Chapter 286: When the Man Fails, Even the Chest Is Useless

On the road, Chu Danqing found on Yang Taizhi’s body the equipment left by Yang Qianjing—a piece of Excellent-quality gear.

【Twenty-Four Thread Puppets Jade】

【Type: Equipment·Jade Pendant】

【Quality: Excellent】

【Durability: 38/100】

【Thread Puppets (Active): Consume 1 durability point to release puppet threads, perform an attribute check on the target; if successful, permanently control the enemy as a living puppet; if failed, consume an additional 1 durability point. Maximum living puppets controlled: 24】

【Nourish Self (Active): Consume 1 durability point to gain 10% of all puppets’ combined attributes for 5 minutes, cooldown 24 hours】

【Jade Protects Body (Passive): For each living puppet present, your life recovery efficiency increases by 10】

【Path of Living Puppets (Passive): Each time a living puppet kills a target, it steals a portion of soul energy. When progress reaches 100%, quality improves. Progress: 11%, Evolution count: 3】

【Equipment Requirement: Spirit 10】

Chu Danqing glanced at the equipment’s stats and immediately spotted the problem.

First, the bonuses were too weak; second, the equipment requirement was far too low.

He suspected Yang Qianjing had used some item to lower the requirement, severely weakening—or even nullifying—the gear’s effects.

Otherwise, how could Yang Taizhi, with his stats, have even equipped it, let alone wield it so skillfully?

Even a growth item was ruined.

“Useless for anything but filling space,” Chu Danqing muttered, then stowed it away.

Upon hearing this, Yang Taizhi’s eyes bulged with rage.

“This is a divine treasure—my father—” Yang Taizhi immediately tried to protest; in his eyes, this gear was the foundation of his rebellion.

But Chu Danqing had no time for his words; instead he asked: “By the way, did your father know the previous Marquis of Jiao?”

Chu Danqing suddenly recalled that Yang Qianyuan’s father had died in connection with an Apostle.

And coincidentally, Yang Qianjing had become a follower of an Apostle.

“Tell me, and I promise I won’t say a bad word about you when I meet His Majesty,” Chu Danqing said honestly.

He had never intended to embellish or slander.

At first, Yang Taizhi dismissed Chu Danqing’s words with contempt.

But then he thought: fewer people throwing stones at him was better.

“Yes, there was some conflict back then—I don’t know the details, but the former Marquis of Jiao reportedly lost.”

“The Marquis’s death came after he lost a close friend,” Yang Taizhi knew little of the matter.

This was an event from over a decade ago, and Yang Qianjing had been extremely vague about it, so Yang Taizhi only had fragments.

After hearing this, Chu Danqing understood most of it.

Likely, the Apostle who came to take Yang Qianyuan’s father had lost a power struggle against Yang Qianjing’s Apostle group and was killed as a result.

Even Tianchi Dragon’s death stemmed from this, giving rise to his lingering grudge.

But back then, Tianchi Dragon didn’t realize it wasn’t an imperial power struggle—he thought it was merely a fight for authority.

Another matter involved at the time was Yang Qianzheng’s ascension.

According to Yang Zhenhao’s view, if a ruler had no son, the throne passed to his brother; Yang Qianyuan’s father was also of the Zhen generation, so this power struggle had touched the imperial succession.

Yang Qianjing likely aided his father, the Zhen-generation vassal, in seizing power.

But no one expected the victor to be Yang Qianzheng—or rather, the court ministers.

“Anything else?” Chu Danqing asked.

Yang Taizhi shook his head: “No. These details came from my mother.”

“Even my mother knew little of what happened back then.”

Chu Danqing had expected as much; when Apostles died, their affairs naturally faded.

Especially since over a decade had passed—Yang Qianyuan hadn’t even been born yet.

Chu Danqing asked more questions, but Yang Taizhi couldn’t answer any. Chu Danqing now realized the man had nothing left to give.

So he quickened his pace, taking Yang Taizhi to see Yang Qianzheng.

“Back already,” Yang Qianzheng glanced at Yang Taizhi, captured by Chu Danqing, his expression calm.

This only made Yang Taizhi more uneasy—if Yang Qianzheng had raged and demanded explanations, he’d have had a chance to plead.

Ignoring someone was far more dangerous.

“Well, how should we handle him?” Chu Danqing asked bluntly.

“Kill him,” Yang Qianzheng replied, bowing again over his documents, dismissing the matter as casually as brushing off dust.

Yang Taizhi instantly panicked: “Grand Emperor’s edict—I—”

Before he finished, Chu Danqing twisted his neck; the Yangyang Heavenly General slashed him with a sword, turning his glowing fish-dragon into pulp.

【Mission complete. Reward: Paradise Points ×5000, Attribute Points +3】

On Yang Taizhi’s corpse, a Fine-quality treasure chest with shimmering patterns appeared.

Chu Danqing immediately calculated he could profit again.

At least one Purple Mansion talent book.

Several eunuchs began cleaning up; Chu Danqing said: “If there’s nothing else, I’ll return.”

