Chapter 56: The Famous Detective Tang Jinbiao

“Why have you stopped, Brother Biao? We’re still very far from the Azure Dragon Pool!”

Discovering Tang Jinbiao had suddenly come to a halt, Tang Hu frowned slightly and stopped as well, questioning him.

Tang Jinbiao’s gaze was currently fixed across the river, towards a patch of Dense Forest, seemingly searching for something.

“Hmm, it’s nothing. I just recalled some things, that’s all. Alright, let’s keep moving. This Azure Dragon Pool you mentioned might just have some treasure after all.”

A smile, hard to interpret, flickered across Tang Jinbiao’s face. He shook his head, spoke, and then continued sprinting along the riverbank towards the direction of the Azure Dragon Pool.

That place Tang Jinbiao had been looking at, if you walked deeper in, was where he had once seen Tang Yilin bathing. Over the past days, Tang Jinbiao had begun to feel a little sorry for Tang Yilin, a tinge of guilt stirring within him. After all, both times he had been the one who behaved discourteously first.

“Right, Brother Biao, I’ll tell you, once we get there, we’ll first show you that glowing spot. Then when night falls, we can head directly over.”

Tang Hu naturally had no idea that Tang Jinbiao had experienced such an intimate moment with Tang Yilin not far away. His mind was utterly preoccupied with the “treasure” rumored to be within the Azure Dragon Pool.

They were all Body Refiners. Covering a mere hundred miles running at full speed was the work of only two or three watches.

They arrived at the edge of the Azure Dragon Pool well before midday. Gazing at the expanse of water stretching ten miles in every direction, Tang Jinbiao felt a slight tremor within his heart.

Although the Azure Dragon Pool was only ten miles across, not particularly large, for someone who had never seen the ocean, it was immense. The waves churning the lake surface were only about three feet high, but waves that size, for someone unacquainted with the sea, seemed enormous.

Swoosh!

A loud roar accompanied a large wave crashing towards the shore.

“How big!”

Looking at the Azure Dragon Pool, Tang Jinbiao suddenly felt incredibly small. In his previous world, such a large lake was unimaginable; he had only seen small ponds.

If this were before, facing waves of this “size,” he wouldn’t have had the courage to even enter the water. With waves like that, he’d surely be thrown back if he tried to wade in, and he might even drown.

“Haha, Brother Biao, it’s nothing really. This is just a lake. You haven’t seen… well, neither have I, it’s just something I’ve heard… but I’ve heard that far away in the east, there’s a place called the Floating-Sinking Continent. Between the Floating-Sinking Continent and our Divine Wind Continent lies a boundless ocean. That is what you call truly vast. A lake like this? Facing an ocean like that, it wouldn’t even count as a drop in the ocean!”

Tang Hu, standing nearby, seemed to notice Tang Jinbiao’s amazement and spoke up.

“But, for me, this is already vast enough. In my eyes, it’s already huge!”

Tang Jinbiao suddenly recalled something Huang Biaozi had often told him. Huang Biaozi always talked about goals: that a person must have a goal when living. Whether the goal was lofty or modest, they had to have one. At this moment, Tang Jinbiao felt the lake before him was vast enough. As for the boundless ocean – because he’d never seen it, he couldn’t even imagine it.

Just as the saying often goes: More vast than a stream is a river; more vast than a river is the sea; more vast than the sea is the sky; more vast than the sky is the human heart!

But who can truly say how vast a stream is? How vast a river is? How vast the sea is?

If you asked someone how vast the sea is, they’d surely say “boundless,” or “as far as the eye can see,” right?

But in that moment, did an actual sea really appear in their mind?

What appeared in their mind might just be words like “wide,” “vast,” “boundless,” right? That seems rather hollow and powerless, doesn’t it?

If that’s so, doesn’t that mean the narrowest thing might actually be the human heart?

“This…?”

Tang Hu was slightly taken aback. He seemed to grasp the meaning behind Tang Jinbiao’s words but couldn’t immediately find a reply.

“Alright, let’s get ready. We’ll rest up a bit first, then head straight into the water. Ah Hu, you lead the way.”

Tang Jinbiao didn’t want to dwell on the question. He spoke and then walked over to a large tree by the shore, starting to take off his clothes.

“But… was it really vast enough for me?”

Watching Tang Jinbiao’s receding figure, Tang Hu was deep in thought, feeling he had grasped something crucial.

“Of course, that’s it! Even though Brother Biao is merely at the First Rank of Body Refining entry level, he managed to defeat a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. His Cultivation Level might be negligible in the eyes of Nascent Soul and Nascent Soul Cultivators, but to us, Brother Biao is already an invincible presence, an immense figure! Hmph, it must be exactly as I thought! Brother Biao is pushing me to train diligently and find my own goal—one that must be close at hand.”

Tang Hu seemed to reach an epiphany in an instant, his eyes flashing with excitement.

…

Half an hour later, Tang Jinbiao and the others had mostly recovered their stamina. After warming up, they plunged into the water one after another with a plop plop.

“Ah! So cold!”

“Freezing!”

