He began to search frantically through the vault. Soon, he had dragged two sturdy wooden chests into an open space. He grabbed handfuls of silver dollars and stuffed them inside.
He then selected some high-purity gold jewelry and gems with simple designs.
He didn’t stop until both chests were packed so full that he could just barely close the lids.
Zhao the Third patted the chests and muttered, "This will be enough for them to live out their lives in peace."
Just as he prepared to drag the chests away, his eyes happened to drift over a few inconspicuous cabinets in a corner, which were used to display miscellaneous antiques from previous dynasties.
In the central cabinet, a walking stick lay horizontally on a solitary sandalwood stand.
The body of the staff was a deep, muted shade of dark purple. Its natural grain formed spiraling cloud patterns, and a faint luster seemed to flow within the wood.
The head of the staff was uncarved and naturally gnarled, resembling a dragon’s head and possessing an air of ancient, rugged power.
Zhao the Third stopped in his tracks. He slowly approached. "What dynasty is this relic from? The Spiritual Qi inside is so abundant..."
"Could it be a protective artifact left behind by some Qi Refiner from the Zulong Dynasty?"
As he spoke, Zhao the Third carefully lifted the walking stick from its stand.
He cautiously tried to infuse his own Huajin into it.
HUMMM...
On the surface of the Purple Vine Staff, the spiraling cloud patterns seemed to come to life, abruptly flaring with a fleeting purple halo.
It then quickly reverted to its former unadorned appearance.
Seeing this, Zhao the Third’s eyes lit up with delight!
"Just as I thought! It’s forged from that extremely rare spirit wood of the Zulong Dynasty! And it’s of the highest quality!"
He excitedly caressed the body of the staff. "With this kind of power, shattering metal and breaking steel would be a trivial matter! HAHAHAHA! What a magnificent treasure! A gift from the heavens!"
After the initial euphoria, however, the smile on Zhao the Third’s face gradually turned bitter. He shook his head. "A pity. Such a pity... My time is almost up. I don’t have many days left to live."
"A peerless treasure like this in my hands is just a waste, left to gather dust."
He looked at the two chests filled with gold and silver, then at the Purple Vine Staff in his hand, its glow subdued.
"My two poor, helpless grandchildren... for them to possess such an extraordinary treasure wouldn’t be a blessing. It would be a death warrant that invites disaster!"
"A common man commits no crime, but possessing a treasure does..."
In this world, some things weren’t better just because they were more precious. Not without the strength to protect them.
The finest treasures would only attract the covetous eyes of jackals and wolves, ultimately getting one killed for nothing.
"Forget it. Since I can’t take it with me, and I can’t leave it to bring disaster upon my grandchildren, I’ll just let it remain buried here forever."
Zhao the Third muttered to himself. Just as he was about to return the Purple Vine Staff to its place, his pupils contracted and he snapped his head around.
A figure had appeared at the entrance to the vault at some unknown time.
Lu Yun stood there, arms casually folded across his chest, watching him with a placid expression. There was no telling how long he had been there.
’This old monster... didn’t he go chasing the "Immortal Flesh"?’
’How did he follow me here? When did he arrive? How could I, a Warlock and a Grandmaster of Huajin, have been completely oblivious!’
Zhao the Third held the Purple Vine Staff horizontally across his chest, his eyes full of vigilance.
"I already gave you the Immortal Flesh, didn’t I? Why are you still following me?"
"I find it hard to believe... that someone with your prowess and Realm would have any interest in the Cao Family’s treasures."
Lu Yun truly had no interest in these treasures, but he didn’t mind helping himself to some.
Next, Lu Yun unhurriedly took out a dark-gold silk bundle from within his clothes.
The next moment, a slight force emanated from his palm. A surge of Huajin burst forth and brushed across the bundle.
The silk ties came undone on their own, and the bundle slowly opened like a blooming flower, revealing its contents.
It was a piece of flesh about the size of a pebble, as black as ink.
This piece of flesh was no dead thing. It pulsed faintly, like a piece of heart muscle freshly excised from a living body, still teeming with life.
"Mr. Zhao, this object’s form is rather complex. My own learning is shallow, so I am as yet unable to determine its authenticity. Thus, I have come specifically to you, its original owner, for confirmation."
’Confirmation?’
Zhao the Third’s heart trembled. He stared intently at Lu Yun’s placid face.
’This old fox is cautious to a terrifying degree!’
’The first thing he did upon receiving the "Immortal Flesh" wasn’t to try it in a fit of ecstasy, but to question its authenticity!’
’What incredible cunning! What unshakable composure!’
Zhao the Third’s heart was now filled only with a deeper dread and a strange sense of admiration. To make an enemy of such a man was terrifying.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. In a low voice, he said, "This... doesn’t seem like the right place to talk, does it?"
「Linjiang City, a remote residential area in the western district.」
The night was deep and all was still at an inconspicuous old house with a small, private courtyard.
In the courtyard, Zhao the Third was busy digging a deep pit beneath an old pagoda tree. He took a small portion of gold and silver from the two chests he had brought, buried the rest at the bottom of the pit, then carefully refilled the earth and tamped it down.
Finally, he replanted the old pagoda tree, whose roots he had carefully preserved during the excavation, erasing all traces of his work.
All the while, Lu Yun sat quietly on a stone bench in the corner of the courtyard, watching him complete his task like a patient observer.
Not until Zhao the Third had brushed the dirt from his hands and straightened up, panting, did Lu Yun follow him into the tidy main hall.
"Hahaha, Xiaofei, Xiaolan, wake up! Grandpa’s home!" Zhao the Third’s voice grew gentle as he called toward an inner room.
A moment later, he emerged leading two sleepy-eyed children by the hand, both of them rubbing their eyes.

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