It wasn’t just the Demonic Sects that knew how to stir up trouble—Ruan Xuezong himself was a master at it.
He had the players spread copies of the sheepskin paper, and in less than a day, the rumor of treasure in the Western Regions had spread far and wide. Even three-year-old children on the streets of Jiangnan City were humming snatches of the verse: “White Jade Capital in the Sky, Twelve Towers Five Cities.”
While Shen Jiangling was recuperating from his injuries, he wasn’t completely cut off from the world. He sent Ruan Xuezong a message via carrier pigeon.
“Young friend, there’s a rumor making waves in Rivers and Lakes lately: a secret treasure from the Western Regions is about to surface, causing quite a stir among the martial artists. Plenty of people are rushing off to chase it, convinced it’s real. I suspect this might be the Demonic Sects’ next scheme. I hear Heart Washing Manor is heading out there too. I know you’re the type who doesn’t care much for worldly treasures, but with your grudge against the Demonic Sects—and those fresh new enmities on top of it—your strength makes you a prime target for anyone else after the prize. Whether it’s the Demonic Sects or some other treasure hunter, they might come after you. In any case, please stay vigilant on the road.”
Shen Jiangling’s warning was spot on.
Once the treasure in the Western Regions and those ubiquitous copies of the sheepskin paper hit the scene, the entire jianghu was shaken. Plenty of people didn’t buy it, but even more did.
In just a few days, the number of caravans and merchant trains heading west exploded to insane levels, completely overshadowing the flower-plucking thief and the underground palace in Jiangnan City.
Who could resist? The sheepskin paper looked so damn authentic, even as a rubbing.
It marked a few key spots in the vast expanse of desert and barren wasteland, shrouded in tantalizing mystery that somehow made perfect sense even if you couldn’t quite put your finger on why.
Those incantations sounded utterly convincing too—talk of celestial pavilions and palaces in the sky, countless wonders hidden within. They brimmed with tantalizing hints, like how “I” shattered the void and flew off, uncovering the secrets of immortality there. “I became one of the sixteen saint lords, breathing out mirages to form towers, concealed amid eternal marvels.” Or “All the immortals and their elixirs of undying life are there. I built walls of gold and silver, storing pearls and exotic treasures in the chambers.” It was obvious: this was the travelogue of a grandmaster of a generation who had broken through the void, leaving behind a priceless treasure hoard in the jianghu. Paired with the treasure map, it pointed straight to the Great Desert!
In the jianghu, grandmasters of a generation were unimaginably powerful—terrifying existences at the pinnacle of martial arts.
They stood at the peak of their era, commanding fame and awe in life. In death, people fantasized endlessly about the fortunes they’d amassed: gold and silver, divine weapons, peerless artifacts, or fateful opportunities of the world.
Of course, Shen Jiangling had no idea that the culprit behind spreading the treasure map—the very epitome of underhanded mischief—was none other than Ruan Xuezong.
And in a twist of fate, one of the Demonic Sects’ actions had unwittingly added a layer of mystique, lending the rumor even more credibility.
By now, half of Jiangnan City knew about the Western Regions merchant found dead in Clearwater Pavilion. At first, rumors flew: a songstress gone murderous, a crime of passion, or simple robbery.
But after the city yamen issued an official clarification, the truth came out. The merchant had been carrying some exotic relic and bragged about the treasure map to a songstress, spilling too many details. The Demonic Sects didn’t hesitate to expose their hidden tunnel just to slit his throat. That alone spoke volumes.
The jianghu buzzed with excitement. “This treasure’s gotta be real! The real map must’ve fallen into the Demonic Sects’ hands—they silenced him and beat us to the punch!”
“Everyone, hurry up! Get there late, and there won’t be even scraps left.”
“Wait a few more days. It’s tens of thousands of li to the Western Regions, with checkpoints everywhere. The Demonic Sects are sneaky bastards—who knows if this isn’t another Peacock Manor trap, luring us Central Plains experts into the desert to slaughter?”
A few days later, the first wave of elite experts sent to scout the Western Regions returned.
They’d left skeptical and short on funds, but came back striding with vigor, full of heroic flair, their arms draped with glittering treasure pearls of every color. The crowd gasped. “There really is treasure in the desert?!”
