Book 3: Chapter 3: Exchanging Treasures

In a large hall of the Han Royal Dynasty’s imperial palace:

Gu Hai did not wear imperial robes but black civilian clothes when he received Li Shenji’s group with Shangguan Hen and Gu Qin.

“Mister Li, excuse me for not going out to meet you despite you traveling from afar. Might I ask if Mister Li has some purpose for wishing to see me?”

Gu Hai sat in the host’s seat while Gu Qin and Shangguan Hen sat to his left. Li Shenji sat on the right, and Li Shenji’s subordinates stood behind Li Shenji.

Li Shenji stared at Gu Hai.

Gu Hai kept his guard up against Li Shenji. After all, while he had not killed Li Haoran, he still needed to be careful, in case this Li Shenji went crazy over Li Haoran’s death.

“Hahaha! Division Master Gu, excellent plan. With the imperial casino, the Thousand Islands Sea’s spirit stones will flow unendingly to the Han Royal Dynasty? Are you trying to gain all of the Thousand Islands Sea’s spirit stones?” Li Shenji suddenly laughed.

Li Shenji did not mention a word about Li Haoran’s death.

“Oh? Mister Li is generous with his praise. There is no trick nor difficulty to the imperial casino. Perhaps there will be many imitators after this,” Gu Hai said, shaking his head.

“Imitators? That might not be the case. They can only imitate the form but not the spirit. In the end, your imperial casino is large and unique. Otherwise, my group of idiot subordinates would not end up delivering two thousand superior-grade spirit stones to your casino!” Li Shenji laughed.

Li Shenji’s subordinates behind him showed unsightly expressions, hanging their heads in embarrassment.

“Mister Li exaggerates. What my imperial casino has earned since it started business is just pocket change. I cannot compare to Mister Li!” Gu Hai said while smiling.

Li Shenji’s smile froze.

Could you be any more ridiculous? That cash cow is only pocket change?

Although Li Shenji did not move on to the main topic, Gu Hai did not rush. Instead, he patiently made small talk with Li Shenji.

After chatting for a while, Li Shenji found it somewhat dull. He took a deep breath, then segued to the main topic. “Division Master Gu, His Holy Eminence issued a decree one month ago, telling me to reorganize the Divine Strategy Battalion!”

“Oh? Congratulations, Battalion Commander Li!” Gu Hai said seriously while raising his eyebrows.

“I am here this time for none other than my Divine Strategy Battalion’s Divine Strategy Token. Is it with you?” Li Shenji asked with a frown.

“The Divine Strategy Token? I did find a token on Li Haoran’s corpse.” Gu Hai nodded.

“It’s good that you found it—” Li Shenji smiled.

“However, I accidentally lost it on my way back. If Battalion Commander Li wants it, you can search along the way to the old Peony Sect. Perhaps you can find it!” Gu Hai said.

Li Shenji’s face froze.

Can we not speak properly?

Le Shenji’s subordinates glared angrily.

However, Gu Hai shrugged and smiled. “Sorry, I made Battalion Commander Li come here for nothing. Battalion Commander Li is the battalion commander of the Qian Heavenly Dynasty’s Divine Strategy Battalion. I am Elite Hall’s Water Division Master. Thinking further on it, we are comrades, just from different departments. Since Battalion Commander Li needs help, Elite Hall and the Divine Strategy Battalion should work together and help each other out. However, I am helpless this time!”

“Gu Hai, we showed you respect, but—” Li Shengji’s subordinates glared even more intensely.

“How audacious!” Li Shenji scolded.

Li Shenji’s subordinates schooled their features and held their tongues. However, they continued glaring at Gu Hai.

When Gu Hai looked at the glaring group, he just smiled faintly. Earlier, he somewhat kept his guard up against Li Shenji. However, from Li Shenji’s words, he could tell that Li Shenji would not fall out with him. Otherwise, Li Shenji would not have mentioned becoming the Divine Strategy Battalion Commander.

“My men are poorly disciplined. Sorry for the embarrassment!” Li Shenji said with a smile.

“It’s fine. Your subordinates are passionate people. I can understand.” Gu Hai smiled faintly.

