Three days, not long, not short, but for Wang Fugui, it was an immense torment. For these three days, Zhao the Cripple's trace could not be found. He had vanished as if into thin air, as if this desolate village had never known such a person.
If not for Old Treasure Hunter holding him back, Wang Fugui would have already ordered everyone to search the mountain.
The atmosphere in the old house west of the village was incredibly oppressive. Everyone wore a look of dejection, and occasional quiet sobs could be heard, only to be quickly suppressed.
During these three days, Old Treasure Hunter had not been idle. He had visited all the elders over eighty years old in the surrounding villages, all to inquire about the identity of this Fifth Prince and whether a prince was truly buried on Qingfeng Mountain.
At first, everyone claimed to have never heard of it. While there were rumors of a true dragon's tomb in Qingfeng Mountain, no one had ever seen it. As for a prince, who would be buried in such a godforsaken place?
Just as Old Treasure Hunter began to suspect that "Fifth Prince" was misleading him, he heard news of the Fifth Prince in a neighboring village.
The one who informed Old Treasure Hunter was a venerable old man, his head barely above the earth, only his head remaining.
He told Old Treasure Hunter that according to legend, a prince was indeed buried in Qingfeng Mountain. The dynasty was impossible to ascertain, but this prince was different from the princes known to the world, for this prince was a commoner prince.
It was said that the eight hundred li of Qingfeng Mountain had once been his fiefdom. Because he was approachable, did not bully the weak, and was amiable, he earned the title of Commoner Prince.
If any other prince had received this title, they would have been immensely proud. Yet, he was happy about it and often appeared before the common people dressed as a farmer.
The descendants of the guards who protected his tomb now resided in the villages surrounding Qingfeng Mountain.
The information gleaned from the venerable old man sparked a strange thought in Old Treasure Hunter's mind, and his unease began to subside.
Before the sun had set, the old house west of the village was enveloped in a hazy black mist, resembling smoke, which dispersed the lingering warmth of the sunset.
"Old... Old Treasure Hunter, what should we do now?"
Wang Fugui was terrified to his core and deeply regretful.
If he hadn't left the back mountain and watched the villagers bury the coffin, this situation wouldn't have arisen. If he hadn't slapped Zhao the Cripple three times, Zhao wouldn't have run away, and the matter might have been resolved differently.
But why had he been so impulsive and foolish?
Old Treasure Hunter's face was grim, and he replied irritably, "What to do? Nothing can be done!"
However, with his own life at stake, he no longer held back. He not only brought out the Ancestor Master he worshipped but also the Sword of Avoiding Calamity that his master had passed down to him when he graduated.
At some point, a wind arose, and the sound of footsteps mixed with the trampling of horses reached everyone's ears. The women, who had been quietly sobbing, immediately fell silent, looking around in panic. However, their gazes, when they swept over their husbands, revealed their worry.
"Take the women and children back inside. Those who went to the back mountain, all stay."
As soon as Old Treasure Hunter finished speaking, Wang Fugui quickly ushered the others inside. He himself remained, as he had also been to the back mountain.
After the women and children were inside, the tightly shut doors were blown open by a gust of wind, and two figures appeared before everyone's eyes.
The newcomers wore goose-feathered sabers at their waists, square kerchiefs on their heads, and official boots. One of them was still in the posture of kicking the door.
Behind them, four indistinct figures carried a red sedan chair, walking step by step. Following the sedan chair was a troop of cavalrymen holding long spears.
"Quite the majestic procession for a prince's tour."
A chilling, cold aura emanated from the sedan chair. "Little Taoist, have you retrieved what I asked for?"
Fifth Prince's voice was still chillingly cold, causing everyone in the courtyard to shiver.
Old Treasure Hunter, as humble as ever, lowered his already straight back further. "Fifth Prince, you did not tell me what the item you were looking for was, so I had no way to start."
Although Old Treasure Hunter did not know what Fifth Prince was looking for, anything that a malevolent spirit with a hundred years of cultivation yearned for must be something good.
"You scoundrel! You can't even handle such a small matter. Do you think this Prince is easily bullied?"
As Fifth Prince spoke, the front curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, and a cold, sinister wind rushed towards Old Treasure Hunter.
Old Treasure Hunter seemed stunned and stood frozen in place.
As the cold wind approached Old Treasure Hunter, a golden radiance enveloped him, neutralizing the chill of the sinister wind.
Witnessing this scene, Fifth Prince paused slightly. "Little Taoist, I didn't expect you to have some skill. But do you really think that by relying on what you hold, you can stop me?"
Old Treasure Hunter straightened his back, his expression unchanged. "I know I cannot stop Fifth Prince, but I heard that the former Fifth Prince was also of commoner origin..."
"How dare you mock the Prince!"
"You court death."
Clang!
This time, before Fifth Prince could act, the two guards in front of the sedan chair drew their long sabers and lunged at Old Treasure Hunter.
While still in mid-air, they were stopped by Fifth Prince from within the sedan chair.
"Stop, retreat!"
The two figures in mid-air twisted their bodies and landed before the sedan chair, kneeling and repeatedly saying, "We dare not."
"Next time, you will receive your punishment." He then turned his "gaze" towards Old Treasure Hunter. "How do you know I am a Commoner Prince?"
"Fifth Prince, your name is known to everyone around Qingfeng Mountain. In the past, you sold your possessions for the poor and suffering people affected by disasters. And this residence we are in now, is it not your former home?"
Hearing Old Treasure Hunter's words, Wang Fugui's eyes showed confusion. This house of his had been passed down through generations. How could it have belonged to this "Fifth Prince"?
His family still worshipped the ancestral tablets. He had never heard that his family was of royal descent! Could this Old Treasure Hunter be mistaken?
Old Treasure Hunter's words indeed piqued Fifth Prince's interest. He even stopped asking about his lost item and eagerly pressed Old Treasure Hunter, asking how he knew so much about him.
"I am merely guessing. After all, with your status, you wouldn't have used such a crude coffin. Moreover, with your cultivation, who could take something from you? Therefore, I guess Fifth Prince has not come to find the lost item, but to return home." Old Treasure Hunter emphasized the word "home."
"If I were returning to my own home, would I need to resort to such tactics?" Fifth Prince asked, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction.
"This shows your magnanimity, Fifth Prince. During your lifetime, you never oppressed the poor. Although this residence was once your home, it has now changed hands. Therefore, if you wish to reclaim it, you must do so through legitimate means. That is why you instructed your subordinates to send a pile of gold ingots, intending to buy this residence. However, you did not anticipate that the current owner of this residence is not greedy and did not have any intentions towards the coffin. Thus, your plan failed. Am I correct?" Su Dan Novel Network
Clap clap!
Fifth Prince clapped from within the sedan chair. "I didn't expect you to have actually guessed my intentions. But how did you guess? And why did those three people die? If you can guess that, I can spare your lives."