242: Chapter 242 The Secret of the Noble Family, White Ghost

Chapter 242: The Secret of the Great Families, White Ghost

Inside the hotel room, the daylight was shut out by thick curtains.

Black Wolf, Lord Bao, and Xiao Bei sat around the coffee table.

The three of them had solemn expressions, looking up at the closed room door from time to time, their eyes revealing a hint of anxiety and unease.

Knock, knock, knock.

Suddenly, a crisp knocking sound broke the silence.

As if struck by electricity, Black Wolf quickly stood up.

He first tidied his clothes, then walked toward the door, while winking at Lord Bao and Xiao Bei to signal them to remain calm.

The door slowly opened, revealing a tall, Yingjun and extraordinary young man.

Fang Cheng stood at the doorway, his gaze scanning the people inside the room with a hint of scrutiny.

He wore ordinary sportswear, his expression relaxed and calm, yet his entire body exuded an elusive aura.

Black Wolf was the first to speak, squeezing out a slightly stiff smile on his face:

"My friend, I took the liberty of inviting you over because I truly have something to discuss. I hope you will do us the honor of coming in for a chat."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly and, at the other party's gesturing invitation, stepped sideways into the room.

While enjoying breakfast in the hotel restaurant earlier, he had run into this middle-aged man with whom he had crossed paths twice before.

The two of them had a brief chat. The other party spoke with great sincerity, saying he wanted to discuss an important matter in detail, which reportedly involved a rare treasure that had leaked from the Xishan Ancient Tomb.

These words piqued Fang Cheng's interest. Since he had no urgent matters at hand for the moment, he figured there was no harm in listening.

Thus, he came to the other party's room as agreed, wanting to find out what was going on.

Once he was seated, Black Wolf also sat back down and cleared his throat to break the ice:

"My friend, a batch of antique relics recently leaked from Xishan, and various factions are fighting over them. I assume you've heard about this?"

Seeing Fang Cheng nod, Black Wolf organized his thoughts and continued:

"To be honest, we brothers originally wanted to get a piece of the pie as well, targeting a Buddhist treasure called the 'golden bumpa bottle'."

Hearing this name, Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, but his face remained calm as he listened patiently.

"It's just that we didn't expect so many other forces to also have their eyes on this treasure. After several probing operations, we've lost quite a few men."

Black Wolf paused, his lips turning down in a bitter smile, which deepened the wrinkles on his forehead.

"Now that it has reached a critical juncture, we have already invested a lot of resources in the early stages, and our plans are fully prepared. Giving up now would be truly hard to stomach. Unfortunately, we are short-handed and find it difficult to proceed, so we would like to invite you, my friend, to join us in this great undertaking."

After speaking, he looked at Fang Cheng with a solemn expression, faintly revealing a look of anticipation.

"Indeed, brother."

Lord Bao chimed in at the right moment from the side, slapping the coffee table with his fleshy palm, the fat on his face trembling a few times with the movement:

"We are currently in a dilemma. If we continue to launch a head-on assault, we are short-handed and it would surely be like throwing an egg against a stone. If we give up now, all our previous efforts will be in vain. The key problem is that we lack an able lieutenant."

"I heard you have extraordinary skills. A few days ago, Old Wolf's leg injury was so severe, yet you healed it in just a few moves. And at Miwu Mountain, Fire Bear's gang was no match for you, getting sliced and diced by you like vegetables. I truly admire this ability from the bottom of my heart."

His lips flapped rapidly as he spared no words of praise.

Xiao Bei also nodded, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at Fang Cheng:

"Big brother, I offended you in the elevator a few days ago. Please be generous and don't take it to heart. If you join us in this operation, our hopes will definitely increase dramatically!"

Everyone's gaze locked onto Fang Cheng like spotlights, waiting for his response.

After listening, Fang Cheng chuckled lightly and did not respond to them immediately.

Instead, he leaned back slightly against the sofa, his expression showing a hint of indifference.

After letting the mood settle for a moment, he slowly spoke:

"If it's just for an antique I've never seen before, there's no need for me to risk my life to get involved in this kind of business, is there?"

Upon hearing this, Black Wolf and Lord Bao were not surprised. They looked at each other and quickly exchanged a glance.

In the end, Lord Bao, who was more eloquent, acted as the lobbyist:

"Brother, you probably don't know the true value of the golden bumpa bottle yet, do you?"

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a half-smile:

"To sell for money? Is it worth one hundred million or two hundred million?"

Lord Bao was slightly stunned upon hearing this, but his face quickly filled with smiles as he waved his fat hand gently:

"Brother, you are underestimating the golden bumpa bottle. How can this be measured simply by money?"