Seeing Gu Hai’s lukewarm expression, Li Shenji’s subordinates felt even angrier. Previously, they lost all their spirit stones at his casino. Then, they got beaten up. Now, the battalion commander scolded them because of Gu Hai.

Passionate people? Passionate, my ass!

“My Divine Strategy Token can’t be found?” Li Shenji said while staring at Gu Hai.

“That’s not necessarily so. Battalion Commander Li can try searching for it. Perhaps you will find it very quickly!” Gu Hai smiled faintly.

Li Shenji stared at Gu Hai for a while. Although they chatted for only a while, he found this Gu Hai even more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.

Why did Li Shenji not mention Li Haoran’s death? It was because Li Haoran’s death was connected to the previous Elite Hall Master’s death. Although it was the hidden culprit who killed Princess Xiaoyue, that person did it through Li Haoran’s hands, so Li Shenji could not do anything about it. Pursuing it would only bring a lot of trouble.

The Gu Hai before Li Shenji was actually very stubborn and did not leave any opening in his words. The first time he met Li Shenji, he changed into civilian clothes for the meeting. He put aside his identity as the Han Royal Emperor and communicated with Li Shenji as Elite Hall’s Water Division Master.

Given this, Li Shenji had to take Elite Hall into consideration.

“Hahaha! Division Master Gu is right. However, I have traveled from afar, and this place is Division Master Gu’s territory. With a command from Division Master Gu, you can shake up the world, so I will still have to trouble Division Master Gu. As Division Master Gu said, Elite Hall and the Divine Strategy Battalion are comrades, and we should help each other. Naturally, I deeply approve of that. I hope that Division Master Gu will help me this time!” Li Shenji said with a smile.

“That is natural. I’ll immediately send my men to search!” Gu Hai nodded and agreed straightforwardly.

Li Shenji’s subordinates appeared satisfied. However, Li Shenji’s expression froze.

Can you be any more fake? It clearly is with you, yet you said that so ostentatiously and pretentiously?

“Battalion Commander Li, do you need anything else? If I can help, I will do my best.” Gu Hai smiled.

“It’s like that. To thank Division Master Gu for helping me search for the Divine Strategy Token, I am willing to give a valuable treasure to Division Master Gu!” Li Shenji said through clenched teeth.

“Oh? Battalion Commander Li is too polite.” Gu Hai smiled.

With a flip of his hand, Li Shenji took out a glistening golden object. It was the Golden Black Tortoise Shell that he snatched from the Northern Sea.

Unfortunately, Gu Hai had not come in contact with cultivation for long, so he could not appreciate how good an item this was. Furthermore, he did not believe that Li Shenji would give him anything truly valuable.

“Oh? What is this?” Gu Hai said, feeling curious.

“Battalion Commander, how you could give him this Golden Black Tortoise Shell?” Li Shenji’s subordinates exclaimed.

After all, Li Shenji spent a lot of effort to obtain this Golden Black Tortoise Shell. How could he give it to Gu Hai so easily?

“Shut up!” Li Shenji shouted coldly, cutting his subordinates off.

“The Golden Black Tortoise Shell?” Gu Hai showed some confusion in his eyes.

On the other hand, the pupils of Shangguan Hen, who was seated nearby, constricted suddenly.

Shangguan Hen leaped to his feet and called out, “Your Majesty!”

“Huh?” Everyone looked at Shangguan Hen in bewilderment.

“Battalion Commander Li is a guest from afar. This subordinate does not have much to do recently. How about this subordinate lead some men to search for the Divine Strategy Token?” Shangguan Hen suggested seriously.

“Oh?” Gu Hai felt slightly startled. Then, he looked at the Golden Black Tortoise Shell in Li Shenji’s hand, as he could tell that Shangguan Hen wanted it.

“Alright. Battalion Commander Li, since that is the case, I will definitely find the Divine Strategy Token for you!” Gu Hai said seriously with a smile.

Li Shenli looked at Shangguan Hen suspiciously before eventually nodding.

The Divine Strategy Token was with Gu Hai. However, it was not convenient for him to take it out now.

——

Two days passed:

When Gu Hai led Shangguan Hen and Gu Qin to meet Li Shenji again, he took out the Divine Strategy Token.

