We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 222 Zu Peng and the Demon King Gather at Qingyang Mountain (10,000 words)

“There are many martial artists on the main road, which could easily lead to conflict, and there might even be bandits lying in ambush. The desert road is too remote and it’s not safe to travel alone. So let’s compromise and take the side roads. Luckily, I know several side roads that are safe.”

The kind-looking man took out a piece of parchment from his pocket. It was a map of the area around Qingyang City, with Qing Songmo's marks of alteration and additions on it.

This map, covered in traces, was passed down from his grandfather and was later verified and revised by him before it was finally completed. It can be said to fully describe the splendor of Qingyang City.

Of course, for him, scenery, people and customs were all commonplace; what mattered most was the map which recorded eighteen escape routes for dealing with various situations.

However, with martial artists from all sides gathering in Qingyang City, the main roads are difficult to travel, so they can only take small paths and mountain trails.

"Let's take this route. Time is of the essence, let's get going!" The kind-looking man put away the map, slung his bag over his shoulder, and strode forward with a slightly carefree attitude.

From a distance, the whole person looks like a rolling ball, which is quite comical.

After leaving the city gate, the kind-hearted man avoided the crowd and did not take the main roads such as Shenglong Road, but instead headed towards a small path.

He changed his mind after walking a short distance.

This path, usually deserted, was now bustling with people, completely contrary to his ideal escape route.

"Let's get a different one."

The kind-looking man walked down another path, and this time he was lucky; he walked for a quarter of an hour without seeing any martial artists.

There are some ordinary people, though, who are not to be feared.

They walked until evening, and the kind-hearted man looked at the inn in front of him, but finally shook his head and decided not to check in.

"This inn is in the middle of nowhere, it looks like a shady place, I'll just have to make do for the night."

With his extensive experience in wilderness survival, he quickly caught a wild rabbit, roasted it over the fire, and the aroma made him very hungry.

After eating his fill, the kind-hearted man found an open space to set up camp and went to sleep without hesitation.

The night was as cool as water, a cold wind was blowing, and heaven and earth seemed to have fallen asleep.

"Hey, what's that person doing here?"

Suddenly, a soft footstep startled the resting, kind-hearted man.

He suddenly opened his eyes, curled up, and stared at the group of people approaching.

"Never mind him, he's probably just an ordinary family spending the night here," a gaunt man said coldly.

Faced with the group's discussion, the kind-looking man remained silent, hugging himself and trembling with fear, only daring to glance at them out of the corner of his eye.

The gaunt man seemed to be the leader of the group. After he finished speaking, the others stopped paying attention to the kind-looking man.

Watching the departing figures of the group, the timid man's initial fear dissipated, and he seemed lost in thought.

"They're carrying real beasts, they're from the Spirit Demon Sect! Luckily I managed to fool them. No, we can't stay here any longer, we have to leave tonight." He wouldn't be worried about ordinary martial artists, but he dared not let his guard down against these powerful sects.

Grandpa once said that the human heart is the most unpredictable thing.

The disciples of these top sects have never taken human life seriously. If they dislike him, they might just take action against him directly.

After quickly packing his things, the kind-hearted man traveled through the night.

the other side.

"Senior Brother Chi, I feel something's not right. How could there be ordinary people in this desolate place?" A female voice asked hesitantly.

The man addressed as Senior Brother Chi paused, looking at his junior sister: "Do you think I didn't notice? It's just that after we left, this person didn't follow us. Although it's strange, he poses no threat to us."

"Senior brother is indeed brilliant." The other junior brothers and sisters immediately chimed in upon hearing this.

Upon hearing this, the woman repeatedly flattered Senior Brother Chi, who didn't mind at all: "Alright, let's hurry on our way and meet up with Senior Brother Wu as soon as possible."

Suddenly, the pet beast in Senior Brother Chi's arms let out a howl, and his expression immediately changed: "Everyone be careful, there's demonic energy!"

Ever since parting ways with the people of the Spirit Demon Sect, the honest man had felt something was amiss, a faint unease lingering in his heart.

He assumed it was someone from the Spirit Demon Sect returning, so he quickened his pace.

But he soon found out why.

"Damn it, how could there be monsters on this path, and two of them at once!"

