Chapter 52 - 50: Phantom of the Tiger Talisman, Dragon Eagle’s Secret Mission
Chapter 52: Chapter 50: Phantom of the Tiger Talisman, Dragon Eagle’s Secret Mission
After visiting Old Song in the hospital, Wan Ze suggested that their master should be the one to decide what to do with the Tiger Talisman.
Having survived a near-death experience, Professor Song now understood just how ruthless the Secret Palace was. He was incredibly thrilled that Wan Ze had managed to retrieve the Tiger Talisman.
"Damn the Secret Palace!"
"Yeah, they can go to hell!"
Professor Song and Lei Ming were, in a way, in the same boat.
Both had suffered a huge setback at the hands of the Secret Palace.
However, the matter of the Imperial Mausoleum would inevitably involve the behemoth that was the Secret Palace.
Lei Ming also seemed particularly cautious.
He looked at Wan Ze and asked in a low voice, "Ah Ze, you saw that projection just now. What do you think?"
"It looks like a fragmented map..." Wan Ze mused. Even with his current high intelligence, he couldn’t pinpoint the actual location based on just a few lines of incomplete information.
"Yeah, there are too few clues. We can’t possibly find the real place just from the projection... Besides, a location from over six thousand years ago would be completely different now. Who knows how many earthquakes have shaken things up? It’s impossible to tell what’s what," Lei Ming lamented.
Wan Ze changed the subject. "I think we should look for clues from other old artifacts from the Ying Kingdom period... Does Professor Song have any other artifacts?"
Professor Song said thoughtfully, "Not many things have survived from the Ying Kingdom period. However, I have a friend who used to be a researcher specializing in Ying Kingdom culture. He now runs a private antique shop in An City... If I weren’t stuck in this bed injured, I’d take you there myself... I’ll call and let him know. He and I are good friends."
A bitter look crossed Professor Song’s face.
Ying culture was his life’s work and passion. He wished he could get out of bed right this instant, which was why he so earnestly entrusted this matter to Wan Ze and Lei Ming.
"I can’t let you two help for nothing..."
Wan Ze and Lei Ming each accepted two thousand yuan as a fee for their troubles.
Outside, Lei Ming gave a wry smile. "If I hadn’t taken it, neither of us would’ve been able to leave. Besides, Ah Ze, you got the Tiger Talisman back, so Professor Song is already grateful. If we two brothers handle this beautifully for him, we won’t be letting down his trust in us!"
Wan Ze heard this and said, "I haven’t told Master about this yet."
"Then should we head back to the martial arts hall first?" Lei Ming asked.
Wan Ze nodded. After getting in the car, the two headed straight for the rear courtyard of the Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall.
"Master!!!!!!!!!"
On the second floor of the rear courtyard, Situ Bai closed his eyes, set down his book, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ’...This troublesome kid!’
His expression hardened as he shot an annoyed glare at Lei Ming.
Then, looking at the Tiger Talisman Wan Ze handed him, the old man’s expression froze. "After all that, it’s back again?"
"Master, Professor Song has commissioned us to go to An City and look for other old artifacts related to Ying Kingdom culture to see if we can find anything else..." Lei Ming chuckled.
Situ Bai glanced at him and casually tossed the Tiger Talisman over. "You two really have the guts to take on this hot potato, huh? I see you’re itching for a beating again! And you want to drag your Little Junior Brother into this mess!"
Lei Ming shrank back but couldn’t help retorting, "Master, the Secret Palace has pushed us around too much. I can’t swallow this insult! Now that the Tiger Talisman is back in our hands, it must be fate. There’s no reason to just hand it over to them, right?"
"Don’t change the subject." Situ Bai ignored Lei Ming and turned to Wan Ze, pondering whether this new, young disciple of his was qualified to get involved in this vortex.
He was getting old.
He only had a few years of his true peak left.
Wan Ze was the most talented person he had ever met.
Given time, his future achievements would be no less than his eldest disciple’s.
"Master, I want to go... Of course, if we encounter danger, my senior brother and I will retreat immediately," Wan Ze said at once.
Lei Ming blinked, staring hopefully at Situ Bai.
Situ Bai said thoughtfully, "The Tiger Talisman will stay here at the martial arts hall. I’ll hold onto it myself... to keep those vultures from the Secret Palace off your backs. An City isn’t like... Holy City. The situation there could be worse... How about this: your Fourth Senior Brother has spent time there. He knows the place like the back of his hand. Have him go with you."
"That’s great! It’ll be even better with Fourth Senior Brother there," Lei Ming immediately clapped in approval.
But Situ Bai snorted irritably, "Your Fourth Senior Brother is a handful himself!"
He suddenly hesitated.
’Sending Zhai Jia along isn’t exactly a safe bet. I’ll need to have the reliable Zhai Yu go with them!’
「...」
As soon as they left the room, Lei Ming grew excited. "Ah Ze, do you think there are really Qi Refiner Techniques inside the Imperial Mausoleum? If there are... our East Sea Federation will definitely attract the same kind of worldwide attention as the Slavic Kingdom. I just wonder if the Chaos Empire would dare to deal with us the way they dealt with the Slavic Kingdom."
"It’s hard to say for sure," Wan Ze said, shaking his head.
Lei Ming said with emotion, "During the War of Resistance back then, the Chaos Empire was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. If a war really breaks out, everyone’s got a lot of pent-up anger... But no one actually wants a war. Too many people would die."
The two chatted as they walked.
Then they headed to the training hall.
"We’re just waiting around anyway. Care for a spar?" Lei Ming said, rubbing his hands together.
Wan Ze was tempted.
He had now reached the Cultivation of Blood Tempering Second Transformation.
He just didn’t know how big the gap was between him and his senior brother Lei Ming.
"Bring it!"
"BANG!"
Wan Ze knocked Lei Ming’s fist aside, dipped his shoulder, and his sleeve trembled, letting out a series of sharp cracks, like waves crashing violently against the hull of a ship.
An expert’s quality is clear from their first move.
Lei Ming was a little surprised. It hadn’t been that long since he’d trained with Wan Ze at the hall, yet his Little Junior Brother had already mastered the Iron Mountain Fist to this degree. The force of the blow rushed toward him like a great river surging forward. To be able to channel Power so smoothly through every joint was beyond Lei Ming’s imagination.
"THWACK!"
Lei Ming threw up an arm, barely blocking Wan Ze’s strike with a solid thud of flesh on flesh. For a moment, the two were evenly matched.
"Ah Ze, I’m getting serious now!"
"I couldn’t ask for more. Come on!"
The two traded blows, their fists flying. Driven by their qi and blood, both moved much faster than ordinary people.
「Not long after.」
A light chuckle came from the doorway. "I just got here and you two are already at it? Come on, let me in on the fun."
Before Zhai Jia could step forward, Lei Ming immediately backed away, waving his hand. "No more, no more. Ah Ze, you’re pretty good! You actually lasted this long against me."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Wan Ze smiled. "I’ve had a few insights these past two days."
"What a monster," Lei Ming muttered under his breath before changing the subject. "Brother Jia, you’re here. Where’s Brother Yu?"
"Master called him over. By the way, have either of you been to An City before?" Zhai Jia asked.
Wan Ze and Lei Ming both shook their heads.
Seeing this, Zhai Jia grinned. "Then I’ll take you guys out for some fun. I know that place well. I went to university there for four years, so I know it inside and out."
「A moment later.」
Zhai Yu appeared. Swift and decisive, he waved them over. "Let’s go. The car is ready."