Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Immortal’s Tomb

The young man paused here, then slowly walked up to me and continued, “Once the Azure Dragon is awakened, blood will flow for a hundred miles around. Can you bear that responsibility?”

Indeed, if things were truly as he claimed, that was a burden far beyond me.

But how could I know if he was telling the truth? Or was he only trying to frighten me?

So I asked, “How can I know if what you say is true?”

He chuckled lightly, “Believe it or not, you can go ahead and try.”

Hearing this, I hesitated.

If what he said was true, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Looking at the young man before me, it didn’t seem as though he had any reason to deceive us.

“Feng, let’s go,” I said.

“Wait…” the young man called out.

“What is it now? Are you not going to let us leave?” I shot back at him.

He smiled faintly, “I think you misunderstand. I mean no harm. May I ask if you’re here for the same treasure as well?”

Treasure?

At the mention of the word, Feng Zimo’s eyes lit up—nothing interested him more than treasure.

“What treasure?” I asked.

Confusion spread across the young man’s face. “The Azure Cloud Sword is about to emerge, and you don’t know?”

I shook my head. If he hadn’t mentioned it, I truly wouldn’t have known.

Seeing that I really was unaware, he didn’t press further and turned to leave.

“How about we make a deal?” I called out.

He looked back at me with interest. “What kind of deal?”

“I’ll help you obtain the Azure Cloud Sword, and in return, you’ll help me find something. What do you say?”

The reason I wanted to strike this bargain was because I could tell he was adept at finding things.

He didn’t immediately agree or refuse. Instead, he asked, “What do you want me to find for you?”

“Don’t worry about that for now. Once you have the Azure Cloud Sword, I’ll tell you then. How about it?”

He hesitated, seemingly with some concerns.

“If you’re unwilling, let’s just forget it,” I said, turning to leave.

“Fine, I accept the deal,” he called out behind me.

Hearing his agreement, I secretly rejoiced. I had already guessed he would accept—he clearly needed help.

“In that case, why don’t we find somewhere to talk?” I suggested.

We found a pavilion and, after some discussion, learned that his name was Wu Xin. He had trained in the mountains with his master since childhood, and it was at his master’s command that he came down the mountain to retrieve the Azure Cloud Sword.

He also shared that, though everything seemed calm, many cultivators had already gathered here in secret, all for the sake of the Azure Cloud Sword.

I asked, “Why is everyone so eager to claim the Azure Cloud Sword?”

Wu Xin shook his head. “I don’t know either. I’m just following my master’s orders.”

“And who is your master?” I pressed.

He didn’t reveal his master’s name, but instead asked, “Did you know that there’s an Immortal’s Tomb here on Azure Cloud Mountain?”

I shook my head.

He looked at me with disappointment. “How can you know so little?”

“Don’t worry, even if I don’t know, you do, right?” I replied.

Feng Zimo, who had been silent all this time, perked up at the mention of the Immortal’s Tomb. In his eyes, anything related to immortals promised treasure.

“I suspect the Azure Cloud Sword is hidden in the Immortal’s Tomb,” he chimed in.

Wu Xin glanced at him. “That’s what I think too, but I haven’t been able to pinpoint the exact entrance yet.”

Feng Zimo grinned, “That’s no problem. Just tell me where the tomb is—finding the entrance will be a breeze for me.”

Seeing him boast so shamelessly, I couldn’t help but worry for him. If we failed to find it, we’d lose all credibility on Azure Cloud Mountain.

But Wu Xin believed him, replying earnestly, “It’s within a five-mile radius.”

Feng Zimo closed his eyes in thought, and I noticed his ears twitching slightly. When he opened his eyes, he announced with confidence, “I already know where the entrance is!”

“Where?” Wu Xin asked eagerly.

Feng Zimo assumed an air of mystery. “That, I can’t reveal just yet. Let’s meet here again tomorrow at this time.”

Wu Xin was about to ask why, but I quickly cut in. “It’s getting late. We should all get some rest and be at our best for tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Wu Xin had no choice but to drop the matter.

The truth was, I knew perfectly well that Feng Zimo had no idea where the entrance to the Immortal’s Tomb was—he was just putting on a show. If I hadn’t backed up his bluff, he would have been caught out on the spot.

When we returned to the hotel, I confronted Feng Zimo. “Do you really know where the entrance is?”

He gave a sly smile. “If only I did—I was just trying to save your face.”

I knew he was bluffing.

“So what now?” I asked.

He shook his head and flopped onto the bed. “I’m exhausted. Let me get some sleep.”

Just then, Lin Weiyan seemed to hear us moving about. She knocked on the door, “Brother Chu Yun, is that you?”

I opened the door for her. Her injuries had mostly healed.

I recounted everything that had happened tonight, including Feng Zimo’s act.

Not only were we no closer to finding the Soul-Seizing Pearl, now we had the added complication of the Immortal’s Tomb—it was as if we were making things harder for ourselves.

Seeing my troubled expression, Lin Weiyan tried to comfort me. “Brother Chu Yun, don’t worry too much. Everything happens for a reason. As the saying goes, ‘When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a road; when the boat gets to the pier, it will straighten itself out.’”

I understood such comforting words well enough. They were easy to say, much harder to put into practice.

So I told her, “I’ll be fine. You should get some rest too.”

After she left, I lay on my bed, turning the jade pendant over and over in my hands.

I simply couldn’t understand—since it had led me to Azure Cloud Mountain, why couldn’t it indicate the precise location of the Soul-Seizing Pearl?

How long would it take me to find it at this rate? I couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.

To my surprise, as if it had heard my complaint, the pendant suddenly flashed.

Delighted, I thought—a new clue!

I looked at the pendant immediately.

Sure enough, there was a new clue.

The three characters for ‘Azure Cloud Mountain’ that had previously been inscribed on the front had vanished, replaced by a map.