Volcanic Age

Mount Hua, Shaanxi Province.

"Please, do not forgive me!" Qiu Feng bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching the ground.

"Senior brother…" Liu Zhengmu's expression was conflicted.

Even if they were both third-generation members of the sect, Qiu Feng held a higher position in terms of seniority. This apology troubled Liu Zhengmu.

"I was unable to fulfill my duty as a protector of the Lotus Pavilion. Your disciple was sacrificed because of me… I'm truly sorry."

Qiu Feng's voice was filled with guilt. He wasn't even able to raise his head properly.

About three weeks ago, he miraculously defeated Lu Dalang and survived. However, he was unable to save Zhou Xuchuan. He immediately reported the incident to the sect, and they, along with the cultivators from the Martial Alliance, searched for days but were ultimately unable to find him.

He wanted to continue the search, but the sect urgently ordered his return, so he had no choice but to return to the sect with the members of the Lotus Pavilion.

Although the search continued, they were unable to find any clues and had only returned a few days ago. Essentially, Zhou Xuchuan was deemed dead.

During this time, the perceptions of Zhou Xuchuan had completely changed. No one called him All Bite No Bark anymore.

They were instead all shocked by his remarkable feats. They were surprised that he had hidden his skills and power, and how determined he was to learn despite the ridicule from those around him.

That made it even more unfortunate. They couldn't hide their disappointment at losing such a talented young man in vain.

"Hm…"

After reaching the Absolute Realm, Liu Zhengmu spent a considerable amount of time out in the world. One day, upon hearing the news about Zhou Xuchuan, he hurriedly returned to the sect, and he had only arrived today.

Qiu Feng, who was residing in the sect, visited Liu Zhengmu as soon as he was notified of his arrival and bowed in apology.

"I wish I could go find the Nine Water Gangs and seek revenge, but…"

He couldn't do as he wished because of the complex circumstances.

The Martial Alliance was also investigating this matter. Unless Lu Dalang had suddenly gone mad, there was no way he would attack the members of the Lotus Pavilion and the direct lineage of the Zhuge Family.

Furthermore, according to information they gathered, the ships and boats in the Yangtze River were intentionally removed, seemingly to prevent the group from splitting up and crossing the river. This meant that the ambush was planned, so they suspected someone was behind them.

"I have not taken a disciple myself, but I do know the sorrow, fury, and pain of losing one. I won't mind at all, so resent me."

A master was often compared to a parent to a disciple. Conversely, a disciple is seen as a child to the master. Although there were no blood ties between them, the connection between them ran deep.

"I will not forget this for the rest of my life…"

Liu Zhengmu hadn't been quietly listening for some time. However, Qiu Feng continued apologizing with similar words. It was like he was telling him to kill him.

"Senior brother."

In the end, Liu Zhengmu had no choice but to interrupt him.

"Yes." Qiu Feng replied with a resigned expression.

However, what he heard from Liu Zhengmu was totally different.

"I'm okay, so don't act like that."

"Junior brother."

"You acting like this only makes things even more difficult for me." Liu Zhengmu let out a bitter laugh. His eyes had a mixture of emotions. "It hasn't been long since I returned to the sect. I'm a little tired and need some time alone. Climbing the mountain has drawn a lot of attention."

"...I'm sorry. I was too short-sighted," Qiu Feng apologized once again with a grim expression. Liu Zhengmu had lost count of the number of apologies he had heard.

"So, can you let me be for a while?"

"Of course. I'm sorry for not being more considerate. Get some rest."

Qiu Feng left, his two shoulders drooping with guilt.

After seeing Qiu Feng leave, Liu Zhengmu let out a deep sigh.

"Xuchuan, it seems you were much more remarkable than this master thought."

He rummaged through his chest pocket with his right hand and took out a letter that he had folded neatly.

When rumors about his disciple began to spread, and he returned to the branch of the Martial Alliance he was staying in, he received a homing pigeon. At first, he assumed it was something related to his mission, but that was not the case at all. It turned out to be something private.

The sender was his disciple, presumed to be dead.

The letter was quite long. In summary, Zhou Xuchuan assured him he was safe, but requested that the news should be kept secret for a while. He also apologized for making him worry and that he would definitely return safely with Zhuge Shengji.

"I'm worried, so don't take too long…" Liu Zhengmu looked up at the sky. The skies were clear, without a speck of clouds.

*

Weng'An Town, Gold Will Merchants.

Since Li Yicai's activities were centered around the Weng'An Town, he bought a house. Housing prices in Weng'An were suspiciously cheap. Then again, it wasn't surprising considering the situation the Weng'An Town was in.

In the front yard were ten cultivators. Zhou Xuchuan had inspected them upon his arrival. Nine of them were around Second Class, and only one was First Class, almost reaching Peak Realm.

"It's okay if their skills aren't that good. What matters is their credibility. The information about the treasury will be leaked sooner or later, so it doesn't matter, but they must be people who will not run away with the treasures."

"If it's that, you don't need to worry." Li Yicai reassured Zhou Xuchuan confidently.

