Promotion

Taking advantage of his hurried journey, Xie An synthesized the information he had gathered and reviewed and analyzed the situation:

First: This masked giant must be the Plum Blossom Monster. If so, his previous reasoning regarding the Plum Blossom Monster's killing logic was entirely wrong.

The Plum Blossom Monster came here for the immortal treasure.

Earlier, the bearded hunter and the fat medicine peddler were both secretly selling antiques of the same batch as those carried by the young chamber pot vendor. These items likely originated from the Chen family estate and were unearthed from the ancestral tombs of the Corpse Refining Sect excavated by the Chens.

Second: The bandits of Great Yin Mountain who previously raided the Chen family estate in Water Lantern Town were probably using raiding as a cover, when their true objective was the immortal treasure.

Third: Wei Dian was dispatched by the Tiger-Wolf Sect to the Chen family estate to help fend off the bandits, only to be severely wounded by the Plum Blossom Monster. It is likely that Wei Dian and the upper echelons of the White Feather Hall also learned about the existence of the immortal treasure in the Chen estate. Otherwise, someone as cautious as Wei Dian would not have risked danger and injury just for a modest bribe.

Looking at it this way, the upper echelons of the Tiger-Wolf Sect knew that the Chen family estate possessed an immortal treasure and wanted to get their hands on it as well.

Could the bandits of Great Yin Mountain... be the Corpse Refining Sect itself?!

Hiss!

The thought was terrifying, and Xie An's scalp tingled slightly.

Having lived for thirty years in Wuqiao Town near Great Yin Mountain, he knew all too well how formidable the bandits of Great Yin Mountain were.

Whenever the food-scarce autumn and winter seasons arrived, the bandits of Great Yin Mountain would descend in packs to pillage villages and towns, wreaking havoc on local security. The county yamen and garrison had launched multiple encirclement and suppression campaigns, all of which ended in failure.

The most disastrous attempt occurred more than a decade ago, when the garrison mobilized over a thousand troops to suppress the bandits, only to suffer heavy losses with the deaths of two vice-commandants.

Since then, the county yamen never spoke of bandit suppression again. Instead, they vigorously supported the Tiger-Wolf Sect in establishing the White Feather Hall at the foot of Great Yin Mountain, attempting to use the sect's influence to counterbalance the bandits.

Surrounding residents spoke of the Great Yin Mountain bandits with bated breath. Only now did Xie An realize... that this gang of bandits was called the Corpse Refining Sect. They were likely an organized cult sect, far from easy to deal with.

However—

An immortal treasure coveted by both the Tiger-Wolf Sect and the Corpse Refining Sect, dug straight out of the Corpse Refining Sect's ancestral tombs... must undoubtedly be a rare and precious artifact.

At this thought, Xie An's scalp tingled with excitement.

Guided by his previous memory, Xie An made his way along the path to the spot where the young chamber pot vendor had squatted to relieve himself.

Expecting to catch some foul odor, he found none at all...

"Indeed, that lad faking his urge to defecate was a ruse..."

Growing even more certain of his deduction, Xie An approached the ancient locust tree.

The yellow earth was carpeted with fallen autumn leaves, some of which had already decayed, releasing a pungent, moldy scent.

Early morning sunlight filtered down through the gaps in the foliage, casting dappled spots of light upon the ground.

Xie An circled the ancient locust tree for a careful inspection and finally spotted a patch of disturbed earth.

"This must be the place."

Xie An immediately swept the leaves aside with his hands, revealing the freshly dug soil beneath. The soil, packed back down and smoothed over, still bore the distinct prints of footwear.

Because the winter ground was frozen hard and had been trampled down, digging by hand proved quite strenuous. Xie An fetched a sturdy piece of hardwood and began little by little to pry the soil open again.

He refrained from using his broad saber for fear of damaging the immortal treasure.

"Before dawn, the visibility was poor. I really thought that lad came out here to empty himself... Little did I know, this young fellow is quite foxy. He probably sensed danger after running into the bearded hunter and decided to hide the immortal treasure."

Growing increasingly eager, Xie An accelerated his pace.

As the hard yellow clay was excavated layer by layer, Xie An caught sight of something underneath.

It was a burlap sack, fairly large in size—easily the size of two adult fists combined.

After expending considerable effort, Xie An finally managed to drag the burlap sack out. He scanned his surroundings vigilantly, and finding no one in sight, brushed away the dirt clinging to the bag and slowly untied it.

Hiss!

Upon seeing the contents inside, Xie An drew a sharp breath.

A square red box.

"It really is the so-called immortal treasure the Plum Blossom Monster spoke of..."

Surprised and delighted, Xie An found it somewhat hard to believe.

An immortal treasure that both the Tiger-Wolf Sect and the Corpse Refining Sect were searching for, even willing to come to blows over... had actually fallen into his hands?