The howling wind carried the stench of blood from the blood tiger and purple lion, which had just finished their meal, and a faint demonic aura wafted into the honest man's nostrils. Upon smelling it, the honest man immediately realized something was wrong and had no choice but to change his route and head into the dense forest.

"Blood Tiger, a guy has spotted us. Go and take care of him," Purple Lion's indifferent voice rang out.

Unexpectedly, they were discovered while traveling under the cover of night. Now their whereabouts cannot be exposed, and they can only ask the other party to bear with it.

Blood Tiger nodded, then transformed into a gentle breeze and chased after the kind-looking man.

Although the honest-looking man was fast at escaping, he was still no match for the Blood Tiger Breeze Technique.

Before long, Blood Tiger appeared in front of the kind-looking man in a flash.

The kind-looking man was startled upon seeing this, but quickly realized what was happening and turned to run away.

Just then, the purple lion, who had been following behind, chuckled and landed behind the honest-looking man.

He looked at the kind-looking man's face, a strange glint in his eyes.

"You can have anything you want, I'll give you anything, just let me go, okay?" the kind-looking man said timidly.

"We want your life!" Blood Tiger sneered, and attacked immediately after speaking.

With its tiger paws stomping on the ground, it leaped into the air, its massive body like a mountain crashing down.

"Wait a minute."

At that moment, the Purple Lion suddenly spoke up to stop the Blood Tiger, intercepting its attack.

"What's wrong?" Blood Tiger paused, his brown tiger eyes staring at Purple Lion with slight displeasure.

Purple Lion said, "Martial artists are here. Let's go first."

"And what about him?" Blood Tiger pointed at the kind-looking man who was terrified.

"Take them together."

The purple lion responded and disappeared, leaving behind a fleeting afterimage.

Seeing this, the Blood Tiger grabbed at the honest-looking man with its claws, and a gentle breeze enveloped him, carrying him away.

The two demons stopped when they heard no more noise.

Blood Tiger threw the burly man to the ground, baring his teeth and saying, "Carrying this guy is exhausting; I might as well have eaten him."

Before the purple lion could speak, it opened its blood-red maw, intending to swallow the kind-looking man whole.

"can not eat."

The kind-hearted man trembled upon hearing this, already prepared to fight the two demons, but unexpectedly the purple lion suddenly spoke.

Blood Tiger asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Purple Lion did not answer, but stared at the honest-looking man for a long time before saying, "You look a bit like an old friend of mine."

The kind-looking man remained silent.

Purple Lion didn't take it seriously, and his cold voice rang out: "Who is this Zu Chong to you?"

Upon hearing the name, a flicker of panic flashed in the kind-looking man's eyes, which was keenly noticed by Purple Lion.

"It seems you do indeed know Zu Chong; you must be his junior." Purple Lion asked and answered himself.

Then, his patterned face burst into wild laughter: "Hahaha, that old bastard Zu Chong is finally dead!"

"Purple Lion, what's going on?" Blood Tiger was completely confused.

The purple lion's smile faded, and its expression turned sinister. It didn't hide anything from the blood tiger: "He is a descendant of Zu Chong, and Zu Chong is none other than the Venerable Wan Hua!"

"What!" Blood Tiger exclaimed in surprise.

However, the kind-hearted man was deeply moved upon hearing this, and his carefully concealed composure could no longer be maintained.

He asked in a deep voice, "How did you know?"

Seeing that the purple lion had truly revealed his origins, the kind-hearted man no longer concealed his true feelings. His face no longer showed any panic, but instead appeared somewhat gloomy.

Judging from the tone of the purple lion just now, it seems that this monster has a grudge against his grandfather.

If you have a grudge against his grandfather, then you have a grudge against him, so naturally he won't give you a friendly look.

The purple lion ignored the kind man's attitude and became lost in some kind of memory, its face gradually turning ferocious.

"Speaking of which, it was Zu Chong who saved me back then, but if it weren't for him, my whole family wouldn't have been wiped out. He killed my whole family... It's a pity that the people of Shangyuan Palace are too useless. They even sent out law enforcement elders, but your grandfather still managed to escape."

Hearing the purple lion talking to itself, the kind-hearted man suddenly realized: "You are the purple lion that my grandfather was talking about?"

"So what if it is?" Purple Lion was taken aback when Zu Chong brought him up, but quickly came to his senses.

Upon hearing this, the kind-looking man said coldly, "So it was you who betrayed my grandfather!"

