Chapter 426 - 71: The Publicized Treasure Map
Soon, the news about the Ancient Hero Treasure Map posted on the bulletin board of Five Saints Town spread across the whole town as if it had grown wings.
Overnight, everyone in the taverns and during their leisurely chats after meals was talking about the Ancient Hero Treasure Map.
Every day, a continuous stream of people went to the bulletin board to gaze at the treasure map.
People began to vividly speculate about the possible contents of the Ancient Hero Treasure Map, with some saying that it contained the life savings of the Ancient Hero.
Others claimed that the treasure map documented the hero’s weapons used before his passing, the legendary weapons that were once used to slay dragons.
The more the news spread, the more outlandish it became, and at this time, two forces with vastly different emotions were operating in secret.
"Divine Son, I had not expected the captain from Second Generation Soldier to be mad. He actually posted such an important treasure map outright," Li Rui reported to Qin Dongting after personally witnessing him put up the treasure map, and immediately went to a residence in the new district in the middle of town.
This house was the temporary residence of Divine Court in Five Saints Town, where Zong Shaoqing and Sha Xi lived in the east and west courtyards of the large mansion.
Luo Lin’s reselling of the treasure map was actually to Divine Court; to be precise, it was not a resale, but a sharing.
The secrets of that treasure map of the Ancient Hero were only revealed after the death of Yan Bao, when a female mercenary secretly informed the Mercenary Branch.
After learning of this, the Mercenary Branch examined the treasure map as well, but they were unable to find any corresponding clues, and the matter had been shelved.
It was after Zong Shaoqing arrived in town that he personally approached Luo Lin, offering a considerable reward and requesting the Mercenary Branch to lend him the treasure map.
Given the importance of the Ancient Hero Treasure Map, the Mercenary Branch was naturally reluctant to lend it out easily. Zong Shaoqing then promised that after entering the Ancient Heroic Tomb, he would only take a letter left behind by the Ancient Hero for himself, and the rest would all belong to the Mercenary Branch.
The shrewd and cunning stewards of the Mercenary Branch discussed it and agreed to the deal, handing the treasure map over to Zong Shaoqing for his perusal of its hidden secrets.
As for the Mercenary Branch itself, they merely kept a transcribed copy out of formality.
Everyone from the Mercenary Branch, including Luo Lin, thought that the people from Second Generation Soldier would have to eat a mute’s loss in silence in this matter, but who would have known that Yue Jinghua would make such a move.
Publicizing the treasure map was undoubtedly a fierce slap to the faces of Luo Lin and the Branch.
Now everyone in Mercenary Town was starting to pay attention to this treasure map.
Although Five Saints Town appears to be dominated by mercenaries, in fact, as a key location adjacent to Xuan Beast Ridge, the distribution of hidden forces here is complex and interwoven. It is believed that at this moment several copies of the treasure map have been delivered to different forces, with everyone eagerly trying to unravel the mysteries hidden within this treasure map.
"It’s all because of that damned ’Second Generation Soldier’ Mercenary Team, especially that Yue surnamed captain, who is so young and reckless. To think that he would choose to publicly reveal the treasure map," Li Rui wished he could strangle Yue Jinghua on the spot.
His failure in the last mission to escort Sha Xi had already severely damaged his reputation at the Mercenary Branch, and it might even affect the performance assessment of his Mercenary Group at the end of the year. He had intended to use this opportunity to facilitate connections between the Divine Court and the Mercenary Branch, hoping to make a good impression. Yet now, Yue Jinghua’s meddling had ruined everything.
"No need to hurry, deciphering this treasure map will take some time. During this period, inform the branch to keep a close watch on the movements of the local powers in town," Zong Shaoqing said calmly upon hearing the news, without showing much of an unusual reaction.
After Li Rui left, Zong Shaoqing took out the original treasure map and began to play with it in his hands, his mouth curled in an enigmatic smile, "Song Mu, who do you think benefits the most from this situation?"
Song Mu stole a glance at Divine Son’s reaction. Lately, Divine Son’s words and actions seemed increasingly inscrutable, and these inscrutable behaviors appeared to relate to that person.
"Divine Son, from hearing Li Rui’s words, the biggest beneficiaries naturally seem to be the ’Second Generation Soldier’ Mercenary Team. They’ve managed to deceive both our Mercenary Branch and us, while also averting a catastrophic disaster," Song Mu couldn’t help but admire Yue Jinghua secretly. The youth was so young, yet his cunning was even more formidable than that of veterans like himself.
"Indeed, now everyone is on the same starting line, and it’s just a matter of who will find the endpoint first," Zong Shaoqing picked up a bottle of a new kind of drink called "beer" that was on the table, bought from Helen Tavern.
This beer had a wheat-yellow color, slightly bitter at first taste and not very strong, but as one drank more, it left a sweet taste on the tip of the tongue, making one unwittingly feel tipsy. Zong Shaoqing’s purple eyes took on a hazy, dark purple hue.
In August, the night in Five Saints Town was like the wine in a cup, gently swaying and ceaselessly spreading out.
After returning from the Mercenary Branch, Yue Jinghua brought back the Ancient Hero Treasure map that bore a sense of "humiliation."
The rest of the ’Second Generation Soldier’ were not in high spirits, anyone would feel unpleasant after being suppressed and humiliated by the Mercenary Branch.
Yet, no one expected Yue Jinghua to publicly disclose the treasure map.
"Are you all still wondering why I posted the treasure map?" Yue Jinghua was also frustrated; in her past life and now, she had never felt so suffocated.
Five Saints Branch and Li Rui, she would not let either of them off lightly; publishing the treasure map was only the first step.
"Brother Yue, by making the Treasure Map public, doesn’t that mean everyone knows about it now? With treasures like these, isn’t it better the fewer people know?" Weiwei felt a little grieved; the treasure map in their hands was the most valuable thing they had, and to trade a bag of Star-falling Diamond Sand for a map everyone knows about didn’t seem like a move a shrewd person like Brother Yue would make.
"A bag of Star-falling Diamond Sand for a common item from the continent is indeed not worth it, but if a treasure map in exchange for our lives, then it’s worth it. You know, if we had taken that treasure map privately and left the Mercenary Branch without saying anything, what would have awaited us? The organization or person who purchased the treasure map from the Mercenary Branch would never allow others to know the secrets of that treasure map. After making the treasure map public, things are different. Not only have we saved our lives, but we will also have many people helping us find the real location of the Ancient Heroic Tomb," Yue Jinghua consoled Weiwei.
Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly had a revelation.
"In this world, there is no wall that doesn’t allow the breeze through. Even the Mercenary Branch can’t guarantee they will always maintain a harmonious relationship with their backer. Moreover, with such a map, do you think we could find any clues? It might be better to wait for others to uncover some leads, and then we can take advantage of their discoveries," Yue Jinghua unfolded the treasure map, and to their surprise, the so-called treasure map clearly marked the location of Five Saints Town.
The so-called treasure map was, in fact, a panoramic map of Five Saints Town.