“Division Master Gu, you have worked hard!” Li Shenji smiled coldly as he received the Divine Strategy Token.

“It’s to be expected. Elite Hall and the Divine Strategy Battalion are branches of the same tree. There will be many more opportunities for cooperation in the future!” Gu Hai smiled as he received the Golden Black Tortoise Shell.

At first, Gu Hai did not think much of the Golden Black Tortoise Shell. However, when he touched it, he sensed the strangeness of this treasure. When he casually swung it, some clouds appeared in the surrounding skies as though rain were imminent.

“In this case, this humble one will take his leave first. Let’s meet again in the Divine Continent!” Li Shenji said.

“Alright!” Gu Hai nodded.

Whoosh!

A flying ship suddenly appeared. Then, Li Shenji leaped onto the flying ship together with his subordinates before shooting into the distance.

Whoosh!

The flying ship reached the horizon within the blink of an eye.

——

“Battalion Commander, why did you give the Golden Black Tortoise Shell to Gu Hai? He clearly had the Divine Strategy Token. He was just blackmailing you!” a subordinate growled.

Li Shenji looked in the direction of the Han Royal Dynasty with cold eyes and retorted, “I know he had it. However, he insisted that he did not. What could we do about it?”

“Huh?”

“The Golden Black Tortoise Shell? Haha! Only the black tortoises can use it. I have studied it during this time and found that not only can I not forge enchanted treasures with it, but it is even a source of trouble. Miao Chen? Unexpectedly, even eight centuries after the Black Tortoise Prime died, so many black tortoises still have not forgotten him!” Li Shenji said coldly.

“Battalion Commander, you were just redirecting the trouble? Using Miao Chen to destroy the Han Royal Dynasty?” The eyes of one of Li Shenji’s subordinates at the side lit up.

Li Shenji did not deny that. Instead, he looked into the distance and said, “Alright, head straight back to the capital. His Holy Eminence gave me three months. He must have something important for me to do!”

“Yes!”

——

At the Han Royal Dynasty’s imperial palace:

Gu Hai looked at the distant flying ship, and his eyes turned cold.

“Imperial Father, that Li Shenji probably does not have good intentions. There might be something bad about this Golden Black Tortoise Shell that we don’t know about!” Gu Qin said with a complicated expression.

“I know!” Gu Hai nodded.

“Huh? Imperial Father knows? Then why…” Gu Qin trailed off in confusion.

“I studied the Divine Strategy Token and could not figure anything out. Perhaps only Li Shenji would know how to use it. Even if he did not get the Divine Strategy Token today, he would ask for it through Long Wanqing in the future. It would return to him sooner or later, so there was no point in keeping it. However, the most important thing is that Shangguan Hen needs this Golden Black Tortoise Shell!” Gu Hai handed the Golden Black Tortoise Shell to Shangguan Hen.

Shangguan Hen looked at Gu Hai and showed a bitter smile. Then, he nodded and said, “Yes. Many thanks, Your Majesty!”

Gu Qin watched bewilderedly as Shangguan Hen carefully accepted the Golden Black Tortoise Shell. “Mister Shangguan, what is the use of this Golden Black Tortoise Shell?”

“I boiled Yao Zhengtian into a soup and ate him. I will eat this as well!” Shangguan Hen explained.

Gu Qin: “…”

Gu Hai also appeared bewildered, but he did not ask any further questions.

——

Outside Nine-Five Island:

Boom!

Overwhelming waves soared into the sky as they pushed towards the shore. They drowned large patches of forests and mountains. Fortunately, there was no one living there.

When the water receded, Miao Chen’s figure appeared.

As Miao Chen stood on a mountain, he looked coldly in the direction of the Han Royal Dynasty’s imperial palace.

“It stopped? Prime, I, Miao Chen, swear to defend your shattered body to the death. No matter who it is, I will crush anyone who dares to defile your shattered body!” Miao Chen said coldly.

Boom!

Miao Chen stepped forward and shot towards the Han Royal Dynasty.

Rumble…!

With Miao Chen’s arrival, dark clouds filled the surroundings of Nine-Five Island. Lightning flashed, and thunder roared. It seemed like a storm approached.

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