Chen Ren frowned as he looked at the rankings floating in front of his eyes. There were many things in life that he disliked, but he had never expected to hate the fact that he was doing too well in the pagoda.

  After the third floor, he had gathered around seven thousand tokens. That was already a large amount, considering he had practically started from nothing. Since most people were steadily gaining tokens by climbing higher floors, he had settled comfortably around rank fifty-seven. It was a good position—high enough to matter, but low enough to avoid attention.

  That balance did not last.

  While exploring the fourth floor, he had moved toward a mountain that the merchant had marked as valuable. There, he found something called a token chest. The moment he opened it, seven thousand tokens were added to his total. After that, he killed a few beasts along the way, and before he knew it, his rank had jumped back into the top ten.

  Chen Ren felt a headache coming on.

  He was glad that others could not directly see names and ranks unless they checked, but he knew that once people reached the fifth floor, they would start digging. Information always spreads fast at that level. If they were not already looking into him, they would be soon.

  He was certain that Princess Yanyue and Zi Wen had already reached the fifth floor. Yalan’s name was also there, sitting at twentieth place. Anji and the twins, however, were still on the fourth floor, just like him. If possible, he wanted to meet them before moving up and climb together.

  He glanced further down the rankings.

  Tau Liu and his group had finally entered the pagoda two days ago. From their pace, they were likely still on the second floor.

  Chen Ren wondered what had stalled him, but he was glad that he would have some help on the fifth floor. After giving the rankings one last look, he closed the display and glanced around the room he was currently in before deciding to move on.

  The body of a faceless puppet lay off to the side. It was someone who had tried to sneak attack him the moment he entered the room. The attempt would have worked if not for his sensing technique.

  Unfortunately, he had only found some old trinkets in this chamber carved into the side of the mountain. Chen Ren stepped past the puppet without a second glance. As he moved outside, the cold air hit him at once, making him slow his steps as he started ascending the mountain stairs, his senses spread wide.

  If the merchant’s information was correct, this mountain held many things that could help him kickstart his business ideas on the fifth floor. Chen Ren was confident the information was right. After all, he had not found over seven thousand tokens by accident.

  As he walked, Wang Jun, who had been unusually quiet for some time, suddenly spoke.

  “I believe Xuan Mo left parts of his inheritance in this mountain.”

  Chen Ren paused. “Who?”

  Wang Jun snorted. “A bastard.”

  That deepened his frown. “You call everyone a bastard.”

  “This one actually was,” Wang Jun replied flatly. “People cursed him for being illegitimate all the time. But he had skill. He was known as the Artificer and worked on the pagoda same as me.”

  “That fits,” Chen Ren said slowly. “Treasures left behind by an artificer. The puppet there gave me the same idea.”

  Wang Jun clicked his tongue. “He wasn’t an artificer. He was the Artificer. It's a title, one everyone called him by. He made me many good swords—after I threatened to burn his workshop.”

  Chen Ren raised an eyebrow. “That’s… one way to commission work.”

  “I didn’t threaten just anyone,” Wang Jun said proudly. “Only those worth it.”

  Chen Ren stopped at a bend in the path and glanced down to where Wang Jun hung invisibly at his side.

  “Do you think he left an inheritance behind?” Chen Ren asked.

  Wang Jun went quiet for a moment, as if thinking. “Probably,” he said at last. “He loved his apprentices. Had hundreds of them. It wouldn’t surprise me.”

  Chen Ren nodded. Climbing this mountain was starting to feel far more interesting than he had expected. Still, part of him knew better. If there really was an inheritance, it would not be on these floors. The first five floors were only the beginning of the pagoda. At best, he might find a clue—some hint pointing to where the real inheritance lay. Even that would be a huge gain, especially since even the merchant Shrey knew nothing about such things.

  He continued up the mountain, step by step, keeping his sensing technique spread out at all times. He did not allow his guard to drop. Near the base, he had already fought a polar bear acting as a guardian. If this place truly held remnants left behind by the Artificer, then stronger enemies were almost guaranteed to appear.

  When Chen Ren finally reached the peak, the sight before him made him curse under his breath.

