Chapter 242: Made Up on the Spot

When something was abnormal, there had to be something strange behind it. And among that trio, Miss Su was the strangest one of all.

At first, Zheng Fan had merely assumed that since she was a Silver-Armored Guard operative working openly, it was understandable that her quality would not be especially high.

It was much like the Brocade-Clad Guard in the history of the world he knew. Not every one of them spent their days leaping over rooftops, sneaking into ministers’ residences, gathering intelligence, and planting themselves as spies. Some simply dressed in Flying Fish Robes, wore Embroidered Spring Sabers at their waists, and patrolled the streets every day like municipal enforcement officers collecting protection money.

But gradually, Zheng Fan realized that Miss Su’s intelligence and behavioral responses were already beginning to fall below even the lowest threshold he had imagined.

Seriously, if Hero Chen had not seemed to harbor some affection for this foolish woman, Zheng Fan or one of the Demon Kings would have sent her on her way to a merciful release long ago.

From a creator’s perspective, back when they had drawn comics in their previous lives, every character who appeared had a purpose. Some existed to let the protagonist slap their faces, others to deliver treasures to the protagonist. Even a crowd of nameless extras filling out the background could at least shout “666” together.

So what exactly was Miss Su’s purpose?

Yao Zizhan, this great literary master, was different from Su Shi, whom Zheng Fan had previously used as a comparison.

Su Dongpo’s literary talent had been first-rate, but when it came to politics and emotional intelligence, he had been thoroughly outclassed.

Yao Zizhan was different.

He did not do meaningless things.

And back then, during that little episode between him and Helian Xiongbi, he had entered the treasure vault before. He knew perfectly well that only the Helian Clan’s bloodline could open its gate.

So…

Zheng Fan knew the Blind Man had actually figured this out even earlier than he had.

But the Blind Man was clever. Even after realizing it, he had not rushed to say anything. He had deliberately left the opportunity to play Conan to Zheng Fan.

And now, Yao Zizhan had effectively admitted it.

But this also demonstrated just how meticulous and frightening the State of Qian’s Silver-Armored Guard truly was.

They had actually managed to brainwash a woman of the Helian Clan bloodline and absorb her into their own yamen, making her utterly loyal to the State of Qian and its emperor.

Yao Zizhan was impressive as well.

Perhaps from the very beginning, he had never intended to visit the stronghold on Geda Mountain at all. Maybe Geda Mountain had merely been a landmark he needed to pass on his way here.

It was only because Gesang intercepted them midway that so many complications had arisen.

Originally, Master Yao—the Literary Sage Yao—could have simply “done it himself and lived off the fruits of his own labor.”

A’Ming sliced open Miss Su’s palm with his fingernail, collected some of her blood, then sprinkled it onto the bronze mirror.

Unlike Helian Baozhu’s blood before, Miss Su’s blood was rapidly absorbed into the bronze mirror.

Immediately afterward, the sound of grinding metal came from the bronze gate.

The gate slowly opened.

It only opened about a meter wide, but that was more than enough for people to pass through.

Zheng Fan clapped his hands, stood, and said to Yao Zizhan, “Master Yao, is this really the attitude you intended to use when discussing cooperation with me?”

All that talk about cupping breasts and the future it had all been smoke and mirrors.

The old man had simply wanted to fool Zheng Fan into leaving. At worst, he could come back here another time and empty the treasure vault himself.

Yao Zizhan was shameless enough that he showed not the slightest embarrassment at having his attempt to monopolize the treasure exposed.

Instead, he said, “Little Brother Zheng didn’t take my words seriously anyway, did you?”

“No. I genuinely considered it.

“Perhaps Master Yao doesn’t know this, but I’ve met your Emperor of Qian before.”

Yao Zizhan paused when he heard that.

The Emperor of Qian truly was an extraordinary figure.

His political skills could practically be said to have been maxed out.

His only flaw was perhaps that he did not understand military affairs.

Or rather, compared with Yan’s iron triangle, he truly did pale somewhat.

After all, the Emperor of Yan had grown up fighting the Marquis of Zhenbei over chicken legs.

He should have personally experienced the cruelty of the desert frontier.

The current First Prince was actually carrying on the Ji Clan’s tradition: send a prince to Beifeng Commandery and let him temper himself there.

But no matter what, the Emperor of Qian possessed courage and breadth of mind similar to the Emperor of Yan.

If that emperor personally extended an olive branch to him, Zheng Fan truly would consider the possibility of cooperation.

But Yao Zizhan clearly did not have that authority.

