Chapter 222: The Smiling Tiger

Zhurige took the copper pendant from Ye Yuzhu’s hand and examined it. She felt the object was indeed radiant and beautiful, but it lacked any practical use. No matter how valuable it was, it would be impossible to sell unless she could find a buyer who recognized its worth.

She shook her head and handed it back. Ye Yuzhu watched her, unable to fathom what the young girl was calculating. He had never met anyone who turned down cold, hard cash, and for a moment, he was at a loss as to how to buy her cooperation.

At that moment, Zhurige spoke up: “I want that.”

She pointed to the silver-inlaid ivory Horse-Head Blade peeking out from Ye Yuzhu’s sleeve. This was the very knife Ye Yuzhu had thrown to save her earlier, which had eventually returned to his hand. The blade was compact yet capable of slicing through iron like mud. She was particularly curious about how such a weapon could spin around and fly right back into his sleeve.

Ye Yuzhu covered his sleeve, not agreeing as readily as he usually did.

Old Monster Xiong quickly pulled a large imperial green jade thumb ring from his pocket, trying to entice Zhurige over. “L-little sister! Why don’t we pick something else? What does a young girl like you want with a knife? Come, come! Look at you without any jewelry. Your brother here has plenty of earrings and rouge!”

Zhurige ignored him. The more Old Monster Xiong acted this way, the more she felt the Horse-Head Blade in Ye Yuzhu’s sleeve was the true treasure.

Ye Yuzhu drew the knife from his sleeve and placed it on the table. The entire hilt was crafted from ivory, the pommel carved into the shape of a horse’s head. The blade was curved, which was likely why it could return to his grip after being thrown.

Seeing Ye Yuzhu waver, Qian Chuanzi hurriedly tried to stop him, leaning in to whisper, “Chief, why bother with the code of the martial world with them? We’ve already given them so much silver, enough to feed their family for three years. In my opinion, we should just use the Luzi to force her to lead the way.”

Ye Yuzhu replied, “This isn’t the Central Plains. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I don’t want to clash with the locals. Consider that silver a small price to pay for peace.”

“But setting aside the fact that this is a divine relic Manager Gan brought out from the Ten Thousand Man Pit^[1] on Mount Xi, it possesses such spiritual nature. You’ve favored it for years, Chief Chief, and never replaced it. You can’t just give it away to a girl you’ve never met before,” Qian Chuanzi urged.

Ye Yuzhu was unfazed. He asked Zhurige, “You want this?”

Zhurige nodded truthfully.

Ye Yuzhu smiled faintly, lifting the blade with one hand. “Fine. It’s just a knife. Such things aren’t rare in my collection. As long as you lead us to that Crying Forest, I will give the Horse-Head Blade to you as a gift. How does that sound?”

Zhurige’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

“Of course,” Ye Yuzhu said with a smile.

Qian Chuanzi was so furious he felt like smoke was coming out of his ears. He picked up the bowl of goat milk beside him and gulped down several mouthfuls. The status of the Horse-Head Blade represented Ye Yuzhu’s own standing. Ye Yuzhu’s generosity was so extreme that even Old Monster Xiong felt something was amiss, leaving him at a loss for any flattering words to offer.

Once Zhurige left the yurt, Old Monster Xiong covered his face in exasperation. He stood up abruptly, hands on his hips, and slapped his thighs repeatedly. “Brother Ye! Brother Ye! How could you let a little girl trick you out of that Horse-Head Blade? You’re being far too generous! We came here to search for treasure, not to act as goddamned benefactors handing out free riches!”

Ye Yuzhu unhurriedly slotted the Horse-Head Blade back into his sleeve, a knowing smile on his face. “The most important thing right now is having her lead us to that forest. Once we find the place, whether I honor my promise is up to me. Who gets this blade is still my decision.”

Hearing this, Qian Chuanzi and Old Monster Xiong finally snapped out of it. They exchanged a glance, the unspoken implications clear without a word.

“Tell the men to rest and build their strength tonight. We set out at dawn,” Ye Yuzhu said, snapping his folding fan shut. His expression turned somber as he rolled up the Burial Bone Testament on the table.

Early the next morning, the party assembled. Ye Yuzhu looked at the massive crowd of men and horses spread across the nearby hills and felt a headache coming on. He quickly summoned Nanshan Qiao.

Nanshan Qiao stepped up to him and asked, “What is it, Chief Chief? Everyone is assembled. We’re just waiting for your command to set out.”

