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Chapter 251: Treasury Totem
🕑 Added 2025-06-24 20:53:50 +0000 UTCAll Novels || Martial God
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He Yiming and Medicine Daoist exchanged surprised glances. He inquired, "Brother Xu, is the Totem very important to them?"
Xu Chengchang said solemnly, "Indeed. They call themselves the Totem tribe, and it evolved from this."
Everyone's expressions grew serious. At this point, they all knew that while this Totem might not have much practical use, it was absolutely a spiritual symbol among these deep mountain tribes.
Medicine Daoist frowned. "It's strange. Since this thing is so important, why would they come to my Hengshan Mountain to find it?"
Lian Yi's heart stirred. "Could it be that they lost their Totem, but they came to my Hengshan Mountain..."
Several people exchanged glances, feeling a faint chill rise in their hearts.
Anyone who could cultivate to the Innate Realm certainly wouldn't be foolish. From just one sentence from this person, they had already guessed that there must be something they didn't understand.
"Brother Xu, please ask in more detail," Medicine Daoist said seriously.
Xu Chengchang nodded slightly. At this point, he also understood that the Totem tribe's emergence this time seemed not to be for their usual plundering, but for a special reason.
"Angda, why did you come here to find the Totem?"
"The Totem Emissaries said that outsiders stole our precious Totem and injured a Totem Emissary. We must take revenge," Angda said blankly.
"Outsiders stole the Totem..." A hint of anger flashed across Medicine Daoist's face. "How preposterous! Who would do such a thing? Isn't this just asking for trouble for our Northwest?"
Indeed, whenever the Totem tribe emerged from the mountains in previous generations, not only did the Northwest Countries go all out, but they also had to request reinforcements from the Northern Frontier Ice Plains and Eastern Great Shen. Faced with such a terrifying force, everyone tried to avoid them, but someone deliberately provoked them. In everyone's hearts, this person was absolutely deranged.
Xu Chengchang's face was grim as he continued to ask, "Have all your people come here?"
"The Totem Emissaries went to different places to gather information; we are just one of the groups."
"Hengshan Mountain is far from the Boundary of Life and Death. After you came out, why did you come directly here?"
Everyone immediately quieted down, their gazes fixed on Angda. This was absolutely the most crucial question.
Angda replied without hesitation, "Because He Yiming is here, that's why we came here to confirm."
Including Xu Chengchang, the elders looked at He Yiming in confusion, only to see him just as bewildered, looking as innocent as can be.
Xu Chengchang hesitated for a moment. He recalled when he first met He Yiming, this Supreme Elder of Hengshan Mountain didn't even know the origin of the Totem, so how could he have obtained their Totem?
Turning his head, he slowly said, "Angda, what does the disappearance of your Totem have to do with He Yiming?"
"The Totem Emissaries said that the one who stole the Totem was a young man, and he cultivated all Five Elements and had the strength to injure a Totem Emissary. After we came out, we inquired everywhere, and only this person met those conditions."
Xu Chengchang finally took a deep breath. Thus, a problem that had plagued everyone for a long time finally had an answer.
In the Boundary of Life and Death, what the Wolf Totem Clan was inquiring about was not He Yiming's deeds, but that only He Yiming met the conditions. That's why they went to great lengths to inquire and were detected by the scouts arranged there by Heavenly Lake Mountain.
Xu Chengchang glanced at He Yiming, but hesitated to speak. After all, he was not a member of Hengshan Mountain, and it was indeed awkward to question He Yiming directly.
Medicine Daoist and the others exchanged glances, finally clearing their throats. "Elder He, have you ever been to the Totem tribe?"
He Yiming had long been dumbfounded. He shook his head repeatedly. "No, I've never been to the end of that mountain range."
Hearing He Yiming's immediate denial, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Given He Yiming's status, he would never lie casually.
However, another thought lingered in their minds: If it wasn't He Yiming, then who went to the Wolf Totem Clan to steal the Totem? Could there really be a second expert in this world who cultivated all Five Elements?
Although Xu Chengchang was half-convinced, he didn't show his thoughts at all. Instead, he continued to ask, "Did you find the Totem?"
"Found it."
Everyone's spirits immediately lifted. Xu Chengchang was even more eager. "Where is it?"
"Right here on this mountain."
Everyone's expressions stiffened. This answer was too unexpected.
Xu Chengchang felt a faint chill in his heart; he couldn't ask another question. Although he didn't turn around, he vaguely felt several gazes falling on him.
His mind raced. If it was truly He Yiming who stole the Totem, and the Hengshan Mountain lineage intended to shield him, wouldn't his situation be extremely perilous? If they killed him here and blamed everything on the Totem tribe, even the main branch of Heavenly Lake Mountain would probably not find any flaws.
For a moment, his limbs felt cold, and he deeply regretted in his heart why he had left his travels and come to Hengshan Mountain...
He Yiming and the others couldn't guess what was on his mind, but their shock was considerable.
"Brother Xu, can you ask him how he confirmed the Totem was on the mountain?" Medicine Daoist took a deep breath and asked in a low voice.
