"Master Zhang!"

"Master Zhang! Please open your eyes."

Hyun Jong startled awake, his eyes flying open. 'A dream?' He quickly sat up and saw the chest still before him.

Thankfully, it was not a dream.

"Wun Jian!"

"Yes! Master Zhang!"

"Bring the children here. Move that chest to the Master’s quarters immediately! And have the guards secure the area around the quarters tightly!"

"Yes! Master Zhang!"

"No, no! I will move it myself! Right now!"

Hyun Jong took a deep breath to calm his excitement.

Nothing was certain yet.

To accurately assess the situation, he needed to call for the treasury manager to verify if those items were genuine.

But...

"There’s no way they aren’t genuine!" If those items were not real, why were they buried on Lianhua Peak? And with such immense wealth.

"No, no! Everything must be certain!" Hope and anxiety intertwined within him.

Had there ever been a time in the last few decades when he felt such turmoil?

"Wun Jian!"

"Yes! Master Zhang."

"Stand guard. We will take the items down the mountain first!"

"Understood!"

As Hyun Jong sprang up from his seat, he caught sight of Qing Ming.

"Qing Ming!"

"Yes, Master Zhang."

"You’ve worked hard. We will discuss the details later!"

"Yes."

As Qing Ming stepped back without further words, Hyun Jong hurriedly lifted the chest entirely.

He then gave Qing Ming one last instruction.

"Take the children to Baimei Pavilion."

"Understood."

"Then!"

Finally, Hyun Jong spread his lightness skill and began descending the mountain.

Wun Jian hurriedly chased after him.

The children left on Lianhua Peak stared blankly at the scene.

"What is happening?"

"…Right?"

Amidst the confused children, Qing Ming smiled to himself. 'This should be enough for now.' The treasures and secret manuals inside the chest were only a fraction of what was in the treasury.

Why only give a part? Because it belonged to the volcano, not to Qing Ming… No, that’s not it!

'If you eat too quickly, you’ll choke.' If someone near death from hunger were to suddenly eat a rich meat soup, their body wouldn’t be able to handle it.

As proof, isn’t Master Zhang gasping for breath with just that much? Giving too much is not necessarily good.

In Qing Ming’s judgment, the current volcano could not handle the items in the treasury.

It would be unreasonable to ask a seriously ill patient to run immediately.

First, they must start with crawling again.

Of course, while it may be crawling for Qing Ming, it certainly wouldn’t be seen as such by them.

At that moment, Yun Jong approached Qing Ming cautiously.

"Master."

"Hm?"

"Since the Lord has ordered us to go down, shouldn’t we return to Baimei Pavilion for now?"

Qing Ming nodded.

"That’s right."

"But Master, why do you look like that?"

"Hm. Something happened."

Qing Ming waved his hand. 'Would you understand if I told you?' Thanks to drawing on the innate energy, his condition was worsening by the moment. 'I should have drawn less.'

There was no helping it.

In the past, his sensitivity to energy was nearly perfect, but now he had not reached that level.

And his body now was different from his past body in many ways.

To draw out the sensitive energy of innate energy for the first time with a new body and only use it moderately? If that were possible, he would not be called a sword master but a martial god.

"You look like you’re about to die."

"I’m not dying."

"Really?"

"…Would you like me to die?"

Yun Jong turned his gaze slightly without answering.

Huh? Keeping quiet? Did he really think it would be good if he died? This guy’s eyes looked suspicious.

"Don’t expect me to die, alright?"

"Expect? What do you mean by expect? Hmph."

Qing Ming clicked his tongue. 'It seems I’ll be stuck in recovery for at least a month.' The innate energy does not recover easily.

Even with careful nurturing, it would take two months of hardship to regain his original body.

Otherwise, he would have to take some elixirs.

"But how did you discover that just now? Seeing Master Zhang surprised, it doesn’t seem like ordinary items."

"If you live kindly, the Celestial Lord will look after you. So live kindly."

……

If Qing Ming were to receive blessings, others would have already ascended.

But no one dared to speak those words.

Qing Ming glanced down and saw Master Zhang descending Lianhua Peak.

'If I’ve given this much, he should manage well on his own.' He’s not a fool.

"Now, let’s go down."

"That’s right. But… where are you going?"

"Why?"

"To go down, don’t we have to go this way?"

Yun Jong pointed downward.

"Why are you asking such an obvious question?"

"But why are you going upward?"

"Tsk tsk tsk."

Qing Ming looked at Yun Jong as if he found him pitiful.

"Brother."

"…Huh?"

"To become a master, your thinking must be flexible. Don’t think the way down is only one path. Reaching the peak and coming down is just one of many ways."

'What nonsense is this, you crazy person!'

"Now. Master Zhang is Master Zhang, and we have our own things to do. The last ten who lag behind today won’t get any food. Run!"

Before they could even voice their complaints, Yun Jong’s feet began to dash toward the peak.

The other children, startled, began to run toward the peak as well.

'That devilish guy!'

'What ghost is this! Why isn’t that guy being caught!'

Watching the children sprinting toward Lianhua Peak with all their might, Qing Ming chuckled and turned his head.

"I’ve given the first gift."

What should he prepare next? The items taken from the treasury were still far from enough.

The treasures stored in the chest were not even one-tenth of what was in the treasury.

Qing Ming glanced up at the sky.

It seemed Master Zhang was looking at him with a twisted expression.

"Ah. Would I really eat all of that alone?"

