My low-key cultivation of immortality was discovered by the emperor in my diary.

Chapter 242 A Tacit Agreement to Divide Up and Leave

Madam Lan took a breath, calmed down, and took the initiative to examine the only intact corpse.

“This person was at the Innate Realm before death, and there are no obvious external injuries on his body, nor any signs of poisoning.” She spoke softly, yet every word was clear.

She channeled her energy through her fingertips and, just by looking through his clothes, knew that all his internal organs were intact: "He didn't die from internal injuries."

Madam Lan was not an expert in autopsies and could only give a rough deduction based on her experience: "He has been dead for at least three days and at most seven days. Considering that this is the bottom of an ice pool, where the temperature is even lower, it is conducive to preserving the body and delaying decomposition. Therefore, the time of death can be pushed back even further."

The deceased's eyes and mouth were tightly closed, but a lingering expression of terror could still be seen on his face, leaving one wondering what he had seen before his death.

She sighed inwardly, released her grip, and let the body lie back in its original position.

After listening, Chu Lengyu nodded and said, "It's a dead end ahead."

Upon hearing this, Madam Lan frowned.

She carefully sensed the direction of the airflow before coming down, confirming that there were no other entrances behind her.

This puzzled her greatly, and she immediately asked, "Was there originally no entrance here?"

If there is no cave entrance, where did these skeletons, and the corpse in front of me, come from?

She looked around; the cave was littered with white bones, making it appear particularly desolate.

If these bones were all hunted by the Ice Lotus, why didn't it digest them on the surface instead of placing them in this cave? Was it to be captured as a reserve food?

Thinking of this, Madam Lan couldn't help but shake her head with self-deprecation, feeling that the idea was rather absurd.

This is also what Chu Lengyu is wondering about.

So many bones couldn't have appeared out of thin air, but if Ice Lotus had captured them, how could she have left no trace?

Moreover, the cave gave her a vague sense of unease.

Chu Lengyu reached out, and a crystal-clear ice lotus slowly appeared in her palm.

She stared at the ice lotus, trying to communicate with it, hoping to get some clues about the cave from it.

However, Binglian's consciousness was extremely hazy, existing almost entirely on instinct, and she was unable to provide any meaningful answer to Chu Lengyu's question.

When she asked about the vines, the caves, and the empty stones, the ice lotus only responded with a strong urge to eat, as if that was its sole purpose for existence.

This also goes against common sense.

A spiritual plant that can live for thousands of years shouldn't be so stupid, only knowing how to eat.

Madam Lan glanced at the ice lotus in her hand and then tactfully looked away. She didn't want Chu Lengyu to misunderstand that she still had covetous intentions. Her old bones weren't as hard as a thousand-year-old ice.

Unable to get any answers from her questions, Chu Lengyu reluctantly put away the ice lotus and led Madam Lan through the entire underwater cave. Its area was actually not very large, about the size of two rooms, and they could walk around it quickly.

The cave ceiling wasn't high either, and vines hung down everywhere, but they were lifeless, like dead things.

Madam Lan looked around and confirmed that there were really no other entrances. Only the narrow gaps in the vines served as ventilation openings in this cave, allowing the air inside to circulate.

The cave felt like a closed cage, and a sense of oppression welled up in her heart.

Besides that, there were a lot of hollow stones, covering all four sides.

These hollow stones vary in size and shape, but their presence makes the cave seem even more mysterious and strange.

The "cavity" that Chu Lengyu sensed while climbing the ladder was actually this hollow stone mine.

There was no one else in the cave, so Madam Lan got straight to the point: "Master Chu, although you discovered this underground cave, it ultimately belongs to Wushan. So, do you think... you could leave some for us?"

She smiled, but her heart was pounding. She tried to smooth things over, saying, "Please don't blame me for being blunt, Grand Preceptor. But this Empty Stone is rare, and as the head of the family, I have to consider the future generations."

"That's only right." Chu Lengyu never intended to keep it all to herself, since she didn't lack storage bags; she was only interested in the Void Stone's ability to shield divine sense.

"How about a 30/70 split? Or 20/80?" Madam Lan suggested somewhat nervously.

She didn't specify who had seven and who had three, because it was obvious and didn't need further explanation.

Chu Lengyu replied almost without hesitation: "Three-seven, but I'll take it first."

Upon hearing this, Madam Lan's heart stirred, realizing that Chu Lengyu's willingness to split the profits 30/70 was a gesture of respect towards her and Wushan.

She immediately agreed, smiling as she said, "It's only right. We don't have the mining methods of the Grand Preceptor. Please go first, Grand Preceptor, and we'll mine slowly afterwards."

Chu Lengyu naturally wouldn't take on all the responsibilities and kindly help them mine just because she said that.

She turned to look at a hollow rock that was as tall as a person and said calmly, "Let me look around some more; perhaps I'll find something else?"

Madam Lan consciously stepped back a little and said, "Then let the Imperial Advisor continue the investigation here. I'll take the body upstairs first so the Bai family can identify it."

After saying that, she took the body and left the cave at the bottom of the lake.

This was done to avoid suspicion.

Chu Lengyu has already generously agreed to share the empty stone. What should be done if rare treasures are unexpectedly discovered during the subsequent exploration?

While Madam Lan could refuse, she couldn't guarantee that the other party wouldn't consider killing her to silence her in the face of such enormous profits.

Furthermore, the agreed-upon "three-seven" division of the empty stone also has a hidden meaning.

The exact amount of hollow stone beneath the ice pool remains unknown.

Chu Lengyu took it first, so whatever the rest, no matter how much, would naturally be "three-tenths". Madam Lan was naturally not in a position to observe this process.

People die for wealth, birds die for food; disputes arising from wealth have been common throughout history, and Madam Lan was well aware of this principle.

Therefore, the best option for her now is to withdraw and leave; if she hesitates even a moment, she might not be able to escape unscathed.

In fact, many troubles in the world can be avoided in advance in this way; it just depends on whether one can seize the opportunity to leave the scene.

By the ice pool.

Old Man Merlin was greatly puzzled when he discovered that Madam Lan had left the cave alone, carrying a corpse in her hand.

Madam Lan quickly picked out the key points and explained them to him telepathically. After listening, Old Man Meilin's expression changed slightly.

It's not surprising how many people died beneath the ice pool, because many tried to subdue the ice lotus or steal its seeds, only to become its food.

But the existence of this cave is still somewhat puzzling.

How much does the Bai family, who were the first to discover the Ice Lotus and have protected it ever since, actually know about it?

The two looked at each other and saw seriousness on each other's faces.

Then, Madam Lan laid the body on the snow and let the Bai family members come forward to identify it.

The Bai family is a true family of cultivators, but due to a lack of resources, the number of elites they can cultivate is very limited.

Even though the corpse's appearance changed slightly after death, the leader quickly recognized him.