Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Night fell.

Chen Li, Bai San, and Gossip arrived silently at the outskirts of Hidden Emperor Castle.

But the sight before them made Gossip halt in his tracks and suck in a cold breath.

"N-No... where’s the forest? What happened to the forest?"

He lowered his voice, his face a mask of disbelief.

The place that should have been a dense forest in his memory had now become a wide, open field.

All that remained were countless tree stumps of varying heights, looking especially desolate under the night sky.

In the distance, the dark, looming silhouette of Hidden Emperor Castle was faintly visible.

"They chopped it all down long ago! When that bunch from the Celestial Sword Sect took over, they found the forest an eyesore that blocked their view, so they had it all cut down two years ago. Old Bao, your information is seriously out of date!"

Bai San sidled up, slinging an arm around Gossip’s shoulders with a teasing tone. "Stop gawking. Hurry up and think, where’s the approximate location of the entrance?"

Gossip’s face soured. Squinting in the faint starlight, he carefully surveyed his surroundings.

With his landmarks gone, he could only rely on a vague sense of direction and distance. He led Chen Li and Bai San on a careful circuit within a radius of several hundred paces to the west of Hidden Emperor Castle.

Finally, he stopped at a spot where the ground was slightly elevated.

He crouched, grabbed a handful of dirt and rubbed it between his fingers, then closely examined the disturbed soil nearby. His brows furrowed. "It should be... right around here."

Bai San leaned in for a look and clicked his tongue. "Old Bao, I’m afraid your treasure spot has already been turned upside down! They’ve even leveled the graves. Is the entrance still here?"

Gossip shook his head. "That’s not it. The entrance mechanism is cleverly designed. It’s beneath an empty coffin, aligned with the position of a tombstone. Someone who doesn’t know the secret, even if they dug up this whole area and found the coffin, would just think it’s an ordinary grave. They’d never imagine there’s a whole other world beneath it."

"So what now?"

Bai San looked at Chen Li.

Gossip glanced at the not-so-distant Hidden Emperor Castle and lowered his voice. "The only way is to dig for it. But it’s pitch black, and without any markers, I can’t say for sure where the passage is. It’s a huge area. If the three of us just start digging, we’ll make too much noise. The patrols will find us long before dawn."

Bai San’s eyes darted about. He leaned close to Chen Li and whispered, "Master, I just thought of two people. A pair of brothers, experts among experts when it comes to digging holes! I saw them in Jiangkou just the other day."

Chen Li glanced at Bai San. He knew Bai San had roamed the Jianghu for years and had acquaintances from all walks of life. He nodded. "Are they reliable?"

"Their skills are absolutely reliable."

Bai San answered.

"Let’s go meet them first."

Chen Li nodded.

Under the cover of night, the three of them quietly retreated back to Jiangkou County Town.

...

The next morning, on East Street in Jiangkou County Town.

The Eight Treasures Antiques Shop.

Bai San swaggered into the shop, plopped himself down in a Grandmaster’s Chair in the main hall, and crossed his legs.

Seeing this, a clerk hurried over, forcing a smile. "Sir, what can I help you find? We have fine porcelain, jade..."

Bai San didn’t even lift an eyelid.

The clerk’s expression turned cold. Just as he was about to get nasty, he saw the man pull a gleaming gold leaf from his robes, twirling it between his fingers and fanning himself nonchalantly with it.

The clerk’s words caught in his throat. His eyes went wide, his smile turned fervent, and his back bowed. "Valued guest, please wait a moment! I’ll go get the Shopkeeper for you right away!"

A moment later, a Shopkeeper in a silk shirt, about fifty years of age, emerged from the back room, clasping his hands with a smile. "A valued guest has graced us. My apologies for not welcoming you sooner. How may I be of service?"

Bai San shot him a sidelong glance. "Go tell your boss that Master Bai San is here to see him."

The Shopkeeper’s smile didn’t waver. "What a coincidence, the boss went out early this morning. If you have any business, valued guest, you can tell this old man. It’s all the same."

"Pah!"

Bai San scoffed. "Don’t give me that nonsense. I can smell that stench of fresh dirt on your boss from three streets away. It never washes off. Go. Just say Bai San is looking for him."

The Shopkeeper’s expression changed slightly. Realizing he was dealing with someone in the know, he didn’t dare prevaricate any longer. He offered a quick apology and hurried into the inner courtyard.

He returned a moment later, his attitude much more respectful. "Master Bai San, the boss requests your presence in the back courtyard."

Bai San stood up and followed the Shopkeeper to the back courtyard.

The courtyard wasn’t large. On the stone steps, two shirtless men with dark, coarse skin were squatting, holding massive bowls and slurping down oil-splashed noodles. SLURP! SLURP!

The two looked about seventy or eighty percent similar, both with square faces and wide mouths, exuding an untamed wildness and a persistent smell of earth.

Their mouths were stained red with chili oil, and beads of sweat trickled down their sturdy backs.

Bai San grinned and called out, "Well now! Masters Dian San and Dao Si, what refined taste you have, craving an authentic taste of home here in the Jiangnan Water Village!"

The brothers looked up at the sound of his voice. Upon seeing Bai San, a flicker of something strange, almost imperceptible, crossed their faces.

The older one, Dian San, asked, "I say, Bai San, didn’t you wash your hands of the life for good? What brings you to my humble little place today?"

Bai San walked forward with a beaming smile. "Now, now, don’t say that. I’ve got a piece of business, and I was hoping you two masters might lend a hand!"

The younger one beside him, Dao Si, was more concise. "What’s the terms?"

"Simple."

Bai San rubbed his hands together. "I need you two to lend your skills to find something."