"Alright." Xu Chengchang forced a smile and repeated the question.
"The Spirit Wolf found it," Angda said, his mind lost. He truly answered whatever was asked, without any concealment. "The Spirit Wolf can sense the presence of the Totem and find its approximate location."
"Where is the Totem?" Medicine Daoist asked nervously.
However, Angda ignored his words, like a deaf man, with no reaction.
Medicine Daoist's old face flushed, and he cleared his throat. "Brother Xu, you should ask."
Xu Chengchang inwardly groaned. The more he asked, wouldn't he sink deeper? He wanted to escape, but as soon as his gaze fell on the unconscious Giant Wolf, whose breathing was more out than in, he dispelled that unwise thought.
He Yiming could even catch a Spirit Beast, so how could he, an Innate Master who hadn't even reached the Single-Line Sky Realm, escape his pursuit?
Dispelling the distracting thoughts in his mind, he reluctantly said, "Angda, where is the Totem?"
"Near where we were discovered."
Medicine Daoist and the others frowned in deep thought. However, in just a few breaths, the faces of all the elders changed dramatically.
Xu Chengchang's face also changed dramatically. He had been secretly observing Medicine Daoist and the others' expressions, and at this moment, his heart felt truly desolate, as if a biting north wind had swept through, leaving his heart utterly cold...
He Yiming was the most surprised. He asked curiously, "Elder Yao, what's wrong?"
Medicine Daoist's expression was solemn. "Elder He, have you forgotten? Near the place where you discovered them, is our Hengshan Mountain lineage's public treasury."
He Yiming nodded slightly, but to be honest, he really had forgotten.
After all, he hadn't been in Hengshan Mountain for long. Although he knew there was such a treasury and had entered it once when he was promoted to elder, the impression wasn't deep. Compared to these elders who had lived their entire lives in Hengshan Mountain, how could he recall it so quickly?
"Elder Yao, are you saying the Totem is in the treasury?"
Medicine Daoist pondered, "In my memory, I don't recall ever placing any Totem there." With that, he turned to look at Yu Xichen.
The Main Peak's treasury was naturally in Yu Xichen's hands. No one knew better than him what was inside.
Yu Xichen shook his head repeatedly. "I know everything in the treasury like the back of my hand. How could there be any Wolf Clan's Totem there?"
Lian Yi, being the most impulsive, said, "It's simple, isn't it? Let's just go and see."
The few people nodded simultaneously. Medicine Daoist's gaze suddenly caught Xu Chengchang. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to find an outsider as a witness, so he smiled, "Brother Xu, why don't you come with us?"
Xu Chengchang smiled, saying, "That is the treasury of the Hengshan Mountain lineage. This junior will not go."
His face remained impassive, but his heart wished that He Yiming and the others would all leave. Then, he would surely seize this opportunity to escape Hengshan Mountain. As long as he could enter the mountains alone, even He Yiming would find it difficult to track him.
However, since Medicine Daoist had decided to have him as a witness, how could he give up? "Brother Xu, our Hengshan Mountain lineage and the Heavenly Lake main lineage are originally of the same origin. Moreover, the location of the Main Peak treasury is not a secret; all Peak Masters know about it. Besides..." He paused, then decided to speak plainly, "We don't remember any Totem being in the treasury, so we would like to ask Brother Xu to be a witness."
Xu Chengchang sighed inwardly, but he knew that at this point, any further pretense would be ungracious.
Helplessly, he had to bite the bullet and agree. The group of six walked towards the treasury.
A moment later, they arrived outside the treasury. Yu Xichen said, "Brother Xu, forgive the impropriety."
Xu Chengchang smiled slightly. He turned his body, and at the same time, his ears made a "plop" sound, tightly covering his ear holes.
This was his way of indicating that he would not look or listen, having no intention of seeing how the other party opened the treasury.
Soon, Medicine Daoist, standing in front of Xu Chengchang, made a gesture of invitation.
Xu Chengchang released the True Qi controlling his ears and recovered. He saw that the original stone wall had disappeared, and a dark, deep passage had appeared on the ground.
Several people descended one after another, and soon arrived in the underground chamber.
Inside the underground chamber were the treasures accumulated by the Hengshan Mountain lineage throughout the generations.
However, both He Yiming and Xu Chengchang, as well as every elder, knew that while the items stored here were precious, they were definitely not the most valuable treasures of Hengshan Mountain.
After all, this was a public treasury, and the truly best items were all in private hands.
Even a prominent and well-established lineage like Hengshan Mountain couldn't escape this fact. For example, one would definitely not find the Innate Golden Pill that Yu Jinglei had received here.
Upon arriving, Xu Chengchang looked straight ahead, as if he hadn't seen anything inside.
Yu Xichen cleared his throat and generously introduced, "Brother Xu, if that Spirit Wolf really discovered a Totem, then it must be here. But our Hengshan Mountain treasury has never had..."
His voice suddenly stopped abruptly, and his confident eyes suddenly widened.
Everyone followed his gaze and saw a seemingly very ordinary sheepskin lying in an inconspicuous corner.
