Chen Chuan was well aware that Xu Mutang had spoken out of genuine gratitude, but also as a practical concession to reality.
To whom this hidden hoard ultimately belonged came down, in the end, to martial might.
The man had likely reasoned that even if he claimed everything here rightfully belonged to him, he lacked the power to enforce it. Better, then, to simply be frank and forthright.
Chen Chuan asked, "I would like to ask, Chief Inspector Xu, on whose behalf did you come here to retrieve these things? For yourself, the Municipal Council, or the Government Affairs Department?"
Hearing the question, Xu Mutang hesitated briefly before testing the waters: "Judging by the moves you used just now, Section Chief Chen, you seem to follow the path of the Purist Faction?"
Chen Chuan hid nothing; this was hardly a secret. "Yes, I am a member of the Purist Faction."
Xu Mutang nodded and said, "To be frank with you, Section Chief Chen, I belong to the implant faction."
Chen Chuan's interest was piqued. He looked at Xu Mutang. The implant faction was also counted among the five great factions, largely composed of those who championed implant technology.
Quite a few were bioengineers and technical experts, though the majority were high-level implant combatants. Looking at Xu Mutang, however, he did not appear to have many implants installed.
Xu Mutang explained, "Although I personally haven't had any extra implants installed, I underwent a course of mutated tissue adjustments back when I was at the third limit.
"It is a technique where defective mutated tissue is extracted from the body, cultured and calibrated separately, and then reimplanted. This artificially compensates for certain innate deficiencies. However, the prerequisites for this technology are exceptionally demanding. It consumes substantial resources and requires long-term technical monitoring and adjustment, which necessitates the backing of the state.
"To this day, I am still enrolled in this research program. In Great Shun, only state-owned enterprises and the government are permitted to perform these procedures.
"Personally, I believe that as technology advances, implants will be our future. They can help many people who lack innate talent or aptitude to step onto this path."
Here, he gave a soft sigh. "Outsiders often view us as a bunch of maniacs obsessed with cybernetics and modification. In truth, many members who join the implant faction haven't undergone extreme implant surgeries. Embracing the philosophy is often far more important than physical alteration."
He looked back at Chen Chuan and said earnestly, "I heard earlier that Jibei Dao is currently promoting the Skyline Project. Both I personally and the Longyou Dao Government Affairs Department believe the Skyline Project is the inevitable course of the future. Only by integrating all of Great Shun's Center Cities can technology and resources be concentrated and fully utilized to confront the Great Impact. Thus, we too have been waiting for such an opportunity."
Chen Chuan nodded. He could tell the man was making his political alignment known.
People like Xu Mutang were actually more likely to earn the trust of the state, as their interests were deeply bound to the nation.
On a global scale, the implant faction boasted the greatest numbers, yet it was also the most fragmented, divided by sharply conflicting ideologies. The megacorporations had their own implant factions, but their philosophies ran entirely counter to Xu Mutang's. Within Great Shun, however, many adherents held relatively clear stances.
Chen Chuan said, "Chief Inspector Xu, neither of us knows what this hoard actually contains or what state it's in. So let's not worry about claiming ownership just yet. Why don't you come inside with me to take a look first? Once we know what's there, we can discuss the rest. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Xu Mutang looked closely at him to confirm he wasn't just offering polite lip service. He smiled. "Very well. Since Section Chief Chen says so, I will unashamedly accept."
Having reached an agreement, the two walked toward the main hall together.
Chen Chuan asked, "Chief Inspector Xu, how much did Longyou Dao know about this hoard beforehand? Could you share some details?"
Xu Mutang replied, "These aren't confidential matters. Since you ask, Section Chief Chen, I can tell you truthfully. Because this place lies right beside Longyou Dao, we have been studying this hoard for a long time and collected substantial materials from the old era concerning this site.
"Previously, most people focused their attention on imperial records, but to little effect—almost no progress was made. Consequently, they shifted their focus toward the Wuwei Sect.
"After the old era ended, many religious texts that had previously been hidden away were unearthed from obscure corners. Sure enough, this yielded a breakthrough.
"Through continuous analysis, numerous deductions and hypotheses were formed—far too many to recount in a short time. However, the majority consensus is that Xuan Daoist Wuwei was the architect behind this hoard, a view I personally agree with."
Recalling the Daoist who had appeared earlier, Chen Chuan remarked, "Did Emperor Ying truly trust this Xuan Daoist Wuwei so deeply?"
Xu Mutang said, "It is said that Emperor Ying was able to ascend the throne precisely because of Xuan Daoist Wuwei's backing. There are also claims that Xuan Daoist Wuwei's shadow loomed behind many of the tyrannical acts Emperor Ying committed that incurred the wrath of heaven and men."
Here, he showed a hint of skepticism. "Personally, given Emperor Ying's vainglorious nature, he didn't need anyone to egg him on. Dumping all the blame onto Xuan Daoist Wuwei was likely just an attempt to make excuses for the emperor.
