C497 A Fight for the Throne

"Miss Situ, here's a special fruit from our Moon Light Martial Mansion. Try one!"

"What's so special about a fruit? Miss Situ, this is our Sea Heart Martial Palace's Blue Ocean Wave Wine. It's a family recipe passed down for generations, and we only open a cask once every hundred years. It's incredibly rare. How about we share a drink?"

Yuen Jinli and Du Yusheng were trying hard to impress Situ Jingxiang, seemingly forgetting their own circumstances.

In truth, for them, winning over Situ Jingxiang's favor was more beneficial than any opportunity they might find in the Hundred Flower World.

Woo Zhengyang, meanwhile, was like an outsider. The food and drink didn't concern him, and no one talked to him, leaving him in peace to ponder the situation.

Opportunities, opportunities!

You have to seize opportunities yourself, but fate depends on luck. Since it's an opportunity, it's naturally not easy to come by. This small mountain and the cave running through it seemed too obvious, and Woo Zhengyang hadn't given it much thought initially.

Now, thinking it over, Woo Zhengyang realized something was off. The mountain was surrounded by woods, so what was the point of a cave running through it? Was it just a place for those in the trial to hide from the Bow Man's pursuit?

Woo Zhengyang didn't believe the creator of this world would be so kind. Based on the creator's previous designs, it was likely to be the opposite.

The purpose of this cave is still up for debate. Woo Zhengyang noticed that the cave walls were smooth as if carved by a knife, clearly not something an ordinary person could have created. No one would go through the trouble of carving a tunnel through the mountain, especially one that wasn't straight but twisted and turned in the middle. It hadn't seemed odd before, but now it felt suspicious.

"Doesn't anyone else think there's something off about this cave?" Woo Zhengyang voiced his thoughts.

"What's wrong with the cave? Just stay put, or go outside and test those archers' skills yourself," Du Yusheng replied irritably.

Yuen Jinli was also annoyed, as he was about to share an interesting story with Situ Jingxiang when Woo Zhengyang interrupted.

However, Situ Jingxiang, who was tired of Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli's constant attention, brightened at Woo Zhengyang's words. After a moment's thought, she stood up abruptly. "You're right. This place is full of surprises and mysteries. Being chased in here might be an opportunity. Let's search around."

Without waiting for her to say more, Woo Zhengyang picked up a glowing stone and headed deeper into the cave. Situ Jingxiang followed closely behind. Although Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli were displeased, they quickly got up to follow. Who knows, maybe Situ Jingxiang's hunch would lead to something valuable, and besides, having both options would be even better.

The situation was unexpectedly simple. After going back and forth a few times without anyone paying much attention, a thorough search revealed a hidden mechanism halfway through the cave.

Once the mechanism was activated, a brand-new passage appeared before them.

"Who would've thought this kid was right? This place must be full of opportunities!"

"Yeah, nobody expected it to be so easy. It's like a gift falling into our laps!"

During the search, Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli were the most impatient, but once the passage was discovered, they were the most excited.

"Enough talking, let's go in!" Situ Jingxiang said impatiently.

"Hold on a second," Yuen Jinli interrupted.

"What's up?"

"Miss Situ, according to the rules of discovering opportunities together, we should discuss how to divide the spoils before we go in, to avoid any disputes later."

"That's right. Even though we won't compete with you, it's better to lay it all out," Du Yusheng agreed.

"What's there to discuss? We'll split it four ways, everyone gets a share," Situ Jingxiang said casually.

Hearing this, Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli exchanged glances. Finally, Yuen Jinli spoke up, "Usually, it's divided according to skill level. You're at the Tendon Bone Stage, while we're both at the mid-level Inner Stage. So, you can take half, and we'll split the other half."

The two weren't just making things up; this was something many treasure hunters knew well. It seemed only Situ Jingxiang was unaware of the situation, which is why she mentioned everyone getting a share.

When Situ Jingxiang talked about splitting things evenly, Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli couldn't help but feel a bit tempted. However, they ultimately suppressed their greed.

First, they weren't sure if Situ Jingxiang truly meant it. What if she was just testing them? Or what if there was something incredibly valuable inside, and she decided she couldn't part with it? No matter how much they tried to flatter her, they couldn't forget her status and skills. If it came down to a fight, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Second, they didn't even know what was inside. There might be nothing at all. Why not step back for now, let Situ Jingxiang feel at ease, and leave a good impression?

"And what about him?" Situ Jingxiang pointed at Woo Zhengyang.

Neither Du Yusheng nor Yuen Jinli had mentioned Woo Zhengyang from the start, completely forgetting that he was the one who suggested the search and led them here.

"Him?" Du Yusheng chuckled and continued, "With his skills, he's just picking up leftovers. Once we're done dividing, anything we don't want or can't carry, we can toss his way."

Naturally, Woo Zhengyang wasn't pleased with such remarks, but he didn't show it. There was no point in arguing now. Once he saw what was inside, he would make his own decision.

Situ Jingxiang's displeasure became even more apparent as she spoke softly, "How can that be? Since we're all stuck here together, it seems like fate. Plus, it was Woo Zhengyang who suggested this and found the passage. Let's split it evenly between us."

This brought them back to Situ Jingxiang's original plan: divide it into four parts, one for each person.

Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli were quite surprised by this decision. They glanced at Woo Zhengyang with suspicion, unable to understand why this seemingly naive guy had earned such favor from Situ Jingxiang. Or perhaps, was she really just that innocent?

Even Woo Zhengyang himself hadn't expected Situ Jingxiang to say such a thing.

In this world, it's rare to find someone who doesn't judge others by status, and even rarer to see someone who stays true to themselves in the face of personal gain. Yet today, he witnessed it firsthand, and it came from someone at the Heavenly Mirror Pavilion.

Even though it was just a verbal agreement for now, Woo Zhengyang was genuinely grateful to Situ Jingxiang.

He trusted his instincts—Situ Jingxiang was definitely someone who would keep her word.