He had heard the story of the Purple Lion from Zu Chong. Although Zu Chong tried his best to hide his hatred, he still noticed it.

This guy is the culprit behind my grandfather's miserable later life; he's the one who caused my grandfather to end up like this!
Thinking of this, the kind-looking man's face revealed an undisguised murderous intent, and his cold eyes were filled with rage.

"Blood Tiger, spare his life for now. He must know Zu Chong's Yuan Shi Diagram. Once we find the Yuan Shi Diagram, our plan will be flawless." Purple Lion snapped out of his reverie and said to Blood Tiger, worried that Blood Tiger would devour him whole.

Blood Tiger nodded solemnly, knowing the seriousness of the matter. Their plan was to use Zu Chong's Yuan Shi Diagram to attract martial artists from all sides.

It was an imposter before, but now that there's a kind and honest man, it's become real, and it will surely attract more martial artists.

"You want to take me away? Dream on!"

As the two demons were discussing their plan, the kind-looking man suddenly shouted and then casually flicked his wrist, spraying out a cloud of black powder.

Seeing this, Blood Tiger snorted coldly, opened his mouth and blew, and a gust of wind swept in, blowing away all the black powder.

"He ran away?" Purple Lion looked closely, his expression hardening, the kind-looking man was nowhere to be seen.

"Chase!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the two exchanged a glance and spoke in unison.

Puff puff.

The kind-hearted man ran wildly, throwing out his savings as he went.

Poison needles, poison powder, poison water... regardless of whether they were effective or not, they were all projected onto the two demons.

Under this almost frenzied projection, the amount of clothing wrapped around the honest-looking man became lighter and lighter.

However, at the same time, the Purple Lion and Blood Tiger were getting closer and closer to his location.

"You can't run away."

Purple Lion snorted coldly, his brown pupils suddenly shrinking.

A faint purple hue emanated from the depths of his eyes, quickly spreading and covering his entire pupil, giving him an eerily unsettling appearance.

Just then, a sharp purple light shot out from the purple lion's pale purple eyes, piercing directly at the honest-looking man.

Before the kind-looking man could react, he was struck by the purple beam of light. His body was instantly launched into the air like a sandbag, flying backward and crashing heavily into a large tree. The violent force shook the tree, causing its green leaves to wither and rustle.

Seeing this, Blood Tiger quickened its pace, leaped in front of the honest-looking man, smiled contemptuously, and stretched out its tiger claws, intending to capture him.

"careful!"

Suddenly, the purple lion's eyes flickered, sensing the impending danger, and it cried out in alarm.

quack.

A faint, piercing sound rang out, and then a huge, dark figure was reflected in the Blood Tiger's pupils, swooping down towards him.

Sensing the shadowy figure's fierce aura, Blood Tiger was startled and quickly leaped away to avoid the attack.

"A real beast! It's someone from the Spirit Demon Sect."

Seeing that the Blood Tiger was unharmed, the Purple Lion then turned its attention to the dark figure.

The shadowy figure was a crow that was at least two meters long, with a man in black standing on top of it.

"Two demons, not bad luck!" The man in black glanced at them and chuckled.

Upon hearing this, the Purple Lion and Blood Tiger's expressions hardened, but a hint of apprehension flashed in their eyes.

True beasts are different from exotic beasts; they are terrifying monsters cultivated by humans using demonic creatures and their life essence.

They obey the human race, their strength is tied to human warriors, and most terrifyingly, they possess almost immortal bodies.

Even for monsters like them, encountering them is quite a headache.

"Hmph, you busybody. Blood Tiger, I'll deal with this guy. You go and catch that brat."

Because of the black-clad man's intervention, the kind-hearted man regained some of his strength and fled.

"Okay, be careful." Blood Tiger nodded upon hearing this, then leaped away and gave chase.

The man in black did not stop them. He was not confident that he could capture the two demons working together, but if there was only one left, he would have a chance to capture it.

Moreover, he also needed to buy time and wait for reinforcements from his sect.

After the Blood Tiger left, the Purple Lion roared to the sky, its body suddenly swelled several times larger, and it charged towards the man in black.

The man in black's eyes hardened; he dared not be careless and ordered softly, "Go!"

Hearing the loud sounds of battle behind him, Blood Tiger was unconcerned, and had great confidence in Purple Lion.