"You're not implying that they can be trusted because they're your relatives, are you? If that's the case, I refuse. We live in a world where even blood brothers kill each other for treasures."

"I'm not that naive, great hero." Li Yicai once again reassured him. "These individuals all cherish their families. Also, they all have at least one person they must feed."

"You didn't happen to take their families hostage, did you?" Zhuge Shengji asked with a frown.

"Oh, come now, Young Master Zhuge. I'm not so villainous." Li Yicai waved his hand in denial. "I made a deal with them. If they swear loyalty to me, I promised them free medical diagnosis and treatment."

People were often willing to do anything for the sake of their loved ones. Li Yicai exploited that love.

"I intentionally looked for those in dire situations, and unable to last a few days without my support. Also, I have investigated their personalities beforehand. I should exclude the possibility that they might run away with the wealth they obtain, shouldn't I? Hahaha."

How should I put this…

Zhou Xuchuan couldn't help but be taken aback by Li Yicai's words. It wasn't exactly blackmail, but it might as well have been. What Li Yicai did to them could be interpreted as "your family might die if you betray me."

However, he couldn't exactly be considered evil, either. To begin with, they were all strangers. Li Yicai wasn't obligated to look after their families, even while calling for expensive physicians. He only gave them a proposal, not a threat, and they were the ones who accepted it.

Just like the rumors, his methods are ruthless.

The fact that he was good in trade meant that he was good in negotiations. The Merchant King had an extremely good eye for discerning other's intentions and easily figured out what the other party wanted. Then, he would use that to his advantage and profit off of it.

His targets included those of the Orthodox Faction, the Evil Faction, the Demonic Cult, the Blood Cult, or even the mysterious faction that had yet to reveal themselves. He didn't survive the Era of War and Chaos by chance.

And that's also what makes him frightening.

Li Yicai understood human emotions better than anyone, because he could exploit it for money. His kind of "understanding" of emotions ironically didn't involve any emotions on his part; No mockery, no jest, no fury, no sympathy. He merely used it as a means to earn money.

"I have told the cultivators that they will be raiding a tomb."

"How did you introduce me to them?"

"I told them that you were an expert whose orders must be followed. They are unfamiliar with you and Young Master Zhuge's faces, so you do not need to worry about your identities being exposed."

"Well done. The treasury is in Chongqing. This is the exact location, so send people to a nearby village. I need a quick method of communication on the way back."

Zhou Xuchuan handed over an encoded map.

"This is the interpretation method of the code. Memorize it and burn it."

"Ooh! As expected of a great hero! Your knowledge surpasses that of Zhuge Liang! You truly are powerful both in mind and body!" Li Yicai exaggerated, tapping his forehead. "This little merchant is moved to tears!"

"Then cry."

"Men do not shed tears easily."

Li Yicai handed over a pouch for travel expenses.

"I will support your journey from every aspect and from places you can't see. Rob the Three-Eyed Godly Thief down to his bones. Of course, you know that wealth comes before bones, right?"

"Head merchant. wipe off your drool before speaking."

"Huh? Oops, my apologies. Well then, see you next time. I hope you have a safe trip.

*

Zhou Xuchuan left for Chongqing alongside Zhuge Shengji and the ten cultivators recruited by Li Yicai. Until recently, Chongqing had been filled with members of the Orthodox Faction searching for Zhou Xuchuan and Zhuge Shengji, but that was no longer the case.

There were no signs of river bandits either. The Eighteen Bandit Gangs had also ordered their men to stop pillaging for a while.

"He's telling us to trust a kid who's just grown his hair?"

Before setting off for the treasury, the cultivators found Zhou Xuchuan rather ridiculous. The so-called "expert" introduced by the head merchant appeared to be barely past the age of adulthood. In the Central Plains, adulthood was fifteen years old. Zhou Xuchuan couldn't even be considered a youth yet.

If they discovered that Zhou Xuchuan was only twelve years old, they might froth from their mouths.

"Shh, keep quiet. It seems to be true."

Among the ten cultivators, the only one who had reached First-Class put his index on his mouth, gesturing to them to keep quiet. An expert could recognize a rookie, but a rookie couldn't recognize an expert.

"Is that true, Brother Wang?"

Wang Yi, the First-Class cultivator, was addressed as Brother Wang. Although his name sounded like he was a country bumpkin, he was a First-Class cultivator near Peak Realm. He was someone who had climbed his way up from the bottom and earned a lot of respect as a result. He also had a lot of followers.

"Are you sure he's just an ordinary person and not a martial artist?"

Normal civilians did not learn cultivation, so they had no level to speak of. It was obvious that they couldn't be discerned.

"Didn't you see Captain Zhou's flawless walking stance?"

"Hmm."

"Don't let your pride cloud your judgment. And even if he's not an expert, we have to follow orders. Didn't you hear that from the head merchant before we left Weng'An?"

"I'm sorry, Brother Wang."

"You don't need to apologize to me. Go apologize to Captain Zhou when we take a break later. The head merchant may find fault with this later."