Before the perilous pass of the towering fortress, perhaps due to the terrain, the blowing snow accelerated, biting to the bone with an icy chill.
Lin Huang looked up at the Ancient Withered characters on the giant fortress wall, his expression shifting slightly.
Yongxue Pass!
On Lin Huang’s route from the Great Xia Dynasty to Piaoxue Palace, there were two places he could not bypass no matter what. The first was the Blood Triangle, and the second was this Yongxue Pass!
He and Qin Xuance had analyzed this earlier. Before he reached Yongxue Pass, the people from the Celestial Thunder Sect and Fengyu Tower would inevitably realize he was traveling alone for thousands of miles. Once they realized this, they would definitely wait for him here.
Looking at the several solemn figures standing on Yongxue Pass, their disdainful gazes piercing down, Lin Huang took a deep breath and quietly suppressed his Martial Arts aura to the Human Element Third Heaven. Fortunately, Lin Huang had assumed a Disguise back in the Xitang Dynasty. Now, his face was dark, and though young, he was somewhat hunchbacked. Dressed in coarse hemp garments, his skin appeared incredibly rough.
"What is going on?" Jia Wanjing asked weakly from inside the carriage.
"Master Jia, there are people blocking the road ahead," Lin Huang replied. Although they were quite far away and he couldn’t clearly see their figures, Lin Huang naturally knew that these people were definitely from the Celestial Thunder Sect and Fengyu Tower. He just didn’t know if Hann Shan and Qii Lie were among them.
Soon after, a Celestial Element Realm Martial Artist from the front of the merchant caravan turned back and spoke to Jia Wanjing in the carriage. "Master Jia, these people are not simple. There are no less than ten Celestial Element Realm Martial Artists. It might be a bit tricky to pass through."
"Ask them how much money they want!" Jia Wanjing was straightforward; the one thing he didn’t lack was money.
Before long, two people walked down from Yongxue Pass and slowly approached the caravan. With their steps, a sharp aura wrapped in the wind and snow slapped painfully against everyone’s faces. Their eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s, sweeping directly across everyone’s faces before stopping in front of Lin Huang.
Lin Huang’s heart skipped a beat. Facing the two murderous Celestial Element Martial Artists, he looked visibly panicked and hurriedly called out to the person inside the carriage, "Master Jia, the two lords have arrived!"
Jia Wanjing weakly stepped out of the carriage. His body appeared increasingly frail, as if a gust of wind could blow him over. "May I ask for your names? I am Jia Wanjing of Xitang!"
"The wealthiest man in Xitang, Jia Wanjing?" The two were visibly surprised. They hadn’t expected this unremarkable-looking caravan to be hiding Xitang’s wealthiest man, Jia Wanjing. As for what had happened to the Jia Family, they were naturally well aware of it.
"You don’t need to know who we are. We will only give you a quarter of an hour to consider. If you want to pass Yongxue Pass, leave behind ten million gold coins. Otherwise, you can only leave your life here."
COUGH COUGH COUGH!
Hearing this, Jia Wanjing coughed violently a few times, his withered face flushing red. Before he could speak, the two Celestial Element Martial Artists added, "Moreover, these ten million gold coins will at most only allow you to pass Yongxue Pass. Everyone else must stay here."
Hearing this, Lin Huang’s heart turned cold. These two were absolutely people from Fengyu Tower and the Celestial Thunder Sect. They presumably knew he might have adopted a Disguise, so they held the mentality of rather killing a thousand innocents than letting a single target escape. No one would be allowed to pass Yongxue Pass. Even with Jia Wanjing, they couldn’t determine whether he was real or fake. Thus, there was only one method: as long as this person could produce ten million gold coins, he was real; if not, he would die. Whether true or false, they had absolutely nothing to lose. If he were real, they would even make a net profit of ten million gold coins.
"Your way of doing things is a bit too aligned with the Tyrant Path," Jia Wanjing said, frowning at the two Celestial Element Martial Artists in front of him. "Even for highway robbery, things are never done this way."
