Chapter Forty-Two: Where the Path Leads, Not Even Grass Survives

Xianbao Pavilion, third floor.

Trailing behind Shen Wan, Lin Bufan, Zhu Qianqing, and Han Yuechan had all been summoned upstairs as well. Gu Zhiping followed meekly, while the four guards remained stationed on the first floor. Having all taken restorative pills, their injuries had mostly subsided; though traces of swelling lingered, they were otherwise unharmed.

A shop assistant led the way. The second floor, too, was lined with treasures and rare materials, all for sale. However, no one lingered; they went straight up to the third floor.

There was only a single room on the third floor, its tightly shut wooden door bearing a plaque inscribed with the words “Chamber of Fate.” The shop assistant produced a small flag and waved it before the door, which, with a creak, swung open on its own.

Shen Wan’s eyes flickered with surprise; this was truly marvelous.

The group entered. As each person stepped inside, the wall lamps burst into life one after another, domino-like, until the dim room was brilliantly illuminated.

Within, they saw over a dozen exquisitely carved jade platforms arranged in neat rows. On each one hovered a magical artifact.

“This...” Lin Bufan’s eyes widened in astonishment at the dazzling array of treasures—not because of their abundance, but because even the most inferior among them was a top-grade Earth-tier artifact. For cultivators at their level, these were all late Foundation Establishment artifacts at the very least.

Behind him, Zhu Qianqing and Han Yuechan were equally dazed. The artifacts radiated a kaleidoscope of strange lights, leaving the three of them momentarily entranced.

No wonder Gu Zhiping had said the shop assistant was conning him. It wasn’t just him—these three, all cultivators at the Spirit Condensation stage, could only gaze longingly but not hope to claim these artifacts.

Truly, the high and mighty would not deign to look at them, while Earth-tier cultivators couldn’t take them away; a perfect set-up to mislead the gullible.

For this, the three of them shot sidelong glances at the shop assistant, silently cursing, “Swindler!”

Then their eyes landed on Gu Zhiping again: “Fool!”

Feeling the weight of their stares, Gu Zhiping grew awkward. Prideful as he might be, or convinced of his protagonist’s halo, before being swindled he had truly believed all these treasures would be his.

As for Shen Wan, he simply stared blankly at the hovering relics before him.

A rusty dagger, a faded breastplate, a halved spear, and what looked like a chamber pot missing its spout...

A roomful of scrap metal and junk...

To him, the intricately carved jade platforms were worth more than their contents.

The shop assistant, seeing their astonished expressions, felt a measure of satisfaction. He was about to speak when Shen Wan sidled up to him and whispered, “Hey, can I just take the jade platforms and leave the artifacts?”

For a moment, the room fell utterly silent.

Then, several scornful gazes fixed upon Shen Wan.

Lin Bufan and Zhu Qianqing shamefully covered their faces. “Here we go again... embarrassing ourselves...”

Gu Zhiping, relieved to have the attention diverted from himself, immediately put on a sage-like air and said, “The carved patterns on these jade platforms are all interconnected. It’s clearly a high-level restriction array, at least the work of a master of the craft.”

As soon as he finished, the others shot him scornful looks, as if to say, “So you understand, and yet you were the one who got cheated?”

Gu Zhiping nearly choked on his words. He hadn’t even finished his thought before swallowing it back down, retreating a step in frustration. “Fine! You do it your way! I’ll keep my mouth shut!”

After this awkward episode, the shop assistant finally got down to business.

“As Young Master Gu has observed, restrictions placed here by a master prevent these artifacts from being taken unless someone of great fortune is acknowledged by them. Otherwise, it’s impossible to force them out of this room.”

He held up a finger. “Ten thousand spirit stones per person, one stick of incense’s time. The more you can take, the more you gain.”

There was a hint of excitement in his voice, his profiteering nature plain to see. Though he’d just returned Gu Zhiping’s eighty thousand spirit stones, it seemed that money was destined to flow right back into his pocket.

“So, within one stick of incense, we can take as many artifacts as we’re able?” someone asked.

“Of course. If you are truly a person of great fortune and can take them all, our establishment will not object in the slightest.”

Hearing this exchange, Shen Wan finally understood the purpose of this room.

Without any pretense, he rubbed his hands together and said to Gu Zhiping, “Pay ten thousand, consider it your investment, and we’ll split the spoils afterwards.”

