Hu Family

The Hu Clan Leader was a slightly plump Middle-aged Man,

In his fifties or sixties,

With an eight-shaped mustache and narrow eyes,

He had an ingratiating appearance,

Looking somewhat like the unscrupulous merchants Zhang Qingyuan had seen in television dramas in his Previous Life.

The moment he spotted Zhang Qingyuan amid the crowd,

Dressed in Cloud Water Sect Outer Sect Robes, he hurriedly Stepped Forward.

"Are you the Esteemed Immortal of the Cloud Water Sect who accepted the mission to exterminate the Spirit Devouring Rat? You truly are a young hero, worthy indeed of being a disciple of an immortal sect. I am Hu Yong'an, the Hu Clan Leader. Since this is your First arrival, Esteemed Immortal, I failed to welcome you from afar. A feast has been prepared in my humble home; please honor us with your presence."

Hu Yong'an wore a broad, beaming smile,

Brimming with enthusiasm,

Yet his tone carried humility, and his words were Filled With flattery.

He looked exactly like the traitors in certain war dramas.

Zhang Qingyuan's original smile stiffened.

He felt somewhat embarrassed,

And cupped his hands with a slight stiffness. "Clan Leader Hu, you are Joking. I cannot bear the title of young hero, much less the appellation of immortal master. If you do not mind, Clan Leader Hu may simply call Zhang Qingyuan."

Hu Yong'an's groveling flattery

Made even Zhang Qingyuan's face redden slightly.

The Cloud Water Sect was indeed the undisputed dominant power within several Thousand Li,

But

The Sect had nearly a hundred thousand Outer Sect Disciples!

With such an enormous base, if one was merely an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple, it was good enough if others showed them respect; if they did not, they were nothing at all.

Before setting out on this mission,

Zhang Qingyuan had also gathered some information.

The Hu Family of Azure Mountain Town

Had been founded by an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple of the Cloud Water Sect. After failing to advance into the Inner Sect in three Grand Competitions over ten years, he was forced to leave the Sect and assigned to manage mortal affairs in territory under the Cloud Water Sect's jurisdiction.

Until his later years,

He learned from a Fellow Sect Member that a Spirit Spring had appeared in Green Mountain Village,

So he petitioned the Sect to retire from his post managing mortal affairs.

Bringing along several nephews and Junior relatives he had later trained to possess a little cultivation,

He headed to Green Mountain Village.

After a fierce battle,

He ultimately seized the Spirit Spring near Green Mountain Village,

And put down roots there,

Successfully laying the foundations of a small Cultivation Family and beginning a journey of inheritance spanning generations.

Within the Cloud Water Sect's sphere of influence,

The countless insignificant miniature Cultivation Family forces had all arisen in this way.

Throughout this process,

The Sect would not offer any assistance.

At most, the Hu Family Ancestor had relied on some Connections within the Sect to have the Sect later recognize the Hu Family's claim to the Spirit Spring.

If the Hu Family Ancestor had failed and died during that struggle,

The Sect would not have had any intention of stepping forward either.

After all, whether they came from Outer Sect Disciples or were Small Factions of outsider Rogue cultivators, once they occupied a Spirit Spring and reclaimed Spirit Fields, they had to offer more than half their Harvest to the Sect.

That was all the status an Outer Sect Disciple amounted to.

Unless some lunatics deliberately provoked them,

Among the Cloud Water Sect's hundred thousand Outer Sect Disciples, some were secretly intercepted and killed while on missions, some were slain by enemies seeking revenge, some were killed in return while hunting Demonic Beasts, and some were trapped in dangerous Ruined Cave Abodes and annihilated by formations. Outer Sect Disciples could die every day.

Which of the Sect's Higher-ups would spend so much time

Specifically watching over the lives and deaths of these countless insignificant Outer Sect Disciples, raised as Cannon Fodder to bolster the Sect's numbers?

Zhang Qingyuan

Understood his own position perfectly.

Without entering the Inner Sect,

He was, After All, an insignificant ant.

Only those figures of the Cloud Water Sect's Inner Sect were qualified to be addressed by outsiders as "immortal master."

"You are more than worthy of it. At such a young age, you have already entered the Late Spirit Essence Realm. Your future entry into the Inner Sect is practically set in stone—how could you not be called a young hero?"

