Treasure Map

"Clang!"

With the crisp sound of a weapon hitting the ground, Tian Yiming's wide-eyed head followed with a "thud" as it fell to the ground. Afterward, blood gushed from his neck like a spring, splashing more than two meters high.

Looking at the bloody scene, Zhao Ping'an frowned uncomfortably.

"Damn it, Baidu really didn't lie. Blood pressure in human arteries is really high!"

Zhao Ping'an muttered with some nausea, recalling something he had searched online out of boredom in the past.

About a minute later, he used his Qi to form a giant palm and captured Tian Yiming's corpse, which had stopped bleeding, and his severed head.

Then he saw the black iron ball tightly gripped in Tian Yiming's left hand. As he died, it "thudded" to the ground.

Unstrapping the pack from his back, Zhao Ping'an saw a pile of familiar spiritual medicines and some miscellaneous items.

Dry rations, a few gold notes (about ten thousand taels), some loose silver, two secret manuals, and a map.

Zhao Ping'an then searched Tian Yiming's body and found another Shocking Heaven Thunder, which was kept close to his person, and another map.

"This is? A treasure map? The Martial Venerable's lost treasure? This location, the Luoxia Mountain Range in the Yellow Marsh Dynasty!"

Zhao Ping'an whispered in surprise as he looked at the contents of the map Tian Yiming had kept close.

He hadn't expected Tian Yiming to have such a thing. He wondered if the people of the Profound Water Dynasty knew about this treasure map. If they did, the Profound Water Dynasty would have hit the jackpot.

They hadn't seen the dead Martial Venerable, but they would encounter a living one.

He wondered what the expression of the Profound Water Dynasty's royal family would be then?

However, Zhao Ping'an felt that the Profound Water Dynasty most likely didn't know. Otherwise, they wouldn't have let Tian Yiming travel across half the dynasty's territory to reach Tannan Commandery, a border area adjacent to the Yellow Marsh Dynasty.

"When my cultivation slows down, I should go and see the place on the map."

Zhao Ping'an carefully put away the treasure map and gold notes, whispering.

Then, he threw away the dry rations and water from Tian Yiming's pack, stuffed all the remaining items back into the pack sewn from some kind of demonic beast fur, and put it on his back.

Afterward, he tore off a relatively clean piece of clothing from Tian Yiming's body, wrapped his head in it, and quickly disappeared into the forest.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Ping'an reappeared at Wu'an Mountain. Dozens of figures were already there, all having rushed over after seeing the signal flare.

When they saw Zhao Ping'an suddenly appear before the broken gate with a pack on his back and something that looked very much like a human head in his hand, everyone lowered their heads to greet him and looked curiously at the dripping package in his hand.

Zhao Ping'an had no time to bother with these people, who were at most at the peak of Houtian Martial Artist, and walked straight into his pavilion.

"It seems Tian Yiming didn't enter here."

Looking at the pavilion, which was no different from when he left, Zhao Ping'an whispered.

"That makes sense. For Tian Yiming, who was already at the sixth level of Grandmaster, what value could a place inhabited by Innate Martial Masters possibly hold?"

In the study on the second floor, Zhao Ping'an opened the package, sorted its contents, and picked up two of the secret manuals to examine them.

Through the outlines, he discovered they were two Human-grade secret manuals. One was an internal energy cultivation method called Falling Maple Gang Qi, which could be cultivated to the eighth level of Grandmaster. The other was a movement technique, precisely the Illusory Body Folding Steps that Tian Yiming had used to evade Zhao Ping'an's hidden weapons.

"Trash..."

After casually flipping through them, Zhao Ping'an tossed the two Human-grade cultivation methods, which could have caused a bloody storm in Tannan Commandery, onto the table, clearly showing no interest.

The reason was simple: compared to the cultivation methods deduced by the Game Panel, these two Human-grade manuals were far inferior, not even comparable.

He then picked up the map from his backpack and began to study it again. It was the first time he had seen such a detailed topographic map.

The map was about a meter long and half a meter wide. It primarily marked the terrain and landforms of the Profound Water Dynasty, as well as the locations and brief introductions of various cities and their powers. Along the edges of the map, the neighboring countries of the Profound Water Dynasty were listed.

Zhao Ping'an guessed it was more like a military map because it was too detailed.

If it fell into the hands of an enemy nation, the Profound Water Dynasty would be in great trouble.

From east to west, from south to north, Zhao Ping'an meticulously studied all the content on the map.

For the first time, he also learned the names, locations, and distances of the Profound Water Dynasty's three prefectures, twelve commanderies, and forty-eight cities.

The Profound Water Dynasty was bordered by three other dynasties and a continuous mountain range.

To the south was the Yellow Marsh Dynasty, to the east was the Shan'an Dynasty, to the north was the Xiujiang Dynasty, and to the west was the Jue Ling Mountain Range.

Unfortunately, the map only listed their names. Other than that, nothing else was known. Or rather, not nothing else was known. Next to the words "Jue Ling Mountain Range," two large red characters were written: "Forbidden Land," which were extremely conspicuous.

Clearly, that place was very special, or rather, very dangerous.

"Giddy up! Giddy up! Giddy up!..."

"Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop..."

Just as Zhao Ping'an was looking at the map, horses were rapidly approaching Wu'an Mountain. In front of these horses, four figures were using movement techniques to travel, their speed significantly faster than that of the horses.

These people were the Innate Martial Masters from various forces in South Ridge City. The four leading figures were Ouyang Yun and three Grandmasters who had come from Profound Water City.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

Zhao Ping'an, who was looking at the map on the second floor, suddenly heard a knock on the door. He immediately poked his head out from the second floor and asked:

"What is it?"

"My Lord! Grandmaster Ouyang from the City Lord's Mansion is here with three other people, requesting an audience at the main gate!"

"Understood. Let them in."

"Yes, sir!"

Watching the guards run towards the broken gate, Zhao Ping'an's gaze deepened. He couldn't think of anyone else who could have rushed from South Ridge City to Wu'an Mountain with Ouyang Yun in such a short time, other than those three Grandmasters from Profound Water City. As for their purpose, it was self-evident.

Zhao Ping'an quickly hid the map, two cultivation technique books, and the Shocking Heaven Thunder in a secret compartment on the second floor. Then, carrying Tian Yiming's head and the package, he went to the living room on the first floor.

As soon as he placed the items on the table, four figures arrived outside the pavilion door.

Zhao Ping'an sat in the Grand Tutor's chair at the head of the table and raised his hand, drawing the door towards him.

"Clang!"

The door opened in response, revealing the guards who were about to knock again.

"The four of you, please come in."

Zhao Ping'an waved the guards away and then said loudly.

"Ouyang Yun greets Grandmaster Zhao. These three are, respectively, the Third Offering of our Profound Water Dynasty's Hall of Worship, Thunderous Blade--Qiu Wanren, the Tenth Offering, Dim Sum Brush--Xiang Shengrong, and the Twenty-eighth Offering, Heartbreak Palm--Liao Hongyi."