Chapter 47: The Secret Treasury of the Tong Family

Shen Nongzi approached with a smiling expression. Seeing the battered and disheveled state of the three men before him, he chuckled, "It seems the three of you spent quite a bit of effort just to enter the Imperial Palace for the scenery."

Sun Tianchang gritted his teeth and said, "Shen Nongzi, I respect you as a master of a palace, yet you actually colluded with the Imperial Palace to make a move against our three major factions. Today, I will definitely settle this score with you!"

Jin Buzai and Pan Tianlong also stepped forward at this moment. "Shen Nongzi, do not think your Serene Rest Palace is so formidable. I know the old immortal in your palace in seclusion has reached the Deity Transformation realm, but do not think your Serene Rest Palace is the only one with experts at that level. If we truly tear down all pretenses, it is hard to say who will have the last laugh."

Shen Nongzi laughed instead of getting angry. "According to what the three of you are saying, has my old bones coming out for a stroll to enjoy the scenery somehow become a heinous crime?"

"Cut the nonsense! We are now going to thoroughly search the Imperial Palace! We will settle this score later!" Before Sun Tianchang could find Tong Jin in the Imperial Palace, he still harbored a trace of doubt regarding Yin Sha's words, and thus did not want to directly make an enemy of Shen Nongzi.

Shen Nongzi watched with a faint smile as the members of the three factions searched all corners of the Imperial Palace. He made no move to stop them, simply standing there with his eyes half-closed, quietly awaiting the outcome.

Under the personal escort of Fairy Tianfeng, Tong Jin had already rushed outside the sacred capital.

"Little brother, be careful along the way. Sister can only accompany you this far, as I am worried something might happen back at the palace."

Tong Jin bowed gratefully. "When Senior Baixuan returns, please convey my thanks to Sister Tianfeng. Sooner or later, I, Tong Jin, will return, and when that day comes, I will surely make these three major factions regret what they have done today!"

Fairy Tianfeng nodded and turned to leave. At that very moment, a boisterous laugh echoed from not far away. "Hahaha! That old fox Sun Tianchang has been cunning his whole life, yet this time he was foolish enough to make an enemy of the two palaces. He never could have imagined that the person he is looking for is right in front of me."

To the shock and dismay of both Tianfeng and Tong Jin, Shan Hu, the leader of the Thunder-Suppressing Gang, appeared on the road ahead with seven or eight of his subordinates.

"Not good! Little brother, run to the right, I will hold this person off!" Tianfeng decided instantly.

Tong Jin shook his head. "By escorting me this far, Sister Tianfeng and Senior Shen Nong have already done more than enough. If I were to run away alone right now and leave Sister Tianfeng behind to deal with this person, I, Tong Jin, would never have the face to return in the future."

"Still thinking of running? The surrounding area is already filled with my people. Since I calculated that you would leave by this path, how could I possibly give you a chance to escape?" Shan Hu laughed heartily. In truth, this plan had been entirely devised by Yin Sha. Although Yin Sha had not shown her face, she had everything happening in the sacred capital completely under her control. She had gone to great lengths to trick the master of the Soul-Guarding Pavilion and others, pursuing Tong Jin to the sacred capital herself. It was not that she did not want to capture Tong Jin with her own hands, but she knew that if she intervened personally, Tong Jin would rather die than reveal the secret of the Tong family's ancestral spirit gate. Right now, she could only rely on the chaos to see if there was any way to achieve her goal.

Fairy Tianfeng knitted her brows tightly and sighed helplessly. "Let's try. I will do my utmost to carve a path out for you. If an opportunity arises later, escape to the right immediately!"

"I have often heard that Fairy Tianfeng of the Imperial Palace is every bit as heroic as any man, and that at such a young age she has already reached the perfection of the Qi-Transformation realm. However, today you stand no chance of winning. My Thunder-Suppressing Gang has no wish to harbor bad blood with your Imperial Palace. If the Fairy would be so kind as to make things convenient for us, I guarantee I will not harm this little brother."