Truth be told, this group had gotten lucky. Back in the days of the Silk Road, river trade linked the Western Regions and the Central Plains, with plenty of merchant ships sinking or running aground. When the rivers dried up, they were buried under layers of silt and sand. In that desolate stretch of wasteland, hundreds or thousands of sunken ships lay hidden beneath the dunes. Sometimes, shifts in weather would unearth them by chance—and that’s exactly what happened. These experts casually picked up treasures from the sands, further fueling the treasure hype.
By this point, even the skeptics were wavering hard. What if…?
The “Western Regions gold rush” sparked by the treasure rumor had reached even the emperor in the Capital City.
On this bright morning, the emperor took up his vermilion brush and approved a stack of memorials. He was a wise ruler, personally reviewing hundreds of reports each day to handle state affairs. With no sons or heir to share the burden, he handled everything himself.
When he reached one particular memorial, he frowned and muttered to himself, “The report from the Six Gates says the jianghu’s gotten restless lately, all because of this Western Regions treasure nonsense blowing up. These martial artists rushed off to Golden Mound not long ago, and now they’re off to the Western Regions. How do they have so much time on their hands? All that skill, and they can’t be bothered with real work…”
As the ruler of an empire, he spent his every day and night cooped up behind high walls, buried in government.
Standing beside the emperor was a grand eunuch in deep crimson robes—Eunuch Wang. A master of reading the room, he sensed His Majesty’s curiosity and chimed in with flattery. “Your Majesty, these martial artists have their skills and come and go as they please, unbound by duty to kingdom or family. With nothing to tie them down, of course they’re bored out of their minds.”
It was the perfect bit of ass-kissing—implying not that the emperor lacked anything, but that for all their talents, the martial artists were dirt-poor and itching for any whiff of treasure, real or not.
Jing Emperor felt instantly pleased. He laughed and cursed, “You and your silver tongue!”
Eunuch Wang wasn’t entirely defending the martial artists either—he had some martial skill himself and didn’t want to draw their ire as one of those “idle good-for-nothings.”
Naturally, it was precisely because of his high skill, unwavering loyalty, deep knowledge of jianghu matters, and refined background that the emperor favored him. Every time the emperor went undercover in plain clothes, he brought Eunuch Wang along.
The emperor was indeed intrigued by the treasure.
He picked up the memorial again and pulled out a map of the realm, saying leisurely, “Head Constable Zheng says this Western Regions treasure might be the royal hoard left by the fallen Loulan Ancient Kingdom. Or perhaps the mountain of plunder gathered by the Cavalry General during his western expedition to pacify the 36 Countries of Western Regions. Or even the lifetime secrets of that grandmaster Bai Ye, scattered across the desert before he broke through the void a century ago—fished up by merchants and now the talk of the town. So many rumors, true and false… it’s intriguing.”
At that, the emperor chuckled.
He ruled all under heaven and had no need for treasure, but perhaps out of sheer boredom, the thrilling, bizarre tales in the memorial stirred his heart just a little.
Meanwhile,
The game forums were blowing up with posts from players in other sect regions on the jianghu map.
They vented in the threads: “This game’s realism is off the charts—NPCs can ditch us too?Was doing my daily sect quest today (equivalent to faction dailies), and suddenly our mascot abbot’s gone! He jumped on the treasure bandwagon and headed west, even swiping a Luoyang shovel from the sect armory on his way out! If even NPCs are getting hooked by the main storyline, why bother with quests? Time to bail and join the rush!” Before long, a massive wave of players surged toward the western lands.
The Western Regions gold rush had become an unstoppable tide. The players all figured it was a massive server-wide event meticulously planned by the game.
Ruan Xuezong realized the perfect moment to fish in troubled waters had arrived.
He began packing for the trip to the Western Regions. Spare clothes and provisions like dried rations and water skins were absolute musts, among other things.
“Woo-hoo! Western Regions at last! Epic treasure, here we come!” After days of hype, the players were pumped, convinced it was the next big main quest. Without needing orders from Ruan Xuezong, they all showed up outside his courtyard with packs on their backs and horses ready.
Jiangnan was far from the Western Regions, but the journey wouldn’t be dull. Livestreamers among the players broadcast the whole way, drawing millions of interstellar viewers to scenes like this: amid Jiangnan’s blooming orioles and verdant fields, the players galloped alongside Ruan Xuezong like carefree wanderers from ancient Earth. Across vast plains and plateaus under endless blue skies, with clear streams and lush grass everywhere in spectacular display—they mingled with shepherd flocks, got chased by wild Tibetan antelopes, and spotted deer or rabbits now and then. Local herdsmen were warmly hospitable, gifting the players milk wine and roasted lamb legs. It was eat, drink, and play all the way—pure bliss.
