https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-569-Lian-Chengbi-the-Troublemaker/12536884/
Chapter 570: Ge Shu's Treasure
Chapter 570: Ge Shu's Treasure
"Xiao Shi Yi Lang?"
The name hung in the air, and for a moment, Feng Si Niang's heart skipped a beat as a wild and rugged face flashed through her mind, along with the unforgettable image of a defiant figure climbing a cliff against the rush of a waterfall.
Yang Kaitai, on the other hand, wore a confused expression. The reputation of Xiao Shi Yi Lang fell far short of Feng Si Niang's.
While Feng Si Niang's actions were ambiguous, straddling the line between righteous and evil, she was known for her frank and open nature, counting friends from all walks of life. In stark contrast, Xiao Shi Yi Lang was like a lone wolf, with few people even claiming to know him.
How could these two possibly be connected?
Feng Si Niang's expression turned pensive, while Yang Kaitai's face was filled with doubt.
However, with Feng Si Niang riding ahead and Yang Kaitai in the middle, no one could see the looks on their faces.
Shen Bijun's voice rose slightly, and she quickly covered her mouth.
Lian Chengbi shot a smile at the two in front, no longer speaking.
Feng Si Niang rode her horse in a circle, then nonchalantly turned back, finding a ferry by the Talahe River to transport the four of them and their horses across.
After crossing the river, they arrived at the Jiayuguan Pass.
There were imperial soldiers stationed within the pass, but the battlefield from years ago between the Central Plains' martial artists and the Western bandits lay not within, but just outside the pass on a Gobi desert.
Gobi desert, poplar trees, a forest of rocks, and dunes of yellow sand.
Under the sun, everything took on a dull yellow hue.
Strips of cloth still hung from the poplar trees, and the wind blew the sand away, occasionally revealing a ghastly white patch.
Years had passed, and the sand had buried the bloodstains of that day. Apart from the sword and knife marks that remained on the tree trunks and rocks, there were no traces of the battle left.
"Is this the battlefield from back then?" Shen Bijun looked around, seeing nothing but desolation.
Feng Si Niang nodded. "The first time I came to Jiayuguan, I heard people talk about the battle that had taken place not long ago, and I came here to take a look, but found nothing of note."
Lian Chengbi walked through the forest, reaching out to touch the poplar tree beside him, his fingers tracing over the scars on the trunk.
"There's a distinct pullback in the force when the long knife hit the tree, indicating that the knife is heavier at the front and lighter at the back. This is the unique way of channeling strength used by the Five Tigers' Broken Door Knife technique." Lian Chengbi remarked, "Was there a practitioner of the Five Tigers' Broken Door Knife style here that year?"
"It's normal for the Peng family in Shanxi and the martial artists of the Guanzhong region to interact and get involved in the affairs of the Guanzhong Martial Arts School." Feng Si Niang replied.
Lian Chengbi nodded and then spotted a sword mark on a stone in the sand.
"This was a straight downward cut without dragging the sword." Lian Chengbi traced the sword mark from beginning to end, "What a long sword. This is a horse-slaying sword, but I wonder if it belonged to the Longyou Heavenly King Sword School, and whether they were with the Western bandits or the Guanzhong Martial Arts School?"
"They should have been with the Guanzhong Martial Arts School because the Longyou Heavenly King Sword School is still thriving." Feng Si Niang said.
"It's been a few years since Si Niang entered the pass, but I didn't expect you to still be so well-informed about the latest developments in the martial arts world." Lian Chengbi smiled.
Feng Si Niang rolled her eyes, "The Heavenly King Sword lineage is right here in Gansu and Long, so it shouldn't be hard to find someone to ask about them."
Everyone laughed at her response, and Lian Chengbi found three more sword marks on two tree trunks.
He was very familiar with these sword marks, "This is the Tian Shan Sword Technique, and that's the Kunlun Sword Technique. I didn't expect so many people to have been involved in the battle back then."
"Tian Shan and Kunlun are both in the Western Regions, and it is their responsibility to defend their territories. It's natural for them to get involved in incidents that happen right at their doorstep." Yang Kaitai wasn't surprised.
