Chapter 287: Asking for Travel Expenses is the Signal—The Hao Tian Sect’s Grain?

Welcome our new Patron: Huboor Abdulla

------------------------------------------------------

Everyone gathered around the large pit and consoled the Third Elder, saying, "Third Elder, there's no need to blame yourself. No one expected this creature would choose to sever its own limb to survive." 

"Still, we've gained something from this trip."

Ning Tianchen bent down to examine the ginseng leg.

Earlier, he knew his soul skills wouldn't be able to harm the Ten-Thousand-Year Ninth Grade Ginseng King beneath the surface, so he focused all his strength on cutting off this single ginseng leg.

Of course, given the ginseng king's defenses, he wouldn't have been able to cut it off if the creature hadn't torn off the leg itself in its desperate escape.

Next came the issue of dividing the ginseng leg.

Ning Tianchen had contributed the most effort, so he deserved a 40% share, while the others, who had assisted him during the fight, would split the remaining 60%.

Tian Guozhen suggested, "Let's not cut up the leg. Our Snow Mountain Sect will take the ginseng tendrils, and you can have the rest."

Ning Tianchen shook his head and declined. "That won't do. Without your soul skill support, I wouldn't have been able to cut off this leg."

Tian Guozhen waved it off. "I overheard you and Ning Rongrong talking earlier about a friend who lost their eyesight. The Ten-Thousand-Year Ninth Grade Ginseng King contains boundless vitality, which could greatly help your friend. If we cut it up, the medicinal effects might not be enough to restore her sight."

Ning Tianchen wasn't surprised.

When they first entered the Extreme North Ice Plains, he and Ning Rongrong had discussed this matter openly without hiding it from the others.

Qi Hua added, "Back at Ancient Ruins No. 18, without your interpretation, we might never have known about Ancient Ruins No. 29. Take this leg—it's important to heal your friend."

After some thought, Ning Tianchen said, "Then let's do this: When we explore Ancient Ruins No. 29, you can have first pick of the items. After that, we'll take one or two items, and the rest will all go to you."

Tian Guozhen and the others laughed. "Alright, we'll follow your suggestion."

The ginseng leg of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ninth Grade Ginseng King was still highly effective when soaked in wine, offering life-extending benefits.

After the division was settled, Ning Tianchen placed the bare ginseng leg into his spirit tool.

Tian Guozhen patted his shoulder and smiled. "Friend, I didn't expect you to possess a domain. It seems you held back significantly during our sparring sessions at the sect."

Ning Tianchen chuckled. "You did too. A hundred-thousand-year torso soul bone is the most valuable among all soul bones. If you had used the soul skill you just displayed during our sparring, I doubt I could have withstood it. Moreover, your hundred-thousand-year soul bone has another powerful soul skill—a gap that a mere domain can't bridge."

The soul skills provided by hundred-thousand-year soul rings and soul bones far surpassed any ten-thousand-year soul skills.

Otherwise, how could Tian Guozhen, with only Soul Emperor-level cultivation, freeze an eighty-thousand-year-old ginseng king?

Tian Guozhen was astonished. "So you know that a hundred-thousand-year soul bone provides two soul skills?"

Although no one in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's history had ever obtained a hundred-thousand-year soul ring or soul bone, ancient texts recorded this fact.

Ning Tianchen added, "Not only that, but hunting a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast guarantees a soul bone that the beast doesn't already possess. This is also recorded in our sect's ancient texts."

Tian Guozhen nodded slightly, clearly aware of this.

Qi Hua elaborated, "Guozhen is the sect's number one genius. This soul bone was obtained by the sect leader when he broke through to become a Title Douluo after slaying a spirit beast. Unfortunately, the sect leader's soul bones were already full at the time, so he couldn't absorb this hundred-thousand-year soul bone."

"After Guozhen completed his sect training, the sect leader specially bestowed this soul bone upon him."

Secluded sects weren't without their advantages.

While secluded, a sect could preserve resources like soul bones to a great extent. After all, disciples rarely ventured outside, and even if they obtained soul bones, they would remain within the sect.

