Path of Alchemy Mastery
Chapter 89: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Chapter 89: Chapter 89: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Lanlan and the others decided not to leave the Mountain Village, making Han Lao Da’s Mountain Village the base for the Feifeng Tower.

Mu Can led Lanlan and Long Yunyun as they turned and entered into Han Lao Da’s Treasure Room.

"I’m curious what kind of things Han Lao Da has plundered." Mu Can said, not knowing whether Han Lao Da would regret that all the treasures he laboriously gathered over the years ended up in the hands of others, merely serving as a bridal outfit for someone else.

Mu Can was curious what kind of surprises a Peak Martial Arts Sect bandit could bring to him.

With a punch, he blasted open the firmly shut door of the Treasure Room and entered.

Contrary to the chaotic mess he had envisioned, the entire Treasure Room was neatly organized with various spoils of war categorized accordingly.

"Han Lao Da must have come here frequently." It was also Lanlan’s first time entering here, she cautiously inspected the contents of the Treasure Room.

"I thought there would be some good items here." Mu Can casually picked up a beautifully crafted Longsword, only to find that it was just a common Mortal Artifact, nothing worthy of his usage.

After a round of inspection, he only took some of the herbs Han Lao Da had collected and decided to leave the rest for the Feifeng Tower.

"You should pick a few items as well, the rest we’ll leave for Feifeng Tower." Mu Can spoke to Long Yunyun.

"Oh, I don’t need anything, just leave it for Lanlan and the others." Given Long Yunyun’s family background, there really was nothing of interest to her among the items Han Lao Da had stored here.

"My Lord, I heard that Han Lao Da has a small treasury, likely hidden here. Let’s try to find if there is any mechanism." Lanlan pondered before saying to Mu Can.

Mu Can’s eyes lit up, as the items here didn’t seem like those fitting a Peak Martial Arts Sect’s collection.

The three of them knocked and tapped around the entire Treasure Room and finally found a compartment by a censer used for burning incense.

"I found it, you two come over here." Long Yunyun happily called the two.

As the two approached, Long Yunyun gently twisted the censer, a burst of noise came out, and a tunnel entrance slowly opened in front of the three.

"This is it." Mu Can taking the lead, walked into the tunnel.

"It seems this kid Han Lao Da really hoarded all to himself." Mu Can could now confirm the items outside were for sharing with other bandits, whereas the collection inside this vault was Han Lao Da’s private storages.

Entering the underground chamber, Mu Can waved his hand lightly, and several fireballs precisely ignited the lamps on the wall, instantly lighting up the whole chamber.

Although the underground chamber didn’t look very large, it also didn’t give a sense of oppression to those inside.

An exquisitely made desk was quietly placed there, dustless atop its surface; Han Lao Da must have come here to sit quite often.

His collection was neatly placed on the desk, three boxes of varied sizes.

"This is the place, it’s said that Han Lao Da would always come alone into the Treasure Room and stay for an entire afternoon." Lanlan explained to Mu Can as she looked at the desk.

"Mu Can, quickly see what’s inside." Long Yunyun urged excitedly.

Mu Can stepped forward, picked up the smallest box, and gently opened it to find that it surprisingly contained a Sound Transmission Jade.

Mu Can was not unfamiliar with the Sound Transmission Jade, having used one previously to communicate with Donghuang.

"Sound Transmission Jade Pendant." Long Yunyun exclaimed in surprise.

"Do you recognize it?" Mu Can held the jade pendant as he examined Long Yunyun.

With an unsurprising expression, Long Yunyun replied, "Isn’t this the Sound Transmission Jade? How come Han Lao Da had this thing? Even in my house, this thing is rarely seen."

"Let’s try and see." The rarity of the Sound Transmission Jade even surpasses that of a typical Magic Emitter.

"Don’t speak for now," Mu Can instructed the two, then gently activated the jade pendant in his hand, and immediately there was a response on the other end.

"What the hell are you doing? If it’s nothing important, I’ll beat you to death." An impatient voice came from the jade pendant, sounding like a man in his thirties or forties, presumably busy with something important, displaying utter dissatisfaction through his words.

Mu Can pondered over the situation, observing that the other side showed no respect for Han Lao Da. A Martial Arts Sect Peak expert should be able to serve as a senior staff member in Pingyun City, yet here he was being insulted as worse than a dog.

"What the hell are you keeping silent for? Didn’t you receive the supplies I gave you last time? When are you going to deliver this month’s goods? If you delay my business, beware I’ll wipe out your entire group." Upon receiving no response, the man on the other end of the jade pendant cursed again.

"Are you talking about Han Lao Da? He’s dead," Mu Can stated coldly.

Then a crisp slap was heard from the jade pendant, followed by a woman apologizing and walking away.

"Who are you?" The man on the other end asked after dismissing the woman by his side.

"Who I am doesn’t matter; what matters is who are you?" Mu Can spoke up.

"Heh, interesting. Although Han Lao Da was a lackey, he was at least a lackey with Martial Arts Sect skills. To kill him, your Cultivation must also be high," the man at the other end said lightly, seemingly indifferent to Han Lao Da’s death.

"How about you work for me, I can ensure all resources for you to reach the Martial King Peak." The man threw out a tempting offer, trying to recruit Mu Can.

Martial King Peak, that bait was quite substantial.

"Who exactly are you?" Mu Can, unswayed by his words, continued to ask coldly.

Having someone like Han Lao Da under him, this mysterious man surely was no common character.

"It seems you do not know your place." Hearing Mu Can ask who he was for the second time, the man on the other end grew impatient.

"If I am not mistaken, the only one capable of protecting Han Lao Da while making him work for you would be the Empire, you must be a high-ranking official of the Empire," Mu Can guessed.

Only a powerful force could employ such a band of mountain bandits.

"You are smart, but alas, even if you know who I am, you are just an ant," the mysterious man said, knowing he couldn’t recruit Mu Can, and then destroyed the Sound Transmission Jade Pendant.

With the destruction of the jade pendant on that end, Mu Can’s Sound Transmission Jade also cracked and became unusable.

"What exactly is it, that Empire officials are fostering bandits for some unspeakable affairs?" Mu Can pondered while looking at the broken halves of the jade pendant.

The Nanyuan Empire, ruling over thousands of cities large and small including Pingyun City, was a mid-tier nation among the neighboring larger countries. Unfortunately, the power of the Empire was significantly affected due to many strong Sects not complying.

Under such circumstances, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Empire to take some measures.

PS: Although I intend to do good deeds without asking about the future, I still wish for recommendation tickets and favorites.

I don’t want to play solo anymore, if you want a character name just mention it in the book reviews, either protagonist or antagonist works.