"If you bring him along and something goes wrong, don't blame me for it." Andrew's tone was firm. Chantelle immediately grew angry. "Mr. Lloyd, you're being way too arrogant! Mr. Veyne is respected even by Governor McCormick and is a genuine professional in geomancy. Besides, I'll be looking after him, so I don't see how anything could go wrong." Andrew sneered coldly. "Fine, I won't interfere with that con artist. But what about this muscle head next to you? What's the point of bringing him along? We're not going to war—we're going to find a treasure site. More people won't help us succeed, and it might actually backfire, so send him back right now." Chantelle hesitated at his words and turned to glance at Ralph, the wilderness survival expert. Ralph snorted coldly and strode toward Andrew with clenched teeth. "You got a problem with me? Do you know how easy it would be for me to take down a little punk like you with these muscles? "Ms. Garcia is under my protection. As long

"Alright then, I should be back in a couple of days," Andrew said before ending the call. He returned to the table and began eating. Tiana carried more authority than most in the Rhodes family, including even Jameson, the head of the house. So, when Jerry and the other Rhodes family fighters sat at the table with her, they were painfully cautious, practically eating in fear. Even Natasha was not spared. Her hand trembled as she reached for food. Seeing this, Andrew chuckled helplessly and picked up several large servings, placing them onto Natasha's plate. She glanced up at him with a grateful and pitiful look, then bowed her head and ate in silence. Tiana barely touched her food before putting down her utensils, clearly uninterested. Andrew said, "Mrs. Rhodes, you really should eat more. Finding decent food won't be easy once we get deep into the mountains." Tiana replied flatly, "I can't stomach these bland local dishes." Andrew did not press further. Even at Tiana'

Axel said, "Legend says that the Demon Queen of the Fallen Crimson Dynasty once built a mountain palace here. There are also rumors that a massive treasure from the Fallen Crimson Dynasty is hidden in our area. But honestly, it's all completely made up—just stories passed down and exaggerated over time." Tiana could not help but interrupt. "How do you know it's made up? I think you're not being honest and don't want to tell the truth." Axel looked like an honest, straightforward man, and Tiana's sharp words clearly flustered him. His face grew awkward as he replied, "Beautiful lady, I haven't lied to you. You can go outside and see for yourself—if we really had treasure here, would our ancient village still be this poor and backward? "You must have seen on your way here that our Gallow's End village is hundreds of miles from the nearest county seat. The entire route is nothing but cliffs and steep terrain. The only concrete mountain road was just completed this year. "Five yea

"If you find that those city folks have already entered the village grounds, just bring your men back—I won't blame you for it," Axel said. Buzz immediately turned with a dozen armed Patoajo warriors and headed toward the dark, imposing forest behind the village. Tiana nudged Andrew's arm. "Andy, we should go too." Andrew did not move but instead smiled at Axel, the village chief. "Chief, would it be possible for us outsiders to tag along and help? Lives are at stake, and it's pitch black out there. We have good equipment and could assist the Patoajo men." Axel waved his hand dismissively. "Mr. Lloyd, you don't need to be so polite about it. I know you outsiders won't rest until you've seen what's in those mountains for yourselves. Go ahead—with Buzz leading the way, you should be safe enough. "But remember, strange things happen in those mountains, and there are certain areas you absolutely must not enter. Go there, and you'll end up with no remains left to bury!" Since

Mohave said, "So I've been called Lucas ever since, though I've always lived in the tribal village, so nobody actually uses my Holtrien name. Captain Buzz and Chief Flintspire all call me Mohave." Andrew nodded approvingly. "Mohave, your father actually went to elementary school—that's quite an impressive education level, especially that name he gave you, Lucas Mainse—it's incredibly cool!" Mohave beamed with pride. "Of course! If my father hadn't had such a high education, my mother would never have fallen for him. And Mr. Lloyd, you might not know this, but our village of Gallow's End just got road access, so after the New Year, I'm going down the mountain to attend school!" Seeing the boy's eager anticipation, Andrew felt a pang in his heart. These kids from remote mountain areas were just too innocent and trusting. This ancient village called Gallow's End had been isolated from the world and had only recently gotten road access. When he returned to Blumedale, he would reach