Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 73 Zhiwei's Unhappiness
After taking the main objective of this trip,

Chen Ye hesitated for a moment.

Although Kong Hongxuan probably has quite a few good things hidden in his home.

But there's no time now to let him figure it out slowly.

Think of this,

Chen Ye quickly untied the storage bag from Kong Hongxuan's waist.

Then, without hesitation, he walked to the body of Kong Hongxuan's younger brother and took his storage bag as well.

Having done all this, he didn't linger. He condensed a wisp of spiritual fire at his fingertips and ignited the flammable items in the room.

Moments later, flames shot into the sky, engulfing the secluded house.

The raging fire flickered in the wind and snow, turning half the sky red.

Chen Ye stood at a distance, watching the mansion turn into a sea of ​​fire, his gaze calm.

"Destroy the evidence..." he muttered to himself.

Burning the entire courtyard down would certainly be very conspicuous.

But the fact that he committed murder could not be concealed.

It would be better to end it all at once and burn everything to avoid leaving any clues.

Even if Luo Heng and the others guessed that he killed Kong Hongxuan and his brothers, they would absolutely not be able to find any evidence.

Especially in this chaotic western district, which is being attacked by monsters.

Even the Lingyin Sect did not have the extra energy and manpower to thoroughly investigate this matter.

Chen Ye turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the wind and snow.

On his way back, he discovered several more corpses of rogue cultivators, most of them dressed in tattered clothes, their belongings clearly having been looted.

Their deaths were gruesome, some even missing limbs.

It looked as if it had been devoured by a demonic beast, or perhaps it had died from an ambush by a rogue cultivator.

Seeing these scenes, Chen Ye's heart grew heavier and heavier.

The reason he chose to spend a considerable amount of spirit stones to move to the market town was because he valued the remaining order there and the protection of the Lingyin Sect.

But now it seems that even within the market town,
Under the impact of natural disasters, man-made calamities, and external monsters, this so-called order has become extremely fragile and is on the verge of collapse.

"Everyone is in danger..."

……

That evening.

The men Luo Heng sent to monitor Kong Hongxuan finally arrived belatedly.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man with a cold and stern face and a calm demeanor; he was clearly a cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining.

This man's name is Hu Duanxing, and he is the head of another branch of the Jade Lizard Society.

When Hu Duanxing received the order, he was rather skeptical.

In his view, Kong Hongxuan only became the hall master because of his ancestral treasure armor, and his cultivation level was only at the threshold of the late stage of Qi Refining.

It wasn't worth it for a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining to make the trip himself.

"Hmph, he's nothing but a good-for-nothing who lives off his family's wealth."

Hu Duanxing secretly grumbled to himself, he held Kong Hongxuan in utter contempt.

"The president's precious son has long coveted his armor. Without Chen Ye, the president would have found another excuse to take away his Frost Scale Armor sooner or later."

Chen Ye's Heart-Protecting Jade alone costs over a hundred spirit stones.

What about Kong Hongxuan's Frost Scale Armor?
This was left by Kong Hongxuan's grandfather, Luo Heng's sworn brother.

His grandfather was a former outer disciple of the Lingyin Sect. He left the sect in his old age, failed to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and died.

It is said that it cost nearly three hundred spirit stones to be crafted by a sect's weapon refiner.

Although Hu Duanxing thought this way, he also thought about everything his colleagues had gone through.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow, like a rabbit mourning the death of a fox.

After all, in this chaotic world, who can guarantee that they will always be safe and sound and not be used as a pawn?
He quickened his pace and hurried toward Kong Hongxuan's residence in the West District.

The wind and snow continued, shrouding the entire western district in a vast expanse of white.

When Hu Duanxing finally found Kong Hongxuan's residence, the scene before him made his pupils shrink and he gasp.

The once tidy courtyard is now a charred ruin, billowing black smoke and raging flames.

The falling snow was reflected in a crimson light.

