Chapter 150: Astonishing News of Wu Mu's Last Will

"This version of the story seems a bit off. Speaking of which, what made you suddenly change your mind?" I asked curiously.

Chen Zheng smiled and said, "Actually, I owe it all to Ah Chang; it was his one sentence that reminded me."

"Brother Wu Chang, what on earth did he say?"

Chen Zheng said, "Wu Chang told me, 'If I love someone, I will never push them toward another. If I can't give them happiness myself, how can you be sure someone else can?'"

Chen Zheng said, it was precisely this sentence that made him, who had always felt inferior, change his mind—as if enlightened by a sudden blessing. He suddenly woke up, and on the day of Dong Yumin's wedding, he brought a large group of people and snatched the bride away.

Although Chen Zheng recounted his love story in a plain, unadorned tone, his words were brimming with happiness. He patted my shoulder and, speaking like someone who's been there, advised me,

"Remember, as a man, don't always start from your own perspective. You think you're penniless and have nothing, that you're not worthy of her, so you chose to leave. You wallow in heartache, considering yourself noble. But I tell you, that's not noble—it's cowardly, it's avoidance, and it's selfish. You act on your wishes and thoughts, never considering her feelings. You keep saying you love her, yet you hurt her heart with your own hands, abandoning a relationship that should belong to you. If you love someone, you should give them happiness yourself."

"I'm so grateful, grateful I didn't let go back then! Grateful that I woke up in time and took her hand!" Chen Zheng laughed, his smile bright and pure, like that of a neighbor's innocent child.

"Oh right, this is for you……" Suddenly, Chen Zheng tossed me a small box.

I opened it and saw only a silver-colored small key inside. I was about to ask what it was, but he told me, "This is the key to my bank safe deposit box. Inside the box is what the black-robed person wants."

I was startled at once—even someone of the black-robed person's stature wants this…

I asked Chen Zheng, what exactly does the black-robed person want, and what agreement did they reach?

In this cramped infirmary, Chen Zheng gradually told me the whole story.

Chen Zheng said, the black-robed person appeared before him three years ago. At that time, Dong Yumin had suffered severe injuries and was losing vitality. It was the black-robed person who taught Chen Zheng a life-prolonging technique to save Dong Yumin. But this was merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause. To restore Dong Yumin's vitality, other measures had to be taken.

The sole condition for saving Dong Yumin was this treasure in Chen Zheng's hand. This treasure was accidentally obtained by his ancestor; rumor has it that it conceals an astonishing hoard, enough to keep a family's descendants worry-free for generations.

But what is this treasure? I guessed it might be a treasure map, recording the wealth of some ancient tycoon or noble.

Under my eager gaze, Chen Zheng slowly uttered four words: "Wu Mu's Last Will."

Chen Zheng's words left me dumbstruck, unable to recover for a long time. How could it be Wu Mu's Last Will again? Isn't that something made up in Jin Yong's novels? And isn't Wu Mu's Last Will a military strategy book? How did it suddenly become linked to treasure? Could it be, as in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, that whoever obtains Wu Mu's Last Will gains the world…?

Thinking of this, my face turned a little strange.

"As for this matter, I don't know the details either," Chen Zheng shook his head firmly and said, "But I can be certain that Wu Mu's Last Will is absolutely not a military strategy book; it is a gold plate, and what my ancestor obtained was only a corner of it."

Before I could recover, Chen Zheng continued: "According to legend, Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin and the Later Zhou Chai clan, following Guo Wei, fought together to win the realm. After pacifying the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Guo Wei ascended the throne and was posthumously honored as the Later Zhou emperor. After Guo Wei's death, his adopted son Chai Rong succeeded him. After Chai Rong passed away, dissatisfied that the seven-year-old Emperor Gong had taken the throne, Zhao Kuangyin launched the Chen Bridge Mutiny, donned the yellow robe, and founded the Song Dynasty."

Speaking of which, the Song Taizu had sworn to treat the Chai clan well, but the Chai family was powerful and wealthy. To cut off the Chai lineage's last lingering hope for the Later Zhou and to consolidate his own rule, the Song Taizu secretly swept away all of the Chai family's riches.

Don't underestimate this small Chai clan. After the Tang dynasty collapsed, the Southern Han, Wu-Yue, Former Shu, and other Ten Kingdoms rose. Each Ten Kingdoms lord occupied a region, and the Later Zhou's founding emperor Guo Wei subdued them one by one. Their wealth was divided among the Chai, Guo, and Zhao families. Even a tiny fraction of the Ten Kingdoms lords' wealth would be enough for an ordinary person to live leisurely for three generations, let alone the fact that there were as many as ten kingdoms in those chaotic times.

