Chapter 35

Rumble!

Under the clear sky, the earth trembled as a group of people and horses galloped at breakneck speed, raising a cloud of dust.

Leading the group were two extraordinary scaled horses, with Lian Rufeng, a towering figure, sitting on one of them. Beside him was a slender old man in brocade clothing, with a goatee.

The old man was dressed in splendid attire, exuding an air of arrogance, clearly not a villager from a remote area.

Behind Lian Rufeng and the old man followed a group of guards, about a dozen in total, some from Fuyun Village and others from the old man's entourage.

“Elder Wu, in about an hour, we will arrive at Fuyun Village,” Lian Rufeng said with a smile, his expression subtly revealing a mix of reverence and flattery.

This Elder Wu, named Wu Henshui, was the chief steward of the Qingyang Tribe's "Wu Family Medicine Shop," possessing the cultivation of the Eighth Level of True Martial Arts, the "Great Zhou Tian," making him extremely powerful and formidable.

Even in the Qingyang Tribe, where merchants gathered, Wu Henshui's name was well-known, and he was considered a significant figure.

Over the years, Lian Rufeng and his guards had transported goods to the Qingyang Tribe to exchange for living supplies, and their trading partner was the "Wu Family Medicine Shop."

Through Wu Henshui's connections, Lian Rufeng successfully sent his son, Lian Fei, to practice cultivation in Donglin City.

To Lian Rufeng, Wu Henshui was a man with boundless influence, and he could not afford to show any disrespect.

Wu Henshui nodded indifferently and suddenly asked, “Have you heard of Blood Marrow Sand?”

Lian Rufeng was taken aback and replied, “Is it a type of medicinal herb?”

This single question exposed Lian Rufeng's ignorance. Wu Henshui glanced at him with a hint of disdain, shaking his head inwardly. These villagers from remote areas were indeed crude and ignorant.

Though Lian Rufeng was crude, he had keen eyes. Realizing he had embarrassed himself, he quickly said, “I wonder why Elder Wu mentioned this?”

Wu Henshui thought for a moment and said, “There's no harm in telling you. I heard that near your village, there is an abandoned Fuyun Fire Copper Mine.”

Lian Rufeng nodded and said, “That's correct.”

Wu Henshui continued, “Do you know that wherever there is Fuyun Fire Copper, there will inevitably be a nest of Crimson Blood Bats?”

Lian Rufeng nodded repeatedly, flattering him, “Elder Wu is indeed well-informed. I remember there were indeed Crimson Blood Bats in the abandoned mine. We always considered it a forbidden area due to the potential dangers. If not for your reminder, I might have forgotten about it.”

Wu Henshui stroked his goatee and said smugly, “It just so happens that I recently came across an ancient book that mentioned that wherever Crimson Blood Bats are found, Blood Marrow Sand will also be present. This is a highly valuable spiritual material, and a single grain can be exchanged for ten copper coins.”

Lian Rufeng immediately showered him with flattery, “Elder Wu has keen eyes, far surpassing us crude people. But what is the use of Blood Marrow Sand?”

Wu Henshui, feeling pleased, didn't mind giving some guidance, “This material is very precious. It can refine blood marrow and improve physical strength. If used for cultivation, it can increase the chances of breaking through to the Fifth Level of True Martial Arts by at least twenty percent.”

Lian Rufeng was deeply shaken, “So miraculous?”

He was currently stuck at the Fourth Level of True Martial Arts, unable to break through because he couldn't refine his blood marrow to a frost-like purity.

The fact that Blood Marrow Sand could refine blood marrow left Lian Rufeng deeply moved.

Wu Henshui looked at Lian Rufeng with a hint of amusement and said, “You still lack a lot of knowledge.”

Lian Rufeng quickly asked, “Elder Wu, is your purpose for coming here to obtain the Blood Marrow Sand?”

Wu Henshui nodded and said, “That's one of the reasons. The other is to secure the spiritual fields near Fuyun Village.”

Lian Rufeng smiled and said, “Rest assured, I have been planning this for a long time and will ensure the mission's success.”

Indeed, this was Lian Rufeng's plan: to help Wu Henshui take over the spiritual fields of Fuyun Village.

By doing so, Lian Rufeng and his group could establish themselves in the Qingyang Tribe and, with Wu Henshui's connections, even venture into Donglin City to carve out a future.

As for the opposition from the villagers of Fuyun Village, Lian Rufeng no longer cared. For his future cultivation, how could he care about so much?

Even if they opposed, so what?

If necessary, he would kill them all.

They were just ordinary people, no different from ants.

Wu Henshui said coldly, “That's best. Once these spiritual fields are planted with spiritual herbs, the wealth generated will be even greater, and you will certainly get your share.”

Lian Rufeng's face lit up with joy, “Thank you, Elder Wu, for your guidance.”

As they conversed, the spiritual fields and the outline of a village came into view.

