Chapter 302: Cold Mountain Treasure, Painted Figure

By the end of the first lunar month, the atmosphere in Chang'an City had grown even more oppressive. Previously, due to the ghost incident, widespread rumors had led to a brutal crackdown by the authorities. This also put the imperial court and government into a state of high alert, where any slight disturbance was viewed with suspicion. They suspected a targeted attack with every rustle of leaves.

As the Crown Prince’s enthronement ceremony drew nearer, this state of heightened alert became even more pronounced. Countless people were arrested and investigated daily. Constables and patrolling soldiers were visible everywhere in the streets and alleys. Stepping out could mean an inspection at any moment.

Even Gu Mo was affected.

He wasn't oppressed by the general atmosphere, but rather by the relentless pressure from Ye Jinglan and Su Ziyou, who took turns pestering him.

They were pleading with Gu Mo for help.

The two of them had been incredibly busy lately, almost unable to rest. It wasn't just about the enthronement ceremony; primarily, it was because the Cold Mountain Treasury still hadn't been found. The poisonous bead left by the Plague God inside it continued to pose a constant threat to Chang'an's safety.

Unfortunately, there had been no progress on this matter.

With the enthronement ceremony fast approaching, both were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

They knew the poisonous bead was being manipulated, fearing that Qi Miaoxuan, hidden in the shadows, might suddenly decide to detonate it. If that happened, Chang'an City would face a major catastrophe.

Even if they could evacuate officials and ministers, the morale of the Qian people would be shaken. The ensuing consequences could lead to the collapse of the entire Qian Kingdom, let alone the enthronement ceremony.

A mere ghost incident had already sparked rumors about the Crown Prince's questionable character. If a widespread plague broke out, it would likely be rumored that the Crown Prince was utterly wicked, prompting divine punishment from the heavens.

Gu Mo, however, possessed a poisonous bead that was intrinsically linked to the other.

Gu Mo had also mentioned he could try to sense the other bead using the shared aura.

However, it required time.

In this urgent situation, time advanced to the first day of the second lunar month.

With only one day left until the enthronement ceremony, Su Ziyou was so anxious he hadn't slept all night. He had learned from Ye Jinglan and Gu Mo that Qi Miaoxuan was an ancient, immortal being who had lived for over a thousand years.

In his analysis, Qi Miaoxuan's mindset had long since moved beyond pursuing specific goals. Instead, he found joy in merely amusing himself by entertaining mortals out of sheer boredom. The more Su Ziyou thought about it, the more he felt it was highly probable Qi Miaoxuan would detonate the poisonous bead on the day of the enthronement ceremony.

This would create an even greater mysterious legend and stir up more chaos.

The more he thought, the more worried he became. Before dawn, he arrived at Ye Jinglan's residence. There, he found Ye Jinglan, who was equally worried and unable to sleep.

Both looked dispirited; Su Ziyou, in particular, appeared as if his vitality had been drained. Ye Jinglan, though under immense mental pressure, felt no physical strain. With his cultivation, going without sleep for ten days or half a month would have no effect on him.

"Brother Gu, how is it? Any solution yet?"

Gu Mo had just gotten out of bed when Su Ziyou and Ye Jinglan blocked his doorway.

Seeing their expectant faces, Gu Mo shrugged helplessly and said, "No sensation at all. If I'm not mistaken, that old immortal Qi Miaoxuan must have taken precautions and set up a restriction beforehand. I might be able to find it given more time, but in the short term, my advice remains the same: you'd best find those eight treasure maps."

Su Ziyou said gravely, "Any amount of time is fine. What we're worried about now is that Qi Miaoxuan might deliberately detonate the poisonous bead during tomorrow's enthronement ceremony just for more 'fun.' If that happens, we'll be in serious trouble."

Gu Mo nodded slightly. He naturally knew that if the poisonous bead were detonated during the enthronement ceremony, or even in the near future, it would still cause a plague, even if he were there to control the damage as much as possible.

