The concept of a born saint begins with Strange Tales from Liaozhai.

The grave mounds rise and fall, overgrown with weeds up to knee-high, and a chilling wind blows.

Thick resentment, death, and demonic energy intertwine and churn here.

As Su Chen slowly stepped into the mass grave, the ghosts and demons lurking in the shadows almost simultaneously sensed that something was wrong.

They were shocked and incredulous, and had not yet had time to flee.

next moment.

Amidst horrified and horrified gazes, that aloof figure suddenly descended!

Suppress, refine!

One by one, the ghosts and monsters didn't even have a chance to struggle before they turned into peaches.

Soon, the entire mass grave returned to a deathly silence.

Only the night wind rustled through the withered grass.

Su Chen's magical power and cultivation level were rising at an almost exaggerated speed.

He didn't stop; with a swift movement, he continued to plunder ghosts and monsters.

Time flows by silently.

The eastern horizon was gradually turning a pale white.

As the sun rises, its rays pierce the darkness of night and bathe the earth in the morning light.

Su Chen stopped what he was doing, looked up at the sky, and then, with a slight thought, his gaze fell on the panel.

[Realm: True Person (41%) 4,139 years of cultivation]

"Over four thousand years of cultivation..."

Feeling the abnormally large magical power emanating from the body, Su Chen's eyes brightened slightly.

In a few more days, his magical power and cultivation will reach ten thousand years, and he will have completely transformed!

Thinking of this, his mood lightened somewhat.

With a turn of his body, Su Chen flew towards Guobei County.

When he was a few miles away from the city, he calmed his breathing, lowered his body, and used his light-footed skills to fly over the grass, skimming over the ridges and paths, and quietly approached the city.

A moment later.

The city walls of Guobei County are now in sight.

Su Chen lightly touched the ground with his feet, and his figure silently leaped into the city without alerting anyone.

In the early morning, the streets of Guobei County gradually come alive.

Smoke rose from the chimneys, and the shouts of vendors echoed throughout the area.

Su Chen casually walked to a breakfast stall on the street and bought a few freshly made snacks.

Steaming hot, the dough was soft and fluffy.

He took a bite, savoring the flavor.

Well, all I can say is that the taste was just so-so...

While slowly eating his steamed buns, he casually observed the scenery of Guobei County in the early morning.

Su Chen walked slowly along the street toward the Zhang family's residence.

As he ate his steamed buns and casually observed the local customs and culture of Guobei County in the early morning, he slowly walked towards the Zhang family's residence.

suddenly.

Not far away, the voices of several villagers talking in hushed tones drifted intermittently along the still relatively quiet streets in the early morning.

"Sigh, speaking of which, Zhang Shanhai, the old master of the Zhang family in Nanliu Lane, really had a miserable life."

"Isn't that right? Not long ago, I was out and about when I was ambushed by thugs from the Black Tiger Gang. They stabbed me to death right there in the street."

"Tsk, that scene... blood was everywhere, and the person died on the spot."

As soon as the words were spoken, the group couldn't help but shake their heads and sigh.

"Alas, the Zhang family is truly finished now. With the death of the patriarch, Old Master Zhang, they probably won't last much longer."

"Besides, hasn't the eldest son of the Zhang family already gone mad? Who can support such a huge family business?"

"Yes, yes, the Zhang family's days are numbered..."

Several villagers in old robes chatted amongst themselves, their voices a mixture of sighs and a touch of indifference born of a life accustomed to death.

Upon hearing their words, Su Chen's expression changed, becoming quite unpleasant.

He wondered if he had misheard.

I only went out for a short while, and this happened?

Just as he was thinking this...

Those few residents of Guobei County also discovered him.

One of them recognized him.

"Isn't this Zhang Xuan, the eldest son of the Zhang family?"

"Uh, what's the eldest son of the Zhang family doing here? Shouldn't he be at the Zhang family's residence? Something happened to Zhang Shanhai, the patriarch of the Zhang family..."

"This young master Zhang Xuan is quite pitiful, actually. After the death of the Zhang family patriarch, Zhang Shanhai, he and the rest of the Zhang family suffered terribly..."

Hearing the murmurs from not far away and feeling the pitying gazes, Su Chen did not hesitate and immediately quickened his pace, heading towards the Zhang family's residence.

Chapter 43 The Underworld

Not long after he left, he saw a large group of people from Guobei County...

Su Chen glanced at it from afar and noticed a pool of blood on the street that hadn't been cleaned up yet.

The closer they got to the Zhang family's house, the more people gathered around.

As soon as he reached the gate of the Zhang family's house, he was spotted by the villagers who were watching and talking, as well as the gatekeepers, Old Man Wang and Wang An.

