Chapter 163: Forced Entry

"Humph! Such a gambler's mentality!" He Li crossed her arms, her lips twitching as she sneered at Wu Haoming.

Clearly, she was still extremely displeased with Wu Haoming because of what had just happened.

Wu Haoming chuckled heartily, stepping forward to pat the two children on the head. He smiled and said, "It's fortunate that you were obedient and left first; otherwise, Senior Bai and I wouldn't have escaped so easily."

"Snap!"

He Zuo abruptly slapped Wu Haoming's hand away, angrily saying, "You still have the nerve to say that! If we hadn't met you, none of this would have happened in the first place!"

"Enough." Bai Qingzhou interrupted He Zuo and asked Wu Haoming, "So what are your plans now?"

Hearing this, Wu Haoming withdrew his hands, rubbed them together, and smiled. "Now, of course, I'm going to sell the tin ore and make a fortune!"

"Where are you going to sell it?"

"Hehe, wherever Senior goes, I go! I'm sticking with Senior!" Wu Haoming said with a smile.

"Oh?" Bai Qingzhou raised an eyebrow slightly, asking curiously, "You want to sell your tin ore, fine, but why follow me?"

"Exactly! Exactly!" He Zuo chimed in, then used both hands to push Wu Haoming away from Bai Qingzhou. "We have our own business to attend to! We don't have time for you!"

With a swift movement, Wu Haoming dodged He Zuo's push, spun around to face Bai Qingzhou again, and spread his hands helplessly. "Senior Bai, look, when you helped me escape just now, everything happened so suddenly that my flying magic tool fell back there. It's quite likely that those people from the Four Directions Alliance have already picked it up. Now that I don't have a flying magic tool, if I walk back on my own, who knows how many years it will take me..."

Bai Qingzhou turned around and said flatly, "You are a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator; what is a mere distance of ten thousand miles? Walk slowly, and you're bound to make it back in less than two months."

"That won't do, Senior Bai!" Wu Haoming rushed in front of Bai Qingzhou once more, saying bitterly, "It's far too dangerous for me to go back now. This is the territory of the Four Directions Alliance. Since I took so much of their tin ore, they must be searching for me everywhere. Without a flying magic tool, they'll find me in no time!"

Hearing this, Bai Qingzhou said angrily, "You know it's dangerous! Why didn't you think about the danger when you went solo into someone else's territory to steal things? Only now are you scared?!"

Wu Haoming scratched his head, muttering under his breath, "I didn't think that much when I first arrived. It was only after I saw that Foundation Establishment cultivator that it finally dawned on me..."

He paused, then immediately cupped his fists and pleaded, "Please take me along, Senior Bai! Besides, I still plan to share this tin ore with you! When I said earlier that I'd give you ninety percent, I wasn't joking at all. As long as Senior lets me follow you, I'll hand over all the profits from the tin ore with both hands!"

Hearing this, Bai Qingzhou raised an eyebrow, somewhat tempted.

After all, this was nine hundred spirit stones, equivalent to half a year's profit for a shop in Water Camp Market!

The reason he hadn't wanted the tin ore earlier was purely because he wished to avoid committing robbery and murder. However, since Elder Miao had broken the unwritten rules and struck first, Bai Qingzhou no longer felt like being polite to him.

Seeing Bai Qingzhou hesitate, Wu Haoming channeled a thread of spiritual energy and immediately retrieved a piece of tin ore from his storage bag, presenting it with both hands. "Please take a look, Senior!"

Bai Qingzhou took it and lowered his gaze to inspect it.

He was not unfamiliar with tin ore. Back when he and Meng Li used to sell magic tools in Fire Camp Market, he had often visited material shops to acquire supplies, and tin ore was something he saw frequently.

With just a brief glance, he could tell that the quality of this piece was exceptional, easily qualifying as top-grade material in any marketplace.

Bai Qingzhou made up his mind, casually tossed the tin ore back to Wu Haoming, and said calmly, "Very well, you may follow us for now!"

"That's wonderful!" Wu Haoming caught the tin ore with both hands and grinned broadly. "Please guide me along the way, Senior!"

"Senior Brother!" He Zuo shouted anxiously from the side. "No way! Are we really going to take this guy with us?"

Bai Qingzhou looked down at the indignant He Zuo, patted his head, and chuckled softly, "It's fine. He will leave us once we reach the next market. When traveling in the outside world, if you encounter an ally in distress, you should extend a helping hand."

"Alright then..." He Zuo replied, pouting.

"Hehe! Senior Bai is completely right!" Wu Haoming beamed. After a brief pause, he asked, "Then, Senior Bai, where are we heading now?"

At that moment, He Zuo answered first, "Humph, you fool! Don't you know the way? We're going to High Scholar Market!"

"Uh..." Wu Haoming's smile froze as he stammered, "Senior... this, this..."

"What?" He Zuo punched him again and said angrily, "Why are you stuttering about going to High Scholar Market?!"

"No," Bai Qingzhou looked at He Zuo, shaking his head with a smile, "We are no longer going to High Scholar Market. We are changing our course to Grand Temple Market!"

"Ah?" He Zuo was startled, looking up at Bai Qingzhou. "Why?"

"Idiot!" Wu Haoming squatted down to pinch He Zuo's cheek, laughing, "We just had a fight with the Four Directions Alliance! Can we still go to their base camp? Isn't that courting death?"

"You're the idiot!" He Zuo blushed and slapped Wu Haoming's hands away.

"That's right!" Bai Qingzhou looked into the distance and said softly, "We can no longer go to High Scholar Market. Our only option is Grand Temple Market, far away from the Four Directions Alliance, straight to the next border market!"

At this point, He Li asked from the side, "How long will it take us to get to Grand Temple Market?"

"It will probably take about a month," Bai Qingzhou pondered for a moment and replied, "After all, Grand Temple Market is already on the border territory of the Four Directions Alliance. Once we reach there, there shouldn't be any problems..."

"I agree with Senior Bai!" Wu Haoming chimed in in agreement.

Bai Qingzhou turned his gaze to Wu Haoming and said earnestly, "Once we arrive at Grand Temple Market and sell the tin ore, you can buy a flying magic tool and head back. By then, the Four Directions Alliance surely won't be watching as strictly..."

"Hehe! I'll listen to Senior!" Wu Haoming replied with a smile.

"Mm..." Bai Qingzhou nodded slightly, then sat down and began to concentrate on maneuvering the Wind-Driving Immortal Crane.

Seeing that the matter was settled, He Zuo and He Li said no more. Each walked over to their usual spot, sat cross-legged, and prepared to enter meditation.

After all, the journey ahead was long, and riding a flying magic tool was extremely monotonous. Only through meditation and cultivation could time pass quickly.

Just as the two children sat down, Wu Haoming's cheerful voice rang out: "I still don't know the names of the two young cultivators. May I ask your esteemed names, little fellow daoists?"

He Li glared at him, let out a cold snort through her nose, and closed her eyes to circulate her cultivation technique, completely ignoring Wu Haoming's inquiry.

Hearing this, He Zuo let out a laugh, looked at Wu Haoming with a wide grin, and moved his lips slightly:

"I am your father!"

Wu Haoming was stunned for a second, then burst into hearty laughter, gave He Zuo a thumbs-up, and chirped, "Fine name!"