Deep within the dense forest.
A slope stretched into a patch of level ground, overgrown with weeds and piled with scattered stones.
Xiang Yuan rode the wind down. Sensing the two little lackeys behind him, he raised a brow and pretended not to notice.
This was the Southern Border. Its underworld customs were simple and honest; black-on-black robbery was perfectly normal. One could not expect much civility around here.
As an outsider, it was wrong to stand on the moral high ground and point fingers. One had to learn to respect local customs.
When faced with black-on-black robbery, do not panic. When in Rome, do as the Romans do—immerse yourself in the local culture and rob them right back!
Last year, at Lesser Morality Temple, Spiritual Light Old Devil of the Yellow Springs Dao had failed to possess Xiang Yuan. Before passing away, he saw the light and became a good martial uncle who cherished the younger generation. He told Xiang Yuan that he had left everything he possessed in the Southern Border—his reputation, wealth, and status. If Xiang Yuan wanted them, he could go claim them himself.
Unable to refuse, Xiang Yuan had no choice but to come treasure-hunting. Hard Drive Martial Uncle was gone; he could not be allowed to leave no successor.
As a fine martial nephew of the True Heart Dao, Xiang Yuan conducted himself uprightly and walked the straight path. He was open and honorable, humble, obedient, and filial. He had both the responsibility and the obligation.
The above was Xiang Yuan's own account of himself, employing the rhetorical devices of exaggeration and personification. Just listen to it; there was no need to take it seriously.
The actual situation was that Hard Drive Martial Uncle had left behind memory fragments identifying several treasure caches in