CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 0029: THERE IS A TREASURE IN THE CAVE_1

The cave was so bare it was almost bleak. There was only one main hall, which contained a stone table and several stone stools, and two smaller rooms.

One of the small rooms was clearly for cultivation; a meditation cushion lay on the floor, though it was so old and tattered it was barely recognizable. The other room held a wooden bed covered with thatched grass that had long since rotted away, marking it as the sleeping quarters.

"Doesn’t this Cultivator need to eat? How is there no kitchen?" Zhang Bin wondered, his face clouded with doubt.

His confusion was quickly resolved, however, when the Little Fox began squeaking incessantly beside a particular stone wall. Zhang Bin walked over and peered closely. His eyes widened in surprise when he discovered a door that blended seamlessly with the stone wall.

He pushed hard but couldn’t move it an inch. Then, he sniffed the air and caught a strange fragrance, like the scent of sandalwood.

Could there be treasures hidden inside? Zhang Bin wondered.

He quickly dismissed the idea when he saw the Little Fox’s face was filled with sadness, its eyes glistening with tears. He immediately surmised that the Cultivator’s body was likely inside. The man must have locked the door from within before passing away in meditation.

"No wonder I smell sandalwood. It must be the remains of a successful Cultivator. But why would he choose to pass away in meditation in the kitchen?" Zhang Bin murmured, bowing three times before walking away.

He continued to roam the cave, searching for anything related to cultivation.

BOOM...

Perhaps Zhang Bin had triggered a mechanism. The deepest part of the cave suddenly shook, and a section of the stone wall collapsed, revealing a pitch-black passage.

SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! The Little Fox let out a terrified cry, retreating repeatedly as if there were a fearsome monster in the passage.

Wary, Zhang Bin slowly approached and shone his flashlight into the passage. He immediately gasped in shock. The passage was filled with piles of white bones, and many areas were stained with dark red blood.

The bones didn’t seem human, however; they appeared to be from wild beasts. Moreover, several rusty iron bars had been installed, completely sealing off the passage.

Could this passage lead to the Abyss, allowing monsters to come through? Was there a terrifying battle here? A fight between Cultivators and powerful beasts? Zhang Bin’s curiosity grew. He was eager to know what the Abyss really was and what kind of fearsome monsters it contained.

He now understood that the Spiritual Energy was denser in this Cave Mansion because of this very passage.

ROAR!

A monstrous, earth-shaking roar suddenly echoed from the passage, causing the entire cave to tremble.

Damn, there really is something huge in there, Zhang Bin thought, secretly shocked. His eyes darted around as he rapidly piled the collapsed stones back into a makeshift wall, hiding the iron bars from view.

This way, even if a monster approached, it wouldn’t see inside the Cave Mansion and wouldn’t be drawn to attack the bars frantically.

This Cave Mansion was perfect for his cultivation. It also provided him with a convenient alibi; he could simply claim his master had lived here before passing away in meditation.

SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! The Little Fox shrieked, pointing at a protruding stone on the cave wall.

Zhang Bin scurried over and pushed the stone with all his might. With a low rumble, two stone doors slid out from the walls, sealing the cave completely. He pushed it in the opposite direction, and the doors retracted.

"Not bad, not bad at all. This really is a proper Cave Mansion, perfect for me to cultivate in seclusion." A joyful expression appeared on Zhang Bin’s face. He then stared intently at the Little Fox. "Xiao Qian, tell me, where did the owner of this Cave Mansion hide his treasures?"

The Little Fox hesitated for a moment before shaking her head repeatedly.

There’s a chance, Zhang Bin judged internally. In a tempting tone, he said, "Xiao Qian, if you don’t tell me, there will be no more Spiritual Energy for you to cultivate with."

The Little Fox instantly grew anxious, leaping into Zhang Bin’s arms and whining appealingly. But Zhang Bin didn’t soften his stance or give in.

The Little Fox had no choice but to submit. With her head hung low, she led Zhang Bin out of the Cave Mansion to the edge of the cliff. She then wriggled into a tiny hole, no wider than a bowl, and emerged carrying a Jade Vial.

Zhang Bin eagerly snatched the Jade Vial and examined it closely, noticing two characters inscribed on the lid: Gathering Qi Pill. He opened it and found ten bean-sized Elixirs inside, each exuding an enticing, fresh fragrance.

"Gathering Qi Pill? What kind of Elixir is this?" Joy spread across Zhang Bin’s face, though of course, there was no one to answer him.

He looked at the Little Fox again. "What about the other treasures?"

The Little Fox shook her head incessantly, her eyes brimming with fresh tears.

Although Zhang Bin suspected this was just one of the Little Fox’s tricks, his heart softened, and he found himself unable to press her further. Eventually, I’ll find a way to get her to hand over all of the owner’s treasures, he resolved.

So, holding the vial of Elixirs, he began to wander through the surrounding forest.

Soon, he let out a cry of surprised delight. "I’m rich! I’m really rich!" He had spotted Ginseng, Polygonum Multiflorum, and Lingzhi, all of which looked to be quite old.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out they had been planted by the owner of the Cave Mansion.

But confusion quickly clouded his face. Why were there only a few plants? The owner should have planted a whole patch.

He observed the area carefully, searching around. Then he stamped his foot in frustration. He saw many empty pits in the ground where plants had clearly been dug up. Some of the pits were even fresh, looking as if they had been dug very recently.

Is someone else here? A chill ran down Zhang Bin’s spine.

A careful search revealed no other traces of human activity, and he felt somewhat relieved. Still, he decided to dig up the remaining Spiritual Medicines right away.

To his surprise, as he raised his dagger to start digging, the Little Fox leaped forward. She furiously shielded the Spiritual Medicines, glaring at Zhang Bin and gesturing wildly to indicate that they were her treasures and he couldn’t have them.

"You’re saying these are your Spiritual Medicines?" Zhang Bin asked in frustration.

The Little Fox nodded emphatically.

"They were planted by the owner of the Cave Mansion, who was a Human. You’re just a fox. Therefore, these Spiritual Medicines belong to me," Zhang Bin argued, being deliberately unreasonable.

The Little Fox shook her head repeatedly, her face filled with anger. She bared her teeth, and a powerful Oppression began to radiate from her small body.

Zhang Bin was secretly alarmed. He furrowed his brows and asked, "Are you the Cave Mansion owner’s pet? Is that why all his treasures belong to you?"

The Little Fox nodded emphatically, giving him a look that clearly said, "It took you long enough to figure that out."

So Xiao Qian really does have an extraordinary background, Zhang Bin marveled internally. "In that case, how old are you?" he asked. "Let me guess... a hundred years?"