Chapter 1118: The Vanished Treasures

Despite the young man appearing under twenty, two prominent auras instantly made Jin Bai's demeanor much more deferential.

He Lingchuan was also surprised by Jin Bai's words. "You've already found it?" he asked.

Jin Bai politely stated that He Lingchuan's arrival was "timely," but while He Lingchuan was sailing east, Jin Bai and his team had already independently located the tribute and sent another request for instructions to Mu Nation.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror in his arms exclaimed, "Oh, so you came all this way for nothing?"

He Lingchuan shook his head almost imperceptibly.

Not for nothing. As Deputy Commander of the Shadowfang Guard, Jin Bai naturally had autonomous authority when on missions abroad. If the tribute had simply been stolen by petty thieves, they could have recovered it themselves. Why go to the trouble of sending an urgent message back to Mu Nation?

The term "request for instructions" indicated that the matter was complex and beyond their authority to resolve independently.

So he asked, "Are the thieves hard to catch, or do they have special identities?"

"Bo Nation," Jin Bai said, his face grim. "It's Bo Nation, just as suspected."

This Cloud-Turning Emissary was quite perceptive.

"How did Commander Jin figure it out?"

"After the tribute was stolen, we returned to the Carefree Sect to search for clues. Sect Master Li mentioned that Bo Nation had suddenly sought to purchase a Bright Lamp Brazier from the Carefree Sect two months ago. Of course, the Carefree Sect would not sell a tribute item."

The Bright Lamp Brazier was a tribute from the Carefree Sect to Mu Nation. Its rarity meant it couldn't be sold, and its existence had to be kept a strict secret.

He Lingchuan hummed in acknowledgment. "So, neighboring nations and factions are unaware that the Carefree Sect offers Bright Lamp Braziers as tribute to Mu Nation?"

Jin Bai shook his head. "They don't know. This has always been a core secret passed down through generations within the Carefree Sect, known only to a select few."

"Is the very existence of the Bright Lamp Brazier a secret?"

Jin Bai hesitated. "Not necessarily."

"Alright, judging by the information, Commander Jin suspected Bo Nation early on?"

Jin Bai asked him, "Does Mr. He know the effects of the Bright Lamp Brazier?"

"I've only heard bits and pieces."

"This is a treasure that protects the Dao heart and awakens one's true self," Jin Bai said gravely. "The second son of Bo Nation's monarch went mad while cultivating and has been insane for over a year. The best physicians were helpless, and no medicine worked. The Bo Nation monarch even executed his Chief Imperial Physician over this, yet still couldn't restore his son to normal. The Bright Lamp Brazier matures only once every thirty years; if he knew of it, he wouldn't let this opportunity pass."

"Does the Bright Lamp Brazier truly possess such miraculous effects?"

"Even ordinary people, desperate when ill, try anything. Furthermore, the Carefree Sect, upon reviewing scrolls left by their predecessors, found methods for refining 'Heart Lamps.' These texts stated that if a patient's madness or delusion stemmed from inner demons, then a Heart Lamp made from the Bright Lamp Brazier might offer a cure."

The Carefree Sect ancestors truly embodied the wisdom of great physicians, never speaking in absolutes. He Lingchuan bluntly asked, "Commander Jin, is this merely suspicion, or do you have concrete evidence?"

There can be countless suspects, but only one truth.

Jin Bai was silent for a few moments before speaking. "Just five days ago, the madness of Bo Nation's second prince significantly improved; I heard he can now recognize people. The Bo Nation monarch was overjoyed and declared a two-day national celebration."

"Ah, that is indeed very suspicious." He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "How long after using this 'Heart Lamp' does it take to take effect?"

"It's unclear. However, the Carefree Sect states that refining a Heart Lamp requires at least half a month, and a patient needs to wear it for a significant period to recover fully. This varies from person to person; some may need a year or half a year, while others only three months." Jin Bai picked up the teacup on the table and drained it. "From a timing perspective, it aligns perfectly."