Upon their passing, the soul bones would stay within the sect and be passed down to the next generation.

In contrast, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, as the wealthiest sect on the continent, had acquired many soul bones throughout its history.

However, many elders who possessed soul bones hadn't passed away within the sect, leading to the loss of numerous soul bones.

"Let's hurry. Spirit beasts might come following the scent," Tian Chao reminded them.

Ning Tianchen pointed to the nearby pit. "There are so many ice caves underground. If we're lucky, we might find ten-thousand-year ice marrow. Won't you go take a look?"

Tian Chao and the others quickly refused.

The underground ice caves were complex and treacherous. Unless someone fell in accidentally, no one would willingly descend to explore them.

Moreover, the icy caves weren't suitable for plant life. Searching for rare herbs on the ice plains offered a much higher chance than searching in the caves.

As for ten-thousand-year ice marrow, it was already extremely rare, and most of it was found in caves rather than ice fissures.

"These are lessons summarized by generations of the Snow Mountain Sect. So, let's keep moving forward. There's no need to linger here," Tian Chao explained.

…

After some time traveling, Hao Te's team finally arrived at Suotuo City.

Returning to the city where Shrek Academy once stood, Oscar's heart was filled with mixed emotions.

During his time at Shrek Academy, the lack of cultivation resources had caused his strength to improve very slowly.

Since joining the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, his life had completely changed. His strength skyrocketed, and he became a key disciple under the sect's focus.

He never imagined that one day, he would achieve financial freedom without relying on selling sausages.

Chen Huayu patted his shoulder. "Xiao Ao, I heard from Boss that the original Shrek Academy was in Suotuo City. Do you want to go back and take a look?"

Oscar thought for a moment and declined.

Shrek Academy had already moved to Tiandou City, and the academy here was likely abandoned long ago.

Besides, the academy's original buildings were rented from villagers. After Shrek Academy relocated, the houses were probably reclaimed by the village.

With everything long gone, was there any point in returning?

Moreover, their team still had a mission to complete.

They didn't linger outside the city for long. Under Hao Te's leadership, they quickly found the person they were supposed to meet.

This time, it was a hunched old man. After confirming Hao Te and the others' identities, the old man smiled and said, "The remaining travel expenses can be claimed from the final contact person when you meet them."

Hao Te was busy inspecting the grain convoy and paid no attention to the old man's words.

But Oscar and Chen Huayu exchanged strange looks.

This wasn't the first time they'd heard this line. Why was the other party emphasizing it?

When the old man turned his gaze toward them, the two quickly pretended nothing was amiss.

This time, there were nearly a thousand carts of grain, each pulled by three fine horses.

As the convoy left Suotuo City, the line of carts stretched endlessly, seemingly without end.

This amount of grain was enough to feed 100,000 people for more than two months.

If the convoy hadn't been heading north toward Tiandou City, they might have suspected it was logistical supplies for a battlefield.

Aside from Hao Te's team, there were also over a hundred laborers in the convoy.

Such a long convoy required protection. The team needed to station one person every so often along the route.

Outside the city, as Hao Te's group waited for the carts to leave, they entered the convoy in order.

Oscar leaned close to Hao Te and whispered, "Brother Hao Te, I think there might be something wrong with this escort mission."

Nearly a thousand carts of grain being entrusted to a soul-hunting team was highly suspicious.

After all, this amount of grain could raise a private army of tens of thousands. The fact that they were hired meant the client clearly wanted to avoid association.

"What did you discover?" Hao Te asked.

Chen Huayu whispered, "Both contacts emphasized that we should ask for travel expenses from the final contact. If I were the contact, I wouldn't mention travel expenses. Anyone who could hire us at the lowest cost wouldn't give extra money."

Oscar continued, "So, we suspect that 'asking the contact for travel expenses' might be some kind of signal. Given the questionable destination of the grain, the person behind this likely doesn't want anyone alive to reveal where the grain ends up."

After analyzing the situation, Hao Te asked, "Are you saying the final contact might not be on the same side as the employer? That asking for travel expenses might be a code signaling the other party to kill us?"