At that point, if the Chu Kingdom exploited the situation by spreading rumors about the Crown Prince's failings, it would undoubtedly shatter public morale and shake the very foundations of the nation.

However, Gu Mo also expressed that he was powerless to help.

If Qi Miaoxuan truly intended to cause trouble tomorrow, even Gu Mo couldn't stop him. Not only was Qi Miaoxuan intent on remaining hidden, making him impossible to find, but even if he didn't hide, Gu Mo wasn't absolutely certain he could defeat him.

Ye Jinglan sat on the stone steps by the door and said, "I've been fully dedicated to tracking down those eight treasure maps recently. I already had one, and I've found specific clues for the other seven. Four of them are in Ye Chen's hands; I'm not worried about those. As long as you ask, Brother Gu, Ye Chen will certainly give them to you. The main concern is the other three maps, which originated from the nations of Yue, Northern Zhou, and Later Qin. However, just as I finally tracked down the individuals in these three nations who possessed the maps and prepared to intercept them, someone else got to them first."

Gu Mo asked, "You can't find out who did it?"

"No, it's too mysterious," Ye Jinglan replied. "Originally, the three individuals from Northern Zhou, Yue, and Later Qin who held the treasure maps were all masters, Grandmaster-level experts. But just yesterday, almost simultaneously, all three were attacked. There was no ambush; it was a direct, head-on engagement, and each was a one-on-one fight. Yet, the three Grandmasters were effortlessly defeated, and their treasure maps taken. Most crucially, the three people who seized the maps were women, and they appeared to be very young. Even more preposterously, they vanished right here in Chang'an City, despite the combined efforts of the Imperial City Guard, the Six Doors, and the Night Division. These three left no trace, as if they were three peerless masters who simply materialized out of thin air."

Gu Mo wondered, "No way. To defeat Grandmasters, they must be Grandmasters themselves. People can use disguises, but surely their martial arts would leave some trace?"

Ye Jinglan shook his head. "Their martial arts showed no discernible style. Furthermore, all three blended into the crowds within the cordon and then vanished. If it were just a disguise, they wouldn't have escaped so easily."

Gu Mo said, "In summary, there are currently no clues."

Ye Jinglan nodded and said, "If we could find out which faction those three masters who intercepted the maps belonged to, it would be much simpler."

For a moment, all three fell silent.

Ye Jinglan's investigation had lost its trail, Gu Mo couldn't locate the poisonous bead in the short term, and Su Ziyou had no good ideas either.

After a while, Gu Mo patted Ye Jinglan's shoulder and said, "Brother Ye, do your best and leave the rest to fate. Many things in this world are unsolvable, and not all problems have answers. If you've given it your all and still can't resolve it, then you can't be blamed."

Su Ziyou shook his head and said, "Brother Ye, Brother Gu is right. If we can't find the perfect solution, we can only settle for the next best thing and minimize the error. If there's truly no way to prevent the poisonous bead from detonating, we can only try to reduce its impact to the bare minimum. That's a victory too!"

Ye Jinglan looked helpless, gazed up at the sky, and sighed, "All we can do now is pray to heaven for help..."

Before Ye Jinglan could finish his sentence, a shadow suddenly appeared, blocking his view. It was Ye Chen, whom he hadn't seen for several days. Without a word of greeting, Ye Chen had used his lightness martial arts to fly in and was now standing on top of the wall.

Since returning from the clay figurine shop that day, Ye Chen had been recuperating. Although he hadn't sustained serious injuries that day, being pulled into the mirror had significantly drained his essence, energy, and spirit. Coupled with the shock from the brothel incident, he had been dispirited, so for several days straight, he had simply slept at the Honglu Temple, not even stepping out the door.

At this moment, Ye Chen stood on the wall, proudly styling his hair, and declared flamboyantly, "I, Ye Chen, the Chosen One, am back! Big Brother, Ye Jinglan, did you miss me?"

