Chapter 1503 (1502): The Grand Finale (Part 5) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Shen Tang began to analyze the situation seriously: "According to the known clues, this coffin was dug up by tomb raiders and sold along with me to Second Master Shen, who collects antiques. In other words, the coffin was in the hands of the Shen family at the time. Considering the series of events back then, from the time he bought the coffin to the time the Shen family was raided and exterminated, it was only a few days. Second Master Shen shouldn't have had the opportunity to resell or destroy the coffin..."
The confiscated family property was eventually returned to the national treasury.
So, it ended up in Zheng Qiao's hands?
"Zheng Qiao's legacy will most likely be divided and plundered by the various warlords who crossed the Miao River and invaded Ganzhou. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that someone might take advantage of the chaos to steal from the national treasury and run away. But it's a coffin..." If it were truly a desperate person looting money, in their panic and desperation, they would only steal small, high-value items, which would be more cost-effective. No matter how precious the coffin wood is, it would not be easy to take.
In summary--
Shen Tang was more inclined to believe that the coffin would fall into the hands of the feudal lords.
Of those who survived the chaos in Ganzhou, not counting Shen Tang's group, the rest were few and far between. Among them, the groups that preserved their strength the most intact were Huang Lie, Wu Xian, and Zhang He: "Gu Ziyi died at the hands of Huang Lie, and the latter and Zhang He lost to me and Wu Xian. If the coffin hadn't fallen into the hands of the common people, it would either be with Wu Xian, with me, or be given away as a reward?"
The kingdom of Gao, established by Wu Xian, was annexed by her.
Shen Tang decided to use a laborious method: to thoroughly check all the accounts.
Anything that has been registered will leave a trace.
Gong Xichou's intelligence was unusually high: "...But this doesn't prove anything. During his time in Gao State, he might have been rewarded by Wu Zhaode. Coffins made of precious materials are very popular among military generals. The confiscated Gao State account books...After so many years, are there still backups? Even if there are, the national treasury is prone to corruption if it is not properly managed, and embezzlement is commonplace."
The most blatant method is to replace the genuine article with a counterfeit, or to report it as scrapped during the re-registration process, ostensibly claiming it will be incinerated, but secretly taking it out to sell or collect. It could even be a staged fire...
The national treasury/grain depot is frequently raided by lightning strikes.
Shen Tang: "...Indeed, there are many variables."
But, we might as well try anything, even if it seems hopeless.
If we don't follow the clues, where should we start looking?
Gong Xichou: "Why must we trace it from beginning to end?"
You can also stroke it from the tail towards the head.
You mean...the tail?
A flash of inspiration struck Shen Tang.
Recalling the details he had just analyzed but overlooked: "Yunda most likely didn't go to the Four Pillars through the Imperial Seal... So it must be that coffin? In other words, the person who ultimately handled the coffin might be him? If so, wouldn't Yunda's legacy be in the hands of his disciples? Besides Zigu, it's Yuanmou, and even if it's not them, they could contact other disciples through the two of them?"
This lead is clearly clearer than investigating the booklets from previous years.
Shen Tang: "Send word to Yuan Mou to come see me!"
When Yun Ce arrived after receiving the order, he was somewhat apprehensive. He hadn't forgotten Gu Chi's recent instructions: his lord had been in a bad mood lately. He maintained his most composed expression, but inwardly he was reviewing whether he had done anything inappropriate recently.
"This humble general greets Your Majesty."
"No need for formalities, Yuanmou, please sit down."
As Yun Ce sat down, he caught a glimpse of the golden teacup that Shen Tang had crushed, the fingerprints on it clearly visible. He couldn't fathom what kind of anger his lord had inflicted on it, turning it into such a state. His expression remained unchanged: "I wonder what important matter my lord has summoned me for?"
Shen Tang said, "I'm looking for a coffin."
A look of confusion appeared on Yun Ce's face, which was colder than ice and snow.