The Bright Lamp Brazier was stolen nearly forty days ago, the Bo Nation's second prince's mental state improved recently, and a "Heart Lamp" takes at least half a month to refine... How could such a coincidence exist?

He Lingchuan had to admit that Jin Bai's deduction seemed sound. "Assuming the Bright Lamp Brazier has indeed been refined into a Heart Lamp and used by Bo Nation's second prince, how will the Emperor decide?"

"If I were to presume His Majesty's intentions, he would likely want the Heart Lamp back," Jin Bai said solemnly. "No matter what form Mu Nation's tribute takes, it remains Mu Nation's tribute, and any other nation that lays claim to it will pay the price!"

He Lingchuan spoke practically:

"Although Commander Jin has reached a conclusion, I still wish to hear your verbal account of the theft. The more detailed, the better."

This was precisely the reason he had come to Bo Nation.

A Shadowfang Guard nearby refilled their tea, and Jin Bai began to recount the events.

Long before the Bright Lamp Brazier matured, his group had arrived at the Carefree Sect and stayed for five days. On the day it matured, he successfully collected it with the Sect Master's accompaniment and personally secured it.

This marked the beginning of the Shadowfang Guard's escort mission.

The Bright Lamp Brazier matured only every thirty years, and this was Jin Bai's first time escorting such a rare treasure.

Once the treasure was in hand, he didn't dare slack for a moment. Leading a guard of over ten, he traveled non-stop from the Carefree Sect directly to Julu Port, resting only two nights along the way.

Incidentally, both nights were spent within Bo Nation's territory.

Upon reaching the port, they were supposed to board a ship directly back to Mu, as sea travel was safer than land travel during that season, and the ship's enclosed environment limited external contact. However, when the Shadowfang Guard arrived at Julu Port, they discovered the harbor was blocked by driftwood washed down the river, making navigation impossible.

Everyone was stranded at the port, awaiting the clearing of the waterway.

For those two days, Julu Port was teeming with people.

When navigation resumed, the port was teeming with people, and ships came and went like shuttles, making it ten times more chaotic than any dock He Lingchuan had witnessed that day.

It was at this moment that Jin Bai discovered the tribute had been stolen.

This discovery was a profound shock.

"Had you boarded the ship by then?"

"Not yet. I discovered the tribute was gone as we neared the dock," Jin Bai said, pointing to the storage ring on his hand. "The Bright Lamp Brazier had always been kept in this ring and never left my person."

The ring was still there, but the Bright Lamp Brazier inside had vanished? This was quite intriguing. He Lingchuan pondered:

"Can Commander Jin confirm the exact time and location of the theft?"

"Yes," Jin Bai stated definitively. "After we entered Julu Port, I checked the storage ring once, and the tribute was still inside."

This means the Bright Lamp Brazier was not lost during the journey from the Carefree Sect to Julu Port.

"Just before the port resumed navigation and we headed to the dock, I also checked it once, and the tribute was still there."

In other words, they lost the Bright Lamp Brazier while en route to the dock.

This was bizarre. In broad daylight, with over a dozen people wide awake, how could an item be taken from a storage ring?

Unless the ring was removed, the tribute simply could not have been stolen.

This meant the storage ring must have left Jin Bai's person at some point.

But how could he have been entirely unaware?

He also had over a dozen Shadowfang Guards with him; were they all blind?

"Has Commander Jin gathered any other clues recently? After all, you've been here for over a month; surely, you haven't come up empty-handed?"

"At the Floating Isle Ghost Market, several months ago, someone was inquiring about information regarding Bright Lamp Grass. However, he was masked and concealed his identity, so the people at the Ghost Market didn't know his appearance or origin." Jin Bai leaned back. "Such characters are common at the Ghost Market for buying goods and gathering intelligence."

"Two days ago, we found another clue at the Ghost Market: roughly a month ago, someone sought to purchase Duyun Stone. This item isn't widely used, but it's essential for refining a Heart Lamp."

He Lingchuan tentatively asked, "How will the Bright Lamp Brazier be used once it's returned to Mu Nation?"

"That's unclear; it's beyond my responsibility."