Chapter 246: Unexpected Gain
Hearing Zhang Ruochen's words, Han Qiu's heartbeat quickened. Hiding her hands in her sleeves, her ten fingers were already tightly clenched together. "It's just a minor problem. As long as I get the Holy Light Pill, I'll recover quickly."
"A minor problem?"
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "You awakened a Dark-type Divine Martial Mark, but you don't want anyone to know. To conceal it, you cultivated the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion's top-tier technique, the *Supreme Saint Qiankun Art*."
"The *Supreme Saint Qiankun Art* is a Ghost-grade lower-rank technique—mysterious, profound, sacred, and overbearing. It perfectly masks the dark aura in your true qi."
"However, cultivating the *Supreme Saint Qiankun Art* happens to conflict with your constitution. When your martial arts cultivation was low, the effects weren't noticeable. But as your cultivation grows, the clash between these two forces becomes increasingly intense."
"When you break through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm, the conflict between these two different types of power will become even more pronounced. At worst, it will tear apart all the meridians in your body, turning you into a cripple. At worst, your body will explode, and you'll die a violent death."
"The Holy Light Pill can indeed be used to balance these two completely different forces within your body, but it will only allow you to hold out until the late stage of the Heavenly Extreme Realm. If you want to reach a higher realm, you will still face the threat of death."
Every word Zhang Ruochen spoke hit the mark, as if he understood her condition better than she did herself.
Han Qiu listened, the words striking her like thunder. She bit her lip tightly and said in shock, "How do you know everything?"
"There are things I don't know either," Zhang Ruochen said.
Han Qiu was momentarily stunned, then a hint of pride appeared in her eyes. "I thought you were omniscient and all-knowing. So there are things you don't know. Tell me, what else don't you know?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "First, Mu Qing is the head of the Poison Spider Merchant Guild, with a cultivation at the Heavenly Extreme Realm. His mansion is heavily guarded. How did you know there was a secret chamber underground?"
"Second, how did you know Mu Qing had a Holy Light Pill?"
Han Qiu said, "Can questions like that really stump you? Don't you find that ridiculous? In the thirty-six commanderies of the Demon Ridge, besides the Martial Market Bank, our Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion probably has the most extensive influence. Isn't it simple to place a spy by Mu Qing's side?"
Zhang Ruochen suddenly understood. Previously, his vision had been too high. Only forces like the Martial Market Bank, the Moon-Worshipping Cult, and the Black Market seemed like top-tier powers to him.
But he had forgotten one point: in the thirty-six commanderies of the Demon Ridge, the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion was the local power. Whether in influence or strength, it was not inferior to the Martial Market Bank. In some aspects, it was even more formidable.
For example, every generation of the Commandery Prince of the Cloud Wu Commandery was almost always a disciple of the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion. The same was true for the other commanderies in the Western Ridge Nine Commanderies.
This was the powerful influence of the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion!
Zhang Ruochen said, "It seems that the spy from the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion holds a high position in the Poison Spider Merchant Guild, perhaps even one of Mu Qing's closest confidants."
"That, I cannot tell you."
Han Qiu's expression turned cold and serious. She asked nervously, "You said that even if I take the Holy Light Pill, I can only hold out until the late stage of the Heavenly Extreme Realm. Is that true?"
"I have no reason to lie to you. If you don't believe me, the facts will prove the result," Zhang Ruochen said indifferently.
"You..." Han Qiu gritted her teeth in anger.
What did he mean by "the facts will prove the result"?
What if she broke through to the late stage of the Heavenly Extreme Realm and then dropped dead? How would that prove anything?
This was a matter of life and death—how could he be so careless?
Han Qiu had been exceptionally talented since childhood and had awakened a Dark-type Divine Martial Mark, so she naturally had high expectations for herself. Her goal was not just the Heavenly Extreme Realm; she wanted to become a Half-Saint, or even a Saint.
Zhang Ruochen stopped paying attention to Han Qiu and searched the entire secret chamber, but he couldn't find the Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram. His heart sank.
"Could it be that Mu Qing carried the Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram on him and destroyed it while on the Red Spider Giant Ship?"
That was not impossible. After all, a treasure as precious as the Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram, Mu Qing would naturally keep it on his person.
If that were the case, hadn't a top-tier treasure been destroyed by his own hands?
Zhang Ruochen felt his heart bleed. A Half-Saint could only leave behind one Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram in a lifetime, almost considered the Half-Saint's legacy.
Destroying one—where would he get such a good chance to obtain another?
"No, I have to keep searching."
Zhang Ruochen silently released his Space Domain and began to probe every corner of the secret chamber. On the third sweep, he finally noticed something unusual.
Beneath the stone table, there was a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy.
Since there was a fluctuation of spiritual energy, there must be something strange.
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen channeled true qi into his palm, swung his hand, and slashed the stone table apart.
"Haha! There's a hidden formation beneath the stone table."
Zhang Ruochen struck down with his palm, and a layer of white light immediately appeared on the ground, trying to block his attack.
Turning his palm into a finger, Zhang Ruochen shot out a finger sword, striking the layer of light. With a crack, the formation shattered.
The formation inscriptions immediately turned into specks of light.
