Chapter 58: Secret Plot

Gravity Room.

Shi Yan took out a tattered, dark yellow map from his backpack in the corner and casually handed it to Shi Jian, saying, "Here, this is the one."

Shi Jian, Zuo Xu, and Zuo Shi all wore expressions of half-belief and half-doubt.

Shi Jian took the map and carefully felt it, his eyes gradually brightening, "Not bad, this map doesn't seem fake. The paper is quite old, and the patterns on it are somewhat blurred."

"Let me see!" Zuo Xu, somewhat impatient, snatched the map from Shi Jian's hand. After just a touch, he exclaimed, "The map is definitely not fake! In my family, we have similar paper, which is made from the soft skin of an ancient beast, resistant to water and fire, and very durable."

"Tell me in detail how you met Kalu, and how many people know about this?" Shi Jian's face was solemn, and he took a deep breath, the joy in his eyes unmistakable.

"You, strange person, are really... really strange." Zuo Shi's beautiful eyes were fixed on Shi Yan, her curiosity about him growing.

"The story goes like this..."

From Shi Jian and Zuo Xu's words, Shi Yan realized the importance of the map and no longer hid the process of obtaining it. He quickly explained his encounter after coming out of the ancient cave.

"The Mo family knows about this too?"

Zuo Xu's face changed, and after a moment of shock, he sneered, "No wonder the Mo family is still in Yujie Town. It seems they have been searching for your trail all along."

"Mo family!"

Shi Jian snorted, angrily saying, "Fortunately, Shi Yan is fine. If the Mo family really hurt him, I would risk my life to destroy them! The Mo family's influence is growing, and if we don't give them a taste of their own medicine, they'll think our Shi family is weak!"

"Mu Yudie and Dyalan were taken away by Beiming Ce. Do they know your true identity?" Zuo Xu pondered for a moment and asked again.

"Neither Mu Yudie nor Dyalan, nor the Mo family, know who I am. I gave them the fake name 'Ding Yan.'"

"Good boy, it's a good thing you were cautious, or this would have been a real mess!" Zuo Xu praised.

"Since we have half of the treasure map, we must get the other half!" Shi Jian's eyes sparkled as he said to Zuo Xu, "Young Brother Zuo, we can take a risk! As long as we get the other half of the map from the Ethereal Pavilion, our two families can open the 'Heavenly Gate' and explore the 'Divine Realm' for divine treasures!"

Zuo Xu squinted, his pupils flickering with a strange light. After a moment of thought, he said, "The Ethereal Pavilion has many skilled people. To forcibly take the map from them, we need to plan carefully."

After a moment of hesitation, Zuo Xu continued, "I will write a letter immediately and send it to the Cloudy Mountain Range to inform Chixiao. Chixiao has the power of a Celestial Rank, and with him on our side, we can ensure success. After all, Beiming Shang is also eyeing the map and has been plotting against the Ethereal Pavilion recently."

"Great! With Chixiao on our side, we have a better chance of success!" Shi Jian was delighted.

Chixiao is Zuo Shi's master, closely related to the Zuo family, and a Celestial Rank powerhouse. As long as he comes to Tianyin City, the alliance between the Shi and Zuo families can stand up to even the Beiming family.

He wasn't worried that Chixiao would monopolize the "Heavenly Gate" secret. The "Heavenly Gate" is the entrance to the "Divine Realm," which contains various mysterious treasures but also potential dangers. Having a Celestial Rank expert to explore with would make the journey much easier.

Most importantly—Chixiao is just one person!

No matter how greedy he is, he can't monopolize all the treasures in the "Divine Realm." Unlike the Beiming family, which is a large clan and would want to take all the advantages.

"Boy, it's best if you don't participate in the martial arts tournament." Zuo Xu thought for a moment and said, "The Mo family knows you. As soon as you show up, they will know the map is in our hands. If the map is stolen from the Ethereal Pavilion, they will immediately suspect us, and our two families might become the target of everyone's attacks."

"About that..." Shi Jian hesitated for a moment, finally nodding and sighing, "For the 'Heavenly Gate,' it seems we have no choice."

"Not necessarily. If he changes his appearance, he can still participate in the tournament. The Mo family hasn't seen him before. As long as he changes a bit, who would know he's the one who killed Kalu?" Zuo Shi's eyes twinkled, and she suggested with a smile.

"Hey! That's a good idea." Shi Jian's eyes lit up, staring at Shi Yan for a moment, and said, "He has changed a lot in the past few months. With a few more adjustments, the Mo family won't recognize him."

"You should also choose the time to act against the Ethereal Pavilion during the martial arts tournament. I heard from Han Zhong that the Ethereal Pavilion will send people to oversee the tournament. During the tournament, find an expert to act with Chixiao, and you might avoid suspicion."

Shi Yan pondered for a moment and offered his opinion.

"Act during the tournament..."

Zuo Xu murmured, then suddenly exclaimed, "Great idea! We'll act during the tournament! With both of us there, if something happens at the Ethereal Pavilion, we can deny involvement. As long as Chixiao acts, with our two families working together, I have an 80% chance of getting the map."

