When the Extreme Yin Patriarch saw this, his expression shifted slightly as well, but after a moment of silence, he spoke calmly: "Since Brother Barbarian has his doubts, I won't hide anything. My disciple is of great use to our treasure retrieval in the inner hall. If he has offended you in any way, I hope Brother Barbarian will show leniency."
Hearing the Extreme Yin Patriarch say this, Han Li felt a surge of frustration.
When had he ever offended Barbarian Devil Beard? If anything, it was the other way around — back in the main hall, the old devil had forcibly seized the jade pillar from him, and Han Li still harbored a belly full of resentment over it!
Of course, these were thoughts Han Li only dared keep to himself and would never speak aloud.
"Offended? I don't even know this brat — how could he have offended me! I was just taking a closer look and found his cultivation technique rather interesting, so I decided to test him out. But what use can a mere Core Formation cultivator possibly be in the inner hall? Don't tell me you're trying to fool me with lies." Barbarian Devil Beard waved his hand dismissively, speaking in a languid tone.
Upon hearing these words, the Extreme Yin Patriarch frowned slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he gave a subtle glance toward the robed old man.
Scholar Qing Yi smiled faintly at this, then moved his lips slightly and transmitted his voice to Barbarian Devil Beard.
At first, seeing the two of them conspiring in secret, Barbarian Devil Beard wore a look of contempt. But after hearing several more sentences of the old man's transmission, his expression shifted abruptly. He turned to look at Han Li with a trace of surprise.
Then he, too, used voice transmission to ask the old man a few questions. After receiving his answer, a look of sudden understanding crossed his face, which then turned cold and sinister.
"Ji Yin, so this is why you suddenly took in a disciple — turns out he actually has... Hmph! You've certainly thought this through, haven't you!" Barbarian Devil Beard narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade as he stared at the Extreme Yin Patriarch.
"Why should Brother Barbarian be angry? If you were in the same situation, you'd likely do the same. Besides, now that we've told you about this, we clearly have no intention of keeping the treasure to ourselves. Retrieving the treasure still requires Brother Barbarian's help." The Extreme Yin Patriarch remained composed.
"That much is true. Without me, I'm afraid that bunch of hypocrites led by Wan Tianming wouldn't even give you a chance to retrieve the treasure. But let me be blunt — if we do manage to get our hands on the treasure, how exactly do you plan to divide it?" After a moment's thought, Barbarian Devil Beard's expression softened somewhat.
"Shall we divide it into four shares by headcount? Including young friend Han, one share each." The robed old man seemed to have already considered this question and immediately spoke up with a slight nod of his head.
But the moment these words left his mouth, Barbarian Devil Beard turned on him.
"Qing Yi, do you really think I'm that easy to fool? An equal four-way split — I'm impressed you even came up with that. When the time comes, you can handle Wan Tianming yourself. After all, we'd all be getting the same amount regardless." Barbarian Devil Beard's face was laced with mockery.
"Brother Barbarian, please don't be angry. Ahem! I admit that suggestion was a bit thoughtless on my part. So what would Brother Barbarian consider a fair distribution?" The old man showed no irritation at the taunting remark and instead asked with a grin.
"I don't care how much you each take. But I must take half of the treasure. After all, Wan Tianming alone is more than enough to keep you two busy. I have to deal with him, so half is hardly excessive." Barbarian Devil Beard said with a stern expression.
This demand did not elicit any look of surprise from the Extreme Yin Patriarch or the old man. Clearly, his outrageous opening bid had been anticipated.
"Half? Brother Barbarian's appetite is truly enormous. Don't forget, without my disciple's help, our chances of successfully retrieving the treasure are pitifully low. My disciple deserves an extra share, wouldn't you say?" The Extreme Yin Patriarch said unhurriedly.
"Hmph! A mere Core Formation cultivator doesn't deserve to share in our treasure." Barbarian Devil Beard didn't even glance at Han Li.
Han Li's expression twitched slightly upon hearing this, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Hehe! If he were just an independent cultivator, naturally he wouldn't be entitled to anything from the Void Sky Cauldron. But since he's become my, the Extreme Yin Patriarch's, disciple, of course he should have his share." This time, the Extreme Yin Patriarch showed no intention of backing down.
Hearing this, a flash of harshness crossed Barbarian Devil Beard's face, and he was about to retort when the old man beside them interjected with a compromise.
"How about this! There's no need for you two to keep arguing. Why don't we divide the treasure into five shares when the time comes? Brother Barbarian takes two shares. The rest of us share the remaining three. That should be fair enough, wouldn't you say?"
At these words, Barbarian Devil Beard paused, stroked his beard, and fell silent.