Chapter 491 Black Dragon Detachment
Chen Yang saw the village chief and Ma Meiya's parents leave in a hurry, but he did not follow. Instead, he turned around and lowered his head into the village chief's house.
The village chief's room was dim, exuding a malevolent aura that incited madness. Chen Yang frowned, realizing the village chief was clearly cultivating some unorthodox sect's techniques.
However, Chen Yang paid it no mind.
After all, he recalled that the last time the village chief used the bronze cauldron, it was through sinister means that the ancestor of the Zhuge family was instantly incapacitated and nearly killed.
Chen Yang cautiously explored the village chief's room. The furnishings were extremely simple, containing only basic living necessities and nothing else.
He scanned the room and his gaze fell upon the left wall. Though it appeared intact, there were distinct signs of it having been moved.
Chen Yang walked over and kicked the wall with a "bang," shattering it. Behind it, a secret chamber was revealed. The first thing placed within was a skeleton, ancient and uncorrupted.
Beside the skeleton sat a table, upon which lay a book made of beast hide, and a beautifully crafted jade box.
Chen Yang approached and examined the scroll. Three characters were written on it: "Hua Mo Gong" (Demon Transformation Technique). Chen Yang understood immediately; this was undoubtedly an evil cultivation method.
The skeleton beside it was likely the former practitioner of the Hua Mo Gong. The village chief must have stumbled upon this remains and found the Hua Mo Gong.
Chen Yang opened the Hua Mo Gong manual and found it described methods of cultivation, involving the consumption of venom from poisonous creatures like scorpions, snakes, and centipedes to refine one's body.
A crucial item mentioned in the cultivation was the bronze cauldron.
Chen Yang was enlightened. The bronze cauldron in the village chief's possession must have been found with this skeleton.
For some unknown reason, the skeleton had died nearby, carrying with it the Hua Mo Gong and the bronze cauldron. The village chief had secretly hidden the remains and begun cultivating the Hua Mo Gong, making the bronze cauldron his treasured artifact.
No wonder the village chief could activate the bronze cauldron!
Chen Yang pocketed the manual and then opened the jade box.
The jade box was exquisitely made, appearing as if it were carved from a single piece of jade, with no discernible opening when closed.
Upon opening it, Chen Yang revealed three crystal-clear, firm fruits. As the box opened, a refreshing, spiritual aroma flooded his senses.
Chen Yang paused, his expression shifting to one of astonishment. Even after witnessing the village chief's demonic cultivation and seeing the Hua Mo Gong manual, he hadn't been this surprised.
But these three fruits, however, had shaken him.
These were spiritual fruits.
Spiritual fruits were extremely precious, rare even for the Heavenly Physician Hall, let alone ordinary families and sects.
Spiritual fruits were purer and easier to absorb than spiritual energy.
Previously, the spiritual energy contained within the Dragon Blood Nanmu wooden box had caused chaos on the entire ship and shocked the most prominent Zhang family. Yet, these three spiritual fruits in the jade box were far more valuable than that spiritual energy.
Spiritual energy required martial artists to circulate their internal energy to absorb and utilize it. Spiritual fruits, however, could be consumed directly, offering faster absorption and a more refined effect.
In this era, it was exceedingly difficult to cultivate spiritual fruits. Chen Yang never imagined that the village chief of this small Misty Village would possess not one, but three of them.
Without hesitation, Chen Yang placed the jade box in his pocket. He searched the room again, finding no other anomalies. The bronze cauldron was missing, clearly still on the village chief's person.
Chen Yang understood why the village chief had cultivated the Hua Mo Gong so rapidly. The first reason was the wondrous power of the bronze cauldron, and the second was that he must have consumed spiritual fruits beforehand.
Chen Yang turned and left the village chief's house. He couldn't let the village chief out of his sight, as the bronze cauldron was more important to him than any number of spiritual fruits.
Chen Yang retraced his steps and quickly headed towards Ma Meiya's home.
Upon his arrival, he found a crowd gathered outside. Ma Meiya's door was wide open, and the village chief stood in the courtyard, his face a mask of fury. Ma Meiya's parents were kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy.
Ma Meiya looked panicked, repeatedly calling out, "Sanlang, Sanlang" in the courtyard.
However, Ma Sanlang did not appear.
The village chief pointed at Ma Meiya's father, his voice booming with anger, "Old Seven, I trusted you. Our village trusted you and appointed you to the procurement position.
"But you failed to abide by the rules and disregarded our trust by taking your daughter to see the outside world and sending her to school.
"If that were all, we could have forgiven you. But after she finished high school, you insisted on her attending university. Even that could be overlooked, but now she's brought a boyfriend back. Do you know this completely violates the rules of our Misty Village?"
"And where is this boyfriend now? You will find him for me. What were his intentions for coming to Misty Village?"
At this moment, Ma Meiya rushed forward and addressed the village chief, "Grandpa Village Chief, Sanlang truly loves me. He took a knife for me. He is a man worth entrusting my life to. Although he is thin and weak, he is truly good to me.
"Grandpa Village Chief, I have always followed your teachings and studied abroad. I have never revealed anything about our Misty Village, and I have kept my distance from all men. However, Ma Sanlang truly meets my requirements, and he will also satisfy you, Grandpa Village Chief."
The village chief sneered at her words and replied, "Very well, satisfy me. Then let me meet him. Why has he disappeared?"
Ma Meiya shook her head. "I... I don't know. I clearly told Sanlang to wait for me in the house, but now he's gone?"
As the argument escalated, a booming laugh echoed, followed by six figures appearing at the entrance of Ma Meiya's home.
Among the six, the one on the far left was Ma Sanlang. Standing beside him were the five individuals Chen Yang had encountered at the train station, all formidable experts.
Seeing Ma Sanlang appear, Ma Meiya rushed over, grabbed his arm, and exclaimed, "Sanlang, where are you running off to?"
Ma Sanlang's face contorted into a cruel sneer. He pushed Ma Meiya roughly to the ground.
Ma Sanlang spat, "Get lost, you ugly woman. Did you really think I liked you? Hahahaha..."
Ma Sanlang let out a wicked laugh.
At this point, a short, stout man standing in the center spoke, "Sanlang, well done. You will be heavily rewarded upon our return to Black Dragon Pavilion."