"It is a Buddhist treasure that has been lost for nearly two thousand years. Putting aside the historical and cultural significance it carries, do you know what special effect this treasure has on us Aberrants?"

After asking several questions in a row, he deliberately kept him in suspense, his eyes rolling around as he observed Fang Cheng's reaction.

Fang Cheng did not reply. He just crossed his arms and nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Seeing this, Lord Bao cleared his throat and said in a resonant voice:

"We Aberrants have always been viewed as monsters by the outside world. Why is that?"

"Isn't it because we cannot control the trend of physical mutation? The more frequently we use our abilities, the worse our mental state becomes. Our bodies will develop various strange diseases, and in the end, we will degenerate into the walking dead, becoming complete monsters!"

Saying this, he leaned forward slightly, his tone rising a bit more.

"But if we have the golden bumpa bottle, it will be completely different."

"Those lamas of Esoteric Buddhism Cultivate heterodox mantras and worship various Protector evil deities to gain power. By all rights, they should have suffered divine retribution long ago, yet they are able to remain completely unharmed. Do you know why?"

As he asked and answered his own question, his eyes revealed an uncontrollable fanaticism.

"Because every lineage of Esoteric Buddhism enshrines a Saints Relic to condense nectar, perform empowerment, and administer precepts. It not only has the effect of purifying the Soul, but can also cleanse the Physical Body, removing the negative effects brought by the overuse of extraordinary abilities."

"Even some high monks, on their deathbeds, can preserve their Soul consciousness through the Saints Relic, achieving the miracle of Reincarnation and Rebirth."

"This kind of sacred object is called a golden bumpa bottle in Esoteric Buddhism, and has always been kept as a hidden treasure of the sect, never shown to outsiders."

"Of course, what they possess are merely replicas. The ancient relic unearthed from Xishan this time is the first genuine golden bumpa bottle in history."

"Furthermore, inside this golden bumpa bottle, it is said there is a sarira formed after a Living Buddha attained parinirvana, containing the residual spiritual power left after the cremation of his Physical Body. As long as one absorbs it, their strength will surely double!"

At this point, Lord Bao paused, his eyes fixed on Fang Cheng, trying to catch a hint of interest on his face.

Seeing that Fang Cheng's expression remained unchanged, he gave up helplessly, then slowed down his speech and said earnestly:

"Brother, I know you have concerns, but think about how rare this opportunity is. Once you miss it, you'll never encounter it again."

"Right now, we are only short of an able helper like you. As long as you are willing to join us, your share of the benefits will naturally not be lacking once we succeed."

Fang Cheng leaned against the back of the sofa, his eyes slightly cast down as he weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

The rich rewards described by Lord Bao sounded very tempting, but on second thought, something felt slightly off.

Take the bottle's claim of being able to suppress physical mutation and treat chronic mental ailments; to ordinary Aberrants, it indeed held a fatal attraction.

But Fang Cheng was different from them. He possessed a unique panel. By persistently practicing skills and mastering special abilities, he could mitigate the negative effects of his extraordinary abilities to a large extent.

Therefore, on this point, the advantage of the golden bumpa bottle was greatly discounted for him.

As for the function of Soul Reincarnation, this kind of invisible and intangible thing—no one would know if it actually worked until the moment they faced death.

And the Living Buddha's sarira said to be hidden in the bottle, which could enhance one's abilities, was indeed an extraordinary treasure.

But compared to the ancient remains he currently possessed, it seemed to lack weight.

The life energy contained within those ancient remains was normally enough to last him for many years.

Hence, this treasure, which was priceless in the eyes of others and worth fighting to the death for, did not hold that much of an attraction for him.

It could only be described as barely satisfactory.

Crucially, Fang Cheng had also learned some inside information from Xu Sanduo, making his attitude toward the golden bumpa bottle even more cautious.

This Buddhist treasure involved too many conflicts of interest, especially involving the mysterious Esoteric Buddhism and the Great Families. A single misstep could easily bring disaster upon himself.

Although he did not fear battle, and even yearned to increase his skill experience through combat,

under such a complex situation, there was truly no need to wade into muddy waters for a treasure that was not indispensable to him.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng shook his head slightly, having already made up his mind.

Just as he was about to politely decline, Black Wolf suddenly spoke up, his eyes staring intently at Fang Cheng:

"My friend, if I may ask, you don't belong to any of the Great Families, do you?"

Fang Cheng was slightly taken aback, then nodded and asked in return:

"Does whether I belong to a Great Family have anything to do with you seeking my cooperation?"

Black Wolf hurriedly waved his hands to explain:

"You misunderstand. I am not doubting your identity. I want to tell you that there might be an extremely important secret hidden regarding the golden bumpa bottle."

