Chapter 97

"Shi people do not engage in production, they are truly all vampires!"

Yang Junshan searched the wooden house and soon found a storage room, where about ten dan of spirit grains were piled up. The monk Xing Shen had reported to his superiors that he had only collected five dan, and the scattered jade coins and stone coins added up to the equivalent of twenty jade coins. In addition, there were some spirit herbs, spirit materials, raw ores, and medicinal pills, among other miscellaneous items. This wealth was already considered extremely substantial for a cultivator at the Mortal Realm.

"No wonder in my previous life, people said that Shi cultivators were all rats, vampires. Xing Shen looks like he was just a monk who was enlightened halfway, a high-level cultivator at the fifth level of the Mortal Realm, yet he managed to collect so much from ordinary people and low-level cultivators in just three months!"

Taking some of the jade coins and useful medicinal pills and spirit materials from the storage room, Yang Junshan couldn't take the rest away immediately. After disposing of Xing Shen's body, he restored everything in the wooden house to its original state. He glanced deeply at the shrine, then covered it with a piece of animal skin, wrapped it up, and threw it into the moat outside the county town. The next day, he took a carriage to Qing Shi Town and returned to his uncle's house.

"Niushou Mountain?"

Two days later, it was the day when Han Xiumei was to escort 150 dan of spirit grains from Tuqiu Village to Qing Shi Town. Unexpectedly, her son brought her this news right after she arrived at her mother's house without a moment's rest.

Since reaching a secret agreement with Chu Chuang from Qing Shu Village, Han Xiumei would escort a cart of spirit grains to Qing Shi Town every three months to secretly trade with Chu Chuang, then bring back soft soil powder to Tuqiu Village. An Xia would secretly transport it through a hidden passage to avoid the tax checkpoints of the Heaven-Shaking Sect, exchanging it for a large amount of cultivation resources and spirit grains in Zhang County.

Of course, Yang Junshan did not believe that his father was only targeting Qing Shu Village. Chu Chuang was just a stepping stone to open up the private trade in Chen Yu County. A fifth-level Mortal Realm cultivator like Chu Chuang certainly didn't have the courage to consume 150 dan of spirit grains every three months. These spirit grains must have been partially diverted elsewhere, and what Han Xiumei brought back to Meng Yu County certainly wasn't just soft soil powder.

After carefully listening to what Yang Junshan had described, although Han Xiumei was angry at his rash actions, daring to attack someone with higher cultivation, she was extremely proud that her son could defeat a fifth-level Mortal Realm cultivator who could use spirit techniques.

Yang Junshan nodded and said, "Yes, it's Niushou Mountain, located at the border between Chen Yu County and Meng Yu County. I have already interrogated the heretic and learned that it should be one of their strongholds. The leader is a cultivator at the Martial Realm, and it should have gathered all the cultivation resources accumulated by this group of heretics over the past three months."

Han Xiumei glanced at him and said, "How do you know he wasn't lying?"

Yang Junshan naturally knew the man wasn't lying because he hadn't said anything. All of this was guessed based on his knowledge of the Shi people from his previous life.

Yang Junshan smacked his lips and said, "I can be sure he wasn't lying. Their law-enforcing disciples will deliver the cultivation resources collected over the past three months to the Niushou Mountain stronghold in five days. We can take the opportunity to infiltrate and act accordingly."

Han Xiumei ultimately chose to trust her son and said, "This matter still needs your father to decide!"

The cultivation world was not without organizations like heretics that secretly lured and recruited followers. Both the Heaven-Shaking Sect and major sects and powerful families firmly suppressed and struck against such organizations. The Shi people were seen as a thoroughly evil cult in the cultivation world. However, the leader, confirmed by Yang Junshan, was just a scattered cultivator at the Martial Realm. More importantly, after hearing Yang Junshan's description of the Shi people's methods of exploiting their followers, Yang Tiangang couldn't help but want to take advantage of the situation.

Five days later, Yang Junshan and Han Xiusheng drove a large cart to Niushou Mountain at the border between Chen Yu County and Meng Yu County. Chu Chuang was already waiting there with a few people who looked familiar to Yang Junshan, including Chu Yang.

"Ha, Brother Yang!"

Seeing Yang Junshan approach, Chu Chuang laughed heartily and walked over, saying, "Thank you, Brother, for remembering old Chu and not forgetting to share this good fortune with me."

Yang Junshan smiled and said, "It's a matter of life and death, and Brother is here to help me. This battle should be winnable, but the key is to prevent the heretics from escaping. We will rely on Brother Chu and his brothers for that."

Yang Junshan could see that although Chu Chuang and his brothers were only at the fourth and fifth levels of the Mortal Realm, each of them had a very fierce aura, clearly having seen blood and experienced life-and-death battles.

