Chapter 683: Encountering the Coffin Carrier, Changsheng Emerges from Seclusion

“But… if we just let him go… what if he was working with that guy?”

“If he were on the same side as that guy, you wouldn’t be standing here talking to me in one piece. He must have come for that Ice Coffin.”

Hearing this, Song Qinghong mused, “Speaking of the Ice Coffin, the cold air from underground seems to be gone. Could it be that the Yin Cold Power wasn’t caused by a Cold Vein, but by the Ice Coffin itself?”

“If I’m not mistaken, there must be the ruins left behind by a powerful expert beneath this village. Qinghong, you tend to Qingyuan’s injuries. Qingyun, gather all the bodies here and cremate them. I’m going down to investigate.”

With that, Song Qingqian leaped into the massive fissure in the ground.

“Come on, let’s go over there. I’ll take a look at your wounds.”

With that, Song Qinghong helped Song Qingyuan into a dilapidated farmhouse nearby.

Once everyone had left, Song Qingyun finally relaxed his tightly clenched left fist.

An indignant voice immediately sounded in Song Qingyun’s ear. ‘Yun, why didn’t you let me out? That Qian kid couldn’t beat the Coffin Carrier, but I’m not afraid of him. I could’ve smacked him dead with one swipe!’

Song Qingyun gave a resigned smile. “Uncle Jin Xuan, didn’t we agree before we left the mountain? I have to complete this clan trial on my own. If I let you interfere, what’s the point of the trial? Besides, if you revealed yourself, my identity would be exposed. How do you think Qinghong and Qingyuan would look at me then? I don’t want them to think I’m some kind of parasite who only knows how to rely on his father.”

‘It’s not often I get to come down the mountain. You can’t just keep me cooped up in here, can you? Let me out! I’ll go teach that guy a lesson.’

Song Qingyun frowned. “My cousin already let him go. If we provoke him again, wouldn’t that just needlessly make an enemy for the clan?”

‘You silly kid! You’re a human, and I’m a beast. Who’s going to think you sent me?

Besides, don’t you trust my strength? That Qian kid was only playing nice because he wasn’t strong enough. If I just swat him dead, it’s not like we’re making an enemy, is it?’ Jin Xuan said in exasperation.

“Well…”

Seeing Song Qingyun still hesitating, Jin Xuan suddenly had an idea and declared righteously, ‘Yun, you have to think this through! That guy is obviously no good. Wandering around with a coffin on his back… who knows how many mortals are going to suffer because of him.’

“Uncle Jin Xuan, I know you just want to get out and stretch your legs, but it’s not a good idea. The clan will handle this. You should stay out of it.”

‘What, you’re not curious about what’s inside that Ice Coffin?’ Jin Xuan continued to coax him.

“There’s something inside the Ice Coffin?”

‘Er… that’s just a guess,’ Jin Xuan continued to wheedle, ‘but think about it! A coffin just mysteriously appears underground. How could it possibly be empty?’

At these words, a look of interest appeared on Song Qingyun’s face.

He was just a boy, after all, brimming with curiosity. Faced with Jin Xuan’s temptation, he found it hard to resist.

Seeing his chance, Jin Xuan was overjoyed. ‘Heh, I’ll be right back!’ he said quickly.

With that, a brilliant stream of golden light shot out from the pouch at Song Qingyun’s waist, streaking off in the direction the Coffin Carrier had gone…

Song Qingyun watched Jin Xuan leave without much concern. Its bloodline was pure, and its strength had improved rapidly over the years, reaching Tier Two High Grade—equivalent to the Cultivation of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Human Race Cultivator.

Even if it couldn’t defeat the mysterious Coffin Carrier, escaping unscathed shouldn’t be a problem.

With that thought, he set his mind at ease and began to take care of the bodies on the ground.

By the time he had finished dealing with the bodies, Song Qingqian had also concluded his exploration.

“There is indeed the ruin of a cave abode down here. There’s still some residual Yin Cold Power, but aside from that Ice Coffin, it was completely empty. I have no idea which senior left it behind.”

“I will report this to the clan and have them send people for a more detailed search. If anything is discovered, according to clan rules, you will all receive thirty percent of the total value in either Spirit Stones or Clan Contribution Points.”

