Eternal life begins with saving my clan

Zhan Mu beckoned to the strangers quickly, nervousness written all over his face.

He and his gang were returning from mining when they discovered that the magma was about to erupt. With the aid of the Desert Compass, they had nothing to fear.

As they prepared to use the safe route shown by the compass, they noticed the group. From their clothes, they could tell these people were not from Dongping City, so they decided to help.

"Zhan Mu, must you help them?" A thin girl asked, frowning deeply.

Their gang had lived on the streets for as long as they could remember, and if not for the Celestial Heavenly Store, some of them might have starved to death.

After risking their lives multiple times in the Boiling Desert, they finally had enough points to redeem a superior-grade technique, only for the store to release a new magical device.

After debating within their group, they decided to use their points to exchange for the Boiling Desert Compass, and this was their mission since they got the compass.

Now, Zhan Mu was going to let many strangers into their group. What if they tried to steal their compass?n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Or worse, what if they tried to kidnap them and sell them as slaves?

With these thoughts racing through her head, Cheng Da was furious. If not for Zhan Mu being much stronger than her, she would have started a brawl with him.

Zhan Mu, unaware of Cheng Da's thoughts, kept his gaze fixed on the fast-approaching group while keeping an eye on the rising magma.

"Hurry!" he shouted nervously.

Hearing the boy's nervous scream, Mr. Hu and his group pushed their speed to the limit. However, the uneven terrain and the rising magma made it difficult for them to reach top speed.

Nevertheless, they managed to reach the boy's location just before the magma could.

"Thank you for saving us..." Mr. Hu said, not looking down on Zhan Mu just because he was a child.

Without acknowledging Mr. Hu's gratitude, Zhan Mu turned and departed deeper into the cave behind him.

"Try to keep up."

Seeing Zhan Mu and noticing Cheng Da's hostility, the group frowned. Still, none of them commented.

Before following Zhan Mu, Ye Bi asked skeptically, "Young Miss, can we trust this kid?"

"Do you have a better option?" Wu Xia asked, continuing forward without waiting for a response.

Stunned for a moment, Ye Bi opened her mouth, but no words came out. She realized her worry was pointless. With the boiling magma at their heels, did they really have any other choice?

Sighing, she shook her head and rushed after them.

Deep in the cave, Zhan Mu and Cheng Da rejoined their group. As they glanced at the strangers, their companions turned to them, but no one spoke.

"I'll explain later. Let's move," Zhan Mu said to no one in particular.

Nodding, they quickly slung their sacks over their backs and rushed deeper into the cave, with Zhan Mu leading the way.

As they ran, they saw magma leaking from the cave walls and floor, the temperature rising rapidly as the sound of boiling magma echoed around them.

Tension gripped everyone's hearts as they pushed themselves to their limits, dodging streams of magma on the ground.

"Young Miss!" Ye Bi called out again. "We're not going to make it at this pace."

She had been quiet before, but she still didn't trust these ragged children. How could homeless kids like them save anyone?

Before Wu Xia could speak, Mr. Hu snapped, "If you have nothing better to say, just keep quiet!" He turned to glare at her.

"I'm just trying to protect the Young Miss," Ye Bi replied defiantly, still not trusting the dirty, unkempt children, and making no effort to hide it.

Furious, Mr. Hu glared at her for a split second before turning away and leading his men onward.

Watching him go, Wu Xia frowned deeply. "This will be the last time you behave so unreasonably..." she warned.

Ye Bi's loyalty had earned Wu Xia's trust, but now her snobbish attitude was endangering lives.

"Don't make me hate you," she added before rushing after Mr. Hu and his men.

The few seconds they wasted bantering allowed the magma to rise, and it was now rushing toward them like a violent stream.

Casting Ye Bi a hateful glare, Wu Xia pushed her speed to the limit, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Why are you stopping?" she shouted when she saw Mr. Hu and his men halt in front of two tunnels.

Before them were two tunnels leading in different directions, and no one knew which one Zhan Mu and his gang had taken.

