I just became the Pirate King, and you're telling me I also time-traveled at the same time.

Chapter 217 The Stolen Goods Hold a Secret! Encountering Zuo Hu Again!

It has to be Tong Xiangyu. She even managed to fleece Chu Yang. With that kind of audacity, she could have accomplished great things even if she didn't become the manager of Tongfu Inn.

Old Bai was in a bad state; he was so frightened that he sat down on the ground and couldn't get up for a long time.

So I'm the stupid, rich sucker?

Chu Yang shook his head and chuckled, showing no anger. Instead, he said to Tong Xiangyu, "Manager Tong, your inn sells jewelry too?"

Tong Xiangyu smiled and said, "It's just to earn a little money to supplement the family income."

Chu Yang thought for a moment and said, "In that case, Manager Tong, let me take a look. If it's not bad, I might consider buying some."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Tong Xiangyu got up happily and went back to the second floor. When she passed Lao Bai, she didn't forget to kick him.

"Go and close the door."

Old Bai dared not speak out in anger, and quickly got up to close the door he had just opened, as exposing those burial objects in broad daylight was indeed a bit dangerous.

Before long, Tong Xiangyu, carrying a bundle, walked down step by step. The bundle looked quite heavy, and she was struggling a bit.

At that moment, Chu Yang felt something strange; it seemed there really was something inside the bundle.

Boom!

Tong Xiangyu placed the bundle on the table, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said, "Your Highness, please choose whatever you like."

After saying that, she untied the bundle, revealing what was inside.

A dense aura of yin energy rushed towards us.

Perhaps because their cultivation levels were too low, apart from Chu Yang, no one else seemed to feel anything, not even Tong Xiangyu, who was closest to them.

These are all funerary objects. If a living person comes into contact with them for a long time, they may get sick or even die. Although Tong Xiangyu is a bit greedy, she knows to be cautious and has not touched these funerary jewelry much, so the impact on her health is not significant.

Chu Yang, however, made no attempt to hide his identity. He casually picked out a piece of jewelry, and as he held it in his hand, the yin energy on it quickly dissipated, completely swallowed up by Fengdu.

This is barely even a snack; it's more like a sip of milk tea.

Chu Yang searched through the items, removing the yin energy as he went, until he found a jade thumb ring made of mutton fat.

The thumb ring has a delicate and warm texture, and its luster is as smooth as oil, making it a fine example of mutton fat jade.

If it were just a matter of good quality, Chu Yang wouldn't care. There are plenty of these kinds of things in the palace. What really caught Chu Yang's attention was that the ring contained a trace of true essence and a bit of spiritual power.

That spiritual power contained a torrent of information.

The original owner of the ring, capable of such a feat, must have reached the level of a Grandmaster in martial arts, and was at his peak, with the potential to break through at any moment.

How could there be something like this in the tomb of Prince Xin at Taiping Mountain?

And it just so happened that it was dug up by Lei Laowu, a tomb raider.

It can only be said that this is fate.

The information left in the ring was martial arts, and it was extremely strange, unlike the orthodox path. Chu Yang was a guy who had no taboos, so he didn't care about these things and studied it silently in his mind.

The Ode of Great Compassion in the Interplay of Heaven and Earth and Yin and Yang

The legendary supreme martial arts of the Demonic Cult records seven of the most evil and terrifying martial arts, which only the leader of the Demonic Cult is qualified to learn, and only three of them are known in the martial arts world.

[Heaven and Earth Annihilation Great Soul-Searching Hand] [Heaven and Earth Shifting Great Acupoint Relocation Technique] [Heaven and Earth Annihilation Great Purple Yang Hand]

With just three moves, a master can dominate the martial arts world, demonstrating the terrifying power of this martial art.

Seeing Chu Yang admiringly playing with the thumb ring, Tong Xiangyu chuckled and said, "Your Highness seems to really like this thumb ring. How about I give it to you, and you can choose other jewelry?"

Chu Yang laughed and said, "Manager Tong really knows how to do business. No wonder Tongfu Inn is doing so well. But thank you for your kindness, Manager Tong, there's no need for you to give me any."

Tong Xiangyu said, "How can that be?"

Chu Yang waved his hand, took out a gold coin and handed it to Tong Xiangyu. Tong Xiangyu's eyes widened immediately; she hadn't expected it to be so valuable!

"Manager, please prepare a superior room. I'd like to rest for a while."

"Oh, alright, alright, Zhantang, quickly take the prince to rest."

Perhaps stunned by Chu Yang's extravagant behavior, Tong Xiangyu took a long time to come to her senses and hurriedly instructed Lao Bai.

"Your Highness, come with me." Old Bai took three steps at a time and went up to the second floor.

Watching Chu Yang leave, Tong Xiangyu clutched the bundle containing the burial goods to her chest, exclaiming in shock, "My goodness! These things are so valuable! We have to find someone to sell them right away!"

Inside the guest room.

Chu Yang was trying to comprehend the mysteries of the "Great Compassion Ode of the Interplay of Heaven and Earth and Yin and Yang". Since he did not learn the martial arts from others using the Rinnegan, his speed was slightly slower than usual.

