Zanxing watched as the heat in Mu Cengxiao’s eyes dissipated instantly, his expression gradually becoming clearer, although his face and neck remained a deep red—not from the heat, but from embarrassment. Undoubtedly, if there were a crack in the ground right now, Mu Cengxiao would have eagerly crawled into it.
Seeing this, Tian Fangfang and Men Dong immediately turned away, pretending to be interested in other things. Tian Fangfang cleared his throat, “This so-called treasure ground is nothing but a trap set by that tree. It should be called a corpse ground instead. We can’t leave empty-handed. There are many items left behind by cultivators around the Sword Mound. Let’s search through them and collect any Qiankun Bags we find. Who knows, we might find something valuable.”
Never one to leave empty-handed, he immediately started searching. Ignoring the eerie skeletons in the Sword Mound, he began rummaging through them, saying, “Fellow cultivators, it’s not that I, Old Tian, am unkind. Leaving your treasures here is a waste. Let me put them to good use. Don’t worry, before we leave, we’ll make sure to give you a proper burial.”
Zanxing: “….”
And he says this isn’t unkind?
Seeing Tian Fangfang start searching, Men Dong hesitated for a moment but then joined in. The Qiankun Bags left behind by these cultivators might contain rare spiritual herbs or other treasures. An expedition like this should yield some rewards.
Meng Ying did not move. Naturally, she had no need to rummage through skeletons for Qiankun Bags. Beside her, Mu Cengxiao sat rigidly, trying to appear calm but clearly radiating embarrassment from afar. This once-prominent protagonist, who should have been the greatest beneficiary of this expedition, now sat against the wall like a scolded child, too ashamed to even lift his head.
As Zanxing was watching Mu Cengxiao with some amusement, a cold voice suddenly spoke in her ear, “Is it that interesting? Do you want me to put you down to get a closer look?”
Zanxing snapped back to reality.
Her palm was throbbing with pain from the flower mark, and her confrontation with Mu Cengxiao had left her physically weak. At this moment, she was being carried horizontally by Gu Baiying. Although his actions seemed gentle, there was a certain roughness to them. His handsome face was tightly set, looking as though someone owed him spiritual stones and hadn’t repaid them.
Amid the commotion, Mimi woke up. The Silver Moon Lion flipped over lazily, wagging its tail. The next moment, its eyes lit up as it dashed toward the pile of skeletons, joyfully rolling around in them.
Zanxing gasped. This cat was beyond redemption.
Struggling to look away from the distressing scene, she turned to Gu Baiying and asked, “Martial Uncle, aren’t you going to search inside?”
Her intention was to subtly hint at being put down. Being carried like this wasn’t exactly a problem, but she assumed Gu Baiying wasn’t too thrilled about it. However, Gu Baiying glanced at her and retorted, “Why aren’t you going?”
Zanxing was at a loss for words.
How could she go? She had already pulled out the Wuyou Sword and fell into the Sacred Tree’s spiritual realm with Mu Cengxiao. Not only was she unaffected by the Liu Huan Grass, but she also injured Mu Cengxiao. Such actions were rebellious in the eyes of the Heavenly Dao. Turning a man who once commanded the skies into a repentant junior brother sitting in a corner was an unexpected twist even for those familiar with the original story. The Heavenly Dao must be furious with her.
If she were to discover some great opportunity among these bones, Zanxing had no doubt the flower in her hand would immediately emerge from the ground.
Upon reflection, it was best not to join this commotion.
“My greatest reward is already here,” Zanxing said sincerely, looking up at him. “Spiritual treasures are insignificant. What matters is that we found the fruit of the Sacred Tree. Martial Uncle, your spiritual meridians can be healed now. That’s my greatest reward.”
Her eyes were bright, her words earnest, as if she truly believed that Gu Baiying’s meridian issue was the most important matter in the world.
The young man’s ears reddened slightly, and he avoided her gaze. After a moment, he suddenly said, “Yang Zanxing.”
“Hmm?”
“The Liu Huan Grass affected Senior Brother and Mu Cengxiao. Why didn’t it affect you? Is it really the Snake Shaman’s ring that allowed you to subdue the Wuyou Sword?”
The boy’s voice was cold, as if he were discussing an ordinary matter, but it instantly made Zanxing’s hair stand on end.
She could use casual remarks to fool Meng Ying, Tian Fangfang, Mu Cengxiao, and Men Dong, but Gu Baiying was more perceptive than she had imagined.
Tian Fangfang and Men Dong were still rummaging through the bones, and no one else was paying attention to them.
After a moment, Zanxing hesitantly spoke, “Martial Uncle, I have a secret treasure. I obtained it by chance, and it’s the reason I was able to—”
“Enough.” Gu Baiying abruptly interrupted her.
Zanxing instinctively looked up.
After a brief silence, the boy said, “In the path of cultivation, everyone has their own opportunities. Having a secret treasure is not a big deal, and there’s no need to report it to me. Besides, with your current level of cultivation, recklessly revealing your possession of a secret treasure will only attract unwanted attention. Don’t mention it to anyone in the future.”
Zanxing was taken aback. She had been hesitant about the Xiao Yuan Pearl for a long time and, in a moment of impulsiveness, had intended to be honest while Gu Baiying questioned her. Yet he stopped her from doing so.
Once the courage is lost, it’s hard to regain it.
She asked softly, “Can I not even mention it to you?”
Gu Baiying paused, staring into her eyes. “If you have something to say, then say it. There’s no need to hesitate and act like you’re in a difficult position. If it’s something you can’t talk about, then don’t force yourself. I’m not in the habit of pressuring juniors.”
He was assuming his authoritative demeanor again.
Zanxing wanted to speak further, but Tian Fangfang’s voice interrupted, “Alright, we’ve cleaned up everything. While the quality isn’t great, the quantity is sufficient. Martial Uncle, let’s take these bones up and bury them under the tree outside.”
Tian Fangfang and Men Dong worked quickly, and in a short time, they had searched the bone pile thoroughly. Everything usable was stored in Qiankun Bags, and the remaining bones, which couldn’t be left there, were packed into Meng Ying’s sack. The group planned to go back up and build a small grave mound, allowing the deceased to rest in peace.
The group left the underground cavern and returned to the surface. The seal before the giant tree had completely vanished. Whether due to the disappearance of the sword spirit or some other reason, all the spiritual weapons hanging on the tree had fallen off, piling up on the ground to form a small mound.
It had indeed become a sword mound.
The group buried the bones brought from underground beneath the tree, using nearby stones to create a makeshift tombstone. The valley was silently covered in heavy snow, quickly blanketing the ground in white. Soon, this sword mound would be buried in snow, and the entire treasure trove might be hidden, much like the ancient kingdom Yuezhi, which had disappeared from the maps of Duzhou.
The excruciating pain in Zanxing’s palm gradually subsided as she stood by the tree, supported by Gu Baiying. She asked, “Where’s Mimi?”
It was just here when they came out, but now it was gone.
As she spoke, a low meow came from behind. The white cat emerged from the ground, shook the snow off its fur, and affectionately rubbed against Zanxing’s robe.
Bending down, Zanxing picked it up. Over on the other side, Meng Ying had already activated the teleportation array.
One by one, everyone stepped into it, with Zanxing bringing up the rear. The warm fur of the spirit beast in her arms, she turned back, looking towards the distant end of the treasure ground.
Mountains heavy with snow, all around was white.
Just like when they came, there were few traces of human presence.
Gu Baiying glanced at her, “Let’s go.”
*
END OF ARC: DIVINE SWORD