Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 336 The more the merrier
"Didn't I tell you? I'm here for the money."

Li Xiangming said expressionlessly, "Chief Sun, just answer my questions honestly and don't speculate too much."

Sun Neng gritted his teeth: "Shao Zhen did have dealings with our Star Absorbing Village, especially after the destruction of Green Cloud Cave. He begged to join Star Absorbing Village, and our leader, seeing that he had some talent, not only agreed but also promised him the position of deputy village chief."

"But this man's motives were impure. He only served as deputy chieftain for a few days before resigning without saying goodbye. Our chieftain was furious about this. Now we have no idea where he is."

"Did you run away?"

Li Xiangming frowned.

He wasn't actually surprised by this outcome.

In recent days, he has also learned about Shao Zhen's various acts of betrayal from the perspective of the disciples of Green Cloud Cave, especially Zhang Min.

As one of the four true disciples, Shao Zhen held a high position in Green Cloud Cave. In addition, he was intelligent and handsome. Even Green Cloud Fairy valued him highly and was generous with secret techniques such as the Six Yin Divine Finger.

In the daily allocation of cultivation resources, Shao Zhen received no less than his senior brother He Xuan and second senior brother Mao Jingze.

This can be seen from the fact that he cultivated smoothly all the way to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

However, foundation building is a major hurdle.

Many people were turned away.

Shao Zhen was no exception.

After repeatedly failing to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, his state of mind gradually became unstable.

He actually blamed his failure to establish his foundation on Fairy Green Cloud's failure to purchase foundation-establishing pills for him.

When Li Xiangming heard this, he chuckled to himself.

Because he knew that Fairy Green Cloud, like Li Xiangren, had successfully established her foundation on her own.

She had no concept of purchasing Foundation Establishment Pills for her disciples.

Moreover, Fairy Green Cloud is devoted to the Dao and dreams of achieving the Golden Core Dao. Green Cloud Cave is just a way for her to leave behind a legacy, imitating her master, True Person Zhijing. Foundation Establishment Pills are very valuable. You expect her to sell everything she owns to buy Foundation Establishment Pills for Shao Zhen?
Unless she truly has no hope of finding a way out, this kind of thing simply cannot happen.

Even if we assume, for example, that Fairy Green Cloud didn't want to see her disciple's foundation-building efforts thwarted, and actually bought the Foundation-Building Pill...

This hard-won hope of Foundation Establishment will be prioritized for He Xuan, the senior brother who has made great contributions to the sect and whose aptitude and cultivation are in no way inferior to Shao Zhen's.

Otherwise, it would be a path to chaos.

Green Cloud Fairy isn't stupid, and neither is Shao Zhen.

Perhaps it was precisely because he saw this that Shao Zhen chose to betray his sect and let the wolf into the house, all for the sake of obtaining the "leadership" position promised by the Shanyun Sect.

He fantasized that Fairy Shanyun would drive away his master, Fairy Lvyun.

Then he would manage Green Cloud Cave himself and control its finances.

If he could do that, Li Xiangming would have some respect for him.

Regardless of his motives, it's never wrong to think about one's own path.

But Shao Zhen was preoccupied with plotting to build Green Cloud Cave, completely ignoring the imminent threat from the Ouyang family and the Mang Cult.

The breach of the Green Cloud Cave's gate was not unrelated to the internal strife he instigated within the Green Cloud Cave.

As a result, both Green Cloud Cave and Good Cloud Gate were destroyed.

His dream of becoming the sect leader was also completely shattered.

From this perspective, Shao Zhen is undoubtedly a loser.

But he was not resigned to his defeat.

Wanting to use the Star-Absorbing Stronghold to reclaim the Green Cloud Cave, but fearing that He Xuan and the others would retaliate against him if they were alive, he went so far as to instigate Song Kui to torture and kill the captured Green Cloud Cave disciples.

You should know that Shao Zhen grew up in Green Cloud Cave.

The bond between master and disciple seemed to become a joke to him.

He didn't even spare his two closest senior disciples.

Mao Jingze's path to enlightenment was directly cut short by the torture he endured at the Star-Absorbing Village.

As the eldest disciple, He Xuan suffered twice the torment. He was also subjected to the soul-searching technique by the Ouyang family, which turned him into a mentally challenged person. He died not long after.

It can be said that the disciples of Green Cloud Cave hated Shao Zhen even more than Song Kui.

Shao Zhen was fully aware of this and had long been mentally prepared.

However, after Master Xuanli made his move, the disciples of Green Cloud Cave had a chance to catch their breath and fled to Hengyue Sect.