Shen Wan was of the Spiritless Realm. Even the Ten Hells Tower couldn’t restrain him, let alone a little room like this.

Gu Zhiping didn’t object; after all, he’d been coerced—well, agreed upon. Through gritted teeth, he produced ten thousand spirit stones from his storage pouch and tossed them to the shop assistant.

The shop assistant’s grin only widened as he put away the stones, finally gesturing for Shen Wan to proceed.

But Shen Wan remained rooted to the spot, staring blankly at him.

“Aren’t you going to light the incense?”

“...”

At this, Lin Bufan and the others silently turned toward the corner, wishing to dissociate themselves from Shen Wan altogether.

The timing began. Everyone else waited outside, while Shen Wan alone entered the chamber.

A stick of incense lasted roughly ten to fifteen minutes. Shen Wan only had a vague notion of the time, so as soon as he entered, he dashed to the nearest platform and began grabbing artifacts at random.

It was like one of those treasure-grabbing game shows on TV.

Of course, he couldn’t tell which artifacts were valuable, so he simply swept up everything he passed. Fortunately, none were too large—the biggest was only a basin-sized bell.

Using both hands, his arms, even his mouth, he spun around the room, clearing every platform of its artifact.

In just five or six minutes, the chamber was stripped bare, save for the empty jade platforms.

He had truly left not a blade of grass behind.

As the clanging of artifacts echoed, Shen Wan returned to the door and kicked it open.

“Brother Lin, your storage pouch!”

The rest had assumed they’d have time to rest before Shen Wan emerged. Yet, scarcely ten breaths had passed when the door crashed open.

His shout nearly scared them out of their wits; all hands flew to sword hilts, expecting an attack.

But seeing it was only Shen Wan, they were left bewildered.

Thankfully, Lin Bufan reacted quickly, producing his storage pouch and opening it wide. Shen Wan hurriedly dumped all the artifacts inside.

Silence. A deathly silence...

Only the rhythmic pounding of hearts contrasted with Shen Wan’s heavy breathing.

The shop assistant was stupefied. He could only watch as Shen Wan stuffed item after item into the pouch—there were quite a few, at that.

Glancing into the room, he saw that not a single artifact remained; only the jade platforms stood, perfectly aligned.

Relieved at last, Shen Wan let out a deep breath.

Seeing the shop assistant still in shock, he quietly patted him on the shoulder. “May business flourish. Farewell.”

With that, he motioned for everyone to leave at once.

Shen Wan was well aware of how shameless his actions were, and knew he mustn’t attract attention.

He shot a look at Lin Bufan, who immediately understood and turned toward the stairs.

Zhu Qianqing and Han Yuechan, blank for a moment, exchanged glances before hurrying after Shen Wan and Lin Bufan.

Gu Zhiping, though full of questions, knew this was not the time for them. Fearing the others would abscond with the loot, he skipped past the two young women and nearly pressed himself to Shen Wan’s back.

The shop assistant, finally snapping out of his daze, glanced at the empty chamber, then the group’s hasty retreat.

He’d been had!

“Stop! Stop right there!”

But by the time he looked to the stairs, the group was already nearly to the second floor.

On the verge of tears, the shop assistant chased after them, yelling, “Stop! Thieves! Robbers! Bandits!”

While chaos erupted behind them, Shen Wan and his companions walked on with studied nonchalance.

Reaching the first floor, Gu Zhiping called for his four guards to follow—and to keep an eye on the others, lest they escape. After all, he’d paid ten thousand spirit stones; he was the major shareholder here.

The guards, unaware of what had transpired but bound to their master’s orders, fell in line.

But as the group approached the entrance, three men in brocade uniforms strode in.

“Who summoned the Cloud Banner Guards?”

The man in front had a deep, commanding voice. His serrated brows slanted inward, his gaze brooked no defiance. He stood nearly two meters tall, with broad shoulders and a mighty frame. A crimson sword hung at his waist, radiating menace.

Lin Bufan stopped short, and Shen Wan, following too closely, almost bumped into him.

The shop assistant, hearing voices from the entryway, shouted before he’d even reached the first floor.

“Me! I summoned them! Stop those people—they’re thieves!”

“Thieves?!”

The three Cloud Banner Guards were taken aback. This was Cloudshade City, the heart of the Gu family’s domain—the top family in the valley.

Who would dare commit robbery here? Who had such a death wish?

All three drew their swords. The leader stepped forward, blade raised.

“Surrender at once, and you may yet live!”