"What should we do?" one of the guards asked, wiping the sweat beading on his brow.

Mr. Hu turned to Ye Bi and said, "If anything happens to my men, I won't forgive you."

Rumble! Rumble!

The sound of the incoming magma reverberated in the tunnel behind them, and everyone held their breath.

"We need to decide now!" another guard shouted in panic.

"Left!" Mr. Hu yelled, rushing into the left tunnel.

Without hesitation, the group followed their hearts in their throats. Tension gripped them as the sound of the approaching magma grew louder. Even the defiant Ye Bi paled as she listened to the terrifying rumble.

She regretted her earlier actions, but this wasn't the time for guilt.

"I see light ahead!" Mr. Hu shouted, a bright smile spreading across his face.

Before they could sigh in relief, the magma appeared behind them, closing in rapidly.

"Run!"

Fear and tension gripped them as they ran for their lives, watching the magma rise like a tidal wave.

Mr. Hu rushed out of the tunnel and saw dry ground a few meters ahead, free from magma.

"Quick! Quick!" he shouted, rushing toward safety.

Ahhh! Ahhh!

Miserable screams echoed from the tunnel as two unfortunate guards were swallowed by the magma.

Wu Xia and Ye Bi managed to escape in time, sprinting toward the dry land.

Reaching the dry ground, they turned to watch the magma pour out of the tunnel for a few feet before receding into the cracks in the ground.

Panting, Mr. Hu and his men breathed sighs of relief, wiping sweat from their brows. But when they remembered the screams of their fellow guards, they turned and glared at Ye Bi.

"Are you going to pay with your life?" Mr. Hu demanded, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Mr. Hu, please, on my behalf, let it go." Wu Xia stepped in front of Ye Bi, looking at him apologetically. "I'll compensate you and the families of the men when I return to the clan."

"What are you doing? Follow me."

Zhan Mu's voice rang out as he stood in the distance with his hands on his waist.

With a snort, Mr. Hu turned and walked toward him, followed by his remaining men, their gazes cold as they passed Ye Bi.

Shaking her head, Wu Xia looked at Ye Bi, her face filled with disappointment. Without a word, she followed after Zhan Mu and his gang. No one spoke during the ten-minute journey until they saw a city in the distance.

"Welcome to Dongping City," Zhan Mu said with a bright smile.

"Kid, thank you for saving us," Mr. Hu said, his voice filled with gratitude.

"Don't thank me yet," Zhan Mu replied, shaking his head. "Follow me to the store."

Inside the city, Mr. Hu, Wu Xia, and the others were shocked to see the smiling faces of the city's inhabitants.

Dongping City had always been known as a land of suffering, a place even bandits dreaded to visit. Why were the people here smiling?

They were still lost in thought when they arrived at the Celestial Heavenly Store.

Zhan Mu's smile deepened as they entered the store. With large strides, he walked to the counter.

"Sir, I saved these people, and I'm afraid they won't compensate me. So I brought them here. Please help me," Zhan Mu said to Deng Kun with a sly smile.

Shaking his head, Deng Kun looked at the group, dumbfounded by the expressions on their faces.

"Guests, how will you compensate your savior?" Deng Kun asked calmly. Explore stories on empire

Mr. Hu, Wu Xia, and the others could hardly believe it. They had thought Zhan Mu saved them out of goodwill, but now they realized it was merely a transaction.

With a bright smile, Wu Xia stepped forward. "How about fifty silver coins for his help?"

When Zhan Mu heard "fifty silver," his eyes brightened. Standing in the corner of the room, his gang held their breath, filled with excitement.

However, Deng Kun's next words stunned them.

"No... One gold coin," he said, leaving no room for negotiation.

Meanwhile, outside Dongping City, a group of savage men emerged from the Boiling Desert, their faces filled with rage. Out of over a hundred men, fewer than forty had survived the boiling magma.

"When I catch that slut, I'll make her regret being born," the leader of the Crimson Shadow Bandits growled, fury in his eyes. "Let's head into this forsaken city. They must have arrived there."