Chapter 27: Strange Map

When Chen Yuan returned to Black Wind Fortress, it was dusk. The setting sun was sinking in the west, casting a layer of afterglow over the vast, rolling mountains, painting them in a dim, hazy yellow.

Recalling the map he had obtained from Wu Dong, Chen Yuan remembered that midway through the journey, the path changed direction, following a nearly indistinguishable trail that wound and turned through a dense forest.

That map marked the true treasure trove of Black Wind Fortress, which was the reason Chen Yuan had quietly returned to the fortress.

Originally, Chen Yuan had no particular interest in the Black Wind Fortress treasure, but when the Tiger伏 (Fuhu) Gang ambushed the bandits previously, Wei Wuding had failed to find such a map on Xie Quan or Jiang Feng, which reignited his curiosity.

Later, when the Fuhu Gang raided the fortress, they still found no map and no gold or silver.

Perhaps Xie Quan had destroyed the map belonging to him and Jiang Feng to maintain secrecy after Wu Dong's death.

Or perhaps Xie Quan had hidden the map, and Wei Wuding had simply missed it.

Regardless, the location of the Black Wind Fortress treasure had not been leaked; Chen Yuan's opportunity had arrived.

After returning to the manor, he had used the excuse of visiting his family to re-enter the Chiman Mountains and arrive here.

The map in Wu Dong's possession was highly detailed and clearly marked, following the standards of military maps; it was likely drawn by Xie Dong.

Had it not been for the old scholar's vast knowledge, from whom Chen Yuan had learned the Qi State's *Essentials of Martial Arts*, he would not have been able to decipher it.

Following the map's instructions, he ventured deep into the mountain forest and found an extremely well-hidden cave.

The entrance was obscured by vines and equipped with several snares and animal traps to prevent beasts from entering.

Chen Yuan drew his long saber, lit a torch, bypassed the traps, and stepped cautiously into the cave.

According to the map, there were no mechanisms inside the cave, but Chen Yuan would not place his safety entirely in the hands of a bandit's map.

Perhaps because Xie Quan was extremely confident in the cave's concealment, Chen Yuan reached the innermost part without encountering a single trap.

He stopped before an iron chest secured with a copper lock. With a strike of his long saber, the lock snapped.

Chen Yuan finally lowered his guard and began to inventory the contents of the chest.

Most prominent was a pile of gold and silver. Chen Yuan weighed them; there was approximately one hundred taels of gold and two hundred taels of silver.

One hundred taels of gold could be exchanged for a thousand taels of silver at a money changer.

The silver alone made the trip worthwhile.

A smile played at the corners of Chen Yuan's mouth as he continued his inventory.

Beside the precious metals lay two weapons: a three-foot longsword in its scabbard and a ring-pommel saber, both common weapons in the martial world.

Chen Yuan picked up the ring-pommel saber and unsheathed the longsword. After a careful inspection, he found that both were "Hundred-Refined Divine Weapons," worth a hundred taels of silver each.

Slinging the weapons onto his back, Chen Yuan then took three jade bottles from the chest.

Upon opening them, he found ten black medicinal pills in each.

A light sniff revealed a rich medicinal fragrance, far superior to the Foundation-Nurturing Pills; these were likely for internal strength martial artists, used to consolidate one's foundation.

Chen Yuan's smile widened. He tucked the pills into his robes and pulled out a thick bundle wrapped in three layers of oil paper.

Inside were five one-thousand-tael silver notes issued by the Huitong Money Changer, three property deeds for houses in Xin'an County, and a map.

Chen Yuan carefully stowed the notes and deeds, then picked up the map to examine it closely.

Once unfolded, the map was about a foot in both length and height. It was densely packed with drawings of peaks, valleys, dense forests, lakes, and rivers, but the text written upon it was extremely obscure; Chen Yuan could not recognize a single character.

Furthermore, the map featured a few sparse strokes depicting animals, birds, insects, and plants with lifelike precision. Beside each drawing were several lines of small text, which Chen Yuan also could not read.

