The Secret Treasure of the Spirit

Chapter 22: Preparing to Depart

Chapter 26: Preparing to Depart After hearing the story of the Cultivation Pearl, Sun Luyun was immediately filled with intense curiosity and wanted to see for himself what this legendary Cultivation Pearl was all about. Could such a miraculous pearl truly exist in the world—one that, when carried, makes a person grow younger day by day? But if that were the case, why would it also turn people into ghosts and monsters? In fact, his skepticism outweighed his belief. Perhaps during the Song Dynasty over a thousand years ago, people’s understanding was limited, and they had simply exaggerated and mystified phenomena they couldn’t comprehend. Sun Luyun wondered: perhaps while they were searching for Xia Feilong, he had actually found the Immortal Cultivation Pearl and uncovered the mystery, but for some reason, he hadn’t returned. Or perhaps Xia Feilong hadn’t found the pearl at all and had instead fallen into some kind of predicament—in which case, he could use his own knowledge to help Xia Feilong locate it. The morning sun shone down on the mountain villa at the foot of the hills. Sun Luyun and Xia Feixue chatted for a while longer in the courtyard before entering the main hall. Xia Batian had already woken up and was questioning several subordinates in the hall. Upon seeing the two enter, he dismissed everyone else, leaving only Zhang Shan and Li Shui behind. Sun Luyun greeted Xia Batian. Xia Batian seemed to be in a good mood; he welcomed them with a smile, invited Sun Luyun to sit down, and even poured him a cup of Longjing tea. Sun Luyun had assumed Xia Batian was still angry that he hadn’t heeded his advice to join the Xia-Shang Group, but judging by Xia Batian’s expression now, it seemed he hadn’t held the matter against him at all. Sun Luyun said, “Mr. Xia’s temperament is truly peculiar. Just a few days ago, you had us locked in a secret room, yet today you’ve poured me a cup of fine Longjing tea. Still, I must sincerely thank you for your hospitality, which allowed us to rest well last night.” Xia Batian said, “Do you really think I, Xia Batian, am a villain? If I were a villain, what I’d have locked in that secret room wouldn’t have been just a bloated corpse. But seeing your stubborn temperament, you really remind me of someone. The two of you are so alike.” Sun Luyun asked, “Who does Boss Xia have in mind? Might you share it with us? I imagine anyone Boss Xia remembers must be a master in this line of work.” Xia Batian snorted. “Just thinking about him makes me angry. Never mind—it’s all in the past. Best not to bring it up.” He then gestured toward the tea. “Come, have some tea first. See how this cup tastes.” Xia Feixue watched the two of them, then mentioned her plan to go to Yunpai Mountain to look for Xia Feilong. Xia Batian said, “So, does that mean you’re willing to join our Xia Shang Group?” Sun Luyun shook her head. “No, I just want to go to Yunpai Mountain with Feixue to look for him. I never said I wanted to join the Xia Shang Group.” Xia Batian said, “Since you’re unwilling to join the Xia Shang Group, you shouldn’t meddle in our affairs. This is the Xia Shang Group’s internal business, and we don’t want others getting involved.” Sun Luyun hadn’t expected Xia Batian to refuse his request to go to Yunpai Mountain to find Xia Feilong. Just as he was about to speak up, Xia Feixue sat down beside Xia Batian and whispered something to him. Xia Batian then turned and smiled. “Alright, since Feixue has said so, I’ll agree to let you go with her to Yunpai Mountain. But let me make one thing clear: no matter what you find this time, everything belongs to the Xia Shang Group. You won’t get a single penny out of it. How does that sound?” Sun Luyun was puzzled. Xia Feixue was truly impressive—she’d merely whispered a few words in Xia Batian’s ear, and his attitude had immediately shifted, agreeing to let her help find her brother. Xia Feixue interjected, “Dad, that’s not what we agreed on. How can you say something like that? Besides, if Lu Yun is the one who finds the item, according to the industry rule that ‘whoever finds it gets a share,’ he’s entitled to thirty percent.” Xia Batian ignored his daughter’s words and looked at Sun Luyun. “What do you say, young man? My terms aren’t unreasonable, are they?” Sun Luyun agreed immediately. “Fine, I won’t take a single copper coin.” Xia Batian was actually surprised that Sun Luyun would answer so decisively and readily: “Not a single copper coin? Are you really not regretting this?” Sun Luyun said, “What is there to regret? Since I’ve said it, I’ll definitely follow through. If Boss Xia isn’t comfortable with that, you can send someone to supervise from the sidelines.” The emerald-green tea leaves swirled in the water, creating beautiful ripples. Xia Batian slowly set down the teapot. “Hearing you say that, I agree to let Feixue take you to Yunpai Mountain.” Xia Feixue, however, protested, “Dad, you’re being way too bossy. Who goes on a treasure hunt without getting a cut?” Xia Batian picked up the teapot and poured tea for Sun Luyun: “He’s already agreed—I’m not forcing him. Of course, if he wants to back out, he can say so before we set off.” Sun Luyun downed the tea in his cup in one gulp: “Once we’re ready, we can set off. Mr. Xia, remember to send an extra person to accompany us then, so they can keep an eye on me and make sure I don’t pocket any of the treasure we find.” Hu Xuanhai emerged from inside. Seeing Sun Luyun and Xia Batian sitting together drinking tea struck him as odd, and he felt even more that Xia Batian’s personality was peculiar and hard to fathom. He walked over to Sun Luyun and whispered, “Old Sun, what’s going on? Why are you sitting here drinking tea with Boss Xia