“Thank you, cousin,” Song Qingyun and the others quickly replied.

Thirty percent might not sound like much, but it was actually quite generous. After all, the clan would be doing most of the work; they just had to sit back and reap the rewards.

If they wanted a bigger cut, they could choose to explore it themselves, shouldering all the risks and reaping all the rewards.

Alternatively, they could explore alongside the team sent by the clan, in which case they would only need to turn over fifty percent of their findings.

After dealing with matters in Daliu Village, Song Qingyun and his group first took the bodies of the two fallen Chen Clan cultivators back to the Chen Clan. After handing over the remains, they returned to their own clan with Silkworm Soul’s head to report the completion of their mission.

On the same night they returned to the clan, Jin Xuan also snuck back under the cover of darkness.

In Song Changsheng’s small courtyard, a palm-sized Jin Xuan crept stealthily to the edge of the water cistern and whispered, “Yun. Hey, Yun.”

Song Qingyun, who was meditating cross-legged beneath the Parasol Tree, opened his eyes. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Jin Xuan acting as guilty as a thief. “Come over here. Why are you acting so shifty?”

“Keep your voice down, keep it down.”

Jin Xuan glanced furtively from side to side and whispered, “Aunt Xue isn’t around, is she?”

“Grandmother went to the brewery early this morning. Apparently, they made some new discovery, and she still hasn’t returned.”

Song Qingyun grew even more suspicious. ‘Something’s off,’ he thought. ‘Jin Xuan has been acting strangely ever since he got back.’

“Good, that’s good.”

A Spiritual Light flashed around Jin Xuan’s body as he transformed into his true form. He stood a full ten feet tall, an incredibly imposing sight.

He opened his cavernous maw. A faint, fluorescent light flickered within, and he spat out a fist-sized, snow-white bead.

The instant the bead appeared, Song Qingyun was hit by a wave of Extreme Cold that washed over him, and the surrounding temperature plummeted.

“This is…”

“I went after that Coffin Carrier, right? Well, I caught up to him, but he had no intention of fighting. I said I wanted to see what was inside the coffin, and he just… opened it. This bead is what tumbled out.”

Song Qingyun stepped forward, channeling Spiritual Power to coat his hand before taking the bead to examine it closely. “This looks like a Clam Bead,” he said in surprise. “It’s not a Magical Artifact.”

“A Clam Bead? No wonder it reeks of demonic energy,” Jin Xuan said with sudden understanding.

“I can’t determine its grade, but its value can’t be low.”

“Heh, at least we got something out of it.”

“This isn’t a big deal. So why were you hiding from Grandmother, acting like a thief?” Song Qingyun asked, puzzled.

Jin Xuan gave an awkward laugh. “If Aunt Xue finds out I came down the mountain with you, she’ll cut off my wine supply for sure. Can’t have that, no sir.”

“Alright, I won’t tell Grandmother,” Song Qingyun said. “But there’s no way we can hide this from Father. This bead hasn’t been refined yet, and I’ll need his help to forge it into a Magical Artifact.”

“Uh… In that case, maybe I should go hide somewhere.”

“Hide? Where would you go?”

A calm voice sounded from outside the door, startling Jin Xuan so badly he flinched.

“Father, you’re out of seclusion!”

A look of delighted surprise spread across Song Qingyun’s face as he quickly bowed in greeting.

“Six years in seclusion… and Yun’Er has already become a man. As your father… I feel ashamed.”

Song Changsheng’s face was filled with guilt. Throughout his son’s life, the time they had spent together was pitifully short. When he had entered seclusion, Song Qingyun had only been tall enough to reach his chest; now, they were nearly the same height.

Six years…

“You’re being too hard on yourself, Father. I understand,” Song Qingyun said softly.

Song Changsheng fell silent at his words.

After a long moment, Song Changsheng spoke again. “What were you two talking about just now? How was the trial?”

Upon hearing this, Song Qingyun quickly recounted the events of the trial in detail, including, of course, Jin Xuan’s little escapade.

Jin Xuan’s head drooped, and he lay off to the side, not daring to utter a word.

“A Coffin Carrier?” Song Changsheng murmured, a sharp glint flashing in the depths of his eyes…