Volume Two: The Hidden Burial in the Gorge Chapter 148: The Five Earth Spirits

I felt a surge of excitement. At first, I had been reluctant to hand over the Wang coin to the old stall owner, but now I did so willingly.

Because with these few earth shen, there was a real chance to save Third Uncle and Chu Liuyan’s lives. Especially Third Uncle—I couldn’t just watch his body deteriorate from half-dead to fully dead. Though his condition was much milder than Chu Liuyan’s, without treatment, he would eventually end up the same way.

While we were in that cavern, Zhou Zheng had explained that these earth shen all contained dragon gall sand inside them. Like the sparrow spirit pill, it was a priceless treasure. It seemed that consuming it could bring the dead back to life or grant immortality. In these times, many were wealthy, and even more treasured their lives. Just one piece of dragon gall sand could extend life by ten years, and it wouldn’t be surprising if it sold for millions.

There were hundreds of earth shen in that cavern, and if all their dragon gall sand could be extracted, the wealth would be unimaginable. That was why Zhou Zheng was willing to use any means—his goal was simply this fortune.

But now that the cavern had been destroyed by the old stall owner’s fire, both Zhou Zheng and the earth shen inside were buried underground. I never imagined the old stall owner could have secured five earth shen before the collapse. Scarcity increased their value hundreds of times.

Yet, despite such immense wealth, the old stall owner was willing to hand it over to me in exchange for the Wang coin I lent him. What secret or power did this coin hold to make him act so?

I pondered endlessly. Now, it seemed we each got what we needed. I took the wolf’s tooth and the glass bottle containing the earth shen and returned to Third Uncle.

After tinkering inside with the old stall owner for a while, we emerged, and Third Uncle gave me a suspicious look but said nothing.

Everyone was eager to leave; none of us wanted to stay another minute. We thanked the old stall owner again and said our goodbyes.

He did not try to hold us back; we wished each other well. As we left his thatched hut, I glanced back, thinking I would return in a year to collect that Wang coin. Whether his excuses were genuine or not, I hoped the hut would still be there then.

This trip to Nanliu Village was, for the time being, concluded.

We found Liang Yue’s car without trouble and headed toward Shenzhen. On the way, I noticed Third Uncle’s mood was low, so I took out the glass bottle, saying it contained the earth shen given by the old stall owner.

Sure enough, everyone in the car perked up. Ma Su’s eyes shone with excitement as he said, “If you trust old Ma, give me this to study. If I can successfully extract the dragon gall sand and it can cure your half-dead symptoms, I’ll make sure it serves a greater purpose.”

I glanced at Third Uncle, who nodded in agreement. Ma Su was an expert in this field, so entrusting him would help advance his research and hasten extracting the dragon gall sand to save Third Uncle and Chu Liuyan.

Ma Su and I had faced life and death twice before; there was trust between us. Besides, he was not someone who would betray principles for money—if he were, he wouldn’t still be so impoverished, nor would Zhou Zheng have been driven to desperate measures.

Back in Shenzhen, after dropping Ma Su and Xing Mo off at school, we returned to the company. Liang Yue drove us back, saying it had been too long and we should check in at the Tianyou Group.

Third Uncle patted my shoulder and was the first to get out.

I looked at Liang Yue, feeling grateful. Honestly, I hadn’t contributed much on this trip. Liang Yue, a young woman, had fought alongside us with a knife, charging ahead like any man, making me feel inadequate. At the valley, I hadn’t even thought of her as a girl.

But now, with her hands on the wheel, her exhausted expression and pale face revealed her delicate side.

I realized that outside that harsh environment, she was likely a well-to-do young lady frequenting upscale places. Yet she had risked life and limb for us, and I should cherish such friendship.

“Liang Yue, thank you for your hard work. I…”

She glanced at me with a smile at the corner of her mouth. “What? You don’t think I’m a burden anymore?”

I forced a smile. “No, I think I’m the burden. Fortunately, we all came back safe. If you’d been hurt, I wouldn’t know how to explain it to your uncle.”

Liang Yue pouted, frowning. “So you don’t really care about me—you’re just worried about explaining to your uncle?”

I hurried to protest, “No, no, I do care. It’s just that in those places, danger followed danger, and I couldn’t say much. I’ve always been worried about you…”

She suppressed a laugh, rolling her beautiful big eyes. “Really?”

“Of course.”

“Then... say it again...” She suddenly leaned toward me and asked.

“Say what?” I asked, puzzled.

“You dummy. Get out of the car; I have to go,” she scolded, shooting me a teasing glare.

I scratched my head, opened the door, and watched Liang Yue drive away. I felt a warm glow inside. Though I wouldn’t admit it aloud, and I didn’t want her to keep running around with us, being with Liang Yue made me feel unusually relaxed and grounded.

The company operated as usual during our absence. Under Chen Tao’s management, it was gradually getting back on track, with business increasing steadily.

I returned to my room where Third Uncle was, though his complexion was poor. Since emerging from the valley, he had looked weak and sickly.

I asked with concern, “Third Uncle, are you alright? Maybe you should see a doctor?”

He waved me off. “Going to the hospital won’t help. I know what I need—just some rest and recovery.”

I nodded. “Once Old Ma extracts the dragon gall sand, he can save you and Chu Liuyan. But we couldn’t rescue those two couriers. As for their disappearance, I’m afraid we have no explanation for Chu Liuyan.”

Third Uncle shook his head. “Leave the rest to Chu Liuyan. With that century-old dead tree destroyed, the valley is no longer mysterious. Let Chu Liuyan send people to investigate. With Zhou Zheng as a clue, I expect the police can uncover the truth. Any remaining mysteries will be solved. I trust Chu Liuyan’s abilities. Unlike us, he is part of the police.”

(The chapter ends)