Chapter 239

Captain Hu was at the eighth level of Qi Refining, a tomb raider by origin; though he didn't kill or set fires, his deeds made him more hated, so he hid in Wulong Mountain—only Wulong Mountain could tolerate him.

He had lived in the mountains for years, always low-key, quietly doing his own business and rarely accepting hero invitations, so Liu Liu Xiaolou rarely saw him, and when they did meet, they merely nodded. Men like him could only avoid contempt and converse freely—even exchange Dao techniques—within Wulong Mountain.

Once he left Wulong Mountain to survive alone, unable to mingle among heroes, he would instantly become a rat chased by all, his cultivation bitterly lonely; thus, his feelings for Wulong Mountain lay deep in his heart, so deep he himself didn't realize how deep they were.

Only when Lu Lu Yuanlang slaughtered freely on Ghost Dream Cliff did he realize just how deep.

So when Liu Liu Xiaolou's hero invitation arrived, he accepted it immediately.

His specialty was tomb raiding and treasure hunting—he could spot traps and hidden wealth at a glance, a sharp instinct forged through long experience, commonly called "sense of smell," sometimes as keen as a dog's nose.

Thus, when the killings on the second and third floors occurred, he was leading several assistants in circling the first floor. The counter held only a few dozen taels of scattered silver—clearly unnatural. Captain Hu was not worried but delighted, rolling up his sleeves to direct the group.

"Bu San, Bu Ai, you two tap the floor tiles—don't strike hard, just a light tap and pull back; if you find anything odd, report it to me immediately."

"Dragon Brother, check the kitchen—see if there's a tunnel under the stove."

"Brother Fan, bring a bucket of water and wash the walls—cover everything, especially the corners."

"Master Mu, you rest; why not go upstairs and check if they're injured?"

"You two, come here—this table seems odd. Don't smash it; lift it together."

Everyone acted together and soon found Hongji Tavern's vault. The vault was tiny—only a foot square—and dug deep underground; no one could enter, and for a moment they didn't know what to do. Digging would waste time.

But Captain Hu had his own method. He pulled out his ancestral magic treasure: an unremarkable three-edged short rod. He poured true qi into it, and the rod extended section by section, sinking deep into the earth. At its tip emerged a length of rope, its surface like dragon scales, woven from unknown materials, flexible yet rigid.

Simultaneously, the rod's tip glowed, probing the subterranean passage. Captain Hu closed his eyes, focusing his spiritual sense. In his perception, a hazy image emerged: three zhang below, a horizontal tunnel, equally narrow, and seven chi inside, a small box.

How Hongji Tavern retrieved or stored the box was their own business; Captain Hu didn't need to ponder it, for he had his own method—the method lay in the dragon-scale rope protruding from the rod's tip.

As true qi flowed, the dragon-scale rope tightened and hardened, sliding horizontally into the hole. Upon touching the box, it softened again, slipping into the lock's keyhole, then hardening instantly to grip it firmly.

After that, it was simple. The dragon-scale rope retracted, pulling the box out of the tunnel. Upward pressure on the three-edged rod lifted the box from the ground.

With the loot secured and no anomalies elsewhere, Captain Hu asked: "Where's Sect Master Liu?"

Fang Bu Ai replied: "In the storage room."

As they spoke, Liu Liu Xiaolou returned, emptying all ten jars of Zhuyeqing from the storage room into his own Qiankun pouch.

"What about the ledgers?" Liu Liu Xiaolou asked.

Fang Bu Ai patted his bulging sack: "Five books total—all here!"

Meanwhile, Longshan Dai Sanren, Huang Ye, Hu Du the Daoist, and the Four Brothers of Gu Zhang Mountain all rushed down from upstairs, signaling all tasks completed.

With everyone working in coordinated roles, less than a cup of tea passed before Liu Liu Xiaolou waved: "Go!"

Longshan Dai Sanren tossed down a fire starter. Flames leapt through the main hall. The group surged out, sprinting eastward, vanishing from Tianmen Marketplace in moments.

After fleeing two li, they saw red glow from Tianmen Marketplace—the fire at Hongji Tavern had finally erupted, thick smoke billowing skyward. Distant shouts echoed in their ears.

Liu Liu Xiaolou led them south, racing past Willow Bay without pause, then turning east, sprinting thirty li before finding a sheltered mountain hollow to rest.

The group gathered around Liu Liu Xiaolou, glancing at each other, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Amid laughter, Master Mu asked around: "Anyone hurt?"

Qi Qi Laoqi laughed: "Hurt? Pfft. No injuries at all. Just ran dozens of li—Old Lao Quezi, twist your ankle?"

Old Lao Quezi sighed: "Never thought it'd be this easy to break into Tianmen Mountain Marketplace. Never dared dream it. Should we try other marketplaces?"

Fan Zheng said: "Didn't Xiao Lou say all the high cultivators from each sect went to Danxia Cave Heaven?"

Longshan Dai Sanren glanced at them: "Tianmen Mountain Marketplace hasn't had an incident in over a hundred years. Once word spreads, which marketplace will be this vulnerable?"

Liu Liu Xiaolou asked: "Old Hu, count the loot. How much do we have?"

Captain Hu placed the small box in the center. Everyone gathered to watch him open it. He inserted the dragon-scale rope into the lock, gave it a gentle twist—*click*—the lid popped slightly, then pried open by the three-edged rod.

No traps inside. On red brocade lay a dozen gold ingots, totaling roughly two thousand five hundred taels of silver. Also three jade pendants, emitting faint spiritual energy.

Beneath the jade pendants lay a small satchel. When emptied, everyone's faces lit up with joy.

Fifty-six spirit stones!

That wasn't all. Captain Hu had the rest of the team pile up everything they'd looted from corpses and counters: eight more spirit stones, five magic treasures, over two hundred taels of silver.

Though robbing Hongji Tavern was meant for revenge, such a rich haul was even better!

Longshan Dai Sanren stroked his beard: "Xiao Lou, divide it up."

Xiao Lou thought for a moment: "Those who fought—Dragon Dai Sanren, Huang Huang Xian, Old Hu Du, and the Four Brothers of Gu Gu Zhangshan—each receive four spirit stones and two hundred taels of silver. Those who kept watch—Cang Laoge, Master Wan, the Old Lao Quezi, and Qi Qi Ge—since they didn't engage in direct combat, each receives two spirit stones and one hundred taels less silver. Captain Hu, your team that searched for loot—each receives two spirit stones and fifty taels of silver. What do you all think?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Liu Liu Xiaolou then took out the five magic treasures: three flying swords, a five-metal fork, and an iron-wood shield—all low-grade. He addressed the group: "These five magic treasures will be auctioned now. Starting bid: two spirit stones each. Whoever wants one, bid. The spirit stones collected go to the others."