Nor did he possess sufficient sincerity.

Yao Zizhan apologized, “This old man overstepped his bounds.”

Zheng Fan had no desire to keep dwelling on the matter.

He pointed toward the now-open bronze gate ahead.

“Master Yao, please lead the way.”

Yao Zizhan nodded and entered first.

Zheng Fan, meanwhile, turned around and said to everyone behind him, “Everyone goes in together.

“A family should stay neat and complete.”

Everyone entered.

Behind the bronze gate were rows of torches, with solidified fuel placed beside them.

Xue San ran over, picked up a torch, and sighed.

“I’ve robbed Heaven knows how many tombs, but this is the first time I’ve encountered such a considerate host.”

A’Ming replied, “This isn’t someone’s tomb chamber. It’s a treasure vault. It was built specifically so descendants could come inside later and retrieve what they needed.”

So naturally, there was no need to design it entirely around keeping tomb robbers out.

Besides, not far from here, the wild-savage stronghold on Geda Mountain had been responsible for guarding this place.

The stronghold might have been destroyed by a force from the State of Dacheng now, but if the Helian Clan had still existed, none of this would have been a problem.

However, they had not gone very far inside before A’Ming frowned.

Xue San laughed.

“Oh, oh, oh. That slap in the face came fast.”

Before them stood an entire row of coffins.

A weapon hung beside every coffin.

“One, two, three, four… twelve, thirteen. Thirteen!”

After counting them, Xue San proactively moved closer to inspect the coffins.

“No mechanisms.”

Only then did Zheng Fan and the others approach.

The coffins were sealed, extremely thick, and extremely heavy.

“Master, want to open one and have a look?” Xue San asked eagerly.

Clearly, his old habits were acting up again.

The Blind Man said, “Liang Cheng isn’t here. Better not. If a zongzi jumps out, it’ll be troublesome.”

Liang Cheng might not have recovered much of his strength yet, but his bloodline itself was enough to intimidate other zombies.

Zheng Fan placed a hand on one of the coffins and ran his palm across it.

“Who’s lying inside these? Any inscriptions?”

The Blind Man searched around.

“Master, there are no written records. The only difference seems to be the weapons placed beside these thirteen coffins.”

There were hammers, swords, sabers, and crossbows.

Not one weapon was identical in model or style.

Zheng Fan turned toward Yao Zizhan.

“Master Yao, please enlighten us.”

Yao Zizhan had entered this place with his “beloved” in his youth.

Zheng Fan figured that given their relationship back then, Helian Xiongbi should have voluntarily explained the treasure vault to him.

Yao Zizhan coughed lightly.

In truth, he had been waiting for this question for some time.

Without keeping them in suspense any longer, he answered, “Inside these thirteen coffins lie the first thirteen warriors who followed the founding ancestor of the Helian Clan when he pledged himself to the Emperor of Jin.

“They were also known as the Thirteen Guardians.

“Back then, by command of the Son of Heaven of Great Xia, Marquis Yu led an army to open up the Three Jin lands.

“The Helian Clan had originally been native wild savages of the Three Jin lands, nothing more than an insignificant little tribe.

“But at that time, the founding ancestor of the Helian Clan resolutely decided to take thirteen warriors from his tribe and voluntarily pledge himself to Marquis Yu.

“They served as Marquis Yu’s vanguard and fought for him throughout their lives.

“That was what laid the foundation for the Helian Clan’s rise.

“Later, Great Xia fell, and the Yu Clan proclaimed itself imperial and established the State of Jin.

“The Helian Clan, which had remained loyal and accumulated repeated military achievements, became one of Jin’s feudal lords.

“After several centuries of development, it ultimately grew into one of the Three Clans that divided Jin.

“The Helian Clan’s founding ancestor has always been buried within the Helian ancestral grounds.

“But these thirteen warriors who accompanied him in founding the clan’s fortunes were interred here.

“Every time later generations entered this place, they first burned incense and paid respects, remembering the hardships their ancestors endured when building the clan.”

Those were the words the young Helian Xiongbi had once spoken to the young Yao Zizhan.

“Thirteen Guardians is also an official post, isn’t it?” Zheng Fan asked.

“Yes. The Helian Clan’s military system always retained the posts of the Thirteen Guardians.

“They were different from titles used by jianghu sects. These were genuine military offices, somewhat similar to the seven Chief Commanders under the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate.”

“Oh. How come I’ve barely heard of them?”

“In the Yan–Jin war, ten of this generation’s Thirteen Guardians died in battle. Two more were killed while protecting the Helian bloodline during the breakout.

