Holy Bone

Chapter 2021: Encountering the True Immortal Cauldron of Investigation and Discovery, the National Treasure of the Great Feng Kingdom

The earliest known artifact, the Gewu Immortal Cauldron, can be traced back to a vassal state called Dafeng during the Warring States period.

According to historical records, being born as a citizen of the Dafeng Kingdom meant a bountiful harvest every year, with no worries about food or clothing, which made many other vassal states envious. There were even rumors that the Dafeng Kingdom was the country closest to immortals.

For example, while other vassal states were worried about food for the winter, only the Dafeng Kingdom did not have to worry about food in the cold winter. They ate fruits, vegetables and fresh meat that were only available in summer. Everyone in the winter had a rosy complexion and was fat instead of thin, which was different from ordinary people.

Historical records indicate that during the Warring States period, there were several severe droughts and floods. While other states suffered widespread famine and people went hungry, the people of Dafeng had no worries about food and drink. In fact, the fruits, vegetables, and meat they ate were as fresh as ever, and they could even eat out-of-season summer fruits in spring and autumn.

As this incredible story spread, some people began to say that Dafeng Kingdom was a country inhabited by immortals, the closest to the immortals, which is why they could live without worrying about food and clothing, and eat fresh fruits, vegetables and meat all year round, unaffected by weather or natural disasters.

During the Warring States period, frequent wars caused widespread suffering and many people could not afford to eat. Hearing that the Dafeng Kingdom was so magical, with its people enjoying abundant food and clothing and bountiful harvests year after year, and no need to suffer from hunger, a large number of refugees fled to the Dafeng Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Dafeng welcomed all refugees without exception, taking in as many as they came and distributing fresh food to them.

When the refugees who fled to Dafeng Kingdom saw that the rumors were true, and that Dafeng Kingdom was indeed like a fairyland, where everyone had plenty to eat and drink and fresh food every day, even more refugees flocked to Dafeng Kingdom.

At its peak, the population of Dafeng Kingdom is said to have increased more than tenfold.

The reason why Dafeng Kingdom enjoys bountiful harvests year after year and is so prosperous is because Dafeng Kingdom possesses a national treasure—

The Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry!

The primary function of this Immortal Cauldron is to store food.

No matter what kind of food is stored in the Immortal Cauldron of Gewu, it can remain fresh and will not spoil, so that you can eat out-of-season food all year round.

It was precisely because of their habit of storing food that Dafeng Kingdom was able to successfully avoid droughts and floods time and time again.

However, this vassal state, which was favored by everyone, had abundant food and resources, was considered the most promising to contend for the world, and was known as the land of immortals, suddenly perished after reaching its peak. The demise was so sudden that even historical records contain little information about the truth behind the fall of the Dafeng Kingdom, and the truth of its destruction remains unknown.

After receiving the Gewu Immortal Cauldron presented by the people, the late emperor was impressed by its ability to store grain. Therefore, he took the Gewu Immortal Cauldron with him on a Shenzhou fleet to travel to various overseas vassal states on his behalf, to promote the Kangding Kingdom's military prowess and benevolent national policies.

Jin An led the group into the stone chamber while explaining the detailed origins of the Gewu Immortal Cauldron.

thump.

As the three entered the stone chamber, Mr. Bai and his companions closed the stone door from the outside to prevent the aura of the Immortal Cauldron from leaking out and infecting those outside.

Fatty Li glanced back and saw that Jin An and the old Taoist priest looked normal and were not affected by the stone gate closing. He turned back and asked curiously, "If this Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry is so effective, how did the Great Feng Kingdom end up being destroyed?"

"Food is the most important thing for the people, and the army attaches great importance to the supply of provisions. The Great Feng Kingdom possessed the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things. Logically speaking, the Great Feng Kingdom should have been invincible, contending for the Central Plains and unifying the world, right? But the Great Feng Kingdom perished during the Warring States period."

“I have some recollection of historical records, but I seem to remember that the name of Dafeng was not listed in the list of states during the late Warring States period. This means that Dafeng did not even last until the late Warring States period before it was destroyed.”

The more Fatty Li talked, the more puzzled and curious he became.

"Could it be that... the food stored in the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things really causes cannibalism, and that the entire Great Feng Kingdom consumed the grain from the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things, and then... killed each other and perished on its own?"

Hiss!

Upon hearing these words, even Fatty Li himself couldn't help but let out a gasp.

At this moment, Jin An's words answered all of Fatty Li's questions.

"Throughout history, every dynasty has known the principle that 'food is the first necessity of the people.' Whoever controls the grain controls the world. Dafeng Kingdom possesses such a divine weapon and attracts so many refugees to Dafeng Kingdom every day. It is bound to arouse the anger and covetousness of the surrounding neighboring countries. It is only a matter of time before it is destroyed by a joint force..."

