The gunmen standing nearby also straightened, their expressions turning colder. After hearing Zhu Shan’s earlier words and seeing the "young woman" alone in this dangerous tomb, they had already formed their own assumptions.

In their minds, the situation was simple.

A helpless girl, forced into this place.

And that "evil man" is behind her miserable state. Their impressions of Ye Chen had dropped even further, and killing intent sharpened.

Lu Shixun slowly opened his eyes. His vision was still blurry, but as he focused, he saw the figures standing around him clearly.

His pupils shrank.

"Y-you are...?"

Recognition hit him immediately.

These were the same people who had chased them earlier.

The ones who almost took their lives.

A trace of panic flashed across his face, but it didn’t last long. He quickly realized his current condition.

He couldn’t move.

Right now, his life was entirely in their hands.

Zhu Shan stood in front of him, his gaze calm but cold.

"Kid," he said, "I’ll give you one chance."

His tone wasn’t loud, but it carried weight.

"Tell me where that brat Ye Chen is, and I’ll let you live."

The words were simple and direct.

There was no need to say more.

Lu Shixun froze for a moment.

Then, something in his eyes changed.

When he heard Ye Chen’s name, the earlier fear faded, replaced by extreme anger.

And a trace of bitterness.

He took a slow breath, ignoring the pain in his chest.

"I don’t know," he said.

Zhu Shan’s expression darkened slightly.

"What do you mean you don’t know?" he asked, his tone turning colder. "Do you think you can hide it from me?"

He took a small step forward as raised his fist.

"Is your life more important than that brat’s whereabouts?"

Lu Shixun let out a strained laugh.

It sounded rough, almost painful.

"Hide it?" he said, his voice low but sharp. "I don’t give a damn about that bastard!"

He lifted his head slightly and stared at Zhu Shan.

"There’s no reason for me to protect him."

The words came out slowly.

"He betrayed me... for treasure."

His fingers tightened weakly against the ground.

"I truly don’t know where he is."

Then, his expression twisted slightly.

"Hiding his information?" he scoffed faintly. "If anything, I want to kill him more than anyone else."

The chamber fell silent for a moment.

Zhu Shan looked at him, slightly surprised.

This reaction... was not what he expected.

He had assumed resistance or fear.

But not this.

’Betrayed?’

Zhu Shan’s eyes shifted slightly as he processed the situation.

The image quickly formed in his mind.

Two accomplices entered the tomb together.

One of them finds the treasure.

Then, it abandons the other.

What a cold and selfish man...

Zhu Shan’s expression hardened.

’That brat... truly has no bottom line. Even betraying his comrades...’

He glanced briefly at Lu Shixun’s condition.

His broken state, plus being left behind to die.

It fit perfectly with the situation.

Zhu Shan didn’t doubt his words.

There was no need to.

Given the situation, there was little reason for Lu Shixun to lie. Even if he had been used as a distraction, the anger in his tone wasn’t something that could be easily faked.

He truly wanted revenge.

Zhu Shan straightened slightly.

"So you don’t know," he said.

His tone returned to calm, but the killing intent hidden within it didn’t disappear.

Lu Shixun closed his eyes briefly, as if exhausted.

"I said it already," he replied weakly. "I don’t know."

Zhu Shan fell silent for a moment.

Then he turned slightly, his gaze shifting back toward the chamber.

His thoughts moved quickly.

If Ye Chen wasn’t here, then he must have already moved ahead.

Or hidden somewhere nearby.

Zhu Shan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Search the area," he said.

"Yes, Mr Zhu."

The gunmen responded immediately and began to move.

Zhu Shan remained where he was, his expression calm.

But inwardly, his intent to kill Ye Chen had grown stronger.

Lu Shixun’s breathing grew heavier after speaking so much at once.

The strain was too much for his condition. His chest rose unevenly, and a fresh line of blood slipped from the corner of his mouth. Even the slight movement of his body caused pain to spread through his ribs, forcing him to grit his teeth.

Zhu Shan noticed it immediately.

He turned slightly and said to the gunmen, "Try to keep him alive."

"I’ll do what I can, Mr Zhu," one of the men replied. He stepped forward quickly. Among the group, he was the only one with some basic medical training.

He crouched beside Lu Shixun and began checking his injuries, though his expression soon turned serious. The damage was severe, and there was only so much he could do in a place like this.

Zhu Shan didn’t press further. He nodded once and shifted his attention back to Lu Shixun.

"What treasure made Ye Chen betray you?" he asked.

His tone was calm, but there was a clear interest behind it.

A tomb containing ancient relics wasn’t unusual. Most of them held value only because of their age and could be sold for money. But from what Gu Liming had told him, Ye Chen wasn’t someone who lacked money.

Even though Zhu Shan looked down on those so-called top mercenary organisations, he understood their value among ordinary people. A leader of such a group would not risk everything for simple wealth.

So what exactly had he found here?

Lu Shixun understood the situation clearly.

He had no chance of getting the treasure anymore.

His body was already broken, and survival itself was uncertain. At this point, if this old man could cause trouble for Ye Chen, it would be enough to satisfy him.

Without hesitation, he spoke.

"It’s not an ordinary treasure..." he said weakly. "It’s something that can grant superhuman power..."

Zhu Shan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"A treasure that grants power?" he repeated.

For the first time since entering the tomb, his interest deepened.

A thought formed quickly in his mind.

’Could this place be the inheritance of a cultivator?’

It wasn’t impossible.