“Mm, go ahead,” Yang Qianzheng knew Chu Danqing had no interest in power—this made him perfectly at ease.

He needed people like Chu Danqing.

Strong, but without ambition.

As for resources? A minor matter.

On the way back, Chu Danqing opened the chest.

【You opened: Fine-quality Chest. Obtained: Talent Book (Purple Mansion), Glowing Fish Swarm Vase, Paradise Points ×2900×5】

【Glowing Fish Swarm Vase】

【Type: Equipment·Accessory】

【Durability: 100/100】

【Quality: Fine】

【Fish Shadow in Vase (Active): Consume 1000 mana to summon one glowing fish shadow that circles you, absorbing up to 1000 damage for 15 minutes, cooldown 30 minutes】

【Shadowed Protection (Active): Consume 500 mana to activate the dragon-fish glow, granting all friendly summons within 10 meters Deepsea Vision (ignores darkness) for 24 hours, cooldown 10 minutes】

【Glowing Bubble (Passive): The fish shadow releases glowing bubbles that deal 1000 light-element damage to enemies】

【Dragon-Fish Wave (Passive): In aquatic environments, restore 1 mana per second and increase movement speed by 5%】

【Equipment Requirement: Constitution 15, Spirit 15】

Chu Danqing glanced at the gear, summoned the glowing fish shadow to test it, then stowed it in his storage space.

It was likely a True Spirit equipment, but useless to him.

The glowing fish shadow was like a ribbon—its main use was blocking attacks, but since it was just a ribbonfish, only one arm’s length wide.

It moved quickly, but its damage absorption was severely limited.

Not useless, just not suited to him.

If he kept it, someone would buy it.

His main complaint was the time limit on the glowing fish shadow.

Chu Danqing preferred summons sustained by mana, not those with cooldowns.

The most valuable item was, as always, the Purple Mansion talent book.

On the way, Chu Danqing diverted straight to the treasure vault, opened the faction shop, and selected exchange.

“Jade Spirit Treasure Dragon’s beast scroll, plus a Fine-quality beast seal talisman, then a series of Excellent and Fine resources for evolution.”

“Finally… the beast selection.”

As Chu Danqing exchanged, the vault eunuch prepared the items.

“Choose the Gold Coin Carp,” Chu Danqing quickly picked his beast and sealed it with the beast seal talisman.

The Jade Spirit Treasure Dragon’s evolution path: Pearllight Serpent, Treasure-Qi Dragon, then Jade Spirit Treasure Dragon—its base can be fish or snake.

A legitimate dragon-transformation path.

In rank, the Jade Spirit Treasure Dragon surpassed the Azure Heaven Tyrant Spear.

But this was only considering the beast itself; a beast’s strength ultimately depended on its master.

Otherwise, even possessing the Jade Spirit Treasure Dragon’s scroll wouldn’t allow evolution.

“My lord, the Jade Spirit Treasure Dragon’s beast scroll is an imperial secret. Do you have His Majesty’s decree?” the vault eunuch asked cautiously.

After all, Yang Qianzheng’s Purple Mansion beast was the Jade Spirit Treasure Dragon—and he was still alive. Chu Danqing taking it might be taboo.

“Send someone to request it. I won’t go myself,” Chu Danqing said, copying the scroll’s knowledge, then added: “Then bring me every beast scroll in the vault—I’ll copy them all.”

He’d only just realized these were all knowledge tied to summoning, limited to specific species, but learning them couldn’t hurt.

The vault eunuch was speechless: what did he mean, “send someone to request it”?

That was the Emperor—the man who could end his life with a word.

But Chu Danqing was someone he couldn’t offend, so he replied: “Yes, I’ll arrange it immediately.”

He’d have to personally petition the Emperor; as for Chu Danqing copying the scrolls, he could delegate that.

Soon, the vault eunuch returned and respectfully handed Chu Danqing the Jade Spirit Treasure Dragon scroll.

Yang Qianzheng didn’t care about such a small thing—what was one beast scroll? The knowledge inside wasn’t consumed upon use.

Give it to Chu Danqing; he could always copy another and return it.

But he did not make things difficult for the Treasury Eunuch, for he had experienced many times the practice of respecting the dignity of the honored.

Since he became Emperor Anyong, no second Jade Spirit Dragon had been born.

In the past, Yang Qianyuan had still valued such things, but after enduring trials and with his lifespan dwindling, he now regarded them with great detachment.

“The number seems quite small,” Chu Danqing said, organizing the Spirit Beast Atlas, and asked.

“My lord, any atlas admitted into the Imperial Treasury contains non-ordinary spirit beasts. If you wish for lower-grade spirit beast atlases, I can take you there,” the Treasury Eunuch hurriedly said.

This was not a genuine offer to take Chu Danqing anywhere—it was merely an explanation that inferior items could not enter the Treasury, hence the low count.

Chu Danqing understood and declined: “No need. I’ll just copy the ones in the Treasury.”

(End of Chapter)