PCJ – Chapter 429 Compromise

“How is it impossible? That ghostly creature was buried under the collapsed tomb. That place is a corpse-rearing ground. If anything from there escapes, it will bring disaster to everyone in Meizi’ao.”

“That’s not right. That thing inside has already been killed by those tomb robbers. They even lost six people over it. In the end, one of them used a magical artifact, released a sword qi, and directly split the creature in half,” Zhang Jiaohua said, sharing the information he got from Fat Cat.

“Impossible! The entity raised in a corpse-rearing ground couldn’t be so easily killed!” Chen Dianzi shook his head repeatedly.

“Those tomb robbers had to dig through piles of dirt to get out of there,” Zhang Jiaohua retorted dismissively.

“How do you know so much about this? There’s no way your Fat Cat could know all these details,” Chen Dianzi quickly sensed something amiss.

“How I know is none of your business. Just know that what I’m saying is accurate,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, keeping his greatest secret to himself.

Chen Dianzi stared at Zhang Jiaohua for a long time, making him feel uneasy.

“Why are you staring at me?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

Chen Dianzi grinned. “Jiaohua, you’re hiding a secret, aren’t you?”

Rolling his eyes, Zhang Jiaohua shot back, “Chen Dianzi, stop calling me Jiaohua. I’m Zhang Jiaohua, not ‘beggar boy.’ If you keep it up, I’ll tell your wife about the time you went knocking on a widow’s door during one of your crazy episodes.”

Chen Dianzi panicked. “Jiaohua, don’t spread such slander. That’s illegal!”

“Do you remember when you went crazy and ran naked through the village? Zhang Jingbing’s family even lent you some clothes, but after a few days, you disappeared, and when you came back, you were naked again,” Zhang Jiaohua laughed heartily.

“Jiaohua, please don’t bring that up again! You win. I’ll call you Zhang Jiaohua, okay?” Chen Dianzi’s face flushed red, feeling deeply embarrassed in front of his daughter.

With a few smug hums, Zhang Jiaohua stopped pushing the matter.

Chen Dianzi, on the other hand, felt both helpless and amused. Zhang Jiaohua had gotten the upper hand in their banter, making it harder to spar with him in the future.

“Jiaohua, I’m technically your father’s elder. If you keep being rude, I’ll tell your parents and let them deal with you,” Chen Dianzi threatened.

Zhang Jiaohua scratched his head nervously. “Fine, let’s call it even. But you can’t call me ‘beggar boy’ anymore.”

“Then stop calling me Chen Dianzi!” Chen Dianzi protested.

Their back-and-forth made the three women nearby laugh uncontrollably.

“Chen Dianzi, watch out for this kid. He’s cunning. He might take advantage of you, and you wouldn’t even know it. Just don’t treat him like an ordinary child,” Chen Dianzi warned his daughter.

“Your daughter is much older than me. If anyone’s taking advantage, it’s her taking advantage of me,” Zhang Jiaohua shot back.

“Look at this kid! He’s so sharp-tongued now. Imagine how many girls he’ll trouble when he grows up!” Chen Dianzi exclaimed.

“Chen Shunsheng! Why are you talking about such things with a child? And speaking of trouble, how many women have you caused problems for? Is what Jiaohua said earlier true?” Chen Dianzi’s wife, Chen Fang, pinched his side, making him yelp.

“It’s all slander! This mischievous brat is making things up!” Chen Dianzi cried out.

Chen Fang dragged her husband back toward the Chen family home on the opposite mountain, undoubtedly to settle some scores. Watching this, Zhang Jiaohua laughed heartily, casting a pitying glance at the henpecked Chen Dianzi.

“Jiaohua, you’re such a rascal. Poor Uncle Chen!” Tang Yan chuckled.

“Are you still going for a swim?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“No way! Not if you’re around to take advantage,” Chen Cheng snapped.

“I didn’t even look! It’s all your dad’s nonsense,” Zhang Jiaohua grumbled. If he was going to be blamed anyway, he thought, he might as well have taken a peek.

Meanwhile, He Shouye returned home, drenched in sweat from his close brush with disaster. After soaking in hot water for a long time, he finally calmed down.

“Daoist Bai, True Person Wang, I must thank you both for your help today. Especially True Person Wang, who even used a treasured artifact of his sect. I am deeply grateful. When I return, I will surely reward you,” He Shouye said.

“You’re too kind, Fourth Master. I acted out of self-preservation,” True Person Wang replied humbly.

“You two are truly remarkable. I owe you my life and will remember this kindness. You must have some knowledge of the tomb, don’t you?” He Shouye asked tentatively.

Bai Daxian and True Person Wang exchanged a glance, their expressions calm. They understood He Shouye’s sharp instincts and knew they couldn’t hide their intentions from him.

Bai Daxian smiled. “Our goals align, Fourth Master. Unlike the mundane pursuit of wealth and power, we cultivators seek different things. The tomb, as recorded in our sect’s annals, is the resting place of both mortal nobles and cultivators. It’s said to contain a sect’s legacy artifact, which is why we came.”

This open admission was a calculated move. If conflict arose, He Shouye wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate them. Though skilled in cultivation, Bai Daxian and True Person Wang were still mortal and no match for modern weapons.

“Since that’s the case, we’ll each pursue our goals,” He Shouye said, visibly relieved.

Long Wuyi, who had remained silent, was also reassured, willing to relinquish a few artifacts if it meant preserving the larger treasure.

“But the ghostly entity in the tomb is perplexing. How could such a powerful being be there? And who trapped it? Could this tomb have been disturbed in ancient times?” He Shouye asked.

“Our sect’s records indicate that an ancestor once entered the tomb. The ghost was sealed by collapsing the passage with mud and rocks,” True Person Wang explained.