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"Yes, that's what the rumors say, but no one really knows what the Martial Arts Association is doing behind the scenes. This Young Master Ming rarely shows himself, and there are very few rumors about him. Just think about it, a person who specializes in creating rumors would never allow others to grasp the rumors about himself!" Princess Zhulan said.
Lu Chen listened quietly. This Young Master Ming was truly an oddity; instead of engaging in other matters, he focused solely on collecting information about celebrities and then using his influence to spread it, controlling public opinion.
However, he managed to keep the rumors about himself under control, preventing people from spreading them.
"Then we can be sure that the parchment map of the desert is in Young Master Ming's hands, right?" Lu Chen questioned.
"Yes, it's basically confirmed. Ye Dajin is a member of the Martial Arts Association; he must have handed the parchment over to Young Master Ming. Otherwise, if the news got out, he wouldn't be able to protect himself," Princess Zhulan clarified.
Princess Zhulan laid out the situation clearly: Ye Dajin was affiliated with the Martial Arts Association. After obtaining the parchment, his best course of action was to hand it over to Young Master Ming; otherwise, if those with ulterior motives came knocking, he would be in serious trouble.
Ye Dajin and the Martial Arts Association had a symbiotic relationship: Ye Dajin funded the Martial Arts Association financially while they provided him protection and ensured his safety. This arrangement made sense.
The Martial Arts Association could not compare to giants like the Five Element Sect or Eastern Shaolin and did not have as many cultivation experts. However, it was believed that the Martial Arts Association had numerous members with branches spread across various regions, enough to instill fear in anyone.
With the parchment in Young Master Ming's possession, hardly anyone would dare to covet it. Even if they were tempted, they would have to consider whether they were capable of confronting the Martial Arts Association or directly challenging Young Master Ming.
"Should we take a trip to the Southern Seven States and ask Young Master Ming for the parchment? It would be better to address any potential issues beforehand," Lu Chen suggested to Princess Zhulan, seeking her opinion.
The treasures in the Former Dynasty Treasury were numerous, but who could find them in the vast desert? The simplest method was to have a map; it would make things much easier. Without a map, even a Void Immortal would tire themselves out searching within.
The headquarters of the Martial Arts Association was located in the Southern Seven States. Lu Chen's intention was to visit their headquarters and secure the parchment before it fell into someone else's hands; that would lead to complications.
Requesting the parchment from the Martial Arts Association might not yield positive results; they would likely have to resort to force. Lu Chen wasn't afraid of this so-called Young Master Ming; at worst, it would lead to a bloody battle. Moreover, with a remnant soul of Ye Nanzhai at his disposal, perhaps he could get Ye Dajin to assist them.
Lu Chen reviewed everything carefully; the safest method was to obtain the parchment now to avoid any unexpected situations. He even considered that if Young Master Ming refused to hand over the parchment, then both sides could engage in a fair fight—survival of the fittest.
Unexpectedly, Princess Zhulan outright rejected Lu Chen's proposal, saying, "No need. The parchment is much safer in Young Master Ming's hands than in ours."
Princess Zhulan's words made sense. With Young Master Ming holding onto the parchment and being protected by the Martial Arts Association, it was foolproof. However, if it were in Lu Chen's possession, it would be difficult and could lead to fatal consequences.
"At least for the next five months, no one will enter the Gobi Desert, and the parchment will be safe during this time, guaranteed not to change hands," Princess Zhulan said with great certainty.
"Why?" Lu Chen blinked in surprise.
"Because of the climate. The Gobi Desert in the northern region has the most peculiar weather. Many people think it is scorched by the sun all year round, but in reality, there is only one month of intense heat, which is during the Three Hottest Days of the year. Aside from that, it is a land of ice and snow, with snowdrifts thick enough to swallow a person whole." Princess Zhulan explained as she paced around the stone chamber.
There is only one month in the year that is extremely hot, known as the Three Hottest Days; this is common knowledge. Lu Chanchu's poisonous treasure, the Green Toad, does not come out during the Three Hottest Days because it would die from the heat.
The climate in the Gobi Desert takes this principle to its extreme. The Three Hottest Days are unbearably hot, capable of turning a person into jerky. Outside of those days, heavy snow falls, freezing everything for miles, with storms raging and extreme cold; this is the main reason why those areas are devoid of human presence.
Only beasts that can adapt to such a climate can survive there. At the same time, it indicates that the beasts in that region must be quite formidable.
"Everyone knows that walking in a desert is far safer than walking in snow. Especially now, as it is winter outside; it is unimaginably cold on the other side of the desert, where anyone who enters would freeze to death immediately. This means no one dares to act rashly and will have to wait until the next Three Hottest Days to make plans."
The Five Element Sect, protected by ancient formations, naturally feels little change in climate here, only experiencing slight coldness. However, outside the Five Element Sect, heavy snow has already begun to fall.
Princess Zhulan articulated her reasoning clearly and seemed to possess considerable information on this matter.