"Looking for a coffin?"
Why was he specifically called over just to find a coffin?
He inappropriately thought of Wei Shou's much-anticipated "Huangchang Ticou" (a type of ancient Chinese zither): "I wonder what kind of coffin the lord has found?"
Shen Tang said, "I don't remember either."
After all, I've never seen it before.
Most of the people in this world who have seen what that coffin looks like are already dead. Even the brothers Gong Xichou and Ji Moqiu haven't seen it; there are only fragmented written and pictorial records. Finding a coffin based on this information is harder than finding a needle in a haystack.
If you're looking for something, you shouldn't ask him for help.
Just as Yun Ce was thinking of a tactful way to express his helplessness, Shen Tang said, "I have a great use for this coffin, and I suspect it may have fallen into the hands of your master, Yun Da. When you were handling Yun Da's funeral arrangements, did you see a similar coffin?"
Yun Ce suddenly understood why his master had sought him out. He recalled carefully, "As for coffins, Master had more than twenty."
Shen Tang: "..."
The interests of martial arts practitioners are indeed consistent.
They like to use good timber to make their own coffins.
Who would hoard over twenty coffins at once? Coffins aren't like clothes, which you can rotate when you go out. After someone dies, you only need one coffin. No wonder scholars and martial artists are often abnormal; their mental state is indeed unhealthy.
"I don't remember any coffins that were that simple."
Each coffin from Yunda starts at a price of a thousand gold pieces. Not only are the wood materials precious, but the inside and outside are inlaid with real gold, silver, and various gemstones. A small amount could easily cover an ordinary person's comfortable life for a year. Different coffins also come in different themes and series.
He was certain that the coffin his lord was looking for was not among them.
The coffin's value was not high enough for the master to collect.
Shen Tang: "So, what happened to these coffins in the end..."
"I'll make the decision and divide it with my fellow disciples."
Whether he takes the coffin home as a keepsake to remember his master, uses it as his house after he passes away, or sells it to support his family, Yun Ce will not interfere. These are all legacies left by his master, and all his fellow disciples have a share.
Yun Ce left behind a coffin themed around ice, snow, silver dragons, stars, and floating flowers.
It has a very appealing aesthetic; I plan to keep it for myself a hundred years from now.
Shen Tang: "..."
After all these years, I still can't understand these abstract cultures.
"If this humble general dares to ask, what does Your Majesty wish to see it for?"
Shen Tang didn't hide anything from Yun Ce, who was also somewhat in the know: "Do you remember the twelve-year agreement between your master and me? He said that if we could unify the entire territory within twelve years and collect all the national seals, he would change his mind and stop destroying the world. I recently received news that the contingency plan left by your master has been activated ahead of schedule. Even Zhai Xiaofang, who lives in the Southeast Continent, sent his share of the national seal, which shows how serious the situation is. The key to solving the problem is that coffin."
Shen Tang didn't say anything more.
It wasn't that she was stingy, but rather that she wasn't in the mood.
Yun Ce's pupils trembled slightly.
"Advance?"
Shen Tang sighed deeply: "Mm."
A single word sent Yun Ce into a state of utter confusion, his mind a jumbled mess, countless thoughts racing through his head without any coherence. The more he tried to calm himself and devise a solution, the more confused he became. Yun Ce concluded that his brain wasn't working properly and he needed to find outside help.
Xianyu Jian rushed over in half a day.
Before she could even catch her breath, Yun Ce grabbed her shoulder and asked if she remembered such a coffin. Shen Tang anxiously awaited news. If both her fellow disciples said no, she would have to find someone to search through the register of spoils from previous years. Even if the waters of the four seas were drained, this needle at the bottom would be retrieved!
"Is this the reason the Lord summoned my senior brother?"
"Zigu, this is very important!"
Xianyu Jian frowned and forced himself to recall the details of that year.
