It wasn't that Zhu Qing lacked courage; it was just that recalling the scene when he was beaten left him feeling utterly powerless.

He had initially thought she was just a Foundation Establishment stage female cultivator, but the moment they fought, her divine sense firmly suppressed him, rendering all his spells and magic tools unusable.

Not only that, but when she threw her fist at him, a domineering force restrained him, making it difficult to move. It was as if he were just an ordinary mortal, being grabbed by the neck and punched in the face repeatedly by this female cultivator, unable to resist at all.

Zhu Qing could clearly feel that Zhang Yiyi had no intention of killing him. Precisely because of this, each punch landed squarely on his face, and it hurt like hell. This was blatant retaliation.

He had no doubt that if it weren't for the fact that Zheng He valued him, she could have easily taken his head right then and there.

So, when he realized that he had inexplicably brushed so close to death, nearly killed by a mere Foundation Establishment female cultivator, he was genuinely terrified—he was truly scared of this woman.

Where did the boss find this monster? Since when was a Foundation Establishment cultivator this overwhelmingly powerful? How were the rest of them supposed to survive?

Zhu Qing's thoughts were practically written all over his face. In fact, the beating he received didn't just impact him; it also left a deep impression on everyone else present.

For a moment, no one dared to harbor any further underestimations of the female cultivator that Zheng He had brought along. Even Uncle Guan, who had reached the late stage of the Golden Core, couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

"Good that you believe it now. Here, senior, take this—it'll reduce the swelling quickly."

Zhang Yiyi smiled slightly, looking as harmless as could be, as if the person who had just turned someone's head into a pig's head with a few punches wasn't her at all.

She casually tossed a pill to Zhu Qing, since they'd be traveling together soon, and staring at a swollen face would be rather unsightly.

"Please, stop calling me senior. It makes me nervous."

Zhu Qing, who had no pride to speak of, accepted the pill and noticed it was top-quality medicine for healing injuries. He swallowed it immediately and said flatteringly, "My name's Zhu Qing. You can just call me the Third (Lao San). I was the one who first discovered this place, and I know it best. I'll lead the way later, but you'll need to protect me, with your strength."

Compared to his life, his dignity meant nothing. After all, in the cultivation world, strength was respected. If you couldn't win, you had to admit defeat.

Zhu Qing had already forgotten that the reason he got beaten up in the first place was because he had been reluctant to let her tag along and benefit from the treasures they were seeking.

Now that he knew she was a powerful ally, his attitude had completely shifted.

"Third brother, where's your pride? You were just rejecting her, and now you're asking for her protection?"

"Exactly, Third Brother! Looks like you didn't get beaten enough. Should I give you a few more punches to wake you up?"

Seeing how the tension had quickly subsided, the other two men laughed and teased Zhu Qing.

They had never doubted their leader's judgment, but now that they had seen Zhang Yiyi's impressive abilities, they were even more excited about having her as a companion.

"Shut up! What's it got to do with you two troublemakers?" Zhu Qing glared angrily at the two brothers before turning to Zheng He with a pitiful look, "Boss, I was wrong! I shouldn't have doubted your judgment! But Second (Lao Er) and Fourth (Lao Si) are bullying me, you've got to stand up for me!"

(Translator XiaoBai: "Lao San," "Lao Er," and "Lao Si" are terms used in Chinese to refer to the third, second, and fourth siblings, respectively, in a family. They literally translate to "Old Three," "Old Two," and "Old Four." These terms are often used informally among siblings or close friends to indicate their birth order. In a narrative context, they can help establish relationships and dynamics among characters. But I will use Second, Third, and Fourth to make it easier to read)

"You deserved it!" Zheng He rolled his eyes at Zhu Qing and scolded, "You dared to mess with my sis? No sense at all! Look at Second and Fourth—are they as blind as you?"

Zheng He wasn't wrong in the slightest, and Zhu Qing fully deserved the scolding.

In fact, among the group, Zhu Qing was often the one causing the most trouble. Zheng He thought that the lesson he'd learned today from Han Lin (Zhang Yiyi) might actually be a good thing.

"LinLin, let me introduce you. This is Second, Zhou Yi, and this is Fourth, Zhou Ren. They're brothers and, like Third, share life-and-death bonds with me."

Afterward, he formally introduced Zhang Yiyi to his companions, saying, "This is Han Lin, my newly sworn sister. From now on, you better watch out for her and make sure she's not bothered by anyone in Jiagu Guan City."

"So it's Miss Han! A pleasure to meet you!"

Zhou Yi and Zhou Ren, ever the savvy ones, quickly greeted Zhang Yiyi with enthusiasm.

In the face of strength, cultivation levels became irrelevant, and naturally, they wouldn't treat her as a junior.

Zhu Qing wasn't far behind, also repeatedly calling her "Miss Han," acting as though they were already old friends.

His thick skin was certainly a match for Zheng He's.

Zhang Yiyi didn't know when she had become Zheng He's new sister, but she didn't bother to contradict him in front of the others. Smiling, she nodded and responded simply, fully integrating herself into the temporary group.

Meanwhile, Uncle Guan silently observed from behind Zheng He.

With his cultivation, he couldn't discern anything unusual about Zhang Yiyi, which either meant her strength was truly extraordinary—capable of fighting across realms—or that she possessed some treasure capable of concealing her true cultivation.

Either way, she was no ordinary figure.

Seeing how much the young master valued her, Uncle Guan only hoped that this Han Lin would not harbor ill intentions toward him. If she did, no matter the cost, he would eliminate her to protect the young master.

"Alright, it's getting late. Let's head down to the bottom of the cliff!"

Moments later, Zheng He waved his hand, stopping his brothers from continuing their chatter with Zhang Yiyi.

It was time to get serious. Everyone focused as Zhu Qing led the way, jumping down first to the location they had scouted previously.

Seeing this, Zhang Yiyi didn't delay and activated her spiritual energy, following Zheng He and the others as they descended together.

The cliff was very deep, and it took quite some time to reach the bottom. The terrain below was complicated, and it was easy to get lost if one wasn't careful.

Fortunately, Zhu Qing had been here before and left markers along the way. After reaching the bottom, the group didn't waste much time and quickly followed the signs to reach their final destination.

"It's right here!" Zhu Qing excitedly pointed at the now-clearing valley entrance and said to the group, "See that fog? The entrance to the cave-dwelling is hidden within that maze formation."

The fog was the first obstacle they needed to overcome. Zhu Qing had no skill in formations, so last time he wisely didn't dare to venture any further.

"Second, this is your job!"

Zheng He instructed Zhou Yi to start studying how to break the formation. "Take your time and be careful!"