Having witnessed this scene, Shao Zhen no longer dared to stay in the Star Absorbing Village.

"That guy got off too easy."

Li Xiangming felt a deep sense of regret.

The Green Cloud Cave and Shao Zhen were already locked in a life-or-death struggle, and he, the newly appointed sect leader, naturally inherited this hatred.

Not to mention, he also had a personal grudge against Shao Zhen.

Unfortunately, this guy, being born in the Year of the Rat, burrowed into the gutter long ago. The chances of catching this rat in the vast world of cultivation are slim.

However, Shao Zhen probably wouldn't dare to set foot in Puxian, a place he was unfamiliar with, and continue to cause trouble for Lvyun Cave.

After a moment's thought, Li Xiangming turned to Sun Neng and asked, "Chief Sun, how much do you know about Shao Zhen?"

Sun Neng quickly replied, "We've only met a few times, and we're not familiar with each other."

"Since we've met before, we can be considered old acquaintances."

Li Xiangming smiled slightly.

Hearing that lighthearted laughter, Sun Neng felt a strange sense of foreboding.

Just as he was feeling uneasy, Li Xiangming's voice rang out again: "There's something I might as well say frankly. Shao Zhen has also had dealings with our Huanyun Village. I trusted him just like your Chief Song did, but I never expected him to be such an ungrateful scoundrel. He not only betrayed my trust, but also swindled a large sum of spirit stones from me."

At this point, Li Xiangming sighed, "As you know, we came here for the money. If we find Shao Zhen, we will naturally hold him accountable, but since he has already run away, we will have to ask you all for these spirit stones."

"what?"

The disciples of the Star Absorbing Village were in an uproar.

Sun Neng's face turned ashen: "Don't push your luck, sir. I've already given you permission to enter the storeroom..."

Li Xiangming coldly interrupted him: "The things in the warehouse were looted by my Huanyun Village. The spirit stones that Shao Zhen owes me are my personal share. As the deputy of a village, Fellow Daoist Sun, surely you can distinguish between public and private matters?"

"absurd!"

Sun Neng blushed and said, "What does Shao Zhen's debt have to do with the Star-Absorbing Village? You're clearly the one who can't distinguish right from wrong..."

"Chief Sun!"

Li Xiangming's voice suddenly rose, and he said heavily, "Shao Zhen once joined the Star Absorbing Village, you admitted it yourself."

Sun Neng was stunned for a moment, then became so angry that he trembled all over.

Li Xiangming ignored him and instead looked around at the others: "Everyone, I'm not negotiating with you. You have to give me these spirit stones whether you want to or not. If you have anyone to blame, blame yourself for misjudging people in the first place."

These words only amplified the uproar.

The atmosphere was extremely tense.

Someone asked angrily, "May I ask, senior, how many spirit stones does Shao Zhen owe?"

Li Xiangming glanced at him: "The more the merrier."

"what?"

The man was dumbfounded.

A hint of mockery flashed in Sun Neng's eyes; these fools were still oblivious.

The so-called lack of spirit stones is just an excuse.

The other party's goal has always been to completely devour the Star-Absorbing Village.

Thinking of this, Sun Neng's face was full of resentment.

No matter how much stuff is in the warehouse, it belongs to the village, or rather, to Song Kui's private treasure trove.

They can't enjoy it at all on ordinary days.

Even if I lose it, I'll only feel heartache.

He had already made up his mind to pack up and leave as soon as the group left.

At that time, Song Kui won't be able to blame him.

The cultivation world is so vast, how could Song Kui keep searching for him forever?
But he never expected that these cultivators would go to such extremes.

They not only wanted to rob the warehouses, but also to seize all the wealth they possessed.

Others might not know, but everything he had accumulated over the decades was in his storage bag.

If he hands it over, wouldn't all his hard work over the past few decades be for nothing?
Sun Neng grew angrier the more he thought about it, and even considered a fight to the death.

However, Li Xiangming noticed his change in demeanor as soon as it occurred.

Without Li Xiangming making any move, Sun Neng suddenly screamed, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fell from the sky.

Before he could land, a rope tied him up, leaving him suspended in mid-air.

Li Xiangming stood as firm as a mountain, instantly releasing his previously concealed aura. His powerful pressure, almost tangible, swept across the entire area.

From his sleeve, the Black Water Serpent slipped out silently, its body beginning to expand rapidly, resembling a giant dragon.

It hovered high in the sky, its enormous body appearing and disappearing in the clouds, its pair of scarlet snake eyes coldly sweeping over everyone present.

Leave your belongings behind, or die!

Li Xiangming's voice was low but threatening, like a proclamation of death.

(End of this chapter)