Chapter 1183: Mr. Qin, Ice Jade
From the Evil King and Queen seeking help to take care of the children to the tense situation with Happy Sword on the verge of conflict, Osaaya and Mr. Qin watched from the side without intervening.
Yet, to their surprise, things ended peacefully. The Evil King and Queen readily left Wanwan and Hou Xibai behind, helping them cross the Mercury Moat together. This made them even more curious about how the Evil King and Queen managed to convince Happy to take care of the disciples of the Yin Gui Sect and the Flower Sect—disciples of their enemies.
It wasn’t until the Evil King and Queen left that Osaaya turned her gaze away and said, “It seems your burden has grown heavier again. How do you plan to deal with them?” As she spoke, she pointed gently with her delicate chin at the seemingly pitiful Wanwan.
Both of them had an innate charm, so it wasn’t strange that Osaaya paid more attention to Wanwan.
Hou Xibai, on the other hand, was pitiable. As the heir to the Flower Sect and a renowned romantic hero from the Central Plains, being ignored by someone like Osaaya must have been painful for him.
But…
Since he was under her roof, Hou Xibai could only swallow his bitterness. He bowed his head and said, “My master instructed us before leaving to follow Happy Sword’s orders along the way. If there’s anything I can do, please tell me.”
“Wanwan too,” she added. When the little witch was weak and injured, her charm became even stronger. Her timid voice made one want to look at her delicate appearance again, as if one’s soul were drawn to her.
“Osaaya, you don’t need to worry about this here. Go ahead.”
Happy didn’t respond immediately. He was currently preoccupied with his identity as the Thousand-Faced Fox and had no time to explain.
After giving Happy a deep look, Osaaya nodded and stopped pressing further.
“Mr. Qin?”
“Miss Osaaya, you may go first. I have something to discuss with Happy Sword as well. I’ll follow shortly,” said Mr. Qin, hunched over.
Hearing this, Osaaya instinctively glanced at the group of barbarian subordinates behind Mr. Qin, frowned slightly, and said nothing more before gracefully flying across the Mercury Moat.
Mr. Qin’s words left Happy somewhat helpless.
“Mr. Qin said he wanted to talk to me. Does he also want me to…? I’m really at a loss here.” As he spoke, Happy glanced awkwardly at the group of barbarians behind Mr. Qin, making it clear that he meant: We can talk, but no more requests to take care of children!
Accepting two people already is extremely difficult; if Old Master Qin also tries this trick, won’t my place turn into a daycare?
Old Master Qin smiled bitterly:
“I have no particular relationship with Young Hero Happy, nor do I have any leverage. I certainly wouldn’t be so desperate as to ask Young Hero Happy to risk his life to help my children. I only have one request: if Young Hero Happy has a good way to cross this mercury moat, I am willing to follow his orders along with these children.”
“Oh?”
Happy was intrigued.
There really was such a good opportunity.
He had just dismissed Osaaya, only to encounter Old Master Qin, who was ready to sacrifice everything for his children…
But it wasn’t surprising.
Throughout the journey, Old Master Qin had taken great care of his subordinates, providing them with comprehensive support. Now, facing the mercury moat, it wasn’t entirely impossible for him to cooperate with Happy in order to get the surviving children out of the Desert Palace.
From Old Master Qin’s behavior throughout the journey, Happy could tell that he wasn’t the same type as people like the Evil King Bi Xuan.
However…
One thing needed to be confirmed carefully.
Without proper compensation, Happy didn’t want to do any unnecessary good deeds, even if the other party was of high status.
“Old Master Qin, do you mean that during the time we’re away from the mercury moat, you’ll follow my instructions?”
“Of course not.” After all, Old Master Qin was experienced and immediately understood the hidden meaning in Happy’s words. He replied slowly, “I’ve lost hope regarding the treasures of the Desert Palace. So, as long as Young Hero Happy can take my children out of the Desert Palace, I’m willing to follow his orders during that time.”
“Old Master Qin, you’re too kind. What merits do I have to deserve such high regard from you…”
“Hehe.”
Old Master Qin laughed:
“Because you were able to hurt the leader of the Heaven and Earth Alliance, because you made Osaaya obey you, because you made the Evil King’s Queen fear you and even willingly hand over her successor to you—most people can’t achieve the last point, but you made her do it.”
“Old Master Qin, you’re overpraising me. With your strength, it’s entirely possible for you to claim the treasures of the Desert Palace. It’s a pity you gave up halfway. I’m just sorry for you.”
“Hehe, young man, stop trying to flatter me. To be honest, I never expected the reappearance of the Desert Palace to attract so many outstanding heroes. My purpose in coming here was simply to see what secrets lie within it before I pass away.”
Happy was stirred.
Wanwan and Hou Xibai’s expressions changed slightly at the same time, but neither of them spoke, as their current status and location were different from those outside.
“A secret?”
