I'm Already the Richest Man, Why Did My System Just Arrive?

Chapter 317: Chapter 186: Obsession

Zheng Xiu knew Xie Luohe yearned to ”return to normal.”

But neither Xie Luohe nor Zheng Xiu knew what the so-called secret to ”returning to normal,” hidden in Nie Gong’s Treasure Vault, actually was.

Before his death, the Former Imperial Tutor had only said one phrase: ”the secret to returning to normal.”

But as for this ”secret,” whether it was a secret manual or an object, no one knew.

At the foot of Hidden Sword Mountain, Zheng Xiu had met Fan Yao—a pitiful man who was a Monk yet not a Monk, who had been born into this World in the Painting and wasted forty years of his life here—and he had spoken of this secret as well.

From his words, Zheng Xiu inferred that there was an ”exit” in Nie Gong’s Treasure Vault.

If the true nature of ”returning to normal” was an ”exit,” then everything would make sense.

The Cannibal Painting created by Gongsun Mo was equivalent to a Ghostly Realm. A Ghostly Realm is a boundary between the Common World and the Darkness. Since it is a boundary, there must be a path connecting it to the Common World.

Through the ”exit,” Zheng Xiu would be able to leave this place and return to his normal life.

Therefore, to a certain extent, his fundamental goal was the same as Xie Luohe’s.

Now, Zheng Xiu also had a reason to search for Nie Gong’s Treasure Vault.

To ”leave.” To ”return to normal.”

Before setting out for Chaoba Mountain, Xie Luohe used the ancient method of carrier pigeons to send a letter back to Yunhe Village.

”A carrier pigeon can travel fifteen hundred li a day. If my brother comes quickly enough after receiving the letter, he should be able to reach Ba Mountain in about twenty days.”

Those were Xie Luohe’s exact words.

The reason Zheng Xiu had informed Xie Yunliu of the location of Nie Gong’s Treasure Vault in this manner was, of course, to rescue the Monk.

If the means to ”return to normal” was truly hidden in Nie Gong’s Treasure Vault, then the Monk had to come with them.

Zheng Xiu could only choose to believe that after leaving this place, through ”returning to normal,” through the ”exit,” both Feng Bei and the Monk would come back, returning to their usual selves.

Of course, Zheng Xiu worried about many things.

For instance: the pigeon might not know the way, be shot down mid-flight, or simply drop dead in the air. Or maybe Xie Yunliu couldn’t read. Any of these things could result in Xie Yunliu failing to arrive at Ba Mountain as scheduled. But it was too late for second thoughts, and Zheng Xiu couldn’t guarantee Xie Luohe’s message would even reach Yunhe Village. So, to be on the safe side, Xie Luohe had paid a high price in a city en route to hire a courier for an ”eight hundred li express” delivery. The message was sent to a drop point near Yunhe Village, a place the bandits had previously used for passing information.

It was all they could do.

Yanzhou had, since ancient times, been a land that produced heroes.

The region of Yanzhou was surrounded by mountains, forming a basin with treacherous terrain. A long, long time ago, it wasn’t called Yanzhou, but the Yan Kingdom. The coarse Yan People had even lived for many years like savages, eating raw meat and drinking blood, until their gates were smashed open by elite soldiers and armored cavalry, and they were absorbed into the Central Plains.

As they rode over the mountains and first entered Yanzhou, a sudden downpour drenched the three unprepared travelers, leaving them soaked to the bone.

Though it didn’t show on the surface, Zheng Xiu knew that Xie Luohe was truly anxious.

She was single-mindedly focused on finding Nie Gong’s Treasure Vault. For the sake of ”returning to normal,” she pushed onward through the rain for a full day and night.

It wasn’t until the morning of the second day, as the rain subsided, that they took shelter in a ruined temple.

Xiaotao was running a high fever. In her delirium, she would call out ”Miss,” then ”Young Master,” then ”So cold.” After a moment, she shivered and muttered, ”So mean.”

”She’s sick. We need to go into the city and find a Physician.”

If Zheng Xiu’s connection with the [Prisoner] weren’t so weak right now, preventing him from entering the Heart Prison to switch to [Medical Principles], he would have wanted to treat her himself.

In this era, even a common cold could be fatal if not taken seriously.

Xie Luohe silently added firewood to the fire.

Hearing this, she was silent for a moment before smiling. ”What’s wrong, Feng Bei? Don’t you want her anymore?”

Zheng Xiu was stunned for a second, then an unknown rage surged in his heart. He said angrily, ”She’s your personal maid!”

”Yes, a maid,” Xie Luohe said calmly. ”And nothing more.”

”If you hadn’t insisted on traveling through the night in the rain, would she have gotten so drenched?”

This was the first time since meeting Xie Luohe that Zheng Xiu had spoken to her in such a sharp tone.

”Heh,” Xie Luohe chuckled. ”What does it have to do with you?”

”What does it have to do with me?” Zheng Xiu laughed, his anger boiling over.

”To you, this place is nothing but a dream, something you’ve never believed in. In that case, Xiaotao is just a person in a dream to you. If she dies, she dies.” Xie Luohe’s eyes curved into crescents. ”So, what does it have to do with you?”

A long silence followed.

The rain stopped.

Zheng Xiu lifted the delirious Xiaotao onto his back, securing her tightly with a roll of torn cloth. The searing heat of her body seeped through her clothes and onto his back.

”Then go find Nie Gong’s Treasure Vault by yourself.”

Leaving her with those words, Zheng Xiu rode off with Xiaotao.

The gloomy sky, filled with dark clouds, perfectly mirrored Zheng Xiu’s mood.

Ba Mountain was located at the border of two provinces, and entering Yanzhou was merely a detour. In the Yanzhou region, north of Ba Mountain, lay a key city named Li City. This place, situated on the border, was the center of trade and commerce between the two provinces.

Li City’s weather was like the rest of Yanzhou’s—always rainy.

A day later, when Zheng Xiu arrived in Li City, a light drizzle was falling from the sky.

The common folk entering the city were all wearing straw rain capes. By the city gate, a crowd of nearly a hundred people had gathered, forming several circles around a notice board.

Seated on his horse, Zheng Xiu looked down from his high vantage point and saw from a distance that the notice board was plastered with announcements. On them, the three words ”Rebel Amnesty Order” were written conspicuously.

The city gate was guarded by soldiers, but Zheng Xiu looked like a poor Scholar with a seriously ill woman on his back. After a brief questioning, the City Guards did not stop him and let him enter the city.

It was nearly noon. Zheng Xiu had been riding all night; his eyes were sunken, and he was quite exhausted. Still, he fought through his fatigue, using what little travel money he had left to rent a room at an inn. After settling Xiaotao in, he spent a small fortune—three taels of silver—to have the best Physician in the city make a house call to treat her.