"At first, I also thought that the demise of the Dafeng Kingdom was due to this reason..."

"However, it wasn't until King Zunyi presented me with a pear, a clue left behind by the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry from over a decade ago, and after I personally traveled to the underworld to investigate the clue in Haizhou Prefecture, that I truly understood the history of the demise of the Great Feng Kingdom..."

Jin An raised his hand and unleashed several blazing fireballs from the Black Mountain Divine Skill, illuminating the stone chamber as bright as day. He continued, "The Divine Ship fleet that we were on suffered a massive loss of life in a short period. Everyone had developed cannibalism after consuming the food stored in the Immortal Cauldron of the Exploration of Things. They killed each other, brothers didn't recognize each other, fathers and sons ate each other without realizing it, until only Hou Xian remained in the entire fleet... Because Hou Xian was served food by special people and didn't have to eat the food stored in the Immortal Cauldron like the others, he was lucky enough to survive and return to Haizhou Prefecture in Kangding Kingdom to seek help from the late emperor in the capital..."

"So, just as you said, Fatty Li, the demise of the Great Feng Kingdom was actually due to the Taotie eating people, which led to its self-destruction."

Hiss!

The old Taoist priest and Fatty Li both gasped in shock.

"Damn it, cannibalism, what a gruesome way to die!"

"Young brother, if we come into contact with the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry and accidentally contract cannibalism, remember to tie me up tightly. Don't let me eat people! If there's really no way to save me, just finish me off on the spot. I'd rather die than suffer such a horrifying and suffocating death!"

The old Taoist priest looked at Jin An and said in a heavy tone.

Fatty Li nodded vigorously and said, "Yes, I'd rather die sooner and be free than die such a humiliating death! If I did, none of my ancestors would recognize me as their unfilial descendant!"

Jin An was amused by their appearance and couldn't help but chuckle. He then said with a light laugh, "Don't worry, although the Gewu Immortal Cauldron is strange and mysterious, it's not that bizarre. As long as you don't touch the stored grain inside, you'll be fine."

As he spoke, Jin An opened the human stomach pouch at his waist and took out a ball of red cloth. As Jin An unwrapped the layers of red cloth, a fragrant pear was revealed inside.

This is a black, rotten, and dried-out fragrant pear, resembling a shriveled, wrinkled, black frozen pear that has lost its juice. This fragrant pear, which looks like a frozen pear, is dark and ugly at first glance, and it is really hard to associate this thing with the fruit fragrant pear.

However, the old Taoist priest recognized it as a fragrant pear at a glance, and also recognized its true origin. He frowned and said, "This is the fragrant pear that Prince Zunyi gave you, young brother, isn't it?"

The fragrant pears here are not ordinary fragrant pears, but the ones that were secretly taken from the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry more than ten years ago.

Prince Zunyi kept the fragrant pear safe until Jin An, the Commander of the Criminal Investigation Department and Supervisor of the Three Departments, and a master of the Yuan Shen realm personally began to investigate the case. Prince Zunyi entrusted the fragrant pear to Jin An because he trusted his daughter, Prince Yiyun, and thus trusted Jin An, hoping that Jin An could investigate the bizarre unsolved case from more than ten years ago.

The old Taoist priest had seen this fragrant pear before, which is why he was able to recognize its true origin so quickly when Jin An took it out again today.

"Hmm," Jin An nodded in response. "Tsk tsk."

The old Taoist priest took the fragrant pear from Jin'an, wrapped it in a red cloth, and examined it carefully without touching it with his hands.

Although he had observed this fragrant pear before, today's situation was different. Today, the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry was also in front of him, so the environment and artistic conception were completely different, and he marveled at it.

The stone chamber was very large, a crucial place for storing treasures, and was heavily guarded. Jin An and his two companions walked for a while before finally seeing the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry.

At this moment, Jin An, the old Taoist priest, and Fatty Li finally saw the legendary national treasure of the Great Feng Kingdom—

The Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry!

This ding is an astonishingly large square bronze ding. The surface of the ding is engraved with a scene of people worshipping and praying for blessings. The scene is very grand and also shows auspicious omens from heaven accompanied by mythical beasts, divine birds and cranes.

Fatty Li exclaimed in surprise, "This cauldron is huge!"

The old Taoist priest exclaimed in surprise, "This cauldron is truly wondrous, full of auspicious omens!"

Jin An was no stranger to the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things; he had seen it before in the underworld of Haizhou Prefecture. However, the cauldron of human flesh he had seen then was the one formed from the flesh of a cannibalistic person after the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things had died. It looked exactly like the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things, and its surface depicted a grand scene of people kneeling and praying for blessings. However, looking at that cauldron of human flesh for too long gave one a chilling feeling, and the longer one stared at it, the more psychologically disturbing it became.