Moderately.

Yes? Moderately.

"Hehe."

Qing Ming chuckled as he followed the children upward.

"They are genuine."

His heart sank.

It was the answer he had expected, yet the shock did not lessen at all.

Hyun Jong could not hide his trembling as he asked again, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I am sure. The ledger is definitely genuine, and we have secured the certificates that were underneath the treasures. Master Zhang!"

"Ah! Ahhh!"

He knew he should say something, but words failed him.

He could only let out a breathless sound.

"How could this happen…"

"It’s alright! It’s alright! Master Zhang!"

"Ah… Ahahaha."

Even though he tried to hold back, laughter kept spilling out.

The world is unpredictable, but how could such precious things be discovered at this time? What if it had been discovered a week later?

He didn’t even want to think about it. 'The Celestial Lord has looked after us.' No, it wasn’t just the Celestial Lord.

The ancestors of the volcano watching over them from the celestial realm must have helped him.

Both are not that different, but Hyun Jong squeezed his eyes shut.

He could not hide his excitement.

"Then can we prove the contents of the ledger?"

"They are certificates issued by the state. Of course, we can prove it! We can reclaim the properties of Huayun, including Taihua Tower, right now!"

"Good. Very good."

It was a miraculous event.

Wasn’t it the volcano that was about to be left on the streets in a week? But with these certificates and the ledger, they could not only protect the volcano’s halls but also reclaim all of Huayun’s properties.

It was truly a jackpot.

The treasury manager, Hyun Yong, laughed heartily.

"That shouldn’t be the case, but even if all of this were counterfeit, we have passed the immediate crisis. The treasures in the chest alone are worth at least a hundred thousand taels. We can pay off all the debts they demand and still have some left."

"Thank goodness. Truly thank goodness."

"If we have this money, we can solve the volcano’s financial problems in one go. And if we can seize their businesses, we won’t have to worry about money in the future."

Only good news kept flowing in.

To Hyun Jong’s ears, that voice sounded like the melodious voice of a beauty.

"That’s not all."

The martial arts master, Hyun Sang, said with a gentle smile, "It seems the Seven Plum Sword is also genuine. We need to study it further, but as far as I have confirmed, there are no special errors. And it possesses the unique speed and vigor of the volcano’s martial arts."

"Oh."

"And the emergence of the secret manual for the Falling Flower Sword is also encouraging. While the Falling Flower Sword cannot be called a noble martial art like the Seven Plum Sword, it can perfectly fill the gap before mastering the Seven Plum Sword. It will serve as a transitional process from the True Six Harmonies Sword to the Seven Plum Sword."

"I see."

"Besides that, the Bamboo Leaf Hand, Dark Fragrance Drifting, and Seven Star Steps also seem to be genuine."

Hyun Jong was completely dazed.

He consciously reduced his words.

If he spoke too much here, he might show an unworthy side.

"The fact that the Seven Star Steps, which had been lost, has emerged is an immeasurable gain. The Seven Star Steps is the foundation of all volcano martial arts. If we teach it to the children, they will be able to advance to a better realm without disrupting the martial arts they have learned so far."

"Isn’t that the same for us?"

"Of course. Master Zhang."

"It’s the fortune of the volcano. It’s a great fortune."

At that moment, Hyun Sang, who had been observing Master Zhang, seemed to want to say something but opened his mouth and then closed it again.

And Hyun Jong did not miss that hint.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, no. It’s just a worry."

"Worry about the martial arts?"

"Absolutely not. This martial art is genuine. I can guarantee that with my life."

"Then that’s a relief."

As Master Zhang nodded, Hyun Sang also smiled, brushing over the situation.

"Did you say this was discovered by the third disciple?"

"Yes. It was a child named Qing Ming who entered the mountain not long ago."

"We must reward him."

"Yes, we should reward him. Thanks to that child, the volcano…"

"That’s not it. Master Zhang."

The treasury manager, Hyun Yong, interrupted Hyun Jong’s words.

"He is a child who has only recently entered the mountain. How much could he possibly care for the volcano?"

"…That’s true."

"Even if that child did not recognize the value of this ledger and the treasures, he surely would have recognized the value of these items. If it were me, the moment I opened the chest, I would have grabbed the items and fled without looking back. Otherwise, would I hide and bury them?"

A slightly crude remark slipped out.

It showed just how excited Hyun Yong was.

But there was no denying that statement.

"I see. I hadn’t thought that far."

"Impressive. Truly impressive. These treasures are enough to shake the hearts of those who have decided to bury their bones in the volcano. Even if I had seen these treasures, I wonder if I could have told Master Zhang right away…"

"I will remember that."

"…Master Zhang?"

Hyun Yong’s face showed a hint of embarrassment.

Seeing that face, Hyun Jong burst into laughter.

"I see. Impressive. Yes. The volcano has gained a blessing."

Hyun Jong smiled contentedly.

Although it was a result of coincidences piling upon coincidences, it was thanks to Qing Ming that this chest could be discovered.

Changing his mind and taking in one child would lead to saving the volcano.

"Hyun Yong."

"Yes. Master Zhang."

"This ledger is undoubtedly genuine, right?"

"I would stake my life on it."

"I see. Then there are people we need to call."

A heavy aura emanated from Hyun Jong’s eyes.

Now it was time to punish those who had repaid the volcano’s grace with enmity.

"Have everyone involved come to the volcano."

The Grand Volcano Master, Hyun Jong, straightened his shoulders.