“Only one remains unaccounted for.”

“Doesn’t sound like anything particularly impressive,” Xue San said, smacking his lips.

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“This generation might not have been much.

“After all, the Helian Clan hadn’t fought any major wars in the past century, and we all know what kind of state the wild savages in these mountains are in now.

“But the first generation of Thirteen Guardians might have been different.

“Blind Man, check whether their corpses are still intact.”

“Master, I can’t. These coffins are too thick.”

The Wi-Fi could not penetrate the walls.

“Master, these coffins have been preserved extremely well, and the sealing is excellent,” Xue San said, drawing on his own experience.

“Unless they were already incomplete corpses when they were buried, they should still be in good condition.”

Zheng Fan straightened and looked around.

“Blind Man, what do you think of the feng shui here?”

“Master, I used to be a psychiatrist…”

After entering this world, he had only set up a fortune-telling stall to make a living.

Asking him to genuinely read feng shui?

This humble concubine simply cannot do it.

Xue San seized the opportunity to curl his lip.

“Useless.”

The Blind Man did not care.

He continued, “If Liang Cheng were here, this would be much easier.

“Even if he never studied feng shui, he’s been buried enough times to know which places are more comfortable to lie in.

“Oh, right. A’Ming. A’Ming, close your eyes and feel around. Does this place make you comfortable?”

A’Ming rolled his eyes at the Blind Man.

“Have you ever heard of Western vampires hiring a feng shui master before being buried?”

“Then what’s the deal with Dracula?”

“Go ask him. Don’t ask me. I feel no different here than I do outside.”

Seeing everyone beginning to argue, Yao Zizhan spoke.

“Little Brother Zheng, I already explained the feng shui here earlier.

“The overall formation is deeply concealed yet entirely natural.

“To put it simply, this place lies at the boundary where yin and yang meet.”

Zheng Fan looked toward the Blind Man.

The Blind Man shook his head.

Zheng Fan looked back at Yao Zizhan.

“Master Yao.”

“Hmm?”

“Speak like a normal person.”

“Uh…”

Yao Zizhan froze for a moment, then smiled bitterly and explained, “It means yin entities can gather yin energy here, while yang entities can gather yang energy.

“In the language of Qi Refiners, this place could be called a land shaped by Heaven and Earth themselves.

“Back when Helian Qing pursued the savage king, the reason the savage king stopped here and was captured was because he intended to use a ritual artifact called the Jade Figurine Token to summon evil entities to reinforce him.”

The Jade Figurine Token?

At that name, Zheng Fan and the Demon Kings exchanged glances without a word.

That thing was in their hands right now.

Oh, no.

More precisely, it was sleeping together with Sha Tuo Queshi.

“But matters of armies and states cannot be entrusted to ghosts and spirits. In the end, that savage king was still beheaded by Helian Qing at Falling Axe Mountain.”

“Then what was your Master Zang doing when he went to Yanjing before Yan and Qian went to war?”

“This…”

Yao Zizhan fell silent.

Zheng Fan turned away, rubbed his hands together, and stopped paying attention to him.

Instead, he declared, “These coffins—this one, this one, this one, that one—

“I want all of them!”

A’Ming nodded.

Xue San nodded.

The Blind Man nodded.

Fan Li nodded three times.

According to Yao Zizhan, this was a feng shui nexus.

And the thirteen corpses had followed the Helian founding ancestor through a lifetime of campaigning and slaughter.

People like that were actually more likely to become baleful entities after death.

Reality was cruel like that.

If you had been timid and submissive while alive, chances were you would not even make a fart after death.

But if you had been a ruthless bastard in life, there was a good chance you could still make trouble after dying.

A hero among men in life a champion among ghosts in death.

Those were Liang Cheng’s words.

Liang Cheng’s strength was not yet sufficient.

But corpses that had been preserved this well and “fermented” for this long were genuinely difficult to find.

With so many conditions required, discovering thirteen at once was extraordinary.

Tsk, tsk.

Take them back.

Take them all back.

Once Liang Cheng recovered enough strength in the future, he could “awaken” these Thirteen Guardians.

The Blind Man suddenly said, “Master, this is Heaven’s will.”

Zheng Fan looked at him with an expression that clearly said, Go on, let me see what elaborate form of flattery you’ve invented this time.

“When Liang Cheng awakens these thirteen corpses in the future, Master can tell outsiders that you founded your power with these thirteen suits of armor.”

Xue San opened his mouth in disbelief.

