Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 45 Still yelling? I've come to collect you.

Midnight has passed, the moon has disappeared and the stars have set.

The murderous aura at the foot of Eagle Beak Mountain had not yet dissipated when a figure returned silently to the scene.

The cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining from the Yin Sha Sect was roaring in fury because his companion had died and his target had escaped when he suddenly heard a lazy, mocking voice coming from behind him.

"Scream, scream, scream! It's hurting my ears. Stop yelling, or we'll come and take you away."

He turned around sharply in shock, and what he saw reflected in his pupils was Meng Xihong, who had returned.

Meng Xihong had just settled Zhao Tieshan in a secluded spot nearby and used his spiritual power to expel the troublesome evil energy from his body. After giving him a brief treatment, he immediately returned.

Before the Yin Sha Sect disciple could even see who it was or circulate his spiritual power, a square, dark blue stone brick, shimmering with faint runes, rapidly enlarged before his eyes!

"Oh!"

A muffled thud, clean and crisp.

The cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining didn't utter a sound, his eyes filled with astonishment and confusion, before falling straight backward and completely losing consciousness.

Meng Xihong weighed the still-warm, dark blue stone brick in his hand, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly: "You know what, this thing... is actually quite useful."

Immediately, he tossed the unconscious Yin Sha Sect disciple onto his shoulder as if carrying a sack of potatoes, and his figure once again disappeared into the thick night.

……

In the northwest of Yingzui Mountain, a long-abandoned mountain god temple is dimly lit.

As his injuries subsided, Zhao Tieshan leaned against the mottled clay pedestal and was taken aback to see Meng Xihong return with another person on his shoulder.

"Brother Xihong, what's going on?"

Meng Xihong casually tossed his "harvest" onto the haystack, making a dull thud.

"Oh, you mean this? I wanted to ask him something, but he's in a bad mood and wouldn't talk properly. So I thought I'd knock him out and bring him back, then ask him slowly. I'm sure I'll find a way to get him to talk."

If that Yin Sha Sect disciple were awake right now, he would probably faint from anger upon hearing these words.

Why don't you just ask a question? Instead, you come up and hit me in the face with a brick without saying a word. What kind of question is that? Do you know how much trauma and shadow a brick can cause to the mind of a Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator?
Zhao Tieshan's lips twitched, clearly shocked by this simple and brutal method. He then suppressed his distracting thoughts and struggled to clasp his hands in thanks, his voice low and weak: "Brother Meng... I can't thank you enough for such a great kindness... I've dragged you into this mess."

"This is not the time to talk about these things." Meng Xihong waved his hand to interrupt him, stepped forward and once again used his Azure Wood spiritual energy to help stabilize his injuries and dispel the remaining cold and evil energy.

"Calm down, I'll help you heal first. Then tell me in detail what happened."

As the pure and gentle wood-elemental spiritual energy flowed into his body, Zhao Tieshan felt the cold and stinging pain in his wounds greatly relieved. He let out a long sigh of relief, and his complexion became a little rosier: "Thank you, Brother Meng...you saved my life again."

“Chief镖师 Zhao, there’s no need to be so polite. As partners, we should support each other.” Meng Xihong’s tone remained calm, but his eyes sharpened.

"Now, can you tell me what exactly happened? Why would the Yin Sha Sect go to such lengths, even resorting to murder to silence witnesses, over a batch of 'useless pills'?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tieshan's face showed even more bitterness. He sighed and said, "This is a long story. It was my Weiyuan Escort Agency that made a mistake. Greed has brought this terrible disaster upon us."

According to him, several months ago, a mysterious person approached Weiyuan Escort Agency, offering an extremely high price to transport a shipment labeled "special ore," demanding absolute secrecy and specifying a rather vague destination. Weiyuan Escort Agency was considered a small agency in Qingzhou, with its head escort only at the eighth level of Qi Refining, relying entirely on its years of accumulated reputation and cautious escorting.

