Chapter 64

The sword-wielding scholar glanced over at Su Peng's table and his eyes lit up.

Su Peng himself was quite tall and handsome, looking very approachable and likable, but that was not the main point. Ling Xiaoyu's appearance was exceptionally charming, making one feel at ease. The sword-wielding scholar had already visited several inns, all of which were full, and he didn't want to continue searching. Seeing Su Peng and Ling Xiaoyu's friendly faces, he felt a connection and, invited by them, he clasped his hands and said, "I'll be a bother, then." He then walked over.

Ling Xiaoyu knew that Su Peng wanted to gather information. In the world of martial arts, such small formalities were not important. She stood up and nodded slightly at the sword-wielding scholar. The scholar found Ling Xiaoyu's appearance pleasing and felt even better, so he clasped his hands and asked, "I am Zhang Jin, a local. May I ask where the two of you are from? You two seem like siblings."

Su Peng smiled. Indeed, he and Ling Xiaoyu did have a slight resemblance, often referred to as "face collision." Seeing Zhang Jin's misunderstanding, he didn't bother to explain and said, "I am Su Peng from Jiangning, and this is my younger sister, Su Xiaoyu. We are from Binhai City in Tengzhou, and we passed through here. Seeing your noble appearance and the fact that you seemed to be in a bind, we invited you to join us. If we have caused any inconvenience, please forgive us."

Ling Xiaoyu, hearing Su Peng's words, was not annoyed. Having a sibling identity would save them a lot of trouble, so she didn't reveal the truth and followed Su Peng in greeting Zhang Jin.

Zhang Jin, hearing Su Peng's words, felt greatly flattered despite Su Peng being the one who invited him. He smiled and said, "What merit do I have for Su Brother to value me so... I will be a bother today, then."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they sat down with Ling Xiaoyu.

Zhang Jin was not much older than Su Peng, and he was very polite and well-read. Su Peng's noble appearance and courteous manner made a good impression on him. With Su Peng's deliberate efforts to befriend him, they soon became brothers in spirit.

After some casual conversation, Su Peng brought up his purpose, lowering his voice slightly, and asked Zhang Jin, "My sister and I have come to this town and have seen many martial artists with mysterious expressions. We are quite curious. I see that you are also a martial artist. Do you know anything about this? It would be a great help if you could share some information."

"Aren't you two here because of the treasure in the Thousand-Eyed Marsh?" Zhang Jin was slightly surprised but, after some thought, decided that this was not a secret. More people might mean more help, so he said, "Right, you said you came by boat from Binhai City, so it's normal that you don't know. Most of these martial artists are here for the treasure in an ancient tomb nearby..."

"Really? Treasure?" Su Peng seemed interested and asked Zhang Jin, "Please tell us more."

"Here's the story..." Zhang Jin didn't hide anything and began to explain in detail. Su Peng and Ling Xiaoyu listened intently.

According to Zhang Jin, about twenty miles east of this town, there was a mangrove swamp called the Thousand-Eyed Marsh. It was filled with hidden bogs and was very difficult to navigate, with many wild and venomous creatures. Ordinary people dared not enter, so it was called the Thousand-Eyed Marsh.

Usually, the area was treacherous, with many bogs. One misstep could mean never being found again, so it was almost uninhabited. However, not long ago, several martial arts groups, due to conflicts between their sects, agreed to a deadly battle near the Thousand-Eyed Marsh.

It was raining heavily that day. During the battle, these martial artists, in their struggle, somehow entered the Thousand-Eyed Marsh and got lost, unable to find their way out.

Unexpectedly, as they wandered deeper into the marsh, perhaps due to the heavy rain, they discovered an ancient tomb that had emerged from a large mud bog.

These martial artists, fearless of anything, were amazed by this spectacle. They felt that it might be a great opportunity for treasure, so they temporarily put aside their conflict and entered the tomb.

The tomb did not disappoint. Although it seemed to be a secondary burial chamber and only a fraction of it had been explored, it was extremely dangerous, with many traps that killed many people.

However, these martial artists, skilled in their arts, quickly broke into a chamber and found a large amount of gold and treasures. Each of them took a lot, but as the rain gradually stopped, the tomb began to sink back into the mud. Fearing being buried alive, they fled.

Afterward, a greedy feast of human nature unfolded. These martial artists continued to kill each other for the gold and treasures, and many died...

However, some managed to escape and bring out the treasures...

It was said that each person who escaped had taken several hundred taels of gold, and the news of the treasure in the Thousand-Eyed Marsh spread quickly. Soon, all the nearby martial artists knew about it.

