The makeshift camp was set up quickly. Although the best spot had already been taken by others, this was not the time for polite and courteous behavior. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Jiang Lingxi directly marked off a piece of unused land that had been fenced off by the Changcang Sect, "Set up the tent here."

Xu Zhao glanced at Chong Yin, who was walking towards them, "...Understood."

This meant there was no need to be courteous; he got it.

"Miss Jiang."

"Mr. Yin."

Chong Yin paused his steps, "It’s so late already, Miss Jiang and your people probably haven’t eaten yet, right? We happened to cook a bit extra. Once you’re done, you can come over to eat, no need to hold back."

"Mr. Yin, you are indeed kind, but I’m afraid you might poison us."

Xu Zhao’s hand shook as he was pitching the tent, almost hitting his own hand with a hammer.

Wasn’t that a bit too direct?

Moreover, he had just glanced around, and judging by the size of the other camp, they had about twice their numbers.

They had traveled all day and were starving. If a fight broke out now, they wouldn’t necessarily have the advantage.

Fortunately, Chong Yin didn’t have such intentions, and Jiang Lingxi only spoke because she saw he wasn’t planning to start a conflict right away.

"Didn’t expect to see Captain Xu here again."

There was only one person named Xu around; Xu Zhao had no choice but to look up, "Should I call you Mr. Chong, or Mr. Yin?"

"Captain Xu can call me whatever you like. My real name is Yin Chong, and my professional name is Chong Yin. No matter what, they both refer to me."

"That makes it quite simple. I’ll go with Miss Jiang. After the film crew left, I accepted Miss Jiang’s hire again."

"Captain Xu has excellent skills; Miss Jiang has indeed gained a valuable asset. But I’m quite surprised you managed to arrive so quickly."

As Chong Yin spoke, he glanced around the group again and noticed Yun Yi busy with a tent nearby. A look of understanding crossed his face, "No wonder, Miss Jiang brought Yun Yi along. Perfect timing, Lian Lian and Li Yan are also here. They should be more than willing to catch up."

Jiang Lingxi took the folding chair handed over by Changning, opened it, and sat down, her gaze slightly lifted upon hearing that, "Luan Feng took those two away several days ago. Following your style, even if you wanted to enter the ruins, you wouldn’t spare them; they certainly could be used to blaze a trail. But they’re still here in the camp, while you’ve arrived early but are now outside. Let me guess, you still can’t open the entrance to the ruins?"

The smile on Chong Yin’s face paused before widening again, and he clapped his hands, "Miss Jiang is indeed sharp. I was thinking, since our objectives align, at least for now, we might as well collaborate?"

"How do we collaborate?"

No one offered him a chair, so Chong Yin simply got one himself, opened it, and sat down, "Does Miss Jiang know why this place is called Ming Sha Eye?"

"Mr. Yin, I don’t like cryptic talk."

"When the sand sings, the quicksand opens the way. This is information our people gathered with their lives."

Jiang Lingxi sat up slightly.

"Singing sand means the wind is rising, quicksand... the ruins are entered through quicksand?"

"Correct, but timing is crucial, and there can’t be any little tricks. If an external force changes the direction of the quicksand, one could really be buried in the sand."

The two locked eyes silently.

"How many people have you lost over there?"

Chong Yin: "...Three."

Jiang Lingxi took a deep breath, understanding what Chong Yin implied.

To enter the ruins, the wind must rise first, as only then does the quicksand appear.

But that’s just the first condition.

Then it’s about entering through the quicksand. Currently, neither team wants to go in first. If the team outside caused any disturbances, the first team would suffer total annihilation.

Needless to say, both parties had somewhat considered this plan.

But precisely because both had the same idea, neither dared to act.

They couldn’t just stand around waiting once the wind blew, could they?

Jiang Lingxi thought for a moment, "We can take turns entering."

This way, no one would dare tamper.

"No way," Chong Yin laughed ruefully, "We can’t control the wind. If it dies down, the quicksand will disappear quickly. It’s best if we all go at once. The mage who designed this gate already accounted for such scenarios, leaving us no loophole."

"So I think we should cooperate when going in; no one should trip up the other, and once inside, it’s each person for themselves."

Jiang Lingxi met Chong Yin’s gaze.

Ancient Capital Ruins—just the term ’Ancient Capital’ conjured images of vast areas within.

Even as mere ruins, there’s plenty to explore for quite some time.

But food and water are limited. How to ensure enough exploration in the given time and resources?

You need enough people!

Then it could easily turn into a case of betrayal once inside.

Jiang Lingxi couldn’t argue against it because she had contemplated the same thing.

"I agree."

It all comes down to who plays their cards better.

Chong Yin left, satisfied.

Changning, who had been listening quietly by the side, waited until Chong Yin was far away before dragging a stool close and whispering, "The Master and Teacher have been inside for a while. Their state can’t be good after so long underground. Even if the Changcang Sect lost three, with their number, we’re at a disadvantage."

"Now’s not the time to weigh that. Everything has to wait until we find the things attracting the Changcang Sect here," Jiang Lingxi stood up, patting her shoulder, "For now, we need to focus on our present circumstances, which is that neither I nor Chong Yin can do much against each other while still planning to use one another. Conflict will be reserved for last. Who can say for sure whose deer it will be by then?"

Changning immediately reflected, "Sister Xixi, I’m just too nervous." She added a little sheepishly, "This is my first time in such a big situation; before, it was all smaller, less dangerous missions."

"Stay with Yun Yi and keep close to me."

In the following time, Changning watched as Jiang Lingxi calmly ate, cleaned, and rested, behaving just as she had in the previous days, as if the bustling, unsettled camp next door didn’t exist.

This helped settle the anxiety in her heart.

Others in the group felt similarly. With Jiang Lingxi leading them with such composure, even when facing a camp twice their size, they didn’t feel anxious.

They focused on their tasks.

After discussing things with Chong Shi, Chong Yin came out of the tent and saw the neighboring camp had quieted down, with only three people guarding the torches for lighting and heat outside, while the light within tents had dimmed.

This calm composure reminded him of Jiang Lingxi’s poised demeanor during negotiations—that steadiness, the fact that in a long conversation, he hadn’t found a single exploitable flaw.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Could it be that even fate thought his journey so far had been too smooth, hence sending Jiang Lingxi as such a formidable opponent?

Thinking back to Shen Yunqing, Wu Jue, and others who had already entered the ruins earlier, he was already restless; now, he was even more sleepless.