Chapter 135

In the treasury of the mansion.

Qin Shuo stared fixedly at the stone box in He Mingjing's hand, words surfacing in his eyes:

【Ingredient: Buzhou Stone Box】

【Grade: Divine】

【Carved from the stone of Buzhou Mountain, containing the intent of Gonggong's furious collision with Buzhou, the ancient Human Emperor used it to store seals.】

【Refining yields Divine Intent: Gonggong's fury against Buzhou, with an extremely slim chance to comprehend the ancient divine ability 'Human Emperor Seal'!】

【Evaluation: Gonggong's fury against Buzhou, its will can shatter mountains and sever seas, causing heaven to tilt and earth to overturn! To bear its will, one must have a heart as firm as iron and an unyielding will, or else cannot comprehend it!】

【Refining effect: With God-Man Will upon oneself, heaven's collapse cannot alter one's countenance, earth's sinking cannot bury one's will, even if a heavenly pillar stands before, one can still shatter it with a single force!】

【Current energy insufficient, cannot be refined!】

Buzhou Mountain?

God-Man Will?

Ancient divine ability?

Gazing at the radiant words on the Taotie Cauldron, Qin Shuo felt his emotions surge, unable to restrain himself.

He never expected to encounter here the mythological ancient figure Gonggong from his past life, and to obtain the indestructible will left behind after Gonggong's furious collision with Buzhou Mountain.

This convergence of past and present memories left him dazed for a moment.

And his expression, seen through He Mingjing's eyes, was nothing short of stunned!

He picked up the Red Cloud Pearl from inside the stone box, waved it before Qin Shuo's eyes, and said somewhat strangely:

"Hey, don't look at me like you've never seen the world, okay?"

"This Red Cloud Pearl may be precious, but you don't need to make such a face."

"To be honest, are you eyeing my pearl?"

"Hehe, just be jealous, I won't give it to you."

"With this pearl, you may freely pick any other treasure in this treasury, I will absolutely not compete with you."

"Are you sure you only want the pearl?"

Qin Shuo raised his eyebrows, his gaze blazing as he looked at the other.

"When—"

He Mingjing was about to readily agree, but seeing Qin Shuo's eyes suddenly brighten, he muttered inwardly, "Could there be another treasure in this treasury that I overlooked?"

So he swallowed the final "then" word whole, and carefully searched the treasury again.

Finally, he confirmed that there was indeed nothing more valuable than the Red Cloud Pearl, and thus feigned magnanimity, patting his chest and saying:

"A true man's word once spoken, even four horses cannot retract it—I only want this Red Cloud Pearl; the rest, Qin Brother, you may freely choose."

"Good, then I want this stone box."

Qin Shuo, quick-eyed and quick-handed, snatched the stone box from He Mingjing's grasp.

"Eh..."

He Mingjing instinctively tried to reach out to stop him, but it was already too late.

Qin Shuo took out the Red Cloud Pearl inside and tossed it to him, smiling lightly: "Now, this stone box is mine."

"No, this is just an ordinary stone box, isn't it?"

He Mingjing, puzzled yet somewhat unwilling, wondered how he had failed to notice anything extraordinary about this stone box.

But seeing Qin Shuo's demeanor, the stone box seemed to be no ordinary treasure, leaving him with a stifling feeling of having picked up a treasure, failed to recognize it, and then had it snatched away by another.

"It's an antique, its value not inferior to that Red Cloud Pearl." Qin Shuo casually dismissed.

"Right, this Red Cloud Pearl is so rare, the box holding it naturally couldn't be ordinary."

He Mingjing's face lit up with sudden realization, his earlier frustration vanishing completely.

An antique?

Perhaps valuable, but ultimately just a box—could it really be worth more than the Red Cloud Pearl?

Thinking that what he had obtained was still the most valuable thing in this treasury, He Mingjing's heart instantly felt balanced.

After putting away the stone box and pearl, and confirming the treasury held nothing special, each stuffed a stack of banknotes and left the treasury door.

These banknotes were not entirely for themselves, but also for the Demon Suppression Division brothers outside handling interrogation and questioning.

This point, He Mingjing and Qin Shuo both understood implicitly.

Everyone worked hard, there's no reason only the two of them should profit overflowingly—otherwise, who would willingly cooperate with them in the future?

Returning to the courtyard, the main relatives, steward, and garrison commander of the City Lord's Mansion had already finished interrogation, and Flying Star General Pang Tong was already seated at the stone table in the corridor, drinking tea.

"General."

The two clasped fists and bowed.

"How were the gains?"

It was evident that Pang Tong's mood was very good at this moment.

Although that Mountain Ghost was not a demonic monster of the Ghost Mother Sect practicing human flesh alchemy, it was still sufficient as a reason for the Demon Suppression Division to investigate Wind Thunder Valley.

The three major sects of Yunzhou—Dalong Temple, Wind Thunder Valley, and Giant Whale Gang—each have a Grandmaster presiding.

