One Pound Meat, One More Attribute Point

Chapter 55: The Secret Treasure

"It’s really incredible..." Su Heng let out a deep breath, his expression solemn.

He thought he had estimated the demons highly enough, but they turned out to be even more terrifying and difficult to deal with than he had imagined.

"Those stupid, brainless demons have either been killed or locked up in the Demon Suppression Tower; naturally, the smarter ones are left," Su Li explained.

"Let me take a look at this booklet, I’ve heard people from the Sky Demon Alliance mention it before," said Su Li.

Su Heng handed her the booklet, "There are some maps in it and some inscriptions, but the pictures are very abstract, I can’t understand them."

In Baihua County, being in unfamiliar territory, even with these clues, he would probably not be able to find the so-called treasure by himself. As for Xu Ziyi and Xu Baixia, their abilities were just average, and the power of their family was probably not outstanding.

Honestly, Su Heng wasn’t particularly concerned with the contents of the booklet.

"Interesting." With the bright moonlight, Su Li flipped through the booklet, and a small smile slowly formed on her lips.

"That smile..."

"Is there something strange about these maps?" Su Heng moved closer, curious.

"This map, if you search according to the features depicted on it alone, you’re definitely not going to find anything," Su Li’s slender and lustrous finger pointed to the simple ink drawing in the booklet as she spoke, "Because it’s a light and shadow map, the features drawn in the book are different from the actual appearance of the mountains and rivers; you need to find it from a specific location."

"That’s complex," Su Heng said, somewhat surprised, "our ancestors really went to great lengths to leave something for their descendants."

"So how do we find this special location?" Xiao Qing also tiptoed and leaned in.

"The wool comes from the sheep; the answer is in the book," Su Li flipped through a couple of pages and then found a line of inscription—

"On the bridge, the cold spring’s thin stream; in the fairy stone, a three-foot hole; cloth sails flit across the sea cliff like shuttles, weaving the autumn moth in their true and wonderful year."

"What does this inscription mean?" Su Heng felt somewhat confused.

"Hmm... The literal meaning of the words isn’t important; what’s important is the specific location they refer to," Su Li tilted her head, with a contemplative expression on her face, "Figuring out this line of poetry should lead us to the hidden treasure left by the Xu Family’s ancestors."

"I have some impression, but I’m not sure, I need to ask someone about it," Su Li said with a smile, "How about it? Let me handle this, you won’t miss out on anything."

"Sure," Su Heng nodded.

He wasn’t particularly interested in the treasure; since Su Li was willing, he was happy to let her go for it.

Besides, judging by Su Li’s expression, Su Heng always felt that her interest in the treasure hunt process was even greater than in the treasure itself.

With the booklet in Su Li’s hands, the three of them took a brief rest before setting out again.

A day and a night passed.

When the sun slowly rose on the third day, standing on a small, protruding hill, Su Heng could broadly see the outline of Baihua County.

…

…

…

Jiangzhou’s Baihua County is established on the fertile valley plains, with its outer city built of huge stones and to the east lies the vast and magnificent Guang River. The city constructed nine grand docks along the Guang River, inspired by the idea "Nine dragons spew water to bathe the womb, eight divisions of divine light shine upon the palace platforms."

The nine docks, each with its distinct style but all equally massive, bustled day and night with a constant flow of large and small merchant ships, as well as an endless stream of wealth, information, weapons, and people.

Behind the docks lies the bustling market of Baihua County, teeming with people. Merchants and sailors from all corners of the land gather here to boast, chit-chat, drink, and summon prostitutes. Hidden among the streets, there are also underground gambling dens and black markets for people to indulge in.

Su Heng had heard from Su Li before.

In a large city like Baihua County, with the surrounding towns and villages, the population exceeds one million.

This would have been impossible in ancient dynasties of his previous life, when a city’s population exceeding one hundred thousand was already considered quite remarkable. Baihua County’s scale, aside from its developed agriculture, must also be attributed to some supernatural forces at play.

Riding a large boat, Su Heng and his two companions crossed the Guang River and stepped onto the dock.

Along the dock, elite soldiers clad in dark iron heavy armor maintained order, with the sharp points of long spears and arrows glistening with a cold light in the dawn’s early rays.

Su Li pulled out an ancient-looking iron Token from her bosom, and upon seeing the mythical beast inscription on it, the leading armored soldier immediately adopted a respectful expression.

Su Li, Xiao Qing, and Su Heng smoothly entered the county government.

The streets were bustling with scholars and merchants in long robes, as well as rugged fighters from the rivers and lakes in short attire, revealing their muscular builds, and even exotic tribes from the north with blue pupils and thick body hair. On both sides of the street were various shops and restaurants, with the sounds of hawkers, shouting, and argumentative conversations never ceasing.

"It’s really lively here, and there’s a lot of tasty food, hmm, it smells pretty good," Su Heng remarked.

The streets were crowded with people.

But Su Heng didn’t feel cramped.

Mainly because he now stood over two meters tall, with an extreme weight of over five hundred pounds.

This weight, on someone of Su Heng’s height, did not appear cumbersome.

This was because Su Heng’s muscle density had already reached three times that of an ordinary person, or even more.

To an ordinary person colliding head-on with him, it was essentially like running into a wall of iron. As he walked forward, the pedestrians on the road parted like the waters before a ship, moving aside to avoid him before they even reached him.

Of course…

Such an exaggerated physique and formidable, superhuman build inevitably drew many sidelong glances and stares.

Even after passing by, some would continuously look back. A girl with delicate, exquisite features, at the age of five or six, held by her father, had dropped her sugar haw on the ground without noticing, her eyes wide open and reluctant to turn back.

Su Heng felt somewhat helpless.

Fortunately, he had gradually grown accustomed to being the center of attention like this, but the most pressing matter was still to find a place to stay.

Baihua County was a large city, and where one stayed mattered.

There were mainly three types of accommodations.

The first type was inns and taverns, where anyone with money could stay, but the environment was average, and with people from all walks of life gathering there, safety was not guaranteed.

The second type was mansions. Generally speaking, the environment in mansions was much better than that of taverns and inns, built near mountains or by water, like a small resort. They had full amenities for recreation and leisure without interfering with dining and enjoyment. However, to stay there, one not only needed money but also proof of identity.

As for the third type, it was postal stations. Postal stations only accommodated officials, and although the environment was not necessarily special, security was ensured. Additionally, they provided horse exchanges, and some offered special services in politics and the military.