The 5th Floor.

"So, what's our plan here Commander?" Zihao asked with his lightning sword hanging on his back.

"We lost a lot of people on our way to the 5th floor... If we aren't careful, we could be taken out here." Scars spoke solemnly as his monster lotus hungrily eyed one of the wounded Wolfeng Gang members.

"Fucking bastards... They really aren't holding anything back. They really plan to eliminate us before the Treasured Plains are over." Ears cursed.

"Next time I see a disciple from the Fearsome Garden or Huan clan, I'm gonna rip my sword through their guts!"

"Alright boys, calm down. Getting worked up over this won't help us at all." Wenling said, clearly just as stressed and upset as her men.

  The Wolfeng Gang has just arrived on the 5th floor of the Great Tower and read the objective needed to clear this floor. Jing's reaction to the objective was quite different from the Wolfeng Gang and she was slightly surprised by this. She thought they would immediately be able to see this situation in a positive light as its perfect for bandits like them. But if their first thought was of survival instead of banditry, maybe she was affected by them a little more than she thought.

  The 5th floor was home to three powerful spirit beast tribes. The Green Bloods, Red Bloods, and the Blue Bloods. These three tribes were all currently engaged in an all-out war that encompassed the entire floor. Their goal was to survive until only one beast tribe was left. When reading this, Jing immediately thought of taking advantage of the war to get as many valuables as she can. The reaction of the Wolfeng Gang was to find out how to survive long enough to get to the next floor.

  It seems the many losses of their comrades weighed heavily on their minds. This wouldn't be convenient for Jing if she planned on using this chaotic battle to gain treasures. Luckily for them, she was not in desperate need for anymore magical treasures or resources in general. She probably had enough resources to start a large sect of her own by now. So, Jing went along with their little plan of surviving till the end of the war.

  She could've prevented all the deaths of those that died on their way to the 5th floor. It was completely in her power to do so but she refused. The Wolfeng Gang didn't know she had the power to save everyone that died but it wouldn't matter if they did in the first place. Everyone except Wenling would agree with whatever she said or did thanks to the lotuses. Jing wasn't sure if she should infect Wenling with the lotus. Having another 100% loyal follower would be good but she didn't feel satisfied with this type of method.

  If she used the parasitic lotus to latch onto Wenling, what's stopping her from doing it to the rest of her followers and just leading a group of mind-controlled followers that would listen to her every command? It would be like leading a group of puppets instead of actual humans with their own thoughts and feelings. Kind of like playing with dolls and having them move to your whim and narrate their thoughts for them.

  Jing didn't feel that this was wrong in the sense that she would feel bad for doing so. She felt that it was wrong because it wouldn't be gratifying to her inner self. It would be cheating in simpler terms. Her current goal lied in taking over the sect and reforming it into her ideal form of what a sect should be. Wouldn't it be pointless if all of those under her when she becomes Sect Leader are nothing more than mindless pawns only used to fulfil her desires? It would all be so empty that Jing couldn't really call that succeeding in her goal.

  Jing decided to not use any mind-altering methods on her main followers. She would gain their full loyalty and hearts through her own leadership capabilities. It wouldn't be worth doing it any other way. At least in her opinion, it wouldn't be.

"Jing. Can you have Li Li scout our surroundings for us?" Wenling asked.

"Ask him yourself." She replied, even though she already knew the answer.

"Pretty please Li Li?" Wenling clapped her hands together and asked cutely.

  Li Li turned his head.

"Please please please please." She begged even more.

  He opened his left eye and stared at her.

"I got a nice juicy beast core for you if you do it for us." Scars bargained as he reached from his pocket and took out a shiny red solid sphere.

  This completely captured the owlet's attention. He nodded as he took the beast core in blinding speed before taking off into the sky.

"Did you teach him that?" Wenling asked slightly peeved she couldn't use her charms on Li Li.

"He's smart. He knows how to spot a good deal." Jing replied.

"I wish he would open up to me more..." She whined as she hugged Jing from behind.

"Give it time. He isn't used to making friends." Jing said, she herself doesn't have any friends either.

"A shy one huh? You know, you used to be cuter when you were shy too."

"So, I'm not cute anymore is what you're saying right?"

