuo said, "If you don't like making money lying down, you could have refused."
Ximen Linglong retorted angrily, "You're the one making money lying down!"
Then Ximen Linglong ran off.
In all his time since being reborn, this was the first time Jiang Zuo had been left completely dumbfounded.
'What kind of dirty thoughts is that girl having?'
But Jiang Zuo didn't give it much thought and proceeded to his designated path.
Looking at the map, Jiang Zuo murmured aloud, "This forest doesn't have five paths, it has three. It seems those three took one path together."
But none of that mattered to Jiang Zuo. At the very least, their Profound Iron Wood was enough to entice him.
So, Jiang Zuo stepped into the forest without hesitation.
The moment he entered, he saw the path behind him become engulfed by the forest. In other words, this was a one-way road.
Either reach the end or die on the way. Jiang Zuo grinned. "This really does have the feel of the Ancient Battlefield."
With a smile, Jiang Zuo tossed the map aside. 'Now that I'm here, how could I possibly pass up such a great opportunity for a treasure hunt?'
The Ancient Battlefield was full of treasures. Even in an extended space like this, there were bound to be plenty of unique items.
As for the proof of entry, Jiang Zuo couldn't care less about the so-called Spiritual Talisman.
'He had plenty of ways to enter the Ancient Battlefield; he didn't need an official slot at all.'
Jiang Zuo continued forward. He had no intention of leaving the main path to venture into the woods. The forests of the Ancient Battlefield were not gentle—they would devour a person whole, bones and all.
Soon, he came across a stone stele. Two words were carved upon it: Life, Death.
Jiang Zuo stood before the stone stele for a long, long time.
He stood there until the very moment the sun set.
Then, the words 'Life, Death' on the stele vanished. In their place, two new words appeared, and the stele itself transformed into a doorway.
Jiang Zuo smiled. "Just as I thought. The Ancient Battlefield's setups are always so 'friendly.' Works like a charm every time. Now then, what will I find inside?"
"It would be disappointing if I didn't run into them. Treasure that you don't have to fight for always feels a little less precious."
「On the other side」, Ximen Linglong was also standing before a stone stele. She looked at the portal that had appeared on it, a little uneasy. "Yaya, are you serious? I have a bad feeling about this. The commission explicitly said we just had to follow the map."
"I'm not wrong. There's definitely treasure in there, I can smell it! Go on, I'll protect you."
"Okay... but don't you dare run away as soon as we get inside. I'll be scared."