The Affairs of the Martial World - Vol 2: Chapter 14

Zhu Que handed him the water pouch on his body. Baying took it, gulping down a few large mouthfuls, and said, “Since I lost, I should naturally tell you about our origins. But you must never tell anyone else.”

Zhu Que asked, “Including the few people who came with me to the desert?”

Baying said, “No, this secret, it was already wrong for me to tell you. If you tell them, I won’t be able to face my people anymore. I can only atone with death.”

Zhu Que said, “Is it that serious? Tell me, I won’t tell them.”

Baying said, “Our clan is actually the descendants of the royal palace guards of the Jingjue Kingdom. My ancestors were the most noble, victorious warriors of the Jingjue Kingdom, all of whom had cast poisonous curses and pledged loyalty to the royal family.”

He looked at Zhu Que, whose face was puzzled, knowing he was having difficulty understanding. He continued, “The Jingjue Kingdom has actually been destroyed for over four hundred years. Before the fall of Jingjue, its culture had already reached a very high level of development. Once, a shepherd discovered a cave more than a hundred miles west of here. The cave was extraordinarily grand, and inside was a deep, bottomless abyss. The king personally led people to inspect the cave, and a high priest of equal status to the king said that the cave was a gateway to hell and that only covering the cave’s surroundings with talismans could prevent the demons from hell from coming out to harm people.

“The king then summoned half of the skilled craftsmen from across the nation to embark on a grand project in the cave that lasted for decades. They not only inscribed countless spells on the cave wall but also carved numerous exquisite images depicting many significant events in our Jingjue Kingdom.

“Perhaps later, we truly touched the devil, as our kingdom was gradually buried by sand, and in the end, the people of the Jingjue Kingdom scattered in all directions.

“The king was unwilling to leave, but he arranged for his most loyal guards to watch over the cave, saying that it was the last memorial left by our Jingjue Kingdom for the world. If the cave were to be destroyed again, no one would know the history of our Jingjue Kingdom, and the Jingjue culture would vanish from the world. Therefore, that place is actually our sacred ground.

“My ancestors took a solemn oath to guard the sacred place, preventing anyone from damaging the cave and murals, passing this down from generation to generation. I, too, continue to uphold the vow of my forebears.

“Last year, a missionary passed through here. I originally wanted to kill him to prevent him from revealing the secrets of this place. Alas, it was my mother’s soft heart that spared him.

“Finally, this secret has been revealed, and you all begin to think of our sacred place as a treasure hunt. Although it’s not the treasure you imagine, for us, all the treasures in the world cannot compare to the cultural heritage left by the Jingjue Kingdom for future generations.

“Since you can endure the hardships of the desert and have traveled thousands of miles to get here, it’s impossible for you to return empty-handed. Therefore, to protect our sacred place, I have no choice but to kill you.”

Zhu Que was left dumbfounded; who would have thought that the so-called treasure, the so-called hidden riches, would turn out to be like this? Not to mention that they couldn’t take the treasures from the treasure site at all. Even if they dug out the paintings and carvings from the wall, it was unlikely anyone would want them.

But knowing all this and promising Baying not to tell anyone, how can he explain it to his companions who came to seek treasure together?

How could they stop others who had bought the Zhang Sun’s treasure map from continuously coming to seek treasures, leading to more deaths in the desert?

Zhu Que said, “I think it would be better to let them go see for themselves’ once they know that the so-called treasure cannot be taken away, that should be enough, right?”

Baying said, “The human heart is hard to fathom. Not everyone thinks like you. What if your companions believe that I and my people have hidden the true treasure and continue searching for my kin? What if they, in despair over the lack of gold and jewels, destroy the sacred place?”

Zhu Que said, “The important thing is that now we’ve reached this point. If they don’t take a look, no one is willing to leave. You see, how about this……” Zhu Que shared his thoughts with Baying.

Baying asked him in confusion, “Is this really feasible?”

Zhu Que said, “There’s no other way.”

When the two of them returned to the crowd, Fuying was the most anxious, pestering Zhu Que, repeatedly asking, “What did the defeated general say to you?”

Zhu Que said, “I convinced them, and they are willing to provide us with water so we can go to the treasure.”

Fuying was not foolish and asked, “Didn’t they say that place is sacred? Didn’t they absolutely refuse to let us go there, even willing to kill us? How did you convince them?”

Zhu Que hesitated for a moment before saying, “This is my skill, a secret of heaven that cannot be revealed. So, will you go or not? If not, I can have them provide you enough water to return.”

Although Fuying was filled with doubts, he didn’t dare to ask further, truly afraid that Zhu Que would be unwilling to take him to the treasure. He quickly said, “Is it alright if I don’t ask anymore? Just being able to get some water and having you take us there is enough for me. Whatever you said to him is your business.”

That night, they rested on the spot, and the next morning, they set off led by Baying.