And this was something the Chen family estate had dug up from the ancestral tombs of the Corpse Refining Sect...

Tombs that the Corpse Refining Sect itself had failed to locate...

As for why such a treasure ended up in the hands of a lowly servant of the Chen estate, Xie An guessed that the servant might have accidentally stolen it. Yet the servant likely had no idea it was an immortal treasure, merely assuming it was something valuable because the box looked exquisite, and thus deliberately hid it.

Suppressing his excitement, Xie An began to examine the wooden box.

First of all, this box was extremely heavy!

Even a block of refined steel of this size would not weigh nearly this much.

Though the box was only about the size of two fists, Xie An estimated it weighed at least seventeen or eighteen pounds.

He had no idea what kind of wood could be so heavy; at the very least, Xie An had never seen such timber, nor had he ever even heard of it.

The box was locked, with a keyhole the size of a thumb, requiring a key to open.

Xie An observed it closely for a moment, noticing that the box fit together with seamless precision. It did not look like pieces pieced together, but rather as if it had been carved from a single, solid block. The workmanship was exceptionally exquisite—ordinary craftsmen would never possess such skill.

"Let me see what is inside this box."

Xie An attempted to pry the lock open with his saber, to no avail.

Finally, he brought his blade down in a heavy slash against the box, producing a resounding clang that left the web of Xie An's thumb vibrating numbly. Looking down, he saw that his broad saber had chipped, while the box remained completely unscathed, without even a single scratch left upon its surface.

"Such a hard box! What kind of wood is this tough? Truly an immortal treasure."

Rather than feeling disappointed by his failure to open the box, Xie An became all the more convinced that it was a priceless treasure.

"I'll stow it away first and study it slowly. I'll make inquiries about the Chen family estate later... Perhaps then I can find a way to open the box." Xie An tucked the box into the quiver on his back, covering and concealing it thoroughly with arrows. Confident that no anomaly was visible from the outside, he turned and departed.

"Since the chamber pot lad truly possessed the immortal treasure, his corpse needs to be dealt with... Otherwise, if Wei Dian and the others spot it during their mountain patrols, it will inevitably lead to loose ends. As for the Plum Blossom Monster, having committed murder, he likely won't return."

Xie An retraced his steps, found the body of the young servant, and buried it in a deep pit dug within a nearby dense forest. He covered it with layers of leaves and dirt to ensure not a trace was left behind before finally leaving.

As he neared the black market, Xie An still felt a sense of unease. What if Wei Dian knew about the immortal treasure after all...

To play it safe, Xie An decided to mimic the chamber pot lad. He found an ancient locust tree in a secluded spot nearby, dug a pit to bury the box securely, and only then returned to the black market.

Sure enough, the moment he reached the gates of the courtyard, he saw Wei Dian, Lin Yun, and Zhang Lin waiting for him by the entrance.

"Old brother, you're finally back. I was worried something might have happened to you," Zhang Lin greeted him warmly. "I just told the incense master and the grand deacon about your situation, and everyone was worried."

Feigning extreme exhaustion, Xie An tossed his quiver and other items onto the ground to casually demonstrate that he was carrying nothing back with him, then cupped his fists toward Wei Dian: "Many thanks to the incense master for your concern. I tracked that fellow all the way and watched him walk a long distance without encountering any mishaps. Perhaps Zhang Lin and I overthought things; that person was not the Plum Blossom Monster."

As he spoke, Xie An cast a sidelong glance to observe Wei Dian closely.

Sure enough, Wei Dian glanced briefly at Xie An's quiver and gear, and seeing nothing unusual, withdrew his gaze and said, "It's good that you've returned safely. It seems the Plum Blossom Monster did not strike today."

With that, Wei Dian gave Lin Yun a look, and the latter said, "Your performance today showed sagacity and valor, which the incense master has witnessed firsthand. From now on, your medicinal supplements will be doubled, and your monthly stipend will be increased by twenty taels. If you have any other needs regarding your martial arts training, you may come to me at any time. You shall concurrently hold the position of Second Deacon of this sub-branch. In the future, guide Zhang Lin well and help manage the black market properly."

Xie An cupped his fists in gratitude: "Many thanks, Incense Master Wei, and many thanks, Grand Deacon. This subordinate will certainly fulfill his duties to the utmost and live up to your expectations."

"If there is any further news of the Plum Blossom Monster, come report to the hall at once," Wei Dian commanded, before flicking his sleeves and striding away. Lin Yun followed closely behind him.

After bidding the two farewell, Zhang Lin eagerly stepped forward and cupped his fists: "Congratulations, old brother, on your promotion to Second Deacon. Tonight, I shall book a table at the Cuihua Brothel to celebrate your success."