The Wang Household

The fallen grass and trees, and the broken tree trunks, were scattered across a large area, still showing the state of things on that day.

Shen Jingchuan let Treading Snow fall down, then jumped down himself, circled around, and his brows gradually furrowed.

The body is gone.

The corpses were indeed gone, and even the old man whose limbs had been severed had vanished without a trace.

Only a few faint bloodstains remained on the ground, dark and hardened, long since dried.

Shen Jingchuan squatted down and took a look. He immediately understood what had happened; it had most likely been taken away.

He stood up and clapped his hands.

"Forget it, never mind."

The body was left unattended, but where was the Wang Household?

After a moment's thought, Shen Jingchuan had an idea. He immediately urged Treading Snow to head towards Spirit Creek Market.

As they approached the market, Shen Jingchuan put away Treading Snow, released Big Black, mounted it, and rode towards the market.

There was still some distance to the entrance. He activated his magic technique, concealed his aura, and quickly applied some simple makeup.

After getting ready, he paid the Spirit Stones and entered the market.

He didn't return to his cave abode to disturb Xiao Mingshu; instead, he chose an inconspicuous, mid-range restaurant on the street and went inside.

He ordered a quiet private room, picked out a few dishes, then called the waiter over, took out a Spirit Stone, and placed it on the table.

"Please, go and invite Accountant Wu from the market town. Tell him I'd like to treat him to a meal."

The shopkeeper stared at the Spirit Stones with great envy, but when he reached out halfway, he withdrew his hand, looking troubled.

"This... Senior, it's not that I'm being rude, but what kind of person is Accountant Wu? I can't possibly ask him to come."

Shen Jingchuan smiled and agreed. After a moment's thought, he took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket and handed it over.

"Take this and hand it to him; he'll understand."

The waiter accepted it with both hands, somewhat doubtful.

"This... this will work?"

"Go ahead without worry." Shen Jingchuan casually tossed the Spirit Stone over.

The waiter hurriedly caught it, gripping it tightly. His face immediately lit up with a smile as he thanked him repeatedly. After saying this, he turned and left, greeting the manager before exiting the restaurant.

Accountant Wu, was sitting in his office drinking tea. It was almost noon, and he was wondering where he could grab a bite to eat.

A patrolling guard came in to report that a waiter from a restaurant outside had specifically asked to see him.

Accountant Wu was delighted to hear this. He was just thinking about having a meal, and it had come to him on a silver platter. He didn't think much of it.

"Let him in."

The waiter entered and bowed respectfully.

"Mr. Wu, I work at Mingyue Restaurant. A senior colleague of ours came and invited you to join us. The dishes have all been ordered, and we're waiting specifically for you."

Accountant Wu, holding his teacup, raised his eyes.

"Oh? Who is it?"

"Well... I can't really explain it either. He said you'll know as soon as you see it."

The waiter presented the porcelain bottle with both hands.

Accountant Wu took the bottle, uncorked it, brought it to his nose to smell it, then poured it into his palm, revealing a round pill.

He squinted at it, and immediately understood.

High-Grade Qi Gathering Pill.

Accountant Wu chuckled, put the pills away, and stood up.

"Alright, lead the way."

He followed the waiter, and after a few twists and turns, he arrived at Mingyue Restaurant. He entered a private room, looked up, and sure enough, it was Shen Jingchuan.

At this moment, Shen Jingchuan had already shed his disguise and returned to his true self, only suppressing his cultivation level to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

Accountant Wu burst out laughing as soon as he saw it, pointing at him and laughing.

"Haha, I knew it was you. Didn't you go out? Why are you back so soon?"

Shen Jingchuan stood up to greet him and gestured for him to sit down.

"Mr. Wu, please have a seat. Have something to eat first, then we can talk slowly. We're all hungry."

The two sat down as host and guest, eating and drinking while exchanging casual pleasantries.

After a couple of rounds of drinks, Shen Jingchuan seemed to suddenly remember something and asked a question in a seemingly casual manner.

"By the way, Mr. Wu, the Wang Household you mentioned to me last time, that's the one that tried to ambush me."

Do you know where they live?

Accountant Wu, paused as he picked up food with his chopsticks, and looked up at him.

"Young Master Shen, why are you asking this out of the blue?"

Shen Jingchuan smiled and poured himself a glass of wine.

"Hey, what else can we do but ask? If they really have their eyes on me, they need to know where I am."

"Actually, I could have asked anyone else and gotten the same answer, but I thought you were Mr. Wu and kept your mouth shut, so I asked you first."

"If you're not comfortable saying, that's okay, I'll just ask someone else."

Upon hearing this, Accountant Wu's mind began to wander.

The Wang Household's address wasn't a secret; many people in the market knew it, so whether they said it or not didn't bother them.

After a slight hesitation, he told Shen Jingchuan the exact location of the Wang Household's residence, specifying which mountain and valley it was in.

After he finished speaking, he wanted to ask for the reason, but then he thought it best not to ask and swallowed his words.

The two enjoyed the meal to the fullest, and at the end, Shen Jingchuan clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence today, Mr. Wu. Let's meet again another day."

Accountant Wu smiled and clasped his hands in greeting, and the two parted ways at the entrance of the restaurant.

After leaving the restaurant, Shen Jingchuan didn't rush off. He strolled around the market for a while, bought some odds and ends, and then slowly led Big Black out of the market.

The Wang Household lived only a little over a hundred miles from the market town. He didn't make a fuss, but rode his Big Black and sped off in the direction Accountant Wu had given him.

Big Black's stamina is now vastly different from what it used to be; it can now move with incredible speed, like the wind chasing lightning.

They covered more than a hundred miles and arrived in less than half an hour.

In the distance, amidst the shadows of the mountains ahead, the outline of the Wang Household's residence was already faintly visible.

Shen Jingchuan gently pulled the reins, Big Black understood, gradually slowing down.

Upon approaching, he reined in his horse, stopped, looked up, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

This doesn't resemble an ordinary Lineage residence at all; it's practically a small town.

A mountain peak was completely enclosed, and a tall city wall was built along the contours of the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, a large area of houses is enclosed; as you approach the summit, another ring of city walls rises, layer upon layer, following the contours of the mountain.

There were shadowy figures on the wall, and one could vaguely see someone guarding the place, moving back and forth.

Shen Jingchuan observed for a moment, then released his Divine Sense, exploring the city walls and houses inside and out.

Wherever his Divine Sense passed, houses, people, livestock, and spiritual fields were all clearly visible, but he did not detect any large formations.

He understood, withdrew his Divine Sense, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. "I'm here."

He urged Big Black on and walked openly toward the gate of the village at the foot of the mountain.