  Wang Jun chuckled softly. “Kid, you really do have terrible luck.”

  Chen Ren did not argue. A large sect building stood at the mountain’s summit, exactly where he expected to find something valuable. But hovering in front of it were three figures, each standing calmly atop a flying sword.

  Chen Ren recognized them immediately.

  Their robes were marked with thunder and rolling clouds, making their identity obvious at a glance. They were from the Thunder Blade Sect.

  Chen Ren finally understood why he had not sensed anyone while climbing the mountain. All three of them had simply flown here on their swords instead of walking up to the top like him. At the center of the group was a man Chen Ren recognized at once—Yun Zhaotian. Princess Yanyue had warned about him specifically, calling him ruthless and decisive, someone not to be crossed lightly.

  Yun Zhaotian hovered directly in front of the sect building while the other two cultivators circled it, inspecting the doors and windows. They were clearly trying to find a way inside.

  Chen Ren slowed to a stop, his mind racing. Turning back now would mean losing valuable items he needed to start a business. The information he had gathered would become useless, and whatever was hidden inside that building would fall into someone else’s hands. But going ahead would mean facing off against a Guardian Sect.

  Before he could decide, Yun Zhaotian suddenly turned around.

  His sharp gaze locked onto Chen Ren, and the next moment, his flying sword carried him forward. He stopped a short distance away, looking him up and down.

  “Who are you?” Yun Zhaotian asked coldly.

  Then, without waiting for an answer, he continued, his voice turning harsher. “Whoever you are, leave. I am Yun Zhaotian of the Thunder Blade Sect. You should have a good idea who I'm. I don’t want anyone else here. If you don’t leave within two minutes, I will kill you on the spot.”

  Chen Ren opened his mouth to respond, but in the next second, he turned away as if he was already dismissed.

  For a second, he kept staring at the man's back, wondering just how arrogant he was to not even think that Chen Ren might not turn back. He had seen a lot of young and arrogant cultivators, but even they had the decency to at least hear the other person out.

  As he watched, Yun Zhaotian flew back toward the building and snapped at the other two cultivators, “What are you doing? Why haven’t you found a way to open the door yet?”

  The female cultivator stiffened and quickly bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Senior Brother Yun. We can’t find any entrance. The doors and windows are sealed, and you saw it yourself—our attacks didn’t work.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Only then did Chen Ren notice the details around the building. The snow near its base had melted in wide patches, the ground dark and wet, but the sect hall itself looked untouched. He didn’t see a single crack or mark that showed that the cultivators had attacked the building.

  He stayed still and listened to the discussion.

  Yun Zhaotian snorted. “You’re all too weak,” he said flatly. “Stand back. I’ll show you how doors are opened.”

  He raised one hand. Lightning sparked into existence around his fingers, sharp and violent. A second later, wind wrapped around it, followed by a thin layer of water. The three forces twisted together, forming a small, unstable storm spinning at his fingertips. The pressure alone made the air vibrate.

  Chen Ren narrowed his eyes.

  Yun Zhaotian flicked his wrist and hurled the storm forward.

  It smashed into the wooden doors with explosive force, but the next second, it simply vanished.

  Chen Ren expected any sound, shockwave or something to give away, but the energy simply disappeared, as if the doors had swallowed it whole.

  The two junior disciples froze, and he saw Yun Zhaotian’s brows pulling together, clearly not believing what he’d just seen.

  He formed another storm bolt. Then another.

  Each one met the same fate. As soon as they touched the door, they disappeared as if they never existed in the first place.

  After the fifth attempt, Yun Zhaotian lowered his arm. His shoulders sagged just slightly.

  Wang Jun’s voice drifted out in a whisper, amused. “He’s an idiot.”

  Chen Ren didn’t look away from the building. “Or he’s just used to solving everything with force. This place wasn’t meant to be broken open,” he muttered. “Not like that.”

  The thought settled in his mind.. The three Thunder Blade Sect disciples were strong, but they were circling the problem from the wrong angle. They simply made no attempt to understand how the place worked and were only trying to use strength to break open the doors.

  By the end of it, they could stand here all day and achieve nothing.

  Chen Ren’s eyes sharpened as he wondered how to open up the doors, and get the treasures from inside without getting himself killed.

