CHAPTER 104: ANCESTRAL GRAVE EXPLOSION

"The Hall of Protectionists and White Cloud Warrior Academy are both on high alert at the moment, so make sure to be careful when entering the White Cloud Prefecture, Uncle-master Mu."

"Don't worry about us. No one that comes after us will live to tell the tale."

Fang Che's expression darkened slightly upon seeing this.

It seemed that the Church of the Self-Righteous had sent an extremely powerful warrior. Otherwise, Mu Linyuan wouldn't have the confidence to make such a declaration.

Fang Che took a moment to consider the roster of most powerful warriors in White Cloud Warrior Academy and the Hall of Protectionists, then immediately dismissed the thought. There was no way that anyone from those organizations could be a match for a warrior that Mu Linyuan spoke of in such high regard.

With that in mind, he immediately decided against tipping the Protectionists off to the arrival of Mu Linyuan's party, and to prevent Ye Meng from doing so in his stead, he took her out on a trip.

Furthermore, he requested two days' worth of leave from the academy, citing a need to take care of some personal matters.

If there were people monitoring him, then they would follow him out of the city.

If not, then he would just treat it like a two-day outing.

His request for leave was approved by Li Changkong.

Upon returning to the Virtue Manor, he declared to Ye Meng, "Let's go on a spring outing outside of the city."

"But it's already autumn, Young Master."

"In that case, let's go on an autumn outing."

"... Alright."

Fang Che had placed all of the jade in the study, and he wasn't worried in the slightest that what the Church of the Self-Righteous was looking for would be among them.

There were a bunch of counterfeits among them, and by Fang Che's estimates, not even a third of it was actually even jade at all.

I can only hope that the Guardians are prepared, but I hope they don't come to confront them here. Otherwise, things could get really messy!

Fang Che promptly left the city with Ye Meng.

He was riding a pure, black stallion with not a single strand of fur of any different color, and he was dressed in his usual gold-embroidered black cloak.

Ye Meng was dressed all in pure white with a white steed to match, and the two of them appeared like a prince and princess that had stepped out of a fairytale, drawing looks of awe and envy from all directions on the entire way out of the city.

***

Bei Mingxin had already examined over ten piles of jade in succession to no avail, and he was utterly exhausted.

After another fruitless search, he finally arrived at Fang Che's manor with Mu Linyuan.

Inside the study was a small mountain of jade piled up to around seven to eight feet tall.

Bei Mingxin immediately let loose a deflated groan.

This was the largest pile of jade yet, and this pile alone contained more than twice the total amount he had examined thus far.

He decided to sit down and take a break before tackling this monumental task.

Never had he imagined that he would be subjected to such grueling manual labor as the Enforcement Altar Master of the Church of the Self-Righteous.

He was just about to complain when he noticed a cup of fragrant tea sitting on the table, giving off a faint aroma that instantly lifted his spirits a little.

At the same time, he spotted a lavish feast laid out on a table off to the side, complete with ten jars of fine wine and a large collection of delectable dishes.

There was also a note that read: "Dinner and a midnight snack have already been arranged, they will be delivered to the front gate at the appropriate mealtimes. There's also more wine next door if you need."

It was a simple and concise note that didn't contain any formalities or attempts at appeasement.

It was a very heartwarming note that made Bei Mingxin feel as if he had returned to his own home.

Around half a kilogram of tea leaves had been prepared, in addition to plenty of hot water.

"You've got quite a thoughtful and capable subordinate here, Elder Mu," Bei Mingxin praised. "Not only has he collected the most jade by far out of anyone up to this point, he's provided us with some very thoughtful hospitality as well."

Mu Linyuan was also very pleased.

Night Demon had truly outdone himself.

This was a very thoughtful and considerate gesture, and it was particularly impressive that he had managed to arrange everything with the entire residence vacated.

He could've easily overdone it by writing a more elaborate note or leaving a servant behind to tend to Mu Linyuan and Bei Mingxin, but he had impressively avoided all of those pitfalls.

"He's an alright kid," Mu Linyuan replied with a smile. "How about we have a drink together, Master Bei?"

