Bound by Life and Death, Never Abandoning Each Other (2)

Seeing that he didn't respond, Ethan Gu frowned and slipped directly into the cave. The space inside was just enough for two people to stand. Looking at Maxwell Jing's dazed expression, Ethan Gu asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Maxwell Jing shook his head and asked, "Why are you here?"

Seeing that he still looked lost and bewildered, Ethan Gu quickly reached out to grasp his wrist. After checking and confirming that Maxwell Jing hadn't been poisoned, he finally relaxed.

His gaze swept over the spot where words should have been. Instinctively, he reached out and gently touched the newly revealed markings, asking in a soft voice, "Here... is there something?" It was clear this area had just been scraped clean.

Maxwell Jing snapped out of it and smiled, "It's nothing! By the way, weren't you supposed to stay behind at the Ghost Guild? Why are you here?"

Upon hearing this, Ethan Gu withdrew his hand and said, "Someone has made a move against the Ghost Guild and the Cloud Guild!"

Maxwell Jing’s expression darkened. "Did you find out who it was?" To dare attack both the Ghost Guild and the Cloud Guild at the same time, it definitely wouldn’t be an ordinary person!

Ethan Gu shook his head. "That person didn’t do anything too outrageous—it’s like they just wanted to stir up trouble. But if the Ghost Guild can’t track them down, things could get serious!"

Maxwell Jing frowned, "They made a move, but didn’t actually do anything—it feels like a provocation!"

But now that the matter of the Treasure Map has become known throughout the martial world, that person didn’t come looking for the treasure, but instead went after the Ghost Guild and the Cloud Guild. What is their real goal?

Suddenly remembering something, Maxwell Jing looked at Ethan Gu suspiciously. "Someone’s causing trouble, shouldn’t you be staying at the Ghost Guild even more?"

Ethan Gu replied earnestly, "The Ghost Guild isn’t so easily toppled. I came to inform the Guildmaster about this."

Maxwell Jing couldn’t help but frown—this was obviously just an excuse! He sighed inwardly. What could he do now, throw Ethan out of the valley?

"How did you just happen to find me?"

Ethan Gu answered calmly, "It wasn’t a coincidence. I applied Tracking Perfume to you!"

Maxwell Jing lifted his sleeve and sniffed, frowning again. He hadn’t noticed at all—he was really getting careless!

In truth, it was because he didn’t guard himself against Ethan Gu. If it had been anyone else, he would have noticed for sure!

Besides, Tracking Perfume was truly hard to detect. In the past, he would have sensed it instantly, but ever since that incident, he subconsciously rejected everything from the Healer’s Sanctuary—including all medicines. Of course, Ethan Gu’s gifts were the exception. Whether intentional or not, his sensitivity to medicine had greatly diminished!

Ultimately, it was a psychological issue!

"Why did you put Tracking Perfume on me?"

Ethan Gu frowned, "This mission is too dangerous. I couldn’t rest easy. Since I couldn’t use it on the Sect Master, I had to use it on you instead!" As he spoke, his gaze remained firmly fixed on Maxwell Jing.

Maxwell Jing instinctively wanted to step back, but there was nowhere to retreat. He could only press his hands together and force a dry laugh, "I really didn’t mean to lose the Sect Master!"

Ethan Gu snorted coldly, "Who was it that swore to the heavens that nothing would ever happen to the Sect Master?"

Maxwell Jing felt like crying but had no tears. He’d only made that promise to reassure Ethan, so he wouldn’t insist on coming along! In the end, Ethan still showed up, and now Maxwell was the one with a headache.

"Don’t worry, the Sect Master isn’t so easily harmed! I..." Meeting Ethan Gu’s oppressive gaze, Maxwell Jing surrendered, "My fault!"

Outside, Quentin Hua was growing impatient. "If you two want to catch up, can’t you wait until we get out?"

Quentin Hua had popped up again! Maxwell Jing was about to go out, but Ethan Gu grabbed him and said, "There’s an outsider!" Maxwell Jing understood and put on his mask.

Seeing the two finally emerge, Quentin Hua tutted, "You two seem to love staying in there—I almost thought the treasure was hidden inside!"

Maxwell Jing ignored him and instead looked at the so-called outsider—a beautiful woman, gentle and lovely, with soft eyes that made people feel at ease when she looked at them.

When she saw Ethan Gu come out, she hurried over and asked, "Brother Gu, is he the one you were looking for?" At this moment, her eyes seemed to hold a trace of worry.

Ethan Gu nodded, "Don’t worry, Sect Master Ye will be fine!"

This young woman was Yuna Ye, daughter of Shuyang Ye, the master of Ye Sect. Because she was so worried about her father, she had rushed to Healer’s Sanctuary without a second thought. She’d lost her mother at a young age—if something happened to her father too, she truly wouldn’t know what to do.

Though she was delicate and sheltered, as a member of one of the three great righteous families in the martial world, she wasn’t completely ignorant of its affairs. Everyone wanted the treasure, and it was sure to be a deadly struggle. After all, treasures were never found without danger—there had to be countless traps and mechanisms guarding them.

Now that she was inside Healer’s Sanctuary, witnessing danger at every turn, her worry only grew.

Yet Ethan Gu’s reassurance seemed to work. It was clear she trusted him deeply. Ever since entering Healer’s Sanctuary, danger had followed them, but Quentin Hua always watched from the sidelines—Ethan Gu was the one facing every threat. If not for him, she would have died countless times in such a place. So, her trust in him was well justified!

Maxwell Jing glanced at the two, then lowered his eyes, saying nothing.

Quentin Hua pulled him aside and whispered, "Don’t worry, I can vouch for it—there’s really nothing between them. But that woman did save Little Ethan by chance, so he’s just treating her a bit more kindly!"

Hearing this, Maxwell Jing frowned, "What’s wrong with Ethan?"

"Isn’t someone provoking the Ghost Guild? What better way than killing the Left Guardian of the Ghost Guild? Ethan didn’t mention it because he didn’t want you to worry!"

Maxwell Jing glanced at Ethan Gu, then simply replied, "Oh."

It was clear that Ethan Gu was now out of danger.