173: Chapter 173 The Secret Treasures of the Former Dynasty

Outside the long pavilion, the members of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult lurking in the shadows were all stunned.

Before they could even see what had happened, the two had already started fighting.

The faces of several Red Lotus Demonic Cult Elders standing in the distance changed slightly.

They were all too aware of the power of the Cloud-Turning Palm the Saintess unleashed; even a Martial Artist of the same Realm would have their heart meridians shattered if they took it head-on.

Yet, this man wearing a bamboo hat before them had actually caught it with one hand, as if it were nothing?

"How is this possible?"

Although they could not see through Chen Ran, if anything happened to the Saintess, they would all be buried with her.

But before they could make a move, a cold voice came from afar.

"Stop, all of you stand down."

The dozen or so Red Lotus Demonic Cult experts could only sheepishly put away their weapons and retreat back into the shadows.

Chen Ran didn't pay any mind to the attack; with the Blood Seed condensed inside her body, even if Jiang Mengli truly had thoughts of resisting, it would be useless.

Chen Ran picked up the cup of Moon Spirit Tea and drank it in one gulp.

"Testing me? You're still a bit too inexperienced." He set down the teacup, his tone flat.

Jiang Mengli rubbed her reddened wrist, sat back down opposite him, and rolled her eyes at him in annoyance.

"You really don't know how to cherish a fair maiden at all."

Yet, her heart was in turmoil.

She had thought that relying on the secret medicine of the royal family and her skyrocketing strength, she would at least be able to suppress Chen Ran this time they met.

And the result?

That palm strike just now felt like hitting a ten-thousand-foot iron mountain.

The other party hadn't even used True Qi; relying solely on his Physical Body, he had shaken her until her blood and Qi were surging.

Just what level had this monster's strength reached? Return to Truth Realm? Or even higher?

Chen Ran did not give Jiang Mengli too much time to react and asked directly:

"That series of explosions in the city, that was your doing, right?"

"Indeed." Jiang Mengli nodded, her expression returning to a serious one. "The World Martial Arts Tournament is a good smokescreen; the Great Wei Court's attention has been completely diverted. The capital is currently very empty inside."

"And so? You called me out to this wilderness in the middle of the night just to have me drink tea?"

Chen Ran tapped on the stone table.

Jiang Mengli leaned forward and lowered her voice.

"I am here to open the hidden treasure of the previous Dynasty's royal family."

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding air turned a few degrees colder.

Chen Ran paused.

The hidden treasure of the previous Dynasty's royal family?

He had indeed heard rumors of this. It was said that when the previous Dynasty fell, they had hidden away the top-tier resources, Cultivation Technique, and divine weapons from the national treasury, leaving them for future generations to restore the nation.

"The hidden treasure is beneath the capital," Jiang Mengli continued. "To open it, my royal Bloodline is needed as the key."

She stared straight at Chen Ran.

"I need your help."

Chen Ran leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.

"I can help you, but what do I get out of it?"

He was a practical person.

He didn't want to lift a finger for anything that offered no benefits.

Jiang Mengli had long expected him to ask this.

"I will give you a quarter of the resources in the hidden treasure."

"Not enough. The risk is too high." Chen Ran flatly refused.

Jiang Mengli gritted her teeth. "That is the foundation of the Great Zhou Dynasty over a hundred years; you're not interested?"

"Not interested."

Jiang Mengli had thought that by bringing up the news of the hidden treasure, she could at least make the man before her excited, but she hadn't expected him to be completely unmoved.

What Chen Ran said was not a lie; he was not very interested in the so-called hidden treasure of the previous Dynasty.

Now that he had reached the Return to Truth Realm, the rewards from the heavenly book of prison suppression were very stable. Even if his short-term Cultivate speed couldn't compare to stacking massive amounts of top-tier resources, in the long run, as long as a decade or so passed, his progress in Cultivate would catch up.

Moreover, with his current cultivation at the Return to Truth Realm, he was far from invincible, but once he advanced to the Grandmaster Realm, these Cultivation Technique and resources would sooner or later be his.

With the perception of the Skynet, Chen Ran swept a glance at those Red Lotus Demonic Cult experts; there were only a few third-grade Return to Truth Realm, and the strongest was merely one Innate Realm Protector.

"With just you few, you dare to think about penetrating the Imperial City?"

Chen Ran finally understood why the Great Wei Court was so dismissive of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult.

The once immensely prosperous Demonic Cult had long since lost its former strength after the Great Wei Court's bloody purge.

Even though it had risen from the ashes, it couldn't even field a single Grandmaster Realm expert, falling into an awkward state.

If they really started a fight with Great Wei, they would likely be beheaded by the Grandmasters within the palace before they even reached it.

Although Grandmaster Realm experts within the Great Wei Court were rare, there were still enough to count on two hands within the capital.

This was the key to maintaining the situation in Great Wei. As long as the Grandmaster experts within the Great Wei Court did not die out, these forces hidden in the dark would never dare to step a foot deeper into the capital.

Jiang Mengli clearly realized Chen Ran's concerns. Given Chen Ran's cautious nature, unless the capital truly faced a catastrophic disaster, he would never take the initiative to break with the Great Wei Court.

Jiang Mengli thought for a moment and took a step back.

"I don't need you to enter with me, I just need you to provide cover for me..."

Jiang Mengli began to explain her plan.

A few quarters of an hour later.

Chen Ran slowly stood up and said in a low voice:

"I can help with the plan, but my requirements remain unchanged."

"Agreed. When the results of the hidden treasure are out, you shall choose first."

"Then it's a pleasant cooperation. I'll notify you when the time comes." Chen Ran shook hands with Jiang Mengli, then glanced at the distance and urged, "Keep your people in check these next few days. Since you ruined the World Martial Arts Tournament, the capital will be under martial law for at least a few days."

"Of course."

Having received the reply from the opposite side, Chen Ran nodded slightly.

Swish!

The next moment, Jiang Mengli's eyes blurred. As if a breeze had quietly blown past, Chen Ran's figure, like an arrow released from a bow, merged into the night and disappeared.

This speed was even more impressive than most Martial Artists she had seen, making one wonder.

"Just when did he Cultivate such a brilliant movement technique?"

Jiang Mengli didn't dwell too much on this question; the mysteries surrounding Chen Ran hadn't just appeared in a day or two.

From when he was just a Jailer, until now, in just a few short months, the secrets on him were too numerous to count.

Jiang Mengli let out a long sigh of relief and whispered to herself, "However, after this discussion, I've finally managed to win him over. With him assisting in the shadows, there shouldn't be any major problems with this hidden treasure..."

Under the moonlight, Jiang Mengli waited quietly in the long pavilion for a while, her gaze fixed in the direction Chen Ran had left.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The sound of breaking air came, and several figures appeared not far away, respectfully saying, "Saintess, do we need to investigate this person today?"

"No need. He is a very important link; the subsequent plans all need him. Now is the time to lie low..."