Chapter Seventy-Six: The Brocade Box Appears Again

Zhang He never expected that the two masters would clash again so soon after their previous bout. In fact, at this moment, it was a most unwise decision for either Yan Yishan or Bai Shuangfei to make a move. Zhang He's guess was correct: though Yan Yishan was protected by his medicine, he had not touched a drop of water or a grain of rice for a long time. If he could not defeat Bai Shuangfei in the shortest time possible, a protracted fight would bring him nothing but harm. As for Bai Shuangfei, although he had just recovered much of his stamina, that strike which sent Yan Yishan flying was a desperate move, forcibly executed at the cost of his own inner energy and foundation. Moreover, he had no medicine with him and was ill-suited for a drawn-out battle.

The two masters thought almost identically. They exchanged merely two or three moves atop the water before Yan Yishan’s sword radiance suddenly surged three feet, while Bai Shuangfei’s palm wind swept forward five or six meters. Compared to their previous skirmishes, both had clearly raised the level of their combat. Most crucially, this was no longer a mere duel—it was a fight to the death.

At first glance, Bai Shuangfei seemed to hold the advantage. His twin palms sent forth waves of palm wind that bound Yan Yishan like silken ribbons, so densely packed it was suffocating. Yan Yishan wielded his divine sword as if hacking through a dense forest, cleaving those ribbons of force into fragments that scattered away. In truth, Yan Yishan’s exertion was less than Bai Shuangfei’s. If things continued this way, once Bai Shuangfei’s inner strength and stamina gave out, Yan Yishan would simply close in and finish him off with a flurry of sword strikes.

Bai Shuangfei himself was well aware of this. As the two leapt from one stone pillar to the next, they tried to maneuver into positions to strike. All the while, sword energy and palm winds whirled around the center of the lake, stirring ripples across the surface and causing the waters to boil anew.

Zhang He and his three companions had always felt these two were formidable, but only now, from the vantage of their bamboo raft, did they sense just how terrifyingly strong they were. The very gusts born of clashing sword and palm left one’s face stinging, as though sliced by blades.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Yan Yishan said coldly, “Brother Bai, why do you persist?”

Bai Shuangfei sneered, “If we must die, let us die together. If we must go, let us go together. Since fate has brought us here, I don’t wish it to end just yet.”

“Very well!” Yan Yishan retorted with a cold smile. “Let’s see who dies first, and who leaves last.”

Even as they fought, they could still speak—proof of their extraordinary prowess.

But before long, neither could utter another word, for the lake water now boiled like a cauldron. Between the eight pillars at the lake’s heart, their inner strength conjured a massive whirlpool, as if some mysterious force was sucking everything toward the center. Zhang He’s raft could not resist the pull, and drifted ever closer.

Then, something terrifying happened. With a thunderous roar, the core of the whirlpool split open, revealing a gaping black maw, as if a great hole had tunneled up from the bottom of the lake, devouring all the water in its path.

Zhang He was dumbstruck. Could such a bizarre trap truly exist?

Bai Shuangfei and Yan Yishan cried out in unison, “It’s open?”

The Commission Secretary’s eyes lit up. “The entrance to the treasure?”

Both masters immediately leapt into the black void, and the raft was helplessly sucked in as well. The hole remained open for about three minutes before, with another great rush, water poured in from all sides, sealing it over. The lake’s surface returned to tranquility, as if nothing had ever happened, as if it remained the same lonely, ancient Bluewave Pool, with only the bright moon reflected upon its surface, splendid as ever.

As Zhang He tumbled into the black void, he instinctively reached out to grab the sides, only to realize with surprise that all four walls were made of flowing water. Strangely, the water did not spill out but could be grasped, slowing his descent.

The tunnel-like shaft plunged straight down, bottomless and dark. From the depths below came flashes of sword and blade—clearly, the two masters were still locked in mortal combat—followed by shouts and cries, and even the low growl of some monstrous beast. Then came a deafening crash that shook the tunnel violently, nearly causing Zhang He to lose consciousness.

He did not know how much time had passed before he finally landed on solid ground—dry, firm earth with a whiff of fresh soil. There were no walls around him, only water that resembled more glass than liquid. Zhang He could clearly see everything on the lakebed—every fish, every blade of grass drifting in the crystalline water—yet the water never spilled inside.

He reached out and pressed against the watery curtain. It bulged softly beneath his hand, then returned to smoothness as he withdrew. No matter how many strange wonders he had encountered in the world of “Dynasty,” standing here still left him deeply awed.

