Chapter 589 - 36 Devouring the Mysterious Treasure, Coveting the Body Shell
Zhang Yan, having dared to throw the Hou Clan patriarch onto the ground, naturally wouldn’t be unprepared for such a move.
However, to him, whether this man was dead or alive was of no consequence. His objectives for today lay elsewhere.
He smiled, flipped his hand, and pulled out an object from his sleeve, saying, "This is the treasure carried by Hou Boxu—it is called the ’Five Spirit White Carp Shuttle.’"
Vice Master Pan glanced at the red-haired Daoist and then said, "If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t this treasure originally owned by the Xiao Family?"
Zhang Yan’s demeanor turned serious, and he nodded, saying, "That’s correct."
Refining a Mystical Artifact is no easy task. Treasures such as these are renowned far and wide. Even if ordinary disciples might not recognize them, as the Deputy Director of Zhengqing Institute, Vice Master Pan naturally has a deep understanding of these matters.
The red-haired Daoist’s beard trembled as if he was about to speak, but he restrained himself. Finally, he forced himself to act surprised, furrowing his brow and saying, "Oh? Could this man truly be Hou Boxu?"
Vice Master Pan turned his head, smiling knowingly, and said, "Brother Xiao, what do you mean by that?"
The red-haired Daoist cursed inwardly, but outwardly, he displayed an expression of grief and indignation as he sighed, "The Hou Family is kin to our Xiao Clan, and this Five Spirit White Carp Shuttle was gifted to them by us long ago. It no longer belongs to our clan. If Hou Boxu indeed possesses this item, then it must be him without a doubt. But to think he would use it to harm his fellow sect members—this is truly reprehensible!"
Though his heart was filled with reluctance, he had no choice but to say these words. He didn’t even need to look to know that Hou Boxu’s Essence Blood would definitely be imbued in this treasure. A quick investigation would confirm this, making it impossible to deny. The only way to sever ties with the matter completely was to insist that this treasure did not belong to the Xiao Clan.
Zhang Yan nodded and said, "In that case, I shall store this treasure myself."
Vice Master Pan laughed heartily and said, "Since this item is no longer part of the Xiao Family and was captured by you, Brother, from a traitor, naturally it should belong to you from now on."
The red-haired Daoist cast a regretful glance at the treasure. Mystical Artifacts were rare; even the Xiao Clan didn’t have many. Yet today, Zhang Yan had gained one without effort.
This thought sparked something in his mind. Could Zhang Yan have orchestrated today’s events solely to claim this treasure?
As he pondered further, he felt this was indeed highly likely.
Nevertheless, he didn’t regret his earlier actions. It was a situation where the bow had already been drawn, and the arrow had to be released. Even if given another chance, he would still strike down Hou Boxu.
Otherwise, if the Xiao Clan were accused of harming fellow sect members, while the sect might not punish them severely, they would undoubtedly suffer great consequences, such as losing access to a cave mansion’s Spirit Vein. The losses would far outweigh the value of a Mystical Artifact.
His speculations were largely accurate—Zhang Yan had no intention of opposing the Xiao Clan today.
Trying to topple the Xiao Clan with just Hou Boxu was laughable. At most, it would cause them minor trouble without yielding him any tangible benefit. Zhang Yan wasn’t one to involve himself in pointless endeavors.
He had merely used Hou Boxu to bring forth this treasure.
The ’Five Spirit White Carp Shuttle’ had been in Zhang Yan’s possession for some time. However, under normal circumstances, it was still technically considered a Xiao Family item. If its origins couldn’t be properly explained, revealing it publicly would invite endless troubles.
Furthermore, the treasure was marked with Essence Blood restrictions, allowing any Xiao Clan direct lineage disciple to reclaim it effortlessly. Without resolving this issue, merely acquiring the treasure would be meaningless.
But with the sect competition imminent, Zhang Yan needed to augment his strength from all angles. Holding onto a Mystical Artifact would be a great advantage, and leaving it unused was a waste. By forcing the Xiao Clan members to publicly acknowledge today that the treasure no longer belonged to the Xiao Clan, Zhang Yan could henceforth use it boldly and legitimately. Accomplishing this goal would signify his success.
Zhang Yan stood upon a rock and declared loudly, "In three years, the sect will hold its grand competition. I have received orders from my master to cultivate behind closed doors. If the two senior brothers have no other matters, I shall take my leave."
Vice Master Pan smiled and said, "Junior Brother, you may go as you please."
Zhuang Bufan gave Zhang Yan a deep, meaningful look but did not stop him either.
As for Xiao He, no one brought him up again. Everyone present had seen the red-haired Daoist’s actions earlier and tacitly chose to let the matter rest. Continuing to press the issue would only lead to greater conflict, benefiting no one.
Zhang Yan smiled, clasped his hands in a salute to the two men, then lifted his robes and ascended into the clouds.
Zhuang Bufan said nothing as he swept his sleeve and departed.
Vice Master Pan chuckled and shook his head. When Zhang Yan came to Zhengqing Institute today, he hadn’t expected much of him and thought he might suffer some minor losses. Yet, to his surprise, Zhang Yan had managed to leave with a treasure in hand. This Junior Brother truly had remarkable tactics.