After seizing the Chai family's wealth, the Song Taizu did not deposit all of it into the national treasury; he kept a portion and buried it in an unknown location.

The Song Taizu was a far-sighted man; he understood that prosperity inevitably leads to decline, and he absorbed the lessons of rise and fall from dynasties past, knowing that conquering the realm is hard, but defending it is harder.

Therefore, the Song Taizu infused the secret of this treasure into twelve gold plates, so that even if, one day, the Zhao family's realm were to change surnames, later descendants could still rely on this abundant treasure to make a comeback.

The twelve gold plates were divided, and they have been secretly passed down among successive emperors. Fearing the treasure's secret might be leaked, the prudent Song Taizu ordered his descendants to transfer the treasure every three generations. Each transfer had to be carried out by the reigning emperor's trusted chief general, and immediately after the treasure was buried, the general had to order the execution of the accompanying soldiers.

It is said that the last transfer of this treasure occurred at the end of the Song Dynasty, and the general in charge was the Great Song's top general…… Yue Fei, Prince Yue.

After Yue Fei's death, the treasure's whereabouts became unknown, and the twelve gold plates gradually dispersed among the populace. After the Mongol troops entered the pass, having learned the secret of the gold plates, they sent out many agents to search the civilian population. The Song Gaozong, who had lost track of the gold plates, was naturally anxious as well, but he feared that the world would covet this treasure and dared not reveal the secret.

Nevertheless, neither the Mongol forces nor the Southern Song managed to gather all twelve gold plates. With the passing of Prince Yue, the gold plates seemed to become an eternal secret that could never be uncovered.

Of course, this story seems to have many loopholes! First, Yue Fei's death itself is a mystery; by common sense, the Song Gaozong would not be so foolish as to kill Yue Fei before seizing the gold plates.

Unless there were some unknown circumstances. However, if I were to believe that Prince Yue was a greedy, profit-seeking villain, that would be absolutely impossible. Prince Yue is the nation's proud backbone, the Song's spine; if I were to believe he would seize the treasure for himself, I'd rather think the twelve gold plates are nothing but a fabrication.

Unless there is some unknown change behind this. But if you want me to believe that Prince Yue is a greedy, profit‑seeking villain, that's absolutely impossible. Prince Yue is the nation's proud backbone, the spine of the Great Song; if you want me to believe he would seize the treasure for himself, I'd rather think these twelve gold medals are nothing but a fabrication.

Chen Zheng slowly shook his head and said to me, "Perhaps only when the twelve gold plates are gathered will the truth be revealed. But those things are no longer important to me; this gold plate… I'll give it to you! As a keepsake."

At this moment, Chen Zheng's spirit betrayed his fatigue; his sighs were filled with disgust and hatred for power struggles.

After Chen Zheng finished speaking, I remained dazed for a long time.

Who could have imagined that life's twists could be so unexpected? Just a moment ago I was a penniless loser, and in this instant I suddenly became rich overnight—though it's only one-twelfth, and still a mystery. Yet to me, it truly is a tremendous temptation.

After struggling for a long time, I ultimately returned the key to Chen Zheng. I admit, wealth moves the heart, especially when knowing I might have a one-twelfth chance to possess a dynasty's riches—my heart pounded nonstop.

But later I thought it through clearly. I am a lazy person who enjoys the carefree, penniless drifter's life; power struggles don't suit me. Compared to sitting in a Western restaurant eating steak, I'd rather sit at a roadside stall, freely shouting while eating barbecue and drinking beer.

But I never expected that, after I pushed the key away, Chen Zheng would actually shove it back into my hands.

"At least in your hands it's better than falling into the grasp of those who stop at nothing! If you don't want it, then keep this secret forever hidden—even if someone with ill intentions desires it, they will never obtain this gold plate."

Chen Zheng smiled faintly, then suddenly his face changed dramatically; looking at the small TV on the table, he froze in shock.

On the small TV's screen, Dong Yumin, lying in the hospital bed, suddenly vomited several mouthfuls of fresh blood; her body began to tremble uncontrollably, and her eyes turned once again into ant-like pupils.

On the small TV screen, Dong Yumin, lying on the hospital bed, suddenly vomited several mouthfuls of fresh blood consecutively, her body began to tremble involuntarily, her eyes once again turned into ant-like pupils..