The client offered an exceptionally generous reward this time, and the client had an extraordinary demeanor, seemingly from a major sect. After much deliberation, the chief镖头 (head镖师) finally accepted this seemingly lucrative job that could enhance the镖局's reputation.

Although the goods felt heavy and smelled slightly strange during transport, I did not investigate further in accordance with industry practice.

It wasn't until Zhao Tieshan later managed to secretly purchase and retain a very small portion of the "ore," discovered that it was no ordinary substance, and successfully traded it to Meng Xihong that the truth came to light.

He vaguely sensed that an unknown force was secretly investigating Weiyuan Escort Agency, especially the escorts who had handled that batch of "ore".

He sensed something was wrong and secretly investigated, only to find that his two trusted subordinates, whom he had sent to investigate, had mysteriously disappeared one after another, leaving no trace of them, neither alive nor dead.

He himself also suffered an extremely dangerous sneak attack, and the injury to his left arm was left at that time. If it weren't for his rich combat experience, he would have almost lost his life.

He then realized with horror that the batch of "ore" was no ordinary thing, and that the owner behind it was extremely powerful and ruthless, far exceeding any江湖恩怨 (jianghu grievances).

He spent a fortune to inquire through secret channels, and was already terrified when he only vaguely heard the three words "Yin Sha Sect".

He hurriedly sent a message to Meng Xihong, intending to warn him to be careful and cancel the transaction immediately. He never expected that the Yin Sha Sect would act so quickly, directly using this transaction to set a deadly trap, intending to wipe him and the potential buyers out of the market.

"The leader of the men in black has unfathomable cultivation. His mere aura was enough to make it hard for me to breathe. He is probably... probably a great cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage. He is ruthless and vicious."

After they captured me, they interrogated me about who I had sold the goods to. I knew that if I revealed the truth, I would surely die, and it would also implicate you, Brother Meng, so I refused to speak, even at the cost of my life. They then planned to use this transaction to lure out the culprits…”

Zhao Tieshan was still shaken, his face filled with lingering fear. "Brother Meng, after this incident, Weiyuan Escort Agency is probably... finished. My brothers whose fates are unknown... sigh!" He slammed his fist heavily on the ground, his eyes filled with pain, resentment, and deep helplessness.

"Uh...ah..." Just then, the Yin Sha Sect disciple who had been thrown into the haystack let out a groan and slowly woke up, his eyes still dazed.

Without even glancing at it, Meng Xihong pulled out the dark blue stone brick that he had been carrying at his waist.

"Oh!"

The poor Yin Sha Sect disciple continued to drift off to sleep.

Zhao Tieshan: "..."

Meng Xihong calmly put away the bricks and pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Chief Zhao, there's no need to be too pessimistic. Although the Yin Sha Sect is strong, it is, after all, a shady sect that cannot be brought to light. It must act discreetly and dare not openly slaughter an entire escort agency to attract the attention of the righteous path."

Your immediate priority is to recover from your injuries as soon as possible, then try to contact the head镖师 (chief镖师, a kind of bodyguard/escort), explain the situation, properly arrange for the families and remaining personnel of the镖局 (镖局, a kind of security agency), and temporarily hide away to avoid trouble.

If... if you and the chief镖头 (chief镖师, a term referring to a powerful and unassuming person) don't mind the simplicity of my rural home, you can bring your trusted brothers and family members to Yunni Village to find me.

Having personally witnessed Meng Xihong's youthful promise, profound cultivation, and decisive ruthlessness, Zhao Tieshan had long harbored the intention to pledge allegiance to him.

Upon hearing this, he immediately struggled to cup his hands in gratitude, saying, "Brother Meng, you are so kind! I am deeply grateful!"

"Once Zhao's injuries have healed somewhat, he will immediately return to the escort agency and report to the chief escort. I believe the chief escort will make a wise decision."

(End of this chapter)