Hearing the words of Master Longbrow, Shuisheng was so angry that his mouth twisted.
All that talk of righteousness and morality, but in the end, it was just about selling it for a profit.
Shameless!
Ye Qiu, too, felt a flicker of temptation.
This coffin was worth fifty billion, and if sold, twenty-five billion would land in his pocket.
You see, ninety-nine percent of the people in this world could never earn twenty-five billion in their entire lives.
With that money, Ye Qiu could become a top-tier tycoon.
After a moment of contemplation, Ye Qiu let out a long sigh. “Forget it!”
“Why?” Master Longbrow asked, puzzled.
Ye Qiu replied, “We’ve already gained plenty from this trip to Dalong Mountain. Let’s not set our sights on this coffin too.”
“This coffin is a rare treasure, unseen for a thousand years—truly a national treasure.”
“I’ll have the people from the Underworld Palace come here later, transport it away, and donate it to the nation.”
Master Longbrow was a bit reluctant.
“Little brat, think it over. This isn’t just a coffin—it’s a massive fortune within arm’s reach. Donating it to the nation seems a pity!”
Ye Qiu said calmly, “Old man, one must be content in life. Only with contentment comes lasting happiness.”
“On this trip, you’ve not only found the Celestial Master Sword but also obtained the Bliss Pill, healed your injuries, and comprehended true qi. Your gains are already immense.”
“Besides, at your age, what do you need so much money for?”
Master Longbrow chuckled. “Who ever complains about having too much money? Look at those big tycoons—sixty or seventy years old and still scrambling to earn more.”
“And how many of those tycoons have met a good end?” Ye Qiu retorted. “Look at those former richest men who once stood on pedestals—now they’re either scorned by millions or locked up in prison. Do you want to end up like them?”
Ye Qiu continued, “Money can’t be earned endlessly. Greed isn’t a virtue—it might even ruin you.”
Master Longbrow finally relented. “Fine, I’ll listen to you this time. Let’s just say it’s a contribution to the country!”
The three left the stone cave and returned to the outside of the mountain.
“Martial Uncle, should we head back the way we came or find another route?” Shuisheng asked.
“No rush. Let me consult the divination first.” Master Longbrow pulled out three copper coins, muttering incantations under his breath as he began his fortune-telling.
After a while, Master Longbrow said, “We’ll head west.”
Shuisheng glanced over. To the west lay several vast, rugged mountains. His face fell as he grumbled, “Martial Uncle, going back the way we came would be so much easier—and safer.”
“What do you know!” Master Longbrow snapped. “The divination just showed great fortune in the west. If we keep going that way, we might find something more.”
Shuisheng’s eyes lit up. “Martial Uncle, are you serious?”
“If it’s not true, is it fake?” Master Longbrow shot Shuisheng an exasperated glare before turning to Ye Qiu. “Little brat, trust me—heading west will bring rewards.”
“Whatever.”
Ye Qiu wasn’t holding out much hope. He’d seen Master Longbrow’s divination skills before—nine out of ten times they were wrong, and the tenth was a lucky guess.
Seeing Ye Qiu agree, Master Longbrow waved grandly. “Let’s go—westward ho!”
Westward ho?
Ye Qiu couldn’t help but think of a movie with the same name, and that female lead…
Well, she was rather well-endowed!
The three headed west, crossing three mountain ridges along the way, but they found nothing.
Shuisheng complained, “Martial Uncle, I seriously suspect Ye Qiu and I have been duped by you. We’ve walked this far and seen nothing.”
“You can’t rush good things,” Master Longbrow said. “Trust me, we’ll find something on this journey.”
They crossed two more ridges.
Suddenly, a rich, medicinal fragrance wafted into their noses.
Ye Qiu’s body jolted.
Only herbs aged over a century could emit such a potent scent.
Just as Ye Qiu was about to speak, Master Longbrow, who was leading the way, barked, “Stop.”
Ye Qiu and Shuisheng halted instantly, fully alert.
“There’s danger ahead. You two stay here and don’t move. I’ll check it out.” By the time Master Longbrow finished speaking, he was already five yards ahead.
Bloody hell, this guy wants to hog it all.
Realising Master Longbrow’s intent, Ye Qiu darted after him. In an instant, the two arrived at a medicinal field.
The field spanned about two acres.
Surrounded by peaks, it sat in a concave hollow.
Looking around, the field was packed with dense clusters of herbs—red flowers, gastrodia, balloon flowers, white atractylodes, goldthread, angelica, liquorice…
At least a hundred varieties.
And every single plant was at least a decade old!
“I told you, didn’t I? Westward would bring rewards. Now do you believe me?” Master Longbrow said. “Little brat, I spotted this field first, so all these herbs are mine.”
Ye Qiu didn’t respond, his eyes scanning the field.
He’d clearly smelled the scent of century-old herbs—so where were they?
Suddenly, his gaze landed on the centre of the field, where he spotted the stem of a ginseng plant.
The stem was as thick as a tree trunk, about the width of a bowl and nearly two metres tall.
Only a century-old ginseng could grow so robust.
But to Ye Qiu’s surprise, the ginseng root at the base was long gone.
Then he noticed the leaf of a longevity herb, as large as a lotus leaf—another century-old specimen.
Like the ginseng, only the leaf remained; the root had vanished without a trace.
Ye Qiu sighed inwardly with regret. “Old man, we’re too late. Two century-old herbs have already been taken.”
“No matter, there’s still a century-old lingzhi.” Master Longbrow pointed ahead.
Ye Qiu looked over and saw an ancient, withered tree lying at the edge of the field.
Growing atop it was a lingzhi mushroom, larger than a washbasin, impossible to miss.
“Strange—why take the ginseng and longevity herb but leave the lingzhi behind?”
Ye Qiu was puzzled.
“That lingzhi is mine—I found it, so don’t you dare snatch it.” Master Longbrow hurried over to the tree, bending down to pick the lingzhi.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
A purple blur streaked past Master Longbrow, and in an instant, the lingzhi was gone.
“Who’s there?”
Master Longbrow whipped around and saw a small, purple creature perched on a nearby rock. It was furry and resembled a rat.
The little creature was clutching the century-old lingzhi, nibbling away at it with relish.
“A rat eating herbs? That’s a first,” Shuisheng said in amazement.
“Idiot, that’s not a rat—it’s a sable,” Master Longbrow barked at the purple sable. “Give me back my lingzhi!”
The sable seemed to understand human speech. It shook its little head and started gnawing on the lingzhi even faster.
“Stealing my lingzhi? You’re dead!” Master Longbrow roared, about to strike, when Ye Qiu called out, “Wait.”
“What do you want?” Master Longbrow asked irritably.
“Don’t hurt it,” Ye Qiu said. “It’s not an ordinary sable—it’s a legendary medicine sable!”