Additionally, Lu Chen sensed some underlying motives in Princess Zhulan's words. She had likely been paying attention to the treasures within the Former Dynasty Treasury for quite some time and had invested significant effort into understanding the terrain and climate of the desert, preparing thoroughly.
"Does the princess also want a share of these treasures?" Lu Chen looked directly at Princess Zhulan; if that were the case, things could become complicated.
Princess Zhulan smiled lightly and then shook her head. "Right now, I am fully committed to assisting Sun Zizhao. I hope he can help me out in return later; I will tell you more about it when the time comes."
Princess Zhulan had always kept her secrets close to her chest. Her current efforts to assist Sun Zizhao were aimed at securing his future support for her; this gamble carried significant risk.
Her assistance would certainly involve military resources. As a member of the Yushan Royal Family, she had rights under Yushan Kingdom's rules to inherit the throne.
However, this path was not smooth. Not to mention other princesses and princes within the royal family, she found herself unable to deal with Kalan Prince alone. Even with Naval Minister's backing, she was far from being Kalan Prince's match; hence her desire to rely on external forces by befriending Sun Zizhao.
Hearing Princess Zhulan say this, Lu Chen felt relieved. If he were to become enemies with her, it would indeed be a difficult choice for him. Having her as an ally was the best outcome; he hoped they could cooperate until the end.
Princess Zhulan smiled brightly. From her earlier attitude, it didn't seem like she was lying.
"Then we will prepare again on the eve of next year's Dog Days and arrive at the outskirts of the Gobi Desert in advance, waiting for the right moment to enter, right?" Lu Chen asked. He was completely unfamiliar with this aspect and might have to rely on Princess Zhulan to handle it.
"That's right. We will prepare before next year's Dog Days, obtain the parchment, and then wait for the right moment to enter the Great Gobi. We only have one month. If we can't get out within a month, once Dog Days passes, everything will be over," Princess Zhulan said, her words quite alarming.
There was only one month until Dog Days, and during that time, the Great Gobi would be scorched by the blazing sun. Lu Chen and his group had to complete their search and transport within a month; otherwise, heavy snow would fall inside, freezing everything for miles. Even if they survived, they wouldn't be able to transport the Treasure.
"Next year's Dog Days," Lu Chen murmured to himself before saying, "If we need to prepare any supplies, I will trouble the princess with that. This batch of Treasure is something I, Lu Chen, must obtain."
Lu Chen gritted his teeth and spoke earnestly. This batch of Treasure was crucial for Sun Zizhao; it was a matter of life and death and had to be secured.
Next year's Dog Days would arrive soon; after Hai Time tonight, it would be a new year in just five months!
Regarding entering the Great Gobi, they would definitely need to prepare many supplies. Since Lu Chen wasn't very knowledgeable about this, he decided to leave it to Princess Zhulan.
She had experience in this area; whatever she needed could be directly mentioned. Lu Chen still had around seventy or eighty thousand taels of silver in private savings—he could buy whatever was necessary.
However, Lu Chen didn't mention this. Princess Zhulan was a major financier; her private funds were likely much more than his. Seventy or eighty thousand taels probably wouldn't impress her at all.
Princess Zhulan said, "We don't need to prepare too many supplies; we can buy them on the grasslands later. I will arrange for people to enter the last city of the Great Gobi in advance to procure the necessary items." She had already made plans.
Lu Chen nodded. Princess Zhulan was bold yet meticulous in her actions; he could trust her on this.
Afterward, Lu Chen and Princess Zhulan discussed related matters for a full half hour.
Just as Princess Zhulan was preparing to stand up and take her leave, Lian Dashuang rushed in hurriedly, breathless as he said, "Master, something has happened outside! Master Jiang and three others have gotten into a conflict with several Inner Sect Disciples; a fight is about to break out!"
Master Jiang, Lian Dashuang, and Jiang Jie were the three of them. A couple of hours ago, they had invited Lu Chen to go out for drinks together.
"What happened?" Lu Chen stood up from his chair and asked Lian Dashuang.
"At our restaurant, Master Jiang got into a conflict with a few others, and they are Inner Sect Disciples," Lian Dashuang said, glancing at Lu Chen before lowering his head.
Since they were Inner Sect Disciples, the situation was a bit serious. No wonder Jiang Jie and the others didn't handle it themselves. Old Mu was also outside; given Old Mu's current Qigong cultivation level, he probably wouldn't be afraid of those people, but their identities were somewhat concerning.
Inner Sect Disciples held significant status in the Five Element Sect. Beating an Inner Sect Disciple would be like slapping the Five Element Sect in the face.
"I'll go right away," Lu Chen said as he prepared to leave with Lian Dashuang.
After taking just a couple of steps, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at Princess Zhulan.
She smiled mysteriously, waved her hand, and said, "You go ahead; I'll return to the Cave myself. I won't meddle in your affairs." Princess Zhulan didn't seem to take this matter seriously at all.
Lu Chen nodded and hurriedly left the empty mountain with Lian Dashuang, rushing towards the outside.
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