Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 276 Two Treasures
"So you just captured him like this?"

Lin Jiang stared at the expressionless Duan Libie before him, his lips twitching slightly.

“Yes.” Duan Libie pointed to Lao Nan, whose arm was severely deformed. “This man is the Nan boss of Qian’er’s. I saw him on the wanted list before. He comes from the Shepherd’s Sect. I have never liked this group of people, so I captured him for you.”

Lin Jiang sized up Lao Nan, opened his mouth but then stopped, ultimately swallowing his words.

The four leaders had indeed fallen into his hands, but Lin Jiang had not expected that they would be brought to justice in this order, and that the last one would be arrested by Duan Libie.

At this moment, Lao Nan was extremely listless and looked very tired.

He turned his head, his gaze shifting between Lin Jiang and Duan Libie, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Severing ties.

How could he not know that name?
Everyone in the underworld knows of his formidable reputation.

The number one assassin in Daxing today.

There were indeed some stars in the secret passage, mostly belonging to very famous and important figures who would never normally show themselves.

The separation is quite different.

As a Star Pointer, he wandered all over the martial world!

If you can afford it, you might even be willing to let him kill a dog!

Naturally, that fee was extremely expensive.

Old Nan thought he was destined to never meet this star in this life, but unexpectedly he was captured here.

So, who is this handsome young man in front of you?

Did you break off your friendship with him?
Is he the richest man in the world or is he exceptionally capable?
Or maybe both?
He wasn't in the mood to think about it anymore.

His stomach started hurting again.

I just don't know if I'll ever have another chance to go to the outhouse.

"Detain this person for now, I will handle it myself." Lin Jiang waved his hand and called Jiang Jinyue over to help escort the person away.

Old Nan himself was quite skilled, originally an expert in the inner hall, but Duan Li's strength was too domineering, causing him to lose his bones and muscles before he could resist.

After the thieves were brought in, Duan Libie took out two exquisite brocade boxes from his bosom.

"Here is the information I promised you earlier."

"Wait a moment, I'll call someone else." Lin Jiang was referring to Gong Xuan.

His intention in seeking the treasure was not for the valuable items themselves, but rather to allow Gongxuan to acquire a huge fortune out of thin air, thus washing away the gloom in his destiny.

Gong Xuan naturally stood to the side.

Lin Jiang instructed Yana to invite them. The young girl was efficient and soon brought Gong Xuan to their side.

After being away from Linjiang for some time, Gongxuan's complexion gradually improved, but his Taoist robe had returned to its tattered state, his hair was disheveled, and his appearance had returned to the state when Linjiang first met him.

When Gong Xuan arrived, his gaze fell on Duan Libie, and he immediately understood why he had been called over.

The three walked into a newly built empty room, where a large table and several chairs were placed. After they sat down, Lin Jiang said:
"This place is newly built, and there is not much food or drink available to entertain guests. Please do not mind."

"It's alright, I didn't come here for food and drink."

Duan Libie placed the two boxes on the table and said:

"This is a treasure from our homeland, and the one on the right is a treasure from the former Zhou Dynasty. All the information you two need is inside; please feel free to take it."

"I've never asked you before, where is your hometown?"

Lin Jiang couldn't help but ask.

Duan Libie's appearance is indeed unlike that of a Daxing native.

"Me?" Duan Libie fell silent, as if lost in a long memory. "It was a small, distant western country. Later, a disaster struck, and it no longer exists."

His face was expressionless, as if he were telling a distant story.

It seems that he no longer has much attachment to his hometown.

"far away?"

"It is indeed far away. Without special means, it would take about seven or eight years to travel by carriage alone."

Lin Jiang's eyebrows twitched unconsciously twice.

That is indeed quite far away.

He wouldn't need to drive that long to Lanco himself.

He glanced at Gong Xuan, who shook his head.

Gong Xuan didn't want to choose this either.

The time was too long and the journey too far. Although he was highly skilled, he was so poor and weak that if he left Daxing, he might die in some mountain valley.

So they turned their attention to another box.

Relics from the former Zhou Dynasty.

"The last king of the Zhou Dynasty was a master of charioteering. He was once a powerful figure who vied for supremacy, but his generals betrayed him, leading to the king being trapped and dying in the city. He was originally known as the Overlord Emperor, but changed his title to the Alas Emperor on his deathbed."

Duan Libie also recounted the past of the Zhou Dynasty to Lin Jiang and the others, and at this point, he couldn't help but sigh deeply:
"Someone paid me a lot of money to go and rescue them, but the place was extremely dangerous. I rushed there with all my might, but I was too late and almost lost my life in the process."

Lin Jiang couldn't help but take a few more deep looks at Duan Libie.

As expected of Dianxing, I never imagined he would live for such a long time.

"On his deathbed, he did tell those around him that he had hidden all his life savings within the territory of the Zhou Kingdom. I later tried to find it, but it was never found."

"However, later on, many rumors began to circulate in the martial arts world, saying that the legacy of the Prince of Ai had reappeared. I became very interested and had my men search for it. After searching until today, we have accumulated this box."

Duan Libie reached out and gently tapped the box:
"It was only after further investigation that we learned that King Ai had sent his legacy into a mysterious and formless realm, which is why it is so difficult for ordinary people to find it."

"What is that place?"

"It was his illusory realm, which went out of control after his death and fell into a vast, empty fog, taking his treasures with it." "What's in King Zhou's treasury?"

