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墨書 Inktalez
Until after seven, Lu Chen finished his cultivation, his eyes tightly closed, standing on the ground to feel the Unity of Man.
Soon, a sense of spiritual elevation spread throughout his body. It was a magical feeling that completely released the Flesh, free from any constraints, not adhering to the Dao or following moral principles, acting entirely according to his Intentions. In an instant, it felt as if the entire Flesh had become lighter.
Lu Chen felt a surge of joy in his heart; he knew he had broken through to Unity of Man.
"This is the natural way of the Dao, Unity of Man!"
Lu Chen continued to stand in place, eyes closed. Aside from the Flesh, his breath had basically merged with the earth, automatically concealing itself.
At that moment, the birds and insects around began to chirp. The insects and birds could sense impending danger; those living within the Five Element Sect Celestial Mountain were even more sensitive to such threats. At the slightest disturbance, they would immediately retreat into their holes.
Just now, Lu Chen standing here had affected their breath, causing them to hesitate. Now that Lu Chen had entered Unity of Man and concealed his breath, they assumed he had left and all rushed out, chirping excitedly.
"This is it!"
Lu Chen felt a bit excited; he had finally broken through Unity of Man. In the future, if he needed Yin Spirit or Disembodiment, he could simply close his eyes and hide in some bushes, allowing the Yin Spirit to wander freely without anyone being able to find him.
It was just like when participating in the named disciple assessment; Pure Yang True Person hid in the bushes. If it weren't for the Ten-Thousand Poisons Golden Toad leading the way and the sparse bushes on that mountainside, Lu Chen would never have found Pure Yang True Person no matter how hard he searched.
Lu Chen returned to Empty Mountain Cave and called Old Mu and Lian Family Brothers. He explained the situation regarding the jewels and then took them to open the treasure.
His plan was straightforward and bold; he wanted to take a risk openly. Sneaking around at night would be much worse; if questioned by people from Five Element Sect, it would be difficult to explain.
Worried about not having enough hands, Lu Chen specifically called for Lian Couple as well.
Arriving at the Cottage where Prince Fu once lived, it was already deserted inside. The tea cups and rice bowls previously used were covered in green mold, emitting a pungent smell.
Lu Chen pointed out what needed to be done while Old Mu and Brother Lian used iron picks and steel rods to pry open the floorboards. Below was another layer of compacted earth that was very tightly packed. After quite an effort, they finally cleared it away to reveal a Large Wooden Board.
After prying open the Large Wooden Board, I discovered four medium-sized wooden boxes, each over three feet long and one and a half feet wide, with rows of rivets on top.
I opened the boxes one by one, and they were filled with treasures. Three of the boxes contained a mix of items: Jade Belts, East Pearls, Conchs, crystals, and agates—all jewelry. One box was filled entirely with gold ingots, pure gold, weighing around three thousand taels.
As I opened all the boxes, a moment of brilliance filled the Cottage.
Jewelry may not hold value everywhere; for instance, East Pearls come from the Yushan Kingdom, Jade Belts are hand-stitched with jade rough material from the northwestern grasslands, and Conch agate comes from the South Sea. Prices vary by region.
These items were originally prepared by Prince Fu to win people's hearts, and there was a substantial quantity. However, he did not bring all jewelry but included an extra box of gold, indicating his caution regarding value discrepancies. Gold is universally accepted as hard currency and can sometimes be more useful than jewelry.
There were four full boxes of gold and jewels here. At a conversion rate of fifteen to one with the Great Zhou Dynasty, that box of gold alone was worth forty-five thousand taels of silver. Adding in the three boxes of jewelry, estimated at ten thousand taels each, the total value reached seventy-five thousand taels of silver.
Seeing such a large sum at once left everyone stunned.
Lu Chen closed the boxes and said, "Let's go back to Brother Lian's house first."
Carrying the boxes, we returned to the Lian Couple's Cottage. Lu Chen began to plan how to use this money; it had to serve a purpose in establishing their foundation; otherwise, it would be a disservice to Prince Fu.
First, Lu Chen arranged for the Lian Couple to terminate their tenant relationship with the Five Element Sect and exchange their Land Deed and house. Then Lu Chen took out half a box of jewelry to pawn for five thousand taels in silver notes. The remaining gold and two and a half boxes of jewelry were all transported back to Empty Mountain.
The pawnshop was located at the entrance of the Five Element Sect and was run by Han People; however, it was said that the behind-the-scenes owner was from Yushan Kingdom. The shops at the entrance of Five Element Sect were bustling with activity, frequented by tens of thousands of disciples looking for supplies or seeking favors.
With Lian Couple leading the way and Old Mu providing support, they acquired a restaurant. The Lian Couple stayed behind to manage the business. Lian Shuang was quiet and loved reading and writing, so Lu Chen assigned him to handle accounts and manage supplies at the restaurant.
Lu Chen's arrangement for acquiring and operating this restaurant was not primarily for profit but mainly to gather information and act as an informant.
The person responsible for relaying messages between Empty Mountain and the restaurant was Lian Shuang. His swift communication went unnoticed by others due to his frequent movements; he even became familiar with the Mountain Patrol Disciples within Five Element Sect.
Another reason for this arrangement was to help Lian Family shed their label as poor farmers. Although farming is nominally considered more respectable than commerce, in reality, farmers often have it much harder than merchants.
