Chapter 294: Reincarnated Body

Qin Yanyan finally understood why her father had always been reluctant to reveal his true identity.

Although Qin Haoran was the leader of one of the Four Great Demonic Sects, an uncrowned king of the underworld with countless ruthless and murderous cultivators at his command, this was not an identity he could flaunt. If Qin Yanyan ever faced an opponent who boasted about being from a top-tier sect and demanded her surrender, her father's true status would be useless. What if Qin Yanyan retorted with a mischievous smile, claiming her father was a demonic sect leader and telling her opponent to surrender to avoid being beaten to death by her? There would be no 'after that'. The opponent would simply report them to the authorities, and the Nine Nether Sect would be swiftly crushed. The leader of the Nine Nether Sect was the Great Xia Dynasty's most wanted criminal; it would be a case of walking directly into a trap. Furthermore, if his identity were to be exposed, and everyone knew Qin Yanyan's father was the demonic sect leader, it would severely jeopardize her political background check and future prospects.

Most importantly, he was burdened with massive debts, leading an unstable life with the constant risk of creditors showing up at his doorstep. It was even possible that Su Yiren, upon learning all this, might deem Qin Haoran unreliable and divorce him.

"You really don't remember where the treasure is hidden at all?" Meng Jingzhou persisted, unwilling to give up. This was the treasure of a demonic sect leader, after all, its value immeasurable.

Qin Haoran furrowed his brow, trying to recall the memories from that time. His memory fragments were not only fragmented but also vague in certain parts, like trying to see flowers through a thick mist. "Let me think... it should be something from four hundred years ago... something related to a pagoda tree..."

Lu Yang pondered for a moment before sending a telepathic message to the three female ghosts.

In the main hall, the clear sound of reading filled the dilapidated temple, giving it a renewed atmosphere. Three lightly dressed female ghosts moved among the scholars, much to their excitement. "Whoever performs well in this lesson will receive private instruction from me," the green-clad female ghost whispered, her voice incredibly alluring. The scholars' eyes lit up, and they began to read and study with unprecedented zeal: "To learn, and then to practice it timely, is this not a joy?"

Hearing Lu Yang's telepathic message, the three female ghosts clapped their hands and announced, "Gentlemen, we have some urgent matters to attend to. The next class will be self-study." They then left the bewildered scholars and went to a side room.

"How many pagoda trees over four hundred years old are there in Guhuai Town?"

The three female ghosts were taken aback by the question. It was Little Seven, the cleverest of them, who replied, "There are currently eighty pagoda trees over four hundred years old. However, not all the pagoda trees that existed four hundred years ago are still alive. Some were cut down for furniture, others were burned as firewood, and Guhuai Town also suffered a major fire that destroyed swathes of them."

Meng Jingzhou felt the situation was tricky. He had initially assumed there weren't many pagoda trees over four hundred years old, making it manageable to check them individually. He hadn't realized how simplified his thinking was; most of those trees had not survived to the present day.

Lu Yang nodded, then asked, "When are you scheduled to hand over the Yang energy to Lord Mi?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"What is Lord Mi's cultivation level?"

"He should be in the early Nascent Soul stage."

This was consistent with Lu Yang's estimation. Most demonic sect officials responsible for a county typically had cultivation levels in the early Nascent Soul stage. Those, like Helmsman Chu of Yanjiang County, who were only at the late Golden Core stage, were exceptions. After all, the cultivators in Yanjiang County generally had lower cultivation levels, so there was no need to assign someone too powerful as the local head.

"Tomorrow, the three of you will follow my instructions..."

In Shoutian County, a basement rented for twenty spirit stones a month, Lord Mi, the Nine Nether Sect's official for Shoutian County, was meticulously pouring tea for a handsome young man. The young man's cultivation was not high, only at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

"Lord Mi, you're too kind," the young man said. "I am merely a low-ranking disciple in the sect; I wouldn't dare trouble a distinguished figure like yourself."

"Please, I can't possibly accept the title 'Lord Mi' from you. Young Master Qin, just call me Old Mi."

Lord Mi offered an ingratiating smile while inwardly cursing, *Who would dare treat you as a mere low-ranking disciple?*

The young man unhurriedly took a sip of tea, showing not an ounce of respect for Lord Mi, as if the latter were his subordinate. "Lord Mi, you should be aware of the purpose of my visit."

"Is it about the treasure Sect Leader Qin hid in Guhuai Town?"

The young man set down his teacup and casually stated, with an air of absolute certainty, "To be precise, it's for *my* treasure." Noticing Lord Mi's hesitation, the young man crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back slightly in his chair. "What, Lord Mi, do you still not believe that I am Qin Haoran's reincarnation?"

"Young Master Qin, you jest," Lord Mi quickly replied. "Everyone in the sect knows you are the reincarnation of Sect Leader Qin."

While Lord Mi said this, he remained inwardly skeptical. At some point, a rumor began circulating within the sect: the previous sect leader, Qin Haoran, had glimpsed a portion of the true meaning of reincarnation. Though his life tablet had shattered and he had supposedly perished, he had, in fact, entered reincarnation to prepare for the great struggles of a future era. Recently, three young men named Qin had emerged, each claiming to be Qin Haoran's reincarnation and seeking to inherit his legacy.

Each of these three young men was backed by high-ranking officials within the Nine Nether Sect. No one dared to openly deny that these young men were Qin Haoran's reincarnation, nor dared to declare which of them truly was. This situation involved a complex power struggle among the Nine Nether Sect's upper echelons. Lord Mi suspected that the high-ranking officials had divided into three factions, each aiming to claim Qin Haoran's legacy, and had thus each put forth a supposed reincarnation of Qin Haoran.

The young man before him was one of these three suspected reincarnations. This was why Lord Mi treated him with utmost respect, not daring to show even the slightest neglect. What if, by some chance, he truly was the reincarnation of Sect Leader Qin? Being polite would certainly do no harm. Moreover, how could such a person travel without a protector? One must surely be lurking in the shadows, ensuring the young man's safety. Lord Mi surmised that the young man's position was precarious and that he intended to bolster his claim as Qin Haoran's reincarnation by locating the treasure the sect leader had left in Guhuai Town.

Regarding the treasure in Guhuai Town, rumors abounded. This wasn't something Qin Haoran had revealed himself. Rather, it was spoken of by one of his trusted confidants after Qin Haoran's demise. This confidant claimed that the Sect Leader had placed some papers into a wooden box, and he had glimpsed inscriptions indicating large sums of spirit stones, suspected to be banknotes exchangeable for spirit stones at a merchant guild. The confidant had then deduced from various clues left by Sect Leader Qin that the wooden box was hidden in Guhuai Town.

The confidant had initially paid little heed to this information, but after the Sect Leader's demise, he developed a covetous desire for the wooden box, hoping to claim it for himself. Unfortunately, the wooden box had been secured with a special seal by Sect Leader Qin, effectively blocking all external detection methods. The confidant visited Guhuai Town several times but was never able to locate it. Even after the high-ranking officials became aware of its existence, they too failed to find it. They dared not openly turn Guhuai Town upside down, as such an overt action would alert the imperial court. The matter was thus shelved, with Lord Mi tasked to keep a constant watch. Lord Mi had been monitoring the situation for several years with no success. He merely made it a habit to casually inquire about it with the female ghosts during each visit, signaling to his superiors that he was still actively searching.