“That ass-kissing really took a hundred twists and turns to get there.”

The Blind Man answered calmly, “It’s a skill.”

“Let’s keep looking inside.”

Zheng Fan gestured for everyone to continue.

They had not gone far before the torchlight revealed wooden chests ahead.

The chests were enormous and stacked neatly together, almost filling most of the cavern.

Xue San’s mouth dropped open.

He shook his head repeatedly.

“We’re rich. We’re rich. We’re rich!

“With this much gold, silver, pearls, and treasure, forget forming a reconnaissance company. I can build a whole reconnaissance division!”

Yao Zizhan’s expression grew heavy as he looked at the chests.

He did not want this wealth falling into Yan hands.

Because this wealth would become warhorses beneath Yan riders, armor on Yan soldiers, and sabers and swords in their hands.

The Blind Man circled the area, somewhat puzzled.

Then he said inside Zheng Fan’s mind, “Master, more than ninety percent of these chests are empty.”

“Empty?”

“Yes, Master. But even the remaining ten percent should be roughly comparable to the wealth we received as our share from the imperial region.

“So this trip still wasn’t wasted.”

“No, how could…”

Zheng Fan walked directly to the chests.

They were not locked.

He opened one.

Empty.

He opened six in a row.

All empty.

Only when he opened the seventh did he finally find silver ingots inside.

Yao Zizhan immediately came over and began inspecting the chests as well, even helping open them.

Of all the chests they opened, the overwhelming majority were empty.

There were indeed some that were full.

But compared with the initial shock of seeing the cavern seemingly packed with treasure, the discovery felt like being thrown through the rises and plunges of a roller coaster.

“Master Yao, why are so many of these chests empty?”

Yao Zizhan felt much better now.

Judging from this, even if the wealth fell into the hands of this Yan military commander, the impact would not be especially great.

He dusted off his hands, which had become filthy from opening chests.

“The ancestors’ planning was sound.

“But descendants need luxury in peaceful years and military funds in chaotic ones.

“When Helian Xiongbi brought me here back then, more than half the chests were actually full.

“He once told me that during his lifetime, he would fill this place completely and leave his descendants an even stronger foundation.”

“He broke his word,” Zheng Fan said.

“Yes. He broke his word.

“When he was young, he was still vigorous and heroic. He might have had a fondness for literature, but he still possessed a sincere and ambitious heart.

“But just look at what remains here now—not even ten percent.

“He had already forgotten the principle of preparing for danger in times of peace.

“He deserved to lose.”

“Prodigal bastard,” Zheng Fan sighed.

Yao Zizhan looked at him.

“Little Brother Zheng, no matter how prodigal Helian Xiongbi was, what does that have to do with you?

“Think from his position. The more he spent, the better.

“Otherwise, imagine working half your life to save up a family fortune only for all of it to land in your hands. That would be enough frustration to bring a dead man back to life.

“Besides, this is money you picked up off the ground.

“Whether you pick up more or less depends on fate. Either way, it’s good fortune, isn’t it?”

“Thank you for the consolation, Master Yao.”

“You’re welcome. You’re welcome.”

Zheng Fan was somewhat disappointed, but hardly devastated.

Even if the Blind Man’s estimate was correct and only a tenth of the treasure remained, it was still a considerable fortune.

“Fortunately, this isn’t the worst possible outcome,” Zheng Fan said.

“May I ask, Little Brother Zheng, what would the worst possible outcome have been?”

“One chair, one cup of tea, one straw mat, one painting, and a final line saying:

“‘Where my heart finds peace, there lies my home.’”

Yao Zizhan pondered the sentence.

Zheng Fan explained directly, “In other words, the Helian Clan leaves its descendants nothing but a sleeping mat and tells them:

“Forget about making some grand comeback. Go live quietly as commoners instead.

“That was the worst outcome I imagined.”

It was also the sort of ending that appeared constantly in films, television dramas, and literature.

Zheng Fan was not the sort of male protagonist who would reach enlightenment while staring at a painting at the end of the story.

All he knew was that the troops under his command burned through the silver in his hands every single day.

“Master Yao, after we leave, come back to Shengle City with me.”

“Naturally. Once Little Brother Zheng sends troops to transport everything here back to Shengle, this old man will depart from Shengle and return to Qian.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll hand you over to my Emperor of Yan?

“If His Majesty is pleased, perhaps he’ll reward me with several thousand warhorses. That seems entirely possible.”

“Little Brother Zheng is joking.

