Chapter 58: Preparing To Head To Dragon Ridge, Deep Embrace With Xue Li Yang
After hearing Li Chun Lai’s story, Su Mo knew that the fortune-telling blind man was precisely Chen Yu Lou, who had gone blind and wandered the rivers and lakes.
This Chen Yu Lou carried the human skin map showing the location of the Tomb of King Xian, and Dragon Ridge over there should also have one of the nine dragon bones that Su Mo wanted to collect.
It seemed that he still had to make a trip to Gu Lan County!
Thinking of this, Su Mo gave Hu Ba Yi a look, meaning that if this embroidered shoe was decent, they should take it, which would make Li Chun Lai’s long trip to the Capital City worthwhile.
Hu Ba Yi understood and smiled slightly at Li Chun Lai:
“Brother Chun Lai, this embroidered shoe is nice, but unfortunately there’s only one. If we could get a pair, it could sell for a good price, but with just one, the price would be much lower…”
Li Chun Lai tensed up upon hearing this:
“Brother, how much do you think this shoe is worth?”
Hu Ba Yi hesitated a bit.
If it were anyone else, Hu Ba Yi would definitely offer a much lower price, but this Li Chun Lai was an honest and straightforward farmer who had come all the way from Gu Lan County in Shaanxi to the Capital City, which wasn’t easy, so Hu Ba Yi felt some compassion.
He thought for a moment and then said:
“This shoe could sell for at most seven hundred at Panjiayuan. Seeing how hard it was for you to come to the Capital City, brother, I’ll take it for six hundred!”
Li Chun Lai was shocked and exclaimed loudly upon hearing this:
“What did you say? Six hundred?”
Hu Ba Yi couldn’t quite gauge his thoughts and frowned:
“Brother, is that too little? To be honest, I can add at most fifty more, any more and I’d lose money!”
Hu Ba Yi and Wang Pang Zi had gone to the countryside and joined production teams back in the day, so they had always shared a class sentiment with the farmer brothers. The price he offered was indeed the maximum; any more would really mean a loss.
Li Chun Lai quickly waved his hands:
“Not at all! I originally thought it was worth at most two or three hundred!”
Hu Ba Yi immediately paid Li Chun Lai six hundred and fifty, and reminded him to keep the money safe, lest he lose it on the way back.
Su Mo chatted with Li Chun Lai about Gu Lan County and the situation near his home. Li Chun Lai then mentioned that there was a Longxiang County near their home, which was a national burial area full of countless ancient tombs.
Su Mo knew he was referring to Dragon Ridge and noted it down in his mind.
Soon, Li Chun Lai had eaten and drunk his fill, tucked the six hundred and fifty given by Hu Ba Yi into his tattered bag, and left with a beaming smile.
After he left, Wang Pang Zi couldn’t help but say:
“Master, you were just asking him about Gu Lan and Dragon Ridge—do you want to go tomb raiding?”
Su Mo smiled faintly:
“I do have that idea. Are you willing to go?”
Wang Pang Zi and Hu Ba Yi had already become his disciples, and these two had some skills. Besides, tomb raiding as a Mountain Mover was never a one-man job—things like digging tomb raiding holes and moving rammed earth couldn’t be done alone.
So, Su Mo wanted to bring these two on this trip to Dragon Ridge.
Wang Pang Zi slapped his thigh excitedly upon hearing this:
“Master, I’ve been wanting to go tomb raiding a fat one with you! To be honest, last time in the Western Regions we got nothing. Although you told me we could take some small grave goods when Professor Chen and the others weren’t paying attention, we were busy escaping danger at the end and didn’t take a single piece!”
“This time with you leading, and no old antiques around, we must grab plenty of good things!”
Su Mo smiled:
“Good, prepare your things—like Yin Yang Shovels, entrenching tools, black donkey hooves, black dog blood, and such. Bring as much as you can, and once you’re ready, we’ll set off!”
Yin Yang Shovels and entrenching tools were for tomb raiding, while black donkey hooves and black dog blood were for warding off evil. Although Su Mo naturally didn’t need these things, Hu Ba Yi and Wang Pang Zi might, so he had them bring some too.
After the three decided to go to Dragon Ridge, Su Mo turned and went to the Archaeological Institute.
Xue Li Yang was at the Archaeological Institute and looked worried when she saw Su Mo coming.
It turned out that since returning from the Western Regions, Professor Chen’s health had been poor. He was already old, had endured much hardship on the journey, inhaled a lot of tomb miasma in the ancient tomb, and upon returning to the Capital City, his old illnesses flared up. Xue Li Yang took him to the hospital, but there weren’t any particularly effective treatments.
So Xue Li Yang planned to take him to the Beautiful Country for treatment. Seeing Su Mo, she smiled, but her eyes still held worry and reluctance:
“I was just about to find you. I plan to take Uncle Chen to the Beautiful Country for treatment in the next few days, so I’ll be away from the Capital City for a while…”
In the Jing Jue Underground Palace, Xue Li Yang had truly let her feelings show and thrown herself into Su Mo’s arms; she had already developed deep feelings for him.
But with Professor Chen’s health poor right now, she hadn’t had much time with Su Mo in the Capital City these past few days.
She was always independent and strong, appearing as a strong woman to outsiders, but only she knew how much she relied on Su Mo in her heart.
Although Su Mo looked young, he was like a mountain to her; only by his side did she feel completely at ease and relaxed.
Now she had to leave the Capital City again, so seeing Su Mo made it hard for her to part.
Su Mo smiled:
“Perfect timing. I’m planning to go to Shaanxi these next few days. When you bring Professor Chen back from treatment, we can meet again in the Capital City!”
Xue Li Yang was slightly surprised and after a few seconds of silence said:
“You’re going to Shaanxi… for tomb exploration?”
Su Mo nodded.
They both knew each other’s backgrounds; they were both successors of Mountain Movers and tomb raiding experts, so there was no need to hide it.
“I’m going to find something, and maybe a person!”
The thing Su Mo wanted was a dragon bone, and the person was naturally Chen Xia Zi, Chen Yu Lou, who had ended up in Gu Lan County!
Xue Li Yang nodded:
“I know your skills. Just be careful with everything, and wait for me to return from the Beautiful Country!”
After saying this, her beautiful eyes looked at Su Mo with a hint of hesitation, as if she had more to say.
Su Mo smiled slightly and suddenly opened his arms to pull her into his embrace.
He knew Xue Li Yang was used to being strong and independent. Except for that time in the stone chamber when she truly let her feelings out and threw herself into his arms, she hadn’t been so intimate since.
Her hesitant look now naturally meant she wanted to be more intimate with Su Mo but couldn’t bring herself to initiate.
Since you won’t take the initiative, I’ll do it!
Xue Li Yang stiffened slightly in his arms as if resisting, but a second later her body softened, and she naturally rested her face against Su Mo’s broad chest.
The two embraced silently like this for a while, neither seeming to want to separate.
Just then, Da Jin Ya’s voice came from behind:
“Master Su…”
“Yo! I’ve come at a bad time. You two continue, I saw nothing!”