"As I mentioned before, he practiced the art of chariot driving, which is also called military strategy. It was one of the 108 methods in the world back then. Apart from the gold and silver that the Zhou Kingdom plundered during its conquests, most of the treasures he left behind were also related to this method."

"This includes Emperor Ai's entire cultivation method, which includes a chariot that rides through the nine heavens. In addition, Emperor Ai seems to have done some research during the final years of the struggle for supremacy, but I do not know the specifics."

Lin Jiang nodded, indicating that he understood.

Even without the magic weapon, this Long-Raising Nine Heavens Chariot is enough to break Gong Xuan's destiny.

Where in the world is this treasure now?

"West of Daxing lies the Gobi Desert, where majestic towns stand tall, and distant villages and towns are nestled amidst the sands. Reaching that point will bring you close to the edge of the Illusory Realm. This box contains the means to enter the shallower layers of that realm; you may explore it at that time."

At this point, Duan Libie turned his gaze to Lin Jiang:
"Would you like to come along?"

"Huh? Could it be... I can't go?"

Lin Jiang asked blankly.

"The deal is not yet finalized, so I will offer you one more piece of advice," Duan Libie said slowly. "Everyone has their own destiny. If one is born with a body destined for great wealth and the other with a body born into poverty, and both are to go to places of riches and dangers, tell me, who will take the riches and who will take the dangers?"

As soon as the words of parting were spoken, Lin Jiang's expression suddenly turned solemn.

Recalling his past adventures, whenever he was close to the treasure, Gong Xuanzhen would always encounter various setbacks, either not seeing or touching it, or not going there at all, and in the end, he would take the treasure by himself.

This whole thing was a classic case of wasted effort.

Thinking of this, Lin Jiang couldn't help but sigh:
"What exactly is a person's destiny? How can it have such a profound impact on a person?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Libie suddenly sneered:
“Fate? Fate is predetermined by heaven. From the moment you and I open our eyes, where we are destined to go and where we will end up is already set. He cultivates to break free from fate and establish himself, but how can he know that breaking free from fate is not predetermined?”

He stood up, seemingly unwilling to discuss the topic further.

He simply turned and walked away.

"The deal is done today. I should go to the capital to retrieve the item. There are no grudges or entanglements between us now, so I suppose we won't have to meet again. The next time we meet, it will surely be because someone has entrusted me with a task. At that time, whether I take your life or lend you a hand is anyone's guess."

"Then you'd better prepare more manpower. If you lose your head in my hands, I don't know where to bury it."

Upon hearing this, Duan Libie actually fell silent for a while.

"If that's the case, please go to my hometown and find a high place with a good view to bury me."

After saying that, he turned around and walked straight ahead without looking back.

Once the other person had completely disappeared, Gong Xuan couldn't help but mutter to himself:
Will this person really come back?

"I don't know, maybe."

"Then it's better not to come."

"really."

Before mastering the Pure Dustless Mirror and the Great Fog Illusion Mirror, Lin Jiang would indeed find it troublesome if he truly wanted to leave again.

Now that he has mastered these two techniques, he can withstand the opponent's illusionary realm and then counter it with chaotic energy.

Even though a one-on-one fight couldn't sever their ties, Lin Jiang still felt that the other party was not getting any advantage.

Of course, he did not underestimate his opponent. After all, Duan Libie had been famous for a long time, and last time he had the opportunity to succeed because he underestimated his opponent. He might still have some hidden skills.

Just as Gongxuan said, it's better not to meet.

When his gaze fell once more on the two wooden boxes on the table, Gongxuan reached out and picked up the box containing the Zhou Kingdom's treasures, letting out a soft sigh of emotion:

"It seems it's time to say goodbye."

Since Lin Jiang cannot come along, then I will leave alone.

Having spent so much time together, it's hard not to feel a little reluctant to part ways.

Taking advantage of this break, Lin Jiang directly asked when Luo Li's studies in his hometown would be completed. After thinking for a moment, Luo Li replied that due to the increase in manpower, it would probably only take a full month.

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiang felt somewhat relieved and then turned to Gong Xuan and said:
"Let's wait another month. The weather will be cooler then, and plums will ripen in Qingniwa in autumn. We should at least try one before we leave."

“That makes sense. I rarely come to the North and haven’t tasted many plums. I really should savor them.”

Gong Xuan laughed.

……

After Gong Xuan left, Lin Jiang unconsciously leaned back on the wooden bench.

He closed his eyes, gently rocked the chair, and listened to the creaking sounds around him. He couldn't help but think of Duan Libie's explanation of "fate".

Fate is predetermined.

The pill formulas he had previously read mentioned that cultivators were mostly followers of the Heavenly Dao, taking life from nature and returning to nature after death.

The true master of the stars is the one who has attained the Great Dao. Because of this, they can materialize their state of mind while alive and leave behind celestial phenomena after death. This is the Dao of Heaven.

What exactly is the Way of Heaven in this world?
Thinking of the enormous coffin floating in the starry sky, Lin Jiang could only wonder who its owner was.

After closing his eyes and pondering for a moment, he suddenly heard shouts coming from outside the camp.

It seems someone is looking for him:

"Someone from the Northern Prince's Mansion has arrived. Where is the administration of this place?"

Lin Jiang felt that the voice sounded quite familiar.

He then got up and walked outside.

Arriving at the door, I looked outside.

Three brothers stood at the entrance of the camp.

These three...

Aren't they the Zeng brothers?
Lin Jiang suddenly remembered that Old Zhao seemed to be in the north.

(End of this chapter)