C498 Distribution

"How can this be? He's just a country bumpkin. What right does he have to take a share?"

Upon hearing Jingxiang's words, Du Yusheng instinctively retorted, never having taken Woo Zhengyang seriously.

"Why not? I'm just giving him half of my share. I haven't asked you to contribute anything. Without Woo Zhengyang, you'd still be standing clueless at the cave entrance," Jingxiang reprimanded bluntly.

"Exactly! You have no right to dictate Miss Situ's belongings!" Yuen Jinli chimed in opportunistically.

"You..." Du Yusheng trembled with anger, unable to counter.

Yuen Jinli continued, "I agree with Miss Situ's approach. But this way, Miss Situ is at a disadvantage. Here's what I propose: Miss Situ takes forty percent, and the three of us each take twenty percent."

"Yuen Jinli, are you out of your mind? We're taking the same as him?" Du Yusheng protested.

Woo Zhengyang was equally surprised. Although Yuen Jinli hadn't targeted him like Du Yusheng had, he never really acknowledged him either. Was this change of heart solely due to Jingxiang's stance?

"You're the one who's out of your mind. As Miss Situ said, if it weren't for him figuring things out, we'd still be standing at the cave entrance like fools."

"Tch... It was just a coincidence. Even without him, I would've figured it out soon enough."

"Really? I find that hard to believe!"

"Why not? Yuen Jinli, what do you mean? Are you calling me stupid?"

"I didn't say that, but it's true you didn't catch on as quickly as others..."

"Enough!"

Yuen Jinli and Du Yusheng were arguing, and Situ Jingxiang, feeling exasperated, interrupted them, saying, "What's the point of arguing? Either we do it my way or Yuen Jinli's way. Du Yusheng, make a choice!"

According to Situ Jingxiang's method, each of the four would get 25%.

According to Yuen Jinli's method, Situ Jingxiang would get 40%, and the other three would get 20% each.

In other words, no matter how they split it, Woo Zhengyang and the others would receive the same amount, with only Situ Jingxiang's share varying significantly.

Du Yusheng, in his earlier haste, hadn't thought it through. Now, he realized he was at odds with everyone, especially Situ Jingxiang, whose dissatisfaction was evident. This was not what he intended at all!

Reflecting on the argument, Du Yusheng blamed Yuen Jinli. From the start, he hadn't understood Situ Jingxiang's intentions and had fallen into Yuen Jinli's trap.

"Since Miss Situ is so insistent, I won't say more. However, I don't want Miss Situ's share to decrease. Let's do it this way: she takes half, and the remaining half is divided among the three of us."

At this point, Du Yusheng was like a cornered animal, ready to take risks. "If you're willing to give it up, Yuen Jinli, why shouldn't I? At worst, we'll all just get a smaller share."

"I have no objections!" Yuen Jinli, more meticulous than Du Yusheng, responded without hesitation.

"No need, let's stick to my plan. I want a bigger share, and I'm sure you'll be more than happy with it," Situ Jingxiang observed their distribution scheme and realized they were trying to curry favor with her, which she didn't want to accept.

"No, no, let's do it my way."

"It's fairer to go with my suggestion..."

Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli started arguing again.

...

"Alright, stop arguing. We'll do it my way," Situ Jingxiang decisively interrupted them.

Her straightforward nature was something Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli had come to understand over time. Hearing her words, they naturally stopped arguing and agreed.

Then Yuen Jinli added, "Since Miss Situ is so generous, we shouldn't be stingy. There might be something unpleasant in the passage ahead. We'll go first, right, Du?"

"Yuen is right. Although Miss Situ is highly skilled, she's still a lady and should be protected in the middle. We'll guard from the front and back. As for Woo Zhengyang, since he discovered this place first, he should continue leading the way. Growing up in the wild, he shouldn't be afraid of anything unpleasant, right?"

The notion of something unclean being fake, yet potentially dangerous, was a wake-up call for Du Yusheng, prompting him to focus on Woo Zhengyang. Woo Zhengyang understood their intentions but wasn't in the mood to argue. Although not as impulsive as Situ Jingxiang, he was tired of listening to their debate.

After grasping the back-and-forth between Yuen Jinli and Du Yusheng, Woo Zhengyang, without a word, picked up the No Life Sword and proceeded forward. The passageway opened on one side of the stone wall, matching the original cave's size, likely carved simultaneously but sealed by a mechanism.

With the sword in one hand and a luminous pearl in the other, Woo Zhengyang advanced cautiously. Opportunities often come with risks, and no one knew what might suddenly appear in the passage, so he remained vigilant.

Surprisingly, after walking for about half an hour, there was no sign of danger, nor was there an end to the passage. "Miss Situ, why does this passage seem endless? By my estimation, this hill shouldn't be this large!" Du Yusheng's voice echoed from behind.

"It is indeed strange," Situ Jingxiang replied.

"I've heard that ancient masters of formations could simplify complexity, trapping people in a maze without them realizing it. Could we already be lost in such a maze?" Yuen Jinli added.

"Do either of you know anything about formations?" Situ Jingxiang asked.

"Uh..."

"Well..."

Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli both fell silent.

Listening to the conversation behind him, Woo Zhengyang couldn't help but chuckle. These two were just unlucky.

In this world, knowledge about formations is rare. Most girls wouldn't even think to ask such a question. But Situ Jingxiang wasn't like most girls. She was straightforward and a bit naive, so it was only natural for her to ask.

As a result, Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli ended up digging a hole for themselves, looking quite embarrassed. Situ Jingxiang either didn't notice or didn't care about their discomfort, nor did she realize her question was a bit too direct. After asking them, she turned to Woo Zhengyang ahead and asked, "Hey, Woo Zhengyang, do you know anything about formations?"

"Haha..."

Du Yusheng and Yuen Jinli, who were feeling awkward a moment ago, burst into laughter at her question.

"Miss Situ, you must be joking. How could someone from the backwoods like him possibly know anything about formations?" Du Yusheng said bluntly. Yuen Jinli didn't say anything, but he didn't disagree either, as it was a common belief.

Woo Zhengyang, hearing the discussion behind him and Situ Jingxiang's question, chose not to respond.