BPIFC -Volume 1 – Chapter 65 The Prize

Besides Zhang Zhiyan, several others had suffered injuries of varying severity. Sun Desheng swept his gaze around and found that there was hardly a single person present who wasn’t wounded.

There had originally been a trace of hope in Huang Ran’s eyes, but when he saw that only Sun Desheng and Che Qianzi had arrived, his expression dimmed.

After taking a deep breath, he forced a bitter smile and said to the fat man, “Great Sage, is it just you and this little brother? I thought Yang Xiao would come too…”

“Don’t mention that bastard. He’s gone crazy—completely lost it.”

Sun Desheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued, “Not that I’m bragging, but once we’re back at the Bureau, I’ll hire a couple of handsome young studs at his wife’s school and have them pass love notes to her every day. That’ll piss him off to death.”

As he spoke, Sun Fatty’s eyes swept over Huang Ran’s people before finally stopping on the unconscious Zhang Zhiyan, who was covered in blood.

“What happened to Stutter Zhang? He looks like he’s almost done for.”

“He was injured by the spiders while trying to save me.”

Meng Qiqi looked anxiously at Zhang Zhiyan. Walking over, she sat beside him and gently lifted his head onto her lap.

“He shouldn’t have played the hero… and now he’s dragged himself down with it…”

As she spoke, the tomboyish Miss Meng actually burst into tears.

Huang Ran sighed as well and said to Sun Desheng and Che Qianzi, “Things went very badly this time. After we came down, we triggered the Life-Severing Formation. We escaped to the upper burial chamber, only to run into the Lust Spiders. We fought our way here, losing several men along the way. And now Zhiyan has ended up like this…”

After glancing at the two men, he continued, “I originally thought that with Yang Xiao around, you’d be able to make it here. I never expected him to abandon us. Great Sage, how did the two of you manage to fight your way through?”

This time, Huang Ran had never anticipated that there would be demonic beasts beneath the tomb, so he had brought no weapons specifically meant to deal with them.

After enormous effort and the loss of several key men, they had only managed to hide here by following the talismans drawn by the old monk.

For Sun Desheng and his young companion to make it this far, they must have had some special means.

“Old Yang lost his mind, but your brother here is still around.”

Sun Desheng chuckled.

“To be honest, I vented all the anger I had toward that bastard Yang Xiao onto those land crabs. The distant ones, I blasted with the shotgun. The close ones, I stabbed to death. Somehow, after fighting all the way here, I ended up wiping them all out.”

“Honestly, I feel a little regret. I should’ve kept one or two alive, boiled them, and checked whether they tasted like river crabs or sea crabs.”

“So… Great Sage, you’re saying you killed all the Lust Spiders?”

Although Huang Ran directed the question toward Sun Desheng, his eyes had already turned toward Che Qianzi.

He knew exactly what Sun Desheng was capable of.

Since it obviously wasn’t the fat man who had done it, the only possibility left was the half-grown youth before him.

Che Qianzi felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

Growing impatient, he glared back and said, “What’re you staring at? I’m not from your crowd, and I’m not into that sort of thing. Stop looking.”

“And what if I am staring?”

Before Huang Ran could answer, Meng Qiqi exploded.

Her temper ignited instantly.

Not even caring that someone was lying on her lap, she sprang to her feet and rushed over to fight Che Qianzi.

Poor Zhang Zhiyan, still unconscious, had the back of his head crash directly onto the stone floor.

At that moment, a bearded man of Middle Eastern descent stepped in front of her.

Spreading his arms, he blocked Meng Qiqi and said in awkward Chinese, “Meng, you cannot do this. Personal grudges later. Right now, we must get out. No fighting.”

“Qiqi, if you keep this up, Zhiyan won’t live long enough to leave here.”

After stopping Meng Qiqi, Huang Ran turned toward the bearded man.

“It’s fine. Qiqi knows her limits.”

“Aiden, make preparations. We should be leaving.”