The spiritual fields were now planted with young spiritual grains, green and lush, like a green silk carpet, pleasing to the eye.

“We're here!”

Lian Rufeng looked at the familiar village and spiritual fields, his heart burning with excitement. Once today's task was completed, he would have no worries about achieving his grand plans.

Behind him, the guards were also visibly excited.

“What a waste. Such excellent spiritual fields are planted with spiritual grains. Isn't this a waste of such a place?”

Wu Henshui scanned the fields, shaking his head in regret.

Lian Rufeng was taken aback and asked, “Elder Wu, are there good and bad spiritual fields?”

Wu Henshui glanced at him disdainfully and said, “How much land is there in these Three Thousand Mountains? How much of it can be cultivated into spiritual fields?”

He pointed to the distant fields and said, “Look, beneath each of these spiritual fields, there are threads of spiritual veins. Otherwise, how could such fertile soil be formed? You villagers are indeed ignorant.”

Lian Rufeng, though inwardly furious at being called a villager, forced a smile and said, “Elder Wu is right. We are indeed ignorant.”

Wu Henshui snorted and said, “How do you plan to arrange the villagers in your village?”

Lian Rufeng gritted his teeth and said coldly, “If they are willing to help you plant spiritual herbs, that's fine. If not... kill them!”

Wu Henshui nodded and said, “It's best to keep them alive. Planting and harvesting spiritual herbs require a lot of manpower. I don't want to spend money buying more slaves.”

Lian Rufeng quickly nodded and said, “Elder Wu is right.”

Wu Henshui said, “Let's go to the village and take a look.”

The group rode their horses toward the distant Fuyun Village, their momentum overwhelming and unhidden, displaying extreme arrogance.

After all, to them, the residents of Fuyun Village were just poor, ignorant villagers. They didn't need any strategy to deal with such people; a straightforward attack would suffice.

Wu Henshui thought this, and so did Lian Rufeng and the guards behind them.

However, what they didn't expect was that after several months, Fuyun Village had indeed changed.

Buzz!

As they approached the village entrance, a sharp, ear-piercing whistle suddenly sounded from the distance, chilling and soul-stirring.

“Not good! There's an ambush!”

Wu Henshui's face changed, and he reined in his horse, stopping.

Lian Rufeng's heart turned cold, his body trembling with fear, and he instinctively spurred his horse to dodge.

Bang!

A sharp, dark light narrowly grazed Lian Rufeng's shoulder, embedding itself in the chest of a guard behind him, blood spurting out.

It was an arrow, moving at an incredible speed!

If Lian Rufeng hadn't dodged in time, this single strike would have been fatal.

Lian Rufeng was drenched in cold sweat, but before he could react, the arrow embedded in the guard's chest suddenly exploded.

Boom!

Like a thunderclap, the guard's body was shattered, blood splattering everywhere, causing the nearby guards to panic and scatter, falling off their horses.

“Damn! Is this what you've been planning these past few days?”

Wu Henshui, though shocked and angry, maintained his composure. He dismounted and hid behind his horse, preparing for battle.

“Elder Wu, please calm down.”

Lian Rufeng gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with a fierce light, and drew his long sword, shouting, “Everyone, don't panic! Prepare for battle!”

Buzz!

Before his voice had even faded, the familiar whistle sounded again, and an arrow shot out from the village like a meteor from the sky.

Boom!

Another guard, along with his horse, was blown to pieces, blood and flesh flying everywhere.

In just two arrows, two guards were killed in an instant!

The guards were now in a state of panic and fear, abandoning their horses to seek cover far away.

At this point, they still couldn't pinpoint the enemy's location, only roughly determining that the arrows were coming from the village.

Lian Rufeng, too, was shocked and furious, his face ashen. When had the village hidden such a skilled archer?

An archer capable of killing cultivators was certainly not an ordinary person!

“Could it be that little brat Lin Xun? No, I've already sent Lu Ting and Qian Qi to guard the village. That boy is probably already crippled... Wait, that's not right!”

Suddenly, Lian Rufeng remembered something. Where were Lu Ting and Qian Qi?

“Damn, hurry up and charge into the village. Do you want to stay here and be living targets?”

Wu Henshui, with his extensive combat experience, knew that on this flat land, they were completely exposed to the enemy's sight, making them extremely vulnerable.

However, Wu Henshui wouldn't rashly charge into the village, not knowing how many experts were hidden inside.

Lian Rufeng suddenly came to his senses and roared, “Brothers, follow me! Kill that damn archer!”

With a roar, he moved like a tiger or a leopard, advancing in a zigzag pattern toward the village.

Behind him, the guards, though panicked, knew that if they didn't deal with the archer, they would only be sitting ducks waiting to be shot.

Thus, they gritted their teeth and followed Lian Rufeng into the village.

Buzz!

As they began their advance, the familiar sharp whistle sounded again, like a death call from hell.