Chapter 38: Tying Up Loose Ends

Map Shop.

With Hai Bodong’s former glory restored and the subsequent matters concluded, Chen Xiao no longer felt like lingering outside the city, so he returned with Teng Shan.

"When do you plan to leave Mo City, Elder Hai?"

Hearing Chen Xiao’s address, Hai Bodong smiled with satisfaction. In the past, this brat had always called him "Ice Emperor," which lacked the closeness he felt now.

"Three to five days at most. The city lord of Mo City was already suspicious of my identity, and after the commotion today, coupled with Teng Shan’s comings and goings, it wouldn’t take much for him to realize who I am. If I stay any longer, I won’t have a moment’s peace," Hai Bodong replied with a chuckle. Having abandoned the idea of taking Chen Xiao as an apprentice in favor of building a friendship, he felt completely at ease.

Chen Xiao nodded slightly. In the original timeline, Hai Bodong’s identity remained hidden, yet he was still constantly bothered by those seeking to curry favor. Now that his identity was becoming clear, staying on would only make the situation more chaotic.

"Brat, if you have something to say, just say it. Although I only just broke my seal today, my strength has recovered by seven or eight parts. What you find difficult might be a mere trifle in my eyes."

Strength brought confidence. The current Hai Bodong was no longer just an ordinary old man in a map shop; his demeanor and speech now truly possessed the aura of the Ice Emperor.

Hearing this, Chen Xiao no longer hesitated. "There are indeed two small matters I need your help with, Elder Hai."

"Speak."

"First, I would like to ask you to visit the place where Queen Medusa took the Green Lotus Core Flame. The Green Lotus Core Flame takes a hundred years to form and a millennium to bloom into a lotus; the flame is born from the heart of this lotus. I suspect Queen Medusa does not fully understand the nature of Heavenly Flames and may have left the Core Flame Lotus behind. The Fire Lotus Seeds within it are precious treasures. If you can retrieve them, how about we split them fifty-fifty?"

Given Chen Xiao’s current strength, it was impossible for him to venture deep into the subterranean magma. Therefore, he had to rely on Hai Bodong as his manual laborer. Given their friendship and the fact that he could not obtain them without Hai Bodong, a fifty-fifty split was only fair.

"Is that so? You brat, despite being ice-aligned, you know quite a lot about Heavenly Flames. I’ve noted it down. I will head there tonight. With my sensitivity to that woman’s aura and the correct direction, finding her entry point into the underground won’t be difficult."

This was a good deal, and Hai Bodong had no reason to refuse. In truth, even if Chen Xiao hadn’t suggested splitting the spoils, given how highly he regarded Chen Xiao now, he wouldn’t have refused anyway.

"Take me with you when you go, Elder Hai."

Deep underground, there was a Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake. Now that Qing Lin had begun her cultivation, if she could use that Fire Spirit Snake to awaken her Green Snake Flower Pupils and subdue it, the benefits would be immense. It would also provide her with a formidable bodyguard, making it safer for them to travel. It was a win-win situation, so why not?

"Consider it done," Hai Bodong agreed with a nod.

"The second matter concerns your remnant map, Elder Hai." As he spoke, Chen Xiao glanced toward the corner of the room. Teng Shan was not an outsider, so there was no need for Chen Xiao to hide things from him.

"You’re really set on that, aren’t you! Don’t tell me that woman told you about it?" Hai Bodong looked surprised. He hadn’t forgotten the day he first met Chen Xiao. Chen Xiao had been browsing the shop, and Hai Bodong had kept a close eye on him, yet Chen Xiao had acted like any ordinary person when he saw the map, never raising any suspicion. Now, it seemed that wasn't the case at all.

"To be honest, I do know something about this map. It is likely one-eighth of a complete map. What it records is a type of Heavenly Flame, and one with a very high ranking—certainly not something a Dou Huang or even a Dou Zong could covet. I don't have much interest in the flame itself, but if I can collect all the fragments, it would be a significant bargaining chip."

Once he showed interest in the map, Hai Bodong would naturally guess that he knew something. Thus, there was no need for Chen Xiao to act mysterious; revealing a little was harmless.

"Heh, you’re being too optimistic. I won’t hide it from you—this map was the cause of my conflict with Queen Medusa over a decade ago. After I obtained it, I studied it for years with no results, and I couldn't find any news of other fragments. To improve my chances, I even split it into two, purposely bringing one out to attract those with interest. Yet, all these years, only you have shown any desire for it. To gather them all? What kind of luck would that require?"

This was true. For an ordinary person, finding the fragments was like looking for a needle in a haystack. If not for a protagonist like Xiao Yan, finding even two in a lifetime would be a miracle, let alone all of them.

"If you want it, take it. I’m sick of looking at it anyway; I could draw it perfectly with my eyes closed. If you truly have the luck to gather them all, just satisfy my curiosity when the mystery is finally revealed." As he spoke, Hai Bodong flipped his hand, took out the other half of the map, and tossed it casually onto the table in front of Chen Xiao.

He was so decisive for the reasons he had just mentioned: it was too difficult, there was no hope, and he truly knew it by heart. Furthermore, he didn't want to tarnish the image he had built in Chen Xiao's mind.

Chen Xiao bowed in thanks. Instead of rushing to pack the half-map, he stood up and walked to the corner to retrieve the other half. He picked up both pieces, examining them with curiosity, occasionally tugging at them and letting out sounds of wonder.

"Don't bother. The material of this map is very special; I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve tried many ways—cutting, burning, freezing—but nothing could damage it. Only this black ore can split it."

*Clack.* A piece of ore, palm-sized and resembling obsidian, fell onto the table.

"What kind of ore is this? I don't recognize it at all." Teng Shan, who had been silent, grew curious and picked it up, but after a long look, he remained clueless. Teng Shan was the head of the wealthiest family in the Jia Ma Empire; if even he couldn't recognize it, the rarity of this ore was evident.

"I don't know. I picked it up by chance while out of the city. I saw it was sharp, so I brought it back to try, and to my surprise, it really could cut the map," Hai Bodong shook his head.

After Teng Shan finished fiddling with it, Chen Xiao took it. Although he couldn't identify it, he was certain this black ore was extraordinary. After all, even Xiao Yan’s Heavenly Flame couldn't damage the map, yet Hai Bodong could split it—that in itself was absurd. Now that he knew the reason, Chen Xiao finally understood.

After playing with it for a moment, Chen Xiao put down the map, took the black ore, and made a quick motion. Instantly, the two fragments, each one-eighth of the whole, were split into four, becoming one-sixteenth in size.

Suppressing the urge to make another cut, Chen Xiao picked up the four small pieces, a hint of a wicked smile on his face. With both objectives achieved, Chen Xiao was eager to return and study the information in his mind, so he stood up immediately.

"Qing Lin is likely waiting for me. Elder Hai, Patriarch Teng Shan, I shall take my leave now. See you tonight!"