The man named Aiden nodded and clapped his hands, speaking a string of English that Che Qianzi couldn’t understand.

Standing nearby, Sun Desheng translated:

“This big beard says everyone should pull themselves together. All the land crabs outside are dead, and they can leave now.”

As he spoke, the wounded group slowly got to their feet and began checking their equipment.

They put on gas masks and prepared to depart.

Two men even assembled a makeshift stretcher and lifted the unconscious Zhang Zhiyan onto it.

They only needed Huang Ran’s order. Once the hidden stone door opened, this nightmare-like expedition would finally come to an end.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Huang Ran called over Aiden.

“My friend, we’ll split into two groups. You take them back to the surface. I still have to continue this expedition. Great Sage Sun and I will handle the rest. Your payment won’t change. You have my word.”

Aiden shook his head.

“Boss, please forgive me, but I cannot obey. My contract says I must guarantee your safety and ensure one hundred percent completion of this mission.”

“We are only halfway done. I cannot leave you. It would damage my reputation.”

“I’m not leaving either.”

Meng Qiqi walked over once more and said to Huang Ran, “Send these foreign devils back if you want. If I don’t personally see what’s hidden deeper inside, I won’t be able to die with my eyes closed.”

At this moment, Sun Desheng suddenly spoke.

“Then your brother here will head back first.”

“Old Huang, you’ve got plenty of manpower now. You don’t really need us anymore. So, I’ll go back to the surface and wait for news of your glorious victory.”

“Haha…”

Huang Ran smiled.

“Great Sage, aren’t you curious about what’s going on here?”

“This is where the Hehuan Sect hid their supreme treasure.”

“As long as we find what’s inside, we’ll split it fifty-fifty.”

“Old Huang, I almost forgot something.”

Sun Desheng grinned.

“According to the law, all treasures discovered underground belong to the state. Your brother here is a government employee, after all. I can’t just watch you people mess around.”

As he noticed several foreigners who understood Chinese giving him unfriendly looks, he casually raised the muzzle of his shotgun and continued with a smile, “Old Huang, I risked life and limb to come save you all. Surely you’re not going to repay kindness with ingratitude?”

“Sixty-forty.”

Huang Ran smiled calmly.

“In addition to the sect’s supreme treasure, this place contains the wealth collected by the Hehuan Sect over the years.”

“Over one hundred thousand taels of gold.”

“Rare jewels.”

“And the cultivation manuals and secret arts of the Hehuan Sect.”

“You take sixty percent.”

“I take forty.”

The moment he heard over one hundred thousand taels of gold, Che Qianzi’s eyes lit up.

He repeatedly winked at Sun Desheng, urging the fat man to accept immediately.

Meanwhile, even the foreigners who understood Chinese wore shocked expressions.

Apparently, they too had no idea what was hidden within the tomb.

Sun Desheng chuckled.

“For my brother’s sake, Old Huang, I originally wanted seventy percent.”

“But since my brother’s getting impatient, sixty percent it is.”

“I’ll suffer a little loss. That’s just the kind of honest man I am.”

“But let’s settle this first—you have to explain what’s going on.”

“Wasn’t this supposed to be the tomb of the exiled official Lu Ruji?”

“How did it become connected to the treasure of the Hehuan Sect?”

Before Huang Ran could answer, the foreigners who had originally intended to leave suddenly forgot about their injuries.

Upon hearing about hundreds of thousands of taels of gold and countless treasures, they all rushed forward.

Like Aiden, they declared that they would not return to the surface.

Not only that, they demanded additional compensation, and many even requested a percentage of the treasure itself.

Watching the crowd surround Huang Ran, Sun Desheng quietly pulled Che Qianzi aside.

Grinning mischievously, he whispered, “See that?”

“Old Huang’s schemes run deep.”

“You think that business about the hundred thousand taels of gold and treasures was meant for us brothers?”

“No…”

“He said that for the foreigners to hear.”

“Who knows what dangers lie ahead?”

“He needs cannon fodder.”