In fact, the places where Tian Shan and Kunlun were located were no longer under the rule of the dynasty, but for hundreds of years, the two sects had always considered themselves part of the Central Plains martial arts world, and their successors were often sought from within the Central Plains.
According to their teachings, their founding ancestors were once prominent figures in the Central Plains martial arts world, having established their sects in the depths of Kunlun and on the peaks of Tian Shan. Their descendants, though unworthy, lacked the strength to carry on their legacy, but they dared not forget their roots and change their allegiance.
The golden needle was about an inch long, and despite being embedded in the tree for who knows how long, its surface still shone brilliantly, untouched by the elements.
But upon seeing this golden needle, Shen Bijun's eyes immediately filled with tears as if she were seeing her dignified and kind parents once more.
Feng Si Niang also leaned in, looking at Lian Chengbi in surprise. "I didn't expect your observation skills to be so sharp."
Lian Chengbi smiled and nodded, but then furrowed his brows. "There seem to be quite a few martial artists here, and their skills don't seem weak. Yet, I've heard that the casualties were heavy. Were those bandits that formidable?"
Lian Chengbi had not known the details of this battle before, as he had been in the Jiangnan region at the time and only received news of it months later. All he knew was that his father had participated and died in the fight.
But now, standing at the site, he could identify four distinct traces of combat: the Peng family's Five Tigers' Broken Door Knife, the Longyou Heavenly King's Slaying Ghost Knife, the Kunlun Sect's sword techniques, and the Tian Shan Sect's sword techniques.
This indicated that many experts from the northwestern martial arts world, beyond just the Guan Zhong sect, had been involved in the battle.
And even with their combined strength, it was said that they had only barely won.
"Could it be that they walked straight into an ambush laid by the bandits?" Lian Chengbi asked.
"It's said that there were many experts among the bandits as well," Feng Si Niang replied. "Some were from India and Persia, wandering in the Western Regions. Although they were not from the Central Plains, their martial arts skills were bizarre and no less formidable than those of regular martial artists."
Lian Chengbi's eyebrows arched slightly. "Why would they want to get involved in this mess?"
Feng Si Niang snorted derisively. "For a mythical treasure, it seems."
"What kind of treasure?" Shen Bijun asked curiously.
"It's said to be the treasure of the Ge Shu tribe of the Western Turks, accumulated over centuries since the Tang Dynasty," Feng Si Niang explained.
Lian Chengbi spun around abruptly. "Which Ge Shu?"
"The Ge Shu of the famous Tang Dynasty general, Ge Shu Han," Feng Si Niang said. "During the Tang Dynasty, the Silk Road flourished, and the Ge Shu tribe, with its advantageous location, thrived in trade. Under the protection of General Ge Shu Han, they amassed a fortune."
"Following General Ge Shu Han's advice, the tribe did not squander their wealth extravagantly. Instead, they converted it into gold, silver, and jewels and hid it away, awaiting changes in the world."
Feng Si Niang continued, "However, the An Lushan Rebellion soon broke out in the Tang Dynasty, and the Western Regions also fell into chaos. The Ge Shu tribe suffered greatly during this upheaval and lost their former glory.
It is said that when the Ge Shu tribe later tried to retrieve the treasure, they found that everyone who knew its location had died. Despite searching high and low in the Western Regions, they never found it.
Thus, the treasure became a legend, and for centuries, only tales of the Ge Shu treasure remained, with no one ever laying eyes on it again."
"If that's the case, how did the treasure resurface?" Yang Kaitai asked.
"Apparently, someone from the Ge Shu tribe found a clue to the treasure's location passed down by their ancestors and managed to locate it," Feng Si Niang replied.
"But why invade the Central Plains just because they found the treasure? Could they not enjoy it where it was?" Shen Bijun asked, confused.
Feng Si Niang sighed. "It's said that a descendant of the Ge Shu tribe betrayed their own people and brought the treasure into the Central Plains."
"What?!"
"As a result, some other descendants of the Ge Shu tribe contacted the wandering bandits and martial artists in the Western Regions, planning to raid the Central Plains and retrieve the treasure or plunder wealth of equal value if they couldn't find it."
Feng Si Niang's voice turned cold. "They said that if they couldn't find the treasure, they would take from the Central Plains riches equal in value to the lost treasure."
(End of Chapter)
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