Purple Lion is even stronger than him, and his demonic arts are strange and terrifying. That Spirit Demon Sect disciple, relying solely on a real beast, may not be a match for Purple Lion.

He doesn't need to worry too much; the right thing to do right now is to hold onto the honest and kind man.

This guy was still able to run so fast after taking a hit from the purple lion, which was somewhat beyond his expectations.

"Both of these demons are at the Yuan Demon realm, almost on par with me. Unfortunately, they know demonic arts, especially this tiger demon, which seems to possess speed-related demonic arts. If this continues, it's highly likely that it will catch up with us."

The kind-looking man ran wildly. The attack from the purple lion hadn't caused him much injury. He was wearing several layers of silk armor, which was enough to neutralize the purple lion's demonic power.

As the blood tiger drew ever closer, the kind-hearted man grew increasingly anxious. He pursed his lips, a hint of determination in his eyes: "If all else fails, I'll have to resort to the methods my grandfather gave me."

Thinking this, the kind-hearted man slowed down.

The human and the demon chased each other, completely unaware that a hidden figure was watching them from a distance.

"A tiger demon, and a martial artist who gathers Yuan energy."

Su Chen was traveling at night when he noticed unusual activity ahead. He then concealed his presence and hid.

After a while, he saw an oval-shaped man running towards him, followed by a tiger demon. The man and the demon passed by him.

"Wait, the aura of this tiger demon..."

Just as Su Chen was about to ignore the human and the demon, his expression froze. The aura emanating from the tiger demon was exactly the same as the aura he had sensed on the mountain outside Daqin City.

He couldn't help but wonder, "Could this tiger demon be the same one Qin Zheng was chasing?"

Humans have an aura, and so do demons. In Su Chen's perception, their auras were identical, which was clearly not a coincidence.

"In other words, this tiger demon escaped from Daqin City to Qingyang City," Su Chen guessed.

Watching the tiger demon's departing figure, Su Chen hesitated for a moment before making a decision: "Since I've encountered it, I might as well take care of it and repay the favor of those three thousand spirit pills."

Thinking of this, Su Chen leaped into the air and followed.

The kind-hearted man was eventually caught up by the Blood Tiger, but this time, he showed no panic.

He held a rune hidden in his hand, waiting for Blood Tiger to make his move so he could tear it apart.

"Boy, if it weren't for Purple Lion needing you, I would have devoured you long ago!" Blood Tiger spoke in a human voice, his voice filled with malice.

After chasing the kind-hearted man for so long, it was getting a little hungry.

In his eyes, the honest-looking man in front of him was like a delicious piece of fatty meat, which must taste very good.

The kind-looking man sneered upon hearing this, his body taut like a string stretched to its limit, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Suddenly.

With a roar, the Blood Tiger stomped its hooves on the ground and pounced fiercely at the honest-looking man.

"It's now!"

Upon seeing this, the kind-hearted man's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his palm surged with Yuan Power, about to tear the runes apart, when a cold light flashed from behind the Blood Tiger.

Blood Tiger was the first to feel the impact of this overwhelming aura and screamed in disbelief, "Who?"

It suddenly turned its head, its two tiger eyes wide open, like two lanterns shining brightly in the darkness.

However, the light it emitted was not even half as bright as the blade's edge, and was completely obscured.

"what is this?"

Before the cold light even arrived, a terrifying aura enveloped his entire body, making the sturdy man's blood seem to stop flowing.

As he stared in disbelief, the dazzling, moon-like blade of light slashed down, and he heard what sounded like ten thousand blades ringing in his ears, a sight that was truly awe-inspiring.

laugh!
The blade's edge descended, causing even the air to tremble slightly.

However, to the man's horror, just as the blade was about to strike the Blood Tiger, the Blood Tiger suddenly transformed into a gentle breeze and drifted away.

"No!"

Having lost its target, the blade showed no mercy and continued its fierce descent.

An aura of death permeated the air, instantly spreading throughout his body. The kind-looking man froze on the spot, his eyes filled with deep resentment.

Just when he thought he was doomed, the dazzling blade light suddenly vanished like a firefly, disappearing into nothingness.

"call!"

The kind-looking man, still shaken, looked relieved and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

At that moment, footsteps sounded, and Su Chen strode over, his brows furrowed as he watched the Blood Tiger's disappearing figure.