"Still, we can roughly ascertain that Emperor Ying pursued the art of ascending to immortality all along. Perhaps due to lacking sufficient natural talent, he couldn't walk the orthodox path and was eventually forced to possess his younger brother's body. These steps were very likely guided by Xuan Daoist Wuwei, steering him into this corner. That Daoist may well have tampered with Emperor Ying's final ascension, ultimately causing the emperor's demise. What he truly sought to achieve, however, remains unknown to this day.
"The expert panel spent years combing surviving religious texts to uncover this person's true identity. Yet whether in the Wuwei Xuan Cult's scriptures or those of other Xuan Cult denominations, there is no mention of him at all, as though he materialized out of thin air.
"This is truly incredible. An individual who practically dictated the rise and fall of a dynasty and the fate of the realm left behind virtually no proper records. I suspect his existence was intentionally erased—perhaps subsequent dynasties destroyed all archival dossiers concerning him to prevent such things from recurring."
Chen Chuan pondered this. If Xuan Daoist Wuwei was indeed the figure who had just appeared, judging by the words he left behind, his goal had not merely been to kill Emperor Ying, but to obtain something far more vital.
As they spoke, the two entered the hall and arrived before the seat where Yuwen Yuanqi had sat earlier.
Chen Chuan said, "I searched around earlier. In this entire hall, only the space beneath this seat is hollow. If there is a hoard, it should be down below."
Xu Mutang agreed. "That sounds right. Records indicate that for the convenience of cultivating Xuan arts and ingesting elixirs, Emperor Ying built an elixir vault right beneath the main hall. The hoard is very likely hidden down there."
After a thought, he added, "Section Chief Chen, allow me."
Chen Chuan nodded.
Xu Mutang focused his senses and looked downward. Under the manipulation of his biological field, the cushions and ornamental furnishings were swept to one side.
Beneath them lay a broad stone slab noticeably distinct from its surroundings, roughly a zhang in length and width. Carved upon its surface was an illustration of young boys and girls offering elixirs.
Looking at the pairs of lively, innocent boys and girls depicted in the carving, Xu Mutang could not help but shake his head.
Light flickered in his eyes as the stone slab slowly floated upward and moved aside, revealing a flight of descending stone steps.
A faint glow seeped out from within.
The two exchanged nods and stepped in one after the other. Reaching the bottom of the opening, they found a stairway winding and doubling back deep into the depths. Hollow echoes of dripping water faintly reached their ears, and along both walls, everlasting lamps hung at regular intervals.
Uncertain whether any hidden mechanisms remained and wary of accidentally damaging anything within, neither sought a shortcut, choosing instead to descend steadily along the steps.
Chen Chuan glanced at his surroundings. The walls were covered entirely in reliefs depicting seekers of immortality and Xuan mysteries from antiquity and the middle antiquity, accompanied by various legends and anecdotes.
However, the facial features of the central protagonist remained identical throughout, bearing a close resemblance to Emperor Ying's face from earlier. It was safe to deduce that the figures had been fashioned in the emperor's own likeness.
Just looking at these carvings, one could appreciate how obsessively fanatical Emperor Ying had been about pursuing immortality.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "Chief Inspector Xu, history books only claim Emperor Ying died from a lightning strike. Do you know the true cause of his death?"
Xu Mutang was also studying the murals. "There's no way to confirm it. In fact, more rigorous experts can't even confirm whether Emperor Ying actually died, because according to the limited records, he simply disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
Xu Mutang said, "Yes. Blood covered the entire hall back then, yet nothing remained aside from Yuwen Yuanqi's body. Every living soul in the palace had vanished without a trace. Because of this, Emperor Ying's tomb in the imperial mausoleum at Dayeyuan is merely a cenotaph. Later grave robbers found it completely empty."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and asked, "And Xuan Daoist Wuwei? When Emperor Ying vanished, what became of him?"
Xu Mutang said, "Upon Emperor Ying's demise, the ministers concluded that Xuan Daoist Wuwei had bewitched the sovereign, bringing this catastrophe upon the realm. But he had also vanished without a trace, and people assumed he had perished under heaven's retribution alongside the late emperor.
"When the young emperor ascended the throne, however, he adamantly rejected that verdict. He insisted Emperor Ying and Xuan Daoist Wuwei had successfully achieved immortality together. To display filial piety and fraternal devotion, he followed Emperor Ying's posthumous edict, having Yuwen Yuanqi's body transported into this hidden hoard and sealed according to the prescribed ritual arrangements. Less than three years later, a new dynasty took over."
As they spoke, they had descended well over a hundred meters, seemingly reaching the heart of the mountain. Finally, they arrived at the bottom.
Turning toward the front, they saw towering figures standing or seated within alcoves carved into the cavern walls under the lamplight. A cursory glance revealed over a hundred of them. Looking closer, they saw that every single one was a statue of an immortal or deity from the Xuan Cult.
The two entered the colossal cavern chamber, looking all around at the magnificent sight.
Xu Mutang walked up to one of the statues on the floor and rapped on it. Looking up in surprise, he remarked, "This is cast from gold and silver."
Standing below, Chen Chuan swept his gaze across the chamber, letting it linger on several divine statues. "Not all of them."
Chapter 966