  Wang Jun clicked his tongue. “You’re thinking of something dangerous.”

  Chen Ren paused and whispered. “How do you know?”

  “I’ve known you long enough,” Wang Jun replied dryly. “That look always means trouble for someone else.”

  Chen Ren smiled faintly and said, “You are right. I do have a plan, but tell me one thing first. What do you think my chances are of defeating the three of them?”

  Wang Jun answered without hesitation. “None. That idiot on the flying sword alone will kill you. The other two do not look weak either.”

  “That’s exactly my point,” Chen Ren said calmly. He paused for a moment, then asked, “And what do you think the chances are that this building is filled with puppets? Stronger than the one we fought on the way up.”

  Wang Jun replied at once. “Very high. No true artificer would ever leave his work unguarded. Xuan Mo was also famous for his combat puppets. He used to have contracts with all types of sects and clans.”

  “Good,” Chen Ren said. “Then I know how to get the treasures without fighting these three.”

  With that, he stepped forward.

  At the same time, Yun Zhaotian unleashed another attack at the building. Like the others before it, the strike vanished the moment it touched the structure. Yun Zhaotian stared at the door in fury.

  That was when Chen Ren spoke.

  “Master Yun Zhaotian,” he said evenly, “I believe I might be able to help you open the door.”

  Yun Zhaotian turned around sharply at his words. The other two disciples also looked at Chen Ren at the same time, only registering his presence now.

  “How?” Yun Zhaotian asked coldly. “Even my attacks cannot break it. Are you saying you are stronger than me?”

  A wave of pressure rolled out from him. Chen Ren felt it press down on his body, but he did not kneel. He kept staring upwards at the man.

  “No,” he replied. “But this building was clearly not meant to be opened by force. It looks like a puzzle, not a wall. And puzzles happen to be something I am good at.”

  Yun Zhaotian’s brows lifted slightly.

  The female disciple stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Chen Ren, clearly interested in what he was saying. Then, she looked back at the building, frowned and said, “I don’t see any puzzle here.”

  Chen Ren almost sighed. For a moment, he wondered if everyone from the Thunder Blade Sect had the mentality of a bull. Instead, he said calmly, “I think it’s hidden. If you give me an hour, I’m confident I can figure it out.”

  Yun Zhaotian’s eyes narrowed. “And if you can’t?”

  “Then you can do whatever you want with me, Master Yun Zhaotian,” Chen Ren replied without hesitation. “I’m just a lowly cultivator trying to earn a favor. If I fail, I won’t be able to run away from you here on the peak.”

  Yun Zhaotian studied him in silence, then glanced at the other two disciples. After a brief pause, he said, “Fine. One hour. Not a moment more.”

  Chen Ren nodded and walked toward the building under their watchful gazes.

  The moment he reached the door, he activated his sensing technique. A sharp resistance pushed back against his perception, like an invisible hand forcing him away. Chen Ren’s eyes lit up slightly. That alone told him he was on the right track.

  He began circling the structure, keeping his senses spread out. The same resistance met him along the sides and edges, firm and unyielding. He could feel Yun Zhaotian hovering above on his flying sword, tracking his every move, but Chen Ren ignored him.

  When he reached the back of the building, the pressure suddenly weakened.

  Chen Ren slowed, focusing. His senses slipped deeper here, brushing against hidden lines and faint patterns beneath the surface. The more he examined them, the clearer everything became. And a smile slowly spread across his face.

  From above, Yun Zhaotian’s voice rang out. “What are you doing?”

  Chen Ren looked back and said lightly, “Just checking a few things. I think I know how to open the door now.”

  Yun Zhaotian’s eyes widened. “Just by walking around the building?”

  “Yes,” Chen Ren said with a smile. “And I can tell you exactly why brute force hasn’t worked on it.”

  ***

  A/N - You can read 30 chapters (15 Magus Reborn and 15 Dao of money) on my patreon. Annual subscription is now on too. Also this is Volume 2 last chapter.

  Magus Reborn 3 is OUT NOW. It's a progression fantasy epic featuring a detailed magic system, kingdom building, and plenty of action.