Treasure in the Cliff Cave

"Young Master, there's a cave here!"

Just as I was losing hope, the guard who had climbed down to investigate brought good news.

I hurried forward, half-kneeling at the edge of the Cliff to look below. The steep cliff face was covered in jagged rocks, and beside a dead tree, I could vaguely make out a pitch-black cave.

I took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement and unease in my heart. We had already found two caves before this, but both had been false hopes. I wondered what this cave would bring?

"Don't force what fate does not grant. Treasure hunting—especially when you don't even have a treasure map—often ends empty-handed. Why be so anxious about it?"

Little Fairy Doctor was speaking. Dressed in a pale white gown, she crouched beside me, peering down the cliff while gently trying to comfort me.

I froze for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. This really was... the emperor wasn't anxious, but the eunuch was.

What treasure was I looking for? I was looking for the "Seven Coloured Poison Scripture," and this "Seven Coloured Poison Scripture" was meant for you!

I couldn't say that aloud, so I merely lowered my head and called out for the guard below to enter the cave and investigate.

My heart pounded wildly. Could this be the cave? This was already the last Cliff. If it wasn't here either, then it could only mean that the cliff had been discovered by Ten Thousand Medicines Hall sometime over the following year or so.

If I went searching again without Ten Thousand Medicines Hall's map, it would be like opening up untamed land in the Monster Mountain Range. Who knew how many magical beasts we would encounter, or how many people would die... I was still only a junior. Such a price was beyond what I could bear.

I sank into anxiety when a rumbling sound suddenly came from below the cliff, and someone yanked me backward in an instant.

It was the Guard Captain. This fellow was a Dou Master. He pulled me away from the edge of the Cliff and shielded me with his body, shouting for the guards to surround me while staring uncertainly at the cave in the cliff face.

I was somewhat flustered as well. Could there be a magical beast living in that cave, one that had been disturbed by the guard who went down?

But I wasn't even a Dou Zhe, and my combat strength was practically zero, so I couldn't be bothered with fighting matters. Taking advantage of everyone's confusion, I pulled Little Fairy Doctor into my arms.

Little Fairy Doctor jumped in fright and immediately struggled. I placed my other hand around her as well, locking her firmly in my embrace. Our eyes met, and I declared righteously, "Don't be afraid, Little Fairy Doctor. I'll protect you."

Little Fairy Doctor's body stiffened, and the rebuke on the tip of her tongue vanished. After a moment of silence, she shoved me away, turned her face aside, paused, and said, "Something seems wrong."

I didn't hug her again. Instead, I stepped in front of Little Fairy Doctor and shielded her behind me. "Something is indeed wrong."

Although rumbling was coming from below the cliff, listening carefully revealed that there had only been one sound all along. It wasn't two people fighting...

At that moment, the rumbling below stopped as well, and the Guard Captain, who had been shouting all this time, finally received a response.

There was a stone wall inside the cave below. The guard who had gone down had been trying to blast it open, and with the constant rumbling beside his ears, he hadn't heard the calls from above.

It had been one huge misunderstanding. The Guard Captain cursed the guard below black and blue, but I wasn't angry in the slightest, because I felt that my relationship with Little Fairy Doctor had grown much closer... And I had a feeling that this was the cave!

I turned and smiled at Little Fairy Doctor, then sent the Guard Captain down with several guards to inspect the cave. Before long, the Guard Captain climbed back up to report that after the stone wall had been broken open, there was a treasure trove inside!

I laughed loudly, then swept a cold gaze toward the outskirts, where more than a dozen mercenaries had gathered, craning their necks to peer over like hungry wolves. After following us for several days, they had naturally guessed that I was hunting for treasure, and greed was bound to arise in their hearts...

I left the Guard Captain and ten guards above, ordering the Guard Captain to kill the mercenaries outright if they made any suspicious move!

Then Little Fairy Doctor and I climbed down the rope one after the other. Only after entering the cave did I discover that it wasn't shallow at all. Instead, it twisted deep into the darkness.

Several guards lit the prepared torches around us, surrounding Little Fairy Doctor and me protectively as we headed deeper into the cave.

After stepping over a pile of rubble where a stone wall had once stood, the space suddenly opened up, and a spacious Stone Chamber appeared before my eyes.

The most conspicuous thing inside was undoubtedly the Skeleton on the stone seat opposite us. Its skull had decayed and fallen onto its ghastly white thigh bone, making for a rather eerie sight.

Little Fairy Doctor jumped in fright and instinctively moved closer to me. When she realized what she had done, her pretty face turned red, and she quickly shifted away again. She was utterly adorable.

I smiled with pursed lips and didn't mind it, instead sweeping my gaze around the Stone Chamber. Piles of gold coins and treasures lay in the corners, while one corner contained a medicinal garden planted with many rare flowers and herbs, their exotic fragrance lingering in the air.

