263: Chapter 263 Too Clever

Xu Jingyun thought for a moment: "I probably know a little bit."

Han Jingyang encouraged her: "Then tell me."

"Advance by retreating. If Brother Han doesn't withdraw, it's a three-way standoff where everyone is pulling at and wary of each other. Who knows how long that would drag on? Prolonged delays lead to complications. Conversely, by actively withdrawing—and doing so completely—the two remaining factions will inevitably clash. Brother Han can then sit back and watch the tigers fight from the mountain, reaping the rewards of a fisherman."

"Good, that's too smart, but..."

"But what?"

"But there is one point you misjudged. There isn't just two groups of people left at the scene."

"Oh, that, I know. There are also those independent cultivators, but they have no presence in front of Li Mingjian and Li Laojiu's groups, so they can be ignored."

Han Jingyang shook his head gently: "It's not that simple. None of these martial artists dare to come treasure hunting without being simple characters, including the Lin Yuelan sisters. So, even after we withdraw, there are still three factions at the scene. If you count the hidden forces, it's even more complex."

Xu Jingyun was stunned: "There are others in the dark?"

"Yes, at the very least, those people from the Bureau of Religious Affairs certainly won't sit idly by. There's also Huang Jianshe's group, and additionally, the monk Kongyun from Thousand Buddha Mountain counts as one side."

"Ah? The monk Kongyun?"

"I asked the great monk to come out and help, and he agreed. This is a transaction, but if the great monk does things outside of the transaction, I have nothing to say, right?"

Xu Jingyun nodded thoughtfully: "So, the only people we can rely on are our own."

"Correct," Han Jingyang smiled and applauded: "The time I've known your father and you isn't long, it could even be called short, but our friendship is very deep. It can be called a life-and-death friendship, the kind where we are 100% our own people and can trust each other with our backs. But people like the monk Kongyun are different; that's purely a transaction, with no friendship to speak of. I don't even have any good feelings toward the monk Kongyun myself, after all, he used to be in close contact with He Dingkun, and I almost consider them mortal enemies."

Xu Xin nodded with a smile.

Xu Jingyun was also beaming, clearly very satisfied and happy with Han Jingyang's statement.

However, Xu Jingyun still had doubts: "Brother Han, I understand that the monk Kongyun counts as one group, but what is the deal with Huang Jianshe? I've been wondering about this; that man surnamed Huang looks like just an ordinary person."

Han Jingyang shook his head slightly: "Everyone has been deceived by him, including me. This Huang Jianshe must possess a special dharma instrument or has practiced some special technique."

"But that doesn't count as a faction, right? No matter how powerful he is alone, what kind of waves can he stir up?"

"No, Huang Jianshe is definitely not alone. The waters in Xipo Village are very deep. I suspect that there might be something hidden beneath the surface."

"You mean..."

"Someone spread rumors today that the treasure was under that big elm tree, which is very strange. Before, I thought it was just rumors spread by some independent cultivator attempting to seize the treasure, but the more I think about it now, the stranger it gets. There isn't any evidence to support my guess yet, so it might not be accurate, but I can be certain that it's definitely not just the people at the scene eyeing Huang Jianyong's treasure."

Xu Jingyun's little face showed a hint of worry: "In that case, wouldn't this be very dangerous?"

"Yes, very dangerous. It might really cost lives," Han Jingyang looked back towards Xipo Village: "But it doesn't have much to do with us. We've already withdrawn. We'll make our move when they've beaten each other's brains out; there's almost no danger for us."

Xu Jingyun was a bit nervous: "Brother Han, are we going to... kill people and seize the treasure?"

"What are you thinking? I'm not some big villain. I'm maintaining order and, incidentally, taking back the spoils that were stolen," Han Jingyang sneered at this point: "My things aren't so easy to touch."

Xu Jingyun thought about it, and that's right.

Those treasures might contain lost items belonging to the victims' families, but over so many years, the ownership had long since changed. The most recent change was from Huang Jianyong's legacy to Han Jingyang's spoils of war.

It was the spoils of war obtained after Han Jingyang successfully Tracking, discovered, and defeated the murderer, Huang Jianyong.

Now, Han Jingyang was being pressured by the victims under the guise of righteousness to hand over the treasure, which could be said to be utterly shameful.

Therefore, it was reasonable and legitimate for Han Jingyang to find an opportunity to recover his own spoils of war afterward.

However, Han Jingyang had not mentioned this concept at all while at the scene!

Realizing this, Xu Jingyun exclaimed "Brilliant!"

Too brilliant.

This was what you call truly showing weakness to the enemy, advancing by retreating, avoiding the strong to attack the weak, and hiding a lethal blow.

Xu Jingyun could even imagine the expressions on the faces of those people at the scene after Li Mingjian and the others had beaten each other's brains out, and Han Jingyang showed up and threw out the concept of "spoils of war."

Having fought so long for the treasure, only to find out the treasure was Han Jingyang's personal spoils of war, and that Han Jingyang held indisputable ownership.

That scene...

Thinking of this, little stars appeared in her eyes as she looked at Han Jingyang.

Han Jingyang, meanwhile, was thinking about what might be happening in Xipo Village and secretly hoping that the Lin Yuelan sisters could provide some valuable information.

Xipo Village.

The Lin Yuelan sisters quietly approached Chaotian Temple.

Upon getting closer, they discovered that Chaotian Temple had been razed to the ground. Broken bricks and tiles were everywhere, along with Huang Jianshe's torn clothes and trousers, as well as all sorts of junk. An excavator was aiming at the tunnel dug out by Huang Jianyong, digging even deeper.

When the two wanted to get closer, Li Laojiu blocked their path and asked with a chuckle: "Didn't you two leave with Han Jingyang? Why have you come back?"

Lin Yuelan snorted: "None of your damn business?"

Li Laojiu's expression remained gentle: "Regarding Huang Jianyong's treasure, we have to be careful."

"That's Huang Jianyong's treasure, not yours, why are you so worried about it?"

"It certainly didn't have anything to do with me before, but it's different now."

"What do you mean?"

"We have reached an agreement with Li Mingjian to split the treasure equally between our two families. His men are responsible for digging, and my men are responsible for protection. We will advance and retreat together until the treasure is in hand. Tell me, does the treasure have anything to do with me or not?"

Lin Yuelan's eyes widened instantly: "You guys..."

Li Laojiu smiled as he looked at Lin Yuelan: "You sisters are from western Guangdong. In Quancheng, you can be said to have no relatives or friends. If you want to get even a tiny bit of benefit, you can only rely on more powerful people and forces. So, I found it normal that you two followed Han Jingyang, but now that you have returned after leaving, I have to be suspicious of what you two are actually trying to do."

"We..."

"Did Han Jingyang send you back to gather information?"

Lin Yuelan's heart was pounding. How was this old man so sharp that he could guess this?

However, she could not admit it under any circumstances at this moment.

But before she could speak, Li Laojiu laughed again: "I was just saying that. If Han Jingyang really wanted to gather information here, there are many ways; he wouldn't use such a clumsy method. So, I guess you two wanted to join Han Jingyang but didn't succeed, yet you weren't willing to just give up on Huang Jianyong's treasure, so you came back, right?"