Hearing this, a trace of doubt flashed in Fang Cheng's eyes as he quietly waited for Black Wolf to continue.

Black Wolf paused and then said:

"Since the golden bumpa bottle came to light, those fighting for this treasure have mostly been scattered Aberrants like us. Those plutocrat families haven't shown much enthusiasm. Even the Lu Family, who obtained this treasure, is preparing to take it to an auction. Do you know why?"

His eyes burned brightly, and his voice was slightly low.

"The answer is simple: because they don't need it at all!"

"The Great Families have a long Legacy and deep foundations. They have long had a set of special methods to deal with physical mutations and chronic mental ailments."

"And for those disciples of the Great Families, the only thing about this Buddhist treasure that might be attractive is probably the sarira left inside."

Hearing this, a memory suddenly flashed in Fang Cheng's mind of what he had heard the Smiling Demon say about the origin of the so-called 'monsters' in this world.

He had always been quite curious about what kind of mysterious power the Great Families possessed that allowed them to successfully escape their identity as monsters and even sit openly at the top of society.

Black Wolf seemed to see through Fang Cheng's thoughts and immediately asked another question:

"You must be curious: how can the Great Families maintain long-term prosperity over hundreds of years, and why are their Family members not troubled by mutations?"

Seeing that Fang Cheng was drawn in by his words, he smiled slightly. Instead of deliberately keeping him in suspense like Lord Bao, he directly stated the reason:

"As far as I know, there are two main factors here."

"First, the Great Families have an orderly Legacy and strong Family cohesion. Generation after generation, they actively enter politics or business, gathering some ethereal human Luck to alleviate the problems caused by using extraordinary abilities."

"Second, and most importantly, they possess an enigmatic and special method."

Speaking up to this point, Black Wolf paused slightly, his eyes revealing a sense of longing and awe, and his tone unconsciously grew heavier.

"They can actually open up a unique Secret Realm within the spiritual world, and then gather the strength of the entire clan, generation after generation, to continuously expand and build this Secret Realm."

"Miraculously, with the accumulation of time, the changes in this spiritual world can actually exert a subtle influence on the real world. Even more amazing, through the continuation of Bloodline, the extraordinary abilities bred in the Secret Realm can be passed down from generation to generation, allowing the children of the Great Families to stand at a higher starting point than others from birth."

"Precisely because they rely on this uniquely endowed Legacy Secret Realm, they can safely use extraordinary abilities, rise above many Aberrants, and always sit high at the top of society."

Black Wolf's emotions rose slightly as he straightened his back, a faint light flickering in his eyes.

"And inside the golden bumpa bottle, perhaps such a secret is hidden."

"In a sense, Esoteric Buddhism is another form of a Great Family, except that what connects the members is not Family and Bloodline, but sect and belief."

"This kind of secret is of little importance to the Great Families, but to us Aberrants at the bottom, it is an opportunity sufficient to change our destiny."

"If we can thoroughly investigate the mysteries within, we will also have the hope of establishing a brand-new Great Family in the future, completely escaping our current plight!"

After listening to this, Fang Cheng frowned slightly and couldn't help but fall into deep thought, associating it with certain things that had happened to him.

Although Black Wolf, Lord Bao, and Xiao Bei sitting opposite him did not say anything more, their facial expressions betrayed their tension, their eyes watching Fang Cheng without blinking.

The atmosphere in the room was so heavy that it felt as if water could be wrung from it.

After a moment, Fang Cheng raised his eyes and posed a question:

"There is only one golden bumpa bottle. How will the four of us allocate it when the time comes?"

Lord Bao's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately replied:

"This Buddhist treasure has been buried underground for two thousand years and has already become an ownerless object. When the time comes, whoever can unravel its secrets will control it, but the other members will also enjoy the right to use it. As for other spoils of war, they will be fairly distributed according to the size of each person's contribution."

Ultimately, Fang Cheng nodded and agreed to join.

However, the prerequisite was that he must have a certain say in the team.

At critical moments, all of them had to follow his command. After all, the risks they would face in the future were unpredictable, and he could not hand his own safety over to others.

Black Wolf and the others naturally had no objections.

With one more powerful reinforcement, their chances of winning were even greater.

The tense strings in everyone's hearts loosened a bit, and the atmosphere gradually became lively.

Black Wolf looked at Fang Cheng with somewhat eager eyes, asking with a hint of intimacy:

"Brother, how should we address you in the future?"

After a brief thought, Fang Cheng said calmly:

"You can just call me White Ghost."

"White Ghost? Good name!"

Black Wolf pondered it for a moment, then praised.

Lord Bao and Xiao Bei also smiled and nodded gently.