"You’d be better off using those little schemes of yours on him. Make him cultivate faster," Chen Li reminded him coolly.
"Yes, yes!"
Shu Qi stole a glance at Chen Li and hastily added, "It’s not that there’s no way to speed things up. We just need to find some Qi Realm—or even Spirit Realm—experts and let him absorb their vitality."
Chen Li mused for a moment, then called out calmly toward the door, "Zhao Deming."
Moments later, a figure appeared silently at the study’s entrance.
His expression was deferential; he was clearly under complete control.
It was none other than the Honored Guest, Zhao Deming, who was being controlled by Chen Li with a Secret Medicine.
Chen Li had also tried to control him with the Evil Suppressing Seal. Unfortunately, unlike with Shu Qi, Linglong, and the others, it had no effect.
The Evil Suppressing Seal only worked on those with a demonic or heretical aura. It was useless against someone like Zhao Deming, who had broken through to the Spirit Realm by diligently cultivating his external body and generating vitality.
After briefly informing Shouheng about Zhao Deming’s situation and the five-man attack on the Chen Family, Chen Li’s gaze swept over Zhao Deming and Shu Qi. "Zhao Deming, you are familiar with the Jiang Family’s Guests and Tributors. You will act as the guide, Shouheng will take the lead, and Shu Qi will provide support. You three will form a team..."
He paused, his tone turning cold. "Your objective: hunt down the Jiang Family’s Qi Realm Guests and Spirit Realm Honored Guests. After capturing them, transport them secretly to the Zhuoyan Collection. Hand them over to Zhang Chengzong and find a way to have him absorb their vitality to aid his breakthrough."
The three of them had varied reactions to his words.
Zhao Deming remained expressionless, bowing as he replied, "Yes, Master."
Chen Shouheng’s heart jumped. He realized his father was finally making a move against the Jiang Family and replied without hesitation, "Yes, Father!"
Shu Qi, on the other hand, shivered. He cursed his rotten luck. ’This assignment is a whole lot tougher than the last one.’
But he didn’t dare show the slightest hint of defiance. He nodded hurriedly. "Yes, yes, of course. I will do my utmost."
The three of them departed from the Chen Family estate.
Zhao Deming began explaining his plan to take the other two to several spots he knew were frequent haunts of the Jiang Family’s Guests.
"Hold on," Chen Shouheng suddenly interjected.
Zhao Deming and Shu Qi both looked at him, confused.
Chen Shouheng’s gaze shifted to Shu Qi, his eyes sharp. "Master Shu, regarding the kidnapping of my uncle-in-law, Bai Shixuan, and his family... besides the deceased He Zhizhou, do you know where the other two are hiding?"
Shu Qi’s heart sank, and he cursed inwardly.
’This young master! How can he hold such a grudge!’
’They’re just two small fry. Why is he so obsessed with them?’
However, having just been disciplined by Chen Li, he didn’t dare let any of this show on his face. He could only say cautiously, "After those two got off the boat, they snuck back to Jingshan County Town to hide. As for their exact location... I wasn’t following them closely then. But..."
His tone shifted, a smug look appearing on his face. "Back then, on the chest filled with silver, I secretly smeared some of my special Rat Fragrance. It’s colorless and odorless, completely undetectable to the average person, but the Jade-nosed Rat I’ve raised can track it easily. As long as they’ve touched it, I’m certain I can find them if we get within a hundred zhang!"
Chen Shouheng nodded, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Good. We’ll find those two first. It’s time to settle some old scores."
Zhao Deming, naturally, had no objections.
’Vengeful brat, always delaying the important work.’
Shu Qi grumbled inwardly but could do nothing but lead the way.
...
They entered Jingshan County Town.
Compared to the chaos on Mirror Mountain, the town was slightly more orderly, but an oppressive atmosphere still hung in the air.
Pedestrians on the streets rushed about with anxious expressions. Many shops were shuttered, painting a desolate picture.
Shu Qi stopped talking and focused intently on using his tracking skills.
The three of them wound their way through the streets and alleys.
At times, Shu Qi would close his eyes and concentrate, his nostrils twitching slightly. At others, he would pull a small mouse from his robes—snow-white except for the crimson tip of its nose.
For two straight days, they covered nearly every corner of the county town.
Finally, in a seedy area of low-slung residential buildings.
Shu Qi suddenly stopped. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he whispered, "Found them! The scent is strong. It’s coming from that small, detached courtyard just ahead."
