The Nine Cauldrons

Out of the original party of forty-three experts, four True Dan masters had fallen in this battle, and another seven had been injured.

Two elders had escaped from Qing Hu island.

‘An innate Golden Dan expert could eliminate the air resistance. This alone showed that they were absolutely a level above True Dan innate experts,’ Teng Qingshan thought to himself. Shrinking the muscle on his shoulder, his flesh started to close the wound. After a while, Teng Qingshan’s shoulder wound stopped bleeding.

He touched his left shoulder, thinking, ‘When the sword pierces, even the body of an innate expert will burst open. This technique is quite treacherous. Luckily, it pierced through my shoulder, and I can still use seventy percent of my strength......’

“This one’s still alive, why didn’t you kill him?” The big group of innate experts looked at the Qing Hu Island innate master with two missing legs.

“Brother Qin Lang said that we need him alive,” said the elder from Snow Eagle Hall who had escaped with his life after facing Liufeng, whilst holding his abdomen. “Brother Qing Lang said that the maze on the map didn’t show the treasure’s location.”

“Indeed, there is none.”

Haojiang waited until the ten Golden Dan innate experts gathered around him.

The fat monk from Mani Temple frowned, “The map that Liufeng carried on his body didn’t have any indications of where the treasure is.”

“The two maps of the maze that we got also didn’t have the position of the treasure. Brother Qin Lang, what about the maze map you obtained?”‘ Everyone looked at Teng Qingshan.

Teng Qingshan shook his head and replied, “Only when I discovered that the map of the maze didn’t have the position of the buried treasure did I ask them to keep him alive.”

The experts of the major sects all stared anxiously at the man who had lost both legs.

“Elder Wen Qian, it would be better if you talk now and spare yourself some suffering,” Ying Haojiang said, staring at him.

Everyone continued to fiercely stare down at him.

Qing Hu Island’s Law Enforcing Elder, Wen Qian, still had some bloodstains on his face. When his eyes swept over the people surrounding him, he started to laugh, “Haha...You group of stupid donkeys. The maze is so extremely complex that our brains couldn’t even remember. People carried the map of the maze out of fear of getting lost. However, the buried treasure is only on one location on the map, and that can be easily remembered.”

“Haha.”

“The Island Lord thought about it in advance. Humph, even if you steal the map, you will never find the buried treasure!” Wen Qian laughed crazily, and blood started oozing out from his mouth. “Want to take the treasure? Snatch the buried treasure from my Qing Hu Island? Haha, keep dreaming!” Saying so, he fiercely swung his head.

Bang!

His head fiercely smashed against the wall, and blood splashed all around.

“Ah!” The more than forty innate masters wanted to stop him, but hadn’t had enough time to do so, and could only watch him commit suicide.

Hu. One of the Ying Family’s black-robed elders immediately bent down and pulled out a map from elder Wen Qian’s bosom. After opening it carefully, he took a look, then turned his head toward the others, shaking it. “Doesn’t have the position of the buried treasure either.”

Everybody had already expected this outcome, and shook their heads helplessly.

“Qing Hu Island prepared in advance.” The fat monk from Mani temple looked at the surrounding people and asked, “Everybody. Now that the map doesn’t have the location of the buried treasure, what do you want to do?”

“There are only a few maps here. Those who don’t have one should make a copy.”

The people present hadn’t brought pens, but they had many things to make do with.

Because – clothes could substitute paper.

As for the pen, one could use the sharp piece of a broken sword and stain it with blood. Then, drawing a quick map with all the essential information wouldn’t be too hard. Teng Qingshan hadn’t captured anyone, so he needed to draw one.

Everyone looked at the map and tried to guess the possible location of the treasure.

“Alright, now everyone has the map of the maze.” The elder from Xiao Yao Palace showed a faint smile. “The maze is complex and I think all the major sects have their own ideas of where to head to. I think we should go our own separate ways and decide ourselves which route to take. As for who will be able to find Emperor Yu’s buried treasure, it all depends on luck.”

“Us Mani temple experts leave first,” the monk said.

The eleven innate masters from Mani Temple were the first to leave.

Very soon, Xiao Yao Palace and Shooting Sun God Mountain had gone, one after the other.

“Brother Qin Lang, we also want to leave, how about you come with us?” said Liu Xiu, the white-robed young man. The other three independent innate masters also looked at Teng Qingshan.

“Which road do you plan to take?” Teng Qingshan asked.

“From the crossroads on the left, we will take the road to the back,” Liu Xiu said.

Teng Qingshan shook his head, and said with a smile, “It’s alright, you go first.”

“If you are alone, you will surely be at disadvantage,” Liu Xiu tried to persuade.

“Liu Xiu, if you don’t want to leave, then we will go first. Brother Qin Lang probably wants to try his luck at getting the treasure. Let’s not disturb him.” said the old man Zhong Lilin. Shui Fei, the woman in a green dress, and the youth called Bai Hong looked at Liu Xiu with some discontent.

Zhong Lilin, Shui Fei, Bai Hong and Liu Xiu, these four were all famous throughout the Nine Prefectures. However, the name Qin Lang didn’t have any fame to back it up. It was only natural that these four would have a better relationship with each other.

Liu Xiu looked at Teng Qingshan. He could only helplessly shake his head, saying, “Let’s go.”

After all the groups had departed, Teng Qingshan continued to focus on the map of the maze, with his head down.

After a moment –

Teng Qingshan was the only one left in the passageway.