No wonder Qin Zheng couldn't catch this tiger demon; its speed was astounding.

Even when Su Chen made a move, the other party reacted in time and escaped.

"Are you alright?" After staring at him for a moment, Su Chen turned to the kind-looking man and asked silently. The kind-looking man shook his head repeatedly: "I'm a little unwell, but it's nothing serious."

Upon hearing this, Su Chen glanced at the kind-looking man, but didn't pay any attention, and turned to leave.

"Wait, my benefactor, don't go this way!" The kind-hearted man called out as he saw Su Chen walking in the opposite direction from where he had fled.

Su Chen stopped and asked in confusion, "Why?"

“There’s another demon ahead, probably fighting with the Spirit Demon Sect right now. I’m afraid it would be dangerous for us to go there now,” the kind-looking man replied.

People from the Spirit Demon Sect?
Su Chen was taken aback. Could the appearance of Lingyao Sect members within the territory of Ziyang Sect also be due to the Yuanshi Diagram of Wanhua Shangren?

“My benefactor, why don’t you wait here for a while? It’s not too late to go over after their battle is over,” the kind-hearted man said.

Su Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Can't we go around it?"

The kind-looking man paused for a moment, then nodded with a simple smile: "Sure, but other places are dark and dangerous."

He looked Su Chen up and down as he pondered, and asked, "My benefactor, may I ask your name?"

"Yang Guo." Su Chen replied, gazing into the distance, as if he could hear the faint clanging of battle nearby.

It seems the battle between the Spirit Demon Sect and the demons is not over yet.

Upon learning Su Chen's name, the kind-looking man nodded earnestly and then asked, "Brother Yang, are you planning to go to Qingyang City?"

"Hmm." Su Chen nodded, giving the burly man, who was covered in blankets, a strange look.

The kind-hearted man quickly explained, "I just came from Qingyang City, Brother Yang. If you're after the treasure map, I advise you not to go to Qingyang City."

"Why?" Su Chen's voice remained unchanged, but his eyes held a hint of inquiry.

“This treasure map is fake. Almost every martial artist who goes to Qingyang City has one. They are all looking for Master Wanhua’s Yuan Shi Map,” the kind-looking man replied.

Su Chen had just saved his life, and he didn't want Su Chen to put himself in danger.

He had seen the treasure map, and apart from the location of Zu Chong's residence and some parts of the Yuan Shi map being true, the rest was all fabricated.

If he had only sensed something was amiss before, after escaping from Blood Tiger and Purple Lion, he became even more convinced that the matter was strange and dangerous.

After talking with the Purple Lion, he vaguely guessed that the treasure map had been passed down from the Purple Lion and other demons.

After all, Zu Chong had once saved Zi Shi and spent some time with him. Zi Shi may have seen the Yuan Shi Diagram at that time, so he knew some of its contents.

Now, Purple Lion has written part of the Yuan Shi Diagram onto the treasure map and is spreading it out to attract martial artists from all sides to Qingyang Mountain.

He didn't know what Purple Lion's purpose was in doing this, but it was definitely a conspiracy.

Su Chen didn't speak. When he heard that everyone would receive one, he noticed something strange.

A treasure map that everyone has sounds like something someone deliberately created.

"You just came from Qingyang City. Do you know the difference between this treasure map and the one that was leaked at the auction?" Su Chen suddenly asked.

The kind-looking man shook his head: "I haven't seen the treasure map at the auction, but many people think that the two treasure maps are the same."

These words made Su Chen fall into deep thought.

Seeing Su Chen's conflicted expression, the kind-hearted man couldn't help but say, "Brother Yang, even if you go to Qingyang Mountain, you might not be able to find the Yuan Shi Diagram."

"Why is that?" Su Chen was taken aback upon hearing this, his expression becoming somewhat solemn.

The kind-hearted man replied, "Because I have lived in Qingyang Mountain since I was a child, there is no tomb at the place where the treasure map is located."

The real Yuan Shi Diagram was buried with him long ago as a funerary object, and unless something unexpected happens, it will never see the light of day again.

"Thank you for letting me know, but I still need to go to Qingyang City," Su Chen replied after a moment of silence.

The kind-looking man opened his mouth, watching Su Chen's departing figure, but hesitated to speak.

"Brother Yang, wait for me." After hesitating for a while, the kind-looking man's eyes gradually became firm.

