Without a doubt, this was a Rule Stone related to the Fire Flame Rule, and it was of an exceptionally high grade, even surpassing the Fire Dragon's flame talent. Otherwise, why would the Fire Dragon have placed it in its lair?
Kent was so excited that he didn't even bother to examine it closely before hastily storing it away. He then moved on to a huge red object in front of him.
"This is the Fire Dragon's shed scale."
Kent's eyes lit up. Fire Dragon scales were incredibly tough, making them excellent materials for crafting high-grade armor, especially such a large piece, and it was in perfect condition. It could probably make over a thousand sets of armor.
"This thing is way too large when unfolded. Even though it's just one shed scale, it's still enormous when stacked," Kent muttered, a bit troubled. However, compared to its value, the importance of the Fire Dragon's shed scale far outweighed that of the Mighty Bull.
Kent immediately took out three thousand pounds of the Mighty Bull's meat from his space bag to free up some room for the Fire Dragon's scale.
Just as he finished packing it, he heard human voices.
The voices were quiet, but in the deep cave, they sounded unusually loud. Kent grew wary. Could there be others here?
He quickly instructed Bajie to go outside and investigate, while he hid in a secluded corner, suppressing his presence.
Bajie turned into a shadow and swiftly moved toward the cave's exit.
"Brother Long, hurry up! While the Money Inspector is holding off the Fire Dragon, let's loot its lair!"
"Yeah, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We're going to get rich!"
"Ha ha, don't rush. Stay calm. I told you, if you stick with me, you'll never be shortchanged. We're lucky this time, so just relax." The voice was loud and somewhat commanding—clearly the leader, Brother Long.
"Brother Long, you're as calm as ever. Even when such a golden opportunity is right in front of you, you can still remain so composed. I admire you."
"Brother Long, if we strike it rich this time, let's go have some fun! Life out in the wilderness is hard—there's nothing we need. But if we can become senior mercenaries, it'll be a blast."
"Don't worry. If I get a piece of meat, I'll make sure you get some soup too. We're almost there." As Brother Long finished speaking, he stepped into the depths of the cave, his eyes immediately blinding from the thick piles of gold and jewels scattered across the floor.
Kent, who was hiding in the shadows, took a careful look. Although he had already taken the giant Moonstone from the lair, his vision was still sharp, and with the golden glow lighting the cave, he was able to clearly make out the faces of the three newcomers.
At the forefront was Brother Long, a muscular man with a calm smile and sharp eyes. He was dressed in a mix of C-level and B-level combat gear, holding a long sword in his hand. On his shoulder were four wolf-head insignias, indicating that he was a four-star mercenary, capable of handling King-tier monsters above level 40.
Following him was a weaselly, rat-like man with shifty eyes, exuding both cunning and vigilance. He was holding a firearm.
The other one was a green-haired young man, somewhat frail-looking, with six throwing knives hanging from his belt. He wore silver gloves on both hands and carried a small black shield on his left arm. He seemed to be a fighter.
The three of them, all four-star mercenaries, entered the lair and immediately widened their eyes. Even Brother Long, who had been so composed, couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
"There are definitely a lot of treasures in here. Let's split up and search quickly," Brother Long said, his tone now urgent, no longer so calm.
The three of them immediately scattered. Since the lair was enormous, Kent had only explored a portion of it.
Kent wasn't willing to let these three steal the opportunity from him. He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to reveal himself, when suddenly the rat-like man spoke up.
"Brother Long, wait. Something's off. There are signs that someone has been here recently. Look at these marks; they're still fresh. Some of the things here have been taken already."
Brother Long and the green-haired youth walked over, took a look, and said, "You're right. It seems like someone else was here. Interesting. Who are you? Why aren't you showing yourself after being discovered?"
Kent had no choice but to step out from the shadows. "It's me. Three mercenaries, what advice do you have?"
The three mercenaries glanced at Kent, clearly relieved. They exchanged looks, their expressions turning curious.
Brother Long paused and then said, "Kid, I'll be straight with you. Leave your space bag here, or you might never leave this place alive."
"Kid, if you know what's good for you, be quick about it. Brother Long doesn't want to kill, but my buddy Rat doesn't mind," the rat-eyed man snapped.
"Shut up, Rat. It's not your turn to talk with that rusty gun of yours," the green-haired youth said, reaching for one of the throwing knives on his belt.
"Green-hair, do you believe I can use this gun to blow your mouth off?" the rat-eyed man retorted.
Brother Long raised a hand. "Enough with the noise. Is killing fun? We shouldn't kill unless we absolutely have to. I have my principles. If we kill someone, that heart will grow cold, and then we'll be wary of each other. That's not what I want. So, kid, I'll give you five seconds to decide."
Kent was taken aback. He hadn't expected these three to have a sense of moral restraint. However, he had his own considerations as well.
"Sorry, I can't give you these things. They belong to the Money Inspector. He's the one distracting the Fire Dragon, while I snuck in to loot the place."
"Don't bullshit us. You think we're monkeys to fool? Brother Long, we can't trust this kid. Let me take care of him," the rat-eyed man growled.
"Kid, tell me, who exactly are you to that Inspector?" Brother Long asked, clearly hesitating.
"I'm his disciple," Kent replied casually. In truth, he could easily handle these three, but after hearing Brother Long's words, he decided to spare them. Since they hadn't killed anyone before, there was room for mercy.
"Then..." Brother Long hesitated, thinking for a moment. "Rat, Green-hair, let's go."
"Brother Long, why are you being so soft? This kid is trying to scam you. Even if he's telling the truth, there's no reason to back off now. If we kill him, the Money Inspector won't know, and even if he does find out, he won't be able to prove who did it," the green-haired youth insisted.
The rat-eyed man also strongly disagreed. "Brother Long, today I agree with Rat. We can't just listen to you. You get the meat, but we want a piece too. Let's move."
Brother Long fell silent after hearing their words and didn't speak further, tacitly agreeing with them.
Kent sighed as he watched the rat-eyed man and the green-haired youth close in on him. "I understand. People die for money, birds die for food. Go ahead, make your move."