517: Second Encounter

Sun Qian was stunned after hearing this name.

It was very unfamiliar; he had almost never heard of it.

Of course, the possibility of using a pseudonym couldn't be ruled out, but based on Su Qian's observations and Su Chen's subtle micro-expressions while speaking, it was likely his real name.

Sun Qian breathed a sigh of relief again; as long as Su Chen had no connection with them, it was fine.

A smile returned to his face as he cupped his hands toward Su Chen and said with a laugh, "I see that Fellow Daoist is also heading toward Duantian City. Why not travel with us? We can keep each other company along the way."

Although Su Chen was only at the Earth Immortal Realm, he had an extraordinary bearing and did not seem like an ordinary person. Since Sun Qian enjoyed making friends, he extended an invitation to Su Chen.

Duantian City was within the sphere of influence of the Shangyun Sect and was the closest city to the Hengduan Mountains, as well as a mandatory passage to enter them.

Therefore, most factions or individuals who frequently entered and exited the Hengduan Mountains chose to stay in Duantian City, with Mercenary Groups making up the majority.

The Sand Wolf Mercenary Group, to which Sun Qian belonged, was also based in Duantian City.

"Thank you, but there's no need."

Su Chen shook his head calmly, declining to travel together.

He didn't like having too many people around.

A look of regret appeared on Sun Qian's face, but he didn't insist. "Then I won't disturb you further, Brother Daoist."

With that, he waved his hand, and the caravan slowly moved forward.

Not long after they set off, the middle-aged man immediately approached Sun Qian and whispered in his ear:

"Young Lord, these three have unknown origins. Should we just kill them to eliminate any future trouble?"

The items they were escorting this time were extremely important to the Sand Wolf Mercenary Group. If anything went wrong with this shipment, it would be fatal for the group.

Of course, the 'goods' didn't refer to those in the carriages; the caravan was just a disguise. The truly valuable items were all kept within Spatial Rings.

Sun Qian immediately glared at him fiercely. "These three clearly aren't ordinary people. If we really dared to move against them, who knows who would end up killing whom?"

"Ah? Aren't they just an Earth Immortal and a True Immortal?"

The middle-aged man's face showed some confusion. For a Mercenary Group that constantly lived on the edge, they rarely looked into a person's background.

Especially in the wilderness.

Although Su Chen seemed to have some background, if he were killed in such a desolate wilderness, those behind him wouldn't be able to trace who did it.

Besides, he was at the Profound Immortal Realm; wouldn't killing those three be a simple matter?

Sun Qian shook his head. "Don't just look at the surface of everything. Although these three don't seem strong in terms of their apparent cultivation, their bearing is extraordinary. What if they've hidden their cultivation?"

"Living in this world, a moment of carelessness can lead to death. Caution is the most important thing in all matters."

"Besides, most Mercenary Groups in Duantian City are not weak, starting at least at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level. This person didn't even flinch upon hearing we were a Mercenary Group; how could he possibly be an ordinary character?"

Sun Qian's tone was full of admonishment and teaching, making the scene look extremely comical.

His temperament appeared much more youthful, while the middle-aged man was very steady, yet he was the one being lectured. It looked strange no matter how one viewed it.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man immediately looked enlightened and complimented, "The Young Lord is indeed thoughtful. I was a bit too abrupt."

Soon, the group continued their journey forward.

Su Chen looked at Sun Qian's retreating back, his eyes flickering for a moment.

His Luck is thick; he's quite a good prospect.

The Luck on Sun Qian was very dense. While not the absolute top tier, it wasn't bad either; he was just a bit short of being a Son of the Great Dao, but better than most people.

Such people usually have the greatest potential for change—they might become terrifyingly powerful experts, or they might fade into obscurity.

"Meeting is fate, so I might as well observe him."

The Lingxiao Sect still has so many vacancies. If I encounter someone suitable, I'll take a look. If there are no issues, I'll just recruit them into the Lingxiao Sect.

Currently, there are only four Disciples in the Lingxiao Sect. Since he plans to take in nine Personal Disciples, he still needs to recruit at least five more.

Sun Qian thought he would never see Su Chen and the others again, but to his surprise, after just two days, he suddenly found Su Chen's group appearing ahead of him once more.

He was somewhat surprised. Was Su Chen's speed really that fast?

But on second thought, it was normal. They acted cautiously and took a more circuitous route, combined with their slow speed. It was natural for Su Chen to be ahead if he took a shortcut.

The vigilance in Sun Qian's heart diminished slightly, but he still didn't relax completely.

Although he had tested it before and Su Chen likely wasn't from another Mercenary Group in Duantian City, in a place like the Cultivation World, it pays to be cautious.

Encountering each other twice in this desolate wilderness was, after all, a bit strange.

Sun Qian stepped forward again and cupped his hands toward Su Chen. "I didn't expect such a coincidence, to meet Fellow Daoist again."

He wore a kind smile, appearing somewhat harmless, very sunny and warm.

Su Chen had met many people. He knew very well that eight or nine times out of ten, people who liked to smile like that were old schemers. Han Li used to be like this when he was in low-profile disguise.

Pretending to be harmless while having an incredibly dark heart—it seemed this Sun Qian was also such a character.

Su Chen's expression was somewhat cold. "To bump into each other twice in such a vast area, could it be that Fellow Daoist is following me?"

Uh... shouldn't I be the one saying that?

Seeing Su Chen's serious expression, which didn't seem feigned, the original vigilance in Sun Qian's heart dissipated instantly. He wore a sincere smile and said, "Fellow Daoist misunderstood. It truly is a chance encounter. We are primarily transporting goods; why would we follow Fellow Daoist?"

Su Chen also made his expression soften slightly. Since he wanted to observe, he certainly needed to get close.

Getting close also required skill; it couldn't be too jarring and had to seem natural. By taking the initiative to accuse them of following him, he avoided making Sun Qian too suspicious.

Su Chen glanced curiously at the caravan behind him and asked in confusion, "Transporting goods?"

Sun Qian nodded. "Yes."

Su Chen shook his head directly. "This is too fake. No matter how you look at it, this doesn't seem like transporting goods. Wouldn't it be more convenient to put these few things in a Spatial Ring? And with a Profound Immortal Cultivator, you'd travel faster."

Uh... Sun Qian didn't expect Su Chen to be so direct. He exchanged a glance with the middle-aged man beside him, who had a look of embarrassment on his face.

Was it really that easy to see through?

When Sun Qian first proposed this strategy, he thought it was ingenious. With a bit of disguise, it was basically identical to a normal merchant caravan.

Wait!

Suddenly, the middle-aged man looked at Su Chen with a solemn expression. How did he see through my cultivation? One must know that he had concealed his cultivation, and it would be extremely difficult to detect even for someone at the same Profound Immortal Realm.

Could the Young Lord be right?

Was the person before them someone with a great background, a powerhouse who had hidden his cultivation?

He immediately looked at Sun Qian, but Sun Qian didn't care at all. He said in a serious tone, "It's truer than true; we really are transporting goods."

...