Little Fairy Doctor's gaze was immediately drawn to the medicinal garden. She no longer paid any attention even to such a handsome, graceful young man as myself. With delight written all over her face, she ran to the garden, her eyes shining as she murmured, "Purple Orchid Leaf, White Spirit Ginseng Fruit, Snow Lotus Seed, Ice Spirit Flame Grass..."

I shook my head helplessly. Looking at that pile of scraggly plants, it was truly difficult for me to feel as excited as Little Fairy Doctor, even though I knew those herbs were worth a great deal of money...

I quickly made a circuit of the room and stored the gold coins and valuables worth several hundred thousand in the other three corners into my Ring of Holding before walking over to Little Fairy Doctor.

Standing beside her, I looked down at her as she excitedly waved a small medicinal hoe, carefully digging up each spiritual herb and placing them into one smooth Jade Bottle after another.

"Finally finished digging them all up..."

Little Fairy Doctor raised a hand to wipe the fragrant sweat from her forehead. Her tone carried both excitement and regret—perhaps it was both.

I handed her a handkerchief. Little Fairy Doctor froze, then after a brief silence, accepted it and wiped the sweat from her cheeks, her pretty face turning even redder.

I smiled and said, "Little Fairy Doctor, thanks to you for helping me dig up these herbs. None of my men understand medicinal properties. If I had let them dig, who knew how many spiritual herbs they would have damaged? That would have been such a waste."

Little Fairy Doctor's hand froze halfway through wiping her sweat. She stared at me in astonishment and blurted out, "What did you say?"

The next moment, she sprang backward, spread both arms, and firmly shielded the pile of Jade Bottles behind her. Glowering at me, she shouted, "These herbs are all mine!"

After a pause, her Willow Eyebrows lifted slightly, though she tried hard to calm her voice. "Didn't you say that if we found treasure, you would give me a share? Are you going back on your word now?"

I spread my hands helplessly. "Little Fairy Doctor, I'm not the one going back on my word. You are..."

"Me?"

Little Fairy Doctor froze, then her brows shot up as she shouted, "Don't think girls are so easy to bully! How have I gone back on my word? You're clearly the one trying to keep all the treasure for yourself!"

"Then tell me, how many gold coins can these herbs sell for?"

The moment I said that, Little Fairy Doctor fell silent, unable to say another word. I smiled and continued slowly, "I may not recognize these herbs, but I'm not stupid. I can tell they're all high-grade herbs, and very valuable... Little Fairy Doctor, is this just one share? This is clearly more than half. You're the one trying to keep all the treasure for yourself."

Seeing Little Fairy Doctor look so ashamed that she wished she could burrow into a crack in the ground, I knew I had won another round.

I didn't press Little Fairy Doctor any further. Instead, I changed my tone and said gently, "Little Fairy Doctor, I know you aren't greedy for money. You only want these herbs because, as a healer, you have a special fondness for rare medicinal ingredients."

"However, there are rules for everything. No matter how much you like them, there's no reason for you to take all the herbs. Hand the herbs over to me first. Once we return to Green Mountain Town, I'll give you some herbs as payment according to your contribution... You can choose the herbs yourself. How does that sound?"

Little Fairy Doctor ultimately handed over the herbs, though her face was full of reluctance as she glared at me angrily. "What an annoying fellow!"

I spread my hands, unbothered, and waved the several dozen Jade Bottles into my Ring of Holding. Then I began the final part of the treasure hunt... the three Metal Boxes on the Green Stone Platform before the Skeleton!

The boxes were locked, but I knew where the Key was. Taking three Keys from the Skeleton's palm, I frowned at the Skeleton. After thinking for a moment, I snapped off one of its hand bones. Sure enough, a Scroll was wedged in the gaps between the bones. I didn't look at it closely and simply tossed it into my Ring of Holding.

Afterward, I used the Keys to open the three boxes one by one. There was no mistake—the "Seven Coloured Poison Scripture" was indeed among them!

I burst out laughing. Little Fairy Doctor curled her lips and said irritably, "Look how happy you are. Isn't it just a Scroll?"

My expression couldn't help turning strange. I looked Little Fairy Doctor up and down and thought, If you knew that Scroll was called the "Seven Coloured Poison Scripture," you probably wouldn't be wearing that expression!

I didn't show it to Little Fairy Doctor right away. Everything could wait until we returned to Green Mountain Town. I casually put the "Seven Coloured Poison Scripture" into my Ring of Holding and looked around the Stone Chamber. I had already cleared this place out completely. Nothing valuable remained.

Finally, my gaze fell upon the Skeleton, and I let out a quiet sigh. The road of cultivation was so perilous. Perhaps one day, I too would die like this?

I ordered several guards to bury the Skeleton, while Little Fairy Doctor and I climbed back up the Cliff first.