Kai Xin naturally noticed the change in their expressions and was slightly surprised. “Mr. Qin’s words are really interesting. The legendary treasures of the Desert Palace are well-known to everyone. Why does Mr. Qin think there’s a secret hidden here instead of treasures?”
Old Man Qin seemed to realize he had said too much. He was momentarily stunned before forcing a wry smile. “Young hero Kai Xin, don’t say you still haven’t suspected anything…”
“The ancient Black Wind Sand Beasts, forty-nine top-grade Yuan Ci Divine Swords, and numerous siege weapons like the Fire-breathing Cloud Beasts—each of these is an invaluable treasure. If there’s anything even more precious in this world, I’ll be the first to disbelieve it.”
“…”
Wanwan and Hou Xibai’s expressions changed again. Clearly, they had also just been reminded by Old Man Qin and vaguely guessed that the Desert Palace might not be as simple as just a pile of treasures.
But Kai Xin became even more convinced from Old Man Qin’s words that the Face-changing Fox was telling the truth. It seemed that something extremely special and evil was indeed sealed inside the Desert Palace!
What could it be…?
Something that required such dangerous traps to kill martial artists who came from afar.
Inside the hall, everyone fell silent. Although Old Man Qin didn’t continue speaking, everyone present was lost in their own thoughts and speculations.
After some time, everyone’s gaze turned to Kai Xin, including the group of warriors left behind by Martial Lord Bi Xuan. Seeing the Evil King and Queen’s high regard for Kai Xin, as well as what Old Man Qin had implied, Kai Xin’s image in their eyes instantly grew even greater.
“Ten thousand years.”
Kai Xin gave Old Man Qin a deep look before turning to the Face-changing Fox and whispering, “With so many people, can we make it?”
Hearing this, the Face-changing Fox immediately understood that his master had decided to cooperate with Old Man Qin.
After all, Old Man Qin was an unparalleled warrior at the realm of Unity with Heaven. With Osaaya’s help, two of the eight Supreme Heavenly Masters of the Desert Palace were on their side. No matter what happened in the future, this team’s chances of survival would be much higher.
“Ice Jade can solidify liquid mercury in a short time, but it takes one breath to liquefy it again. So as long as everyone follows closely behind me and stays careful not to inhale poisonous gas, there should be no problem before reaching the range of the Fire-breathing Cloud Beasts.”
The Face-Shifting Fox replied through telepathy.
This was also the confidence that made Happy decide to let Osaaya leave—only he wasn’t sure if Bingyu could take care of so many people.
Hearing this, Happy immediately breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Old Master Qin, saying, “I can take your people across the moat, but how can I guarantee your promise, Mr. Qin…”
“You…”
The group of Hu people behind Old Master Qin reacted as if a grave taboo had been violated; they all grew agitated and glared angrily at Happy.
“Business is business. When out in the world, sincerity is indeed necessary,” said Old Master Qin, taking out a black plaque from his bosom.
Happy silently took it in his hands.
The black plaque was somewhat heavy, and it was unclear what material it was made of. It emitted a faint ink scent. As he examined it, Happy turned it over:
On the front side, seven strings were depicted, resembling a miniature, worn-out ancient zither, giving off a sense of antiquity and implying it had been passed down for a long time.
But the back side was more complex, with a series of numbers and several marks beside them…
Two incomplete palm prints, each with only six fingers, added a sense of solemnity and gravity.
“This is the seal of the head of my Qin Sect.”
“Qin Sect?”
“That’s right. In ancient times, the four sects of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting governed the righteous path in the martial world. Unfortunately, their talents have dwindled, and they have declined to this day. Few people remain in the martial world now. I am the current head of the Qin Sect.”
“My apologies!”
Happy felt profound respect upon hearing this.
He was familiar with the sect of chess—the Lianlong Chess Game was a product of that sect, though it went by the name of the Free and Easy Sect. As for the sects of calligraphy and painting, he had never heard of them.
“By holding this token of my sect’s head, you needn’t worry that I’ll break my word. Once you leave the Desert Palace, Young Hero Happy, just return it to me.”
Ding!
A system prompt sounded in Happy’s ears:
“You have obtained the token of the head of the Qin Sect… Holding this token allows you to command everyone in the Qin Sect.”
“You agreed to help everyone in the Qin Sect cross the moat. Please help them cross within the time of one incense burn, otherwise, trouble may arise…”
Hearing the subsequent prompt, Happy suddenly realized that every time he passed through a trap, the previous one seemed to undergo drastic changes.
Could it be…?
As he pondered, slight ripples appeared on the mercury moat ahead, as if something underground was shaking violently.
“Not good!”
“Master, it seems there’s an accident ahead. We must cross the moat immediately; otherwise, once the Mercury Moat changes, we won’t even have a place to hide!”
“There’s no time to lose. Let’s set off now! Wanyian! Lead the way!”
“Alright! Follow closely behind and don’t fall too far behind.” The Faceless Fox grew serious, magically taking out a pair of gloves and putting them on. With great care, he held up a hook-shaped ice jade that was completely white and emitted an astonishing chill.