Night.
The three approached the courtyard again, this time stealthily, and listened intently.
From inside, they could faintly hear the hushed, anxious conversation of two people.
A slightly hoarse voice spoke, trying to dissuade the other. "Second Brother, think about it! Without a proper Inner Power Heart Method to guide the energy, your success rate for breaking through with just this Elixir is fifty percent at best!
"You... you already damaged your meridians when you failed to break into the Qi Realm last time. If you fail again, your chances will be even slimmer next time! It’s too risky!"
But the other voice was filled with a desperate madness. "Wait? You think we can afford to wait? Big Bro has been gone for so long without a peep. It’s almost certain he’s done for."
"If I don’t go for it now and break through to the Spirit Realm, we’ll both be lambs to the slaughter! A fifty percent chance... is good enough!"
The sound of a stopper being pulled, followed by a gulp, was heard. The second brother had clearly taken the Elixir.
A cold glint flashed in Chen Shouheng’s eyes. He shot forward, bursting into the room first.
Zhao Deming and Shu Qi followed close behind, flanking him and cutting off any escape.
The two men inside blanched in horror.
The second brother was sitting cross-legged, the Elixir’s power just beginning to dissolve within him. His vitality was already in turmoil. Caught completely off guard, he had no time to react.
Chen Shouheng struck like lightning. A single finger jabbed a vital point on the man’s torso, and an immense surge of Inner Qi flooded into his body, instantly severing his Qi Flow Route.
The second brother let out a muffled grunt. His face went from red to ghostly pale as blood rose in his throat, and his body went limp.
The third brother was frozen in terror. He was just about to reach for his steel saber when Zhao Deming’s palm chopped down precisely on the side of his neck. The man’s vision went black, and he crumpled to the floor.
The entire takedown was clean and efficient.
A search of the premises, however, yielded disappointing results.
Other than five small Jade Bottles recovered from an inner pocket on the second brother, there was only a small cloth pouch containing roughly three to four hundred taels of silver.
Chen Shouheng picked up one of the Jade Bottles and removed the stopper. A rich, medicinal aroma mixed with a faint, pungent scent wafted out.
Though he was no expert in alchemy, he could tell this elixir was something special.
Zhao Deming leaned in for a closer look, his face lighting up with surprise. "This is the Jiang Family’s secret recipe, the Qi Condensing and Essence Transforming Pill! It’s incredibly precious and rare. I can’t believe these two had so many."
"You both performed well. Take these."
Chen Shouheng glanced at the five bottles of Elixirs in his hand. After a moment’s thought, he pocketed three and tossed the remaining two to Zhao Deming and Shu Qi.
"Thank you, Young Master."
Zhao Deming caught the Jade Bottle, stunned for a moment. He clearly hadn’t expected Chen Shouheng to be so generous.
Even for someone at the Spirit Realm, this Elixir still offered significant benefits.
A complex emotion flickered in his eyes. The resentment he felt for being controlled abated, just a little.
Shu Qi was ecstatic. "I haven’t done anything to deserve this. I couldn’t possibly take credit."
Despite his polite words, his hands moved quickly, tucking the Elixir safely into his robes.
He had originally thought this was just another forced chore, never expecting such tangible rewards. ’This kid is nothing like his old man!’ he thought to himself.
He recalled raiding Wang Shiming’s home; of the more than ten thousand taels of silver, he hadn’t seen a single coin.
He’d even been paying out of his own pocket during his time at the Zhuoyan Collection. Suddenly, his motivation surged.
"Now, how do we get that Zhang Chengzong to take the bait?"
Chen Shouheng’s brow furrowed. He was slightly worried their target would realize something was amiss.
Shu Qi gave a sly chuckle. "Don’t you worry, Young Master. That lecher is completely consumed by his addiction. It’s the only thing on his mind. I just need to use a little trick to make him... unable to perform in bed. We won’t even need a scheme; he’ll come crawling to us on his own."
At daybreak, the three of them loaded the two unconscious men into a carriage they had purchased and set off quickly for the Zhuoyan Collection.
The hunt had officially begun.
In the days that followed, the Jiang Family’s Guests began to mysteriously disappear, one after another.
It was as if they had vanished into thin air.
At first, the disappearances didn’t attract much attention from the Jiang Family’s leadership. By the time they noticed the sharp decline in the number of their Guests, it was already too late.
...