43: Chapter 43 Anyone who dares to stop, don't blame me for being ruthless.

Nanjing is so large, and there are plenty of people who love outdoor adventures; why overthink it?

The elevator quickly reached the top floor. As the doors opened, a corridor paved with thick carpet appeared before him. The walls on both sides were adorned with priceless decorative paintings. With only two presidential suites on the entire floor, it felt exceptionally spacious and quiet, as if even the air had solidified into the scent of money.

Li Ming took out the key card and respectfully opened the door to the suite on the left for Hu Tian, his waist bent like a cooked shrimp.

"Mr. Hu, this is your room, located at 3808 on the 38th floor. Here is your key card. I wish you a pleasant stay. If you have any requests, feel free to call the front desk at any time."

Hu Tian walked into the room and casually tossed the key card onto the entryway cabinet, creating a crisp sound.

This was an extremely luxurious presidential suite, so resplendent it was almost blinding.

A massive floor-to-ceiling window occupied an entire wall, offering a panoramic view of the dazzling night scene of Jinling City, as if the entire city were surrendering at his feet.

The soft Persian carpet felt like stepping on clouds, sinking to his ankles. The air was filled with a faint rose fragrance—the scent of top-tier aromatherapy—which instantly washed away the musty odor he had picked up in the underground tomb.

Hu Tian walked to the window and looked down at the ant-like traffic below and the skyscrapers in the distance that he once had to look up to. A sense of heroic pride welled up in his heart, reminiscent of the line: "Standing at the summit, all other mountains look small."

His heart was calm and satisfied. A thrill of controlling his own destiny emerged, as if the entire world had become his playground.

After washing away the dust of his journey, Hu Tian soaked in the large massage bathtub and ordered a sumptuous dinner. The display was even more extravagant than an emperor's.

While enjoying a top-tier steak, with juices overflowing as he cut into it with his knife and fork, he carefully planned his next steps in his mind.

The batch of treasures lying quietly in his System Space needed to be handled with caution; he absolutely could not be hasty. After all, wealth should not be flaunted, as doing so easily attracts thieves.

These artifacts had a unique provenance and involved a wide range of interests; they could not simply enter the market directly. He had to deliberate carefully and plan slowly.

Outside the window, the lights were just beginning to turn on. The entire city was glowing with colorful radiance, filled with bustling traffic—a scene of prosperity. Yet, amidst this splendor, little did they know that the true wealth had already changed hands.

Hu Tian picked up his red wine glass and swirled it gently. Watching the wine sway in the glass, a deep smile curled at the corners of his mouth. His eyes revealed infinite longing for the future—the ultimate yearning for financial freedom.

After a good night's sleep, Hu Tian didn't wake up until the afternoon of the next day, startled by a ringing phone. He had slept so soundly that he had lost all track of time.

This was the most restful sleep he had had in the past few days, a true model of "sleeping without a care in the world."

There was no cold, dampness of the underground tomb, nor the danger of traps that could appear at any moment. There was only the comfort of the five-star hotel's large bed and the pleasantness brought by the climate-controlled air conditioning, so comfortable that it made one not want to get up.

Just when Hu Tian was sleeping soundly, unaware of what day it was.

At the foot of Cuiyun Peak, three black off-road vehicles slowly stopped by a secluded mountain path. Their headlights extinguished, blending into the night like ghosts, silent and soundless, exuding an aura of ill intent.

The car doors opened, and over a dozen figures filed out. Their movements were efficient and clearly well-trained; everyone was exceptionally skilled, and one look told you they were not to be trifled with.

Leading them was a middle-aged man in his early forties, wearing expensive outdoor gear. His temperament was steady and imposing without anger, and his eyes were shrewd and sharp. This was Zhao Shanhe, a famous capital tycoon in the antique circle. He was ruthless in his methods and had a vicious eye for value, known in the circle as a "smiling tiger."