He couldn't just stand by and watch Su Chen walk towards his own death; he had to persuade him to leave Qingyang City.

With this thought in mind, the kind-hearted man got up and chased after Su Chen.

Su Chen was slightly surprised to see him follow.

Before he could speak, the kind-looking man asked, "Brother Yang, if I may ask, what brings you to Yuan Shi Tu?"

"Cultivation," Su Chen replied, but more so to verify a certain idea in his mind.

He paused, then looked at the kind-looking man, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Judging from your tone, you seem to know a lot about the Yuan Shi Diagram?"

"It's all over Qingyang City, everyone knows about it," the kind-looking man chuckled.

Su Chen nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Do you know Master Wanhua?"

"I know a little." The kind-looking man paused, then, seeing Su Chen lost in thought, asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I was just wondering if Master Wanhua would appear if this treasure map were fake," Su Chen said, shaking his head.

The kind-looking man chuckled and said, "He probably won't show up. Knowing it's fake, why would he possibly show up?"

"By the way, since you know about Master Wanhua, do you know if he really possesses 100,000 kinds of Yuan Power as rumored?"

Upon hearing this, the kind-hearted man suddenly stopped.

Su Chen looked at him with a puzzled expression, only to see that he looked serious and said solemnly, "Brother Yang, although I don't know much about Master Wanhua, I do know that this 100,000 Yuan Power is really absurd and is just a rumor."

"Um...yes." Su Chen sensed the earnestness in the honest man's voice and asked with some curiosity, "How many kinds of cultivation did he practice?"

"About a thousand kinds," the kind-looking man said vaguely, his eyes flickering.

Seemingly worried that Su Chen wouldn't believe him, he explained, "The saying 'three men can make a tiger' applies here. When Master Wanhua reveals one hundred types, it's rumored to be one thousand. When he reveals five hundred types, it's rumored to be ten thousand. When he reveals one thousand types, it's rumored to be one hundred thousand. If someone in the world were to truly master one hundred thousand types of Yuan Power, I'm afraid even a Yuan Shen Realm martial artist might not be their match."

The superposition of 100,000 powerful forces, even if not the true forces of heaven and earth, is still extremely terrifying. Ordinary Nascent Soul Realm martial artists might not be a match for them.

The kind-hearted man spoke with such conviction that he felt somewhat convinced.

Then, Su Chen chatted with the kind-looking man as they walked towards Qingyang City.

He also learned his name from the kind-hearted man; it was Zu Peng.

As dawn broke, the two arrived outside Qingyang City.

Just as Zu Peng had said, there were many martial artists heading to Qingyang City, and most of the people on the road exuded the aura of martial artists.

He stopped and looked at Zu Peng, his gaze somewhat profound, and said, "Zu Peng, thank you for bringing me to Qingyang City. Since your destination is not Qingyang City, let's part ways here."

"Huh?" Zu Peng was taken aback, then quickly said, "Why don't you come with me, Brother Yang?"

"No, I still need to find the Yuan Shi Diagram," Su Chen shook his head and refused.

These words caused Zu Peng's expression to change. Seeing Su Chen leave, a look of urgency appeared on his face.

For some unknown reason, Zu Peng gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and followed Su Chen into the city.

"Brother Yang, come with me."

Before Su Chen could enter the city, Zu Peng lowered his voice and said something, then turned and walked to the side.

Su Chen followed.

Zu Peng stopped only when he reached a place where there was no one around.

Looking around, he said under Su Chen's questioning gaze, "Brother Yang, I actually know where the Yuan Shi Diagram is."

"Are you telling the truth?" Su Chen was startled upon hearing this.

Zu Peng gestured for Su Chen to lower his voice, then nodded emphatically to indicate that he was not lying.

really!

Su Chen thought to himself that Zu Peng's words confirmed his guess.

He had long noticed Zu Peng's unusual behavior, and always felt that Zu Peng knew a lot about Master Wanhua. The information Zu Peng gave about Master Wanhua was different from what he knew, but he spoke with such certainty that Zu Peng believed him.

This made him vaguely suspect that Zu Peng's relationship with Master Wanhua was unusual, and that he might know the location of the Yuanshi Diagram.

Throughout the rest of the conversation, he subtly inquired further, becoming increasingly certain of this idea.

After confirming this, he wanted to capture Zu Peng and force him to reveal the information about the Yuan Shi Tu.