Ye Jinglan curled his lip and said, "What, did you visit a free brothel again?"

Ye Chen's face instantly stiffened as he recalled that unpleasant experience from the other day. He said, "Can you not bring up a sore subject?"

With a speechless expression, Ye Chen flew down from the wall and cupped his hands in greeting towards Su Ziyou.

He and Su Ziyou had met at the clay figurine shop that day, barely acquainted but not familiar, so a degree of formality was still required.

Su Ziyou returned the greeting.

Gu Mo asked with a smile, "Why don't you use the main entrance? What's the deal with climbing over walls?"

Ye Chen chuckled, "Big Brother, I'm a Jianghu person, alright? Jianghu people should have the Jianghu demeanor."

"Watch out, or someone might break your legs!" Gu Mo teased.

Ye Chen waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, there aren't many people in the world today who can break my legs. I wouldn't be that unlucky!"

Gu Mo smiled. Although Ye Chen's words sounded a bit boastful, it was true that few people could defeat him. After all, he was the third on the Chu Kingdom's Heavenly Ranking, undoubtedly a top-tier master among those outside the current top ten.

Moreover, considering Ye Chen's unique destiny and fortune, even encountering a top ten master in the world might not be enough to overcome him.

"Why are you here so early?" Gu Mo asked.

Ye Chen grinned and said, "Aren't I here to pay my respects to Big Brother? Oh, and by the way, Big Brother, do you want the treasury?"

"Cold Mountain Treasury?" Gu Mo asked, puzzled.

Ye Chen said, "Yes, it's the Cold Mountain Treasury that's been causing such a stir in the martial arts world lately!"

Ye Jinglan and Su Ziyou exchanged glances.

They had investigated before and knew Ye Chen possessed half of the treasure maps. They had been planning to ask Gu Mo to approach Ye Chen for the maps once the other three lost ones were found. They hadn't expected Ye Chen to bring it up himself.

It was a pity, though, that the clues for those three maps had been lost.

Gu Mo said, "I heard you have four treasure maps, but they're useless on their own. You need all eight maps together to find the Cold Mountain Treasury."

Ye Chen chuckled, "Big Brother, your information is outdated. I have more than four maps; I have seven! And isn't the last one in your Qian Kingdom's imperial palace? If you ask the emperor for it, won't that complete the set?"

At these words, Ye Jinglan, Su Ziyou, and Gu Mo all showed expressions of surprise.

Ye Jinglan quickly asked, "Were those three mysterious masters yesterday your people?"

Ye Chen looked bewildered and said, "What mysterious masters?"

"You don't know?" Ye Jinglan asked, perplexed. "Yesterday, the three masters from Later Qin, Northern Zhou, and Yue who held the treasure maps had them stolen by three mysterious individuals. If it wasn't you, how did the maps end up in your hands?"

Ye Chen exclaimed in surprise, "There was such a thing? I had no idea! I've been lying around at the Honglu Temple for days. Yesterday, I felt much better, so I went out for some fresh air. Shortly after I left, I was on a street, about to buy two candied hawthorn skewers, when a beautiful girl passing by inexplicably reached out and touched me. With my martial arts, I could definitely have dodged her. But I thought, such a beautiful girl wouldn't just touch me for no reason; she must be trying to steal money. And for such a pretty girl to steal money, she must have a good reason, so I didn't dodge. I swear, I had no other intentions. I just felt I couldn't let such a beautiful girl go astray. I thought I'd let her steal my money, then follow her to see her predicament. I definitely wouldn't exploit her difficulties to force her into anything; I just thought we should use love to inspire such a beautiful girl. However, what I didn't expect was that the girl didn't steal my money; she just wanted to touch me and left a piece of paper in my pocket. She must have been attracted by my handsome appearance and extraordinary demeanor. But girls are always reserved and find it hard to speak out, so she must have written a letter asking me out..."

Ye Jinglan curled his lips and said, "You don't need to describe your imagined scenarios to us; just get to the point."