"Will Chixiao act?" Shi Jian was uncertain.

"Don't worry, he will. The old man has always been very curious about the 'Heavenly Gate.' As soon as he hears the news, he will come from the Cloudy Mountain Range." Zuo Shi was not worried, "I know him too well. He is more curious about the unknown than anyone else."

"It's settled!"

Shi Jian was relieved, snatched the map from Zuo Xu, and put it in his waist pouch, smiling, "Young Brother Zuo, you can go back and prepare. I'll wait for Chixiao to bring the other half of the map and put them together."

"Good!" Zuo Xu nodded, satisfied, and tugged at Zuo Shi, saying, "Let's go and make the arrangements."

"I'll keep the map. Don't worry about anything, just focus on your training! I'll find a makeup artist to change your appearance. During the tournament, you must give the Mo family a good lesson!" Shi Jian ordered.

"Okay."

...

Mo Family.

In the Thunder God Hall, Mo Tuo paced back and forth with a dark face, while Mo Chaoge and Mo Yanru stood beside him.

Mo Yanru's beautiful face was full of bitterness, and Mo Chaoge hung his head, looking dejected.

"Why haven't you found him yet? Are you all useless? After so long, you can't even find a boy with no background? We have so many people in the major cities, and they are just wasting our resources?!" Mo Tuo roared, pointing at Mo Chaoge and Mo Yanru, "You two! I asked you to bring someone back, and you caused so much trouble. Keeping you around is a waste of food!"

"Father, I've been sending people to look. The people in Yujie Town haven't slacked off. But the Merchant Alliance is so large, who knows where that boy went? I've done my best!"

"Useless! All of you are useless!"

Mo Tuo cursed for about ten minutes, finally tired, and sighed, "It seems I have to go to the Beiming family myself."

"Father, if Beiming Shang finds out, will we still benefit?"

"Do you have any better ideas?" Mo Tuo's face was dark, looking like he wanted to kill someone, "Do you think I want to? If you hadn't lost the person, would I need to find Beiming Shang? Only Mu Yudie knows the background of the boy who killed Kalu, and only she can know his whereabouts! If you weren't so incompetent, I wouldn't need to act myself! Useless!"

"Father, I'm sorry." Mo Chaoge pleaded, turning to glare at Mo Yanru, "If you don't win during the tournament, your father can't protect you!"

Mo Yanru's face was full of fear, and she nodded quickly.

...

Beiming Family.

In the middle of a clear lake, there was a small island with several bamboo houses.

In the courtyard of one of the bamboo houses, Mu Yudie's black hair fluttered in the wind as she played the zither with focused attention, her fingers moving skillfully.

The melodious and graceful music slowly spread, attracting swans from the lake to gather in her courtyard.

In another courtyard, Dyalan was practicing a martial technique with a flaming sword, her fiery and alluring figure shining in the sunlight, exuding a captivating charm.

The Beiming family's warriors, passing by the lake, would stop and stare, their eyes filled with admiration, their faces showing a state of intoxication.

"Lan, how is the Fire Cloud Sword?" Mu Yudie, after finishing her performance, smiled and came to Dyalan's side, "The Beiming family is famous for their craftsmanship. Even in our Flame Empire, few can match them in this field."

"The Fire Cloud Sword is a Mystic-grade weapon. Combined with the 'Fire Cloud Technique,' it allows me to maximize my potential, especially since it can withstand the 'Blue Demon Flame.' It's indeed a good weapon." Dyalan nodded, clearly very satisfied.

"Do you regret coming with me now?"

"Ah..."

Dyalan shook her head, a shadow appearing in her mind, her smile forced, "Is it useful to talk about this now? In this life, I may never see him again. For revenge and the revival of my family, I have to do this, but... but my heart still feels..."

"Can't let go?"

"Um."

"Sometimes, I also think of him."

Mu Yudie sighed, her voice soft, "I feel I owe him, but what can we do? We are just two young women without family protection, burdened with deep blood feuds. In reality, we can only be pragmatic! Otherwise, we would have to forget everything and live a simple life as a wife and mother with an ordinary man, living a mundane life."

"He is not ordinary! Sometimes, I think he is more terrifying than Beiming Ce! Given the chance, he might not be worse than others!"

"Unfortunately, fate hasn't given him the chance. Without a powerful family behind him, he has to rise step by step, and we... can't wait that long."

"I know, that's why I'm here, not wandering with him."

...

"Miss Mu, the family head asks you and Miss Dyalan to go to the Ice Pavilion. He says there is something important to discuss!" A Beiming family warrior stood on a small boat in the middle of the lake, calling out loudly.

"Coming." Mu Yudie responded, her brow furrowed, "Why does Beiming Shang want to see us? Since we came to the Beiming family, he has never shown his face. This sudden invitation is strange..."

"Is he going to talk about your marriage to Beiming Ce?" Dyalan guessed.

"The Beiming family won't help me seek revenge, so I will never marry Beiming Ce!" Mu Yudie snorted, "I came to the Beiming family to use their power for revenge. I have no feelings for Beiming Ce, and even if I did, the Beiming family won't agree to my conditions, so I will leave here eventually, hmpf!"