However, Zu Peng's kindness made him abandon the idea.

During his conversation with Zu Peng, he discovered that although Zu Peng was naive and ignorant of the ways of the world, he was kind-hearted and sincere. Zu Peng repeatedly advised him not to go to Qingyang City.

So he decided to settle for second best and pretend to part ways with Zu Peng to see if he could track him down and find out about Yuan Shi Tu.

Unexpectedly, Zu Peng told him directly.

"How...how did you know?" Su Chen looked at Zu Peng suspiciously and asked softly.

"Because Master Wanhua is my grandfather!" Now that he had come out, Zu Peng did not intend to hide it anymore.

Another bombshell announcement left Su Chen stunned for a few seconds.

After a long silence, Su Chen asked with a complicated expression, "Aren't you afraid that I'll take action against you if I find out about this?"

“You saved my life, so I should repay your kindness,” Zu Peng said, shaking his head.

Whether Su Chen will take action against him afterwards is another matter.

"Then... where is the Yuan Shi Diagram?" Although he felt trusted, Su Chen still asked the question he wanted to ask.

“Near Qingyang Mountain!” Zu Peng replied.

Su Chen's expression froze: "...Didn't you say you weren't at Qingyang Mountain?"

“It’s not there, it’s on a small hill nearby,” Zu Peng nodded.

Upon hearing this, Su Chen suddenly understood.

He quickly thought of a question and asked, "Would your grandfather agree to give me the Yuan Shi Diagram?"

“He’s dead.” Zu Peng’s voice was tinged with sadness, and his eyes dimmed.

"I'm sorry," Su Chen said apologetically.

Zu Peng shook his head: "Let's go, Brother Yang, let's go into the city."

Su Chen nodded, and the two entered the city side by side, the distance between them seemingly shrinking.

After entering the city, it became even more lively.

However, Zu Peng disliked the hustle and bustle, so he didn't walk on the main street but instead headed towards the side streets.

Su Chen followed closely behind, and after walking for a while, he found that the path he took was becoming more and more remote.

If it weren't for the fact that he was stronger than Zu Peng and had a solid foundation, he would have suspected that the other party was deceiving him.

"Zu Peng, why do you insist on walking through these alleys?"

After walking for a while, Su Chen couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

Zu Peng stopped and replied, "Taking the main road is too dangerous."

"Where is it dangerous?" Su Chen asked, puzzled.

"The more people there are, the more dangerous it is."

Su Chen: "...!!!"

"Who told you that?" Su Chen asked after a moment of silence.

"My grandfather."

"Ok."

He followed Zu Peng to an extremely secluded courtyard, where he stopped and said to Su Chen, "Brother Yang, this is where I'm staying temporarily. Let's stay here for the night."

"Excuse me, how long has this house been uninhabited?" Su Chen asked, staring blankly at the house covered in cobwebs and dust.

"It's been almost half a year, hasn't it?" Zu Peng replied as he opened the door.

The two went inside and spent half an hour tidying up the house.

Looking at the sky, Su Chen stood up and said, "Let's go, I'll take you out for a good meal."

"No, there are too many people outside, it's too dangerous. I'll go cook some rice, we'll make do with this." Zu Peng shook his head.

Su Chen: "..."

He really wanted to tell Zu Peng that he could pack up and come back, but seeing that the other party had already gone inside, he had no choice but to shut up.

A moment later, Zu Peng came out, looking embarrassed: "The rice has been eaten by the rats."

"Then I'll go out and get some food to go." This time, Su Chen learned his lesson and didn't plan to bring Zu Peng along.

"Okay, it's dangerous outside, be careful," Zu Peng reminded him.

Su Chen nodded, but before he could even leave the courtyard, he heard Zu Peng's voice: "Forget it, it's too dangerous for you to go alone. I'll go with you."

Then Su Chen saw Zu Peng walk out of the room with large and small bags.

"Let's go."

The two ultimately decided not to pack the leftovers and instead found a restaurant to eat and drink at.

After this meal, he realized how cautious Zu Peng was. Zu Peng would test all food, drinks and beverages for poison before eating them, being extremely careful.

After all that fuss, the meal took a full hour to eat.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Su Chen told Zu Peng to go back first. When Zu Peng learned that Su Chen was going to inquire about information, he resolutely refused and said that he would go with Su Chen.

