Capítulo 293: Chapter 293: The Seventy-Two Immortal Monuments
On the floating island of the City Lord's Mansion in Unmatched City!
"Wu Hen, prepare a feast!" Zhong Shan ordered.
"No need. Just bring me what I came for quickly. I have another place to go to right after this," the Western Poison Emperor interrupted immediately.
"Very well. Wait outside for a moment while I discuss something with our guest. Just bring some tea," Zhong Shan replied.
"Yes!" Shui Wuhen responded promptly.
The Western Poison Emperor gave Zhong Shan a curious look, a strange smile playing on his lips. Wanting to speak with him alone? This young man certainly had guts.
The two of them moved to a small pavilion and sat down across from each other. The others waited outside, and a maid soon arrived, serving tea to both Zhong Shan and the Western Poison Emperor.
"What is it that you want, Senior?" Zhong Shan asked directly.
"Heh, you're more straightforward than I am, kid. Fine, I'll be quick. I've come to take the 'Immortal Monument' of Unmatched City," the Western Poison Emperor stated.
"The Immortal Monument?" Zhong Shan frowned.
"What? Unwilling to part with it?" the Western Poison Emperor's face darkened.
"There's been a misunderstanding, Senior. I've simply never heard of this Immortal Monument. Allow me some time to investigate and see what I can find," Zhong Shan replied.
"Hmm!" The Western Poison Emperor nodded.
Turning his head, Zhong Shan called out to the people outside the pavilion, "Do any of you know what the Immortal Monument is?"
The gathered officials looked puzzled, but Ah Da's eyes suddenly brightened as if he was about to speak, only to be cut off by Zhong Shan's look.
"Wu Hen, you grew up in Unmatched City and know it better than anyone. Tell me, what is this Immortal Monument?" Zhong Shan immediately turned to Shui Wuhen.
Ah Da's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but Zhong Shan's stern glance silenced him, leaving him confused but obedient.
"I'm not sure, my lord. I'll need to check the records of Unmatched City to see if there's any mention of such a monument," Shui Wuhen replied.
"Then hurry and gather a team to bring the records here and start searching through them," Zhong Shan ordered.
"Yes!" Shui Wuhen responded immediately and quickly gathered a team of officials. They brought tables and chairs and started poring over a mountain of documents.
Turning back to the Western Poison Emperor, Zhong Shan apologized, "I'm sorry, Senior. I've only been in charge of Unmatched City for a few months."
Seeing Zhong Shan's diligence, the Western Poison Emperor's irritation seemed to ease.
Ah Da appeared to know something, but Zhong Shan had his reasons for not letting him speak. Perhaps he wanted to engage the Western Poison Emperor in a conversation?
"May I ask, Senior, how did you come to know that the Immortal Monument is in Unmatched City?" Zhong Shan asked with a frown.
In a good mood, the Western Poison Emperor replied, "Someone informed me."
"Senior, with your formidable strength and reputation as the world's foremost poison master, this Immortal Monument must be some kind of powerful artifact?" Zhong Shan asked cautiously.
"An artifact? Haha, if it were some kind of powerful artifact, it wouldn't be left in Unmatched City, would it? Don't worry, it won't cost you anything, and besides, there's more than one Immortal Monument in the world," the Western Poison Emperor replied, giving Zhong Shan a peculiar look.
"Oh?" Zhong Shan nodded thoughtfully.
"Kid, don't get any funny ideas," the Western Poison Emperor warned, looking at Zhong Shan with a sly smile.
"No Hidden Motives? What Could I Possibly Want?" Zhong Shan Laughed
"No hidden motives? What could I possibly want?" Zhong Shan chuckled.
"You know exactly what you want," the Western Poison Emperor said with a wicked smile.
"Alright, I'll be straightforward. Senior, would you be interested in holding an honorary position in my army?" Zhong Shan asked directly. When dealing with a cunning old fox like the Western Poison Emperor, it was best to be upfront.
"An honorary position? I'm used to my freedom, and besides, I have other matters to attend to," the Western Poison Emperor shook his head.
"I'm not asking you to do anything. You just need to leave your name on our records. Come and go as you please. If you ever need something, my army can help you find it or get it done," Zhong Shan explained.
"So, you're saying I only need to lend a hand when your army is in a dire situation?" the Western Poison Emperor inquired.
"That would be ideal, of course. But it's entirely up to you, Senior. You're not obligated to help if you don't want to," Zhong Shan smiled.
"Entirely up to me? No obligations at all?" The Western Poison Emperor raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, you wouldn't have to do anything if you don't want to," Zhong Shan confirmed.
"Hah, kid, there have been no fewer than a hundred people trying to recruit me in the past. Each one of them was a prominent figure in their own right. Who do you think you are? What makes you think you can help me?" The Western Poison Emperor laughed.
"Senior, are you not impressed by my soldiers?" Zhong Shan asked with a smile.
"Impressed? If I wanted, I could have an entire empire's army at my beck and call. What advantage do you have?" The Western Poison Emperor shook his head dismissively.
"I understand that you don't want to be tied down. Otherwise, there would surely be some great power capable of satisfying you," Zhong Shan said calmly.
"Exactly! I hate being controlled by anyone," the Western Poison Emperor stated.
"Hehe, Senior, you misunderstand. I wouldn't dare try to control you. My army wouldn't even be a challenge for you," Zhong Shan replied.
"Hmm?" The Western Poison Emperor looked at Zhong Shan curiously.
"All I want is to use your name to deter the petty villains who might try to harm my troops. Even though my army is weak, it's still an imperial force with vast resources and intelligence. If you hold an honorary position in my army, I can't promise to find every Immortal Monument for you, but I can at least provide you with leads on where they might be," Zhong Shan smiled.
