Some cultivators in the past left behind their legacy in hidden places. If this tomb was one of those...

Then the value of what Ye Chen had taken was far beyond meagre money.

Zhu Shan’s expression darkened slightly.

That brat’s luck is too damn good. A trace of killing intent surfaced again.

"Now I have another reason to kill him," he said calmly.

Not far away, Ye Chen, who had been standing the whole time silently, felt a chill run down her spine.

The killing intent directed at her—no, at Ye Chen—was too intense.

She lowered her gaze slightly, forcing herself to remain still.

No matter what, she could not let them know who she really was.

If her identity were exposed, this old man would not hesitate to kill her on the spot.

At the same time, her eyes shifted toward Lu Shixun. They were cold and sharp. Filled with anger.

’You bastard...’

Her fingers clenched tightly.

’You actually revealed everything?’

The frustration inside her grew rapidly.

She had followed his lead into this place for this so-called treasure. In the end, she not only got chased by enemies, but even her body had changed to that of a woman because of that cursed pill.

And now, this ungrateful bastard was handing over information so easily.

’I should have killed him back then.’

The thought crossed her mind without hesitation.

’If I had finished him in prison, none of this would have happened.’

Zhu Shan, however, remained focused on Lu Shixun.

He listened quietly, then spoke.

"Good lad. Since you are sincere, I won’t kill you."

"Really?" Lu Shixun was excited. Though his injuries were severe, there was still a chance of being treated. Better than being killed here directly.

Zhu Shan nodded and explained.

"My target was never you," he said. "From the beginning, I only wanted Ye Chen."

His voice was calm, but firm.

"That bastard killed my friend’s daughter-in-law."

The words were simple, but the meaning behind them was heavy.

"You were only involved because you stayed by his side."

Lu Shixun’s eyes widened slightly.

So that was the reason.

Everything connected.

"...I see," he muttered weakly.

At the same time, the resentment in his heart deepened.

If not for Ye Chen, he would not have ended up like this.

Lu Shixun’s chest tightened again, and another cough forced its way out. This time, more blood followed, staining his lips and chin. His breathing grew weaker with each passing second.

The gunman beside him tried to stabilise him, pressing lightly against his chest and adjusting his posture to ease the strain. Even so, his expression made it clear that the situation was far from stable.

Zhu Shan observed for a brief moment, then spoke calmly, "Take him along."

The order was simple.

"Yes, Mr Zhu."

The gunman nodded immediately. Another man stepped forward to assist, carefully lifting Lu Shixun despite his condition. They handled him with as much care as possible, though the occasional wince on Lu Shixun’s face showed that even the slightest movement caused pain.

Zhu Shan had no intention of killing him anymore.

At this point, Lu Shixun was no longer the target. More importantly, he could still be useful. Even if he didn’t know Ye Chen’s exact location, keeping him alive might provide additional information later.

Leaving him here to die would be wasteful.

Not far away, Ye Chen stood quietly, her thoughts turning rapidly.

She had been listening carefully to the earlier exchange.

’I killed someone’s daughter-in-law...?’

Her brows tightened slightly.

’Don’t tell me it’s the Gu family.’ 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The thought settled quickly in her mind.

’Gu Xuan...’

A trace of coldness appeared in her eyes.

’I haven’t even gone to settle things with you, and you already sent this old monster after me.’

Her lips pressed together slightly.

’Good. Very good.’

’When I deal with you in the future, I won’t leave you with a complete corpse.’

Gu Xuan’s name was already among the top of her kill list.

Now, it had moved to the top.

’And his father... Gu Liming.’

That name followed naturally.

Both of them would have to pay.

Then another thought surfaced.

’He has a sister... right?’

For a brief moment, a familiar line of thinking crossed her mind. The kind she would have acted on without hesitation before. That’s how Gu Xuan’s late girlfriend was also treated by him.

But—

She froze.

Her expression stiffened slightly.

The thought couldn’t continue.

Because—

’I’m not a man anymore...’

The realisation hit again, heavy and unavoidable.

The anger inside her stalled, replaced by something dull and frustrating.

She lowered her gaze slightly.

’If I can’t fix this...’

Her thoughts turned in a different direction.

’I might have to consider... surgery.’

The idea didn’t sit well with her, but it was still an option.

At least, it was better than remaining like this forever.

Before she could think further, Zhu Shan’s voice broke her train of thought.

"Girl," he said, "we are leaving this place. Come with us."

Ye Chen looked up, slightly startled.

For a moment, she hesitated.

This old man was dangerous. Staying close to him carried its own risks.

But at the same time, following him was safer than being left alone in this tomb.

She nodded lightly.

"...Alright."

Zhu Shan gave a small laugh. "This place is not suitable for someone like you."

His tone carried a casual ease.

Then he asked, "By the way, what is your name?"

Ye Chen paused for a fraction of a second.

"Ye—"

She almost said it.

But she stopped herself in time.

"Ye Ling," she corrected.

The name came naturally.

Her late sister’s name.

Someone who had died years ago, along with the end of the Ye Family.

Zhu Shan’s brows furrowed slightly.

"Ye?"

The surname was the same as that ’evil brat’.

For a brief moment, a thought crossed his mind. But he dismissed it just as quickly.

It was a common surname. There was no need to overthink it.