Left with no other choice, Su Chen took Zu Peng with him to the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce to gather information.

Along the way, although he didn't see anyone with a treasure map, he occasionally heard people discussing the Qingyang Mountain tomb.

The news has already spread.

Many people went to the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce to inquire about information, and Su Chen quickly found out about the various forces that had arrived in Qingyang City.

Representatives from the four major sects near Qingyang City—Shangyuan Palace, Sword and Saber Sect, Ziyang Sect, and Spirit Demon Sect—have all come.

This also led him to discover information that was completely different from what Zu Peng had said.

"What? There really is an ancient tomb on Qingyang Mountain?" Zu Peng was shocked when he heard the news.

He initially thought it was a fabrication of a treasure map, but now it seems that's not the case.

Zu Peng frowned, increasingly realizing that there was more to this than met the eye.

Su Chen nodded: "Not only that, news has already spread that the tomb will open in three days, at which time the Yuan Shi Diagram will be revealed!"

"Brother Yang, why don't we come back later?" Zu Peng said worriedly.

There are too many martial artists in Qingyang City now, and the news of this kind makes him feel increasingly uneasy.

Seeing that Su Chen remained silent, Zu Peng continued, "Anyway, only I know where the real Yuan Shi Diagram is. It doesn't matter if it's a few days late. Once this matter is settled, I'll take you there."

Su Chen thought for a moment and finally shook his head, saying, "Zu Peng, tell me your location."

He wasn't worried that Zu Peng wouldn't take him, but rather that someone might discover the true tomb of Master Wanhua and find the Yuan Shi Tu ahead of time.

It will be too late to regret by then.

Upon hearing this, Zu Peng shook his head and said, "No, how can I let you put yourself in danger? I'll go with you. But Brother Yang, I think we should go earlier, how about tomorrow?"

Su Chen thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay!"

Knowing Zu Peng's temperament, he wanted to persuade Zu Peng to give up the idea again on the way back.

Zu Peng still refused, saying, "Brother Yang, it's safer for me to go with you. Besides, I know a secret passage leading to Little Stone Mountain. We can take the secret passage directly, which will be much safer."

Little Stone Hill is where the grandfather and grandson lived.

Upon hearing this, Su Chen looked at Zu Peng suspiciously and asked, "You didn't dig this secret passage, did you?"

Zu Peng pursed his lips and remained silent, his meaning clear.

the next morning.

The two were fully prepared and set off out of the city.

Looking at Zu Peng's bulky, ball-like body, Su Chen asked in surprise, "Aren't you tired carrying so many packages every day?"

"You get used to it and it's not tiring anymore. These are all things that can save your life," Zu Peng said with a smile.

His physique was actually not much different from Su Chen's; he just deliberately dressed up like this to appear somewhat simple and honest, thus deceiving the enemy.

The two quickly left the city and headed towards Qingyang Mountain, encountering many martial artists along the way.

After walking for a while, Zu Peng led Su Chen along the path, where they still occasionally saw the figures of martial artists.

Zu Peng didn't care. Once they were all alone, he pulled Su Chen and they disappeared into the mountains.

"Brother Yang, please keep an eye out for anyone following us. This secret passage must not be discovered by anyone else."

Zu Peng would take ten steps and then stop to observe his surroundings.

Su Chen nodded in response, unleashing his senses to the fullest extent. Having cultivated the Pure Yuan Scripture to its limit, his senses were exceptionally sharp.

"found it."

After about half an hour, Zu Peng finally found the secret passage, hidden under a small hill and concealed by weeds.

Zu Peng lifted the weeds and moved the wooden planks, revealing a deep cave about one meter high.

"Brother Yang, this is it," Zu Peng said, pointing to the cave. "Let's go in quickly."

Su Chen nodded. The cave was extremely dark, and a chill emanated from it.

Zu Peng went in first, followed closely by Su Chen, who then blocked the secret passage again with wooden planks.

“If we walk out of this secret passage, we’ll reach my grandfather’s grave. The Yuan Shi Diagram is inside his coffin,” Zu Peng said as he walked.

The cave was dimly lit, but it didn't affect Su Chen's vision at all. Hearing this, Su Chen nodded: "Okay!"

While Su Chen and Zu Peng were heading to Xiaoshishan, heroes gathered on Qingyang Mountain!

(End of this chapter)