In the past half year, it was said that Chu Chuang had almost gathered all the more than a hundred miners in Qing Shu Village under his command, even making the Martial Realm cultivator in Qing Shu Village give him some respect. The new mine owner in Qing Shu Village also didn't want to offend him, and there must have been a lot of bloodshed involved.

Chu Chuang was even more pleased and said, "That's good. If we can't even beat a fallen dog, then old Chu would be a failure. The brothers will obediently continue digging in the underground caves!"

Yang Junshan then asked, "Brother Chu, did you see anyone transporting things up the mountain?"

Chu Chuang nodded and said with a serious expression, "Their auras were a bit strange. We saw three groups of people, some pushing wheelbarrows, others pulling flatbed carts, all loaded with things heading up the mountain. Don't worry, we didn't alert them."

Niushou Mountain was high but not steep, and the dirt roads leading into the mountain were quite wide. Even a large cart carrying a spirit grain box could travel up to the halfway point, and then wheelbarrows or two-wheeled carts could continue on the mountain roads.

"Is it almost time to act?"

Han Xiusheng looked clearly nervous. Although he was also at the fifth level, he had never experienced combat in his life. Originally, Han Xiumei didn't plan to involve him, only needing him to help transport the spoils afterward.

But Han Xiusheng volunteered this time. He was also at the fifth level, and Yang Tiangang's secret organization was short of manpower due to limited resources, which was why they had to involve outsiders like Chu Chuang. Han Xiusheng's participation added a reliable person.

Han Xiusheng also had his own plans. He had participated in many of Yang Tiangang's schemes over the years and knew that his brother-in-law was on the rise, establishing the Yang family. In this situation, he naturally didn't want to be excluded from Yang Tiangang's core circle.

Moreover, his cultivation had been stuck at the peak of the fifth level for many years. According to Yang Junshan, this operation would yield great rewards. If he could make significant contributions, Yang Tiangang, who had few capable subordinates, would certainly support him in advancing to the Martial Realm. Therefore, this was a rare opportunity for Han Xiusheng.

Yang Junshan also understood Han Xiusheng's mindset. In his previous life, his uncle was a good person but somewhat timid and easily swayed. He would avoid trouble whenever possible. It was truly commendable that he had mustered the courage to come this time.

"Don't worry, Uncle. A single layman of the Shi sect has at most seven or eight law-enforcing disciples spreading their teachings and recruiting followers, all at the fourth or fifth level of the Martial Realm. The rest are just novice monks, low-level Martial Realm cultivators who have just entered the path of cultivation. We have nearly twenty people at the fourth and fifth levels of the Martial Realm, and on our side, we have three Martial Realm cultivators."

Hearing this, Han Xiusheng calmed down a bit. At this moment, Chu Chuang and his men were scattered at various points on Niushou Mountain, preparing to intercept the fleeing Shi cultivators. Han Xiusheng and Yang Junshan were also guarding a path down the mountain.

At this moment, a sharp whistle suddenly came from the top of the mountain. The intense sound made the cultivators lying in wait at various points on Niushou Mountain feel a jolt, signaling the start of the operation.

"Which Daoist friend has graced my Niushou Mountain? This seat, Yuan Kun, greets you!"

A voice came from the top of the mountain, and it seemed to shake the hearts of the listeners, making Yang Junshan inexplicably feel calm, his killing intent melting like cold snow in warm sunlight.

The mind-control techniques used by the Shi people to recruit followers could eliminate killing intent, weaken resistance, and confuse the mind.

Even with two lifetimes of experience, Yang Junshan, who prided himself on his strong will, almost fell for it. He quickly gathered his mind and focused his killing intent. Han Xiusheng, who had been affected by the spell, had a dazed look in his eyes but was jolted awake by the killing intent emanating from Yang Junshan.

At this moment, a cold snort suddenly echoed from the top of the mountain. Yang Tiangang's voice, like rolling thunder, boomed, "Hmph, truly a heretic, specializing in mind-control techniques, everyone should exterminate you!"

A huge fireball suddenly descended from the clouds, blazing with flames as it streaked through the air, heading for the top of the mountain.

"This is my brother-in-law using a high-quality magical artifact to cast a spell!" Han Xiusheng's eyes lit up.

"Heretic, daring to disrupt my Daoist sanctuary, you must be eliminated!"

Immediately, a golden glow rose from the top of the mountain, colliding with the fireball. A stream of flames spread along the golden glow in all directions, and the entire Niushou Mountain suddenly became a blazing torch.

The top of the mountain was filled with the sounds of screams and howls, as the Shi followers gathered there were affected by Yang Tiangang's spell.

The voice from the top of the mountain suddenly became furious, "Impudent! Who are you? I have always been kind to others and have never had any conflicts with other cultivators. When did I offend you?"

At this moment, a figure suddenly rushed to the top of the mountain, shouting, "If you want to fight, let's fight! No need for so much nonsense. Do you think you can escape today, heretic?"