"...So many years have passed, and it's just another cheap-looking coffin. Who would remember it?" Martial arts masters are very picky about coffins. Even if a superior wanted to bestow a coffin as a reward, they wouldn't give one like this. This kind of coffin would at most be given to lower-ranking soldiers.
Shen Tang: "..."
Just as her complexion was getting worse, Xianyu Jian suddenly said "Oh." He couldn't find the right words for a moment, so he turned to Yun Ce for a hint: "...I have a vague memory. Senior brother, do you remember Master's last words before he passed away?"
"Last words?"
Yun Ce certainly remembered the contents of his last words.
Aside from the letter he instructed Yun Ce and Yun Da to deliver to Shen Tang, Yun Da briefly outlined his arrangements for his disciples and his own funeral. Yun Da wished to return to his roots and be buried beside Amu Qing. Amu Qing had been buried for many years, and Yun Da did not want to disturb her peace in the afterlife. He requested that Yun Ce and Yun Da not open the coffin for them to be buried together, but simply dig a new pit next to Amu Qing's grave and bury them there.
Out of respect for the deceased, Yun Ce and his companion naturally agreed.
Xianyu Jian added, "It's not those, it's a simple burial."
Yun Ce muttered to himself, "A simple burial?"
He carefully reviewed Yun Da's last words once more. Yun Da, born in the Northern Desert, had no particular hobbies in his life. Although his collection of coffins looked opulent, it wasn't the kind of extravagance traditionally associated with the wealthy. He was not extravagant in life, and he didn't seek wealth in death. Aside from some requirements regarding the burial location, he had no other requests. He even told Yun Ce and the other two not to put any funerary items in his grave.
Releasing it would benefit future generations, who know how many years from now.
Of course, Yun Ce couldn't just bury Yun Da with a thin mat; naturally, he followed Yun Da's wishes and used the coffin Yun Da had prepared long ago… Thinking of this, Yun Ce's pupils dilated. Shen Tang, seeing his reaction, knew he had found a clue: "You've figured it out?"
Yun Ce said with difficulty, "If we're really talking about a coffin that meets the criteria, it seems like the one used after Master's death is the only one..."
The coffins used by military generals were always designed with extra space to accommodate two or three ordinary people. The coffin they used back then was a bit small, making it cramped for Yun Da. However, given the circumstances at the time, there wasn't the resources to prepare a better one, so Yun Ce and Yun Da chose to respect their master's last wishes. At first glance, the coffin appeared to be just ordinary wood coated with a few layers of dark brown lacquer, a very common type of coffin used in rural areas.
Shen Tang: "..."
I dared not open my eyes, hoping it was just her hallucination.
I hope it is, and I also hope it isn't.
"Time is of the essence. We'll know for sure once we dig it up." Gong Xichou, unaware of Shen Tang's inner turmoil, immediately suggested digging up Lao Deng's grave in front of Yun Da's apprentice, and might even have to manually open the coffin.
Xianyu Jian: "Isn't this inappropriate?"
Even if our master committed many grave mistakes in his lifetime, he is already dead. Respect for the dead is paramount; opening his coffin rashly should take into account the feelings of Yun Da's disciples. To desecrate his grave simply because of suspicion about the coffin used in his final moments is utterly absurd.
Yun Ce raised his hand to stop him: "Then let's go take a look."
You can only be completely at ease after seeing it.
Knowing his master as Yun Ce did, it was impossible for him to make a twelve-year promise and then break it halfway through. Madness as it may be, his pride was second to none; he wouldn't do such a thing. Digging a grave was nothing in the face of an apocalyptic crisis.
The idea of finding peace after death...
When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out; who knows if there is any peace after death?
Shen Tang: "I'll go there myself."
Yun Ce: "That won't do. Our lord is the backbone of the army. How can we leave him so easily? Just leave this matter to Zi Gu."
"I'll leave the avatar to stay and oversee things; it won't make a difference."