Ye Chen said, "I took out the paper and saw it was a palm-sized piece of parchment. I'm familiar with these; it was a Cold Mountain Treasury map, not a fake, but a real one, because I already had four and could tell the difference. At the time, I thought the girl must have been too excited and accidentally mixed up her love letter with this treasure map, then handed me the wrong one by mistake. So I rushed to follow her, but she vanished the moment she turned around. I searched for a long time, chased her down two streets, but couldn't find her. I could only lament our missed connection; after all, the treasure map didn't have a meeting address. However, for someone as handsome as me, even if I miss one wonderful destined encounter, a second one will immediately appear. Just as I was feeling disheartened, amidst the bustling crowds, I met a second girl. Our eyes met across the throng, and in that moment, we both knew we were the fated individuals each was searching for. However, being a lady, she remained reserved. She shyly lowered her head, pretended to brush past me, and then secretly placed a token of love into my pocket..."

Ye Jinglan's mouth twitched as he said, "Don't tell me it was another treasure map?"

"Indeed it was," Ye Chen said. "I didn't expect this second girl to be so careless as to hand me the wrong token of love. So, I chased after her again, but once more, I couldn't catch her. I became even more dejected; I was really upset. Two beautiful destined encounters, missed by such unfortunate coincidences. Was I destined to suffer such torments in love simply because I'm handsome? Perhaps heaven heard my plea, for as I turned the corner, I encountered a third fated encounter. That girl, fiery with passion, ran towards me and directly threw herself into my arms. I held her, and she leaned against me. We spun around two and a half times in that small alley. Then, she shyly left, but even though she was very bashful, she didn't forget to leave me a token as she departed. However, this girl was also a bit careless, giving me the wrong token—another treasure map was slipped into my pocket! I missed another love, another fated encounter! This hateful heaven, why must it make a handsome man like me suffer such hardships on the path of love!"

As he spoke, Ye Chen stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, a sorrowful expression on his face.

Gu Mo: "..."

Ye Jinglan remained silent, quietly clenching his fists.

Su Ziyou gently patted Ye Jinglan's shoulder and whispered, "Never mind, never mind. He is your 'heaven'!"

Ye Jinglan: "..."

He had indeed just been asking heaven for help, and then Ye Chen appeared.

"Big Brother," Ye Chen said, "I waited all night at the Honglu Temple, but none of those three girls found me. I knew then that I must have missed those three fated encounters."

As he spoke, he took three pieces of parchment from his pocket and said, "Although these three loves ended without a trace, these three tokens are witnesses, very commemorative, marking my lost loves. I'll give them to you!"

Gu Mo curled his lip and said, "These perfectly good treasure maps, after hearing your story, I suddenly feel they've been defiled, somewhat tainted!"

Ye Jinglan quickly asked, "What about your other four?"

"I gave them away," Ye Chen said. "But don't worry, I remember those maps very clearly. I can draw them anytime with perfect accuracy. As for the last one, you'll have to figure that out yourselves."

"No problem," Ye Jinglan quickly said. "I'll go to the palace to get it now."

Immediately, Ye Jinglan and Su Ziyou hurried out.

As they left the Ye residence, Su Ziyou wondered, "Brother Ye, do you think there's something off about this Ye Chen? He couldn't possibly be unaware of the treasure maps' value, yet he just gave them to Brother Gu for free? A few days ago, you told me about Ye Chen acknowledging Brother Gu as his 'Big Brother,' believing Brother Gu brought him bad luck. Theoretically, shouldn't he be keeping his distance now? Why would he go to such great lengths to get close? Surely Ye Chen isn't genuinely willing to be Brother Gu's subordinate just because of a few words spoken at the time?"

Ye Jinglan said with a smile, "Brother Su, you don't cultivate, so you wouldn't understand. While Ye Chen isn't exactly cunning and deceitful, he is still a clever person. At first, he acknowledged Brother Gu as his 'Big Brother' probably out of desperation, scared by his bad luck. But after the clay figurine incident, he certainly became willing to be his subordinate."

