Chapter 13

Xiaodongzhou, though named "small," is actually much larger than Dongzhou. However, Dongzhou borders the sea and is the easternmost, making the "small" in Xiaodongzhou somewhat misleading. Despite this, it is still called Xiaodongzhou because it is also to the east. Xiaodongzhou has over a dozen rivers, a flat terrain, and is conducive to agriculture, earning it the美誉 of "granary of the world."

Xiaodongzhou is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side. As a major grain-producing region, it becomes a strategic location during times of chaos and war. For thousands of years, it has been a battlefield, yet Xiaodongzhou has never been conquered. This is not only due to its natural defenses but also because of its renowned navy.

Upon entering Xiaodongzhou, one can see the Long River, where soldiers are practicing rowing. The Emperor of Dongzhou once gathered 50,000 fishing boats, claiming to have a million-strong army. However, Xiaodongzhou's navy, with only 5,000 boats, completely annihilated Dongzhou's crossing forces at the Dadu River. Since then, Dongzhou and Xiaodongzhou have maintained a peaceful relationship, with neither side encroaching on the other. But how many innocent souls lie beneath the Dadu River?

Baimu stepped ashore and watched the naval drills, saying, "Truly, they are elite soldiers and excellent commanders."

Lin Fan asked, "You understand this?"

"Valiant and majestic, advancing and retreating in order, moving forward at the sound of the drum, and retreating at the sound of the gong."

Lin Fan smiled, "If I were a naval commander, I would not place my best soldiers here. There are many people coming and going, and there might be spies from other regions."

Baimu thought for a moment and nodded, "That makes sense."

In a secluded area, the four of them each displayed their abilities, with Guyan leading the way, flying toward Jiulang Mountain. As they flew away, Ximen Shuai landed, watching the four black dots and pondering for a while. He then slowly followed them, riding the Qiankun Ring. He had just retrieved the ancient sword, but despite getting it back, he was still very upset, especially after being ambushed by the Kui Water Yin Thunder, which left him quite fearful. He did not believe that the four of them could use the Kui Water Yin Thunder, so he suspected that a powerful figure was hiding nearby. Thus, he decided to follow them to find out who this powerful figure was. He even lost interest in pursuing the palace master.

Looking at the direction the four were flying, Ximen Shuai wondered, "They are also going to Jiulang Mountain? Haha, Jiulang Mountain is getting more and more lively."

...

As the four flew, a group of five people appeared from the southeast, flying on swords. As they approached each other, they sized each other up. The five were dressed as Daoists, but Guyan warned, "These five are likely itinerant cultivators."

Itinerant cultivators are those without a sect. Some are too proud to establish a sect, while others have left their sects. These people and their disciples are called itinerant cultivators. Although they also practice Daoism, it is difficult to tell if they are good or evil. Many of them are morally ambiguous and act on a whim. Unlike evil sects, which have inherently evil practices and methods, itinerant cultivators often fall into the categories of good or evil, but without the constraints of rules and laws, many of them act more like evil sects. In Dongzhou, there was once a place called Kuyun Cave, where Kuyun Zhenren had seven disciples. These disciples were unruly and often provoked trouble. Yunqing Mountain initially avoided them, but when they coveted a magical treasure from a cultivator from Nanzhou and killed him to take it, Yunqing Mountain was enraged. They sent their best to destroy Kuyun Cave and kill Kuyun Zhenren along with his seven disciples.

Itinerant cultivators are acceptable, but if they act like evil sects, they must be eliminated. This is a common understanding among the sects of all regions.

The leader of the five was a man in his thirties. Approaching the four, he politely greeted them, "Greetings, fellow Daoists."

The four returned the greeting, "Greetings, fellow Daoist."

The man asked, "Are you heading to Jiulang Mountain?"

Guyan nodded, "Yes, and you?"

The man replied, "We are disciples of Luoyang Mountain. I am Liang Zhen, and I have been ordered by my master to go to Jiulang Mountain to seize a treasure."

Baimu whispered, "Luoyang Mountain has twelve disciples, and the sect master is Luoyang Zhenren. They are in Dongzhou and have some connections with our Yunqing Sect. They are considered righteous itinerant cultivators."

Lin Fan was more concerned, "Seize a treasure?"

Liang Zhen was surprised, "Yes, didn't you know?"

Guyan was also taken aback, "Our sect said..."

"Of course, we know," Lin Fan cursed inwardly. The dead sect master was deceiving the disciples. He knew that a treasure was about to appear at Jiulang Mountain but lied, saying there was an unusual disturbance. Was it necessary to lie? If he had said a treasure was about to appear, everyone would have gone.

Sect Master: Right, you're right. If I had told the truth, everyone would have gone to Jiulang Mountain. Once there, the sects would have united to compete for the treasure. Even if we succeeded in seizing the treasure, who would it be given to? I didn't ask you to bring the treasure back; I just wanted you to gain more experience and training.

At the same time, Lin Fan realized why Ximen Shuai was nearby. He was also there to seize the treasure. Seeing that there was still some time, he decided to capture the palace master of the demon sect. Damn, this palace master was not honest. She came from Xizhou, a long distance away, and was likely there to seize the treasure, but she didn't mention it at all.

Buddhism emphasizes karma, and Daoism speaks of destiny, which essentially means luck. Seizing a treasure means that a powerful figure has calculated that a treasure will appear in a certain place, and everyone goes to try their luck. The outcome depends on the quality of the participating cultivators. If there are more righteous cultivators, the treasure will go to the luckiest. If there are more itinerant cultivators, it usually comes down to a battle of cultivation and luck. Seizing a treasure often leads to enmity between sects.

Treasures can come from various sources. The first type is left behind by highly cultivated itinerant cultivators, usually protected by restrictions. Over time, as the restrictions weaken, the treasure appears. The second type is natural treasures, such as ordinary iron that absorbs the essence of the sun and moon and the qi of heaven and earth, eventually maturing and emerging from the ground. The third type is the most valuable and dangerous, known as earth treasures or heavenly treasures, given by heaven and earth. These treasures have their own consciousness and, over millions of years, form themselves. All cultivators covet these treasures, but obtaining them requires both luck and cultivation. It's like taming a wild horse; a person must ride the wild horse until it can no longer escape, and only then will it recognize its master. Similarly, an earth treasure will not willingly recognize a master. At Lin Fan's current level of cultivation, even if he encountered an earth treasure, he would not be able to obtain it, and his life might be in danger.

Lin Fan listened to Liang Zhen's introduction and thought to himself. According to historical records, there are usually few people who know about a treasure's appearance, sometimes only one person or a group. However, it seems that not only people from Dongzhou but also those from Xizhou, thousands of miles away, know about it. Could it be a treasure hunter?

When two sects or individuals with a grudge fight to the death, the deceased's treasures, if they are of the level of magical treasures, will temporarily go dormant and scatter around the battlefield. This led to the profession of treasure hunters. A treasure hunter is not a specific person or group but a behavior. Anyone can become a treasure hunter, but some are too proud, some do it casually, and some force it. They create opportunities for battles, then hide nearby to collect the treasures. After collecting the treasures, some are exchanged at the biennial cultivation market, while others are kept and refined for personal use.