"There is no room for negotiation today. If you want to bargain, you must also have the strength and confidence to do so," one of the Celestial Element Martial Artists snorted, not taking the caravan seriously at all. After all, on Yongxue Pass behind him stood ten Celestial Element Realm Martial Artists. How could this mere caravan compare?
Initially, they were also puzzled. To intercept and kill Lin Huang, a single Earth Element Realm Martial Artist would be enough. Why go through so much trouble? It wasn’t until they arrived at Yongxue Pass that they understood. The terrain here was treacherous, making it an excellent place for murder and robbery. Staying here for three days, the wealth they accumulated could match half a year’s harvest in their Sect. They not only gained profit but also ensured they absolutely wouldn’t let Lin Huang slip away. Why hadn’t they discovered such a good thing before?
"Who exactly are you people? I have traveled the East Spirit Realm for decades, and no one has ever dared to block my path," Jia Wanjing said sternly, clearly unwilling to compromise with their terms. Ten million gold coins to buy his own life, yet not his daughter’s? What kind of logic was that! Robbing wealth was one thing, but they also wanted to kill?
"Mr. Jia, don’t pretend to be so tough. Either hand over the money or your life. Half of this quarter hour has already passed," a Celestial Element Martial Artist said, not caring about Jia Wanjing’s words in the slightest.
"Do you know that my son-in-law is Fengg Wanli of the Blood Triangle? If he finds out you laid a hand on the Jia Family, is the wrath of the Blood Robe Alliance something you can bear?" Jia Wanjing threatened sharply.
"Fengg Wanli?" The two Celestial Element Martial Artists muttered with a slight frown, then laughed unscrupulously. "Since that is the case, you can’t blame us. If all of you die here, who will Fengg Wanli seek out for revenge?"
The two did not fear Fengg Wanli. Although he was one of the major Overlords of the Blood Triangle, if Jia Wanjing died here, how would Fengg Wanli know who did it? They wouldn’t stay here for long anyway. Even if Fengg Wanli came, they would have long since left. Even if Fengg Wanli knew their identities, would he dare seek revenge against Fengyu Tower and the Celestial Thunder Sect?
Standing to the side, Lin Huang also frowned inwardly. He hadn’t expected the people from the Celestial Thunder Sect and Fengyu Tower to be so resolute in their desire to kill him, and it seemed very difficult to break through. Even if he revealed his identity, he likely wouldn’t be able to save this caravan.
"Who is your boss? I’ll go talk to them. I believe they will make a wise decision," Jia Wanjing said. Although his body was extremely weak, he was, after all, someone who had been immersed in the business world for decades. What kind of storms had he not seen? His withered face appeared exceedingly calm.
"Hmph, you don’t have the qualifications to see our boss!" one of the Celestial Element Martial Artists sneered.
"Then, relying on the words ’Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers,’ do I have the qualifications to see him?" A layer of frost covered Jia Wanjing’s face. He then ignored the two, stepped away from the carriage, and shakily made his way toward Yongxue Pass.
"Father..." Seeing Jia Wanjing walk toward Yongxue Pass, Jia Xuexuan’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
Meanwhile, Lin Huang looked at the swaying, frail figure ahead with a complex expression. A touch of curiosity also rose in his heart as Jia Wanjing’s recent whisper echoed in his mind, "If I haven’t come out within half a quarter of an hour, hurry and drive the carriage, taking Xuanxuan to flee Yongxue Pass."
Lin Huang did not understand what kind of confidence Jia Wanjing had to face the ten great Celestial Element Martial Artists of the Celestial Thunder Sect and Fengyu Tower. Was he relying on his silver tongue? Or was he relying on the Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers?
Amidst the wind and snow, Jia Wanjing walked into Yongxue Pass, coughing continuously. The two Celestial Element Martial Artists from earlier followed behind him, and the three figures gradually vanished from everyone’s sight.
