Chapter 88: Chapter 88 of the “Beiyuan Local Chronicles
 

Qi Yue really hadn’t expected that she would encounter Song Gensheng once again.

Ever since she saved Song Gensheng’s second uncle in that dilapidated temple, it seemed like an invisible thread had linked her to this family.

It was true that she ran into them wherever she went.

Song Gensheng was both surprised and delighted, immediately accommodating her in the best room of the inn, and preparing the finest meal for her.

Upon learning that Qi Yue’s people had been captured as spies, Song Gensheng immediately pounded his chest, assuring her confidently.

“Don’t worry, sister Goodness, leave this matter to me, I’ll make sure to get them out first thing tomorrow morning,”

With this matter resolved, Qi Yue finally felt at ease.

Although Song Gensheng was young and a thief, his initial frankness had struck a chord with Qi Yue, and they sat opposite each other, chatting merrily.

“Sister Goodness, what brings you to Western Chu this time? It wouldn’t be for that National Treasure, would it?”

The kid kept calling her “good person,” which made Qi Yue a bit embarrassed. She hadn’t intended to play the hero when she saved them back then.

Strangely enough, though she was usually aloof with others, she felt a natural closeness to the chubby Song Gensheng.

“My name is Qi Yue, you can call me Sister Yue.”

Song Gensheng grinned broadly.

“Then Sister Yue can call me Little Brother Gensheng, and from now on, we’ll be good siblings,”

“Alright,” Qi Yue smiled, broaching the topic of the National Treasure again, “Little Brother Gensheng, you’re so young, how do you even know about the National Treasure? Don’t tell me your family is also interested in it?”

“Sister Yue, I’m not little anymore, I’m already fifteen. In our Guyang, kids are considered adults at ten and can go on missions,”

Qi Yue was astonished, she couldn’t imagine what life was like in the world of thieves, and how it differed from modern gangs that manipulated children into thievery.

It was one thing for adults to be forced by harsh circumstances, but training children to become thieves was something she truly couldn’t understand.

Song Gensheng continued talking about the National Treasure.

“Sister Yue, let me tell you,” he suddenly lowered his voice, leaning in a bit, “I know where the National Treasure is located, it’s definitely not in the sixteen states of Yan and Yun.”

“…You know?” Qi Yue was completely shocked.

This was the first time she had heard someone so openly claim to know about the treasure, and he was just a kid.

“I do,” Song Gensheng’s voice was hushed, “I found out from listening to a conversation between my dad and an uncle.”

“Can you tell me where it is?” Qi Yue tried to contain the excitement in her heart.

After all, who wouldn’t want a National Treasure? To not desire it was foolish.

“I don’t know the exact location, but I know how to find it.”

“How?”

Song Gensheng said the National Treasure originated from the previous Emperor of Beiyuan Kingdom. In his later years, he had a foreboding that his successor would bring ruin to the entire kingdom. He, therefore, commanded his men to secretly amass a large hoard of gold and treasures and hide it in a secret location, entrusting it to two highly trusted guardians.

One guardian knew the location of the treasure, while the other held the map to where the treasure was hidden.

After entrusting the affair to them, the old Emperor separated the two, instructing them that they could only meet again when the kingdom was in utter chaos and danger, to then jointly uncover the treasure and save Beiyuan Kingdom.

At this point, Song Gensheng gave a mysterious smile.

“Sister Yue, do you know who these two people are?”

Qi Yue was baffled.

“I don’t know.”

If Song Gensheng hadn’t revealed his identity from the start, she might have suspected the boy was a spy sent by someone nefarious to probe for information.

He kept asking endlessly.

But Song Gensheng seemed quite pleased with her ignorance, and with another secretive smile, he lowered his voice again.

“Have you heard of Beiyuan’s genius War God, Zhao Xiyan?”

Zhao Xiyan?

Qi Yue’s heart tightened.

“You mean, Zhao Xiyan is one of the guardians of the National Treasure?”

Song Gensheng did not reply but asked back, his face full of surprise.

“Sister Yue knows him?”

“I’ve heard a little about him.”

Qi Yue restrained the anger in her heart. Zhao Xiyan had told her that he knew nothing about the National Treasure! How could he now be one of its guardians?

Song Gensheng looked a little downhearted as he hung his head.

“I knew you wouldn’t know, he’s wise and brave, with limitless strategies, he is the person I admire the most, my greatest wish is to meet him just once.”

Admire my ass, the guy’s crippled!

The strategies sure are formidable, he learned how to charm people’s hearts so well, otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone through a divorce and still be running errands for him!

Qi Yue drew the corners of her lips tight, enduring as she listened to Song Gensheng speak.

“I heard that he was sent off by the damn Emperor to Longnan Ridge, I want to find him, but the alliance has arranged a lot of missions for me.”

When Song Gensheng talked about the Guyang Bandit Gang, they referred to themselves as the Guyang Bandit Alliance, for short, the Alliance.

“So, what you’re saying, is it related to the National Treasure or not?” Qi Yue interrupted him with impatience.

“Just tell me, is Zhao Xiyan one of the guardians or not?”

She still held onto a glimmer of hope, hoping everything was as Zhao Xiyan had said, that he knew nothing about the National Treasure.

Otherwise, she really couldn’t gather the White Rhino Horn for him anymore.

He might not like her, but he shouldn’t scheme and deceive.

“It depends on how you look at it,” Song Gensheng shook his round head as if he were stating something important. “In a certain sense, Zhao Xiyan could be considered a guardian, but in another sense, he could also not be considered one.”

Qi Yue was almost driven mad by Song Gensheng.

“Just get to the point. Is he or is he not, can’t you just say it in one sentence?”

“Of course, it can’t be explained in just one sentence.”

Song Gensheng kept shaking his head, looking so experienced he simply didn’t appear to be a fifteen-year-old child!

“Then you say it, I’m listening!” Qi Yue was truly at the end of her patience.

If it weren’t for the need to keep her identity hidden, she would have grabbed Song Gensheng and given him a good thrashing to make him clarify things in a few words.

So young, yet babbling like an old granny!

“Sister Yue, there is a story behind this, let me explain it to you slowly.”

Song Gensheng took a sip of wine from the table and began his tale.

The gist of it was this: one of the guardians appointed by the old Emperor was the Imperial Tutor, Mo Zhizhi, who had the map. Mo Zhizhi disguised the map and placed it inside a book called “Beiyuan Local Chronicles.” Many years later, Mo Zhizhi took a disciple, who was Zhao Xiyan.

Zhao Xiyan was unrivaled in intelligence, and in the year he completed his studies, Mo Zhizhi was so happy that he gifted him this book.

Later, the Zhao Family was implicated, and “Beiyuan Local Chronicles” ended up lost to the outside world.

“So, you’re saying Zhao Xiyan really doesn’t know anything about the National Treasure?”

“Of course he doesn’t,” Song Gensheng said with a face full of regret. “If he knew, that would be great, I could help him find the National Treasure.”

Getting a positive response, Qi Yue completely relaxed.

Only then did she realize how foolish she had been. After all, Zhao Xiyan wasn’t even born when the old Emperor entrusted his treasure!

Suddenly, Song Gensheng said excitedly.

“Actually, it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t know. I’ve found out the whereabouts of that book, and once I retrieve it, I’ll go to Longnan County to find him!”

This shocked Qi Yue considerably.

The “Beiyuan Local Chronicles” was lying in her space at this very moment. Where would Song Gensheng find it?