Ye Chu’s question hung in the air, and both he and Bai Bao fell silent!
There was no doubt that Ye Chu had saved Bai Bao with ulterior motives from the very beginning! He did not know whether Bai Bao harboured any hidden thoughts of his own. After spending so many days together, Ye Chu had come to realise that Bai Bao was far from simple. Moreover, the two of them got along extremely well. If it was possible to avoid tearing their relationship apart, Ye Chu naturally preferred not to.
Bai Bao stared straight at the youth before him, a trace of astonishment flickering in his eyes! He did not resent Ye Chu’s ulterior motives in saving him. Bai Bao understood very well: why would anyone save you for no reason at all? Moreover, if Ye Chu had not intervened, he would already be dead! In that sense, Ye Chu was his lifesaver!
What surprised Bai Bao was how extraordinary Ye Chu truly was. From the tone of Ye Chu’s voice, it was clear that Ye Chu was very familiar with the great general’s tomb!
“How do you know so much about the great general’s tomb?” Bai Bao asked Ye Chu directly.
“I once went inside. I nearly died there, so I gained some understanding.” Ye Chu answered straightforwardly without hiding anything!
“You went inside and still came out alive?” Bai Bao found it utterly unbelievable. Even with his special method, he had nearly perished. He never imagined Ye Chu had also entered.
“I did not reach the deepest part! When the baleful qi erupted, I had no choice but to retreat!” Ye Chu sighed. “On the other hand, Uncle Bai managing to enter truly astonishes me. Judging from Uncle Bai’s strength, you have not yet reached the third grade of ‘refining one’s own primal spirit,’ correct? Entering the deepest part and surviving with only Intent Transformation Realm strength is simply too inconceivable!”
Bai Bao did not deny it. “You are not bad either! A person whose name is infamous throughout Yao City actually has the courage to enter the great general’s tomb. It seems everyone in Yao City has underestimated you. Now I am curious—what exactly is your background?”
Bai Bao stared at Ye Chu. He knew Pang Shao’s identity very well, yet Ye Chu could kick Pang Shao around without consequence. That alone proved how extraordinary Ye Chu was!
Ye Chu shrugged. “That is not important! Even if I told you, you might not recognise it anyway!”
Bai Bao neither confirmed nor denied this and did not press further. He let out a soft breath. “There is no harm in telling you. I entered the great general’s tomb using a special family method that allowed me to avoid triggering the traps and baleful qi. Even so, it was extremely dangerous. My eldest daughter and son-in-law died because of it. This time, if not for your treatment, I would have perished as well.”
“What exactly did Uncle Bai obtain from inside this time?” Ye Chu asked the question he most wanted answered. “Legends say the great general left behind great secrets and supreme treasures. Did Uncle Bai manage to retrieve anything from the depths?”
Bai Bao did not answer directly. “This time, because of me, many people followed me into the great general’s tomb. Although we did not reach the deepest part, we still obtained quite a few good things. If you want them, you can go seize some from those people. Among them are items that would surprise even you and catch your eye!”
Seeing Bai Bao change the subject, Ye Chu smiled. “So can I take that to mean Uncle Bai did indeed obtain something valuable from inside?”
“Think whatever you like!” Bai Bao laughed heartily. “But do not even think about targeting me. These past few days, you have been subtly asking Bai Xuan all sorts of questions. Do not think I did not notice. Let me make this clear: even if I did obtain something from inside, it is not kept in this residence!”
“Damn it!” Ye Chu could not help cursing. He had already guessed this possibility.
“Fine! Since Uncle Bai refuses to say, I will not force you. But the treatment fee still needs to be paid! A human life is priceless. Asking for a mere hundred or eighty million gold coins should not be too much for Uncle Bai, right?” Ye Chu said. He never did business at a loss. He had already given away a three-hundred-year lingzhi—surely he could not leave empty-handed!
“You could tear this entire residence apart and still not find that much gold!” Bai Bao completely ignored Ye Chu’s words, thinking to himself that this fellow really knew how to demand an exorbitant price!
“No gold? Fine then! Uncle Bai can just pass on to me the special method your family uses to enter the great general’s tomb! We can forget about the treatment fee!” Ye Chu smiled brightly at Bai Bao, finally revealing his true intention!
Ye Chu had originally thought Bai Bao would definitely refuse, but the result was beyond his expectations. Bai Bao actually fell silent for a long time after hearing those words. After a long pause, he sighed softly towards Ye Chu. “This is a family secret. Normally it should not be passed to outsiders! But if you truly wish to learn it, I can teach it to you.”
“…” Ye Chu stared at Bai Bao in astonishment. He knew full well how valuable the great general’s tomb was. The treasures inside were priceless—even the imperial family coveted them. Yet Bai Bao was really willing to hand over such a priceless secret?
“Do not be too happy about this! The great general’s tomb is far more dangerous than you imagine. Even with my method, the slightest carelessness means certain death.” Bai Bao said. “If you want to learn it, it may not necessarily be a good thing for you.”
After a pause, Bai Bao continued, “To be honest, I do not want you to learn it! You are quite to my liking, young man. I do not want you to die too early!”
“Are you trying to scare me?” Ye Chu rolled his eyes, naturally not believing Bai Bao’s words. Did he think such talk could deter him?
Bai Bao smiled but did not explain further. Too many people from their clan had died in the great general’s tomb. By his generation, only he and Bai Xuan remained! Bai Bao did not want Bai Xuan to take such a risk, yet he also did not want the family method to be lost forever. Passing it to Ye Chu was acceptable!
Moreover, judging from Ye Chu’s bearing, it was clear he came from an extraordinary background! Perhaps he truly had the ability to bring the secrets of the great general’s tomb to light!
Of course, none of this mattered much to Bai Bao anymore. He had already obtained what he needed! Though the great general’s tomb still contained many treasures—some possibly no less valuable than what he had taken—only the item he retrieved was truly suited to his clan!
“By the way! There is one more thing I need to ask Uncle Bai!” Ye Chu suddenly remembered the main reason he had returned to Yao City. “Rumour has it that Yao City possesses a solitary copy of the Crimson Baleful Scripture! Uncle Bai has lived in Yao City for decades. Have you ever heard of it?”
“You are looking for that?” Bai Bao’s eyelids twitched. He looked at Ye Chu with extreme surprise. He had naturally heard of that solitary copy, but to ordinary cultivators it was useless. Only extremely powerful grand cultivators would take interest in it.
In the entire Kingdom of Yao, there were hardly any grand cultivators. Even in the empire, those who could be called grand cultivators were few and far between! Yet now, at just seventeen years old, Ye Chu was searching for that text!
“Uncle Bai knows of it?” Ye Chu was overjoyed. He had already been prepared to give up. He never expected such a sudden turn of events.
“I know of it, yes!” Bai Bao said. “That item was confiscated by the palace more than ten years ago. It has been kept inside the palace ever since. No one can understand it. If my father had not mentioned it back then, I would not even have known it existed. Where did you hear about it?”
“In the palace?!” Ye Chu frowned. He had not expected it to be so troublesome! Taking something from the palace was practically impossible!