"No! I didn't mean it like that! What I meant was you're so different now and I feel crazy because I'm the only one who seems to notice it." She couldn't explain herself in a way that made sense.

"So, I'm not cute. I got it." Jing released herself from Wenling's grip and walked faster on ahead.

"Jing! Wait! I just meant that you were especially cute before and now you are only cute cute! Does that make sense?!"

"No. It doesn't." Jing teased while faking an upset face. She really didn't care about being cute or whatnot. It was just amusing to see Wenling's desperation.

"Uhh! How do I explain this in a way that doesn't upset you?!"

"You've already explained it. No need to explain it again."

  The rest of the Wolfeng Gang watched this scene with amusement. It wasn't often that the Commander acted so freely and honest with herself before Jing joined. Even Ears only saw this part of the Commander's personality when around the other commanders and the leader. Ears wasn't ashamed to say that he was insanely jealous of Jing's closeness with Wenling but seeing the faces of these bastards behind him, he was starting to think he wasn't the only one. They were happy that their Commander could feel at ease with Jing around. They believed that since Jing was a girl, it was easier for her to open up to her instead of a bunch of guys like them. There were some barriers that could not be easily crossed between the sexes.

  Wenling engulfed Jing in a big hug and was repeating the word sorry over and over again when Li Li returned from his scouting. Wenling refused to let go unless Jing forgave her. Li Li didn't like this sight and as he returned he swooped down and kicked Wenling in the forehead with his foot, releasing her hold from his mother. Wenling whined from Li Li's uncalled for abuse and this sight made Jing laugh.

"I guess seeing that sorry sight of yours is enough. I forgive you." Jing told her. Not that she ever was upset with her in the first place.

  Wenling bounced up from the ground and captured both Jing and Li Li in a joyous hug. All three of their faces rubbed together as Wenling continually forced the physical interaction. Li Li tried to pull out and kick Wenling away again but she was prepared this time. Li Li would have to hurt Jing if he wanted to push her away. The young bandit commander smirked in her victory as she rubbed her face even harder against the mother and son duo.

"Up ahead there is a mountain surrounded with a dense amount of qi. To the west, there is a small army of Green Bloods traveling this way. In the east, Li Li spotted a large lake without any spirit beasts inside. Behind us, we have the Fearsome Garden and Huan clan tracking our trail. It looks like they have a spirit tool that can track us somehow." Jing relayed as her face was still being rubbed against Wenling's. Her face and voice was completely stoic despite being in the embrace with Wenling and Li Li.

"We need to get a move on then. I would've suggested we head to the lake first to fill up on water but if they are right behind us, we need to get to the mountain. There's no point in angering the Green Bloods just as we got on the floor either." Ears said.

"We can still head to the lake Vice Commander." Zian spoke up.

"Did you not just hear me?"

"I heard you. But I was thinking, since we know that they are following us from behind. We could set up a trap for them with Jing's formations." He shared.

"We could also go and stock up on water from the lake! We head to the lake first, stock up, and then we could head to the mountain and set the ambush there or make it at the lake." Scars added.

"Hmm... That isn't a bad idea coming from you bastards... Commander, what do you think?" Ears asked, she was still hugging Jing and Li Li.

"It would be a good plan if we had more of our members but as we stand now, we are outnumbered. Even with the four of us at the 9th stage, we still wouldn't be able to defeat both of their forces together. They came very prepared and would easily be able to escape with their lives."

"How could they escape from one of Jing's formation though?" Du Lin asked.

"It would cost them a valuable spirit tool but it would be possible. Plus, I don't doubt that they have a spirit tool that could sense arrays. They could see our trap from a mile away with a tool like that. The safest option would be to stock up on water, place traps behind us to delay them, and focus on making it to the mountain." Wenling relayed to her men.

"Why are we headed to the mountain again?" Zihao asked.

"Didn't you hear Jing? That mountain is definitely filled with valuable loot if it is surrounded in dense qi." Ears explained.

"I really don't think we can carry anymore loot Vice Commander..." Scars brought up.

"Well it's going up your ass if you can't find anywhere to carry it."

"Vice Commander please..." Scars begged for mercy.

  The rest of the gang laughed as they made their way to the lake.