"I have also learned a lot of the world's top martial arts. Although their principles cannot compare with Tai Chi, I have still benefited greatly."

"When Yan Nantian passed on his skills to Li Gexiao, I learned his Wedding Dress Divine Skill and Divine Sword Technique. The drawbacks of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill were nothing to me. Even without the transfer of skills, I could easily suppress them."

"Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng's swordsmanship each have their own merits. Ximen Chuixue emphasizes sword technique, while Ye Gucheng emphasizes sword intent. The Divine Sword Technique has both, but it is too fierce and domineering, following the path of overwhelming force with sheer power. It is similar to my Dragon Elephant King Technique."

"I need to have a good discussion with Li Xiaoyao and Jing Tian about these sword techniques when I get the chance."

"It's a bit of a pity that I didn't learn the Mingyu Skill when I fought Yaoyue last time. I'll have to take Li Gexiao to visit Yihua Palace again in the future..."

"I hope the Great Compassion Ode of Yin and Yang, which is the subject of the Heaven and Earth Intertwining, won't disappoint me. After all, it's a demonic sect's ultimate skill that's on par with the Mingyu Gong and the Wedding Dress Divine Skill."

"Speaking of which, there's something wrong with Prince Xin's tomb."

Chu Yang was so engrossed in his cultivation that he didn't notice the passage of time. The sun outside the window set and rose again, and before he knew it, it was the next day.

in the lobby.

Guo Furong was whispering with Lao Bai.

"Yesterday I took the scholar's manuscript to Zuo Family Village, and guess who I ran into?"

"Who is it?"

"Aunt Fan!"

"Who is Aunt Fan? Is she a relative of yours?"

"Get lost! That's the most famous bookseller in the capital, don't you recognize him?"

"I remember now, she posted the Three Kingdoms."

"Nonsense, that's the prequel to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the sequel to Journey to the West, and a side story to Water Margin."

"I haven't seen it."

"And the golden bottle..."

"I've never seen this before!"

Guo Furong looked at Lao Bai with disdain.

Old Bai awkwardly picked up the water bottle beside him and asked, "Want some water?"

"Drink my ass!" Guo Furong said angrily. "Remember what I told you before, if the scholar doesn't listen to me, you'll..."

Old Bai nodded and said, "Sunflower Acupuncture Technique!"

After noon, as the sun began to set, Tong Xiangyu's cries echoed on the second floor. Chu Yang woke up from his cultivation, opened the door, and walked to the end of the second floor.

"What's wrong with Manager Tong?"

"I sold my jewelry..."

"This is a good thing, why are you crying?"

"I sold my jewelry."

Tong Xiangyu originally wanted to sell the burial items as soon as possible to the manager of the Wanli Pawnshop and the money shop next door, but then Old Xing, the head constable of Qixia Town, suddenly arrived. She dared not sell the burial items and could only sell her jewelry, at a very low price.

Unable to sell the burial goods and losing a fortune selling her own belongings, Tong Xiangyu was utterly despondent. Even the money she earned from Chu Yang no longer seemed so appealing.

Chu Yang, standing outside the door, could only smile wryly.

People will always pay the price for their greed; it's only a matter of time.

However, for Tong Xiangyu, the time of suffering had only just begun, and a host of troubles awaited her.

Guo Furong went to Zuojiazhuang and found the most popular bookseller, Aunt Fan. With her and Lao Bai as witnesses, Lü Xiucai reluctantly signed the contract with her.

Neither of them noticed the subtle details in Aunt Fan's contract.

Still heartbroken, Tong Xiangyu only reminded them not to sign anything indiscriminately. The three of them were so engrossed in the joy of publishing their book that they didn't take her words seriously.

Chu Yang shook his head helplessly; each of these people had their own reasons for suffering losses.

Having acquired a divine skill, he was in a good mood and decided to go out for a stroll. Since he was in Qixia Town, he might as well visit Shibalipu.

Qixia Town, Zuojiazhuang, and Shibalipu all belong to Pinggu County and are all under the jurisdiction of Magistrate Lou. Shibalipu is where the county government office is located.

It is a proper "county town", and its level of prosperity is a level higher than that of Qixia Town. However, the advantage of Qixia Town is that it is close to Baima Academy and belongs to the school district.

Even in ancient times, as long as a place was associated with a school, it would never become desolate.

There are far more shops in Shibalipu than in Qixia Town. There are more than just one or two inns and restaurants. Although they are all businesses across the street from each other, each one is very prosperous. What's most impressive is that Shibalipu has a commercial street with everything you could want for eating, drinking, and entertainment.

As Chu Yang strolled around, he felt like he was walking on a pedestrian street.

Just as Chu Yang was about to buy some local specialties to take back, the crowded people suddenly exclaimed. Chu Yang looked closely and saw that the Imperial Guards were rushing towards them.

The face under the winged crown looked very cold and stern, as if something big had happened. Chu Yang recognized the person in the lead; it was none other than Zuo Qianhu, who had "killed countless demons"!

