Chapter 143. The treasure. [1]
After finishing the last of the spiritual herbs Lin Zhaoyue had prepared, Lin Xuan finally let out a long breath.
The twenty pill furnaces gradually cooled as the remaining wisps of medicinal fragrance drifted through the courtyard.
"Alright, that’s enough for today."
Lin Zhaoyue nodded, carefully gathered the refined pills into their jade bottles, and happily carried them away.
"I’ll go organize these!"
Before long, she had disappeared beyond the courtyard gate.
Only after sending her off did Lin Xuan finally allow himself to relax.
He fell backward onto the soft grass with a thud, folded his hands behind his head, and quietly gazed at the star-filled night sky.
A helpless smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Hah..."
"Who was it that said a daughter is her father’s little lover?"
"My daughter only knows how to count money."
The quiet courtyard was soon filled with nothing but the sound of the evening breeze.
Just then, a familiar mechanical voice echoed within his mind.
[ System message has been delayed due to unforeseen variable.]
[ A Quest has arrived.]
[ The Lin Family possesses something the Qin Family desperately wants, yet does not dare reveal openly.]
[ Find the item before sunrise.]
[ Reward: More information.]
[ Failure: Item stolen. System disappears.]
The smile on Lin Xuan’s face completely faded.
Someone is planning to steal from the Lin Family... right under my nose? Who dares?
The thought alone instantly drove away every trace of exhaustion.
He rose from the grass and strode straight toward the Lin Family treasury.
———————————————————
At the same time, three figures were quietly advancing through a narrow underground passage.
All three were all Peak Tenth Layer Golden Core cultivators.
One of them, a young woman, glanced at the two men walking ahead of her.
"Is there a reason we have to sneak in like this?"
The two men exchanged strange looks before one of them finally spoke.
"...You really accepted this job without knowing the risks?"
The young woman blinked.
"What risks?"
The man let out a helpless sigh.
"You’ve heard of Lin Xuan, haven’t you? Back when he was only at the Second Layer of the Golden Core Realm, he fought a Peak Tenth Layer Golden Core cultivator and won."
The young woman’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
"No way."
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"That’s impossible."
She immediately shook her head.
"The suppression from one’s Martial Spirit alone is enough to create an overwhelming gap. Forget defeating someone at the Tenth Layer, even crossing from the Second Layer to the Third Layer should already be nearly impossible."
She looked at the two men as though they had just told the most ridiculous story imaginable.
"I don’t believe it."
One of the men merely smiled bitterly.
"Then why do you think the payment is so high?"
The young woman fell silent.
The man walking in front waved his hand dismissively.
"Don’t worry. You’re overthinking it."
He patted the storage pouch at his waist with a grin.
"I’ve got items and artifacts that can conceal our appearances and suppress our auras. As long as we don’t reveal ourselves, Lin Xuan won’t even know we were here."
He chuckled confidently.
"After all, we’re not here to fight him, we’re only here to steal the item and leave."
Hearing that, the young woman’s tense expression eased somewhat.
Soon, the three figures emerged from the underground passage.
The concealed tunnel opened into an abandoned residence within the Lin Family estate.
The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, while dust blanketed the weathered buildings. It was evident that no one had lived there for a very long time.
After confirming that the surroundings were deserted, the leading man reached into his storage pouch and retrieved a small jade bottle.
He poured out three dark gray pills, each marked with four faint spirit patterns.
"Take one."
The young woman accepted it and examined the pill curiously.
"A Concealing Spirit Pill?"
The man nodded.
"It’s a Grade Four Concealing Spirit Pill."
Without wasting another breath, he swallowed his own pill.
The other two quickly followed.
The medicinal power spread through their bodies almost instantly.
Their spiritual auras vanished without a trace.
Even their presence seemed to melt into the surroundings, as though they had become part of the night itself.
To the spiritual perception of a Golden Core cultivator, they were no different from empty air.
As long as they did not make excessive movements or directly reveal themselves, even a Golden Core cultivator’s spiritual sense would be unable to detect them.
The leading man let out a satisfied smile.
"Let’s move."
The three figures immediately left the abandoned residence and silently disappeared into the darkness, making their way toward the Lin Family treasury.
It did not take the three of them long to locate the Lin Family treasury.
However, the moment they arrived, all three frowned.
The massive stone doors stood slightly ajar indicating they were not locked.
The three exchanged wary glances and in an instant felt something about the scene felt wrong.
The leading man slowly pushed the doors open, producing only the faintest creak and the three stepped inside with extreme caution.
Their eyes carefully swept across the treasury, examining every shelf, every cabinet, and every corner, ready to react at the slightest sign of danger.
Several moments passed and they noted that nothing was gonna happen.
The treasury was completely silent and after searching the surroundings once more, the three gradually relaxed.
"There doesn’t seem to be anyone here."
The young woman, however, failed to share their relief as a chill inexplicably ran down her spine.
She lowered her voice until it was barely above a whisper.
"...I feel like we’re being watched."
The other two paused before looking at one another, then they both shook their heads.
"You’re being too paranoid. We already took the Grade Four Concealing Spirit Pills. Even a Peak Golden Core cultivator shouldn’t be able to detect us."
The leading man thought for a moment before making a decision.
"If you’re that uneasy, then stand watch outside."
The young woman hesitated briefly before nodding.
"...Alright."
She quietly retreated from the treasury and took up a position by the entrance, keeping watch over the surroundings while the other two continued searching for the mysterious treasure hidden within the Lin Family treasury.