“If I were captured on the battlefield, I believe the Emperor of Yan would willingly pay the price of three thousand cavalry for me.

“Great Qian has prided itself on being foremost in culture for many years. Spending three thousand cavalry to destroy the pride of Great Qian’s common people would be worthwhile.

“But I came here alone, with only one or two attendants.

“Even if Little Brother Zheng sent me to Yanjing, the Emperor of Yan would only find me tasteless chicken ribs—hardly worth eating, yet a pity to discard.

“He might even think Little Brother Zheng was meddling unnecessarily.

“To put it plainly, the imperial family’s windows can never be allowed to leak wind.

“What they want is simply for everything to look proper.”

“I’ve learned something.”

“I wouldn’t dare claim so.”

“All right.

“Everyone, we’re heading home.”

Zheng Fan gave the order.

A’Ming stood from one of the coffins, holding his nearly empty waterskin.

He muttered to himself, “To think it ended so uneventfully.”

“Isn’t uneventful good?” the Blind Man asked, facing A’Ming.

“It just feels like there were fewer twists than expected. Not dramatic enough.”

“Dramatic? Who do you think you are, Shakespeare Ming?” Xue San mocked.

San’er’s jealousy toward A’Ming was obvious.

Worse, the assist that had allowed A’Ming to advance had come from him.

That only made San’er even more unhappy.

“Fine. Getting back safely is good too.

“I need to find a settlement on the way and get some wine. Otherwise, these wounds on my body are healing a little slowly.”

“Shut your mouth,” the Blind Man said. “Why are you jinxing your own people?”

“I’m not Liang Cheng. What do I have to fear?”

“Heh. Liang Cheng may be ominous, but you hardly count as a lucky mascot either.”

Xue San reached out and poked the Blind Man’s knee.

“Don’t speak so directly. You’ll hurt people’s feelings.”

Everyone began heading back.

Zheng Fan walked alongside Yao Zizhan.

“Master Yao, how do we close the bronze gate?”

“Once we’re outside, drip a little blood onto the bronze mirror again. That will trigger the mechanism and close it.”

“Then the Helian Clan’s descendants must be prone to anemia.”

“What is anemia? Some illness? Oh—lack of blood?”

“Something like that.”

“Heh. The Helian Clan had plenty of people. Main line, branch lines—dense as a forest.”

“And now?”

“Alas.”

Just then a sound suddenly came from the bronze gate ahead.

It had begun closing!

Xue San shot forward immediately.

A’Ming also raced ahead.

Hero Chen launched himself forward.

Even Zheng Fan pulled the Demon Child from inside his robes and hurled him directly toward the gate.

However, the bronze gate had only opened about a meter in the first place.

Once the closing mechanism was triggered, it shut extremely quickly.

Hero Chen’s sword was the fastest.

Yet even he only managed to thrust its tip into the narrowing gap.

As the bronze gate closed completely, the sword was actually jammed inside it.

Everyone else had been one step too slow.

The Demon Child slammed heavily into the bronze gate, rebounded, and flew back into Zheng Fan’s hands.

The Blind Man looked toward A’Ming standing in front of him.

“The drama you wanted has arrived.”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“Drama usually comes with melodrama.”

Then Zheng Fan turned toward Fan Li.

“A’Li, use that big voice of yours and shout, ‘Who goes there outside the gate?’”

Fan Li nodded.

First, he hammered the bronze gate three times with his fist.

Then he roared, “WHO GOES THERE OUTSIDE THE GATE?”

“It’s me, Gesang!”

A response came from beyond the bronze gate.

“Helian Gesang!”

After that, Gesang seemed to say a great deal more.

But with the bronze gate blocking the sound, they could only catch a few words from each sentence. It was impossible to understand what he was actually saying.

Yao Zizhan pressed his ear against the bronze gate and listened with all his might.

He still could not make out the meaning.

Zheng Fan patted Yao Zizhan on the shoulder.

“Master Yao, want me to translate for you?

“He says he’s an illegitimate son of the Helian Clan, yet he was forced to remain on Geda Mountain his entire life as a wild savage. He wasn’t allowed to enter the State of Jin or the Central Plains.

“His talent was clearly excellent, yet the clan never valued him. He had no future, no prospects, and generation after generation of his descendants would have been forced to remain savages.

“The clan treated him without benevolence, so he answered without righteousness.

“One day, he’ll make a comeback and recreate the glory of the Helian Clan’s ancestors.”

“Little Brother Zheng, are your ears truly so terrifyingly sharp?”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“I made it up on the spot.”

[End of Chapter 242]