"What a coincidence, I met him here in Qixia Town last time too."

As soon as Chu Yang saw Zuo Qianhu, Zuo Qianhu also saw him. Zuo Qianhu, who was usually calm even when Mount Tai collapsed in front of him, changed color completely. He disregarded his mission and hurriedly walked to Chu Yang under the astonished gazes of everyone.

"Your Majesty..." Commander Zuo immediately knelt down, but before he could finish speaking, Chu Yang lifted him up.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Chu Yang said irritably. "We finally got to go out and have some fun, don't be a nuisance!"

Left Commander grinned, understanding Chu Yang's meaning, and immediately changed his words, saying, "Sir, what brings you here?"

"Here to see that brat." Chu Yang glanced at the large number of Imperial Guards behind him and asked curiously, "I should be asking you why you're here?"

Zuo Qianhu sighed and said, "The tomb of Prince Xin of Taiping Mountain has been dug up, and we have been tracing it all the way here."

Chu Yang frowned and said, "Is a mere Prince Xin's tomb worth you, Commander Zuo, traveling thousands of miles?"

Zuo Qianhu did not answer immediately, because the crowd of onlookers was gradually increasing and was about to surround the two of them. He had no choice but to remind Chu Yang to leave.

Chu Yang led him into a restaurant, while the centurions and junior officers who had followed behind them were left in the lobby, watching them eagerly as they went to a private room on the second floor.

Upon entering, Commander Zuo knelt down with a thud, saying, "Your Majesty, I have been impolite. Please forgive me."

"Alright, I forgot to tell you earlier, I don't like these fancy formalities. Get up quickly, or Li Gexiao will laugh at you if he finds out."

Chu Yang sat in the chair, looking at Commander Zuo with impatience.

"Li Gexiao is truly blessed to have achieved the Grandmaster realm by following Your Majesty's side, which makes this humble subject quite envious."

Zuo Qianhu wasn't flattering; he was genuinely jealous. Everyone within the Embroidered Uniform Guard knew that it was His Majesty the Emperor who cured Li Gexiao, and the latter had even risen from the ashes, making further progress in his martial arts cultivation.

"You only see the thief eating meat, but you don't see the thief getting beaten, do you?" Chu Yang shook his head helplessly and said, "Tell me about the situation at Prince Xin's tomb."

Zuo Qianhu's expression suddenly turned serious. "Some time ago, the tomb of Prince Xin was dug up by tomb robbers who stole a lot of burial objects. The tomb being dug up by the prince is a big deal, but because of the recent alchemy business, few people know about it."

The craze for alchemy was so great that it swept across the entire Ming Dynasty, while the robbing of Prince Xin's tomb was far less of a hot topic.

"The cabinet ordered Vice Minister Liu Luosheng of the Ministry of War to lead a team to thoroughly investigate the matter. It was stated that as long as the tomb robbers were caught, they could be executed on the spot. As soon as Vice Minister Liu received the assignment, he led his team to Taiping Mountain. What they found out was that there were demons causing trouble near the tomb of Prince Xin."

"Fortunately, there were experts in the team at the time, and the area around Taiping Mountain was very popular with Buddhist and Taoist masters, which helped to quell the demonic attack."

"Once the demons appeared, everyone realized that something terrible had happened in Prince Xin's tomb. But when they went to check, they found that Prince Xin's tomb had long been hollowed out and had become a secret stronghold of the demonic cult."

"However, judging from the dusty appearance inside, it seems that no one has been here for a long time, as if it has been abandoned for a long time."

"That damned tomb raider dug up all the gold and silver treasures of the Demonic Sect, as well as extremely valuable items. The cabinet officials ordered me to personally retrieve these burial goods."

Chu Yang had guessed that the Prince Xin's tomb was connected to the Demonic Cult, but he didn't expect that they would dig up the tomb completely. The Demonic Cult members really had no taboos and didn't even care about the most basic morality.

The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) are most likely investigating the ring that Chu Yang just obtained, which records the top-level martial art, "The Great Compassion Mantra of Yin and Yang in the Interplay of Heaven and Earth".

From this perspective, the cult that hollowed out the tomb of Prince Xin was definitely not an ordinary cult.

Chu Yang said, "That batch of things is already in my hands, so there's no need to continue the investigation. Tell Minister Liu to focus his attention on the tomb of Prince Xin and thoroughly examine the traces of the Demonic Sect to see if anything has been left behind."

Commander Zuo looked at Chu Yang in shock, "Your Majesty, you just said the things were..."

Chu Yang nodded. "I got it from that tomb raider by chance. I remember his name was Lei Laowu, right?"

"That's right." Commander Zuo exclaimed, "As expected of His Majesty, he can solve such a big case even while on vacation."

"Since the item is in His Majesty's hands, I will go back and report."

Chu Yang suddenly remembered something and called out to Zuo Qianhu, "Before we leave, investigate a bookseller named Granny Fan and bring her back."

Commander Zuo, thinking it was some important figure who could be personally summoned by His Majesty the Emperor, left with great interest. (End of Chapter)