Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King

Chapter 678: Chapter 358: Jingyao Divine Bird, Jade Girl Delivers Her Message—Within Ten Days, Exterminate All Flower Thieves!

Zhang Kaixuan hesitated: "It’s not that I refuse, but... this... this... ah, how should I say it." He paced back and forth, wanting to speak but stopping. The failed experiment brought shame. Wang Shouxin asked, "Could it be... Brother Zhang has failed to raise the Treasure Tripod?"

Zhang Kaixuan’s face turned both pale and livid, anger and shame mixed in his emotions. Having his failure revealed, he instantly glared. Wang Shouxin’s expression changed suddenly, grasping Zhang Kaixuan’s hand, leading him to a secluded courtyard, then asking in a low voice: "Brother Zhang, did your Essence Treasure, on the day of completion, turn from white to murky, emitting a foul odor? Upon closer inspection, it even spawned vile worms that made you want to vomit?"

Zhang Kaixuan exclaimed "Ah," his expression relaxed somewhat, greatly puzzled, and said, "Brother Wang, how do you know this?" Wang Shouxin replied, "To be honest, I deceived you earlier. I also failed to raise the Treasure Tripod, and the situation is similar to yours."

Zhang Kaixuan said, "This... this..." Suddenly realizing, he said, "Good heavens, Brother Wang, you intentionally fooled me with your words! You failed to raise the Treasure Tripod yourself, yet came to amuse yourself with me."

Wang Shouxin said, "Brother Zhang misunderstood. When you initially failed to raise the Treasure Tripod, shame and anger overwhelmed you, hard to accept and speak of, just like you are now. Upon closer reflection, the more you sensed something was amiss. Asking yourself, there was nothing wrong with the essence treasure’s preparation, so why such a failure?"

"Upon knowing you also failed, I started to speculate. Perhaps the problem lies... lies... with the Tripod itself."

Zhang Kaixuan sternly said, "Brother Wang, such things should not be spoken carelessly. If heard by the General Envoy, severe punishment is inevitable. The Treasure Tripod is the central treasure, enduring through dynastic changes and the passage of time, it should remain unproblematically stable. Moreover, the Water Stone Treasure Tripod stands atop the mountain, absorbing the essence of sun and moon and all things’ spiritual energy, only used for cooking Essence Food, how could it suddenly malfunction?"

During their conversation, the sound of firecrackers suddenly echoed from afar. Another elder was preparing to raise the Treasure Tripod. Wang Shouxin’s expression became complex, acknowledging Zhang Kaixuan’s valid points, yet his doubts persisted unsolved. He could only say, "As they say, things don’t happen more than thrice. If this time, the situation remains the same, then... it truly is the tripod’s fault!"

Three days later, Zhang Kaixuan and Wang Shouxin arranged to visit the third elder. They probed and discovered a few things. Both Zhang Kaixuan and Wang Shouxin thought: "Strange, strange, one or two might be coincidental, but three or four is absolutely not accidental. Could it indeed be that the Water Stone Treasure Tripod has anomalies?"

They disclosed the matter frankly to the third elder. The three elders discussed through the night, and by dawn the next day, each was drenched in cold sweat, eyes bloodshot, unable to remain calm and composed.

The Flower Cage Sect harms women, commits numerous evils, and harbors filth. The elders, being thieves, have committed many more wicked deeds. If they had any conscience, their hearts would be restless, hence they took names like "Shouxin" (Guard Heart), "Kaixuan" (Open Heart), "Ren De" (Virtue) to console themselves, to cover the truth.

Pursued and hunted outside, encircled and exterminated. Diligently raising the Treasure Tripod, advancing cultivation, but relying solely on their own skills, it’s hard to counter master practitioners of various sects. Only by gaining advantages in numbers and arrays can they preserve lives and maintain their bandit image.

Fearing inside, upon learning about the "Treasure Tripod" issues, many thoughts arise. Could it be a natural disaster approaching, or a manmade calamity about to unfold? Or other possibilities? The three elders can’t help but feel anxious and unsettled.

The third elder responsible for raising the Treasure Tripod is named "Qiao Zhengqi", aged seventy-eight, yet looks relatively young. Martial artists have long lifespans; the First Realm "Food Essence" stage offers at least a hundred and fifty years of lifespan. The Second Realm and Third Realm offer even longer, though they require consuming Essence Treasures to sustain.

He said, "How should we handle this matter, two elders?" Wang Shouxin pondered for a moment and said, "We face a critical situation, but knowing beforehand is half fortunate."

Zhang Kaixuan said, "Seems Brother Wang has a plan."

Wang Shouxin nodded and said, "Don’t think me ruthless, we all know clearly the things we’ve done. As for good people, we elders are far removed. If caught by the government, we Flower Thieves face a miserable end, tortured to death, unable to remain whole. As they say, ’Better the poor Taoist dies, not the Taoist friend...’

He paused, took a sip of tea, and said, "For now, let’s set aside these matters. We’ll pretend ignorance, and begin seeking the envoy to leave the island tomorrow. The three of us will share a boat. Once off the island, we’ll stay hidden for months. If nothing strange happens, we can return at our leisure."

Qiao Zhengqi nodded and said, "That’s indeed reasonable, very sensible." Zhang Kaixuan said in a low voice, "If disaster truly strikes, leaving like this... won’t the women in the mansion... won’t they be..."

Wang Shouxin sighed, "In extraordinary times, extraordinary actions are needed. We can only abandon them, save our lives first, and then seek beauty. Every year during this period, raising Treasure Tripods is frequent. We leave ahead, still free and easy. Once the news of the tripod’s decay spreads, leaving becomes extremely difficult."

Zhang Kaixuan said, "Seems... seems it’s the only way!" Qiao Zhengqi said, "Brother Zhang, there’s no need to worry, the rumors of tripod decay are exaggerated. The Water Altar may not have issues, we might just be startled birds. Let’s retreat temporarily for peace of mind. If everything’s fine later, we return, and the island’s beauties and fortunes are ours again."

Zhang Kaixuan secretly felt relieved. Wang Shouxin said, "Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s each return to enjoy beauties. Tomorrow we’ll meet and seek the envoy to leave."

Each returned to their residences, knowing they were about to part, then indulging in Chongxin Prefecture’s beauties. Early the next day, the three planned to meet and went to Jin Shichang’s residence to wait. Jin Shichang, growing up on the Water Altar, naturally disliking women, his residence lacked feminine beauty.

Only a few elderly servants and workers managed his affairs. All three were elders, the stewards dared not neglect them, inviting them to wait quietly in the courtyard. Jin Shichang’s residence held many curious items from all over, collected when elders visited him for passage arrangements.