Decaying World

Chapter 109 Reputation Part 109 (Thanks to Alliance Leader Xie Yuexia Baige)

The group blocking their way was an exploration team from the Three Sects and Six Gangs of the Inner City, with the Red Rice Gang being one of the six main members.

On their journey, they discovered the Amethyst Ruins together with the Qingfeng Temple team, and the two teams subsequently made different decisions.

Chen Sui, the leader of the Qingfeng Temple team, decided to go in and explore, while the leader of the Chimi Gang, a seasoned veteran, chose to avoid the risks and head to other places instead.

The seasoned leader of this group was named Chen Hushan. At first, he thought the Qingfeng Temple team was doomed, so he didn't take them seriously.

Unexpectedly, on the way back, just as they were about to reach the exit road, Chen Hushan spotted the Qingfeng Temple group again.

Moreover, he sensed a significantly stronger aura emanating from them than before. The previously unremarkable Chen Sui had unexpectedly broken through to the Inner Force Realm, which surprised him.

There were also amethysts packaged in large bags, which, despite being covered with rags, were still discovered by them.

It's obvious without even guessing that it must be something good.

Upon meeting again, Chen Hushan immediately made a decision. His own team hadn't gained anything, but they could simply steal what others had gained and make it their own.

He had returned to the team without any success several times. Although there were no casualties, the more times it happened, the more gossip there was in the guild, and the less support and benefits the guild provided to the expedition team.

So, if we can bring back some good stuff this time...
As for Qingfeng Temple's reaction, I heard that this force is quite powerful in some towns outside the city, but compared to the three sects and six gangs in the inner city, the outer city is just trash. Don't worry about them.

"Captain Chen Sui, how have you been?" Having confirmed his purpose, Chen Hushan blocked Chen Sui's path and said with a forced smile.

"Looks like you had a good haul?"

His gaze naturally fell on the bags of amethyst carried by the Qingfeng Temple group.

Huang Shan was in charge of looking after the harvest at Qingfeng Temple expedition team. Almost all of the top ten members of the expedition team, except for Wang Hongshi, were present.

Huang Shan, Qiu Yiren, and Chen Sui were all there, along with Chen Xiangzhi, the eldest disciple of the Yi Dao Sect. Almost all of Qingfeng Temple's elite members had come to join the team.

The situation was indeed dire. Within the first ten miles, three people died in the underground ruins. The reason the others survived seemed to be that the monsters they encountered had eaten their fill and were too lazy to pursue them.

That's why, after narrowly escaping death and risking their lives to obtain these three bags of amethyst, everyone was instantly enraged when they saw Chen Hushan's scheme involving the amethyst.

These three bags of amethyst have become the core of their future development plans, and they absolutely cannot afford to lose them. Anyone who dares to mess with them should not blame them for going crazy.

"All the gains are earned with one's life."

Chen Sui knew he couldn't hide it, so he spoke frankly, while keeping a wary eye on the other side and assessing the strength and threat level of the opposing team.

"What are you saying? You're risking your lives, but we're not? It's fate that we've met. We're even from the same family, both surnamed Chen. Since we've met, we should all benefit from it. Why don't you sell us some of your good stuff?" Chen Hushan said with a smile.

"What price are you offering?" Chen Sui glanced at the injured state of everyone in his team, suppressed his anger, and asked in a deep voice.

He thought to himself that he would avoid taking action if possible, and as long as the other party's demands were not too demanding, he would just muddle through for now.

During the decline of Qingfeng Temple, the coldness of human relationships and many other experiences made him lose the imposing presence and charisma he once had as the senior disciple. Instead, he became more inclined to avoid conflict and trouble.

He always tried to avoid situations before acting, a helpless habit he developed during those days.

“Sell us two of your three bags. As for the price, we’ll price it according to the standard price for products from the fog-covered area with unknown effects: one thousand coins per pound. Your two bags should weigh about twenty pounds, so you’ll make a profit of over twenty thousand coins for two bags.” Chen Hushan really had the nerve to say that.

Only those waste products from the smog zone that are determined to be useless will be sold for 1,000 yuan per kilogram.

