The firelight illuminated the room.
Qin Shuang spoke, revealing the final great secret.
When the words "Grand Tomb" left her lips, Shen Bai became interested.
"Go into detail."
Thinking it through carefully, the Fox Girl Bizarre Item could harm people by stealing things. If that traitor from the Thieves' Gate made use of the Fox Girl, and with the Grand Tomb now opening, he only needed to bear the price to steal the things within the tomb.
The entire process had instead become far too simple.
Qin Shuang shrank back slightly and said, "It is said that the Grand Tomb is where a Daoist attained transcendence. That Daoist left many treasures from his person inside the tomb. The Bizarre Item is a pair of boots, and it is the key to opening the Grand Tomb."
"A Daoist?"
Shen Bai stroked his chin. "So you planned to take advantage of the Grand Tomb opening to go in and make a killing?"
Washing away the Thieves' Gate's disgrace? That lie might fool ghosts, perhaps.
Shen Bai was more inclined to believe that Qin Shuang wanted to strike it rich in the Grand Tomb.
Qin Shuang lifted her chin. "And, while I'm at it, wash away the Thieves' Gate's disgrace."
Her body had already surrendered, but her mouth remained stubborn.
Shen Bai said, "Do you know your way around all kinds of tombs?"
Qin Shuang nodded. "I'm a disciple of the Thieves' Gate. Of course I'm proficient in all sorts of tomb-raiding methods."
Shen Bai asked again, "Are there any Bizarre Items in the tomb?"
Qin Shuang thought for a moment. "That Daoist master had been incomparably glorious while alive, so there should be plenty of Bizarre Items as well."
She was somewhat confused, because Shen Bai's questions had gradually begun to stray off course.
Shen Bai lowered his hand. "You cannot leave the pawnshop for now. When the Grand Tomb opens, you will go with me."
Qin Shuang's eyes widened.
Good heavens.
So this expert hidden away in Ascending Cloud County also intended to raid the tomb.
She had truly walked straight into the net herself.
Shen Bai ignored Qin Shuang's expression and considered the feasibility of the matter.
First, there were Bizarre Items in the tomb. Those were what Shen Bai needed most.
Second, Zhou Qing would very likely be entangled in this matter. The situation was complicated, and Shen Bai could not simply let Zhou Qing lose his life.
Lastly, Shen Bai was very interested in the Bizarre Item that Upper Evil Gate had taken away.
It was said that Bizarre Item was speed-oriented. That was currently Shen Bai's weak point, and it would greatly improve his abilities.
Adding all that together, Shen Bai felt that this was a trip he ought to make.
Qin Shuang hunched her neck and said, "How about... I leave first, then come back for you when the Grand Tomb opens?"
"Do you think I'm stupid?"
Shen Bai smiled. "If you want someone to blame, blame yourself for coming to provoke me. Don't worry. You won't be making this tomb raid for nothing. Whatever we obtain inside, we split it fifty-fifty."
"Really?"
Light flickered in Qin Shuang's eyes. "You won't lie to me?"
"Stop playing dumb."
With a smack, Shen Bai slapped Qin Shuang on the head. "Right now, you're probably thinking only of running away. If I focused on watching you, you couldn't escape. But I don't have the mind for that. I'll tell you the important points, and you can analyze them yourself."
Qin Shuang said nothing and stared straight at Shen Bai.
After pondering for a moment, Shen Bai said, "You know I have connections at the yamen. When the Grand Tomb opens, I'll definitely know about it and can find it at any time."
"But you're different. You're alone, with no helpers. Whether you can even enter the tomb is uncertain, much less with that traitor around."
"If you go with me, you'll have a much greater chance of entering the tomb."
Qin Shuang said, "But I still don't know whether you're sincere or merely pretending."
Shen Bai pointed at the doorway. "You have no choice."
"You have two choices now. Trust me, and we get rich together."
"Don't trust me, and you can leave whenever you wish."
Following Shen Bai's finger, Qin Shuang looked toward the doorway and cautiously shifted half a step.
Shen Bai returned his hand to the longsword at his waist and watched with great interest.
Though that was what he said, Qin Shuang actually had only one choice.
If Qin Shuang intended to walk out that door, her head would fall to the ground.
It was not that Shen Bai was cruel. The martial world was like this. Since you had walked into the net yourself and lacked strength, you could only let others carve you up.
If Shen Bai had been weak tonight, what would Qin Shuang have done? Who could say for certain?
Qin Shuang did not see Shen Bai's movement. After taking a few more steps, she turned around and said, "Let's cooperate. I hope you will keep your promise."
During those few steps, Qin Shuang had also been making her choice.
After choosing, she still selected the first option.
Just as Shen Bai had said, a single tree could not hold up a forest. This was a gamble.
Shen Bai smiled. "Then stay at the pawnshop."
Qin Shuang nodded and said no more.
It was already late, so Shen Bai arranged for Qin Shuang to stay in his room.
Sharing a room made surveillance easier.
As for the distinction between men and women, daughters of the martial world did not care about such details, and Shen Bai had no thoughts of that sort between men and women.
The night was long, and Shen Bai began practicing the Vajra Demon-Subduing Fist again.
The next day.
When the morning light shone in, Shen Bai withdrew his fists, let out a long breath, and swallowed the Qi-Blood Medicine.
Vajra Demon-Subduing Fist +300
"Sixteen hundred points. Level four isn't far away now."
After taking the Qi-Blood Medicine, Shen Bai's gaze settled on the door of the room.
Outside the door, Qin Shuang stood there, looking at Shen Bai with astonishment.
Qin Shuang had known that Shen Bai practiced his fist techniques all night.
In Qin Shuang's eyes, he was already so strong and yet worked so hard, but he remained in a tiny county town. She could not understand why.
"Let's go eat."
Shen Bai said.
Shen Bai had already grown accustomed to living each day according to a routine.
Qin Shuang softly hummed in acknowledgment and said nothing more.
After making simple preparations, the two left for a breakfast stall.
"Recently, it seems there have been more people in Ascending Cloud County."
At the breakfast stall.
Shen Bai looked at the unfamiliar faces passing by from time to time and frowned.
They were all dressed like martial artists. Ordinarily, Ascending Cloud County did not have so many people of the martial world lingering here.
"Something isn't right."
Qin Shuang took small sips of porridge, leaned close to Shen Bai, and said, "A tiny county town like this shouldn't have so many people staying around."
Shen Bai caught a whiff of fragrance, leaned back slightly, and fell into thought.
This was precisely the time when that Daoist Grand Tomb was opening, and now so many martial artists had appeared. It was difficult not to connect the two.
As the two spoke in low voices, several martial artists took seats beside them.
Fragments of conversation gradually drifted over.
"Heh, there really are a lot of people here. Looks like news of the Grand Tomb has spread very far already."
"A Daoist master's Grand Tomb is about to appear. I heard quite a few factions from Maple Forest Province have already secretly set out, and even people from Green Cloud Daoist Temple in Maple Forest Province have come."
"Green Cloud Daoist Temple? Really? That's the largest Daoist temple in Maple Forest Province."
"Why would I lie to you? It's said the ones who came are experts among the younger generation of the temple, already at the peak of the Three Treasures Realm. This time, it's bound to be lively."
Listening to their conversation, Shen Bai already understood the cause.
"The news has been released. It is very likely related to the person from Upper Evil Gate who controls the Fox Girl. What is he trying to do?" Qin Shuang asked.
Shen Bai set down his chopsticks and said calmly, "The muddier the water, the easier it is for him to fish in troubled waters."
Before you continue