Strangely, the map marked no prefectures, counties, or cities, nor did it show any imperial roads; it seemed to depict a land untouched by man.

Chen Yuan extended his finger, tracing the map inch by inch, feeling the warm texture beneath his fingertip, his brow furrowing slightly.

The texture of the map was like silk, yet it was neither silk nor cloth. It possessed a warmth to the touch, as if he were stroking a piece of finely textured, rare ancient jade. It was quite extraordinary.

He examined it several more times, trying to recall the ancient scripts he had learned from the old scholar, but found nothing.

With no leads, Chen Yuan stopped obsessing. He rolled the map up and stored it carefully, intending to unravel its mysteries if the opportunity arose in the future.

After Chen Yuan took the map, nothing else remained in the iron chest.

However, he did not leave immediately. He searched the interior of the chest inch by inch and even flipped it over to inspect it thoroughly.

Once certain there were no hidden compartments in the chest, he searched the interior of the cave meticulously until he was sure nothing had been missed, before finally departing.

After exiting the cave, Chen Yuan paused for a moment, then used vines to cover the entrance once more, hiding it from view.

He then retraced his steps back to Black Wind Fortress and sat down to eat his dry rations.

By now, the sky was gradually darkening. The shadowy mountains resembled the spine of a crouching behemoth, silent and majestic.

After finishing his meal, Chen Yuan stood atop the mountain peak, gazing at the distant ranges and feeling the cold wind brush against his face, waiting quietly.

Gradually, total darkness fell. The moon rose, and the stars began to twinkle.

Chen Yuan remained motionless for another two hours. Only when the moon reached its zenith did he reach into his robes and take out the jade pendant.

Under the starlight, the jade pendant emitted a faint green glow. The stars in the sky seemed to shimmer and converge, sending a beam of starlight down from the heavens.

A smile appeared on Chen Yuan's lips as he lightly closed his eyes.

Twenty breaths later, the starlight dissipated. Chen Yuan put away the jade pendant, took out a bottle of the pills from the cave, and swallowed one.

A wave of warmth spread through his limbs and bones, and the hunger in his stomach slowly vanished.

Chen Yuan clenched his hands and suddenly threw a punch, which let out a sharp crack of breaking wind.

*Boom!*

Feeling a noticeable increase in strength, Chen Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

During the previous two days of travel, he had taken out the jade pendant every night to attempt the "Starlight Infusion," but the pendant had never reacted.

Today, the jade pendant finally emitted the green light. Exactly thirty-six hours had passed since his last infusion.

This must be the pattern of the Starlight Infusion after reaching the Internal Strength stage.

In high spirits, Chen Yuan practiced his saber techniques twice, then packed up his gold, silver, and weapons and left Black Wind Fortress.

Wei Wuding had only given him seven days; he had already used three, and he still had to make a trip to Leping County. Time was tight; he could not afford to linger.

***

Two days later, without pause, Chen Yuan emerged from the Chiman Mountains and returned to Chen Family Village.

Taking advantage of the darkness, he quietly returned home and saw Chen Tiezhu and Lady Chen Li.

The two were overjoyed to see that Chen Yuan had actually returned.

Chen Yuan left fifty taels of silver, instructing them strictly not to show their wealth. He also buried the two Hundred-Refined Divine Weapons in the courtyard before quietly departing.

The next day, Chen Yuan returned to Leping County to visit Manager Sun.

Manager Sun's attitude was extremely cold; he was clearly dissatisfied with Chen Yuan's choice to follow Wei Wuding to the prefectural city.

However, Chen Yuan played the fool, maintaining a blunt and simple demeanor, which made it difficult for the manager to lash out.

After leaving the Sun residence, Chen Yuan went to the east side of the city to visit the old scholar.

The old scholar was very happy to see him, but Chen Yuan was quite worried.

In the half-month they had been apart, the old scholar had aged significantly. His frame was gaunt, like a flickering candle in the wind, giving off an impression of being at the very end of his life.

