Cheng Ruidá's Scheme
Three days ago.
About twenty miles from the Cheng Family, the Sacred Beetle Gu discovered a large underground cave containing a blood pool several meters in size.
The blood pool has dried up.
In one corner of the cave, a large number of corpses were piled up.
Some of the corpses were crawling with wriggling maggots.
It's clear that the time of death wasn't too long ago; it must have been within the last month.
The Blood Demon doesn't kill people or bleed them; instead, it builds a blood pool to collect human blood and condense its Essence Blood.
Clearly, the sharp decline in the Cheng Family's population was not entirely caused by the Blood Demon, but rather by the machinations of the Cheng Family members themselves.
Cheng Ruidá's massacre of his Lineage must have been for some ulterior motive.
Song Wen did not want to get involved in the Cheng Family's affairs, which is why he wanted to leave.
Cheng Ruidá looked at Song Wen, then at Zuo Shuiyun.
"Gentlemen, are you really not planning to stay at the Cheng Family for a few more days?"
"No, thank you for your kindness, Cheng Family," Song Wen declined.
Cheng Ruidá's originally kind face turned somewhat sinister.
"It seems you've discovered something. I originally wanted to discuss this with you two properly, but it looks like I'll have to resort to force now."
"Cheng Han, show yourself now!"
Cheng Ruidá roared!
Suddenly.
In the courtyard of the Cheng Family, a figure soared into the sky, speeding towards them on a sword.
Zuo Shuiyun's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
"Cheng Ruidá, what do you mean by this?"
Song Wen also showed surprise; the Cheng Family actually had a Foundation Establishment cultivator hidden inside.
Having Cheng Family for several days without noticing anything, it seems the other party was hiding in some kind of formation that could conceal their presence.
However, the newcomer was only a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator, not enough to threaten Song Wen.
Cheng Ruidá and Cheng Han surrounded Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun from the front and back.
"Elder Zuo, Elder Wu, don't panic. I mean no harm. I just want to ask you two to help me refine a kind of pill."
Cheng Ruidá was at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, and with Cheng Han's assistance, he was confident that he could keep Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun, who were only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, at bay.
"Cheng Ruidá, you should think this through. Junior Brother Wu and I are both elders of the Beast Taming Sect. If you dare to attack us, the sect will not let you and the Cheng Family off the hook."
Zuo Shuiyun said, her voice sharp but her tone weak.
Cheng Ruidá smiled faintly, not taking Zuo Shuiyun's threatening words to heart at all.
"Elder Zuo misunderstands. I truly have no ill intentions towards you two. As long as you help me Alchemy and Soul Oath not to reveal the Cheng Family's affairs, I will not only let you leave An Ran after it's done, but I will also give each of you three thousand Spirit Stone as a reward."
"If you two insist on opposing me, Cheng, then I will have no choice but to kill you. Even if the Beast Taming Sect settles scores with the Cheng Family afterward, what does that have to do with you two? You've already gone to the underworld."
Cheng Ruidá both sugar in his left hand and whip in his right, employing a two-pronged approach to threaten Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun into submission.
"Alchemy?" Zuo Shuiyun was somewhat skeptical.
She looked at Song Wen, waiting for Song Wen to make a decision.
She realized that she had underestimated this unassuming junior brother Wu.
Now that Song Wen was able to uncover the Cheng Family's conspiracy, perhaps Song Wen could make a more correct choice.
Song Wen said, "Senior Sister Zuo, since Cheng Family has sincerely invited us, let's lend him a hand."
Zuo Shuiyun looked at Song Wen with some surprise; she hadn't expected Song Wen to agree so readily.
A murderous glint flashed in Song Wen's eyes.
He was quite satisfied with his time at the Beast Taming Sect and had no desire to cause trouble.
He had intended to avoid the Cheng Family's affairs.
Unfortunately, since Cheng Ruidá was courting death, he had no choice but to play along and satisfy his curiosity.
