136: One Hundred Million and One Step

Wang Dalong plopped back onto the bed, the mattress letting out a muffled creak. His eyes sparkled as he rubbed his hands, his face a mix of ecstasy and disbelief.

"Brother Feng, are we... completely financially independent now?"

Lin Feng had just walked to the window. Hearing this, he turned around and looked at the man's pathetic state, finding it quite amusing.

"We've been financially independent for a long time."

"Oh, right!" Wang Dalong slapped his thigh, laughing at himself. "I forgot, we're already billionaires. Sigh, spending every day with you in mountain gullies and diving into the sea, living like savages... I almost forgot I was rich. No way, once this is over, we have to enjoy ourselves!"

He began counting on his fingers: "First, rent a yacht in Sanya, get some models... actually, models are unreliable. We'll go sea fishing every day and eat lobster. Then go skiing in Switzerland, and see the northern lights in Iceland..."

Lin Feng didn't interrupt his fantasies. He silently walked to his computer and sat down. The screen's light reflected his calm face, but if Wang Dalong had looked back at that moment, he would have seen the gravity hidden deep in his eyes.

The Southern Song Dynasty Treasury matter had settled.

But in his mind, that line of golden, majestic mission title was like a red-hot branding iron, burning him so much he couldn't find peace.

[Epic Historical Main Quest Triggered: "jade fragments tracing".]

[Mission Objective: Recover the lost imperial seal of china from the Qin Dynasty.]

"jade fragments tracing..." Lin Feng whispered those four words.

Wang Dalong's fantasy was interrupted. He turned his head and saw Lin Feng's expression, and the silly grin on his face slowly faded. He leaned in and lowered his voice.

"Brother Feng, are you still thinking about that?"

Lin Feng didn't answer. He just moved his mouse and opened a new document. In the document were all the clues about the imperial seal of china and the Qinian Valley he had organized based on his memory and the information provided by the system.

"Dalong, do you know what those eight words, 'Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may he lead a long and prosperous life,' mean to our nation?" Lin Feng's voice was very soft.

"The imperial seal of china, the one from the First Emperor of Qin. I've read many novels where the protagonist gets it, exerts their dominance, wins over the world's heroes, and becomes the emperor." Wang Dalong scratched his head, explaining it with his most common understanding.

"Novels are novels." Lin Feng shook his head. "It's not some magic prop; it can't command the world. But it is a symbol, the first symbol of a unified China. Starting from Qin, through the Han, Three Kingdoms, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui, and Tang... for over a thousand years, it witnessed the rise and fall of countless dynasties. Possessing it symbolizes legitimacy; losing it means chaos under heaven."

"Until the Later Tang, when Li Congke held it and committed self-immolation at the Xuanwu Tower in Luoyang, it disappeared. In the subsequent Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, no emperor ever truly owned it. It has been a regret lasting a thousand years."

As Wang Dalong listened to Lin Feng's narration, the flippancy on his face gradually vanished, replaced by a sense of solemnity. Although his historical knowledge was shallow, he understood the weight of this object.

"Chancellor's secret memorial said it was found during the Northern Song and eventually fell into Kublai Khan's hands to be buried with his grandfather, Genghis Khan... If this news is true, then..."

"Then it's no longer a regret," Lin Feng finished his sentence. "It becomes a concrete goal. A goal buried underground for over seven hundred years that can be recovered."

Wang Dalong looked at Lin Feng. Seeing his eyes shining brilliantly in the screen's light, he felt his throat go dry.

"Brother Feng, you really want to touch that? That's Genghis Khan! His tomb is known as the 'Ultimate Holy Grail.' People all over the world have searched for hundreds of years and found nothing. Kublai Khan buried the imperial seal of china there just to cut off the hopes of us Han people. What kind of dragon's den or tiger's lair must that place be?"

"Qinian Valley."

"Right, Qinian Valley! But where on earth is this place?" Wang Dalong scratched his hair irritably. "I've checked these past few days, and the internet says all sorts of things. The most mainstream theory is that it's in Mongolia, at a place called Burkhan Khaldun, now known as the Khentii Mountains. But Mongolia itself formed a national-level archaeological team and searched high and low without finding a single hair. Countless foreign explorers and archaeological teams have brought satellites and radars, practically plowing through those mountains, and it's all been useless."

Lin Feng nodded and drew a red 'X' after the "Khentii Mountains" clue.

"I also don't believe it's there. Not being able to find it is one thing, but more importantly, it doesn't fit the logic. Kublai Khan buried the imperial seal as a funerary object to suppress the fortune of the Han people and permanently solidify the rule of his Golden Family. Would he place such an important item in a general location that future descendants and the whole world know about? That's not a secret mausoleum; that's 'no buried treasure here'."

"Then where else could it be?"

Lin Feng's mouse moved down, the cursor passing over several other place names.

"Records in ancient texts are conflicting. The Southern Song Dynasty's 'Memoirs of the Black Tartars' mentions that Genghis Khan might be buried in Ordos. However, the 'History of Yuan' is more specific: 'The Emperor stayed at the West River of Qingshui County. In the seventh month of autumn, on the Renwu day, he fell ill. On the Jichou day, he passed away at the traveling palace of Sari River, Qaratu.' This Sari River, according to many researchers, is in today's Liupan Mountains region of Ningxia."

"Liupan Mountains?" Wang Dalong was stunned for a moment. "Isn't that where the Red Army passed during the Long March? 'Today with the long cord in hand, when shall we bind fast the Grey Dragon?'"

"Yes, that's the place." Lin Feng'seyes became sharp. "Genghis Khan died during the siege of Western Xia, near the Liupan Mountains. According to the Mongol tradition of 'quick burial' and 'no mourning,' a secret burial on the spot is the most logical choice. The army could continue to suppress the news and complete the final blow against Western Xia."

"So, your first stop is the Liupan Mountains?" Wang Dalong felt his heart start to race.

"Yes."

Just then, Lin Feng's phone vibrated; it was a text message.

The sender was Jiang Wanqing.

[Mr. Lin, the reward for the discovery of the Southern Song Dynasty Treasury has been approved by the national special fund. Considering the immense historical value of this contribution and your wishes, the reward will be issued in cash. A bonus of 100 million RMB has been deposited into your designated account; please check it. Additionally, relevant honors and commendations are in process. Thank you again.]

One hundred million.

Wang Dalong also leaned over and saw the message. The figure he had just been fantasizing about appeared so casually in the form of text. He opened his mouth, but found he couldn't feel excited at all.

His gaze fell back onto Lin Feng's computer screen.

On the screen was a map of the majestic Liupan Mountains, with an unfamiliar location named "Sari River" marked with a red circle.

A cash reward of one hundred million, and a thousand-year-old mystery just one step away.

Which was more important became incredibly clear at this moment.

"I... I'm going all in!" Wang Dalong punched his own thigh and cursed, "I'll risk my life to accompany you! When do we leave?"

Lin Feng closed the text interface and clicked on the ticket booking app.

"The earliest flight tomorrow, to Yinchuan."