People strive for higher places, and Lu Chen changed their fate, so they were naturally very willing.
Watching the restaurant gradually start operating, Lu Chen returned to Empty Mountain Cave. In a moment of chance, he thought of Prince Fu.
Before leaving, he had instructed Prince Fu to send a message once he arrived in the capital. Given Prince Fu's personality, he would not be so careless in his actions. Therefore, there could only be one outcome: Prince Fu encountered an accident on the way!
"This is not a good thing."
Lu Chen was very worried. After all, he and Prince Fu were in the same boat now. If Prince Fu were captured and revealed the matters regarding He Zai Jin and Chen Shihu, the consequences would be unimaginable. Had he known this would happen, Lu Chen would have regretted not silencing Prince Fu as well; it truly was a case of plans not matching reality.
After a few days, Lu Chen was cultivating in Empty Mountain Cave when Lian Shuang hurriedly ran in, surely here to deliver news. Now that Lu Chen had entered Unity of Man, his own aura could perfectly blend into the surroundings, achieving a natural state of Dao. At the same time, his five senses had become more acute; this was not due to Yin Spirit but rather a breakthrough in Qigong cultivation. Even if Yin Spirit did not disembody, he could hear any movement within a thousand steps.
Lian Shuang was dressed in plain robes, with his hair tied up and wearing a cap like a scholar, rushing in hastily.
"Second Master, where is Master?" Lian Shuang asked Old Mu, who was sweeping at the door.
He had run over ten miles, panting heavily, yet his face remained calm and composed. This was related to his Qigong cultivation; moreover, his mindset was extremely firm, unlike ordinary children—he was destined to become an official in the future.
"Inside," Old Mu replied tersely, pointing towards the interior of the cave before returning to his own tasks.
Lian Shuang quickly darted inside the cave and began searching around.
"Shuang, what’s the rush? I’m here," Lu Chen called out from a corner.
Due to his state of Unity of Man, if Lu Chen did not actively speak to reveal his location, it would likely take Lian Shuang some effort to find him.
"Master, I saw someone coming from outside the mountain. They went to Crimson Lotus Princess's Open Source Tavern and took quite a while to come out," Lian Shuang reported.
"They're here so soon?" Lu Chen thought to himself. He had already eliminated two of Huangfu Xun's henchmen; it was only a matter of time before the other side sent someone to infiltrate Five Element Sect. However, their actions seemed to be happening too quickly.
"How many people?" Lu Chen asked.
"Two," Lian Shuang replied.
"Two? Is that so few!" Lu Chen murmured. The people sent by Qi Kingdom were all elite, aiming to establish influence within Five Element Sect, recruit experts, and seize cultivation resources. However, two people were clearly too few.
"What kind of people are they?" Lu Chen asked again.
"Two old men," Lian Shuang replied.
"Old men?"
"Yes, old men. After they came out of Open Source Tavern, they even fought a Mountain Patrol Disciple," Lian Shuang thought for a moment and added.
This matter was becoming increasingly complicated. The Crimson Lotus Princess wanted to send someone to infiltrate Five Element Sect, but it couldn't possibly be old men. Elderly individuals practiced Qigong at a slow pace and were too conspicuous; Five Element Sect wouldn't accept old people.
Moreover, they had fought someone, and it was a Mountain Patrol Disciple from Five Element Sect—this was practically courting death.
If this was directed at the Crimson Lotus Princess, then there could only be one conclusion: the matters concerning He Zai Jin and Chen Shihu had been exposed, and someone from Black Fist Sect had come seeking revenge.
However, to think that just two people could find fault with Five Element Sect was underestimating them.
"I already know what happened. You can return to the inn," Lu Chen instructed.
"Yes, Master!"
Lian Shuang nodded and exited Empty Mountain Cave.
"I need to take a look. Since they have attacked a disciple of Five Element Sect, this matter has escalated. The higher-ups of Five Element Sect will definitely come out to handle it."
Lu Chen stood up, shook himself off, and walked outside.
Upon exiting the empty mountain, he noticed that there were noticeably fewer disciples patrolling the area, which could only mean one thing: someone was causing trouble.
When he reached the entrance of the Five Element Sect, he saw that indeed, a crowd had gathered. Several Inner Sect Disciples were lying on the ground unconscious, and a few Giant Claw Demon Leopards had been killed.
A large group of Inner Sect Disciples was rushing over, surrounding two old men who were causing the disturbance.
One of the old men appeared to be in his fifties, slightly overweight, with his hair tied up in a high bun and wearing a black robe. He had an angry expression on his face. The other was much older, looking to be in his sixties or seventies, with wrinkled skin and dressed in a gray robe, shorter than the black-robed man.
At that moment, it was the slightly taller Black-Robed Old Man who was attacking. His forehead was full and bright, and his eyes were sharp and spirited; he was clearly a master of internal martial arts. Even with more than ten Inner Sect Disciples attacking him at once, they were no match for him and were being forced back step by step toward the mountain.
"Let the Supreme Emperor come out to meet me and hand over the Pure Yang Child; return my son's life!" the black-robed old man shouted. His voice carried a strong internal energy from Qigong, producing powerful sound waves that could easily kill any Yin Spirit nearby.
The Inner Sect Disciples surrounding him were shaken by the sound waves and took several steps back, looking at each other in confusion about what to do next.
"How dare you! Who is making such a commotion here?"
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