Before the operation, he also summoned all his trusted confidants for a short meeting.
Everyone initially tried their best to dissuade him, but this was something that Shen Tang had to do himself; no one else could do it for him. Furthermore, with the avatar of Wuyou able to stand in for the real Shen Tang and command the army, and the real Shen Tang able to control the battlefield from the avatar's perspective, after some consideration, they had no choice but to agree. However, for the safety of their lord, in addition to Yun Ce leading the way, the Gongxi Chou brothers would also accompany him to ensure everything went smoothly.
"We still need to be prepared for both possibilities."
Shen Tang and the others finalized the arrangements that very evening.
Qi Shan worried, "What if that coffin isn't..."
"Therefore, we must be prepared for both possibilities and not waste time." Shen Tang ordered Ning Yan, who was overseeing the country from the rear, to retrieve the registers from those years and find the whereabouts of each coffin. They didn't find the coffins, but they did manage to clear out some deeply hidden scavengers.
Yes, some people's household registration has been cancelled by the Biosphere Reserve.
By disguising himself as Wu You and transforming into the true form of Shen Tang, and with Qi Shan's assistance, none of Shen Tang's officials and generals, except for a few who knew the truth, noticed anything amiss. Meanwhile, the Central Allied Forces, having been driven into disarray by Kang Guo and hastily crossing the river leaving behind tens of thousands of refugees, had no energy to pay attention to this area. Therefore, until Shen Tang and his party arrived in Beizhou, a full ten days had passed without anyone discovering what had happened.
Under Kangguo's rule, the population of the two prefectures was reorganized. Thanks to the diligent efforts of local officials over several years, the environment underwent visible changes, one of which was the increased abundance of water and vegetation. Due to population migration, the area around the Yunda and Amuqing cemeteries became a sparsely populated no-man's-land. Plants and animals thrived here, creating a uniquely natural and untamed landscape.
Following his memory, Yun Ce found his destination.
The two graves, one new and one old, are now both old graves.
"My lord, this is the place."
Thinking about what he would be doing later, Yun Ce silently apologized to his master and bent down to light a few sticks of incense. Yun Ce and his fellow disciples had gone off to fight and hadn't had the chance to visit the graves for several years, but the graves were very clean, and there were two dry and uncorrupted offerings in front of the tombstones.
It's obvious that someone has been tending to the grave recently.
"You are... Senior Brother Yuanmou? When did you return in triumph?"
Yun Ce turned around: "Junior brother?"
Yun Da had taken in many orphans from the mountain during his lifetime, and many of Yun Ce's fellow disciples came from this line of work. The one in front of him was one of them. He wasn't particularly talented in martial arts, so after leaving the mountain, he went back to his hometown to make a living. He was passing by on business and decided to pay his respects to his master.
"Senior Brother Yuanmou, are you also here to pay respects to Master?"
This junior brother only asked about Yun Ce, showing no curiosity about the identities of the others traveling with him. Their imposing aura was something only those who had long held high positions possessed; for a commoner like him, knowing too much would be of no benefit. Yun Ce's mind raced, and he quickly came up with an excuse: "Ten days ago, I received a dream from my master saying that the ancestral grave was cold, as if it had been flooded… The fighting at the front has eased somewhat, so I came to check on things since I have nothing else to do."
He came to dig up his master's grave.
The junior brother had no suspicions.
Fifteen minutes later—
Standing at the edge of the pit, the junior brother stared at Yun Ce, whose expression had cracked at the bottom of the pit, speechless: "This, this, no wonder Master appeared in my dream! This is not just a flooded tomb, it's as if the tomb has been ransacked... Damn it, which unscrupulous tomb raider would even leave this place untouched?"
The person and the coffin have disappeared! Aaaaaah!
(￣┏∞┓￣)
If I can finish this series in my lifetime, the last book will be "Heavenly Path".
(End of this chapter)
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