And this amethyst, by all accounts, could not possibly be trash.

His attitude clearly indicates that he intends to rob us!

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere became tense for both sides.

Everyone knew that if things went wrong next, conflict would be inevitable.

Although Chen Sui broke through to the inner strength realm, he and Huang Shan were the only ones in his team to do so, while the opposing team had at least four people at the inner strength realm! There was simply no way they could fight!
*
*
*
Qingfeng Temple.

Lin Hui slowly read a martial arts manual left behind by Song Zhanlong.

He has now completed a round of body tempering and internal energy training, and his body cannot continuously circulate energy without interruption. He needs to rest for a while. Taking advantage of this time to read martial arts and try to comprehend and accelerate the evolution of the blood seal is the optimal arrangement he has made.

A short while later, he glanced at the timetable on the desk in his study. It was a clock-like device that his father had bought from the inner city a few days ago and given to him as a gift.

"It's past ten o'clock, Ding Ning, any news from the expedition team?" he asked casually.

Ding Ning was dozing off in the corner of the room, her back against the wall, her mouth slightly open, drool dripping down her chest. She was suddenly awakened by the sound.

"They'll be there soon. They said they'd arrive around noon, that's what the messenger who came back early said." She quickly wiped away her drool, noticing the wet patch on her chest, and blushed slightly.

The expedition members carried carrier pigeons, attaching messages to them before returning. The pigeons, which remembered the return direction, would fly back on their own. This was a common way to ensure safety.

However, this method is only suitable for sending messages in nearby fog areas. If the message pigeon goes further into the fog area, it will be preyed on by monsters along the way, making it difficult to achieve its purpose.

If headquarters receives a carrier pigeon, it means the expedition team is very close.

"Is that so? Then I should get ready too." Lin Hui was also a little curious, wondering what the expedition team would bring back from their first expedition.

Therefore, he had informed the entire group well in advance, so that everyone could prepare. Among the team members who went out on this expedition, there were many scions of prominent local families, and they were all excited when they received the news that the expedition was about to return.

Standing up, Lin Hui changed into his outer robe, fastened his belt, and then hung up his medicine pouch, waist bag, key, and jade pendant in that order.

"Since I have nothing to do, I'll take some people to the spot where they're coming back to practice their swordsmanship and wait. If I'm not back soon, they don't need to wait for me for dinner."

He left those words behind, took his sword, and walked out of the study. In a flash, he vanished from the spot.
*
*
Behind the original site of Qingfeng Temple, at the foot of the fog wall.

"Just say you want to take it." Chen Sui stared at the expedition team opposite him, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down.

He didn't know the strength of the other side, but no matter what, giving up the amethyst without making a move was not avoiding trouble or conflict, but surrendering on the spot!

"Have you thought it through?" Chen Hushan smiled and pointed at the bandaged wounded in the Qingfeng Temple team. Of the fourteen people in the team, only three were outwardly unharmed, while the rest had injuries of varying degrees.

"With so many wounded like you, if a real fight breaks out, it's uncertain how many of you will survive." He smiled, but his words carried a chilling threat.

Chen Sui gripped the sword hilt and exchanged a glance with his junior sister Huang Shan, who was walking up beside him.

"Prepare to scatter and run! Every one of us who can get back is a chance! They won't dare to cause trouble in the town!" he whispered his instructions.

"Are you really going to take action?" Huang Shan asked worriedly.

"Are we just going to stand by and watch the amethyst be taken without taking action? Do you really think they only want two bags?" Chen Xiangzhi, the eldest disciple of the Yi Dao Sect who had been relatively inconspicuous, stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with the two.

"Go ahead and fight. There's nothing to say. If you don't take our bag, you won't get a single one. We might even lose some people. They're testing our strength." He was clearly very experienced.

“Okay!” Chen Sui’s eyes immediately hardened.

He turned his gaze back to Chen Hushan.

"Chen Hushan of the Red Rice Gang, is that it? Qingfeng Temple will remember this!"

"Remember? You're nothing but a fart, what are you going to remember?! Who does your Qingfeng Temple think it is? A mere outer city sect, daring to announce its name in front of the Three Sects and Six Gangs?"