After the hidden formation disappeared, a secret compartment was revealed.
Zhang Ruochen quickly opened the compartment and found a ledger inside.
Taking out the ledger and flipping through it casually, Zhang Ruochen revealed a slight smile. "Even the Four Directions Commandery Prince is colluding with the Poison Spider Merchant Guild. Interesting. With this ledger, the good days of the Four Directions Commandery and the Poison Spider Merchant Guild are over."
"What are you talking about? The Four Directions Commandery Prince colluding with the Poison Spider Merchant Guild? How is that possible? The Four Directions Commandery Prince is a disciple of our Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion, practically my uncle. How could he be involved with forces from the Black Market?" Han Qiu said coldly.
"You don't have to believe it, but that's the fact. Your Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion thinks it has control over the Four Directions Commandery and has monopolized its resources, but you don't know that the Poison Spider Merchant Guild has gained even more in secret."
Zhang Ruochen put away the ledger and, in Han Qiu's blind spot, stored it in his Space Ring.
Inside the secret compartment, besides the ledger, there was also a three-foot-long cylindrical metal box.
Zhang Ruochen opened the metal box, and inside was indeed a scroll.
Since Han Qiu was present, Zhang Ruochen did not unroll the scroll. Suppressing the ecstasy in his heart, he immediately put the scroll back into the cylindrical metal box.
Seeing the scroll in the metal box, Han Qiu was quite surprised. "There really is a scroll!"
Given how carefully it was hidden, it was clear that in Mu Qing's eyes, the value of this scroll far exceeded that of the Holy Light Pill.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Han Qiu. "What? Want to snatch it? With your strength, taking something from me won't be easy."
"It's just a scroll. Do you think I care? Unless it's a Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram... Wait, it couldn't actually be a Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram, could it?" Han Qiu's eyes widened, her eyelashes standing on end.
"No comment," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Hmph! Do you think I'd believe that? Even our Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion only has one authentic Half-Saint Sacred Intent Diagram. How could a mere Mu Qing obtain one?"
Han Qiu glanced disdainfully at Zhang Ruochen, took the Holy Light Pill, and immediately activated her movement technique. With a whoosh, she rushed out of the stone door and left the secret chamber.
Having obtained the scroll, Zhang Ruochen did not linger. He also left the underground secret chamber, not wanting to be set up by Han Qiu.
After all, he and Han Qiu were not familiar with each other. Moreover, with a spy from the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion inside the Poison Spider Merchant Guild, it would be easy to lure the evil path martial artists of the Poison Spider Merchant Guild over and trap him in the secret chamber. If that happened, escaping would inevitably lead to a fierce battle.
Only after leaving Mu Qing's mansion did Zhang Ruochen breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Hua Buwei was searching everywhere for Zhang Ruochen's whereabouts when suddenly, as he turned around, Zhang Ruochen appeared behind him, startling him so much that he shuddered and took two steps back.
Hua Buwei patted his chest. "You scared me to death. Young Master Chen, where did you go just now? The Poison Spider Merchant Guild is full of traps and formations. You mustn't wander around recklessly. If you stumble into some forbidden areas, it will be quite troublesome."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Has Elder Wei returned yet?"
"Not yet..." Hua Buwei said.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside. Elder Wei walked in quickly, a joyful expression on his face. From a distance, he said, "Young Master Chen, sorry to keep you waiting!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Any results?"
Elder Wei nodded and said in a low voice, "After learning of this matter, that important figure took it very seriously and has already come to the Black Market. However, due to his special status, he cannot easily enter the Poison Spider Merchant Guild, so he has invited you to the Vermilion Bird Tower for a discussion. The carriage is ready. We can go to the Vermilion Bird Tower now."
Zhang Ruochen nodded and followed Elder Wei out of the Poison Spider Merchant Guild.
In truth, with the ledger in hand, meeting the Town Army Marquis was no longer important. The evidence was already secured.
However, the Town Army Marquis, for his own benefit, had colluded with the Black Market, launching war after war. Countless subjects of the Cloud Wu Commandery had died in those wars, and countless more had been enslaved, subjected to inhumane treatment.
Since he was already here, why not collect some interest?
If he could use this opportunity to kill the Town Army Marquis, that would be best.
In the distance, Han Qiu, dressed in a black tight-fitting outfit, stood behind a rockery. Watching Zhang Ruochen, Elder Wei, and Hua Buwei leave, a strange glint appeared in her beautiful eyes. "This person can receive an audience with Wei Xianshu. His background must be extraordinary. I want to see what his purpose is in coming to the Black Market."
Zhang Ruochen could see through the problems in her cultivation at a glance. How could he be an ordinary person?
Whether out of curiosity or concern for her own cultivation issues, she had to follow him and find out who he was.
Han Qiu clutched the purple-gold box containing the Holy Light Pill in her bundle, her expression turning serious. "An expert like him wouldn't speak recklessly. Since he clearly knows my symptoms, he might also know how to cure them."
Ink-black true qi surged from her body, enveloping her and turning into a mass of black light.
"Whoosh!"
The black light split into six streams of energy and flew out.
Han Qiu also disappeared, as if she had turned into air.