Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Zhang Ruochen hesitated a while before asking, “Are you serious, Branch Head Chen?”
“Of course I am serious,” Chen Ji said, laughing.
Zhang Ruochen nodded as he looked at the crowd. “Alright! Since everyone is curious about what’s in the box, nothing’s stopping me from showing it to you.”
Zhang Ruochen took the jade box from the Ember Kylin’s back once again. He held it in his hands, about to open it.
All eyes were on the box.
Zhang Ruochen paused and said, “I made it clear earlier on that this gift is intended for the Chens. It is not the Buddhist Emperor’s Sarira. It’s just another treasure.”
Upon hearing that it was not the Buddhist Emperor’s Sarira, the faces of the young warriors fell with disappointment.
When he opened the box this time, there was no glaringly bright aureole emitting from it. In fact, nothing extraordinary happened
There was just a scroll made of snake skin sitting at the bottom of the box. There appeared to be a few small imprints on the snake skin.
“This is …”
Everyone was struck dumb to find that Zhang Ruochen’s third gift was so ordinary.
Zhang Ruochen explained, “The inscription on the snake skin is actually the fourth volume of practice exercises for the Four Nine Mysteries.”
Although it was a plain statement, Chen Ji’s face drained of its color immediately upon hearing this and he dashed towards the jade box.
Chen Ji stretched out his hand, hesitated, then withdrew his hand. He stared at the scroll inside, his expression unreadable. “Please don’t kid us. Is this truly the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries?”
All the young warriors suddenly came to a realization.
“How could it be the Four Nine Mysteries?”
“The Four Nine Mysteries is the Chen family’s most highly-regarded Mysterium. Only the inheritor of the leader of the family and senior members of the family who have reached the Ninth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm are qualified to refer to it. How did it leak out?”
“It must be a fake copy. It can’t be in Zhang Ruochen’s hands.”
…
There was a commotion, and everyone started to question it.
The Four Nine Mysteries, also known as the 36 Mystery Realms, was a highly-regarded Mysterium of the Chen family. It was also the basis for the family to be the Lords of the Eastern Region.
It was precisely because of the Four Nine Mysteries that the Chens had been able to continually nurture several Half-Saints and Saints.
No one could believe that the Four Nine Mysteries had been leaked out of the family and fallen into the hands of Zhang Ruochen.
Bu Qianfan fixed his gaze and said, “Legend has it that the Chen family’s Four Nine Mysteries became incomplete during the Middle Ancient Times a hundred thousand years ago. Among them, the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries was lost.”
“The fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries records the 28th Mystery Realm to the 36th Mystery Realms exercises. These parts are the most ingenious and profound sections of the Four Nine Mysteries.”
“Although the Chens produced quite a number of Half-Saints and Saints, none of the Chens were made emperor or a great emperor of the Holy Road, precisely because they lost the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries.”
“How could anyone become a great emperor if he didn’t possess a complete set of the exercise manual?”
Everyone started to ponder upon hearing what Bu Qianfan said. Could it be true that the Four Nine Mysteries, the pride of the Chen family, had long been incomplete?
Instantly, all eyes were on Chen Ji.
Chen Ji secretly grumbled. The Four Nine Myteries was indeed incomplete. The fourth volume had been lost during the Middle Ancient Times.
This however had been a well-kept secret within the Chen family. It should not have leaked out.
Now what?
Just as Chen Ji was at a loss for what to do, he heard a tiny voice say, “Chen Ji, since the secret is out, why don’t you just announce it to the people?”
Chen Ji looked solemnly and respectfully towards the depth of the East Region Saint Mansions, bowed slightly and replied, “Yes.”
Chen Ji had nothing to worry about now that he had permission from the family’s ancestor.
He straightened himself and sharpened his aging eyesight. “That’s right, the fourth volume of the Chens’ Four Nine Mysteries was lost during the Middle Ancient Times.”
“BOOM!”
The young warriors of the Chen family were first to feel the blow. They were not able to accept the truth.
The Four Nine Mysteries was second only to the Six Great Amazing Exercises in the Kunlun’s Field. The Chens had always taken pride in this fact. Now they realized that part of it had been missing for the last hundred thousand years.
How could they accept this?
“SWOOSH!”
“SWOOSH!”
…
A white-robed Elder and a green-robed Elder rushed in from the gates towards Chen Ji in an imposing manner, leaving a trail of shadows behind them.
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The white-robed Elder was Chen Xichan, Branch Head of the Xueyuan branch of the Chen family. The green-robed Elder was Chen Tiankun, Branch Head of South Region Branch.
Chen Xichan was enraged. He rebuked Chen Ji saying, “What nonsense are you saying, Chen Ji?”
Chen Ji replied, “Why do we have to hide the fact that the Four Nine Mysteries isn’t complete? Hasn’t the Chen family ruled over the Eastern Region without the complete Four Nine Mysteries?”
Chen Xichan was about to go on reprimanding Chen Ji when he seemed to hear a voice transmission.
He turned to look back into the depth of the Saint Prince’s Mansion. Immediately his expression changed to that of respect and he became silent.
