Chapter 134: In Your Next Life (Two-in-One)
“Found it! Found it!”
“We found the treasure!”
What?
Everyone in the base who heard the shouts froze in astonishment.
But in the next instant, the entire base erupted.
“They really found it? Wonderful!”
“Indeed. Who would have thought the team we sent out would locate the treasure so quickly?”
“I know. We thought it would take a month or two, perhaps even half a year. Yet they found the exact location in less than a week.”
“Tell me, what do you think Jin Muchen left behind in his treasure?”
“How would I know? But if nothing goes wrong, there should be gold, silver, jewels, martial arts manuals, treasure weapons, spiritual pills, and the like.”
“…”
In every room and corridor throughout the base, people discussed the discovery with excitement and fervor.
Su Jingxing, listening to their voices, was pleasantly surprised as well.
The Shi family had actually found Jin Muchen’s treasure!
Previously, the Shi family had wanted to use Jin Muchen’s treasure to draw the attention of the entire city and divert suspicion.
At that time, they did not know where the treasure was hidden, so they had intended to enlist the strength of the various powers in the city and search together.
Unexpectedly, the team they dispatched had located the treasure in less than a week.
The news could not have come at a better time for Su Jingxing.
The Shi family wanted Jin Muchen’s treasure, and Su Jingxing wanted to see it for himself.
A treasure left behind by an ancient corrupt official would surely contain no shortage of valuable things.
With that thought, Su Jingxing amplified his Sound-Reaching-the-Ears technique and listened carefully for the exact location of the treasure.
Fortunately, the underground base was divided into three levels.
The straight-line distance from east to west on each floor was less than a hundred meters, while the vertical distance between floors was under ten meters.
The entrance was on the second level. The person delivering the report had gone to inform Shi Jinnian, who was on the eastern side of the first floor.
The room he occupied happened to lie within Su Jingxing’s range of hearing.
“Master, Jin Muchen’s treasure has been found!”
“Excellent! Where is the entrance?”
“In an underground cavern at the northwest corner of Taiming Mountain Reservoir! The members of the exploration team put on diving suits and entered the cavern. After diving down about twenty meters, they saw an opening in the cavern wall. They went through it and swam another fifty meters before reaching the underwater pool at the lowest point of the treasure cavern.”
“Good, good, excellent! Order the exploration team to stop advancing and return to the reservoir shore at once. Have them wait there!”
“They’ve already withdrawn. There’s a water-dwelling beast in the underground pool. If Little Wu and the others hadn’t retreated quickly, they would already be dead.”
“A water-dwelling beast? Is it guarding the entrance to the treasure?”
“We’re not entirely certain.”
“That doesn’t matter. Once I get there, I’ll know soon enough.”
…
The rest of the conversation was unimportant.
That was enough.
After hearing the information he needed, Su Jingxing smiled, opened the door of the storage room, and stepped outside.
“Um, who are you?”
Two guards happened to be coming around the bend in the corridor. When one of them saw Su Jingxing, he stared in confusion and asked the question.
The other guard, still stunned, shouted, “Who are you?”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sharp sound of blades tearing through the air suddenly rang out.
Two throwing knives shot forth and struck the guards in the head at lightning speed.
Tap, tap, tap—
A disorderly rush of footsteps came from the corridor.
A group of guards carrying firearms came running out. The moment they appeared, one of them shouted, “What happened? What’s going on here—”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The throwing knives shrieked through the air.
Before the guards could even make out Su Jingxing’s figure, the whirling blades had pierced their heads or throats.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sounds of bodies collapsing onto the floor were strangely pleasing to the ear.
Su Jingxing strode forward and collected the cards.
Then he waited at the stairway leading from the second level to the first.
He activated the Sound-Reaching-the-Ears technique and listened to every disturbance above, below, and around him.
Within range, Shi Jinnian was leading a group of people rapidly toward the second level.
Su Jingxing circulated his true qi into his right hand and prepared to strike.
The instant Shi Jinnian led his people down the stairs—
Boom!
The air exploded.
A hundred years of cultivation surged forth, unleashing ninefold amplified power that swept violently over Shi Jinnian and the others.
A force of nearly five hundred thousand kilograms struck them in an instant, smashing the entire group into a tangled heap. Some died outright, some suffered severed limbs, and others screamed in agony.
Shi Jinnian was among them. Though he possessed fifth-grade cultivation, he had not had time to raise his protective qi. The impact shattered four of his bones and sent blood gushing from his mouth. His body was crushed against one of the guards, leaving him unable to breathe for a long while.
The guard beneath him had been crushed into a pool of flesh.
