"Oh, is that so?"
Xiang Mantang raised an eyebrow upon hearing Barlow's words, and said with a meaningful tone, "Since you have already made progress, why not go explore and instead come to find me? Are you hoping that I'll leave and not disturb your efforts?"
"Not at all," Barlow organized his thoughts, and slowly explained in his clumsy Chinese, "We didn't want to drive you away. It's just that our exploration, despite the breakthrough, is limited by our strength. As you know, the Garden of Eden is no idyllic paradise; it's full of dangers, and we're just ordinary people. Even if we could get in, we wouldn't be able to successfully harvest the fruits from the Tree of Life..."
Upon hearing this, Xiang Mantang scrutinized them carefully once again. Indeed, they were just ordinary people, at most slightly stronger than the average, akin to fitness trainers, athletes, or boxers - none of them were even Mingjin Warriors.
If such people truly found the entrance to the Garden of Eden and ventured inside, forget about the Tree of Life being guarded by the Divine Sword that can rotate and shoot flames in all directions, they would probably meet their end at the hands of the Wisdom Angel guarding the entrance.
However, why would Paradise Lost, one of the world's top ten organizations, not send more people after finding the Garden of Eden, allowing these ordinary folks to continue the exploration?
Or could it be that Paradise Lost comprised solely of ordinary people, without any martial artists or psychics?!
But that didn't make sense either. If the entire organization was merely ordinary people, how did they manage to become one of the top ten organizations in the world?
When Xiang Mantang posed this question aloud.
Barlow gave a wry smile and explained, "Our Paradise Lost is indeed an organization made up of ordinary people. We've always kept to ourselves, often willing to help others, and I don't know why we became one of the top ten. Maybe 'Nine Great Organizations' doesn't sound as good?"
Xiang Mantang still felt something was off.
But with scarce information about Paradise Lost, he couldn't just refuse to collaborate with them based on the slight unease he felt.
After all, they were the only ones who knew how to enter the Garden of Eden. Xiang Mantang himself might take years to find its entrance.
Wouldn't it be better for him to just not look and wait for Mu Jinyu to wake up on her own?
The man, who lacked patience, didn't fancy the idea of slowly figuring things out on his own.
As for these two, if they indeed harbored any ill intentions towards him or sought to use him somehow, they were only ordinary people after all. He could easily snuff them out without much concern.
Still, Xiang Mantang was not going to readily agree to their proposal, especially with some doubts still unanswered.
"Since you've found the entrance to the Garden of Eden but are only ordinary people yourselves, then why didn't you seek cooperation with Withered Tree Quest for Spring? With their principles, they would surely be willing to work with you!"
Xiang Mantang inquired.
Barlow candidly replied, "Withered Tree Quest for Spring is a pack of insatiable wolves, a bottomless dry well. If we were to collaborate with them, we might end up stripped to the bone."
Xiang Mantang thought about it and saw some truth in those words. The people of Withered Tree Quest for Spring were mostly those on the brink of death, with power enough to turn the tide and wealth enough to rival nations, but all of them were old. If they learned of the Tree of Life, they probably wouldn't leave anything for Paradise Lost.
With this in mind, Xiang Mantang's lips curled into a half-smile and looked at Barlow, "Oh? You fear Withered Tree Quest for Spring, but aren't you afraid that we from Dragon King Hall will devour you until not even a skin is left?"
"This..."
Barlow's face stiffened upon hearing Xiang Mantang's words.
Then, forcing a smile, he stuttered slightly, "I believe that Dragon King Hall would not do such a thing. One, because your need for the Fruit of Life isn't that great. Second, you Huaxia people are loyal and trustworthy, brave and upright, steadfast in your word..."
Xiang Mantang waved them off disinterestedly, saying impatiently, "Stop with the flattery, it's useless on me. After all, if the legend of the Tree of Life is true, then it represents immortal existence. Do you think its allure isn't great enough for me?!"
"This, this..."
Listening to Xiang Mantang, Barlow's face paled, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his lips quivered, at a loss for what to say.
By the looks of it, it seemed they deeply regretted coming to find Xiang Mantang.
Xiang Mantang scrutinized their expressions carefully. Judging by the changes in their complexions, it seemed they were truly a bit slow-witted, never considering whether Dragon King Hall might be greedier than Withered Tree Quest for Spring!
Of course, it was also possible that they were acting kings, with acting skills so convincing that even he couldn't discern the truth.
The purpose was just to lower his guard.
Xiang Mantang speculated, but couldn't be certain of their true intentions.
But regardless, since he couldn't probe for answers, in the end, he would still have to visit the Garden of Eden.
"Forget it, I won't joke with you anymore. If we really can find the fruit from the Tree of Life, I'd only want..."
As he spoke, Xiang Mantang did a quick count. How many did he need in total?
Mu Jinyu needed one, Su Zijin, Gu Xiyan, Mei Yinxue, Wen Rou, they would inevitably need one each, that made five.
If he was coming all this way, he couldn't go back empty-handed, so he naturally wanted one for himself. Jian Ruyan had been so kind to him, he must get one for her too. Since he's giving one to Ruyan, Mu Hongchen, who worked tirelessly at Dragon King Hall, should also have one...
"I don't want much, just twenty!"
Xiang Mantang finally said.
Barlow and Leon's faces turned a bit green when they heard Xiang Mantang's words.
Damn it, you say you don't want much with twenty?
Who knew how many Fruits of Life there were on the Tree of Life that could grant eternal life?
What if there weren't even twenty?
How would they explain this to the high ranks of Paradise Lost?
"This... We..."
Barlow's face was deathly pale, struggling to speak, wanting to say something.
Xiang Mantang naturally saw what they wanted to say. They were obviously worried there weren't twenty Fruits of Life. He hesitated, afraid that they'd refuse to guide him if he fleeced them completely, so he said:
"Don't worry. I want twenty Fruits of Life, but that's if there are enough Fruits of Life. If there are only ten, I'll reduce the number I need. I'll take eight..."
"If there are only two or three, I want two, and you can take the remaining one back to settle things!"
"This..."
Barlow's expression remained hesitant upon hearing Xiang Mantang's words, not quite daring to agree.
After all, Xiang Mantang had previously said who knows whether his appetite could surpass Withered Tree Quest for Spring or not. What if, after he had guided them there, Xiang Mantang changed his mind? How could they possibly deal with him then?
Xiang Mantang noticed their concern and said in a stern voice, "Well? Don't you trust my character? If I had any crooked thoughts, why would I have laid it all out for you earlier? Could I not just wait until you've led me there and then go back on my word?"
"I may not count as a particularly good person, but at least, my word is my bond. Whatever I promise, I see it through."
"I've made myself clear. If you still don't trust me, then so be it. I'll find my own way there!"