"Why?" Su Ziyou asked, puzzled.

Ye Jinglan said, "Because the higher one's martial arts, the more one can understand Brother Gu's unfathomable depths. If there's truly a problem with the Great Sun Demonic Art that Ye Chen cultivates, then when that problem erupts, the only person in the entire world who can help him will be Brother Gu!"

Meanwhile, in Chang'an City, at the Qi King's Residence, King Qi Li Zhongyi was raging in his study, with ink, paper, and brushes scattered across the floor. Standing before him were three beautiful women.

If Ye Chen were here, he would surely recognize these three women as the same ones he had encountered yesterday.

"Three good-for-nothings!"

Li Zhongyi pointed at the three women, who were bowing their heads, and cursed, "All three of you, tricked by the same person! Are your brains made of pig?"

The three women remained silent, enduring the scolding.

The more Li Zhongyi thought about it, the angrier he became. Just then, the door suddenly opened, and a young woman appeared in the doorway. Her aura was extraordinary, like that of an immortal. She was strikingly beautiful, with a graceful, well-proportioned figure, yet Li Zhongyi, a normal man, felt no hint of profanity in his heart. This was because the woman's aura was simply too sacred.

This woman was none other than Xiaobai, who had come from Penglai Island.

The moment he saw the woman, Li Zhongyi's anger instantly dissipated. He quickly bowed and said, "Immortal Bai, why have you come?"

Xiaobai calmly said, "I had nothing to do and was just wandering around. I heard you raging, so I came to see what was amiss."

Li Zhongyi pointed at the three women, who were still bowing their heads, and said, "It's all because of them! Yesterday, I sent them to intercept the Cold Mountain Treasury maps. They had already succeeded, but in the end, all three of them were tricked by the same person, and the maps were stolen away, ruining everything."

Xiaobai was a little puzzled and asked, "What happened?"

These three women were masters she had trained using the power of the White Jade Capital after arriving in Chang'an City. In terms of thought, they only lacked emotions compared to normal people. While their martial arts couldn't compare to top Grandmasters, they far surpassed ordinary Grandmasters, and their operational capability was not weak.

"Tell her yourselves!" Li Zhongyi angrily ordered.

The first woman said, "When I took the treasure map, I was tracked and surrounded by the Imperial City Guard. Although I discarded my human-skin mask, the Imperial City Guard is not easily fooled, and Ye Jinglan was also on site. In desperation, I had no choice but to transfer the treasure map to someone else to avoid being searched. At that moment, I happened to see a simpleton, a man in his twenties or thirties, still drooling over candied hawthorn. I thought of placing the treasure map on him, figuring he might not notice the extra item for a day or two. I never expected him to be Ye Chen, the famed 'Chosen One' of the martial arts world."

The second woman then said, "It was a similar situation for me. Wang Zhenggo of the Six Doors was personally pursuing me, and I also decided to transfer the treasure map. Just then, I saw someone grinning foolishly at me, clearly an idiot, and thought he was the perfect candidate. I never expected it to be Ye Chen."

The third woman said, "It was the same for me. I also thought he was an idiot. Ye Chen must have done it on purpose; he was too deceptive, constantly grinning foolishly and appearing very simple-minded. I also thought if I put something on him, he wouldn't notice it right away, and I could easily retrieve it later."

After listening, Xiaobai said with a bewildered expression, "Who is this Ye Chen? How could his methods be so clever? To have led all three of you in circles by himself... I fear this person has been secretly watching you, meticulously planning each step, which is why there were so many coincidences. He managed to acquire everything without even exerting effort, and without attracting the court's attention. This person's mind is truly like that of a demon!"

Li Zhongyi said, "This person is the third highest master in the Chu Kingdom, known as the 'Chosen One' in the martial arts world. He already possessed four treasure maps, and out of a total of eight, he now has seven!"