Despite it being noon with three suns high in the sky, the lake water remained bitterly cold. Had they not prepared thoroughly, such a jump might have caused cramps instantly. Fortunately, as Body Refiners, they adjusted after a dozen breaths.

“Ah Hu, lead the way!”

Tang Jinbiao spoke up after somewhat adapting to the lake’s chill.

“Alright!”

Ah Hu nodded and swam ahead first, heading toward their destination.

“Ah Bi, all of you, follow!”

Tang Jinbiao quickly pursued him, glancing back to give the order to Tang Bi and the other two behind.

“Understood!”

“Got it!”

The three nodded earnestly.

…

Three hours later, by the Azure Dragon Pool, under a large tree, several were grilling carps they had caught while chatting about various trivial matters.

…

Four hours later, they played and splashed around in the lake.

…

Five hours later, they lay on the shore, fast asleep.

…

Suddenly, darkness fell as the Triple Moons rose in the sky as usual.

Hum!

Splash!

Just as the Triple Moons ascended, accompanied by a massive wave crashing ashore, a faint call emanated from within the lake.

“Hmph, it’s here!”

“It’s happening!”

Tang Jinbiao and the others had long been seated at the shore, awaiting the glow Tang Hu mentioned. At the Dragon’s Roar, excitement lit their faces.

Splash!

Hum!

After a dozen breaths, another large wave crashed over them, accompanied by the faint, clear cry of Dragon’s Roar.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Just as this second Dragon’s Roar sounded, at the center of the lake, four or five li away from them, a dim light began to appear. This dim light resembled a Black Hole, a gigantic maw, and the surrounding waters slowly began to converge toward that spot.

“It’s appeared!”

“Brother Biao, look over there!”

When the Black Hole emitting the dim glow appeared, expressions of worry washed over the faces of Tang Hu, Tang Bi, and the others. They stood up quickly and urgently pointed it out.

“Hmm, I see it!”

Tang Jinbiao nodded. He too had seen that Black Hole exuding the dim light.

From a distance, the Black Hole seemed only palm-sized, but judging by the distance, it was likely three to five zhang wide. While not large relative to the lake itself, in the falling dusk, it was clearly visible. During the day, they had visited that spot but found nothing, even diving down to investigate, yet nothing was discovered.

“What a shame that that Old Charlatan Huang Biaozi isn’t here! Otherwise, we could ask him. He’d surely know what that thing is!”

At that moment, Tang Jinbiao immediately thought of Huang Biaozi. It seemed he had finally recognized the man’s usefulness and felt a slight pang of longing for his presence.

“Brother Biao, should we go over?”

Tang Hu’s face showed a hint of hesitation; he wasn’t quite sure of Tang Jinbiao’s plan.

“Wait a moment. Let me think it over. Should we really go? The main question is, is it dangerous? Did you all try approaching before?”

Tang Jinbiao naturally wasn’t going to charge in recklessly. Safety was paramount, especially now that Huang Biaozi was absent. All consequences would fall squarely on his shoulders.

“Not entirely sure. We didn’t enter at night last time!”

Tang Hu shook his head and responded.

“Hmm, didn’t go in?”

Tang Jinbiao lowered his head, deep in thought.

Tang Jinbiao pondered inwardly. After a short while, an idea formed in his mind, and he said to Tang Hu and the others: “All land within a hundred li radius belongs to the Tang Family. In fact, because of the Tang Family’s power, there are hardly any households even within a two-hundred li radius. So, even though this lake is beyond the hundred li mark, calling it Tang Family territory wouldn’t be wrong. If I were a Tang Family Elder, I wouldn’t tolerate any unstable elements existing within my own home ground. If this place held danger, those Elders would surely have issued repeated strict orders and laid down powerful Restrictions or a Seal around it. If that’s so, then this place likely holds no danger. Conversely, if there was danger here, even the kind the Tang Family Elders couldn’t handle, with the Tang Family’s wealth and influence, they could simply relocate. Yet, the Tang Family continues to thrive here, and there are no tales of any strange happenings. Hmm… following that logic, this place must be safe! Yes, exactly, it must be safe!”

“Yes, exactly, this place is definitely safe!”

After this line of reasoning, Tang Jinbiao was absolutely certain the Azure Dragon Pool held no danger; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been left unattended.

“Hmm, Brother Biao is right!”

“Indeed, Brother Biao speaks sense!”

“Brother Biao must be correct! Witness my gaze… God-Slaying Gaze! Charge!”

“Haha… haha… haha… Let’s go!”

Tang Hu and the others were completely convinced by Tang Jinbiao’s arguments, especially Tang Bi. Without waiting for the others, with a loud splash, he was the first to leap in.

Splash!

One after another, in the blink of an eye, they all plunged into the lake water. Strangely, the water felt not the least bit cold now, but rather somewhat warm. As soon as they entered, they swiftly swam towards the dimly glowing Black Hole.

“Damn it! Damn it all! I’m too damn clever! I’m freakin’ the world’s greatest detective, Tang Jinbiao! Damn it!”

The realization that his reasoning contained no flaws whatsoever sent a rush of excitement through Tang Jinbiao…