"Young Master?"

"Young Master, what are you doing here?"

Old Man Wang and his companion, their faces full of worry, were taken aback when they saw the young master walking to the gate.

Then, Old Man Wang said urgently, "Young Master, hurry to the main hall and see what's wrong with the Master!"

He spoke the last few words almost in a low voice, his voice filled with barely concealed panic and sorrow.

Su Chen didn't ask any further questions.

He simply nodded silently.

Amidst the curious, prying, and gossiping gazes of the crowd outside the gate, he strode over the threshold and entered the Zhang family compound.

The sound of footsteps was particularly clear in the empty courtyard.

soon.

The main hall of the Zhang family is already in front.

At this moment, the main hall of the Zhang family was already crowded with people.

There were several county yamen runners in official uniforms with solemn expressions, as well as Zhang family relatives who had rushed over upon hearing the news. They all discussed the matter in hushed tones, but deliberately kept their voices down.

Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating.

The mother, Ms. Xu, stood at the front of the crowd, with her younger brother, Zhang Xing, beside her. His face was pale, and he looked bewildered, as if he had not yet recovered from the sudden change.

All eyes turned to the center of the main hall without prior arrangement.

There, a wooden frame was temporarily erected.

On the wooden frame.

Zhang Shanhai, a portly man dressed in a gray robe, lay quietly.

He remained motionless and breathless.

This Zhang family patriarch, who usually held sway and had absolute authority in Guobei County, now lay there lifeless, without a trace of life.

That face, which used to be always worried and sighing, was now bloodless, pale and almost ashen.

His eyes were tightly closed, but a trace of lingering pain and shock remained between his brows, as if he was dying and hadn't had time to react to what had happened.

But what was most striking was the gruesome and terrifying knife wound on his chest and abdomen.

His robes were torn, and the bloodstains had long since congealed into a dark red color, a shocking sight.

A faint, lingering smell of blood still lingered in the air.

Mother Xu knelt beside the wooden frame, her arms tightly wrapped around Zhang Shanhai's body, as if afraid that if she let go, he would disappear completely.

Her shoulders trembled violently, and her sobs were intermittent, until her voice was hoarse.

"Master...Master..."

The cries were mournful and desperate, carrying the collapse and helplessness of a woman who had lost her support, echoing in the main hall.

Those around who witnessed this scene either lowered their heads and sighed or had complicated expressions, but no one dared to go forward and disturb them.

"Grandpa...Grandpa...please come back to life..."

"What will I do if you die..."

Beside him, Zhang Xing's eyes were red-rimmed, filled with disbelief and disbelief.

Upon seeing Su Chen arrive, the Xu family and the others turned their gazes toward him.

“Xuan’er, your father…”

After crying for a while, Madam Xu sighed, "Xuan'er, come and look at your father one last time. You won't be able to see him again. He loved you the most when he was alive, and you were his greatest pride..."

As she spoke, she became unable to continue, her voice choked with emotion.

The Zhang family relatives and the yamen runners standing nearby sighed deeply.

At this moment.

Old Wang's voice rang out from outside the main hall.

"Madam, the coroner has arrived."

He looked up at the fishy-smelling D-shaped head.

A middle-aged man in his forties strode into the main hall.

He was not tall, had a slight hunchback, and walked with a steady gait.

His face was ashen, his eyes were sunken, and his expression carried the somber air of someone who had dealt with corpses for many years. A sparse tuft of beard hung at the corner of his mouth, and his hair was mottled with white frost visible in the distance.

The coroner didn't say much, just nodded to the constables, and walked straight to Zhang Shanhai's body.

He rolled up his sleeves and bent down.

His gaze lingered on the grotesque blade for a moment, then he carefully examined the depth of the wound and the congealed bloodstains on the surrounding clothing.

Then, he probed his neck and pressed his chest and abdomen, his movements practiced and calm.

The entire main hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone held their breath, and even Xu's cries unconsciously subsided, leaving only intermittent sobs.

A moment later.

The coroner slowly straightened up and gently exhaled.

He reached out and straightened Zhang Shanhai's robes, covering the overly conspicuous wound, and smoothed out his collar, giving this old man of the Zhang family a final bit of dignity.

After doing all this, he turned around and looked at Mrs. Xu, who was standing to the side with tears in her eyes and on the verge of collapse.

The coroner's voice was hoarse. He sighed softly and said, "Master Zhang has passed away... Madam, please accept my condolences."

"The murderer who killed Master Zhang will be brought to justice by our authorities."

Upon hearing this, Mother Xu's face turned pale, tears welled up in her eyes, and she became even more heartbroken, almost fainting.