Xiaobai looked as if her suspicions were confirmed and said, "Your Highness, King Qi, it is clear then that this person is someone who strategizes from behind the scenes and wins battles from a thousand li away. It is perfectly normal for these three to have been deceived. Please do not punish them!"

Li Zhongyi felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint it. He cupped his hands and said, "Since Immortal Bai pleads for them, then so be it."

Xiaobai said, "Currently, the most important thing is to find a way to get the treasure maps from Ye Chen. Since he has seven, he will surely scheme for the eighth. This person's mind is like a demon's; he plans a hundred steps ahead. The eighth map will certainly fall into his hands as well. We can wait for him to gather all the maps and then take them from him directly!"

"I'm afraid that won't work," Li Zhongyi said. "Immortal Bai, the eighth treasure map is in my imperial father's possession. This morning, when I discovered that Ye Chen was the one who tricked them out of the maps yesterday, I actually planned an ambush for him. However, whether by coincidence or his prior planning, he went to Ye Jinglan's residence early this morning. Soon after, Ye Jinglan entered the palace. I suspect Ye Chen handed the map over to Ye Jinglan, using it to cooperate with my imperial father."

Xiaobai said, "It certainly isn't a coincidence. This Ye Chen is too clever; he sees things very clearly. For him, a person of the martial arts world, the most useful and desired contents of the Cold Mountain Treasury would undoubtedly be the martial arts inheritances. As for your imperial father, he would surely want the financial assets. They each get what they need, so they can naturally cooperate, and quite happily, with no conflicts. He can also gain your imperial father's friendship. It's truly killing multiple birds with one stone. This person is not only supremely intelligent but also very rational. Your Highness, King Qi, this person must not be offended. If he is, you must strike to kill in one blow!"

Li Zhongyi said gravely, "Ye Chen's actions will not only gain him the protection of the most powerful person in Chang'an City but also the protection of Gu Mo, the world's foremost master. No one in Chang'an City can touch him."

Xiaobai asked, puzzled, "Gu Mo is also in Chang'an City?"

"Yes," Li Zhongyi said, puzzled. "Does Immortal Bai know Gu Mo?"

"Yes, we have some private grievances," Xiaobai said. "This person is indeed the world's foremost master, truly living up to the title. I am not his match yet. Your Highness, since he is in the capital, abandon the Cold Mountain Treasury. After tomorrow's enthronement ceremony, leave the capital immediately for your fiefdom. Do not linger!"

Li Zhongyi was greatly alarmed. He had always been astounded by the abilities of this Immortal Bai before him.

Last year, this Immortal Bai had suddenly approached him seeking cooperation, claiming to be a land immortal from overseas. She needed to assist someone with a 'python destiny' in ascending to the throne to become an emperor, using the momentum of his transformation into a dragon to ascend to a celestial immortal.

At first, he scoffed at the idea, only engaging with her because of her extraordinary demeanor. However, after interacting with her, he was quickly impressed by Immortal Bai's magical abilities. The most direct proof was his three maids: originally ordinary people, yet under Immortal Bai's tutelage for less than a month, they had all become top-tier masters.

Now, this Immortal Bai, who in his eyes was no different from a deity, actually feared Gu Mo.

He knew Gu Mo was powerful, the world's foremost master, capable of disregarding entire armies. Yet, he had always felt that while Gu Mo was the best in the world, he surely couldn't compare to an immortal like Immortal Bai.

But now, it seemed that was not the case.

"Immortal Bai," Li Zhongyi asked, puzzled, "Is Gu Mo truly that powerful? You are an immortal, aren't you?"

Xiaobai said, "I came from the Earth Immortal Realm to undergo tribulation in this mortal world. Many of my abilities cannot be fully utilized in a short time; I need to adapt. In a year at most, a mere Gu Mo will be of no consequence!"