“It’s… it’s you!”
Shi Jinnian’s eyes widened as he stared fixedly at Su Jingxing, shock and disbelief flooding his face.
He had clearly never imagined that Su Jingxing—the chief culprit behind the Shi family’s downfall—would appear inside the base.
“You… who are you, exactly?”
Shi Jinnian gasped for breath. His eyes burned as he glared at Su Jingxing without blinking, the killing intent within them so intense it seemed almost tangible.
He could not understand why Su Jingxing had chosen to oppose the Shi family.
Nor could he understand how Su Jingxing had learned the locations of all three bases.
Was there a traitor?
The Shi family had already dealt with all its traitors. Only a handful of people knew the entrance to each base, aside from those stationed there.
Even if those people were captured and subjected to torture, they would never have the chance to reveal anything.
They would self-detonate.
So how had Su Jingxing learned the locations of the bases?
Shi Jinnian could not understand it.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
The answer came in the form of the throwing knives’ mournful whistle.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
After a series of dull impacts, everyone—including Shi Jinnian—lay dead.
Who was he?
Did people who were about to die really need to know who he was?
Su Jingxing recalled the throwing knives through the air, collected the cards, and turned toward the corridor.
At the far end, another group had already rushed over.
Su Jingxing circulated his true qi and prepared himself.
Boom!
Another explosive report rang out as a fist imprint shot through the air.
With violent force surging in every direction, a single punch wounded and killed everyone who charged forward.
Then three treasure-weapon throwing knives flashed through the air like lightning, piercing the heads or throats of those who had not yet died.
Su Jingxing recalled the knives and continued collecting the cards.
He retreated to the stairway leading from the second level to the third and waited for the people below to rush upward.
Boom!
Another punch slammed out. The terrifying fist imprint carried a force of nearly five hundred thousand kilograms, crushing or grievously injuring everyone in its path.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The throwing knives followed up, finishing off everyone who remained alive.
Su Jingxing recalled the knives and collected the cards.
After waiting there for a while, he killed another wave of suicidal warriors who came rushing over.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
…
Su Jingxing drifted back and forth around the stairway, blasting to death the suicidal warriors and guards who came from the first and third levels.
The people on the second level had been beaten into hiding in the corners, too terrified to show themselves.
Su Jingxing did not hurry to deal with them. He waited until no one came down from the first level or up from the third. After confirming through his enhanced hearing that no one remained within range, he began sweeping across the second level and killing those in hiding.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The fist imprints smashed through doors, while the throwing knives killed with a single strike.
He walked, killed, and collected cards all the way.
Ten minutes later, the entire three-level base had fallen silent.
Had everyone in the base been eliminated?
No.
There was still one person left.
Standing in the western corner of the second level, Su Jingxing heard the sound of someone still alive in a room on the third level below.
The person’s breathing and heartbeat were both far faster than those of an ordinary person.
He was either fourth-grade or fifth-grade.
“Trying to ambush me?”
Su Jingxing chuckled softly and walked toward the stairway leading from the second level to the third.
He descended slowly, reached the third level, and, as though sensing something, moved toward the treasure vault.
The Shi family’s base did indeed contain a treasure vault. Some of the things Su Jingxing wanted most were stored inside.
The vault was located in the southwestern corner of the third level.
The ambusher Su Jingxing had heard was in a room beside the vault.
There was little doubt that this mid-third-grade expert was the person guarding the treasure vault.
Su Jingxing approached step by step, pretending not to notice him.
When he reached the vault entrance and was about to try opening the door—
Boom!
The air suddenly erupted.
Su Jingxing spun around and punched. The terrifying fist imprint tore through the wall and struck an old man lying in wait behind the door, ready to launch a sneak attack.
The tremendous force sent the old man flying backward. With a resounding crash, he slammed into the wall and left a deep crater in it.
The old man coughed up a large mouthful of stagnant blood and slid down the wall, horror filling his eyes.
“Shi Zhilao?”
Su Jingxing stepped through the hole he had punched in the wall and looked down at the old man sitting against it.
“Where is the key to the vault? I can give you a quick death.”
“Heh, heh…”
Blood continued to spill from the corners of Shi Zhilao’s mouth as he gave a miserable laugh.
“If you want to open the vault, wait until your next life.”
“What’s the point?” Su Jingxing shook his head. “I simply don’t want to waste time. I’d like to save myself some effort.”
“Save… save yourself some effort?” Shi Zhilao gave a strange laugh. “Fine… fine. Come a little closer, and I’ll tell you where the key… key is.”
