Chapter Nine: Fortune Favors the Bold

“He’s here!”

A member of the enforcement team shouted, instantly awakening everyone.

“Bad, chase him!”

“There’s only him left. The item must be in his hands—we absolutely cannot let him escape!” someone called out.

Through his binoculars, Chen Xian saw that after this figure tossed something into a bird’s nest, he bolted off into the distance.

In the process, the man crashed through several large trees, causing a tremendous rumbling sound.

Even from a distance, Chen Xian could faintly hear the thunderous noise, revealing just how massive the commotion was.

As the figure sprinted away, Chen Xian barely made out a group of people following behind him.

Though these pursuers did not radiate the same aura, under the moonlight Chen Xian could discern the distinctive insignia of the enforcement team on their bodies.

He had seen it earlier that day at the station, so he wouldn’t forget it.

“The enforcement team…”

“Could this man be one of the bandits who fled from Jiangzhou to Suzhou?”

“That must be it. He’s definitely one of those bandits. Besides them, who else could draw the enforcement team out like this?” Chen Xian speculated quietly.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed with a new thought.

“Something so valuable that bandits would risk so much to snatch it—there’s no way they’d come back soon. In that case…”

His heart suddenly raced, excitement welling up inside him.

Once the idea took root, it could no longer be suppressed.

“No, this is too dangerous. Calm down, stay calm!”

Chen Xian took a deep breath, repeatedly urging himself to be rational.

Yet the restless impulse only grew stronger and more intense.

He wanted to fly over and grab that item immediately, but reason warned him of the peril.

And if he were caught, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“I can’t delay any longer. If I wait, it’ll be too late.”

Determination shone in his eyes.

“Fortune favors the bold.”

Besides, this place was remote with few passersby. With the enforcement team drawn away, they wouldn’t return soon.

Chen Xian reassured himself thusly.

Tianlan University, where he studied, wasn’t in the city center but on the outskirts, adjacent to a mountain range.

His rented apartment was in the faculty housing district, a quiet and secluded area—precisely why he chose it.

Only a wall separated the housing from the mountains beyond.

At that moment, Chen Xian’s eyes gleamed.

He had made his decision to take the risk.

Changing into dark clothes and donning a hat, he wrapped himself up and stepped out, heading toward the tree with the bird’s nest.

Normally, no one passed this way, so he encountered no one en route, which put him somewhat at ease.

Soon, he arrived beneath the tree with the nest.

“This is it.”

Carefully surveying the surroundings and seeing no one paying attention, he slipped into the grass and stealthily climbed toward the treetop.

His speed was swift—within mere seconds, he reached the canopy where the nest lay.

There, a package came into view. Chen Xian’s eyes brightened.

He quickly reached out and grasped the item.

Under the moonlight, he couldn’t discern what was inside the package, but at this moment, he had no desire to peek.

After nimbly descending the tree, Chen Xian dashed back toward the faculty housing.

Before long, he arrived at the building’s entrance.

“Phew…”

He exhaled deeply, his pounding heart gradually calming.

“Hopefully no one saw me. Let me see what it is—something worth risking exposure to hide.”

A slight smile crossed his lips. After scanning the area to confirm he was alone, Chen Xian drew the curtains and went into his bedroom to open the package.

His expression shifted slightly.

“The Dragon-Tiger Pill Scripture.”

Inside was a sacred text bearing those very words on its cover.

Chen Xian swallowed nervously, his breath growing rapid.

He hastily flipped through the book, eager to confirm if this was indeed the famed scripture he had heard of.

If so, it would be an extraordinary opportunity.

[The Great Pill Secret: not recorded in scriptures or treatises, passed down from sage to sage, containing only a few cryptic formulas.]

[Because later disciples were dull and could not grasp the meaning, I was forced to annotate and explain it on paper—may the predecessors forgive me.]

[The Five Elements reversed, the dragon emerges from the fire. When the five elements do not follow their course, the tiger is born in the water…]

Reading these lines, Chen Xian gasped in shock.

“This… this truly is the scripture.”

“The item stolen by those bandits is none other than the core inheritance of the Dragon-Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Sect.”

“This is audacious beyond belief.”

“No wonder they risked everything to seize it.”

After finishing the Dragon-Tiger Pill Scripture, Chen Xian drew in a cold breath.

“This is the secret legacy of Dragon-Tiger Mountain.”

“If other martial artists learn of this, it will cause a sensation, possibly igniting bloody conflicts.”

Now he understood why the enforcement team pursued so relentlessly. Chen Xian inhaled deeply.

This was no trivial matter. If exposed, it would shake the entire Great Black Tortoise Martial World, a scenario he desperately wished to avoid.

“No, this is too big to handle. I must deal with it quickly, or else the consequences will be endless.”

His brow furrowed deeply.

Such a precious treasure like the Dragon-Tiger Pill Scripture would awaken the greed of countless people. If word spread, many would stop at nothing to obtain it.

The martial world would surely erupt in turmoil.

At present, the scripture was a hot potato, and with supernatural powers now manifesting, no one knew how many possessed such abilities.

If some strange supernatural force traced this scripture’s whereabouts, it would be perilous for him.

After some thought, Chen Xian resolved firmly.

To him, the scripture itself was not what mattered most, but the knowledge contained within.