Zhong Shan had quickly deduced from the Western Poison Emperor's haste to leave and refusal to attend a banquet that he was likely in search of another Immortal Monument. There were many such monuments in the world, and he probably didn't know the exact location of all of them. Even if he did, times had changed, and they might not be in the same places anymore. Thus, Zhong Shan sought to entice him with the prospect of new information and support.
The Western Poison Emperor hesitated, contemplating Zhong Shan's offer.
"Commander, we found it!" Shui Wuhen announced.
"Oh? Where is it?" Zhong Shan immediately stood up, and the Western Poison Emperor, excited, did the same.
Shui Wuhen glanced at the Western Poison Emperor, then at the City Lord's Mansion. "There used to be an Immortal Monument in Unmatched City, but it was later used as the foundation stone for the main hall of the City Lord's Mansion."
"Dismantle it and retrieve the monument!" Zhong Shan ordered without hesitation.
"Uh, yes!" Shui Wuhen responded immediately.
The Western Poison Emperor frowned slightly.
When they reached the main hall, the cultivators quickly began to dismantle the building. With a few powerful strikes and some applied magic, the luxurious hall was soon reduced to rubble. It didn't take long to unearth the Immortal Monument mentioned by Shui Wuhen.
The Immortal Monument was grey and stood a hundred meters tall, resembling a massive tombstone. It had an ancient and grand appearance, with a large character, "Feng," inscribed on one side. The other side was as smooth as a mirror.
It didn't look particularly special, and that was precisely what made it extraordinary. It was so ordinary that it became strange because spiritual senses couldn't detect its presence at all, an eerie and unusual phenomenon.
"Senior, Is This It?" Zhong Shan Asked With a Smile
The Western Poison Emperor reached out to touch the monument, sighing in satisfaction, "Yes, it's exactly like the one that girl has. Haha, I've found the first one!"
With a flick of his hand, he didn't bother to ask Zhong Shan for permission and simply stowed the monument away.
The onlookers were visibly upset, but Zhong Shan remained calm and unperturbed.
"The Immortal Monument of Unmatched City has been found. If you're interested, Senior, I can dispatch people to swiftly locate the whereabouts of the other monuments and inform you," Zhong Shan offered.
The Western Poison Emperor looked at Zhong Shan with a peculiar expression.
"Kid, don't you want to know what this monument is for? You're just letting me take it?" the Western Poison Emperor asked, slightly puzzled.
"What difference would it make? I promised to give it to you, so I won't go back on my word," Zhong Shan replied with a smile.
Zhong Shan spoke the truth. If it were an ordinary artifact, he wouldn't care much. If it were a powerful one, even if he didn't give it to the Western Poison Emperor, it would likely end up in the hands of the Grand Sovereign. Instead of getting nothing, it was better to let it be put to good use.
The Western Poison Emperor stared at Zhong Shan for a moment before saying, "Very well. Although I'm known as a ruthless poison master, I do have a clear sense of honor and enmity. Besides, you seem to get along with me. I'll allow you to use my name to scare off the petty troublemakers."
"Thank you very much, Senior," Zhong Shan said excitedly. Things had gone quite smoothly.
"No need to thank me. It's because of you that I found this monument so easily. I still need to find nine more, so I won't stay any longer," the Western Poison Emperor replied.
"Senior, I will immediately send people to the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty to gather information on the other Immortal Monuments. How should I notify you when I find something?" Zhong Shan asked.
The Western Poison Emperor still found the whole situation somewhat surreal. Everything was going too smoothly. However, for the sake of the Immortal Monuments, he said, "I'll come find you in a year!"
"Alright!" Zhong Shan nodded in satisfaction.
The Western Poison Emperor nodded as well, then flew away in an instant.
As he flew off, Zhong Shan let out a long sigh of relief.
"Commander, why did you help him so much?" Shui Wuhen asked with a frown.
"At the very least, we don't have to worry about the Western Poison Emperor becoming our enemy. He's powerful enough to poison an entire city. Even if we can't make him our friend, we definitely don't want him as an adversary," Zhong Shan explained.
"Yes!" Shui Wuhen immediately replied.
"Rebuild the main hall and bring me all the records about the Immortal Monuments," Zhong Shan instructed.
"Yes!" Shui Wuhen answered.
Zhong Shan's reasons for helping the Western Poison Emperor were far more complex. Through him, Zhong Shan's gaze extended to something much larger: the Dragon Clan!
He remembered the day he saw that young girl being pursued by the Western Poison Emperor. She rode a dragon, surrounded by a protective entourage of dragons. It was only a brief encounter, but it had left a lasting impression on Zhong Shan.
Was the girl the one the Western Poison Emperor referred to?
"To take something, you must first give something!" Zhong Shan had long understood the deeper meaning of this phrase, which is why he had made those concessions.
By evening, the main hall was reconstructed!
Zhong Shan sat inside, looking through the records on the Immortal Monuments. After finishing, he took a deep breath, frowning slightly.
"Sir, you called for me?" Ah Da walked in from outside the hall.
"Yes, Ah Da, come and sit!" Zhong Shan said in a friendly manner.
"What can I do for you, sir? Is it about the Immortal Monuments?" Ah Da asked after sitting down.
"Yes. Earlier, you seemed like you wanted to say something. Do you know anything about the Immortal Monuments?" Zhong Shan asked, looking at Ah Da.
"Yes, it's quite coincidental. Because of the princess, I happen to know a bit about the Immortal Monuments. I wanted to say something earlier, but I saw you stop me, so I didn't speak up. Actually, there are seventy-two Immortal Monuments in total across the world," Ah Da said after some thought.
"Seventy-two in total? Seventy-two Immortal Monuments?" Zhong Shan frowned at Ah Da.
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