Hearing Jiang Tianyi's response, Jiang Man interrupted with a puzzled look, "Dad, what kind of place is Fengmen Village? Is it a tourist attraction? Why does it need an entrance fee? That doesn't make sense. The Zewang Jade Seal is worth 200 million yuan. What kind of scenic spot's entrance fee could be worth so much money?"

Jiang Tianyi lit a cigarette with a solemn expression and asked me, "The Duan family is a family of geomancers. You should be familiar with Fengmen Village, right?"

"The village is sealed off from all men and women; men are forbidden to marry and women are forbidden to give birth. This so-called 'sealed-door' village is a ghost village."

I nodded: "Sealed-door burial is the most cruel burial method in folk tradition. This method involves placing the coffin inside a house, directly opposite the main entrance of the living room, and then sealing the door, turning the house into a cemetery. It is said that those who adopt this burial method will be unable to rise above their circumstances for generations to come. Sealed-door burial is extremely rare. Where there is sealed-door burial, there is sealed-door village. If one family has a sealed-door burial, other families cannot live there and can only leave their homes. Over time, it becomes a ghost village. This burial method turns a village inhabited by the living into a cemetery. It is said that the resentment is extremely strong. The Duan family's ancestral teaching is that descendants must not enter a sealed-door village."

Jiang Man frowned slightly: "There's actually such a burial method? It sounds somewhat similar to how some people buy houses and then seal off the doors and windows to enshrine ashes."

"The cycle of heaven and earth separates the living and the dead! It is said that there are gods three feet above your head and the Yellow Springs three feet below the ground! The living and the dead have been clearly separated since ancient times. This way of enshrining ashes in private homes will disrupt the feng shui of the surrounding area. At best, it will cause the elderly and children to suffer from chronic illnesses, and at worst, it will bring a series of disasters and lead to violent death."

I explained to Jiang Man, and then asked Jiang Tianyi, "Uncle Tian, ​​in Fengmen Village, people generally don't hold ceremonies, let alone place any valuable burial items. Why did Duan Jinyan choose this kind of cemetery?"

Jiang Tianyi didn't beat around the bush: "The Fengmen Village you mentioned refers to a burial style based on feng shui, while the Fengmen Village I'm talking about is more like an inn."

I frowned: "An inn?"

"Yes, Fengmen Village is the largest inn in the country for antiques and the world's largest black market! It is said that guests who go to Fengmen Village can only sleep in a coffin every night, and no one except those invited by Fengmen Village can find its true location."

Jiang Tianyi exhaled a puff of smoke: "Although the legend of Fengmen Village has been circulating in the martial arts world for many years, I don't know much about it. I only know that not all the guests there are insiders. Fengmen Village is known as one of the safest places in the world. Even globally wanted criminals can get away with it here and have whatever they want."

I squinted and thought for a moment: "Since it's a black market, why would Duan Jinyan go there? Could it be that some rare treasure has appeared in this black market?"

“Fengmen Village is too mysterious. Even with my abilities, I can’t find any trace of it. However, I did receive another message.”

Jiang Tianyi sat up straight: "In the past year, the Black Robe has been active in the Miao region. Rumor has it that a great flood occurred there last summer, washing out items from the Miao Immortal Palace. The value of those items is enough to attract the close attention of Duan Jinyan and Jinbai International. It is said that many tomb raiding experts and powerful families in the country have sent people to Miao region to investigate after receiving this news, but so far, no one has found any relevant clues."

Jiang Man scratched her head: "Miao Jiang Immortal Palace? What kind of place is that?"

"It's a legend in the tomb raiding world. It's said that when Nuwa mended the sky, a seven-colored stone fell to earth and transformed into a goddess in the Miao region. She led the Miao people to drive away demons and evil spirits, and taught them farming and how to use fire. She was revered as a goddess. Before her death, she used her divine power to build herself a magnificent celestial palace. Of course, this is just a myth. Some people have analyzed that this woman was probably a queen with immense power in the Miao region. Throughout history, people have been searching for traces of the Miao celestial palace, but no one has ever found a clue. Over time, everyone has just regarded it as a legend."

I briefly introduced the legend of the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace, and then asked Jiang Tianyi, "Uncle Tian, ​​you said Duan Jinyan is looking for the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace, but what does this have to do with Fengmen Village?"

"Recently, there have been rumors in the martial arts world that someone in Fengmen Village knows the exact location of the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace. These powerful families outside have been searching in Miao Jiang for a year without success, so they are naturally unwilling to give up and are all trying to enter Fengmen Village. However, Fengmen Village is not so easy to enter. Only four places are opened for entry each year, and the way these places are distributed is quite bizarre."

Jiang Tian paused for a moment: "The key to entering Fengmen Village this year is a treasure-hunting competition, and not everyone can participate in this competition. Only those powerful families with generations of inheritance and influential managers are invited! Since it is a black market, anyone who has the ability can make a fortune. That is why Duan Jinyan needs to use the Zewang Jade Seal to obtain a qualification to participate in the treasure-hunting competition."

I was immediately surprised: "Is just a ticket to the treasure-hunting competition worth this much money?"

"You have the knowledge, but your experience is far from sufficient. At those major international auctions, Chinese antiques can fetch astonishing prices of four or five hundred million yuan, and at underground auctions, the prices are even higher! In this day and age, antiques have acquired economic value in addition to their collectible value! Fengmen Village is known as the world's number one black market, and its scale far exceeds your imagination. It is said that once, the CEO of a listed company went to Fengmen Village hoping to find a bargain, but he was cheated out of more than 6 billion yuan from a batch of goods and eventually hanged himself in Fengmen Village. In this world, for every person who loses, there is someone who wins... This small incident is enough to show how dangerous this place is."

Jiang Tian paused for a moment, then placed a jade tablet on the tea table: "As for whether the legend of the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace is true or false, and whether the things washed out by the flood were man-made, I don't care. But one thing is certain now: Duan Jinyan will definitely enter Fengmen Village to search for the whereabouts of the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace. After negotiations, I have exchanged the Ze King's Jade Seal for a ticket to the Treasure Competition. Shenxing, I want you to participate in this Treasure Competition."

"Uncle Tian, ​​is it inappropriate for you to ask me to handle this matter?"

I couldn't help but feel nervous when I heard Jiang Tianyi's words.

Although this ticket to the treasure-hunting competition was obtained by exchanging the Jade Seal of the King of Ze, the Jade Seal was, after all, something I sold to Jiang Tianyi.

If I win, that's fine, but if I lose, it means Jiang Tianyi's two hundred million will go down the drain. I can't just give back all the money I've taken in and end up with nothing, can I?

Jiang Tianyi, a seasoned veteran, naturally saw through my concerns: "Shenxing, don't worry. My reason for sending you to the Treasure Competition is simply that this matter needs to be kept secret, and I don't want too many people involved. And the fact that Lin Jianghao still thinks highly of you, as a descendant of the Duan family, shows that your judgment is excellent!"

If even you lack confidence in the Treasure Battle Tournament, then the people around me are probably even less capable! Consider this participation my entrustment to you; if we succeed, we'll all be happy; if we lose, I'll take full responsibility for the consequences! Xiao Duan, the Treasure Battle Tournament is about to begin, and time is short; this task is best left to you.”