169: Thirty-six thieves! Xu Xin!

After receiving the Old Celestial Master's tacit approval, Lin Yuan happily soared into the sky.

By the time he returned to the Tang Clan, it was already the next day; the sky had cleared, and from above, he saw Zhang Chulan and his group being relentlessly pursued by Tang Clan Disciples.

At this moment, two new individuals appeared on the ground, piquing Lin Yuan's interest.

Lü Liang!? Wasn't that kid locked up by him in the Tianshi Mansion? How did he end up here?

And Wang Ye had also arrived.

What's going on? Could it be that Zhang Chulan called them over?

He immediately descended, landing in front of Zhang Chulan.

"Zhang Chulan? What scheme are you up to now?"

"Martial Uncle Lin Yuan!! You're finally here! If you had come any later, I would have been shot dead by these Tang Clan Disciples."

"What exactly happened!?"

At this point, Tao Tao, from behind, cursed, "Zhang Chulan! You shameless Bilain! You played dirty with us, didn't you!?"

"You put laxatives in our drinking water, then let Lü Liang steal the Clan Head's memories! You are truly despicable, shameless, and vulgar!"

Lin Yuan turned to look at Zhang Chulan.

"You did that?"

"Oh, Martial Uncle! Success or failure doesn't matter! I already know the location of the Tang Tomb, and I've also learned about a crucial person!"

"Who is it?"

"One of the Thirty-Six Thieves! Xu Xin! He's still alive! And he's inside the Tang Tomb!"

Lin Yuan then turned to look at Lü Liang.

"And you! Why aren't you staying put on Mount Longhu? Why did you run down the mountain? And you're getting involved in this messy situation?"

Lü Liang sighed.

"Isn't it because Bilain talked me into it?"

Lin Yuan rolled his eyes at him.

"I'll deal with you later!"

At this moment, seeing Lin Yuan's return, all the Tang Clan members stopped their pursuit.

Tang Qiushan stepped forward.

"Immortal Master Lin Yuan, you have shown kindness to our Tang Clan. Today, if you wish to go to the Tang Tomb, we will allow you to enter and will no longer obstruct you."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"Then I appreciate it! I am also acting on behalf of someone else, which is why I asked Zhang Chulan to enter the Tang Tomb."

Tang Qiushan nodded.

"Alright... Since that's the case, we will no longer obstruct you. I'll lead the way for you all."

...Soon, led by Tang Qiushan, the group arrived at the Tang Tomb of the Tang Clan.

The group passed through the Formation of the Tang Tomb and finally arrived at the narrow entrance of the valley.

They hadn't walked far along the passage when two figures in white appeared not far away.

"Everyone, we've been waiting for a long time."

Lin Yuan stood at the forefront, looking at the two leading Disciples.

"Are you two here to stop us?"

"No... We are not here to stop you, but to welcome you."

The group passed through the valley passage, and Lin Yuan and Zhang Chulan's party finally arrived at a spacious cave.

Inside the huge cave, there were only a few pillars supporting the dome.

All the surrounding stone pillars were engraved with Dan Shi diagrams.

Beneath the thickest stone pillar, a hunched figure sat before a chessboard, staring intently at the board.

"Xu Xin..."

Lin Yuan had recognized Xu Xin by now and walked over.

He hadn't taken many steps when many figures in white emerged from the cave walls.

"Everyone, please stop! The Clan Head will arrive shortly."

Zhang Chulan tugged at Lin Yuan's sleeve.

"Martial Uncle Lin Yuan, be careful, it might be a trick..."

"Do you think everyone is as sinister and malicious as you?"

Soon, Tang Miaoxing slowly appeared inside the Tang Tomb, holding his head.

"The brilliant Disciples of the Tianshi Mansion! Truly... each one possesses extraordinary skills!!!"

"One is the pinnacle of martial prowess, the other is the pinnacle of unscrupulousness!"

Zhang Chulan immediately took a step back and lowered his head.

"Clan Head Tang... Our objective is very simple, we just want to meet Xu Xin and ask him about these matters."

At this moment, Xu Xin, who was sitting in front of the chessboard, finally spoke:

"Heh heh, so you are Lin Yuan of the Tianshi Mansion? A Dragon descended to the Human Realm! Taken as a Disciple by the Old Celestial Master..."

"Mount Longhu truly has good fortune."

"Young man, what questions do you have?"

Lin Yuan immediately stepped forward and asked:

"Why did the Thirty-Six Thieves become sworn brothers?"

Xu Xin smiled.

"At that time, I was also young and spirited. Everyone was a prodigy from various Schools. We cherished each other and shared common interests, so we became sworn brothers."

"Alright, I know what you want to ask. Why Rootless Life actively sought us out—in fact, we don't know either."

"Rootless Life, the other thirty-four, and I mostly communicated spiritually; most of us didn't interact much. As for why he gathered thirty-five of us to become sworn brothers, only Rootless Life himself knows."

This answer was indeed within Lin Yuan's expectations.

Zhang Chulan, on the other hand, looked a bit downcast.

Lin Yuan continued to press:

"Then I want to know, how exactly did you comprehend the Eight Wonders?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present, whether it was Zhang Chulan, Wang Ye, Lu Lin... the entire group froze, and the emotions in their eyes fluctuated violently.

How were the Eight Wonders born? This question was too... incisive.

In the entire Outsider World, almost everyone wanted to know this.

So many years had passed, yet none of the eight who comprehended the Eight Wonders, nor the other Thirty-Six Thieves who didn't, could clearly explain how the Eight Wonders were comprehended.

It felt as if the Eight Wonders had simply descended out of nowhere.

Xu Xin was slightly taken aback.

"Hahahaha! From what I know! You've almost mastered all the Eight Wonders, haven't you? I didn't expect you to care so much about this question."

"But I'm sorry, I don't know the answer either."

"Not only do I not know, but Zhang Chulan's grandfather, Zhang Huaiyi, and those few others from back then, none of them knew."

"I can only tell you that after we became sworn brothers in a valley in the Qinling Mountains, we went into a cave belonging to He Weiren."

Upon hearing about He Weiren's cave, everyone frowned.

Twenty-Four Solar Terms Tongtian Valley!?

They hadn't expected the place where the Thirty-Six Thieves became sworn brothers to be there.

"That valley was very peculiar; it could subtly alter a person's Qi, formed Innate, and later modified by humans."

"After entering He Weiren's cave, Rootless Life told us there was a hidden place inside, and he gave us a hint: 'He Weiren, Sincerity.'"

"Then, the thirty-six of us drank wine and imagined the future inside the cave. Thinking back now, it truly was one of life's great pleasures."

"Later, Rootless Life proposed that we become sworn brothers."

...Xu Xin frowned, a trace of reminiscence appearing in his eyes.

Regret, of course, he regretted it.

But it was indeed one of life's most exhilarating moments.

"That's all I know. After the sworn brotherhood, the news leaked, and we were besieged. I was also captured and taken back. I don't know what happened outside."