Chapter 1046

Shangguan Haitang's injuries had largely healed, and she was now traveling with Duan Tianya, Benefactor Guihai, and her adored adoptive father, Zhu Tie Dan, the Zhuge Shenhou.

Her heart brimmed with joy, and she couldn't help but exclaim,

"Adoptive father, I never imagined such a wondrous place existed here—how did you ever find out about it?"

In truth, Zhu Tie Dan knew the location of the third Tian Xiang Doukou solely because an old monk from the Xin Chan Hall had guided him,

but he naturally would not reveal the true details.

Instead, he led the way ahead, speaking calmly,

"The late emperor tasked me with founding the Hulong Shanzhuang to safeguard the Great Ming's realm.

Thus, to ensure the Hulong Shanzhuang could grow into a formidable force, he dispatched numerous spies from the former Eastern Depot, Western Depot, even the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Neixing Factory to join us.

So if it comes to knowledge of strange phenomena across the land, Haitang, your Tianxia Diyi Zhuang cannot compare to my Hulong Shanzhuang!"

The Four Secret Agents were, after all, the highest-ranked spies of the Hulong Shanzhuang.

Shangguan Haitang had participated in multiple intelligence operations orchestrated by Zhu Wushi, so she naturally understood some of the Hulong Shanzhuang's capabilities.

Yet she had never once encountered any trace of the Tian Xiang Doukou in her intelligence reports.

But remembering she was merely the Xuan-1 Secret Agent, while her adoptive father was the master of the Hulong Shanzhuang, overseeing everything,

if he said it existed, then it did.

"Adoptive father bears the weight of the Great Ming's realm—how could my frivolous Tianxia Diyi Zhuang possibly compare?"

Shangguan Haitang was in high spirits and gladly flattered Zhu Tie Dan.

832 Is this the Tianchi Marvelous Hero?

As they chatted and laughed, they descended further.

The cave within this snow-capped peak was indeed extraordinarily peculiar.

The deeper they went, the warmer it became.

Finally, Cheng Feishi suddenly said,

"Huh? Haitang, Yidao, Tianya—have you noticed?

Here, our cultivation techniques automatically activate, and the celestial and terrestrial yuanli is far more abundant.

Wouldn't it be twice as efficient to cultivate here?"

At his words, Shangguan Haitang, who had been idly chatting with Zhu Tie Dan, immediately sensed the surroundings.

Indeed, as Cheng Feishi said, the abundance of celestial and terrestrial yuanli here was tenfold greater than outside.

To cultivate here would not merely double one's progress—it would multiply it tenfold!

"Truly? This is a cultivation paradise! Adoptive father, may we cultivate here?"

Shangguan Haitang herself didn't particularly care about her cultivation realm.

But she knew Duan Tianya and Benefactor Guihai were both deeply devoted to martial cultivation.

So, relying on Zhu Wushi's favor, she playfully raised the suggestion.

Duan Tianya and Benefactor Guihai had also sensed the hidden marvel of this path and now gazed at Zhu Tie Dan with hopeful eyes.

In truth, Zhu Tie Dan had never set foot here before.

But his purpose was certainly not to cultivate here.

After all, betraying Yuan Tiangang and Di Sha would only temporarily distract the martial artists of Jiuzhou and the Great Ming.

Once they battered each other bloody on Tianchi Peak, overturned the Fire Lake, and still found no Tian Xiang Doukou, they'd realize they'd been deceived.

At that point, if they traced back to the Hulong Shanzhuang, they'd know exactly where he was.

By then, the third Tian Xiang Doukou would no longer be his to claim.

Thus, Zhu Tie Dan merely smiled faintly and said,

"Haitang, you're mischievous!

I said that during the mission…"

"During the mission, the mission comes first!"

Shangguan Haitang immediately chimed in with a smile.

"Exactly."

Zhu Tie Dan continued walking slowly downward, then added,

"The third Tian Xiang Doukou concerns Su Xin's life and death.