Apparently, both Elders had received messages from the ancestor of the Chens and stopped reprimanding Chen Ji.
All of a sudden, the atmosphere turned awkward.
Once again, everyone’s eyes were on the jade box in Zhang Ruochen’s hands.
Since the fourth volume of the Chens’ Four Nine Mysteries had long been lost, naturally Zhang Ruochen would not have known about this. No outsiders would ever find out about this secret.
In light of this, the fourth volume of Four Nine Mysteries that had been lost a hundred thousand years ago could in fact be inside the jade box.
Chen Ji asked Zhang Ruochen nervously, “Did you say the inscription on the snake skin scroll says ‘the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries’? I am curious as to where you got it from?”
Zhang Ruochen was calm and composed despite the fact he was standing face to face with a Half-Saint. He replied, “It was given to me by a predecessor. He had been wanting to return the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries to the Chens for the longest time. However, he was not able to do this personally.”
“Having learnt that I will be marrying one of the Chens daughters, he handed it me, so I could return it to the Chens on his behalf.”
Naturally, Zhang Ruochen was making this up.
In fact, the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries had been stored in the Nine Heavenly Books Library of the Sacred Central Empire. In those days, Zhang Ruochen had inadvertently read through it once, memorized it and wrote it down.
Zhang Ruochen’s words triggered various responses in the audience.
Some speculated that the predecessor Zhang Ruochen mentioned was Sword Saint Xuanji. Others speculated it was the Golden Dragon, the dragon the Buddhist Emperor rode on.
Chen Ji looked doubtful. Eventually he asked, “Can I check its authenticity?”
Before Zhang Ruochen could reply, Bu Qianfan, who was standing in the back, laughed. “Didn’t the Chens say they only wanted to look at the treasure in the jade box? Are you going to appropriate the scroll now that you know it’s the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries? Are you bandits? Or robbers?”
Chen Ji gave Bu Qianfan a death stare.
Unfortunately, Bu Qianfan was not deterred by the Half-Saint.
Bu Qianfan continued to wear a smile on his face, showing an expression of sarcasm and ridicule.
Zhang Ruochen ignored Bu Qianfan and said to Chen Ji, “Actually I am not sure of its authenticity. I am totally open to you checking. Please go ahead.”
Chen Ji hurried over, took the snake skin out from the jade box and started examining it in his hands.
Although Chen Ji had never seen the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries, he had browsed through the first volume. He had a reasonable understanding of the Four Nine Mysteries and could tell whether it was authentic with one look.
Upon seeing the scroll, his body jerked and his pupils dilated. He was apparently astonished by the scroll’s content.
From Chen Ji’s expression, the crowd could guess that it was indeed the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries.
If the Chens had been able to rule the Eastern Region with the incomplete Four Nine Mysteries before, how much more powerful would they be now that they had the complete manual?
Many among the crowd started to struggle with the thought. They did not wish for the Chens to become even more powerful.
Bu Qianfan was one of those harboring these thoughts.
Suddenly his expression turned vengeful, as if he was transforming into a completely different person.
Everyone else was focused on the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries in Chen Ji’s hands. They did not take notice of the creepy changes in Bu Qianfan.
Zhang Ruochen alone observed the change when he glanced toward him, and the doubts in his heart became more intense.
All of a sudden, a thought emerged in Zhang Ruochen’s mind. “The look in Bu Qianfan’s eyes right now resembles that of Di Yi. There is an overlapping aura about the two men. Could it be the legendary demonic shadow?”
“Ha ha!”
Bu Qianfan gave out a bellowing laugh. “Weren’t the Chens an Aristocratic Family in the Middle Age? I wouldn’t expect you to be so shameless to go back on your words. Zhang Ruochen, doesn’t the Four Nine Mysteries scroll belong to you? Are you okay with the Chens snatching it?”
“Stop trying to sow discord, you little fry from the Bu family. Zhang Ruochen is the Chens’ son-in-law. He is our hero for bringing the Four Nine Mysteries back to its rightful place,” said Chen Xichan, the white-robed Elder.
Chen Tiankun, the green-robed Elder was also infuriated. He said in a solemn voice, “We don’t need outsiders talking about the Chen’s family affairs.”
Bu Qianfan laughed. “You acknowledge him as your son-in-law when he brings you benefits. Earlier on, didn’t you, the Chens despise him because he only brought ten carriages of bridal gifts and dowry?”
“Zhang Ruochen, I would advise you to retrieve the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries rather than band yourself together with this shameless group of people. If you give the fourth volume to me, I will grant you a hundred women, each more beautiful than Huang Yanchen.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled slightly. “Are you finally showing your true colors?”
Zhang Ruochen had profound intentions when he brought the fourth volume of the Four Nine Mysteries back to the Chens.
The Chens would definitely become more powerful and expand themselves after regaining the complete Four Nine Mysteries manual. Would they still submit themselves willingly to Chi Yao then?
They would only be willing to bow as subjects when they were not as powerful.
Who wouldn’t want to be the emperor?