Behind Zhao Shanhe followed two middle-aged, bespectacled men who looked like scholars. They were the archaeological consultants he had hired at a high salary, Old Chen and his colleague, looking serious and carrying heavy instruments with expressions of deep misery.

In addition, there were eight sturdy and vigilant retired security personnel. Their waists were bulging, clearly carrying professional equipment, and they radiated a murderous aura that made people afraid to approach, as if they were ready to draw guns and fire at any moment.

"Mr. Zhao, according to our years of research and field surveys, the entrance to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Holy Treasury should be near the cliff on the northwest side of the main peak of Cuiyun Peak."

One of the archaeological consultants spread out a yellowed, ancient map in his hands, pointing with a trembling finger at a certain mark. His voice trembled slightly with excitement: "Mr. Zhao, this is it! It's exactly the same as described in the ancient texts! There is no mistake! If we can find it this time, we'll be rich!"

Zhao Shanhe nodded slightly, his burning gaze fixed on the Cuiyun Peak shrouded in the night. His eyes flashed with undisguised greed and desire, as if he could already see mountains of gold and silver treasures beckoning to him.

To find this treasure, he had spent five whole years—it was a fanatical obsession with the Holy Treasury.

Over those five years, he had scoured the tattered notes left behind by the descendants of Mo Shikui. From those blurred handwriting and yellowed pages, he pieced together fragments of information about the Heavenly Kingdom Holy Treasury; it was even more exhausting than solving a criminal case.

Every single clue cost money, burning through funds until his heart bled.

Hiring archaeological teams, smoothing over connections, buying equipment—eighty million had been thrown in just like that without even a splash, a complete waste like throwing meat buns at a dog.

Now that he had finally touched the threshold, if he were to return empty-handed...

He gritted his teeth, his fingers clenched until his knuckles turned white and veins bulged.

He had to get the items this time. He had spent so much; he had to get them.

He must.

He paused, his voice low and firm, exuding an unquestionable authority like a tiger about to hunt: "We head up the mountain as soon as day breaks. Strive to find the entrance within three days. This operation must be kept secret. No one is to leak any information. Violators will be severely punished, even executed! If anyone dares to ruin my plans, I will make them regret ever being born!"

"Yes, Mr. Zhao!"

Everyone replied in unison, their voices uniform and echoing in the silent valley, startling a few roosting night birds that fluttered their wings and flew into the distance.

However, Zhao Shanhe did not know that just as he was ambitiously planning how to seize the treasure, the "Heavenly Kingdom Holy Treasury" he dreamed of was already empty—cleaner than his own face.

Night fell, and the mountain wind howled, blowing the leaves to rustle as if countless ghosts were whispering, telling unknown secrets.

Zhao Shanhe's group set up a temporary camp at the foot of the mountain. The bonfire illuminated everyone's excited and expectant faces, the flickering flames seemingly foreshadowing the madness and bloodshed to come.

No one knew that the treasure they were painstakingly searching for had already been snatched by a young man who had arrived first, all of it taken into his pocket, leaving only an empty stone chamber with its mouth open, waiting for their arrival, ready to give them a big "surprise."

The next morning, as the sky grew slightly bright, thin mist permeated the mountains. The cold, damp air seeped into the marrow, making people shiver uncontrollably.

At Zhao Shanhe's order, the dozen or so men began to enter the mountain carrying heavy equipment, their expressions grave as if facing a formidable enemy.

The vegetation on Cuiyun Peak was dense, and the primitive forest-like environment made it difficult for the team to move forward. Every step required immense physical effort; it was truly "as difficult as the road to Shu, harder than ascending to the blue sky."

Sharp thorny vines grew wildly on both sides of the mountain path. A moment of carelessness would result in torn clothing and bloody scratches on their skin, stinging with pain, as if mocking their overestimation of their own capabilities.

"Ah! Damn it!"

A team member suddenly groaned. Looking down, he saw a five or six-centimeter-long gash on his arm sliced open by the thorny vines, blood streaming out and staining his cuffs, making him wince in pain.