Chen Huayu and Oscar nodded simultaneously.

They had spent a lot of time with Ning Tianchen and had heard similar codes mentioned by him.

That is, both parties would agree on a code beforehand, and in situations where communication was impossible, saying the code would signal the other party to act accordingly.

Hao Te felt their theory was highly plausible.

The contacts in Suotuo City and Balak City had both emphasized asking for travel expenses from the next contact.

Clearly, they were using human greed to pass a signal to the next contact.

After some thought, he said, "I'll inform the others about this. When we meet the final contact, we'll skip the travel expenses. Our lives are more important."

…

With Hao Te's team escorting them, the convoy encountered no incidents on the way to Tiandou City.

According to the laborers in the convoy, their destination wasn't Tiandou City but a mountain area over 200 miles east of the city.

Within 500 miles east of Tiandou City, there were no cities at all.

Choosing such a location for delivery made it easy to kill witnesses without the outside world knowing.

Hao Te immediately grew cautious and became more vigilant.

A few days later, the convoy reached the foot of a mountain.

Over the nearly two-month journey, the horses transporting the grain had consumed over a hundred carts of fodder.

The convoy lined up in a single file, with Hao Te walking at the front to meet the contact.

Seeing the burly man in the distance, he approached and asked, "Are you the contact?"

The man didn't say much. He took out an iron token identical to the one the first contact had given them.

After confirming his identity, Hao Te asked, "Where should we unload the grain?"

The burly man pointed to the ground beneath him and said, "Just stop here. Did the people delivering the grain have any other instructions?"

Hao Te immediately grew wary.

The fact that the man was so eager to pay them fit perfectly with Chen Huayu and Oscar's suspicions.

Moreover, Hao Te couldn't sense any fluctuations of soul power from this man. However, the man's muscular build and imposing aura clearly indicated that he wasn't an ordinary person but rather a very powerful soul master.

With this in mind, Hao Te clasped his hands and replied, "We're only responsible for transporting the grain. There's nothing else to report."

The man asked again, "They didn't tell you to ask for travel expenses?"

Hao Te feigned confusion. "Travel expenses? What travel expenses?"

Seeing Hao Te's flawless act, the man waved his hand dismissively. "Just park the carts here, and you can leave."

Hao Te didn't dare linger. After arranging the convoy, he quickly departed in the opposite direction.

Once Hao Te disappeared from sight, the man muttered to himself, "Yuehua didn't instruct them to ask for travel expenses. It seems this group can be trusted."

…

In the middle of the grain convoy, Oscar and Chen Huayu walked together.

"Huayu, did you notice shadows moving in the nearby woods?"

Oscar nodded. "Not just one person, but a group. I've seen maps of the area around Tiandou City from my time at the sect. There are no villages or signs of human activity within 200 miles east of the city. These people were likely sent by the contact. Their purpose might be to kill us."

Chen Huayu didn't comment but pulled Oscar aside. "I just spotted someone whose martial soul is the Hao Tian Hammer."

"Tang San?" Oscar instinctively associated.

Chen Huayu shook his head. "How could I not recognize Tang San! After the battles in the Soul Master Tournament, I'd never mistake the Hao Tian Hammer martial soul. The martial soul that person wields is definitely the Hao Tian Hammer. These people are likely disciples of the Hao Tian Sect."

The Hao Tian Sect hadn't been destroyed but had gone into seclusion.

If Chen Huayu wasn't mistaken, then this batch of grain was being delivered to the Hao Tian Sect.

Upon reflection, it made sense.

Even though the Hao Tian Sect was in seclusion, their disciples still needed to eat. Purchasing grain from the outside world was reasonable.

Delivering the grain here suggested that the Hao Tian Sect's hidden base might be nearby.

"Shh, keep your voice down. Don't let anyone hear us. Let's hurry and leave once Brother Hao Te returns," Chen Huayu whispered.

The location of the Hao Tian Sect's seclusion was kept secret from the outside world.

If they discovered the sect's base, it could lead to trouble.

The two pretended to remain calm. When Hao Te returned from the front, the entire team quickly left this troublesome place.

