"Ridiculous! How about leaving your head with me as a temporary pledge, and I’ll return it to you later?" Ye Liuyun retorted.

"Then what else do you want me to do?" Kong Jiaxiang asked helplessly in return.

"Let us sign a soul contract."

Ye Liuyun sent out his divine soul straight into Kong Jiaxiang’s Ocean of Consciousness as he spoke, righteously imprinted him with a Slaving Seal, scanning his soul for the information and secrets of the Kong family.

Then he continued, "Pay me as much as you can now, and deliver the rest to Necropolis when I return."

"Okay!" Kong Jiaxiang pretended helplessly and immediately handed over all his interspatial rings.

Ye Liuyun took what he needed and threw all the rings back at him.

Then he stood aside with his men. His previous domineering attitude totally receded, and he stood waiting for orders like a mercenary again.

The First Elder also received an order from Ye Liuyun to convince Jian to move on with the exploration of Goldragon Hill.

"Mr. Jian, you have seen the strength of these men. When are we departing?"

In a sarcastic tone, Jian replied, "The elder is truly eager to make a quick buck! Now I’m not concerned about their strength but my own safety!"

Ye Liuyun also intervened and assured, "We treat others as they treat us. We will finish your mission once we’ve got our pay, you can rest assured on this. We will definitely follow the rules we should observe!"

"Indeed! He is just a bit quick-tempered, but he has never had a problem with tasks," Kong Jiaxiang echoed.

He also added, "Our family has always been doing this for a living. I can assure you with the reputation of our Kong family, they will definitely not lay a finger on you."

"So, are you willing to sign a soul contract with me?" Jian directly asked Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun glanced at him, all disdain in his eyes, "There’s no need for that, you couldn’t run if I really wanted to kill you!"

"I’ll sign with you! Haha. Sir, this man has always been so stubborn! But I dare to vouch for him with my divine soul!"

Kong Jiaxiang immediately followed up, but it was all a command from Ye Liuyun in secret.

He almost felt like crying, fearing that Ye Liuyun would play him and attack Jian and his companions in the secret realm.

"There’s no need for wild guesses, I have no reason to go against them. I’m only after the treasure. To me, they aren’t worth the effort." Ye Liuyun also instantly reassured Kong Jiaxiang through the Slaving Seal.

"After the exploration, we’ll head to the Kongs and make you the leader. Be prepared!" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"There’s a seventh-realm martial practitioner in the family!" Kong Jiaxiang secretly reminded Ye Liuyun.

"Don’t worry! I have ways to deal with him!"

Jian, on hearing Kong Jiaxiang being so certain, also began discussing with the elder behind him.

"The stronger their powers are, the better it is for us. Since Kong Jiaxiang dares to make a pact, I suppose it’s safe. They could just be a little hot-tempered, after all, it was Tang Yuan who provoked them first."

"The Kong family started out this way, they’ll be giving away their career if they were to ruin their reputation. They wouldn’t joke about this. Besides, it’s usual for general exploitation when it comes to explorations like this. As long as we keep an eye on them and let them handle the dangers, the rest doesn’t matter."

"Well then! Since you vouch for them, we will trust you this once. Let’s start off now!" Jian finally agreed.

"Good! Then I wish you all the best!" Kong Jiaxiang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Thereafter, Ye Liuyun and his group left with Jian, while Kong Jiaxiang sent Kong Chenglin back to the border battlefield before returning to the Kong family to prepare for the position of Family Head.

He made such plans before, but he couldn’t do anything against the seventh-realm martial practitioner, who had always been supportive of the current Family Head.

Now, if Ye Liuyun could assist him in dealing with that martial practitioner and hand the Kong Family over to him, that would align perfectly with his intentions.

As for the seal, he could always look for an expert to reverse it.

He left the thought of doing so after Ye Liuyun helped him secure the position in his mind.

However, Ye Liuyun, who got wind of his thoughts through the seal, merely scoffed inwardly without exposing him.

“Captain Ye, we have a map of the Goldragon Hill here, you should take a look at it first!” At this moment, the Northsky Sect’s elder waved Ye Liuyun over.

Ye Liuyun came over to take a look. The map marked the previous exploration paths and information about potential dangers in certain areas.

Ye Liuyun promptly made adjustments as he laid his eyes on it.

“Let us forge the path! It seems like the place has its fair share of dangers,” Ye Liuyun volunteered.

“That would be much appreciated, Captain Ye!”

“That’s our job since we’re getting paid for it! May I know how to address you, sir?"

"You can call me Mr. Song, or Old Song!"

“Alright, Mr. Song, I’ll make the necessary arrangements. Feel free to call on us if you need any help!”

Ye Liuyun saluted him before proceeding with the formation arrangements.

"Both my clone and Megalithic Ape will lead the way, watch out for sneak attacks. I’ll be at the rear with the soldiers!" Ye Liuyun conveyed to everyone.

Given the Ape’s ability to turn into stone, it made a strong defense for the group. Along with the clone’s Golden Phantom Eyes, they made a perfect duo to scout the path.

At the entrance of the hill was a narrow valley.

Before his clone could even enter the valley, he halted the team.

"What’s wrong?" Jian asked in confusion.

"There are venomous bugs hidden within the vines on both side of the valley," Ye Liuyun replied.

Jian and Song exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with a secret dread.

Ye Liuyun stood at the back of the line, and they didn’t see him have any form of communication, yet he seemed to have grasped the situation.

Moreover, the entrance was the only dangerous spot that wasn’t marked on the map, yet they managed to realise it easily.

"And you let them go straight in?" Jian asked in confusion again.

Because he saw that Ye Liuyun’s clone along with the pack of demons had already entered the valley, all of them which had mastered the Fatal Scripture.

"They’re going to clear out the bugs, it won’t take long."

The soldiers behind them didn’t need orders from Ye Liuyun. As soon as the team stopped, they split into three groups, remaining vigilant of the rear and both sides.

This scene made both Jian and Song secretly complimenting them.

"What a professional!" Both thought at the same time.

They also noticed that those who entered the valley were not driving away the bugs, but baiting and catching them.

After the bugs were caught and their poison was drained, they were directly crushed to death or stomped on.