A deacon from the Lingyin Sect had already arrived, and he frowned as if nothing was amiss.

Using a cloud and rain technique, they extinguished the flames.

At the same time, several outer disciples, their faces beaming with joy, eagerly rushed into the courtyard. "What...what's going on?!"

Hu Duanxing was shocked and turned pale.

He immediately realized the situation was bad and, not daring to linger, turned around.

He rushed back to the Jade Lizard Society's headquarters as quickly as possible and reported the matter to Luo Heng.

……

The Jade Lizard Association's residence, in a quiet room.

After hearing Hu Duanxing's report, Luo Heng's aged face first showed a hint of surprise, then he fell into deep thought.

The first person he thought of was Chen Ye.

This person... is so decisive in his actions?

Luo Heng tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head and waved to stop Hu Duanxing, who was about to send more people to investigate.

"There's no need to send anyone to keep an eye on Chen Ye anymore..." Luo Heng's voice sounded somewhat tired.

"This man is ruthless and decisive, far from being an ordinary herbalist who craves comfort. Even if we could find something to hold against him, it would be difficult to truly control him. Instead, it would sow the seeds of future trouble."

Luo Heng pondered for a moment, then continued, "Instead of making enemies, it's better to try to befriend them... Fine, let's just consider those hundred spirit stones, plus a high-grade magic artifact, as an investment in advance to befriend a future deacon of the Lingyin Sect."

He recalled that in order to establish a friendship with Zhou Mingyuan, he had offered him two hundred spirit stones and a number of resources.

These days, spending some money to befriend a promising plant cultivator isn't such a bad deal.

"It might be a good thing. If one truly craves comfort, one won't go far in the Lingyin Sect..."

Hu Duanxing was utterly bewildered and felt a pang of heartache: "Guild Master, are we just going to let him go like this? That's a hundred spirit stones, plus a top-grade first-tier magic weapon... and besides, Kong Hongxuan..."

"Now that things have come to this, I would rather this person go further and further away."

Luo Heng interrupted Hu Duanxing and began to speak quietly.

He hadn't offended Chen Ye.

On the contrary, treat others with courtesy and be generous with rewards.

Why risk your own future for a few spirit stones?

Moreover, he is about to attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

These resources are nothing special.

……

In a small courtyard on Bishui Street.

Outside, the wind was biting cold, but inside, it was warm as spring.

The little black ball of fur sat cross-legged on the futon with a serious expression, its small body ramrod straight.

Ever since that day when she drew qi into her body and was able to sense water spiritual energy, she has been cultivating without stopping for a moment.

Zhiwei subtly guided a wisp of cool spiritual energy with his fingertips, which flowed slowly through his body following the path of the "Evergreen Technique".

The words Chen Ye casually remarked, "a mediocre skill level," still seemed to echo in his ears.

The older girl's pale face remained expressionless, her dark eyes as calm as an ancient well.

But her slightly pursed lips betrayed a hint of stubbornness and resentment in her heart.

Zhiwei is no novice!

For some reason, the eldest girl cared a lot about his opinion.

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt, and the more serious and meticulous she became in guiding her qi into her body.

He mobilized his faint sense of energy, striving to capture the sparse spiritual energy in the air.

I don’t know how much time passed.

"Squeak-"

The sound of the courtyard gate being pushed open interrupted Zhiwei's cultivation.

She slowly opened her eyes, exhaled a long breath, and got up to go to the window.

Chen Ye was standing in the courtyard, brushing the snow off his body.

He looked somewhat tired, shivering and stamping his feet from the cold, which made him look a little comical.

In fact, Chen Ye could use his spiritual power to resist the severe cold.

But in this environment, why would he use his life-saving spiritual power to make a living?

The man noticed her gaze, looked up towards the bedroom, and beckoned to her mysteriously.
"Zhiwei, guess what Master brought back?"

(End of this chapter)