…

On the Extreme North Ice Plains

After many days of traveling, Ning Tianchen and the others had reached the farthest point recorded by the Snow Mountain Sect.

Comparing the map they brought back from Ancient Ruins No. 18, tens of thousands of years of change had caused two snow-capped mountains to disappear, while the remaining mountain had grown even taller.

Qi Hua originally hadn't planned to bring everyone this far, but since they hadn't encountered any spirit beasts along the way, he became bolder.

"This is as far as our records go. Many places don't match the map anymore. Let's turn back."

"No, let's keep going," Tian Guozhen insisted. "Though tens of thousands of years have caused many mountains to vanish, not all of them are gone. Some peaks are still traceable."

Qi Hua sighed helplessly. "Guozhen, proceeding further will be too dangerous. You're still only Soul Kings or Soul Emperors. Wait until you break through to Soul Douluo before exploring further. When we return, I'll explain everything to the sect leader and ensure no one else from the sect takes Ancient Ruins No. 29. How does that sound?"

Tian Guozhen shook his head and continued, "For the next leg of the journey, we can move slowly and record the route as we go. If we don't find Ancient Ruins No. 29, we can retrace the map."

Qi Hua sighed repeatedly.

Mapping the terrain wouldn't be easy—it wasn't just about recording the path but also observing prominent landmarks along the way.

Mapping the terrain while walking would take at least two years to reach the vicinity of Ancient Ruins No. 29.

However, their supply of dried meat would only last a year, and they currently had about 60% left.

Once the dried meat ran out, they wouldn't find any food on this vast icy plain.

"Third Elder, let's keep moving forward a bit more," Tian Chao sighed.

Tian Guozhen's decision couldn't be stopped.

They could return, but Tian Guozhen would definitely continue onward.

Ning Tianchen suggested, "Why don't we alternate flying in the air? The higher we fly, the farther we can see, which will save time when mapping the terrain."

They had already been traveling on the Extreme North Ice Plains for four months. Winter was almost over, and by spring, there wouldn't be strong storms on the plains.

Flying in the air would be much safer, and they could spot nearby spirit beasts in advance.

"Sigh… Alright, but my limit is six more months. Staying away from the sect for too long will worry the sect leader, and they might send people to look for us, wasting a lot of sect resources."

"Also, along the way, we need to replenish our food supplies constantly. Otherwise, when the next winter comes, we'll starve to death here."

With Elder Three's approval, the group was able to continue their exploration.

However, Elder Three didn't let Ning Tianchen scout the surrounding terrain from the air. Instead, he took full responsibility for mapping the terrain.

It wasn't that he feared Ning Tianchen obtaining the map, but rather that flying in the air wasn't safe. Focusing primarily on mapping the terrain would make it difficult to notice potential dangers around them.

With Qi Hua's strength as a Title Douluo, he could evade most spirit beast attacks while flying in the air.

As the days passed, the group followed the map brought from the ancient ruins. One of the lakes recorded on the map had not disappeared after tens of thousands of years.

Upon reaching the lake, they were astonished to find that it hadn't frozen over but instead emitted intense heat waves.

When they dipped their hands into the water, they could clearly feel that it was warm.

"I didn't expect to find hot springs here," the group marveled.

Hot springs usually appeared near volcanoes with frequent geological activity. Beneath their feet, there might have been a volcano in ancient times. Over time, it had been buried under layers of ice and snow.

Bathing in hot springs in such a cold place wasn't a wise choice.

The drastic temperature difference between hot and cold could easily lead to illness, and if they were attacked by spirit beasts, they wouldn't be able to respond immediately.

"Let's rest here for a while. We've been moving fast, and our luck has been good. Based on the distance on the map, we should find Ancient Ruins No. 29 in about five or six days."

Sitting beside the steaming lake, Ning Tianchen sat cross-legged and cultivated his soul power.

After such a long time, his strength had barely broken through two levels, reaching level 64.

For Tian Guozhen and the others, this environment was conducive to their cultivation. As a result, their progress was much faster than Ning Tianchen's.

------------------------------------------------------

40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow

There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)