Tong Jin frowned and said in a clear voice, "Not harm me? Judging by your words, you aren't with Sun Tianchang's faction after all?"

"Hahaha, what is Sun Tianchang? Little brother, as long as you help me with a small favor, not only will I not harm you, but I will personally send you safely away from this place," Shan Hu laughed.

"Oh? I wonder what kind of favor Your Excellency needs from me?" Tong Jin asked.

Shan Hu stepped forward a few paces. "I hear that little brother knows a secret regarding a treasure, and this secret can save your life."

This time, not only Tong Jin, but even Fairy Tianfeng was stunned. She turned to look at Tong Jin, only to find him wearing a completely bewildered expression as well.

Shan Hu pressed on, "Keeping your life is better than anything else. If you lose your life, what use is having a treasure?"

Suddenly, Tong Jin recalled something—the secret treasure passed down through generations of the Tong family, mentioned in the parting letter left to him by his grandfather back in Tai'an City. Although the letter did not specify what was hidden inside, it simply instructed Tong Jin that he must wait until he reached the Qi-Transformation realm before he could use the Tong family bloodline within his body to open the door to that secret treasure. At the time, he was desperate to escape for his life and had no leisure to care about any treasure. Moreover, he was merely in the Body-Refining stage and had no idea when he might reach the Qi-Transformation realm.

Now, hearing Shan Hu inexplicably bring up a treasure, he finally remembered it. *Yet the treasure in this fellow Shan Hu's mouth could never be my Tong family's secret treasure, unless... unless someone from the Soul-Guarding Pavilion told him about it.* Tong Jin thought to himself, breaking out in a cold sweat as the realization struck him.

"Sister Tianfeng, follow me and run together later. The situation has changed," Tong Jin whispered into Fairy Tianfeng's ear.

Tianfeng looked at Tong Jin with bewilderment. Although she did not understand why, since he had spoken thus, there must be a reason, so she gave a slight nod.

"I think Your Excellency has made a mistake. I truly do not know of any treasure." Although Tong Jin had a vague guess in his heart, he still flatly denied it with his lips.

"Humph! If you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, then let me capture you first and interrogate you slowly! Attack!" Shan Hu's temper was naturally impatient. Without another word, he ordered his men to strike.

Seven or eight burly men swarmed forward, rushing up to Tong Jin and Fairy Tianfeng in the blink of an eye. Among these men, four had actually reached the Minor Accomplishment of the Qi-Transformation realm. Three of them immediately entangled Fairy Tianfeng, while the remaining one led the others to surround and attack Tong Jin.

Tong Jin could still manage against a single opponent at the Minor Accomplishment of the Qi-Transformation realm, but the others kept slashing with their sabers from time to time, preventing him from concentrating and leaving him unable to gain any advantage for the moment.

Fairy Tianfeng fought the three burly men to a standstill. For the moment, it was impossible for her to beat them back. She bit her lower lip, her double sleeves fluttering to create wave after wave of afterimages. The fierce Qi radiating around her like sharp blades circled her body, making the three burly men utterly hesitant to approach.

"Useless trash!" Shan Hu's eyes widened in the distance, and in the flash of an eye, he appeared right before Fairy Tianfeng. Completely disregarding the Fairy's razor-sharp Qi, he unleashed a fierce tiger roar and clawed directly toward her.

The blade-like Qi clanged against Shan Hu's claw, yet it failed to inflict the slightest bit of damage upon him. Fairy Tianfeng stamped her dainty foot and flipped backward in mid-air, barely dodging the claw strike that carried the roar of a tiger.

Just as she landed, the fabric across her chest ripped apart with a tear, revealing her snow-white skin. Shan Hu's claw had actually pierced through the Fairy's protective Qi, leaving a bloody scratch directly across her voluptuous breasts.

Instantly, a surge of burning fury rushed straight to the Fairy's head! Glaring with venomous eyes at Shan Hu and the three burly men staring lecherously at her, she shouted angrily, "Bastards! I'll tear you all to pieces!"