Li Zhongyi had an epiphany, and his heart settled. He said, "With your words, Immortal Bai, I am reassured. My greatest fear was encountering Gu Mo's interception when I eventually raise an army. He has excellent relationships with Ye Jinglan, Zhuo Qingfeng, Su Ziyou, and others from the 'second faction.' If I launch a rebellion, he will certainly assist the second prince, and he can practically disregard armies."

Xiaobai waved her hand and said, "No need to worry too much. Once you arrive at your fiefdom, I will provide you with many martial arts secret manuals. At that time, you can widely recruit talented individuals. Don't be stingy with money or manuals, and I can cultivate countless masters for you."

Li Zhongyi's heart stirred with excitement as he pointed at the three women and asked, "Just like you trained them?"

Xiaobai nodded.

For her, cultivating ordinary masters was simple. The White Jade Capital's inventory contained many quick-mastery martial arts. The simplest, a complete ordinary Gluttonous Divine Art, could directly absorb others' internal energy for one's own use.

Then, after killing someone, she could extract their primordial spirit, cleanse it using the White Jade Capital's abilities, retaining only the martial arts will and basic consciousness. After that, she would find a suitable physical body for fusion, thereby creating a master strong in both martial arts will and internal energy.

Although those cultivated in this manner were no different from puppets, far inferior to the self-cultivating and self-growing individuals on Penglai Island in the past, her current creations, though conscious, had their consciousnesses injected. They could only operate according to fixed consciousness and could not evolve.

But for Xiaobai, it didn't matter.

Her current path was different from that of the former Great Island Master and Second Island Master. They had pursued an elite route, recruiting only the top primordial spirits of an era, and then allowing these spirits to develop freely.

But she was different. She followed a "sea embracing all rivers" approach, merging all consciousnesses into one, and then using the power of a nation, the power of the world, to push her will to a higher level.

The former Great Island Master and Second Island Master hadn't understood the subtle uses of human power, but she did. Thus, she intended to support Li Zhongyi in becoming emperor.

Chang'an City, Ye Residence.

Ye Jinglan quickly retrieved the last treasure map from the imperial palace. Then, combining it with the four maps Ye Chen had drawn, the complete Cold Mountain Treasury map was finally revealed.

When assembled, it wasn't a map, but a poem.

With Su Ziyou's deciphering, the location of the Cold Mountain Treasury was quickly pinpointed: a lake within Chang'an City.

Immediately, Ye Jinglan mobilized the Imperial City Guard troops to the site, directly surrounding the entire lake area impenetrably.

Gu Mo stood by the shore, his fingertips tracing the cool ripples on the lake's surface. His internal energy subtly probed the lakebed. A moment later, he looked up at Ye Jinglan and said, "There's a formation fluctuation at the bottom of the lake; it should be the entrance."

Ye Jinglan could no longer hold back. He immediately gave some instructions to Su Ziyou, entrusting him with commanding the Imperial City Guard troops, and then plunged into the lake.

Subsequently, Ye Chen and Gu Mo exchanged glances, then both lifted their internal energy to step on the water, their figures like arrows disappearing into the green waves.

In the depths of the lake, dark currents churned with aquatic plants. A faint glow emanated from Gu Mo's palm, cutting through the murky water and clearing away two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) of deep silt. There, on the rock wall at the lakebed, was carved half of a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) diagram, confirming the "Qian Trigram hidden in water" mentioned in the treasure map poem.

Ye Chen clung to the rock wall, poking his fingers randomly into the grooves of the trigram. Suddenly, with a "click," a fissure opened in the rock wall, revealing a faint green light.

The three entered in single file, and then the stone slab closed, sealing off the lake water.

The passage was wet and narrow, but at its end, it suddenly opened up to reveal an underground palace constructed of white jade. The dome was inlaid with luminous pearls, illuminating the room with dazzling gold and silver. Among piles of treasures and jade artifacts, ancient sword boxes and silk scrolls lay scattered, revealing the true appearance of the Cold Mountain Treasury.

"Found it!"

Ye Jinglan's gaze sharpened, pointing towards the dark iron altar in the center of the underground palace.

