Chapter 8: Searching for Treasure, the Gate Opens

Feng Yan and Chen Hao returned to the bedroom, and they quickly got into bed.

Feng Yan lay on the bed, thinking about what had happened, still unable to let go; he finally could not control the other self within him, that other him, was a devil. Perhaps, every person's heart harbors a devil, Feng Yan thought.

They put on their things, came again to that place, opened the door, and found the National Preceptor already waiting outside. "Gentlemen, I have been waiting for you," the National Preceptor said with clasped hands. Chen Hao disliked the formalities, he directly said: "Speak, let us go take the Lilliputian Kingdom's treasure; what is your purpose?" The National Preceptor stood awkwardly in place, not knowing whether to step forward or say something, he remained motionless, everyone felt awkward, not knowing how long passed, the National Preceptor finally spoke: "Once the treasure is found, you may freely choose it or request another reward from the king; I only ask that after the treasure is found, you bring the items into the Wanggong." Feng Yan and Chen Hao whispered: "Chen Hao, what do you say?" "Such terms are also acceptable." "Aren't you afraid there might be a greasy cat inside?" "What's there to fear? If anything happens, we'll just strike it out!" "Are you confident?" "Rest assured, I still have this confidence." The National Preceptor watched them speak, but being too far away he couldn't hear clearly; he wanted to step forward, but saw Feng Yan and Chen Hao both looking at him.

The National Preceptor did not step forward; Chen Hao took a step forward and said to the National Preceptor, "Please lead the way." The National Preceptor told the soldiers ahead, "Lead the way." The soldiers shouted, "Lead the way!" The soldiers marched forward, and the National Preceptor, gesturing, said to Feng Yan and Chen Hao, "Please." The few of them then walked together.

Along the way, they saw different scenery; the soldiers marched on a narrow path, with extremely fertile land on both sides, planted with wheat that had not yet sprouted ears, and though it had not snowed on the road, the soldiers' steps grew slower and slower. The National Preceptor summoned the Deputy Commander and asked, "What's going on? Why are we slowing down?" The Deputy Commander replied, "National Preceptor, someone has frozen to death in the middle of the path ahead, so the army has halted." The National Preceptor said, "Just blast them away!" Hearing this, Feng Yan stepped forward, and Chen Hao followed. He saw a woman kneeling beside her husband; the husband wore thin clothing, barefoot, eyes tightly closed, already lifeless; the woman's eyes were blood-red, she remained by his side, unwilling to believe that the family's pillar had just vanished, waiting for him to rise again. Feng Yan stood behind the woman, took the man's hand—though he felt nothing, he sensed the cold—and turned to Chen Hao asking, "Is there any way to save him?" Chen Hao nodded, and Feng Yan shouted to the soldiers, "Everyone rest, set up camp!"

Feng Yan and Chen Hao together lifted the man into the tent, and had the soldiers bring over a brazier; they placed the man beside the brazier, and his body gradually warmed. The woman saw the man awaken and ran over, embracing him tightly, knowing this was no dream—he had returned! The woman fell to her knees before Feng Yan and them; Feng Yan helped her up, saying, "I only think this is human nature; others would do the same. What is your name?" "I am Xiao Cai, my husband is Da Zhuang," the woman replied. Feng Yan glanced at the man: his muscles were solid, he felt full of strength, his appearance honest; though the woman was not beautiful, she still had a touch of delicacy. Feng Yan said to Chen Hao, "This, are you sure it's a game?" "Well, probably," Chen Hao answered. "Then why does every NPC seem so exquisite?" "I don't know," Xiao Cai, having overheard their whisper, asked, "Do you two have something to ask?" "Mm," Feng Yan replied, "There's something: do you know about the Lilliputian Kingdom's treasure?" Xiao Cai said, "This is common knowledge among everyone in the Lilliputian Kingdom." Feng Yan directly asked, "Could you tell us? We are searching for the treasure again."

Xiao Cai simply said: "Put plainly, the Lilliputian Kingdom wanted to attack the Ju Ren Guo, but the Ju Ren Guo's strength was overwhelming, directly crushing the Lilliputian Kingdom's offensive in a frontal assault and seizing many of its cities. Later, the Lilliputian scholar Huang Wujiu researched poison and discovered rusted iron equipment, enabling a counterattack that recovered the lost lands. Afterwards, on the duel platform of the two nations, the Ju Ren Guo general Di Fangjie and Huang Wujiu faced off; Huang Wujiu killed Di Fangjie with a poisoned hidden weapon, while Di Fangjie killed Huang Wujiu with all his strength. Afterwards, both nations took each other's treasures as spoils; the Lilliputian Kingdom's treasure is precisely that Ju Ren Guo general's great sword."

Upon hearing this, Feng Yan realized they were being used as pawns! He wanted to go find the National Preceptor for clarification, but Chen Hao stopped him, saying, "Come on, we still want to play, otherwise how would we get that great sword—this is a treasure!" After Chen Hao spoke, Feng Yan understood: they knew what the National Preceptor had said, but given the National Preceptor's ability, he likely couldn't obtain the treasure himself, or else there wouldn't be any need for them. So Feng Yan pulled Chen Hao straight to the National Preceptor's tent; Feng Yan said little, directly stated their purpose, and the National Preceptor immediately ordered the soldiers to march on.

Thus the troop began to move slowly; Feng Yan noticed the road widening, and the troops gradually sped up from their slow pace. After a while, the troop halted, and the communications soldier rode up on horseback, saying to the National Preceptor and Feng Yan, "We have arrived at the destination." Feng Yan and Chen Hao then stepped forward, the soldiers making way, until they reached the stone gate. The stone gate bore no characters; Feng Yan walked up to it, reached out his right hand, touched the gate, and characters appeared! The characters looked as if an artisan had slowly carved them; Feng Yan stared, seeing that each knife mark gradually gathered into a script—though carved with a blade, it resembled the calligraphy of a master. Feng Yan poked Chen Hao with his elbow and said, "Look at these characters; they rival the skill of some calligraphers." Chen Hao replied, "Check what's written up there, in case it disappears again!" So they both looked ahead; the gate bore few characters, which read: "The petty are wicked, the noble are loving; those who once schemed in the arena still await adventurers today." Feng Yan and Chen Hao tried to see more clearly, but the characters faded, and at the moment they vanished, the stone gate slowly opened. The National Preceptor stepped forward, made a congratulatory gesture, and said, "Let me first congratulate you two on your triumph; I'll go ahead." Then he led the soldiers away.

The Grand Marshal led soldiers in an ambush three li outside, thinking, "It seems the plan can now begin." The National Preceptor's soldiers, returning, shouted loudly, "Stop!" Seeing the Grand Marshal marshaling troops in ambush, the National Preceptor immediately ordered, "Set up an ambush three kilometers behind the Grand Marshal." The National Preceptor thought, "I am the victor!"

The stone gate opened, and Feng Yan and Chen Hao entered the stone cave. At that moment, a figure appeared at the cave's mouth, saying, "It seems we cannot tell whether they are alive or dead; the very thing we least wanted to happen has happened."