From the opposing team, a short woman stepped forward and sneered mockingly.

Compared to Chen Hushan, her words were much harsher, showing absolutely no respect for Qingfeng's audience.

"Senior Brother Chen, what are you dawdling for? Just destroy their stuff and bring it over!" The woman turned to Chen Hushan and urged him.

"Junior Sister Xie, don't worry. It would be best if we could avoid a fight amicably. I'm sure everyone at Qingfeng Temple wouldn't want Mingming to be back and safe, only to have our brothers and sisters in the team get hurt, right?" Chen Hushan smiled and looked at Chen Sui again. "We can find more things, but we only have one life."

Chen Sui glanced back at the group of people behind him.

In the eyes of the fourteen people, the vast majority were determined. These people had all volunteered to join the team. Unlike the opposing team, they had joined with a do-or-die mentality.

People die for wealth, birds die for food; they finally manage to get their hands on something good, and someone actually tries to snatch it away from them!
"Let's go for it! Senior Brother, what are you afraid of?!"

"At worst, I'll risk my life to bring one along! I almost died in the ruins, I refuse to believe it's more dangerous than the ruins now!"

"It's just one of the Three Sects and Six Gangs. The mountains are high and the emperor is far away. How could the Red Rice Gang possibly have the reach to govern this place!"

Chen Sui took a deep breath, nodded, turned his gaze back, and slowly drew his sword.

"In that case, Chen Sui of Qingfeng Temple, please enlighten me."

He discarded his sword sheath, mimicking the abbot's stance, and pointed diagonally at the ground, his inner energy circulating in his abdomen.

As the former senior disciple of Qingfeng Temple, he naturally knew the old version of Qingfeng Sword Technique. He had also learned the improved Seven-Section Quick Sword and Nine-Section Quick Sword techniques, and had also exchanged for the secret technique of Light Body.

Its strength is now vastly different from what it used to be.

So, since we can't avoid it, let's fight!
"You've got guts! A mere cultivator who's only just broken through to the inner strength stage dares to challenge a senior? Who gave you the courage?" Chen Hushan laughed, but it was a mocking laugh.

He drew a short dagger from his waist and swiftly twirled it.

He dared to make a move because there was more than one internal energy martial artist in his team. He, his junior sister Xie, and three other junior brothers were all internal energy realm practitioners. Moreover, he and his junior sister Xie were not ordinary internal energy realm practitioners, but had reached the fourth level of internal energy strength.

This is nothing in the inner city's three sects and six gangs; they are at most low to middle level. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been assigned to the expedition team as cannon fodder. But in the resource-scarce outer city, this force is not weak.

Swish.

When they couldn't agree on the terms, Chen Hushan made the first move, stomping his foot and unleashing the Frost Soaring Skill, one of the four great arts of the Red Rice Gang.

His internal energy flowed into the short dagger, and combined with his rapid forward footwork, he struck like a white line, instantly traversing a distance of seven or eight meters, and stabbed towards Chen Sui.

Not only him, but the other four people behind him, all four internal energy martial artists, also made their moves.

With their internal energy flowing freely, they moved at an extremely fast speed, far beyond the reach of ordinary martial artists.

Chen Hushan took the lead, and his frost-covered dagger flashed like lightning, slashing towards Chen Sui's shoulder.

The gap between him and a mere newcomer who had just broken through to the level of internal strength was so vast that it was almost indistinguishable from the gap between an ordinary martial artist and a martial artist with internal strength.

Therefore, his strike was executed with effortless ease and naturalness.

but.
Swish!
The dagger missed its target!
Before he could react, a dazzling silver sword light, like a blooming peony, suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Ding ding ding ding! !
Blinding sparks exploded rapidly around Chen Hushan, causing the internal energy protecting his body to plummet at that moment, startling Chen Hushan so much that his face changed instantly.

'What the hell is that speed?!?!'

He dared not delay and immediately unleashed his full power in the Frost Technique. His short dagger swiftly created a cloud of white frost around him. This frost was extremely cold, and anyone who came into contact with it would have their skin and bones chilled by the cold poison within a short time, slowing down their movements.

(End of this chapter)