Under normal circumstances, even if Yu Xichen saw this item, he wouldn't be too surprised; at most, he would consider it a mat. However, at this moment, they were searching for the symbolic Totem of the Wolf Totem Clan. Coupled with the fact that he truly didn't remember such a sheepskin being placed there, his words abruptly stopped in his tracks, startled.
Everyone exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a hint of suspicion and disbelief.
Medicine Daoist took a few steps forward, picked up the wolf hide, and after a careful look, his face immediately became extremely grim.
"Brother Yao, is this really the Werewolf Clan's Totem?" Lian Yi asked impatiently.
Medicine Daoist, without a word, tossed the item over. Lian Yi caught it and spread it out on the ground.
This time, even the anxious Xu Chengchang couldn't help but peer over out of curiosity.
It was a square piece of hide. Everyone's eyesight was incredibly sharp, and they knew at a glance that this hide was definitely extraordinary.
However, what truly shocked them was the strange, fine lines on this hide, made from the skin of an unknown beast. These lines formed a series of obscure patterns.
Although no one could understand the meaning of the patterns, a golden wolf could be clearly seen among them.
The treasury instantly fell silent. Even the most optimistic person earlier was now silently disappointed.
"Who put this in here?" Medicine Daoist's eyes gleamed with anger as he sharply questioned.
Everyone shook their heads, even He Yiming was no exception. They all knew the matter was serious, and no one dared to joke about it.
"Since no one put it in, did it grow legs and walk in by itself?" Medicine Daoist's eyes flashed with a sharp glint, then he said, "There must be something fishy about this."
Everyone's hearts trembled, and their gazes simultaneously turned to He Yiming.
The one who stole from the Wolf Totem Clan was a young man who cultivated all Five Elements, and this young man was even powerful enough to injure a Totem Emissary.
This target was too obvious. Any expert in the Northwest would probably unanimously say that only one person met these conditions.
He Yiming frowned slightly. "Everyone, I have never been to the place where the Totem tribe resides."
His words were firm and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Medicine Daoist hesitated. "Elder He, we naturally trust you. And in the past few months, you were in Kairong Country, and many people can testify for you."
He Yiming was slightly stunned, then forced a bitter smile.
He had stayed in the mountains with Yuan Lixun and One Hundred and Eight for several months, and during this time, no one could testify for him.
Xu Chengchang, who had been feeling uneasy, finally calmed down after seeing the Totem.
As an observer, he was initially worried, but at this moment, he grew suspicious. If all this was truly done by the Hengshan Mountain lineage, then they would have long since secretly hidden the Totem. Why would they put on a show in front of him?
Moreover, from beginning to end, Medicine Daoist and the others had been quite friendly to him. Even upon discovering the Wolf Clan Totem, besides shock, no one showed the slightest killing intent.
Thus, his mind gradually settled. Seeing everyone looking distressed, he couldn't help but say, "Everyone, this matter is indeed full of strangeness."
He Yiming and the others all turned their gaze to him. Xu Chengchang pursed his lips. "If I were Brother He, even if I wanted to steal the Totem, I would absolutely not go openly, nor would I use all Five Elements Cultivation Methods. Wouldn't that clearly reveal my identity to them?"
Everyone's eyes lit up. Unless someone was extremely foolish, who would do such a thing?
Xu Chengchang's eyes gleamed. Since he had started speaking, he had no qualms and spoke freely: "Also, if this Totem was truly taken by Elder He, then he absolutely wouldn't place it in the public treasury. No one would refute this point, I presume?"
Medicine Daoist and the others nodded one after another, a look of relief appearing in their eyes.
No matter who it was, if they had gone through great hardship to obtain the Totem, they would never place it in the sect's public treasury.
"Brother Xu speaks well. Someone must be framing us," Lian Yi said confidently.
"Exactly, that's right," Xu Chengchang said with a righteous expression. "This matter is bizarre. If anyone else asks, I, Xu, will certainly testify."
Medicine Daoist and the others all revealed grateful smiles, sincerely thanking him.
Cold sweat trickled down Xu Chengchang's back. He thought to himself, his life was definitely saved, no matter what.
In truth, whether this matter was He Yiming's doing or not was irrelevant to him. The reason he tried so hard to show goodwill was to prevent He Yiming and the others from having any murderous intentions.
However, he didn't know that He Yiming and the others had never entertained such thoughts from beginning to end.
He Yiming reached out and picked up the Totem. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it felt.
A thought suddenly popped into his mind, and he tore slightly with his finger. Then, a strange light appeared in his eyes.
With his current finger strength, he still couldn't tear it open, not even a tiny crack.
He Yiming's movements were not subtle; everyone saw them clearly.
Seeing him try to tear the Totem, everyone was shocked, but when they saw He Yiming couldn't tear it, their expressions became even more spectacular.
A thought simultaneously popped into their minds: No wonder the Wolf Clan valued this Totem so much; it truly had unique properties.
However, they didn't know that at this moment, He Yiming's heart was even more shocked, because he also had a similar piece of hide in his hands...
Chapter 252: An Eye for an Eye