One thing was now certain: the “treasure” mentioned by the Commission Secretary was real, and it was no wonder the two masters had guarded the lake’s heart so fiercely—the entrance was here all along.

But where was the treasure? Where was it hidden?

When Zhang He finally looked up and took in his surroundings, he was stunned once more. He stood in a vast, oval-shaped chamber beneath the lake, the floor carpeted with glowing wild grasses that swayed like underwater weeds, soft and ethereal. Most wondrous of all, these grasses emitted a riot of colored lights, illuminating the room with resplendent brilliance.

“Luminous grass?” Zhang He was overjoyed. The system had already identified it as such, and without hesitation, he began yanking clumps of it up and stuffing them into his pack. The task given by the Fairy of the Zither had proved far easier than expected, yet had it not been for the fierce duel of the two masters and a series of fortunate coincidences, Zhang He doubted he would ever have found this place in his lifetime.

Then, at the center of the room, Zhang He gasped—a giant goldfish lay dead on the ground, its body as large as a carriage, grotesque and hideous. It had already perished, and its remains had scattered a trove of treasures.

On either side of the corpse, Yan Yishan and Bai Shuangfei sat cross-legged, eyes closed, their appearances all but unrecognizable beneath blood, wounds, mud, slime, and tatters. Not far away lay the three members of the Commission, apparently unconscious.

Now Zhang He understood: this had been the boss monster, vanquished by the two formidable warriors—but they themselves were so gravely wounded they could no longer stand.

But to whom did the spoils belong? Yan Yishan? Bai Shuangfei?

Zhang He’s gaze swept the pile of loot like radar: copper coins, silver, gold, boots, staves, armor, potions, skill books, all manner of fish-scale materials… Finally, his eyes landed on one last item, and his long-dormant heart began to race.

A brocade box!

Indeed, a brocade box—a delicate, crimson chest. Had Zhang He not seen one before, he would never have guessed its significance. The last time, in the purple bamboo grove of Mount Netherlight, the security convoy’s “Red Cargo” had looked just the same—such a box could contain rare treasures, peerless weapons, or blueprints for forging legendary items.

Could it be the Deer-Slaying Blade?

Zhang He almost lunged forward, but his remaining rationality kept him in check.

He had noticed that though both masters sat with eyes closed, battered and weary, a palpable sense of menace still filled the space. It was as if, though gravely wounded, the two remained locked in a standoff, and should any outsider trespass within their sphere of control, they would instantly join forces to kill the intruder—because his presence threatened their grip on the situation.

Zhang He sensed this too. Smart enough to heed the danger, he halted in his tracks, gazing from a distance without advancing or retreating—indeed, there was nowhere to retreat.

It was a tense tableau: three men locked in a standoff, none daring or willing to make the first move.

After a moment, both masters slowly opened their eyes, and Zhang He suddenly broke into a sly, almost sinister smile.

He had realized that Bai Shuangfei and Yan Yishan were wary only of each other, not of him.

Their full attention was fixed on one another, unaware that, unknowingly, fate had shifted into Zhang He’s hands. Whomever he attacked first would be doomed, for the other would immediately rise to join Zhang He in eliminating their rival.

Of course, it was also possible that if Zhang He dared act, the two might unite to destroy him instead.

The situation was exquisitely delicate, but the real question was: to whom did the box belong? That was the crucial issue.

And so Zhang He simply smiled.

Sometimes, a smile is the best weapon to conceal one’s true emotions.

It was Bai Shuangfei who spoke first—ever the master of the palm, his internal strength was profound.

“You find this amusing?” Bai Shuangfei asked coldly.

Zhang He replied with a laugh, “It is amusing. You two fought to the death, only to see the prize handed to someone else.”

Bai Shuangfei said, “The crane and the clam struggle, and the fisherman profits. I truly underestimated you. I never thought you’d make it this far—and only appear at the last moment.”

Zhang He mused silently—could it be that the Commission Secretary’s party had been knocked out by these two, rather than the fall?

He said indifferently, “Sometimes, man proposes, but heaven disposes.”

Bai Shuangfei’s face twitched, then he sighed, “I must admit, there’s truth in that.”

Now Yan Yishan spoke at last. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“Oh?” Zhang He was curious.

Yan Yishan’s face was pale, but his tone remained steady. “Brother Wu, if you kill him, I only want the box. The rest of the loot is yours.”

At that, Bai Shuangfei’s expression changed drastically.