Chapter 445 - 11: The Lost Pearl
Just as Yue Jinghua had predicted earlier, the Qing Family owned most of the industries in the Five Saints Town, and their wealth and the total amount of treasures they held were comparable to that of a small duchy.
The secret that allowed Lady Qingyan to safely pass through this sea area and walk freely on the rapidly flowing riverbed was the square ring on her hand.
The function of this square ring was to form a Protective Dark Qi around the human body that was impervious to both Water and Fire and resistant to Dark Power. Moreover, in the event of an enemy attack, it could instantly generate gravity ten times or even dozens of times stronger, crushing unprepared Dark Beasts into dust in an instant.
However, each use of the Sea Stabilizing Pearl required the absorption of a vast amount of Spiritual Power Essence. After 24 hours, the Dark Qi within the Sea Stabilizing Pearl would be depleted, causing the protective Dark Qi to disappear.
Lady Qingyan had come to Shuijiao Peak to retrieve General Mo Lin’s body and an extremely important Qing Family treasure that he carried. Therefore, her journey was highly confidential, and she exercised extreme caution even when commissioning a mercenary from the Mercenary Branch for protection.
Holding General Mo Lin’s body tightly in her embrace, Lady Qingyan prepared to return to the surface.
But just as she was about to return to the surface, a sudden change occurred at the bottom of the water,
It was at this moment that a violent turbulence stirred from beneath the water.
An authoritative voice came from all around the water domain, "Human Race, you dare to infringe upon the Shuijiao Peak Domain time and time again."
The originally calm surface of the water suddenly surged, with swift currents carrying little vortices everywhere.
The light from the square ring in Lady Qingyan’s hand flickered like a candle in the wind before it was abruptly extinguished.
When the light went out, the cold water and the intense underwater pressure enveloped Lady Qingyan. Air quickly grew scarce, and her body kept sinking downward.
Despite desperately holding on to the body in her arms, Lady Qingyan couldn’t stop herself from plummeting towards the riverbed.
Just when she thought she would die there, someone forcefully tugged at her wrist. A flash of white light passed by, as if she had instantaneously traveled through a Transmission Array. Lady Qingyan suddenly felt the refreshing taste of the air from the land once more.
Before she could grasp what had happened, a stern voice came from above her head: "Retreat, quickly leave the Shuijiao Peak Domain."
On the surface of the river, a powerful surge of Dark Power from a Water Element Dark Beast shook the water – that voice was no doubt a warning from the Holy Beast of Shuijiao Peak.
Yue Jinghua’s gaze sharpened, and she traced a Star Light Array with her fingers.
"Boom," the Star Light shone brilliantly, striking straight at the water’s surface.
The impact of the Star Light Array in the water was like a heavy bomb, causing the entire surface to form a massive, man-made vortex.
The surge from the Water Element Dark Beast seemed to hesitate for a moment before quickly retreating, and the Cloud River’s surface was calm once again.
Yue Jinghua wiped the water off her face and quickly put away the Nine-layered Heavenly Condor Plate.
After learning of Lady Qingyan’s whereabouts, Yue Jinghua, guided by the instructions of Snake-haired Little Gore, swam towards the sunken ship area.
She saw Lady Qingyan being hit by a burst of blue Dark Light, the immense Dark Beast fluctuation within it alerted Yue Jinghua to a significant threat.
In these waters, anyone who further enraged the Holy Beast King of Shuijiao Peak was sure to face life-threatening danger.
Even a mighty dragon won’t clash head-on with a local tyrant; Yue Jinghua, well versed in this principle, didn’t confront directly but swiftly took out the Nine-layered Heavenly Peng Crystal Plate and fled after grabbing Lady Qingyan.
Fortunately, the Holy Beast was merely issuing a warning and did not attack again, which allowed Yue Jinghua to successfully rescue the person.
Having rescued Lady Qingyan, they took advantage of the ebbing tide and immediately headed back.
On the way back, the awakened Lady Qingyan remained silent, holding General Mo Lin’s corpse without uttering a word.
Upon returning to the Ancient Ferry Pier, Feng Buhui and others who had heard the news were preparing to set sail. Seeing the battered raft, they all looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Lady Qingyan, you must be shocked," Luo Lin came rushing with a dozen mercenaries and the Qing Family’s servants to support them. Upon seeing General Mo Lin’s corpse and the Earthworm Jellyfish hanging at the end of the raft, she was also taken aback.
Lady Qingyan, at her age, having endured both chills and fright, must have had a rough time.
Just as they were about to help Lady Qingyan off the raft, someone suddenly heard a voice calling for a halt: "Wait, before getting off, let’s settle the account first."
Lady Qingyan was taken aback, it had been many years since anyone had spoken to her in such a tone.
Luo Lin was anxious and made frantic gestures at Yue Jinghua, this foolish team leader, does she not know of Lady Qingyan’s status?
Yue Jinghua blocked Lady Qingyan with folded arms, "This mission, it was agreed to help find the secret passage to Shuijiao Peak, not to salvage a corpse. If it had been known it involved retrieving a corpse, who would willingly take on such a task. The reward and the mercenary mission’s rank should be reassessed."
What a joke, even in modern times, retrieving corpses is considered bad luck.
And Lady Qingyan actually expected three girls, pretty as flowers, to salvage a corpse for her.
Under Yue Jinghua’s persistent bargaining, Luo Lin had no choice but to readjust the mission’s rating. Initially at 50 points, it was raised due to circumstances, concluding at 100 points.
Lady Qingyan ordered her servants to take the corpse away. Before leaving, she glanced at Yue Jinghua and suddenly winked at her: "Little mercenary, I am very satisfied with this mission. I hope you won’t disappoint me on the next one."
The next one? Yue Jinghua snorted, next time, as soon as she sees the three words ’Lady Qingyan,’ she would turn around and leave, never taking on such a terrible mission again.
But Lady Qingyan just smiled and took General Mo Lin’s corpse away.
After Luo Lin and her group had left, Yue Jinghua had Feng Buhui and Qin Dongting drag the Earthworm Jellyfish’s corpse ashore, and after cleaning up the Earthworm Jellyfish’s body, a Water Element Dark Pill the size of a football was extracted from its insides.
Yue Jinghua casually tossed the Dark Pill to Qin Dongting, "Here, this thing will benefit your cultivation. Next time, I won’t be the one risking my life; it’s your turn," she said while rubbing her shoulders, walking back with a look of misfortune, leaving Qin Dongting with a face wanting to speak but hesitating.
After Lady Qingyan took General Mo Lin’s corpse back to her residence, she did not immediately bury it but sent the servants away.
"Mo Lin, if it wasn’t for my stubbornness back then, insisting that you take this pearl with you, you wouldn’t have died at Cloud River. But rest assured, I’ll be joining you soon. However, before I join you, there is one thing I must do. For hundreds of years, our Qing Family’s descendants had wanted but never had the courage to do—I must open the Ancient Hero Treasure’s secret passage, and let those who truly need it, open it," Lady Qingyan knelt beside her husband’s body and pressed a kiss on his forehead, still warm as ever.
Then gently, she opened his mouth, inside of which was a glowing pearl.
After removing the pearl, General Mo Lin’s lifelike body began to decompose rapidly, eventually turning into a handful of ashes.
Lady Qingyan carefully collected the ashes, holding the pearl in her hand, she whispered softly: "How can a golden scale be a thing in the pool; it will turn into a dragon once it meets a storm."