Rui Zhao didn't see it; on the contrary, the strange and awkward feeling in his mind was gradually intensifying.

The longer you stare at it, the more pronounced that feeling becomes.

Unlike the Immortal Cauldron of Investigation and Discovery before me, the Human Flesh Cauldron has none of that strange feeling. At first glance, it only evokes a sense of awe and shock.

The longer I looked at it, the more I felt a sense of reverence, and I couldn't help but kneel down to pray and worship, offering my loyalty and faith to the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry.

They believed that this cauldron was a divine artifact, not belonging to the mortal realm, but only to the heavenly palace, and that seeing it even once in a lifetime was an immense opportunity.

For example, at this moment, the old Taoist priest and Fatty Li were so engrossed and intoxicated that they walked step by step toward the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things. Just as the two were about to bend their knees and kneel down to submit to the cauldron, Jin An patted their shoulders and sent the Divine Tribulation into their bodies.

Then, their eyes immediately regained their clarity, and they had recovered from the influence of the Immortal Cauldron.

What just happened?

Why did I feel a momentary mental lapse?

The old Taoist priest and Fatty Li both spoke blankly.

After hearing Jin An's explanation, the two looked at the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry with great astonishment.

"Damn it! I've never believed in these ghosts and gods. I almost broke my vow just now. From now on, my Taoist practice will be impure! Bah! Bah! Bah!" The old Taoist spat wildly at the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things to show his unique faith in Taoism.

"No wonder Young Master Yiyun wouldn't let Mr. Bai and the others in. It turns out the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry has such a captivating effect. Luckily, Daoist Jin'an is here. It seems this is also one of the ways one gets caught up in an evil spirit's curse..." Fatty Li, who loved encountering evil spirits the most, rubbed his hands excitedly. Several times he reached out to touch the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry, but in the end he refrained from doing so.

After all, the threat of cannibalism is like a sword hanging over our heads, omnipresent, and we must be vigilant.

Although the old Taoist priest and Fatty Li kept cursing the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry and were full of vigilance, this did not stop them from circling around and examining the cauldron from top to bottom.

The Gewu Immortal Cauldron, about half the size of a room, is covered with bas-reliefs on all four sides depicting a grand scene of people worshipping, kneeling and praying for blessings, and auspicious omens descending from the heavens. It fully displays the magnificent and majestic atmosphere of the primordial world, giving people a sense of being full of immortals, with auspicious omens everywhere.

“Young brother, you said the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry into Things has been around for more than ten years. What’s inside? Could it be that the food stored up for more than ten years is still inside, stuffed with all kinds of chicken, duck, fish, meat, fruits and vegetables?” The old Taoist nudged Jin An with his elbow and winked as he spoke.

Jin An laughed and said, "What, are you curious, old Taoist?"

"Haha, what's so difficult about that? Let's watch together if we want."

Jin An released his energy, lifting the three of them off the ground to observe the scene inside the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry.

Then I saw that there was a layer of yellowish-brown liquid covering the inside of the Immortal Cauldron of Investigation of Things. I couldn't see anything inside. The yellowish-brown liquid was as thick as paste, which was very attractive. I couldn't help but marvel at the immortal elixir at first glance. It was clear and contained no blurry impurities!
Only Jin An frowned slightly.

He thought of the human flesh cauldron he had seen in the underworld of Haizhou Prefecture.

"Young man, I remember you mentioned before that cauldron of human flesh you saw in the underworld, which seemed to be filled with blood?"

"This Immortal Cauldron of Investigation is a bit different from your Human Flesh Cauldron. Although both are filled with liquid, this is not blood, but a clear liquid similar to immortal nectar."

The old Taoist priest looked at Jin An and asked curiously.

"Mm." Jin An nodded.

Because of the negative effects of testing the human flesh cauldron in the underworld, Jin An did not immediately test the immortal liquid in the cauldron this time. Instead, he raised his palm, rotated his energy in his palm, and inhaled from a distance.

A miraculous scene unfolded.

A large cabbage flew out of the Immortal Cauldron of Inquiry and landed in Jin An's hands.

This sturdy cabbage exudes a robust strength; its appearance alone conveys a sense of honesty and reliability, with its leaves layered tightly and neatly. Its vibrant green color, resembling jade, and the overall plant standing firmly and upright, brimming with vitality, make it a truly remarkable plant.

This cabbage looks like it was just picked and is still very fresh.

The old Taoist priest and Fatty Li couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Fatty Li couldn't resist either, and he raised his palm to draw up a bright red apple that looked exactly like it had just been picked.

"Good guy!"

Fatty Li stared blankly, dumbfounded.