Chapter 185: Can Collecting All Nine Tripod Maps Make You Invincible?

"You're bandits who saw LinYuan City was wealthy and lay low, waiting to rob it." Chu Danqing summarized the Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate's explanation.

"Yes." The Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate nodded fiercely.

He had barely agreed when Da Bao walked over and slapped him twice.

"Do you think I'm a three-year-old?" Chu Danqing said, exasperated. "I haven't seen your Xuanwu Gate ledgers yet, but having a mine at home is practically the same as being rich."

"Even if you're just front men and most of the profits go upward, "

"The scraps you keep still earn more than robbery."

Chu Danqing knew better than anyone how profitable monopolies were.

"I have half an hour left. I suggest you tell the truth." Chu Danqing glanced at the side quest timer—it still had an hour left.

If they refused to speak, he had no intention of pressing further.

He wouldn't waste time—too many complications could arise.

"This Chu Young Master truly has keen insight," the Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate said with a bitter smile. "We did originally plan to rob the city, but after earning more, we abandoned the idea."

Chu Danqing rubbed his forehead—he knew without a doubt they were lying.

"Fine, if you won't talk, I won't force you." Chu Danqing, seeing their expression, dropped the matter.

They were treating him like an idiot.

If their story had even a touch of realism, Chu Danqing might have believed it—perhaps even mixed in some truth.

But this was pure, unadulterated nonsense—he didn't need Da Bao's intuition to tell him; he could hear it himself.

Then a ghostly Yuanying dragged a scroll and sprinted over.

The Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate and the White Ape Abbot both froze when they saw the scroll.

Chu Danqing noticed their reaction, reached out, took the scroll, and smiled.

"You two know what this is, right?" Chu Danqing waved the scroll.

The scroll was one of the Nine Tripod Maps—the Su Ni Scroll.

【Su Ni Scroll · Incense】

【Type: Equipment · Scroll】

【Quality: Excellent】

【Durability: 100/100】

【Perpetual Incense (Passive): Duration of beneficial effects increased by 30 seconds】

【Desire Without Root (Passive): Mana recovery efficiency reduced by 30%】

【Equipment Requirement: None】

It depicted a dragon son shaped like a lion, formed from prayers and incantations.

Chu Danqing glanced at it and had no intention of equipping it.

One passive was useless; the other was outright deadly.

He'd be insane to equip it.

"It was a relic given to us by a devotee," the White Ape Abbot said coldly.

"Don't rush," Chu Danqing smiled. The man was clearly panicked—he'd refused to answer anything earlier.

Now he spoke up voluntarily—that was panic.

"Let me tell you—it's one of the Nine Tripod Maps, called the Su Ni Scroll," Chu Danqing said.

Both men were stunned— they hadn't expected Chu Danqing to know.

"Chu Young Master is indeed learned. And then?" the Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate feigned calm.

"Tell me everything you know, and I'll give you a quick death," Chu Danqing said honestly.

The White Ape Abbot laughed bitterly at this: "Then why should I tell you anything?"

"I can spare you easily—but what about those who died because of you?" Chu Danqing asked calmly.

The White Ape Abbot's laughter died instantly.

He fell silent.

"When you committed your crimes, you must have prepared for death and the end of your Dao."

"So abandon any illusions—there is no path to survival now." Chu Danqing had long prepared himself to die in a trial.

Especially from meddling in others' affairs.

"This Su Ni Scroll belonged to our master. His ancestors were personal guards of the Great Shuo Emperor."

"Later, from our master, we learned that if we collect all eight remaining scrolls of the Nine Tripod Maps, we will become invincible."

"Following our master's clues, we came to LinYuan City to find the remaining scrolls—so far, we've found nothing." The Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate finally spoke.

"Then why train private soldiers?" Chu Danqing pressed.

"To rob," the Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate answered truthfully this time. "Jia Simou hoarded wealth for years—even after paying most to the Empress Dowager, what remains is a mountain of gold."

"Once we collect all Nine Tripod Maps and seize that gold, we'll rise in rebellion and overthrow Great Shuo."

"In recent years, the witch queen has ruled behind the curtain, and the emperor is weak."

"Letting such a man sit on the throne? Better we two brothers enjoy it."

Chu Danqing realized—these two had enormous ambitions.

But their luck was terrible—they still only had one scroll, Su Ni.

Chu Danqing himself owed his progress to the Paradise—he'd have been just as slow without the side quest.

"If you succeed, which of you will be emperor?" Chu Danqing deliberately provoked.