Before that, I have no other thoughts."

Hearing Zhu Tie Dan's deep devotion, the Four Secret Agents felt both admiration and shame.

"Adoptive father, it's our fault—we shouldn't have made such a ridiculous request…"

Shangguan Haitang immediately hurried forward to apologize.

"It's nothing."

Zhu Tie Dan knew well that after a slap, one must offer a sweet; so he fabricated,

"Do you wonder how I know this place so well?"

"Why?"

Shangguan Haitang asked.

"Actually, this is where I originally retrieved the divine art with the Invincible Brat."

This statement was pure fabrication.

Yet Shangguan Haitang and the others trusted him utterly; only Shangguan Haitang, curious, couldn't help asking,

"Here? But didn't you say you and the Invincible Brat obtained the Tianchi Marvelous Hero's legacy in the Fire Lake atop Tianchi Peak?"

This secret had once been privately told to Shangguan Haitang by Zhu Wushi when he was in a good mood.

When Tie Dan Shen Hou told a lie, his face didn't flush and his heart didn't skip a beat; he simply continued,

"That was only meant to mislead outsiders on purpose.

After all, Senior Tianchi Guai Xia, although he was not the Master of myself and the Unbeatable Urchin, in the end he did pass down to us extraordinary skills and arts.

In a certain sense, he truly was my Master no different.

This place is precisely where he was buried, because the walls of this cave are all thousand-year profound ice, which is why his honored corpse has been preserved from decay.

If I were truly to reveal this location, those meddlesome people of the jianghu would surely spare no effort to seek this place out.

When that time comes, if we were to disturb the senior's spirit in the afterlife, would that not be my fault?"

This speech was half true, half false.

Tianchi Guai Xia's corpse truly was preserved from decay thanks to the thousand-year profound ice.

But on that day, when Zhu Wushi and the Unbeatable Urchin found the location of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art and the Heaven-Sucking Great Art, it was indeed beneath the Fire Lake of Tianchi Peak.

It's just that Shangguan Haitang and the other three had never even set foot on Tianchi Peak.

Naturally they did not know that all of this was Tie Dan Shen Hou making things up off the top of his head.

"So you're saying, Senior Tianchi Guai Xia's corpse is right ahead?"

Shangguan Haitang listened to this story and was utterly spellbound, her admiration for Shen Hou climbing yet another few steps.

So it turned out her own godfather was not only meticulous in thought, but also a man of chivalrous bones and a tender heart.

Clearly, he was none other than the current Imperial Uncle, Tie Dan Shen Hou, Lord of the Protecting Dragon Shanzhuang, the foremost person under heaven of the Wu Lin.

With but a single command, where would any petty thief dare to come dig up Tianchi Guai Xia's burial place?

Yet he deliberately refused to give the order, and merely stated the wrong location on purpose.

In this way, with one small lie, he secured peace for Tianchi Guai Xia in the afterlife.

Such breadth of heart and bearing left Shangguan Haitang in awe for quite a while.

If Tie Dan Shen Hou were to know Shangguan Haitang's inner monologue, he would probably have laughed himself to death.

But at this moment, hearing Shangguan Haitang's question, he could not help but show a trace of awkwardness on his face, which vanished in a flash.

Whether it was his own past experiences, or the experiences of this world's Zhu Wushi.

The true location of the transmitted arts was indeed at the Fire Lake of Tianchi Peak.

And Tianchi Guai Xia's incorruptible corpse was indeed stored within the thousand-year profound ice in the Fire Lake.

He had simply been making it up off the top of his head — how could this cave possibly contain Tianchi Guai Xia's corpse?

"Eh? Shen Hou, is this Tianchi Guai Xia?"

Cheng Fei Shi was the latest to join the Protecting Dragon Shanzhuang, and also the most restless by nature.

Just now, while Shangguan Haitang and Tie Dan Shen Hou were conversing, Cheng Fei Shi had swiftly made his way down the mountain path alone.