The three of them gathered in an empty room, far from the eyes and ears of anyone else.
There, Zhou Quan used the same Oath Gu that Jian Long had previously used on him, under the exact same conditions. Once the oath had been established, he explained everything concerning the Bai clan and the details of the operation to Mǐ Yuè.
Mǐ Yuè cultivated the Information Path and possessed exceptional talent in gathering intelligence, espionage, and tracking clues. In truth, had she not been a woman, her abilities would have earned her far greater recognition.
For that reason, Zhou Quan entrusted her with infiltrating and gathering information on the Bai clan.
First, they needed to confirm whether the clan had truly settled on the mountain where Jian Long had discovered the spirit spring. After that, she was to determine the clan's current strength and whether they had already dispatched a caravan to import new Gu worms.
Because the rewards from this operation were expected to be enormous, Mǐ Yuè agreed to participate in exchange for one percent of the profits.
"Good."
Zhou Quan took out a pouch of primeval stones.
"Since you've agreed, take these—five hundred primeval stones to cover your instantaneous transition expenses."
Just as he and Jian Long were about to leave, Mǐ Yuè stopped them.
"Before you go... I want to ask you something."
She fixed her gaze on Zhou Quan.
"You chose me for this mission because you knew women are paid far less than men... didn't you?"
By the era of Giant Sun Immortal Venerable, the status of women had declined throughout the world, especially in the Northern Plains. In many regions, it was considered disgraceful for women to work, and in some places, it was even shameful for a woman to become a Gu Master.
As a result, women's pay had become significantly lower than that of men.
For a mission this dangerous, a man with Mǐ Yuè's abilities would have demanded at least three percent of the profits, while she had accepted only one percent.
Zhou Quan frowned in irritation.
"What are you talking about? I chose you because of your skills... and because I wanted to make it up to you."
A faint smile appeared on Mǐ Yuè's face.
"Look me in the eyes while you say that."
The two stared at each other in silence for several moments.
Finally, she let out a quiet sigh.
"...I honestly don't know what made me fall in love with you in the first place."
Without another word, Zhou Quan turned around and stormed out of the room, barely containing his anger, with Jian Long quietly following behind him.
...
As they walked down the street, Zhou Quan burst out furiously,
"How dare she say something like that?! I came to give her an opportunity—to help her crawl out of the garbage dump she calls home—and she has the nerve to accuse me of exploiting her!"
Jian Long simply walked beside him in silence.
Zhou Quan didn't need a response.
"She never trusts me... she always belittles everything I accomplish."
He clenched his fist in frustration.
"And then she gets angry whenever I look at another woman!"
He let out a bitter laugh.
"Of course I do! What man could possibly endure living with a woman like that?"
At the same time, Jian Long was lost in thought.
He had never expected Zhou Quan to be this popular with women.
But after thinking about it again, it actually made sense.
Despite his shaved head, Zhou Quan was an extremely handsome man. Moreover, he was good with words and possessed a naturally charming personality whenever he chose to use it.
His train of thought was interrupted when Zhou Quan suddenly asked:
"So, what do you think?"
Jian Long looked at him in confusion.
"My opinion... about what?"
Zhou Quan's eyes widened.
"About everything I just said! Were you not listening at all?!"
Jian Long coughed lightly before replying,
"Ah... yes, I was listening."
He thought for a moment before adding,
"If you really wanted to show her your sincerity, why didn't you give her three percent?"
Zhou Quan let out a long sigh.
"Ah... have you forgotten the contract between you and me?"
Jian Long raised an eyebrow.
"The contract states that I must do my utmost to provide you with the best possible service. Therefore, it was my duty to negotiate with her and obtain the lowest percentage I could."
Then he declared confidently,
"And that's how I ended up with one percent."
"Really?"
Zhou Quan narrowed his eyes.
"Are you questioning my integrity?"
A faint smile appeared on Jian Long's face.
"No, of course not."
Then he remembered something else.
"By the way... you mentioned instant transportation earlier."
He looked at Zhou Quan curiously.
"Will Mǐ Yuè really be able to reach the Bai clan that quickly? The journey from here to there should take several months, and the return trip would double that time."
Zhou Quan regained his usual calm and began explaining.
"Don't worry."
"The Southern Border is so vast that traveling from one end to the other by conventional means could take an ordinary person years."
He continued,
"Naturally, that was highly impractical. Therefore, the super clans of the Southern Border agreed to establish a network of instant transportation gates connecting their territories, making travel between those regions extremely fast."
Then he shook his head regretfully.
"However, operating these gates is extremely expensive, so using them to transport large quantities of goods or people is economically inefficient."
"That's why caravans remain the primary means of transporting goods and travelers."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"As for a small clan like the Bai clan, it is obviously not included in this transportation network."
"So Mǐ Yuè won't be able to reach them directly."
"She'll use one of the transportation gates to travel to the nearest available region, then complete the rest of the journey on her own."
After thinking for a moment, he estimated the time required.
"Most likely, the round trip will take about a month."
Zhou Quan then continued,
"During this month, I'll need to train you properly so you'll be ready for the upcoming battle."
He paused for a moment before adding,
"But before anything else... you need to restore your right arm."
Upon hearing that, Jian Long raised his severed right arm before his eyes and stared at it as though he were seeing it for the first time.
Then, in a tone of surprise, he said,
"Oh... you know? I almost forgot about it."
Zhou Quan stared at him in silence for a few seconds before saying in disbelief,
"Is there really anyone who could forget something that important?!"