Chapter 71

He was very familiar with this metal cylinder, even the patterns on it he would not forget, because he had one himself.

There were two of these items, both personally commissioned by the former Minister of the Yu Department, Ajie Zhang. One was in Ajie Zhang's possession, and the other was given to him for safekeeping.

Zhong Su took it in his hands and examined it carefully.

Yuxing felt a bit surprised, noticing that Zhong Su's hands seemed to tremble slightly when he received the item, which raised a question in his mind: how could someone of Zhong Su's wealth consider a tattered painting so important?

Then he thought, perhaps it was because it was a dowry for his daughter.

But a question that had once crossed his mind resurfaced: how could two families use a tattered painting as a dowry for their children's marriage, especially given Ajie Zhang's status at the time?

From Zhong Su's reaction, he sensed that this painting was not as simple as it seemed.

He also recalled how Asheng had repeatedly emphasized that the painting must not be lost, making him feel that Asheng was hiding something from him.

After examining it, Zhong Su unscrewed one end of the cylinder and poured out a thin, silk-like half of a painting. Just by the texture of the fabric, he knew it was correct. When he spread it out with both hands, his eyes lit up even more. Yes, it was the other half of the painting he had seen before, there was no mistake.

The other half was already in his possession, and now both halves were in his hands.

On the surface, he remained composed, but inside, he was overwhelmed with excitement.

Excitement mixed with sighs and reflections, again and again.

Others might not know the significance of this painting, but he was crystal clear about it.

It was precisely because of this painting that he and the former Minister of the Yu Department, Ajie Zhang, had come together.

At the time, Ajie Zhang was in charge of the Yu Department, wielding great power, while he was just a small merchant. Logically, they had little connection, and he could hardly even meet Ajie Zhang, let alone curry favor with him.

But because he had inherited his wife's family business, he faced many rumors and gossip. Unwilling to just manage the Wen family's shop, he tried every means to connect with the Ministry of Works. After much effort, he finally secured a small-scale project, organizing a team to frequently venture into the mountains, which led him to the Yu Department.

One day, his work team was suddenly called by the Yu Department, along with several other teams. Upon arrival, they learned that Ajie Zhang had also rushed from the capital, accompanied by many officials from the Sining Office.

Following instructions, the group entered a treacherous mountain, only to discover that they were to excavate an ancient tomb.

After digging out the tombstone, they found that it belonged to a general from a previous dynasty. He did not know how the people from the capital had discovered such a hidden tomb, but they were the ones who did the digging. After much hardship, they entered the tomb, which turned out to be an underground maze.

What he did not expect was that the tomb was guarded by evil spirits.

What followed was a terrifying experience that Zhong Su would never forget. There were constant sounds of fighting and screams, and people kept falling. He was almost frightened to death, and the people he brought were ordinary laborers who could not withstand the terror and all died.

He thought he was going to die too, but somehow he managed to escape, running instinctively and blindly, and eventually climbed out of a deep pit.

As soon as he climbed out, he witnessed an unbelievable scene: a Sining Office official, clearly injured and just escaped from underground, was reporting to Ajie Zhang, holding an ancient bronze box and saying they had found it and could notify everyone to retreat.

Without warning, Ajie Zhang suddenly stabbed the injured Sining official with a sword.

The injured official, caught off guard, struck back, sending Ajie Zhang flying and spitting blood.

The Sining official, on the verge of collapse, fell into the deep pit below, impaled by a stone spike.

Zhong Su was truly stunned, never expecting to see such a scene.

Ajie Zhang saw him, got up with his sword, and approached.

Feeling something was wrong, he was terrified and ran.

Ajie Zhang, already injured, could not catch up in the rugged terrain and could not silence him, so he stopped him and told him some information.

It was about the tomb.

In the cultivation world, there was a legend that there were several places where immortals lived, one of which was called "Xiaoyunjian."

According to the legend, before the immortals of "Xiaoyunjian" returned to the immortal realm, they dismissed their attendants, who later married a great general. The attendant, after falling ill, revealed her past as a servant of the immortals and gave the general a painting, saying it was a map to "Xiaoyunjian." After a war that led to the fall of a kingdom, the general died, and his loyal subordinates, who fought to the death, managed to escape with his body. No one knew where the general was buried.

The legend said that the painting, which could lead to the immortal realm, was buried with the general.