Su Jingxing did not move. Instead, he looked Shi Zhilao up and down and smiled faintly.
“What? Are you planning to drag me to the grave with you, or seriously injure me before you die?”
Self-detonation.
Su Jingxing had not forgotten that every suicidal warrior of the Shi family knew a secret technique that allowed them to explode themselves when faced with interrogation, killing themselves while heavily injuring any opponents nearby.
If the suicidal warriors could do it, then a member of the Shi family’s main clan naturally could as well.
Su Jingxing saw through Shi Zhilao’s intentions at a glance.
At once, Shi Zhilao’s pupils contracted sharply. Enraged and startled, he shouted, “Who are you? How do you know so many of my Shi family’s secrets?”
“Want to know?” Su Jingxing asked with a smile.
“Tell me! Tell me who you are and how you know so many secrets, and I’ll tell you where the key to the vault is!” Shi Zhilao snarled hysterically.
“Very well. It’s a deal.” Su Jingxing clapped his hands. “You tell me where the key is first, and I’ll tell you who I am.”
“…”
Shi Zhilao fell silent.
A moment later, he threw back his head and laughed wildly.
“Hahaha! Whoever you are, if you want to open the vault, wait until your next life! Your next life! Your next life! Hahaha!”
Bang!
Amid his laughter, a thunderous explosion suddenly rang out.
Shi Zhilao’s entire body burst into a cloud of blood mist. Countless pieces of flesh splattered across the room and sprayed the walls.
Su Jingxing had already retreated through the opening when Shi Zhilao began laughing, moving to the side to avoid the blood mist and flying flesh.
After a moment, he returned and collected a card.
Shi Zhilao would rather detonate himself than reveal the location of the key.
Clearly, he had no intention of benefiting Su Jingxing.
Su Jingxing found that regrettable, but he was not discouraged.
The vault door required three forms of identification: a password, a fingerprint, and an iris scan.
Su Jingxing could not be bothered to obtain Shi Jinnian’s fingers and eyeballs. Instead, he circulated two hundred years of true qi and struck the door at close range.
Boom!
Boom!
BOOM!
After three thunderous blows, the heavy superalloy door was forcibly smashed open.
Su Jingxing walked inside and entered the first treasure chamber.
Through the hole in the door, he saw a sealed room filled with all kinds of modern weapons.
With a little force, he opened the chamber door and walked inside. After glancing around, he collected a pile of high-performance explosives.
As for the heavy machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers, and other weapons, Su Jingxing selected a few of those as well, simply to indulge his curiosity.
In terms of power, utility, and convenience, they were still inferior to his throwing knives.
The noise they made when activated also made them unsuitable for ambushes.
Su Jingxing stored some of the weapons in the space within his palm purely for the pleasure of it.
He left the first treasure chamber and walked to the entrance of the second.
A quick glance revealed that it was packed with cold weapons.
Su Jingxing opened the door and entered, discovering that most of them were semi-treasure weapons. There were only a dozen or so true treasure weapons.
Knives, swords, staffs, axes, spears, and whips—everything was there.
Su Jingxing did not stand on ceremony and stored them all in the space within his palm.
He then turned to leave and head for the third treasure chamber. But out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a wooden round box sitting on a long alloy table at the very back of the room.
Curious, he walked over to see what was inside.
The round box was roughly eighty centimeters in diameter, its surface carved with intricate patterns.
Su Jingxing studied it for a moment, then gently opened the lid.
An ice-crystal-colored ring immediately appeared, radiating dazzling brilliance in the dim chamber.
What was this?
Su Jingxing raised an eyebrow.
It was not that he failed to recognize a ring. Rather, this ring was obviously no ordinary object.
What puzzled Su Jingxing was its origin—and perhaps its abilities.
After examining it closely, he found that the ring was made neither of iron nor jade.
He could not determine its material in such a short time.
Instead, it was the feeling the ring gave him that was truly unusual: it seemed warm, yet at the same time inspired a heart-pounding sense of fear.
A profound contradiction.
Regardless, it was a treasure.
And since it was a treasure, Su Jingxing naturally had no qualms about storing it, box and all, in the space within his palm.
As for what the ring truly was, he could study it carefully after returning.
Having stored the box, Su Jingxing did not leave in haste. He remained in the chamber and searched every corner with care—even beneath the shelves and along the walls.
Only after confirming that nothing had been overlooked did he leave the chamber and proceed to the third treasure room.
As with the first two, Su Jingxing did not hesitate. He prepared to force the door open directly.
But at the instant he exerted his strength, his heart suddenly jolted, and he stopped.
Danger!
…
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