again?” Sun Luyun recounted everything he had agreed to with Xia Feixue: “Get ready. We’ll be following Xia Feixue to Yunpai Mountain in Jiangxi at any moment.” Hu Xuanhai exclaimed, “No way, Old Sun, you’ve lost your mind! How could you agree to this without any compensation? There’s no such thing as free labor in this world—I won’t agree to this. Besides, with such a miraculous Cultivation Pearl, even if we don’t encounter White Zombies, we’ll surely run into Hairy Zombies. It’s far too dangerous. And if it weren’t dangerous, why hasn’t Xia Feilong returned after being gone for so long?” Sun Luyun said, “You’re just too focused on money. We’ve already found so many treasures we can’t even spend them all—what good is getting even more? Besides, even if we keep them at home, they won’t be safe.” Hu Xuanhai retorted, “No one ever has too much money. Even if someone had a house full of it, they’d still want to build a new house to store even more. We’re going to find the eldest son of the Xia Shang Group this time—we certainly deserve a reward.” Hu Xuanhai gave Xia Batian a wry smile. “I don’t think Mr. Xia would consider his son worthless. You’ve seen Master Sun’s abilities for yourself—once he gets involved, he’ll definitely find your son. It’s just that we need to have a proper discussion about the reward.” Xia Batian said, “Since we’re in this line of work, we should be mentally prepared and always aware of the dangers we might face. Fei Long has already decided to go search for the Yin Corpse Ghost Grave; he must have considered the risks he’ll encounter. This is his decision, and it’s his fate. If you think I’ll pay a reward just for finding my son, you’re sorely mistaken. Moreover, even if you do find Fei Long, he’ll blame me for it.” Hu Xuanhai was taken aback by Xia Batian’s response: “Are you really just going to stand by and watch your own son put himself in danger?” Xia Batian nodded. “So, what do you say? The terms are that you won’t receive a single copper coin. If you accept, I’ll prepare everything you need. Once you’ve chosen a time, you can set out. If not, I’ll still treat you well. Once you’ve had your fill of fun, I’ll send someone to escort you back to Baisha Town.” Hu Xuanhai pulled Sun Luyun aside: “Old Sun, let’s not get involved in a losing proposition. Think back to that water zombie we encountered last time—if it weren’t for our good luck, we’d probably be dead by now. This is the Xia-Shang Group’s business; what does it have to do with us?” Sun Luyun replied, “But I’ve already promised Xia Feixue.” Hu Xuanhai’s eyes widened. He turned to see Xia Feixue smiling at him, then looked back at Sun Luyun and sighed. “Fine, fine. You’ve already promised her. What else is there for me to say?” Sun Luyun patted him on the shoulder. “Well, we’re good classmates, aren’t we? Let’s just treat this as a little trip—head out to the mountains for some fresh air, take in the scenery, and enjoy the views. It’ll be great.” Even though Hu Xuanhai was deeply reluctant at that moment, he nodded in agreement for the sake of his old classmate, Sun Luyun. Sun Luyun said, “Mr. Xia, I can tell Feixue is very worried about her brother. If possible, I’d like us to leave here first thing tomorrow morning and head to Jiangxi. I’ll make a list; please have everything ready for us today.” Xia Batian was surprised that Sun Luyun was about to set off so soon. He immediately called Zhang Shan to bring pen and paper, and had Sun Luyun write down the items needed for the trip. Sun Luyun specifically listed three waist knives. Zhang Shan said, “Why do we need knives? It would be much better to stock up on guns and ammunition. That way, even if we run into zombies, we won’t have to worry.” Sun Luyun replied, “While firearms are powerful, what good is an empty gun once the bullets are gone? Sometimes, cold weapons are more practical.” Xia Batian agreed with him and ordered Li Shui, “Send someone to Longquan immediately to buy waist knives—we need blades sharp enough to cut through iron like mud.” After writing the list, Sun Luyun handed it to Xia Batian. Xia Batian took the list, looked over the items, and said, “You’re truly an expert—your list is unlike anything else. Ordinary people going on a treasure hunt would definitely bring plenty of weapons, fire sources, food, and water, but on this list, aside from the large quantity of compressed biscuits, there isn’t even any water.” Xia Feixue remarked, “Now you see what makes Luyun so unique, don’t you?” Sun Luyun replied, “We’re heading to the mountains in the south. There’s plenty of clear spring water there naturally; all we need is a good-quality water bottle.” Early the next morning, Sun Luyun woke up just after four o’clock. He managed to rouse Hu Xuanhai with some effort, but couldn’t find him anywhere. After searching the place, he finally discovered him sound asleep, crouched in the corner of the bathroom. Sun Luyun took Hu Xuanhai by the hand and led him back to the hall, where Xia Batian, Xia Feixue, Zhang Shan, Li Shui, and the others were already waiting. Zhang Shan and Li Shui saw Hu Xuanhai’s sleepy, dazed expression. The two walked over and helped him to his feet. Hu Xuanhai was both flattered and startled, and he snapped awake: “You two really shouldn’t do that—you gave us quite a scare.” It turned out that Hu Xuanhai had caught a whiff of menthol oil and guessed the two might be playing a prank on him, which is why he’d snapped out of it. Xia Feixue said, “You’re quite alert. We were just looking forward to the show.” Hu Xuanhai replied, “Of course. It’s not that easy to play a trick on me.” Li Shui quickly reached out and smeared the menthol oil on his face. Hu Xuanhai let out a howl and chased after Li Shui toward the exit, with everyone following them outside.