Return of the Celestial King

”The Celestial King’s demands are certainly high!”

Long Wu was inwardly speechless.

This had really stumped him...

’Ah, that’s it!’

Long Wu’s eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered something.

”Celestial King, I do know of a good place. The owner is a great collector in the truest sense of the word. He might just have what you’re looking for.”

”Alright. Lead the way.”

Qin Tuo nodded, pleased.

Soon, Long Wu personally led Qin Tuo to the outskirts of the city.

The scenery was beautiful here, and up ahead stood a sprawling manor with deep courtyards.

Seeing the manor, Qin Tuo was secretly surprised.

Clearly, whoever lived here was no ordinary person.

”Celestial King, you see, the master of this manor retired from the Imperial Court. I hear his former rank was quite high!”

Long Wu gazed at the manor ahead, his eyes filled with reverence.

Qin Tuo nodded. Only a man of great status could live in a place like this.

”So the great collector you mentioned is the master of this estate?”

The two chatted as they walked.

Long Wu nodded and said with a smile,

”Celestial King, you may not know this, but this elder gentleman’s greatest passion is collecting all sorts of antiques. His collection is vast and varied, and every single piece is incredibly precious. I’m certain you won’t be disappointed.”

Hearing this, Qin Tuo’s mind was put at ease. He believed that the collection of such an important figure would not be a disappointment.

Following proper etiquette, Long Wu announced their intention to pay respects to the elder gentleman.

The butler at the gate nodded and hurried inside. Before long, an elderly man in a simple, traditional robe came out to welcome them personally.

While still some distance away, Long Wu let out a hearty laugh and walked forward to greet him.

Qin Tuo followed suit, inwardly sizing up the former high-ranking official.

It was clear that even though Long Wu was the Emperor of the Southwest Underground World, he didn’t dare show the slightest disrespect to a major figure from the Imperial Court.

”Mr. Ouyang, it’s been a while! You haven’t aged a day!”

Long Wu said with a booming laugh.

Mr. Ouyang stroked his beard, his face wreathed in smiles.

”Long Wu, what brings you here in person?”

Suddenly, his eyes fell on Qin Tuo, and something stirred within him.

He had initially assumed Qin Tuo was merely Long Wu’s bodyguard.

But now he noticed that Long Wu was, almost imperceptibly, half a step behind Qin Tuo...

At that moment, Mr. Ouyang couldn’t help but scrutinize Qin Tuo more closely.

Long Wu chuckled and said,

”Mr. Ouyang, allow me to introduce you. This is Mr. Qin. He greatly admires your collection and made a special trip to visit today.”

”Haha, not a problem at all! Please, both of you, come in!”

Mr. Ouyang laughed, putting on a show of great enthusiasm.

Inwardly, however, he was puzzled.

’This young man is strange. How can someone so young command such respect from Long Wu? What’s his story...?’

But he didn’t dwell on it. He led the two into the manor and began the tour.

”Gentlemen, please look. This corridor is one of my proudest achievements. It contains a total of forty-nine antiques, each and every one a rare treasure.”

Mr. Ouyang’s face beamed with pride as he spoke.

Qin Tuo could tell that Mr. Ouyang loved showing off his collection; it was his life’s greatest passion.

Mr. Ouyang’s heart would swell with immense pride whenever he saw outsiders marveling at his collection.

Mr. Ouyang put on no airs, personally introducing the antiques to Qin Tuo and Long Wu.

”Gentlemen, please look. This painting is an authentic work from a thousand years ago, during a former dynasty. It is said to be the final masterpiece of the Painting Saint of that era, painted just before his death. Its value is simply immeasurable.”

At the end of the corridor, Mr. Ouyang gestured toward an ancient painting.

Seeing the looks of awe on both Qin Tuo’s and Long Wu’s faces, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Qin Tuo narrowed his eyes, studying it intently.

’Not bad. It’s a genuine work by the Painting Saint. The spiritual essence it radiates is incredibly rich—several times stronger than that Celestial Snow Lotus. I wonder if absorbing the Spiritual Qi from this painting will allow me to break through.’

Qin Tuo felt a sudden impulse, wishing he could just take action right then and there.

In fact, ever since stepping into the manor, he could feel the presence of Spiritual Qi all around. It was clear that every object here was imbued with an incredibly dense spiritual essence.

”Young man, does this painting meet your approval?”

Seeing Qin Tuo in a daze, Elder Mr. Ouyang couldn’t help but ask with a smile.

Qin Tuo snapped out of it and nodded.

”Mr. Ouyang, this painting is indeed the final masterpiece of the Painting Saint. One could only ever hope to see such a priceless treasure here in your home.”

”Hahaha! The young man has a discerning eye! You must stay for dinner before you leave!”

Hearing Qin Tuo’s praise, Elder Mr. Ouyang couldn’t help but roar with laughter.

The more he looked at Qin Tuo, the more he liked him.

The group continued deeper into the house, arriving in a room that glittered with gold and jade.

It was filled with all manner of gold, jade, and other treasures, enough to blind a person.

”Take a look. This is all just gold and silver, but they are all artifacts from ancient times. I had experts appraise them myself—every last one is authentic.”

Elder Mr. Ouyang proudly presented another part of his treasured collection.

Even for Long Wu, the Emperor of the Southwest Underground World, the sight made his breath catch in his throat.

’Gods! So much gold and jewelry... I can’t even imagine how much it would be worth in cash!’

Long Wu was left speechless.

Qin Tuo, however, appeared perfectly calm.

The Spiritual Qi contained within these precious metals was clearly not as dense as that from the antique paintings and calligraphy.

’It seems that items personally handled by the ancients possess a more abundant spiritual essence!’

Qin Tuo came to a conclusion.

’Oh? He’s surprisingly calm...’

Mr. Ouyang happened to glance over and was surprised to see Qin Tuo looking even more composed than he’d expected.

He smiled to himself.

’Young man, I’ll show you something that will really open your eyes!’

Then, Mr. Ouyang led them out of the room and announced with great solemnity,

”Today, I have prepared a special viewing of the most prized piece in my entire collection. I invite you both to appreciate it!”

”Oh, it seems we’re in for a treat today!”

Long Wu laughed, his face full of anticipation.

A servant then brought out a large chest and placed it before them.

Elder Mr. Ouyang stepped forward and carefully opened the chest himself.

A closer look revealed an ancient, yellowed robe lying quietly inside.

Qin Tuo’s heart skipped a beat when he saw it.

’Could that be a dragon robe worn by an ancient Emperor?’

Indeed, it was a dragon robe.

Although it was yellowed with age, its majestic aura was still strikingly vivid.

Beside them, Long Wu was already completely dumbstruck.

Mr. Ouyang said proudly,

”Gentlemen, what do you think of this piece?”

Long Wu’s eyes widened, and he clapped his hands in praise. ”This is a true eye-opener! This piece is simply astonishing!”

But unexpectedly, as Qin Tuo carefully observed the dragon robe, his brow suddenly furrowed.