On the altar, a bead as black as ink floated and spun, wisps of black energy entwining it. It was precisely the poisonous bead left by the Plague God, identical to the one in Gu Mo's hand.

Gu Mo, having extensively studied poisonous beads, immediately stepped forward. With a pale golden internal energy condensed at his fingertips, he steadily extracted the bead as if using tweezers. The black energy instantly receded.

"Something's not right!" Gu Mo suddenly said.

Ye Jinglan asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Gu Mo said, "When I was outside, I distinctly felt a special restriction in this underground palace blocking my perception. But now it's gone. If there were no restriction, I wouldn't have tinkered for days without sensing this poisonous bead."

Ye Jinglan said gravely, "The construction of this underground palace isn't particularly ingenious. Without a restriction, it certainly wouldn't have been hidden so well. However, this restriction should be connected to the palace's formation. Let's look around; we should be able to find something."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "Qi Miaoxuan is no ordinary person. If his restriction isn't dealt with, there will inevitably be future troubles. When those soldiers outside come in to transport the treasures later, they might encounter irresistible dangers."

Ye Jinglan nodded repeatedly and said, "We must search thoroughly."

Ye Chen immediately thought this situation was unacceptable. Lately, his luck had been fluctuating, and if even Gu Mo took these "restrictions" so seriously, the danger must be high. He certainly didn't want to repeat the disaster from the clay figurine shop.

Immediately, Ye Chen said, "Big Brother, you and Ye Jinglan can search. I won't get involved. My luck comes and goes, so I don't want to hold you back!"

Gu Mo understood Ye Chen's predicament, nodded, and said, "Then just find a place to rest. There are many treasures here; see if there's anything you like and take some back with you."

"Oh, I can certainly do that, hehe!"

Immediately, Ye Chen happily went to open the boxes and started picking out treasures, while Gu Mo and Ye Jinglan used their internal energy to probe the cracks in the stone walls, searching for the hidden restriction's core.

Fearing bad luck, Ye Chen deliberately avoided the wall formations and focused on opening the large chests in the center, looking for treasures. As he opened the third chest, he suddenly caught sight of an old scroll painting wrapped in golden light.

He blew away the dust from the painting and unrolled it. It depicted a woman in a colorful long dress, her eyes smiling. Her features were like peach blossoms bathed in morning dew, her gaze shimmering as if holding fragments of a starlit river. Her vermilion lips were naturally rosy, and when her mouth curved slightly, it seemed as if honey was about to flow.

The colorful long dress shimmered with flowing light, its golden-threaded cloud patterns appearing and disappearing with her movements. Her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, jade ornaments in her hair gently swayed, and with every graceful motion, she seemed to embody the very essence of spring.

"Tsk, tsk, she's really beautiful!" Ye Chen marveled, his finger unconsciously tracing the painting's skirt. "If only she were real, she's just too beautiful..."

Before his words even fell, the corners of the woman's mouth in the painting actually curved upwards, revealing a faint smile.

Ye Chen praised loudly, "She's even more beautiful when she smiles..."

Huh? She smiled!!

Oh my goodness, why is it me again!!

Ye Chen's face changed dramatically, and he exclaimed, "Big Brother..."

In that instant, a flicker of light passed through the woman's eyes in the painting, and Ye Chen suddenly froze.

At this point, Gu Mo heard Ye Chen's cry and quickly walked over, asking, "What's wrong?"

Ye Chen scratched his head, pointed at the painting in his hand, and asked mischievously, "Big Brother, isn't she beautiful?"

Gu Mo: "?? "

At this moment, Ye Jinglan was also drawn over by Ye Chen's loud exclamation, thinking he had made a discovery, only to hear Ye Chen's question.

Ye Jinglan looked speechless and said, "You're just asking about *this*?"

"I want this painting."

Ye Jinglan scoffed, "What, are you taking it back to sleep with you?"

"Mm-hm."

Ye Jinglan: "??"