Today, the martial artists that Su Peng and his group saw were all heading to the Thousand-Eyed Marsh to seek the treasure, waiting for it to reappear.

Zhang Jin, from a family of both literary and martial traditions, had a father who was a scholar and a martial artist, as well as a local gentry. Zhang Jin, influenced by his father, had read many books and practiced martial arts, making him a half-martial artist. Hearing this news, he was intrigued and found an excuse to leave home, saying he was going on a journey but actually heading straight for the Thousand-Eyed Marsh.

"Is that so..." Su Peng stroked his chin and said.

"Brother... Brother, it sounds like there's a lot of treasure in that tomb. It's worth checking out," Ling Xiaoyu, who had been eating quietly, suddenly looked up at Su Peng, her eyes sparkling.

Su Peng, seeing this, knew it was not good. Young martial artists, when they first enter the world, often hope for various adventures. Even if they don't get a share, they have something to talk about with their companions. Although Ling Xiaoyu's family background was better, she was still drawn to the news and seemed eager to explore the Thousand-Eyed Marsh.

"If you two want to go, today is a good opportunity... I saw some dark clouds moving this way earlier, and there will likely be a heavy rain tonight. The treasure in the Thousand-Eyed Marsh is said to only appear during heavy rain. If you go today, it will be perfect. However, if you decide to go, there is one thing you need to prepare," Zhang Jin said, seeing Ling Xiaoyu's interest.

"Oh? What do we need to prepare?" Su Peng asked.

"This." Zhang Jin took out a package wrapped in oil paper from his chest and placed it on the table, opening it.

"Glutinous rice?" Su Peng immediately recognized it as the glutinous rice used for making zongzi.

"What do we need this for? It's not even the Dragon Boat Festival..." Ling Xiaoyu asked, puzzled.

"You two may not know... According to those who escaped from the Thousand-Eyed Marsh, there are monsters guarding the treasure in the tomb. They look like the zombies in martial arts legends, almost invulnerable to weapons. When struck, they ooze a corrosive fluid that can damage weapons and doesn't harm them internally. Many first-time treasure hunters were killed by these monsters. Those who got some inside information prepared some glutinous rice, as it is said that zombies fear glutinous rice. I also prepared a pack," Zhang Jin said, looking around and speaking in a low voice.

"Is that so... There are actually zombies?" Su Peng seemed somewhat skeptical, his real-world education making him instinctively doubt it.

"Su Brother, don't doubt it. Those who dig up tombs often encounter such things. They are formed by the lingering evil qi of the dead. Only yang energy can suppress them. Although we scholars also cultivate righteous qi, we are still lacking when it comes to dealing with such foul things. We need to prepare something. Besides glutinous rice, black donkey hooves can also suppress them, but they are hard to find. For now, I can only get glutinous rice. It's better to be safe than sorry," Zhang Jin said seriously.

Ling Xiaoyu nodded in agreement, while Su Peng was speechless. It seemed that Ling Xiaoyu's curiosity had been piqued, and she would be restless if she didn't go.

"Little sister, we still need to catch the boat tomorrow. Don't cause trouble," Su Peng reminded Ling Xiaoyu, but she only nodded absentmindedly, her mind already occupied by the mysterious events. Even zombies couldn't scare her away.

"Let's finish our meal quickly. We still have time to buy some rain gear. I will definitely go to the Thousand-Eyed Marsh tonight," Zhang Jin said to Su Peng, who nodded.

After a quick meal, Zhang Jin went to find a shop selling rain gear, while Su Peng and Ling Xiaoyu returned to their small building to rest. Before resting, Ling Xiaoyu secretly asked the innkeeper for two packs of glutinous rice and put them in her bag, but Su Peng noticed.

"It seems we won't be able to rest normally tonight..." Su Peng sighed and went to rest with Ling Xiaoyu.

Su Peng stayed downstairs, while Ling Xiaoyu stayed upstairs. It was already dark outside. Su Peng sat on the bed to practice his internal skills. After a short while, he heard a slight noise upstairs, like a door opening, followed by the sound of light footsteps.

A short while later, there were more sounds of light footsteps in the courtyard nearby.

"Well, I can't rest tonight. Ling Xiaoyu seems like a good match, and I can't let a young girl go alone. I'll go to the Thousand-Eyed Marsh and investigate," Su Peng thought, opening his eyes. He then picked up his sword, left the building, and used his lightness skills to leap over the wall...

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