The White Ape Abbot shot Chu Danqing a cold glance. "Don't waste your breath with such tricks. My brother and I grew up together—this cheap ploy only lowers your status."

They weren't fools—their plan had already collapsed at the start. No matter what Chu Danqing said now, they wouldn't turn on each other.

"Alright, let's go back to the Su Ni Scroll," Chu Danqing said, unfazed. "What's the origin of the Nine Tripod Maps?"

"Chu Young Master, do you know why I'm telling you this?" The Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate smiled brightly. "Because whether you know nothing—or everything—you won't be troubled."

"But if you know only half… and are stuck in between… you've felt that, haven't you?"

Chu Danqing's face darkened—he instantly understood why they'd suddenly opened up. They had no hope of survival; they were dying to spite him.

"Oh, by the way," the Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate said as if remembering. "Never let the court know you possess the Nine Tripod Maps."

"They were vital to the Great Shuo Emperor's restoration of the world."

"Once known… Hehe." The Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate's tone was heavy with implication.

Chu Danqing listened—but didn't believe a word.

What they said might be partly true—but it was deliberately planted.

Their goal was to sow discord between Chu Danqing and Ma Yunfeng and others.

"Thank you for the warning," Chu Danqing replied. "But you're too late."

Ma Yunfeng almost certainly already knew Chu Danqing had the Nine Tripod Maps—he'd taken items from the scene multiple times; how could he hide it?

Chen Jiunan and others might not know—but Ma Yunfeng, as Chancellor of the realm, would never be ignorant.

Combined with their half-truths, Chu Danqing would almost certainly investigate—especially since he held multiple scrolls.

But if he did, he'd cross the red line and inevitably clash with Ma Yunfeng.

Ma Yunfeng's loyalty to Great Shuo was obvious—he'd never allow Chu Danqing to collect the Nine Tripod Maps and threaten the empire.

Even if the threat was imaginary.

The Grand Master of Xuanwu Gate and the White Ape Abbot exchanged complex glances.

They'd served as Jia Simou's front men for years and found not a single clue—yet Chu Danqing, after arriving in LinYuan City, had surpassed their years of effort.

"Time's up. Let's go." Chu Danqing spoke. Da Bao crushed their skulls with one claw.

They died with resentment, eyes still wide open, clearly unwilling to let go.

Chu Danqing didn't care.

Ghosts? He'd seen plenty. The Ghostly Mother and Ghostly Infant were real ghosts—living right beside him every day.

Undead zombies? Even less of a concern—the Emperor's Son was a true celestial spirit.

【Quest completed. You received: Paradise Points ×10000, Attribute Points +4】

With their deaths, the quest ended. Chu Danqing stored the Su Ni Scroll · Incense in his storage space.

Then he pulled out a shovel from his storage space and began digging a grave with Da Bao.

With five Huangjin Lishi missing, only he, Da Bao, and three Beast-Masked Soldiers dug.

Yue Lan Wu Ying and the Emperor's Son? They were assigned to guard.

Who would protect Chu Danqing if the bodyguards were digging?

It was backwards—but he didn't care.

The Ghostly Infant continued searching the White Ape Temple.

Small, fast, able to use spells and fly—it was perfect for scouting.

As Chu Danqing dug, three Ghostly Infants carried over a naked, twisted female corpse.

They seemed ready to toss it into the grave.

Chu Danqing stopped them: "Don't bury this one. Take it back."

He glanced at it, then pulled a similar female garment from his storage space.

He kept many such everyday items in storage—clothing, food, tools. No attribute panel, but they were useful when needed.

"Put this on her," Chu Danqing sighed. A good life lost so easily.

Most of the time, Chu Danqing believed in letting the dead rest with their debts forgiven.

Unless they truly commit something that enrages heaven and horrifies mortals.

The three ghostly Yuan infants hastily dressed Li Yutang's daughter, then Chu Danqing pulled out a straw mat to wrap her, and had the ghostly Yuan infants carry her onto the war chariot.

Once this is done, take her back to Li Yutang.

"Pah, deserved to die." Chu Danqing glanced at the corpses of the Xuanwu Gate Master and the White Ape Abbot and spat out the words.

If you want money, just take it—why kill and tear up the ransom? Judging by the corpse's wounds, they were tortured terribly before death.

"Little Chu, someone's coming," Da Bao set down his shovel and warned.

Hearing this, Chu Danqing felt a strange unease.

Who would come here for no reason?

Before Chu Danqing could send one of the ghostly Yuan infants to investigate, a deafening boom rang out.

Chu Danqing casually tossed aside his shovel and saw a cannonball hurtling toward him from afar.

(End of Chapter)