Dian San set his bowl on the ground and wiped his mouth. "You rooftop-running types, what’re ya doin’ lookin’ for us grave-diggin’ folk? What’s this, lookin’ for a career change? Wanna become our apprentices?"

Bai San laughed. "I’m looking for you two because it’s your specialty I need..."

"We get to pick two artifacts from the tomb first."

Dian San stated his price directly.

Bai San shook his head. "No can do. You can’t touch the goods, but you won’t be short on gold."

"Twenty taels."

Dao Si held up two fingers.

"Twenty taels? Why don’t you two just rob someone!"

Bai San screeched as if someone had stepped on his tail. "Twenty taels of silver, maybe!"

Dian San’s face darkened. He picked up his empty bowl and pretended to head back inside. "Take it or leave it. If you’re not takin’ it, then get lost! Don’t keep me from my meal."

A muscle twitched in Bai San’s cheek.

But then he thought of the task Chen Li had given him. If these two didn’t do it, the miserable job of digging would fall to him.

Digging around blindly like a headless fly while trying to avoid the Celestial Sword Sect patrols... just thinking about it gave him a headache.

He gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and thought, ’It’s not my money, anyway!’

’To hell with it!’

Bai San practically spat the words out through clenched teeth. "Fine! Twenty taels it is."

Only then did Dian San turn back. "Time and place."

Bai San took a step closer and lowered his voice. "Tonight at midnight, outside Hidden Emperor Castle. The old graveyard area."

Dian San and Dao Si exchanged a look, then nodded. "Done."

"Excellent! See you outside the castle at midnight!"

With that, Bai San didn’t linger and turned to leave.

After Bai San’s back had vanished from the courtyard gate, Dao Si looked at Dian San with a slight frown. "Brother, is it him?"

Dian San slowly chewed his last mouthful of noodles, his eyes deep and thoughtful. After a moment of silence, he said, "From the looks of it, it’s eighty percent certain."

"So... what do we do? We really gonna dig for them?"

Dao Si asked.

Dian San scraped the last of the chili oil from his bowl and smacked his lips. "First, let’s send a message to Lord Sword Madman."

...

Midnight approached. The moon was hidden and the stars were few.

Two dark figures arrived silently at the appointed place.

It was the brothers, Dian San and Dao Si.

Bai San, who was already waiting, whispered, "You two masters are right on time!"

Dian San scanned the area. Besides Bai San, two other people stood a short distance away, their faces obscured by wooden masks.

His gaze paused on Chen Li for a fraction of a second before he extended a rough palm, stating concisely, "The money. Up front."

Bai San’s smile didn’t falter. "Master Dian San, that’s not how the rules work, is it? We haven’t even seen a hint of a hole yet. How can you ask for payment up front?"

Dao Si cut in coldly from the side. "Our rule is, we get paid before we work. No pay, no work."

His tone was unyielding, leaving no room for negotiation.

Bai San’s expression soured. He instinctively turned to look at Chen Li.

Chen Li stood in the shadows, silent, but his gaze from behind the mask was locked firmly on the Dian San and Dao Si brothers.

He had a faint feeling that something was not right with these two.

But for the three of them to dig blindly in this overturned patch of land would not only be incredibly inefficient, but the commotion would also easily attract patrols from the Celestial Sword Sect.

Weighing the pros and cons, Chen Li took a gold leaf worth five taels from his robes, flicked his finger, and sent it spinning into Dian San’s outstretched palm.

"That’s the deposit. Find the entrance, and you’ll get the rest."

Dian San squeezed the gold leaf, tucked it away, and said no more, giving his younger brother Dao Si a meaningful look.

Ignoring Bai San, the two brothers began to carefully inspect the area within a radius of several dozen zhang.

At times they would grab a handful of dirt, crush it between their fingertips, and inhale its scent deeply. At others, they would even lick a speck of soil to taste the subtle differences.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the brothers stopped at a spot about seven or eight zhang away from the initial location.

"This is it."

Dian San said in a low, certain voice.

Without further delay, the two unslung a pair of strangely shaped, short-handled iron shovels from their backs.

Soil was easily dug out and piled to one side.

Over an hour later, a sloping, downward-angled tunnel had taken shape, its depths hidden in darkness.

Dian San poked his head out of the hole and whispered, "We’re through. There’s a stone chamber below."

Bai San’s face lit up with joy, but Dian San climbed out and held out his hand. "The rest of the gold."

Bai San looked to Chen Li.

Chen Li nodded. With a flick of his finger, three gold leaves flew into the other man’s hand.

Dian San caught them and tucked them away safely.

Dao Si climbed out of the hole, dusted himself off, and prepared to leave.

"Wait."

Chen Li spoke suddenly. His voice wasn’t loud, but it made both Dian San and Dao Si freeze in place. "The situation below is unclear. I’ll need you two to stay for a moment."

Dian San forced a stiff smile. "The hole is dug, the payment’s settled. What’s down there is your business. Our rule is, we don’t get involved in the client’s affairs."

"I’m just asking you to wait a moment, just to confirm it’s safe below."

Chen Li’s gaze was calm and his tone was even, but it held an air that brooked no refusal.

Dao Si’s face darkened, and his tone was hard. "On what grounds? The job’s done and you won’t let us leave? Are you planning to double-cross us?"

Chen Li said no more, merely releasing his aura for a brief instant before withdrawing it.

An icy, bone-chilling killing intent enveloped the two brothers in an almost tangible shroud.

They felt their breath catch in their throats, their feet seemingly rooted to the spot, unable to move even half a step.

"Alright! Alright!"

Cold sweat beaded on Dian San’s forehead, and he quickly waved his hands. "We’ll wait! We’ll wait! We’ll wait until you masters are back out safely."

With that, he pulled Dao Si back a few steps to a nearby tree stump and sat down, not daring to mention leaving again.