On the other side, the security personnel responsible for clearing the path swung their machetes to hack through the bushes, disturbing the poisonous insects hiding under the leaves and breaking their peaceful slumber.

Several colorful centipedes and poisonous spiders crawled out in all directions, making one's hair stand on end and causing goosebumps to break out all over.

"Watch your step!"

Someone exclaimed in terror, their voice cracking.

But it was already too late. Two team members had been bitten hard on their calves. Large patches of purple-black swelling quickly appeared, and they broke out in cold sweat from the pain, their faces turning as pale as paper, as if they had been poisoned with a potent toxin.

"Mr. Zhao, should we treat the wounds first? This poison looks wrong; we don't want any fatalities."

The archaeological consultant looked at the disheveled state of the team members, his brows tightly locked, speaking with some worry, his heart pounding.

Zhao Shanhe's face was as gloomy as water, and a flash of impatience and ruthlessness crossed his eyes: "No time! Bandage them simply and keep moving. A second's delay could lead to changes! According to the ancient records, the Holy Treasury is just ahead. We must find the entrance before anyone else discovers it! Whoever dares to stop, don't blame me for being ruthless! When that time comes, never mind money, you won't even have your lives!"

He knew very well in his heart that over these years, his inquiries and acquisitions of ancient texts regarding the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had long since attracted the attention of many in the antique circle. It was a case of "an innocent man gets into trouble because of his treasure."

Although he had acted secretly enough, there was no guarantee that other forces hadn't also set their sights on this batch of treasure. Time was money, and even more so, life; being one step slower meant someone else would get there first.

The team had no choice but to continue moving forward, struggling through the dense forest like blind men touching an elephant, just feeling their way along as they went.

Without the precise positioning of a Treasure Hunting Radar like Hu Tian's, and without secret techniques to easily break through mechanisms, they could only rely on vague clues in ancient texts and the speculations of the archaeological consultants, searching blindly in the mountains, relying on luck—it was truly like "looking for a needle in a haystack."

To mark their route, they carved signs on tree trunks along the way and used machetes to hack through bushes blocking their path, leaving a trail of wreckage, destroying the original tranquility of the mountain forest and causing chaos.

The disturbed mountain forest seemed to be issuing an angry warning; from time to time, venomous snakes darted out from rock crevices, startling everyone into retreating repeatedly, hearts racing, scared out of their wits.

"Why are there so many poisonous creatures in this damn place! This is simply no place for humans! This isn't treasure hunting; this is risking one's life!"

A security guard missed his footing and nearly rolled down the hillside, breaking into a cold sweat. He gripped a tree root nearby tightly to stabilize himself, his palms covered in sweat.

Zhao Shanhe gritted his teeth, the greed and obsession in his eyes growing more intense, bordering on madness: "Everyone, pull yourselves together! That is the Holy Treasury of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, a treasure worth tens or hundreds of billions! Once we find it, every one of you will get a huge sum of money, enough to live in luxury for a lifetime! Can't you even endure this little bit of hardship? Do you still want to live the good life in the future?"

Under the promise of heavy rewards, everyone had to force themselves to pull it together and continue moving forward in the perilous mountain forest, their eyes filled with a longing for wealth—a tragic scene of "men die for wealth, just as birds die for food."

Meanwhile, dozens of kilometers away in a luxury hotel in Jinling City, on a comfortable and large bed, Hu Tian was sleeping sweetly, breathing evenly, having a dream of counting money until his hands cramped.

The countless treasures lying quietly in his System Space had already made him a billionaire in the true sense, perhaps even a multi-billionaire, with no worries for the rest of his life, able to walk sideways with swagger.

He turned over, a satisfied smile on his lips, continuing to immerse himself in his dream, completely unaware of the chaos outside, a modern version of "turning a deaf ear to matters outside the window, focusing only on one's own affairs."