Choices

Chen Pi A Si looked over the group, fell silent for a few seconds, then said in his raspy voice, "I misjudged you. I never thought there'd be someone capable among you lot. Looks like Wu Sansheng hasn't gone senile just yet."

Wu Xie, Fatty, and Pan Zi didn't catch on at first. Only when they noticed Cao Ya's teasing expression did they realize what he meant, and their noses nearly twisted with rage.

Damn it, you old bastard Chen Pi A Si. You're insulting us in a roundabout way.

Chen Pi A Si snorted. "We're going to dig up the Eastern Xia emperor's Nine-Dragon Corpse-Lifting Coffin. Without some ability... heh, are you rushing off to be reincarnated?"

Fatty spat and launched into a tirade. "You've got it wrong, old bastard. This has fuck-all to do with us. It's that Master Wu's judgment that's screwed up. Fuck, how is any of this our fault? In all my years in the business, this is the first time the cops have chased me all over the streets. What a fucking humiliation."

Seeing that Fatty was going too far, Wu Xie hurriedly stopped him and shot Pan Zi a meaningful look.

Pan Zi couldn't stand anyone bad-mouthing Wu Sansheng. He could swallow a remark or two, but any more than that and he was guaranteed to bristle and turn hostile on the spot.

It was best to stop talking now, or they might actually come to blows right there.

I wonder whose side Poker-Face and Cao Ya would take?

The thought suddenly flashed through Wu Xie's mind. He couldn't say whom Poker-Face would help, but Cao Ya was Fatty's friend. They'd raided tombs together and entrusted their lives to each other. He would definitely help Fatty.

Pan Zi was no slouch in a fight, but from what Fatty had just said, Cao Ya was practically inhuman. Wu Xie genuinely feared that if a fight broke out, Cao Ya would knock Pan Zi flat.

Poker-Face remained expressionless throughout.

Cao Ya shook his head. Never mind one Pan Zi-even if everyone else came at him together, he would count it as his loss if he needed a second move.

Fatty did give Wu Xie some face. He shut his mouth, lit a cigarette, and took fierce drags, as though venting all his resentment on it.

Wu Xie breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.

Chen Pi A Si watched coldly from the sidelines. Of the five-Wu Xie, Pan Zi, Poker-Face, Fatty, and Cao Ya-only Poker-Face and Cao Ya made him wary.

He couldn't see through either of them.

He had at least heard some rumors about Poker-Face and raided a tomb with him, so he knew something about him. Cao Ya, on the other hand, was a complete unknown.

He was deeply wary of Cao Ya.

Cao Ya... how did he get behind me just now?

Chen Pi A Si considered himself a seasoned veteran. He'd eaten more salt than these youngsters had eaten rice. Watching all six directions and listening in all eight was second nature to him.

What did it mean that someone had crept behind him without a sound, without him noticing a thing?

It meant that Cao Ya held his life in his hands.

One light strike would be enough to finish him.

Cao Ya didn't look like the indecisive sort, either. If he really got violent, there was no telling how ruthless he might be.

Someone like Wu Xie was what truly counted as a rare treasure in the tomb-robbing world.

Cao Ya paid no heed to Chen Pi A Si's wary gaze. He couldn't be bothered to meddle in these matters and quietly watched events unfold.

Anyway, as long as he followed the iron triangle of Wu Xie, Poker-Face, and Fatty, he was certain to reach the places he wanted to visit.

Once they arrived, wouldn't he be the one to decide what he did?

How could "Its" team, the Wang Family, or that foreigner Jude Kao's team possibly stop him?

Even sending in a fully armed military force would probably not be enough.

He simply couldn't locate the exact places himself.

The differences between worlds had limited the range of his perception.

After all, unlike the worlds of [Global Martial Arts], [Naruto], [The Masters of This World], and [Mysterious Revival], [The Grave Robbers' Chronicles] couldn't accommodate high-level powers.

The Cao Yas in [Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils], [The Return of the Condor Heroes], [The Smiling, Proud Wanderer], and [Detective Conan] had encountered the same problem.

Hmm, supernatural powers exist in the world of [Dragon Raja].

The Four Great Lords of the dragon race, the Black King, and the White King are all pretty powerful, so there probably won't be any restrictions there.　　Those guys in the higher-level worlds are really lucky...

Cao Ya couldn't help feeling a little envious.

But when he thought about what those guys were facing, that envy immediately vanished.

The plot of [The Masters of This World] was about to go wildly off the rails. When that happened, all those mighty figures and masters of great divine powers would take the stage one after another in full regalia.

In [Naruto], the Akatsuki was stirring, and the Otsutsuki from the depths of the universe would descend upon the shinobi world in the future.

In [Global Martial Arts], the schemes of the Nine Emperors and Two Sovereigns-particularly the Heavenly Emperor's conspiracy-threatened to overturn the entire world.

There was even less need to elaborate on [Mysterious Revival]. Despite possessing peak exterior scenery power, that version of him still had to retreat three leagues when faced with certain unusual malevolent ghosts.

Grinding away at cultivation all day, wishing I could train twenty-four hours a day... fuck, that's exhausting! That's no life for a human being!

My world might have restrictions, and I might feel stifled now and then, but at least my life is no longer in danger.

Even nuclear bombs, the most destructive weapons in this world, can't pose a lethal threat to me.

Every gain came with a loss. Cao Ya took it in stride.

Of course, there was also the most important point.

Whenever the Cao Yas in other worlds advanced in cultivation, he only needed one meeting in System Space to acquire the same power, with the same degree of mastery.

Still, Cao Ya wasn't simply sitting back and enjoying the fruits of their labor.

The world of [The Grave Robbers' Chronicles] had nothing that could offer any outstanding benefit to his counterparts in higher-level worlds. Even if he wanted to put in the effort, he had no direction to pursue.

Meteorite Jade, however, could count as one of those few exceptions.

Anything that could grant people longevity, no matter how ordinary it looked or how simple it was to use, would inevitably yield terrifying discoveries if its essence was examined closely.

Longevity was something countless emperors, kings, generals, and ministers throughout history had spent their whole lives pursuing. How could it be treated lightly?

And how could it possibly be something simple?

While Cao Ya was lost in thought, the others reached an agreement.

Pan Zi asked, "Chen Family Elder, what do we do now? Find somewhere to settle in first, or...?"

Before he finished, a car horn sounded in the distance: one long blast, then two short ones.

Chen Pi A Si said, "My car's here. Decide for yourselves whether you're coming or leaving. Anyone heading up the mountain, follow me."

With that, he straightened up and strode toward the sound of the horn.

The others didn't follow immediately. Once he was some distance away, they exchanged looks, and Pan Zi said quietly, "That old bastard had everything ready. It's like he knew we'd run into trouble here. I'm certain he sold out Baldy. Whoever was supposed to meet us in Dunhua must be gone now, too, and we can forget about the equipment. If we want to find out what's going on, fuck it, we've got no choice but to follow him! What a fucking vicious move! No matter what, I'm seeing the job Master Three gave me through to the end. Third Young Master, and you brothers, decide for yourselves whether you're coming."

As he spoke, he got to his feet and hurried after Chen Pi A Si.

Poker-Face glanced at Wu Xie, Fatty, and Cao Ya, then got up and followed as well.

Just like that, only three of them remained.

Cao Ya was composed, his expression calm, without the slightest trace of nervousness.

Fatty and Wu Xie looked at each other, worry showing on their faces.