After saying that, she grabbed Fu Qin's sleeve and walked steadily forward, leaving Oscar far behind.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, gritted her teeth and followed not far from Fu Qin and the others. Although exhausted, she never gave up.
The mountain path of the Devil's Path became steeper and steeper, and before they knew it, the originally fairly orderly group completely split into three groups, with the gap between them widening.
Fu Qin, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing firmly occupy the first tier.
Despite carrying the weights meant for three people, Fu Qin's steps remained steady and swift.
As time went by, beads of sweat began to appear on Ning Rongrong's face, while Xiao Wu, relying on the physique of a transformed soul beast, chatted and laughed with Fu Qin all the way, occasionally glancing back at Tang San to give him some "spiritual encouragement".
Zhu Zhuqing gritted her teeth and followed closely behind, beads of sweat constantly sliding down her forehead, but she maintained a steady pace. The heavy stones weighed down on her shoulders, making them red, but her eyes grew increasingly determined.
The second tier is occupied by Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun.
Tang San circulated his Xuan Tian Gong, his breathing was steady, but after sharing some of Ma Hongjun's burden, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
As a powerful offensive Soul Master, Dai Mubai's stamina and endurance remained intact. However, when he occasionally glanced at Zhu Zhuqing's back, his expression became complicated, and he unconsciously increased the force of his steps.
With the help of the two, Ma Hongjun was finally able to keep up, but he was also panting heavily and occasionally complained about how difficult the mountain road was.
Oscar, on the other hand, has undoubtedly fallen into the last tier.
He lagged behind the group, his steps faltering, each step a race against death. His face was ashen, his lips cracked and bleeding, and the weight on his back felt like a thousand pounds, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Oscar, do you need any help?" Fu Qin stopped and turned to look at the disheveled Oscar behind him. His tone was calm, without a trace of sarcasm, only a pure inquiry.
certainly.
He didn't genuinely want to help this guy who had repeatedly harbored ill intentions towards him; he was just putting on an act. After all, Tang San and the others were there, and he needed to maintain a "righteous" persona.
To Oscar, however, this sounded like a blatant insult.
Looking at Ning Rongrong smiling sweetly beside Fu Qin, and at Fu Qin's relaxed and carefree demeanor, and then at his own current disheveled state, a surge of shame and indignation welled up in his heart.
He suddenly raised his head and roared at Fu Qin, "I don't need it! Fu Qin, stop pretending! I can complete the mission myself, I don't need your pity!"
His voice was hoarse and unpleasant, filled with extreme anger and resentment.
In his previous life, he was the God of Food who became a god alongside Ning Rongrong. How glorious he was! Now, however, he was being "given" to Fu Qin like this. How could he possibly tolerate it?
Moreover, he absolutely did not believe that Fu Qin was genuinely helping him, and only thought that the other party wanted to show off his magnanimity in front of Ning Rongrong.
Seeing this, Fu Qin showed a hint of disappointment on his face, shook his head slightly, and without saying another word, turned around and led Xiao Wu and the other two to continue on their way.
That's exactly the effect he wanted. The angrier and more disheveled Oscar was, the more his composure and magnanimity would stand out, and the more Ning Rongrong would hate Oscar.
"Oscar is so out of touch with reality!" Ning Rongrong frowned as she watched Oscar's retreating figure, her tone full of hostility.
"Brother Fu Qin kindly helped him, but he actually took it all for granted. He's really biting the hand that feeds him!"
She had already regained her memories of her past life and knew that she was Oscar's wife in her previous life.
But it was precisely because she regained her memories that she felt even more contempt for Oscar.
In his previous life in the realm of gods, Oscar was obsessed with power and women, and did too many dirty and despicable things. He was no longer the person she could entrust her heart to.
Now that she has awakened her memories in this life, she will never repeat the same mistakes. Oscar's life or death is none of her business.
Oscar's chest heaved violently upon hearing Ning Rongrong's words, and an inexplicable anger surged to his head.
He wanted to argue, to question Ning Rongrong, but he swallowed the words back down.
He cannot reveal his identity as a reincarnated person, nor can he let anyone know about his past life entanglement with Ning Rongrong.
This anger and frustration had nowhere to go, almost driving him crazy. He could only clench his fists tightly, his nails digging into his flesh, and continue forward with sheer grit.
Time passed by, second by second.
At 4:15 PM, Fu Qin, along with Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing, were the first to leave the Devil's Path and arrive at the city gate of Soto City.
Yu Xiaogang was already waiting by the city gate. When he saw the four of them arrive first, a hint of approval flashed in his eyes, but he immediately frowned.
The fact that not all members of the team had arrived gave him a bad feeling.
"Master!" Xiao Wu ran over first, her voice filled with excitement, "We're here!"
Yu Xiaogang nodded, suppressing his doubts, and said to the four of them, "You did a good job. Come with me to the inn to rest."
He had already rented a hotel in Soto City in advance, and the room was even equipped with a medicinal bath to refresh and relieve fatigue.
Fu Qin and the other three were indeed quite tired after their long journey, especially Zhu Zhuqing, who was already at her limit.
After entering the hotel room, the four of them took a medicinal bath in their own rooms. The warm medicinal soup enveloped their bodies, dispelling the fatigue and soreness from the journey. Zhu Zhuqing's tense body finally relaxed, and a comfortable expression appeared on her face.
"Fu Qin, why didn't Xiao San and the others come?"
Yu Xiaogang has always thought highly of Fu Qin, believing him to be a kind and good-natured boy.
But now only the four of them have arrived, while Tang San and the others are gone....
However, before Fu Qin could speak, Xiao Wu's voice came from next door.
"Master, it's not that we're unwilling to help, it's that Tang San and the others said it's not necessary."
In the next room.
While soaking in a medicinal bath, Xiao Wu took the initiative to explain to Yu Xiaogang, her tone tinged with grievance.
"Fu Qin's younger brother originally wanted to help Oscar, but he didn't appreciate it at all!"
Ning Rongrong in the other room nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Master. Tang San and the others said they wanted to complete the mission themselves and wouldn't let us help them, so there was nothing we could do."
Fu Qin sat in the medicinal bath, closing his eyes to rest, not saying much, but simply nodding in agreement with the two's statement.
He knew that although Yu Xiaogang wasn't very capable, he valued teamwork the most. This explanation would both absolve them of responsibility and place the main responsibility on Oscar.
After listening, Yu Xiaogang shook his head helplessly.
He understood Tang San's personality: he was too competitive and wanted to do everything himself, but he didn't understand the true meaning of teamwork.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun each have their own agendas, and Oscar is even more narrow-minded. How can such a team go far?
"You all get some rest. I'll go check on them at the city gate," Yu Xiaogang said, then turned and left the room.