Lin Huang gripped the horsewhip in his hand and took a deep breath. If there was the slightest thing wrong, he would rapidly leave this place. Beneath the towering Yongxue Pass, apart from the howling sound of the wind and snow, there was no other sound at all. The people of the caravan looked at Yongxue Pass, their expressions somewhat grave. The caravan’s four Celestial Element Martial Artists were even blushing with shame. As dignified Celestial Element Martial Artists, they couldn’t even get a word in front of these people, and they had actually let a sickly man step into Yongxue Pass alone.
Time passed.
As time passed, the wind and snow seemed to grow even more mournful. Lin Huang calculated the time, his hand gripping the horsewhip tightening a bit more. Inside Yongxue Pass, there was also no movement at all. Neither Jia Wanjing’s figure nor the people from the Celestial Thunder Sect and Fengyu Tower could be seen.
Outside the pass, the caravan’s horses suddenly became quite restless, as if they had sensed something and wanted to flee the area. Jia Xuexuan’s fair hands gripped the hem of her clothes, grabbing tighter and tighter. The veins on her pale palms were already bulging, and her clear eyes gradually filled with despair.
A full half a quarter of an hour passed. The entirety of Yongxue Pass was terrifyingly quiet.
Just as Lin Huang tightened the reins, preparing to take Jia Xuexuan and leave, a hunched figure suddenly walked out of Yongxue Pass. The figure appeared too weak to withstand the wind, continuously covering his mouth and coughing. However, he waved his hand, signaling for everyone to move forward.
In the carriage behind, Jia Xuexuan wept tears of joy, continuously urging Lin Huang to hurry up so they could pick up her father. Lin Huang also let out a long sigh of relief, driving the carriage toward Jia Wanjing at top speed. However, his heart was full of doubts. He wondered how Jia Wanjing had persuaded those ten Celestial Element Martial Artists to let everyone pass through Yongxue Pass.
After Jia Wanjing got into the carriage, Lin Huang could clearly feel that Jia Wanjing’s coughing had visibly worsened compared to before. In addition, Lin Huang could also smell the lingering trace of a bloody scent on Jia Wanjing’s body.
"Could it be?" Lin Huang suddenly thought of something. He then turned around, lifted the carriage curtain, and said, "Master Jia, have some water. This will help ease it a bit."
Jia Wanjing hummed twice in response, took Lin Huang’s water skin, and gave Lin Huang a deep look.
When Lin Huang dropped the curtain and turned his head back to continue driving the carriage, his expression had drastically changed. The speculations and thoughts in his heart grew increasingly intense. Although Jia Wanjing was coughing severely, when Lin Huang had handed the water in just now, he didn’t notice him coughing up blood. So where did the bloody scent on Jia Wanjing come from?
"Did he kill all ten of those Celestial Element Martial Artists?"
Thinking of this, Lin Huang felt a bit frightened himself. If it really was as he speculated, then this Jia Wanjing was a bit too terrifying.
Those who knew Jia Wanjing all knew that this person didn’t have any Martial Arts Cultivation. The reason he was able to become incredibly wealthy all across the land relied entirely on his son-in-law’s prestige and his own sharp mind. Yet, to be able to kill a dozen Celestial Element Martial Artists within half a quarter of an hour without suffering the slightest injury himself, one must have at least the Cultivation of the Celestial Element Seventh Heaven.
If that were really the case, how could Jia Wanjing not be terrifying? What was the purpose of a person hiding their Cultivation for decades? If he was a person with no Cultivation at all, he might not value the Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers. But for someone who had Cultivation, facing the various rumors about the Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers, could he really be unmoved? How could he hand it over to Xuanyuan Tibing so easily?
Thinking of this, Lin Huang felt a headache coming on... this matter was far too complicated! The Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers that had circulated for hundreds of years, the countless mummies drained of their flesh and blood, the Human World Myth Xuanyuan Tibing, the mysterious Blood Shadow that snatched away souls, and the seemingly weak but profoundly hidden Jia Wanjing.