Someone clipped a one-minute video: On a mirror-flat icy lake, Ruan Xuezong’s peerless beauty appeared. Zooming in on his profile revealed eyes of profound black, framed by long lashes unmoving—as if lost in thought. Then, in the next second, those breathtaking lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, hitting viewers right in the feels. Because the lake’s pristine swans suddenly took flight, catching Ruan Xuezong’s eye. Watching the flock soar into the sky, he broke into a smile.
Netizens fell hard for that subtle curve of his lips, screaming “epic!” How did they nail that timing? It was like a churchyard moment with fluttering doves! Swans framing a beauty, yet the beauty outshone the swans themselves! Beta testers got to travel with Ruan Xuezong—talk about envy! Sob sob sob.
Ruan Xuezong returned, thoroughly satisfied. “We’re almost at the Western Regions. The scenery here’s really something.” Past Jade Gate Pass, it’d be nothing but the Great Desert’s yellow sands.
The players chimed in enthusiastically, grinning like lovesick fools. “Yeah, the views here’s amazing! Gorgeous mountains, gorgeous waters—and gorgeous people! Hate to leave!”
Ruan Xuezong: “?”
What Ruan Xuezong didn’t know was that right after he left Jiangnan, a kill order from Ten Thousand Kills Pavilion arrived hot on his heels, drawing the jianghu’s shocked attention. Ten Thousand Kills Pavilion was the jianghu’s top assassin guild—pay the price, and no target was off-limits, from nobles to low-rank disciples. Few knew its shadowy master was Huo Chonglou.
Ruan Xuezong had killed a Demonic Sects demoness and wrecked their painstakingly built underground palace. As the puppet master behind it all, how could Huo Chonglou let that slide? He issued a kill order on Ruan Xuezong from deep within the pavilion.
For this order, he deployed his sharpest blade.
Qi Hongxin—his most trusted adopted son.
The approaching man wore black robes, his hooded face cold as frost: handsome and aloof. But those pitch-black, distant eyes chilled the soul more than his features—like fathomless abysses that sent shivers down the spine with a single glance.
An oppressive aura radiated from him.
A massive blade hung at his back, its black scabbard plain and unassuming.
Only Huo Chonglou knew this blade mirrored its master: deeply concealed until unsheathed, when it would drink blood and seal throats without fail. No one dared test its edge. His adopted son was like an eagle soaring solitary skies—peerlessly proud and aloof, yet utterly loyal and devoted to him.
Holding a portrait, Qi Hongxin’s voice was ice-cold, as if from the depths of the underworld. “Foster father, this man’s ruined your plans time and again. I’ll go kill him now.”
“Go ahead,” Huo Chonglou replied with a satisfied smile.
…
Just as the group spurred their horses into the Western Regions, the players noticed the scenery shift: scorching days, barren gullies everywhere that screamed for water. Even the BGM had changed—no more rousing epic with boundless horizons, but a sweeping desert melody blending erhu, konghou, qiang flute, and pipa into an exotic flair.
Something stirred in a token inside Ruan Xuezong’s pack. The players were uncorking water skins when his system panel popped up a window, nearly making them spit.
【Odd Encounter Quest Triggered: “Qu Wangshu’s Origins”】
【Quest Description: This is the golden homeland, by the banks of the Shule River, where crescent springs curve. How many loves, hatreds, and enigmas lie buried beneath the ancient city’s sand-swept towers? Wandering heroes who’ve strayed into the Western Regions—perhaps you can unravel this secret.】
Ruan Xuezong pulled out the relic. Qu Qingyang had given it to him after the Peacock Manor funeral. It was a strange seal etched with a crescent moon symbol. Qu Wangshu’s background had never been questioned in her early years, but after the Peacock Manor incident, it became an unfathomable riddle.
Who’d have thought stepping into the desert would trigger it automatically?
Ruan Xuezong carefully traced the relic’s mottled inscriptions and spotted a line of tiny characters engraved there—
“Sun and Moon Shine Together, Awaiting Your Return East.”