"I, Hu, am a few years older than you. If I shamelessly call you Little Brother Zhang, how would that be?"

Hu Yong'an was smooth and worldly in dealing with people,

And handled matters with perfect tact.

His words sounded far more agreeable to Zhang Qingyuan.

But after a round of pleasantries,

Zhang Qingyuan said seriously, "Clan Leader Hu, there is no need to be overly polite. Zhang came here this time at your request to deal with the Spirit Devouring Rat. Please lead Zhang to inspect the Spirit Fields so that we may make plans early."

Zhang Qingyuan understood

That he was here to complete a mission, not to build Connections.

"Of course."

At the mention of the Spirit Devouring Rat,

Hu Yong'an's expression also turned grave, his face revealing hatred.

"It is all because of that damned Spirit Devouring Rat. The output of the Spirit Fields this season has been reduced by at least thirty percent. Little Brother Zhang, you must help your elder brother eliminate that damned scourge!"

Afterward,

At Zhang Qingyuan's firm insistence,

They did not return to the Hu Family to rest for the night. Instead, they passed directly through Azure Mountain Town and arrived at the hills behind it.

The Spirit Fields were not within Azure Mountain Town,

But lay in a low mountain valley behind the town.

Hills surrounded it on all sides,

Trees cast deep shade,

And thick mist pervaded the area.

The group stood before the mist,

When Hu Yong'an took out a Jade Talisman and poured Spiritual Power into it toward the mist ahead.

The matter of Spirit Fields

Was of great importance. To prevent thieves from stealing Spirit Items, or other Insects and Wild Beast from ruining them, every force guarded such places tightly and would more or less set up formations around them.

However, the mist sealing off the forest before them

Was likely the cheapest low-grade illusion formation the Hu Family had bought from the Marketplace. It could only deceive one's sight and had little killing power.

Because

Zhang Qingyuan had not sensed any moisture in the mist.

Dealing with such a formation was simple:

Close one's eyes and walk in a single direction without looking, and one could naturally leave the illusion formation's range with ease.

Under Hu Yong'an's control,

A path opened through the mist in the forest ahead,

And Zhang Qingyuan followed Hu Yong'an and the others into the formation.

After passing through a relatively secluded passage,

The view before them

Suddenly brightened.

Ahead lay

A small basin surrounded by hills.

At the center of the basin,

More than twenty mu of fields had been cultivated.

The fields were planted with Spirit Items,

More than three-quarters of them filled with lush Spirit Grain Seedlings. The tips of the Seedlings were Earing and filling with grain, green waves of rice swaying in the wind.

The remaining quarter

Was planted with all kinds of colorful Spirit Plants.

A small stream, rising with hazy vapor, slowly wound around the Spirit Fields.

"This is the place!"

Hu Yong'an led Zhang Qingyuan into the Spirit Fields,

Pointing at the Spirit Grain crops that had gone bald in the middle.

"We discovered traces of that damned Spirit Devouring Rat appearing nearby and ruining the Spirit Grain Half a Month ago. To prevent that damned beast from causing even greater losses, we have sent people to keep watch nearby day and night these past few days, but it has been useless!"

"That beast is simply too cunning. Its concealment methods are extraordinarily impressive, and it runs fast as well. There is nothing we can do!"

Speaking of the Spirit Devouring Rat,

Hu Yong'an gnashed his teeth with hatred.

One had to know

That Spirit Grain was not like mortal grain crops. It could only be planted once a year.

Moreover,

The portion to be offered as tribute to the Cloud Water Sect had long been fixed according to the acreage of the Spirit Fields. It would not be reduced in the slightest because of the Spirit Devouring Rat's ravages.

What the Spirit Devouring Rat ruined was not merely Spirit Grain,

But the very flesh of the Hu Family's heart!

Zhang Qingyuan pondered,

Carefully walking into the Spirit Field that had sunk like a Mediterranean bald patch.

Parting the crops around him,

He saw the ground

Littered with dried spirit stalks gnawed down by the Spirit Devouring Rat. Around the roots, he could still see scattered Fragments it had chewed apart.

Picking up a small fragment,

He examined it carefully.

After pondering for a moment,

Zhang Qingyuan formed a hand seal with both hands,

His Spiritual Power circulating.

Manifestation Tracing Technique,

Reveal!