The legend was said to have originated from the loyal subordinates who buried the general, who revealed the secret to their descendants on their deathbed. The descendants, greedy but unable to achieve it alone, sought help, leading to the spread of the secret.

Because of this legend, those seeking immortal relics wanted to find the general's tomb, and the best way was to find those who had buried him.

No one knew if anyone had found the general's tomb, and over time, the legend became just a story.

By this point, Zhong Su had already guessed whose tomb they had excavated.

Indeed, it was so.

The ancient tomb, long forgotten, had all traces sealed away. Ajie Zhang said he did not know how the Sining Office had found the clues, but the fact that they had found the tomb suggested the legend might be true.

Moreover, the presence of evil spirits in the tomb was abnormal, leading Ajie Zhang to suspect that the general had visited "Xiaoyunjian" in his lifetime. Furthermore, the Sining Office official who emerged from the tomb had found the buried painting.

That was why Ajie Zhang killed the Sining official to silence him!

Ajie Zhang did not want the painting to cause more harm to the country. Having served in the Yu Department for years, he knew how costly and labor-intensive such searches could be, and he deeply detested the emperor's pursuit of immortality.

Zhong Su, confused, asked, "If so, wouldn't it be a good thing if the emperor found the secret of immortality? He wouldn't need to waste resources searching anymore."

Ajie Zhang said he was being naive. If the emperor achieved immortality, the royal family would be in constant conflict, and the Jin Dynasty would become a target for all.

Ajie Zhang concluded that if the emperor achieved immortality, it would be the beginning of chaos for the Jin Dynasty, and countless people would suffer.

Injured and unable to kill Zhong Su, Ajie Zhang had to negotiate with him to keep the secret. They both agreed to keep it hidden.

Later, the legend of the ancient tomb might have been just a legend. More people from the Sining Office arrived, fought the evil spirits, and searched the tomb thoroughly but found no trace of the legendary map.

Fortunately, such incidents were common for the Sining Office. Over the years, many leads had turned out to be dead ends, and the search for immortal realms was often fruitless, though the effort was not in vain.

Later, Zhong Su received the promised reward from Ajie Zhang.

A businessman's success does not always require smooth sailing or great ability; sometimes, one opportunity in a lifetime is enough.

Under Ajie Zhang's discreet arrangement, Zhong Su naturally received that life-changing opportunity.

His wife, Wen Jianhui, knew nothing of these matters and would never be told.

To reassure Zhong Su and ensure both sides were at ease, Ajie Zhang even arranged for his own son to be betrothed to Zhong Su's daughter.

The painting was divided into two halves at that time.

Having been involved in such a secret, Zhong Su had no way back. Keeping it hidden for years, if the court or the Sining Office ever discovered it, the consequences would be dire.

But at the time, he had risked everything to change his fate, and now, having achieved his goal, it was too late to regret.

Seeing this half of the painting again, the past came flooding back. How could Zhong Su not be deeply moved?

This was also a token, a token to confirm "Asheng's" identity.

Although the authenticity of "Asheng's" identity had been verified by the Lizhou examination, seeing this item gave him complete peace of mind, as Ajie Zhang would not have told anyone else about it.

After confirming the half of the painting, Zhong Su put it back into the metal cylinder and slipped it into his sleeve. He finally felt confident enough to speak, "Asheng, you know about the engagement, and you have brought the dowry yourself. Since I have a pact with your father, I will not break my word. Since your parents are no longer around, we will take care of the arrangements. We will handle the wedding for the young couple, and you can focus on your exams. After the imperial examination, we will choose an auspicious day for the wedding."

"…" Yuxing's mind buzzed, a bit dazed, and he blurted out, "So soon?"

What did he mean? Zhong Su's face darkened, "Do you think it's unfair?"

Yuxing realized he had said something foolish and quickly corrected himself, "Uncle, that's not what I meant. I meant that I have achieved nothing yet, and I feel unworthy. I will wait until I pass the imperial examination to marry your daughter with honor."

So, he felt he was not worthy. Zhong Su's expression softened slightly and asked, "When do you think you will pass the imperial examination?"

Yuxing, embarrassed, replied, "I... I don't know yet, but I will do my best."

Zhong Su said sternly, "Do you mean that if you fail this year, my daughter should wait for you for three years? If you fail ten times, should she wait for thirty years? By then, girls of her age will have children. Have you seen many girls in their late teens still unmarried? If you think my daughter is not worthy of you, you can say it directly. I will not force you!"