Attacking the Wang Household
Tian Chengye and his two companions waited outside the woods where Shen Jingchuan had disappeared for a whole day.
The woods were quiet, without a sound. Tian Chengye frowned, pondering in his mind.
That man surnamed Shen either went far away long ago, or he hid in a high-level concealment formation that he couldn't detect.
He was unwilling to go back like this. He had come all this way for that Spirit Vein Spirit Vein. He couldn't give up halfway without getting his hands on it.
There's no need to ask for help. He's in the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and has two Qi Refining Great Perfection with him. As long as he finds the person, taking down a Qi Refining Seventh Layer won't be difficult. The difficulty lies in finding the person.
He called Tian Zheng and Tian Ming over.
Tian Chengye said, "Besides the concealment array, there's another possibility: he used teleportation, which I didn't notice."
"I'll search further afield, and you all should also spread out and search. Come back to this area every day to check. As long as the mark is still there, even if he runs to the ends of the earth, I can still find him."
The three of them went their separate ways.
That day, Tian Zheng returned to the vicinity of that forest as usual to check.
He took out a jade box from his sleeve, opened it a crack, and a small insect flew out.
This insect is called Tracking Insect, and it has been cultivated by the Tian Household for generations.
A few days ago, he sprinkled some tracking powder on that guy surnamed Shen.
That powder has no other use but a strong smell; once it gets on your body, it won't go away.
Changing clothes and washing with water are useless; the smell quickly seeps onto the body and can last for a month.
The Tracking Insect twitched its antennae, smelled the scent, flapped its wings, and flew off in a certain direction.
It didn't fly very fast, not as fast as a second-tier flying Demon Beast, but it wasn't much slower than the escape light of Qi Refining cultivator.
If someone follows behind, they can catch up sooner or later as long as the person being followed doesn't notice.
Without delay, Tian Zheng took out a communication talisman and reported the message to Tian Chengye.
He followed the direction of the marks and chased after them.
They chased them all the way to the battlefield.
The ground was empty; the corpses were gone, leaving only faint traces of blood.
As Tian Zheng was taking his look around, two streaks of light descended, and Tian Chengye Tian Ming arrived as well.
The three gathered together to try and identify the location of the mark.
The trail of that mark led directly towards Spirit Creek Market.
"Chase."
The three of them rode on a beam of light and headed straight for Spirit Creek Market.
When they reached the market town, the mark didn't stay there; it changed direction and went in another direction.
Tian Chengye's eyes darkened, and he followed the two men down.
Shen Jingchuan reined in Big Black and stopped in front of the Wang Household's village gate.
The entrance was heavily guarded, with several people on high alert.
Standing in the middle was a Qi Refinement Fifth Layer, flanked by four Qi Refining Fourth Layer, all staring at him.
The Qi Refinement Fifth Layer stepped forward and raised his hand to stop him.
"Who goes there? This is Wang Household territory. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach. If you go any further, don't blame us for being impolite."
Shen Jingchuan sat on his horse and spoke calmly.
"My surname is Shen. Go and inform them."
The five people on the floor were taken aback at first, but when they heard the name "Shen," their expressions changed instantly.
Shen Jingchuan looked at him.
You figured it out?
"That's right, it's the person you're thinking of. Go inside and report that they've come seeking revenge."
Several people on the city wall heard it too, and in a flash, they drew their bows and nocked their arrows, all aiming at him.
Those on the fifth floor dared not linger any longer and shouted at the top of their lungs.
"Enemy attack--"
He and his four gatekeepers turned and retreated through the gate.
The heavy gate of the village slowly closed, shutting shut with a loud thud.
Shen Jingchuan found it amusing.
That's supposed to stop it? Closing doors and windows is a method only ordinary people use.
Just because you're a cultivation Lineage and you've closed your doors doesn't mean I can't fly in.
He didn't rush to make a move.
This blatant challenge, this gradual approach to the doorstep, was clearly intentional.
He was testing the waters, not wanting to rush in; he needed to see first whether the Wang Household was prepared.
The bodies have already been taken away.
The Tian Household wouldn't collect his body. So, it's highly likely that the Wang Household already received the news and took the body back themselves.
Given this, he needs to be even more cautious.
On the other hand, to be honest, Shen Jingchuan's heart wasn't ruthless enough.
Having been in this other world for so long, he no longer felt any burden about killing.
I will not offend others unless they offend me. Those who die at his hands are all those who provoked him first.
However, he cannot bring himself to kill someone without being provoked.
The Wang Household provoked him, but he has already killed all those who provoked him.
But the cultivation world has its own rules. Once a mortal feud is formed, it must be eradicated completely. Otherwise, if open attacks don't work, they'll resort to covert methods, and the revenge will be endless.
He knew in his heart that he should go up and wipe out the entire Wang Household.
But wiping out an entire family isn't that easy.
The term "extermination of a family" means killing every single member of the family, young and old, leaving no one alive.
The Wang Household in front of us has several thousand members, including adults and children.
Should he kill them all? He didn't know. Even if he could, could he bring himself to do it?
This is his biggest challenge right now. And there's another layer—could there be an ambush?
Did the Wang Household not expect him to come knocking on their door? Did they think they were completely unprepared?
As he hesitated, shouts of "Enemy attack!" rang out from one level to the next in the village.
The entire Wang Household compound sprang into action. The once quiet mountain village was now bustling with activity.
He then realized that the people living at the foot of the mountain were ordinary people, while the people living around the top of the mountain were cultivators.
At this moment, the ordinary people at the foot of the mountain also rushed out carrying all sorts of weapons, all united in their hatred of the enemy.
As Shen Jingchuan watched, a decision gradually formed in his mind. The hatred these people harbored towards him was no small matter.
Ordinary people can't do anything to him openly, but he can poison you today and plot against you tomorrow; it's impossible to guard against him.
How will he manage to live his life from now on?
From this perspective, the cultivation world's rule of eliminating all traces of evil makes sense. His heart is gradually hardening and becoming more ruthless.
Just then, a group of people flew down from the mountaintop and landed on the stockade wall.
One of the elderly men, who looked to be in his seventies or eighties, was a Qi Refining Great Perfection.
The old man's gaze fell on him, and he spoke in a deep voice.
"Is the visitor from the Shen Household? Is it Shen Jingchuan?"
Shen Jingchuan sat on his horse and glanced at the old man indifferently.
"You already know, why are you still asking?"
The old man, with a stern face, asked again.
What is your purpose in coming here?
Shen Jingchuan chuckled.
"I think your Wang Household is truly shameless. Don't you know why I'm here?"
The old man suddenly shouted.
"Seven members of our Wang Household have already died in your hands. Isn't that enough?"
"My ancestor was Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he didn't seek revenge against you, which was already giving the Shen Household face. How dare you come to our doorstep? You truly don't take the Wang Household seriously!"
Shen Jingchuan was stunned for a moment, then a surge of anger welled up inside him.
Is there any reason left? At this point, he truly felt that the Wang Household deserved to be killed.
He threw his head back and burst into laughter.
"I've never heard of anyone being so unreasonable."
"I'm asking you, do I have any grudge against your Wang Household? And who in our Shen Household has ever offended you?"