Chapter 739 - 282: Qian Gulu Doesn’t Profit, Hou Gulu Profits (Part 2)
Chapter 739: Chapter 282: Qian Gulu Doesn’t Profit, Hou Gulu Profits (Part 2)
Xiao Chen was a little confused. ’Why are they placing so much importance on this sea region? What exactly are they up to?’
’Could it be because a member of the Sea Race snuck in and was discovered?’
’Hmm, that’s not impossible!’
Of course, he didn’t just stand there guessing wildly. He decided to find someone nearby and ask about the situation.
He soon spotted a tavern on the nearest small island.
"Bring me a pot of your best Spirit Wine!"
Striding through the door, Xiao Chen didn’t even look for a seat before announcing, "And another thing, add a pot of fine wine to every table here. Put it all on my tab."
Only then did he tell the waiter at the door, "Also, find me a private room, a quiet one."
Before long, the tavern’s Shopkeeper personally brought over the Spirit Wine.
Xiao Chen took the opportunity to pull the Shopkeeper aside and ask, "Sigh, I was planning to head north for a look, but then I ran into this sudden sea blockade."
"You’re a local, Shopkeeper. Tell me, what’s going on here?"
If any other unfamiliar Cultivator had asked, the Shopkeeper would have certainly refused politely.
But it was rare to encounter such a generous patron in a small place like this, so after some consideration, he reached out and closed the door to the private room.
He said in a low voice, "Well now, since it’s an esteemed guest such as yourself asking, I’ll say my piece just this once."
"But what I’m about to tell you is just hearsay. I’ll just say it, and you can just listen. Treat it as nothing more than a story."
He emphasized this point first.
Only then did the Shopkeeper continue, "As for this matter, it’s a long story. It all started at the beginning of the year, on the seventh day of the first lunar month."
What he spoke of at first wasn’t anything special.
It was the same information Xiao Chen had already obtained: the two events of the sudden Buddhist chants and the appearance of the colossal Buddha’s body.
The important part came later.
"It must have been on the evening of the 9th day of the 2nd lunar month. Suddenly, word spread that Pudu Temple had dispatched a large number of people."
"I went out to take a look, and my goodness! Dozens of Golden Body Arhats were leading a huge group of Little Novice Monks, laying down buoys."
"Esteemed guest, you may not know this, but those buoys are not as simple as they appear on the surface."
At this point, the Shopkeeper lowered his voice again. "I studied Artifact Refining for a few days in my youth, and I saw it crystal clear."
"The last row of buoys was completely coated in Wave Reflection Condensation Powder."
"When placed in the water, it lit up the sea within a hundred-zhang radius as bright as day."
Xiao Chen had heard of the famous Wave Reflection Condensation Powder.
It was a special, artificially processed Tier Three spiritual powder that was extremely expensive to produce and not something to be used lightly under normal circumstances.
After being scattered in water, it becomes extremely easy to adhere to True Essence and is very difficult to remove.
Paired with a special sensing array, it could be used to completely monitor everything within its range.
Most of the time, it was sealed away as part of a sect’s foundational resources, reserved for times of war.
"Moreover, a friend of mine saw Zen Master Jingping lead a team into that sea region. They stayed there for a full half-month before coming out."
"Think about it, that’s a Zen Master we’re talking about."
"Half a month is more than enough time for him to turn that entire sea region upside down!"
"So, I’m certain of it! Pudu Temple must have gotten some kind of clue and found out in advance that there’s some incredible Treasure in that sea region!"
...
The Shopkeeper continued his explanation, but the rest was just hearsay and various speculations about the Treasure.
He spoke for another Quarter Hour.
Finally, feeling he had said enough, he stopped talking and took his leave. "Esteemed guest, please enjoy your drink. I’ll go check on things outside. Just give me a shout if you need anything else."
Xiao Chen nodded. "Go on, Shopkeeper."
’It seems Pudu Temple anticipated that someone might try to sneak in, so they even specifically blockaded the area beneath the sea’s surface.’
’If that’s the case, then they must have corresponding arrangements on the outside as well.’
’I still don’t know why they’ve suddenly blockaded this area, though.’
’But since they even dispatched Zen Master Jingping, the reason for it must be something significant.’
’The key thing is, this sea blockade has been going on for several months now, and it looks like it’s going to continue.’
’It’s blocking me from going in to search for Evil Qi. What should I do?’
’The Small Shifting Talisman can’t guarantee a stable entry, and Blade of Night has a cooldown period.’
’If I run into danger inside during the cooldown, I’ll be missing a safety net.’
The main issue was that Xiao Chen couldn’t be sure what the situation inside was like now.
Based on the available information, Zen Master Jingping was involved. This meant it was a major event involving a Tier Four expert, and there could be a corresponding level of danger inside.
Of course, there might also be a corresponding level of reward. No one could say for sure.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Suddenly, a knock came from outside the private room.
Xiao Chen called out, "What is it?"
Hearing him, the waiter pushed the door open and walked in, carrying a bottle of Spirit Wine. "Senior, the new esteemed guest in the next room has added a bottle of Spirit Wine to every table."
Hm?
’What a coincidence. Someone else is buying drinks?’
Xiao Chen was a little surprised and curious about the person’s identity. "Do you recognize them? Who is it?"
The waiter shook his head. "Senior, that esteemed guest looked unfamiliar. It’s my first time seeing them as well."
"Is that so? Alright, you may go."
Xiao Chen waved the waiter away, but his mind started to turn.
’First time seeing them?’
’That means they’re a stranger from somewhere else.’
’Who could it be?’
He thought for a moment, then decided to just take his wine pot, go downstairs, and settle the bill.
After paying the two thousand Spirit Stones, he went to a large pagoda tree across from the tavern.
He leaned against the thick trunk, sat on the ground, and began to keep watch while drinking his wine.
There weren’t many Cultivators in a small place like this, especially since today was neither a market day nor a festival, so the foot traffic was even lighter.