‘They think they can succeed if they choose their own road, randomly?’ Teng Qingshan shook his head. Having received the training of an assassin was indeed helpful. ‘If they depart just like this, the percentage of finding the treasure is less than one percent.’

Teng Qingshan smiled, looking at the map. ‘In fact, just by taking a look at this maze map, it isn’t impossible to find the road where the buried treasure is.’

‘First of all, the palace’s entrance is definitely the correct starting position.’ The starting point of the road to the treasure was definitely the entrance. This fact was for sure.

‘Secondly, Emperor Yu spent so much energy to construct this palace and such a complex maze, so the route to the treasure can’t be that simple. If it was located in small regions of the maze, then wouldn’t the other regions he constructed be useless? Then, the correct road should use at least half of the palace.’

‘And thirdly, if one didn’t have the map, finding it would definitely be difficult. There should only be one correct road, so according to this starting position, only one road on the map would take me where others couldn’t.’

Considering these three points, Teng Qingshan continued scanning the map.

From the entrance, there were three passageways, each with three crossroads. One of the roads only continued for a hundred Li before reaching a dead end.

A short route. Wrong.

The route with a small map area coverage, definitely wrong.

The end of this route can also be reached by other roads, definitely wrong.

‘If I exclude the routes with these criteria, there aren’t many left which fulfill the conditions. Because there weren’t many routes, I can actually test all of them, one after the other.’ With Teng Qingshan’s speed, if he tried out all of them, he could clear several of them in half an hour, since each of the routes only had around ten li.

He continuously searched, testing each of them.

This search still took a lot of time.

Inside the pitch-black passageway, besides Yuwen Liufeng’s corpse, Teng Qingshan was the only person there. Squatting, he faced the map, continually scanning it.

At the northern gate inside Jiangning county city.

In the afternoon, when the sun was shining at its brightest, a Black-Armoured soldier riding a blue Treading-In-Snow Horse quickly dismounted.

“Brother Liu, why in such a hurry?”

“Help me watch the horse.” The soldier threw the rein and quickly ran inside.

Outside the study of Gui Yuan Sect’s sovereign, Zhuge Yuanhong.

“Sovereign, commander Teng’s personal centurion seeks an audience.” A green-gowned disciple said respectfully.

“Let him in,” an indifferent voice sounded out.

Liu Tong ran inside and immediately fell on one knee, “Paying respect to the sovereign.”

“What’s the matter? Talk.” Zhuge Yuanhong glanced at Liu Tong. Liu Tong respectfully continued, “Last night, Commander Teng led his personal guards and rushed to Teng Jia Village near Yi City. He then asked the entire village to move, and they are on their way to Jiangning county city.”

Zhuge Yuanhong immediately put down the book in his hand and frowned, looking at Liu.

Moving than 2000 people to Jiangning county was a minor thing. Some renowned salt merchants would house over hundreds of people from their clans in their mansions. Adding to that the servants and guards, they could easily reach a thousand. If around 2000 people entered Jiangning county city, they could easily settle down. However, Teng Jia Village was doing well, why migrate from the village?

Remembering that Qing Hu Island was located inside the Great Yan Mountain, Zhuge Yuanhong got a bad feeling.

‘Qing Hu Island. Would they actually start attacking ordinary mountain folk?’ Zhuge Yuanhong secretly thought to himself.

“Sovereign. Yesterday, the people from Qing Hu Island visited many villages near the Great Yan Mountain, and imprisoned many people. They also caught three people from Teng Jia Village. One was Commander Teng’s cousin, another his uncle, and the other was his father,” said Liu Tong. “Last night, his cousin ran away and told that Qing Hu Island had issued an order to kill off all the hunters who were caught. Commander Teng’s father and uncle didn’t manage to escape, and are probably dead.”

Zhuge Yuanhong’s face sank.

“Qing Hu Island.” He couldn’t help but grow furious.

“This morning, the village departed, but it is more than 300 li away, and they are more than 2000 people. It is estimated that the journey requires four days. I departed this morning in order to report to the sovereign,” Liu Tong said. “Sovereign, Commander Teng went alone into the Great Yan Mountain.”

Zhuge Yuanhong couldn’t help but stare, wide-eyed.

“What? Qingshan entered the Great Yan Mountain alone? Nonsense.”

Zhuge Yuanhong knew the situation in the Great Yan Mountain very clearly. Besides Qing Hu Island’s army, all the strong and experts of the major sects would be there. Thinking of Teng Qingshan going there alone, Zhuge Yuanhong started to worry.

“Xiao Tie!” Zhuge Yuanhong shouted.

“Sovereign.” The green-gowned disciple bowed.

“Pass on the order, let the three thousand soldiers of the Black-Armored Army prepare their weapons and warhorses. They need to immediately gather at the training grounds. Leave immediately. We can’t have the slightest delay!” Zhuge Yuanhong shouted.

“Understood.” The green clothed disciple noticed that the sovereign was anxious, and didn’t idle. He quickly ran towards the barracks of the Black-Armored Army.

‘For this matter, I will bring Elder Yan along with me.’ Zhuge Yuanhong knew very clearly how dangerous the circumstances were in the Great Yan Mountain. Under the influence of Emperor’s Yu buried treasure, the innate experts could easily slaughter each other. With Teng Qingshan being there, it was like a small boat rocking on the ocean. He could lose his life at any time.

Hu.

Zhuge Yuanhong immediately set out. “Tong, you can withdraw now.” Stretching out his hand, he grabbed his weapon and strode outside, looking for Elder Yan.