What exactly is Cheng Ruidá plotting by going so far as to massacre his own clan?
Cheng Ruidá laughed loudly, "Good! A wise man knows when to yield. Elder Wu is indeed good at judging the situation. Please wait a moment while I subdue the Blood Demon, and then we can discuss the matter of Alchemy in detail."
After saying that, he winked at Cheng Han on the other side, signaling the latter to keep an eye on Song Wen and the other man.
Then, Cheng Ruidá raised his hand, and seven Demon-Sealing Nails flew out.
The array barrier trapping the Blood Demon suddenly cracked open at the top.
The Demon-Sealing Nails shot through the small opening with unerring accuracy, like a shooting star.
Like the fangs of a venomous snake, swift and vicious, it pierced into the Blood Demon's body in the blink of an eye.
The Blood Demon's meridians were sealed by the Demon-Sealing Nails, rendering it unable to mobilize its spiritual power. Its aura instantly weakened, and its body collapsed limply.
Its bloodshot eyes revealed despair and helplessness.
Cheng Ruidá dispelled the formation and threw out a chain.
The chains, like serpentine snakes, constantly changed shape, tightly binding the Blood Demon.
Cheng Ruidá grabbed one end of the chain and pulled the Blood Demon to his side.
Looking at the Blood Demon, its body a bloody mess yet still baring its teeth at him, Cheng Ruidá said with a contemptuous tone.
"You beast, you'll never escape my grasp."
Dragging the Blood Demon, Cheng Ruidá arrived in front of Song Wen and the other man.
"Elders, please."
After saying that, he dragged the Blood Demon and flew deeper into the Cheng Family's territory.
It seemed as if they weren't worried at all that Song Wen and his companion would take the opportunity to escape.
Following his instructions, Song Wen flew into the Cheng Family.
Zuo Shuiyun looked behind her, then at the backs of Song Wen and Cheng Ruidá. After hesitating for a moment, she ultimately didn't dare to run away alone.
Soon, the four arrived at the Cheng Family's Alchemy Chamber.
The Cheng Family's Alchemy Chamber was a stone house built with huge stones, totaling more than ten Alchemy Chamber.
Cheng Ruidá held a square token and inserted it into the stone wall of an Alchemy Chamber.
The stone door to the Alchemy Chamber opened.
Upon entering the Alchemy Chamber, Cheng Ruidá inserted another token into the wall.
A hole suddenly appeared in the floor of the Alchemy Chamber.
"Gentlemen, please follow me."
Cheng Ruidá was the first to jump into the cave.
Song Wen, who followed closely behind, did not act rashly.
As he walked to the edge of the cave entrance, a Sacred Beetle Gu fell into the cave along the sole of Song Wen's shoe.
After confirming that there was no danger ahead, Song Wen Sacred Beetle Gu jumped into the cave.
After falling for about several tens of meters, the view suddenly opened up, revealing an underground cave covering several acres.
Inside the cave was a set of aura-concealing formation, somewhat similar to Song Wen's <Qi-Sealing Spirit-Isolating Formation>. It was also a second-order formation, and its only function was to conceal one's aura, making it difficult for outsiders to detect anything inside the cave.
Song Wen had been at the Cheng Family for several days but had not found Cheng Han. It was very likely that Cheng Han was hiding in this cave.
In the center of the cave stood Pill Furnace as tall as a person.
Three Meditation Cushion were placed around the Pill Furnace.
After all four of them entered the cave, Cheng Ruidá said.
"I invited you two here because I need your help in refining a certain elixir. The process is extremely complicated and time-consuming; I cannot manage it alone."
Then, he threw out two Jade Slip, which flew towards Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun respectively.
"The Jade Slip contains the Pill Formula and the refining techniques for this pill. I originally planned to invite an elder from the Alchemy Chamber, along with Cheng Han, to assist me in refining this pill."
"But unexpectedly, the sect actually sent two Pill Peak elders. That's even better, then we won't need Cheng Han anymore, since he's not good at Alchemy."