Even if the Demon Suppression Division wished to act against them, they would need ample evidence and justification.

The wrath of a Grandmaster is not something ordinary people can endure.

Moreover, many formidable demonic monsters still require reliance on these sects' strength, so naturally one cannot chill the hearts of Martial Arts Grandmasters.

"Not bad, I found a fine treasure!"

He Mingjing flipped his palm, producing the Red Cloud Pearl, and said with a smile: "General, are you interested?"

"Oh? Red Cloud Pearl? Quite rare!"

Pang Tong nodded, but he was clearly not very interested.

Although the pearl could be considered a rare treasure, it was ultimately a mundane object, and could only fetch some silver, so it naturally held little attraction for him.

"Captain Qin, how about you? Any gains?"

Pang Tong still held a favorable impression of Qin Shuo.

Since this youth joined the Demon Suppression Division, he has not only achieved remarkable military feats, but also consecutively found them leverage for a thorough investigation of Wind Thunder Valley; to say he is a lucky star is not an exaggeration.

"There are some gains!"

Qin Shuo openly took out the stone box.

He was confident Pang Tong could not discern its profundity, so naturally there was no need to conceal it.

If the God-Man Will within were so easily discovered, this stone box would not have been stored together with the Red Cloud Pearl in the warehouse, gathering dust.

"Oh? Antiques?"

A flash of surprise crossed Pang Tong's eyes, but it quickly vanished, and he said: "I didn't expect Captain Qin to also have this hobby; upon returning to Yunzhou, I happen to have some old items at home, and I can give you one or two."

"Thank you, General!"

Qin Shuo clasped his fists and openly accepted Pang Tong's overtures and friendliness.

Although He Mingjing had told him that the Demon Suppression Division was not as faction-ridden as the Zhenwu Hall and the Divine Catcher Division, there was still competition among the three great Demon Suppression Generals.

After all, the resources allocated by the court each year are limited; whoever gets more or less naturally leads to discussion.

And the rivalry among the Demon Suppression Generals naturally cannot be settled by force, but rather by who slays more demons and monsters and who has stronger investigative abilities.

At this point, having a group of capable subordinates is very important.

Someone like Qin Shuo, young in age but possessing divine abilities and strong cultivation, will surely be sought after by all the great Demon Suppression Generals.

Pang Tong now has the advantage of proximity, wanting to establish a good relationship with Qin Shuo in advance.

Once they reach Yunzhou, the likelihood of Qin Shuo choosing to serve under him will greatly increase.

In short, Pang Tong is making an investment, preparing to later secure a strong Cloud Dragon Captain.

"The matter here is settled; we will depart for Yunzhou tomorrow." Pang Tong made the decision.

"Yes!"

The Demon Suppression Division Captains responded in unison.

Early the next morning, Qin Shuo followed the Demon Suppression Division's grand procession as they set off for Yunzhou.

Song Yan and Song Tianhao father and son came to see him off.

On the day of the Song family's upheaval, Song Tianhao was gravely wounded and near death, but fortunately Qin Shuo rescued him, saving his life; however, his entire cultivation was ruined, and he has become an ordinary man.

Furthermore, Qin Shuo exterminated all the collateral branches, so the current Song family is even inferior to the Liuhe Martial Arts Hall.

Fortunately, on that day Qin Shuo made a name for himself in Songyang Prefecture, and the several major clans in the prefectural city dare not harbor improper designs on the Song family's property.

Moreover, several clans have come to the door to show goodwill, actively offering the Song family new residences, hoping to draw closer to that Cloud Dragon Captain.

However, all of these have been declined by Song Yan.

She clearly understands that the Song family's ability to maintain its current state relies entirely on the prestige Qin Shuo earned through his actions.

She naturally could not rely on his name to act; being able to preserve her father's legacy is already more than she could hope for.

Song Tianhao also has no objection to this.

Moreover, he has proactively proposed letting Song Yan serve as Family Head, while he himself retires to the background to offer counsel and strategy.

Watching that gradually receding figure, Song Yan's eyes could not hide a sense of loss and sorrow.

Who would have thought that the boy who was merely a hunter's son a few months ago could, in such a short time, grow into a towering tree?

Even the once illustrious Song family now can only rely on this great tree to barely sustain itself.

The vicissitudes of life are nothing more than this.

And her Qin junior martial brother, from today onward, will have boundless skies and seas, and there will likely be no further connection between them.

……

Just as the Demon Suppression Division's procession was leaving the prefectural city.

Because of the Xiaoyue Demon King's massacre that made it famous, Black Water City today unexpectedly welcomed three uninvited guests.

One wore green clothes and bare feet, dressed unrestrainedly, with a red bell tied to her right foot, a lovely young woman;

One clad in tiger skin, of sturdy build, with half his body bare, a strong and robust man;

And one holding a feather fan, with a stern countenance, the Eagle-hook Nosed Youth.