"Sure. I could certainly use a break."

He raised his teacup and downed its contents in one go, feeling much more refreshed and invigorated.

At their cultivation base, they no longer had to worry about being poisoned, and everything was very sanitary, with the wine and dishes thoughtfully placed under a mesh cover.

The two of them sat down at the table and shared a meal and some drinks.

"You seem very comfortable here, Elder Mu, almost like you've returned to your own home," Bei Mingxin remarked with a smile.

"This manor belongs to a member of our One Heart Church, so in a way, it kind of is my home," Mu Linyuan said.

"I also have many subordinates, but I'm never quite so comfortable when visiting their homes," Bei Mingxin said, clearly unconvinced by Mu Linyuan's explanation. "Could this be a secret stronghold of your One Heart Church? No, that can't be it. A stronghold wouldn't be deserted like this."

A hint of suspicion surfaced in his eyes as he spoke.

"Alright, I'll come clean with you, Master Bei. This is the home of a disciple of mine, but he still hasn't officially joined our church, and he's also unaware of my identity. He comes from a decently powerful clan, so I've kept my identity secret from him as a safety precaution," Mu Linyuan explained, fabricating a story to placate Bei Mingxin.

"I see. No wonder you seem so comfortable here. Aren't you exposing him by ordering him to collect jade like this?"

"I have to tie him to our church eventually, so why not do it now?" Mu Linyuan chuckled.

Bei Mingxin burst into laughter upon hearing this.

"You're trying to drag his entire clan down with him!"

"I wouldn't go quite that far. All he's doing is collecting jade, and he hasn't been inducted into our church, so the Protectionists won't target his clan. Perhaps they'll take this opportunity to join our One Heart Church, or perhaps not. Both are acceptable outcomes to me. In all honesty, I think it would be best if he doesn't join our church. That is the most flexible path for him."

Bei Mingxin nodded in agreement, and his suspicions over Mu Linyuan's casual demeanor were finally dispelled.

As for Mu Linyuan, he was heaving an internal sigh of relief, having almost exposed Night Demon in a moment of carelessness.

After a filling meal, Bei Mingxin turned his attention to the mountain of jade in the room as he sighed with a wry smile, "A day and a night may not be enough."

***

While Bei Mingxin was working on the mountain of jade, Fang Che had already arrived outside the southern gate of the White Cloud Prefecture, where he was greeted by a sprawling expanse of villages, some of which were separate from one another, while others were connected in long lines.

It was a very serene and tranquil sight, and the sound of children's laughter could occasionally be heard ringing out from the villages.

It was around lunchtime when two majestic horses, one black and one white, trotted their way into the village.

Their riders were none other than Fang Che and Ye Meng, and the former was eagerly taking in the tranquil sights and scenes around him.

This was the type of scenery that he liked the most.

In his past life, one of his favorite pastimes was to lay down on a hill near a village to watch the farmers work in their fields while inhaling the refreshing fragrance of the crops.

Ye Meng was also looking on with a faint smile, clearly pleased with this change of pace.

The sound of the trotting horse hooves gradually slowed down, and the farmers that passed the two of them by only dared to sneak a fleeting glance at them before hurriedly lowering their heads and walking past.

Even their voices had gotten much quieter for fear of disturbing the regal duo.

Fang Che didn't disturb them, either, nor did he interfere with their lives by tossing around any silver.

Careless financial aid from him would only break the equilibrium of the village, and that could lead to terrible consequences.

Along the way, Fang Che eavesdropped on the conversations of the farmers, who were discussing topics such as the latest gossip, whose children were doing well, who had pretty wives, who had recently come into wealth...

Before long, he overheard a piece of interesting news.

"Did you hear? Landlord Sun's ancestral grave exploded the other day!"

"I didn't hear about it exploding, but I did hear that it started releasing black smoke."

"That's the same thing, you idiot!"

"No, it's not!"

"It is!"

Many of the passersby were discussing this topic, and it was clearly a major event as far as the residents of the village were concerned.

He had heard of ancestral graves collapsing, moving, or being robbed, but never had he heard of one exploding, and his curiosity was piqued.

Should I go take a look?