He Liangce put down the bag in his hand and said, "Come take a look at what I found in the tiger's lair."

Ou Yangming and Ni Yinghong were moved because they knew He Liangce would not have informed them so formally if he did not make an important discovery in the lair.

Nonetheless, they were stunned when they saw the items inside the bag.

Roughly ten little… Bamboo shoots were placed inside the bag.

"Are these bamboos?" Ni Yinghong's eyes lit up as she exclaimed.

He Liangce nodded. "That's right. Once these things grow, they'll become strange bamboos, but they're still young now."

"Why were these bamboo shoots in the half-spirit beast's lair?" Ni Yinghong furrowed her eyebrows and asked in confusion.

"I'm not sure either, but the enormous energy contained in these shoots is extremely rare." He Liangce shook his head with a bitter smile and suggested after a pause, "We can let an apothecary inspect them once we go back. If I guessed it right, they can probably be used to refine some uncommon medicine."

Ou Yangming's eyelids twitched a little because he was familiar with peculiar medicine.

The Ni family had peculiar medicine too such as the Life-prolonging Spiritual Pill and the Life-prolonging Golden Pill. Needless to say, these medicines were also categorized into different ranks. For instance, the Life-prolonging Golden Pill was a hundred times more valuable than the Life-prolonging Spiritual Pill.

Nevertheless, even the lowest-ranked Life-prolonging Spiritual Pill was also significantly valuable, and it could not be traded with ordinary items.

Ni Yinghong was moved too. "Elder Brother, you're very lucky. Congratulations."

"We're very lucky," He Liangce remarked while shaking his head. He added calmly, "I found something great during our trip to the forest this time. Ah, but I'm not sure if this discovery is good or bad for you."

"Brother He, what is it?" Ou Yangming was dumbfounded.

"I'll inform the three great ancestors directly. Brother Ou, please forgive me," He Liangce responded sternly.

Ou Yangming scoffed and guessed if it was related to Ni Yinghong.

In any case, he was fearless regardless of He Liangce's little tricks.

The three of them fell silent. In particular, the atmosphere between Ou Yangming and He Liangce was becoming tense again.

Ni Yinghong frowned as she was puzzled. She looked deeply at He Liangce and urged, "Since we've accomplished the task, we should go back."

"Okay, let's go back." Ou Yangming agreed and said coldly, "I was the scouter during our way here, so it's your turn now, Brother He."

He Liangce smiled bitterly as he responded, "Of course."

He picked up the bag and slung it onto his body, then he went ahead to find the path.

Ni Yinghong looked at Ou Yangming in bewilderment because she could not understand why he was being so calculative. On the other hand, Ou Yangming lowered his voice and commented, "Elder Sister Ying, this fella's too… Cunning!"

"What?"

"He already apprehended the integration of Heaven and man, but he didn't want to show it before we entered the forest, and he asked me to be the scouter instead!" Ou Yangming poured out his grievances.

"Oh, I see…" Ni Yinghong felt helpless. "Elder Brother doesn't look like a bad person, so stop being hostile toward him, Lil' Ming."

Ou Yangming explained in a hurry, "Ah, Elder Sister Ying, I didn't say he's a bad person, but he… Isn't up to any good."

Ni Yinghong looked at him oddly but no matter how she pressured him, he was unwilling to reveal anything.

After all, Ou Yangming could not tell Ni Yinghong that the despicable and shameless fellow was secretly going after her. As long as Ou Yangming was still rational, he would not say it in front of Ni Yinghong.

In actual fact, He Liangce's performance was outstanding. Being a comrade, he was more than just satisfactory.

If He Liangce did not desire Ni Yinghong, perhaps he and Ou Yangming could become friends. However, since they were both pursuing the same person, it was practically impossible.

Without the big multicolored tiger as their formidable energy, the young men no longer had a common interest.

With that, the three of them hastened on with their journey for several days. Ni Yinghong occasionally chatted and laughed to brighten up the mood; Ou Yangming showed He Liangce a long face; He Liangce looked calm as though he was unconcerned.

They finally left the dense forest after being in there for about ten days.

Ou Yangming and his companions looked up together at the Sun, which was no longer blocked by anything. They never realized how pretty and delightful it was.

Although the sunlight was strong and glaring, it gave them a feeling of warmth.

"Younger Sister, Brother Ou, we're out. Are we heading to the Immense Forest Military Camp first or are we returning to the prefecture?" He Liangce laughed out loud and asked. He tapped the bag on his shoulder, as well as the big multicolored tiger's carcass on Ou Yangming's body. "It's inconvenient for us to travel with these. How about we rent a carriage?"

Just as Ou Yangming was listening quietly, he tensed up slightly because he had a strong sense of crisis.