Chen Yuan immediately summoned a physician to examine him.

The old scholar, however, was indifferent and laughed

"Cough, cough... life and death are fated, and wealth and honor are determined by heaven. Why bother with such trouble? It is merely a waste of time..."

After the examination, the physician looked troubled. He said the old scholar merely had a common cold.

But before leaving, he whispered to Chen Yuan that the old scholar's essence was depleted and his vital energy was insufficient; he might struggle to survive the winter.

Chen Yuan made an arrangement with the physician, paying him fifty taels of silver to visit every seven days to provide treatment and medicine.

When he returned to the room, the old scholar asked

"What did the physician say? Is my time near at hand?"

Chen Yuan froze for a moment, then smiled. "Why would you say such a thing, Teacher?"

The old scholar stroked his beard and smiled. "I have lived many years. Though I never pursued formal studies, I have seen much of the world. The moment the physician spoke, I saw the truth. How could you hope to hide it from me?"

Chen Yuan sighed softly and stopped concealing the truth. "The physician said your vital energy is depleted and your essence is exhausted. If not treated promptly, it will be difficult to make it through this winter."

The old scholar paused, murmuring, "Not make it through the winter... does that mean I have only two months left to live?"

Chen Yuan comforted him, "I have instructed the physician to come every seven days to administer medicine and acupuncture. If you rest well, the illness will surely be cured..."

The old scholar stroked his beard and gave a bitter smile. "You are kind-hearted. But birth, age, sickness, and death are the ways of Heaven. How can one go against Heaven? I thought I had long since become indifferent to life and death, but as the end approaches, I still... forget it, forget it. Even if one lives a hundred years, it is nothing more than a handful of yellow earth in the end. What is the difference?"

Chen Yuan remained silent. After a few bitter laughs, the old scholar added, "Only wealthy families can afford to have a physician visit their home. The fees must be quite high, right?"

Chen Yuan said, "Do not worry, Teacher. I can still afford the fees."

The old scholar shook his head and said seriously, "To you, the fee might be a mere drop in the bucket, but to me, it is a life-saving grace. Please, accept my bow."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to bow to Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan hurriedly reached out to steady him. "Teacher taught me to read and write, and passed down the classics. You have the grace of a mentor. If I were to accept such a formal bow from you, would I not be disrespecting my elder?"

"I am merely an old candidate. Though I taught you letters and books, you paid tuition. How can I claim to be your teacher?"

"Teacher has read extensively and understands the past and present. The depth of your knowledge is not something that can be bought with a few hundred copper coins a month. Is it possible that Teacher is still obsessed with formal studies, bound by the mere imperial examinations?"

The old scholar's body trembled, and he froze in place.

A moment later, he slowly lowered his hands and smiled bitterly. "You have a point. I was caught up in appearances."

"Rest well, Teacher. When I return from the prefectural city, I shall come to seek your guidance again."

After giving several careful instructions and leaving thirty taels of silver, Chen Yuan took his leave.

***

After returning to Xingye Ward, Chen Yuan went to Zhao Shan's home. He produced fifty taels of silver and passed on the earlier stages of the Six-Yang Gong罡 (Gang) energy to him.

Zhao Shan was extremely grateful to Chen Yuan, and Chen Yuan was finally able to rest easy.

Zhao Shan had personally killed Manager Li, thereby "paying his dues" with blood, and having taken his money and cultivation technique, it was now impossible for him to speak of the events in the Chiman Mountains.

Before leaving, Chen Yuan entrusted Zhao Shan to look after his family and the old scholar. Zhao Shan promised wholeheartedly

"Rest assured, Junior Brother. I will visit your uncle and aunt in Chen Family Village once a month, and I will also visit that old gentleman frequently."

Only then did Chen Yuan feel truly at peace. He made one last trip to the Li residence to bid farewell to Madam Zhang.

That night, he performed a Starlight Infusion. The next morning, he rose early and left Leping County, heading toward the prefectural city.