Ye Yuzhu waved his fan and instructed, “Send out one team first. Have them carry Thousand-Mile Cables and Ground-Probing Needles to scout the Crying Forest with me. The rest are to stay here on standby. We’ll make further plans once we’ve found the right spot.”

After giving his orders, he walked over to a bay horse. Closing his fan, he flicked his long robe aside and vaulted effortlessly into the saddle in one fluid motion.

Nanshan Qiao selected a team and mounted his own horse. “Move out!”

Zhurige’s family lived in a remote area, but the forest she mentioned was even more isolated. Because the forest was considered cursed, almost no one ever went near it. Led by Zhurige, the team left the yurt before dawn.

Along the way, Ye Yuzhu observed the surrounding terrain from horseback. The hills were flat, interspersed with patches of wild woods. Ye Yuzhu keenly noticed dark shadows flitting through those woods from time to time at high speed. It was likely the wolf pack that had failed the previous day, refusing to give up and quietly trailing the horse party.

However, he paid them no mind. He had his own ways of dealing with wolves. The priority now was finding the Crying Forest.

They traveled without pause for the entire morning. At high noon, Zhurige, who was leading the way, came to a halt. Not only did her horse stop, but Ye Yuzhu’s horse also suddenly refused to move forward. Old Monster Xiong, trailing behind and clueless about such matters, took out his whip and lashed his horse.

After five lashes, the horse only backed away. Not only did it refuse to take a single step forward, but it nearly bucked Old Monster Xiong off.

“Hey! What’s wrong with this horse?! Nanshan Qiao, look at this cheap piece of junk you found!” Old Monster Xiong cursed.

Ye Yuzhu said, “It’s not the horse’s fault. The Crying Forest should be just ahead.”

He dismounted and fixed his gaze on a dense forest on the distant mountainside. It exuded a chilling, ghostly aura. The interior was pitch black; even the midday sun could not penetrate its depths. Such a wild forest would be considered an eerie place no matter where it was found.

Seeing Ye Yuzhu dismount, Nanshan Qiao and the others followed suit. Dozens of men crowded around Ye Yuzhu to get a better look.

Zhurige hopped down from her small horse, tucked her whip into her bag, and walked over. “The Crying Forest is just ahead,” she said. “Horses always stop once they reach this point. No matter how much you drive them, they won’t go any further.”

Ye Yuzhu looked out over the area and felt almost certain they had found the right place, so he nodded.

Seeing this, Zhurige spoke up. “I’ve brought you to the place. Give me the knife, and I’ll be on my way.”

Old Monster Xiong’s brow furrowed at her words. Qian Chuanzi poked his head out from behind, but before he could say a word, Old Monster Xiong chambered a round in his Luzi. With a slight tilt of the gun’s muzzle, several burly men rushed forward and instantly pinned Zhurige down.

“Strip this woman of every weapon she’s carrying!”

Caught off guard by Old Monster Xiong’s sudden hostility, Zhurige was terrified, having never seen such a aggressive display. The men easily confiscated the self-defense knives from her waist and her horse’s saddlebags. She immediately shot a pleading look toward Ye Yuzhu, but he seemed not to notice the situation at all, his gaze still wandering over the surrounding mountains.

“I’ve already brought you to the place you were looking for,” Zhurige said. “I’m going home now. Why are you doing this?”

Old Monster Xiong gave a dark chuckle and patted Zhurige’s cheek with the barrel of his gun. “Sister, that’s not how business works. You have to be considerate of your Brother Monster here. We haven’t even entered the woods yet. Who can tell what’s what from out here? If this place turns out not to be what we’re looking for and I let you go now, wouldn’t we be taking a massive loss?”

Nearby, Ye Yuzhu finally withdrew his gaze. Unfurling his folding fan, he lowered his head to rub his eyes. Still rubbing them, he pushed past several men and walked over. Zhurige felt he was the more reasonable one of the group, so seeing him approach, she immediately began to plead.

“I really only know about this place. I don’t want your knife anymore. My younger brother is still at home. Can you please just let me go home?”

Ye Yuzhu lowered his hand and smiled, yet he made no move to have his men release her. “I saved your life that day,” he said slowly. “It’s safe to say that if not for me that night, your life would have been lost to the wild wolves. Since I saved your life, it’s only right that you owe me a life in return.”

Zhurige stared at him, stunned.

“So you had better come into the forest with us. If these woods are indeed the place we’re looking for, I will naturally let you go.” Ye Yuzhu paused, a trace of ruthlessness creeping into his tone. “As for your brother, my men are looking after him. You have no need to worry.”