The feeling had alerted him many times and saved his life. This time, it was also very intense such that it did not feel so extreme even when he faced the big multicolored tiger.

Ou Yangming immediately took a step forward and held his spear. When the spear tip shook, he had already pointed it at He Liangce.

He Liangce was taken aback. He stopped and was alarmed, but he got into a stance to be prepared for what would happen next.

Ni Yinghong widened her hazel eyes and asked, "Lil' Ming, what's wrong?"

Ou Yangming uttered coldly, "He Liangce, you're the one who led us out."

He Liangce answered with a deep voice, "That's right."

"Then are you the one who asked the people here to lay in ambush?" Ou Yangming questioned with a grim expression.

"What… People?" He Liangce immediately looked around with his sharp eyes, and there was a ghastly look on his face. "Who are you, mischief-makers? Come out!"

He stomped his foot lightly but crushed the ground beneath it.

"Pow!"

The crushed stones and soil zoomed to the back like an arrow leaving its bow.

"Hmph!" A scoff was instantly heard, then a person jumped out from the dark and hit his palm at the gravel.

The palm's attack carried a massive force, and its distinctive style was displayed during the person's breathing. With that, the person forcefully shook away the crushed stones.

He Liangce was dumbfounded and halted just before he was about to make a move. "The Ni family's fist technique?"

It was evident from the attacker's palm that it contained traits of the Ni family's technique. At that moment, He Liangce suspected that the Ni family had sent a master to protect Ni Yinghong in secret.

"It's you!" Ou Yangming's face changed when he saw who it was.

That person smirked and looked at Ou Yangming indignantly. "Ou Yangming, you still remember me!"

Ou Yangming answered, "I never forget those I've met, let alone you."

Ni Yinghong's face took on a grave expression too. "Grandfather Xueming, it's been a long time since we've met."

The person who showed up was Ni Xueming. He sneered and commented, "The Ni family's favored young lady still remembers someone like me, who has been expelled from the clan. How rare!"

"Grandfather Xueming, you were banished from the clan because you sent people to attack Lil' Ming." Ni Yinghong's face turned dark.

"Pfft… So what if I sent people to kill him? Hmph, who is he? He's just an outsider! I can't believe you gave him the Life-prolonging Golden Pill," Ni Xueming expressed furiously with red eyes. He pointed at his chest and continued with a hoarse voice, so much so that he was growling, "As for me, my grandson—my only grandson—is on the verge of death. I requested for one Life-prolonging Golden Pill from the three great ancestors, but I failed to acquire it. I served the Ni family for decades, but the great ancestors attach lesser importance to me than they did to an outsider. Heh, why should I remember fondly of a clan like that?!"

Ou Yangming raised his eyebrow. He recalled Ni Yunhong telling him that Ni Xueming coveted the Life-prolonging Golden Pill because of his old age, but it seemed like there was a hidden story behind it.

Ni Yinghong looked gloomy as she sighed. "Grandfather Xueming, you should understand why Lil' Ming could get the Life-prolonging Golden Pill.."

"I don't. I only know that you evil members from the clan will always sacrifice us from the collateral branch to fawn over outsiders!" Ni Xueming was resentful. He looked determined as he voiced, "I'll definitely make you pay!"

"Haha." He Liangce suddenly laughed out loud and said, "You're just a person who twists principles and distorts logic!"

"What? Who are you? Reveal your identity!" Ni Xueming glared at He Liangce.

He Liangce asked smilingly, "What are you going to do after you know my name?"

Ni Xueming answered indifferently, "Of course I'm going to eliminate your clan to vent my anger."

"Oh? You'll be dreaming if you're thinking about doing that on your own." He Liangce was suddenly interested. He continued after a short pause, "An aristocratic family naturally has rules and regulations. Hehe, how many people does the Ni family have? If everyone whose life is hanging by a thread requests for a Life-prolonging Golden Pill, the clan won't be able to provide even if it loses its fortune.

He curled his lips and noted, "Instead of thinking about contributing to the clan to exchange it for a golden pill, you were jealous of someone else's contribution and attempted to kill that person too. Hmph… You're lucky that you were born in the Ni family. If you're from my clan…"

Ou Yangming was moved. He asked with a smirk on his face, "What happens if he's from your clan?"

He Liangce laughed and replied to him, "I'll personally kill him!"

Ni Xueming flushed with anger and was full of killing intent because He Liangce's words hit him right away. He yelled, "B*stard, which clan are you from?"

He Liangce's face darkened, but just as he was about to speak, he focused and took three steps back to protect Ou Yangming and Ni Yinghong.

The young master then moved his wrist to open his folding fan, where he slowly drew a semicircle.

A disdainful voice was heard at that moment. "I see, you're from the He family in Linlang County. No wonder you're so bold!"