The man's senses were mostly sealed by Liu Buli's spiritual energy, and coupled with the overwhelming ghostly aura surrounding them, he had never been able to properly gauge You Siqi's strength, even when they were close.
Initially, he believed the situation was entirely due to You Siqi's exceptionally high cultivation, so high that he couldn't detect it.
He never considered that his inability to detect it was because there was nothing to detect. You Siqi's cultivation had always been ridiculously low; how could he possibly be detected by others in such an environment?
Completely disregarding the man's stunned silence, You Siqi sighed, even speaking with a hint of helplessness, "I find what you're saying really hurtful. Is it because Shen Muzhi and I don't have a husband-and-wife look? Why didn't you guess my identity from the start? This truly makes me sad."
No, no one could have expected that Shen Muzhi, that madman, would bring an ordinary person into such a high-level secret realm.
The stunned expression on the man's face deepened.
In fact, before entering this secret realm, he had already heard many rumors about it. Everyone said the secret realm would be incredibly difficult, a situation of nine deaths and one life, a prospect he had heard more than once. Under such circumstances, he never imagined Shen Muzhi would bring his cultivationless dao companion into the secret realm.
After all, there could only be two possibilities for someone to do such a thing.
One was that Shen Muzhi didn't like his dao companion at all and wished for him to die sooner, hence bringing him to such a dangerous place to fend for himself.
The other possibility was that Shen Muzhi had become so powerful that he could disregard these dangers. At that point, he could naturally take his dao companion anywhere. After all, no matter what happened, he had the means and ability to deal with it. In that case, why would he separate from his most beloved dao companion?
After all, the flow of time inside and outside the secret realm was different. If one didn't bring their partner into the secret realm, there was a high chance of a situation where one day inside was equivalent to one year outside.
With his dao companion's abilities, wouldn't they be separated forever in a very short time?
If he truly loved his partner and possessed the ability, anyone would choose the second option.
The man looked at You Siqi beside him.
Upon seeing that the other was spotlessly clean, without even a speck of extra dust, he could confirm that Shen Muzhi had chosen the so-called second scenario.
Thinking of his own compliant behavior earlier, the man almost wanted to slap himself in anger.
In stark contrast to his state, You Siqi's smile grew even brighter. He reached out and patted the man's shoulder, saying, "I think we've cooperated quite pleasantly. If I had the ability, I would naturally be willing to go with you to find the treasure you mentioned. But unfortunately, the external rumors you heard are true. The reason I'm sitting here chatting with you is because I have no fighting ability whatsoever. When they fight, I usually watch from the side. But cheering them on is too boring, so I just wanted to get some information out of you. I didn't expect to actually succeed, so I should thank you."
You Siqi spoke with great delight.
Looking at his continuously smiling face, the man suddenly felt that his previous description might have been somewhat inaccurate.
Liu Buli was indeed a black-hearted fellow.
But this man before him was no less so.
Birds of a feather flock together.
This saying was truly accurate.
Unfortunately, there was no chance for him to regret it. After a pause, You Siqi continued, "I've remembered everything you just told me. After they finish fighting, we'll go together to find your treasure. Many hands make light work, and we won't be afraid of encountering any danger on the way. As for the distribution of the treasure once we find it, you can rest assured. Since it's an alchemy furnace, it can be given to Liu Buli. We don't place much importance on treasures and the like, unlike you all."
You Siqi's words were not false; they truly didn't care much about treasures and such.
After all, he and Shen Muzhi spent their days researching how to enjoy their travels more happily. Since leaving Medicine Master Valley, they had lived like immortals every day, never caring about disputes.
The reasons for coming to this secret realm were, firstly, to find a way to return home, and secondly, because Liu Buli and his group were bound to come. According to Shen Muzhi's thinking, even as a way to repay Liu Buli for letting them join the Dan Sect, they should step forward and help.
As for Li Qingcheng, there was even less to say.
From their interactions during this period, You Siqi was basically certain that the couple was only interested in the puppets they held; everything else was unimportant to them.
You Siqi actually admired this kind of singular preference for one thing. However, it was precisely because of this that he was even more certain that Li Qingcheng and the others would absolutely not covet the so-called treasure.
Of course, the man clearly couldn't understand their relationship. Looking at You Siqi with his eyes, he made a final attempt, saying, "I think you should reconsider. That alchemy furnace is truly the best treasure I've ever seen. Isn't Shen Muzhi a physician? He'll definitely be able to use it. But if you bring Liu Buli and them along, and a fight breaks out, you two will definitely not be their match. You obtained the treasure first, and yet others will snatch it away in the end. Don't you feel regretful?"
"That's not something you need to worry about for me."
You Siqi replied with a smile, "Or do you have any other good things? If you do, tell me, and perhaps I'll change my mind. After all, such things are useless to me alone, and even if our Shen Muzhi had them, they wouldn't seem to have much meaning. Can you be more direct? For instance, do you know of any immortal pills that can directly make one an immortal after consumption?"
The man did not answer.
This time, he realized that You Siqi was simply toying with him.
If he could truly find the immortal pill he spoke of, he would have already consumed it, how could he still be holding onto it?
Seeing that the man refused to answer his question, You Siqi shook his head with regret. Since the last person to chat with him had fallen silent, there was no need for the man's mouth to be free.
With that thought, You Siqi picked up the cloth again and stuffed it back into the man's mouth.
Meeting the man's gaze, filled with accusation, You Siqi paused, then patted the man's shoulder, comforting him, "Don't look at me like that, as if I've done something terrible. I just feel that since you're unwilling to chat with me, there's no point in keeping your mouth open. It's better to conserve your energy. When they finish fighting over there, and you're needed to lead us to the alchemy furnace, you'll have plenty of opportunities to speak. Don't be impatient."