Chapter 175: Ma Family’s Plot
The Mountain Guard took advantage of the night, directly dispatching a small team to send all the temple followers and Yaksa Monsters to Feng City.
The leader was none other than Ding Yu’an.
His gaze was stern as he sat atop his mount, leading the team to speed toward Feng City.
“Speed up!”
He urged from his mouth, and in the team, a group of Mountain Guard clad in black armor escorted as many as twenty or thirty large carts pulled by Ox Beasts.
The carts were covered with thick black cloth, square in shape, looking just like iron cages that had been concealed.
Because there were too many things being escorted, it was inconvenient to use the Green Horned Giant Eagle.
Moreover, this matter was inherently important; if they used the Green Horned Giant Eagle, even if the speed increased, once an accident occurred, it would be extremely easy to suffer total annihilation.
Therefore, the escort team still took the land route, using the entire team of Mountain Guard for protection.
It was already deep into the night by now, with a bright full moon hanging high in the sky.
On both sides of the road, shrubs were dense, proceeding from the plains toward the mountainous area.
‘The Mountain Guard is escorting; who exactly has eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard to come eat this bait.’
Ding Yu’an’s expression was serious, but he didn’t quite believe in Su Yan’s fishing plan.
Even the Ma Family had a Dan Qiao Realm Old Ancestor sitting in town.
But facing the Mountain Guard, they still didn’t dare to act rashly.
This was the deterrence from the sect.
And now, even if they had ties with the temple priest, would they really dare to strike?
In the midst of his thoughts, they reached the latter half of the night.
The team stepped into a mountain ridge, where black pine trees layered densely, white snow covering the surrounding mountainous area, exuding a cold aura.
The team had only just approached when Ding Yu’an already sensed something was wrong.
Flocks of birds startled and flew up from the forest.
In an instant, fully two or three hundred people rushed out from the snowy ground, splitting into five or six teams, their faces masked, clad in armor, directly charging to attack.
“Kill them!”
Someone among the bandit cultivators roared loudly, their gleaming weapons heading straight for the team.
Ding Yu’an’s gaze sharpened, a cold smile appearing on his face: “These people have gone mad.”
He knew that some would really be unable to sit still, but he hadn’t expected there to be so many.
“Attack!”
With Ding Yu’an’s order, the Mountain Guard immediately formed a formation and launched an attack.
At the same time, the twenty or thirty carriages disintegrated, and one by one, burly men clad in black armor rushed out, their heavy crossbows at the ready.
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh”
Crossbow bolts carrying true essence shot out in the darkness, felling countless people in one clash.
Three captain-level Mountain Guard jumped out from the carriages, their figures flashing as true intent beast spirits manifested, and they also released their contracted beasts, with beast roars shaking the sky.
Led by Ding Yu’an, they charged forward to kill; the number of ambushers was almost more than the bandit cultivators.
The battle didn’t last long; no matter how fierce the ambushers were, they had no Fourth Realm of True Intent Divine Union experts.
With Ding Yu’an, this Third Realm expert present, it was already enough to suppress these bandit cultivators.
In just over half a shichen, all the bandit cultivators were slain, with over a hundred corpses lying across the snow, their blood staining the snow red.
Even those not killed were pierced through by arrows, injured and unable to rise, incapable of resisting further.
“Old Ding, what next?”
The three captains gathered in front of Ding Yu’an and asked.
Ding Yu’an’s gaze swept over these bandit cultivator martial artists, and he snorted coldly before saying: “As Junior Brother Su instructed, Wang Feng will continue leading the team and carriages to Feng City; I’ll take the bandit cultivators back.”
“Understood.”
——
Early the next morning, outside Ma Wang Town, fully twenty or thirty corpses were hung up.
Long wooden stakes sharpened at both ends were inserted into the ground, about three zhang high, with the bandit cultivators’ corpses impaled on them, fixed in place, exposing their true faces.
Mountain Guard disciples stood guard in front of the pillars, blocking the onlookers.
“Those who identify the bandit cultivators and provide clues will be rewarded with a hundred silver origin stones.”
A hundred origin stones was no small sum.
When the Mountain Guard disciples announced the reward, the eyes of the surrounding Ma Wang Town commoners gleamed with desire.
Some were eager to try but worried about the crowd, so they incited the person beside them to ask: “Is this for real?”
“Guaranteed by the credibility of the Beast King Sect.”
“May I ask what happened to these people?”
“Hmph, guilty consciences; they attacked the Beast King Sect team escorting clues and deserved to be killed.”
……
In the tent, Ding Yu’an took the initiative to find Su Yan.
“Junior Brother, we’ve already checked; whether the survivors or those we ambushed and killed, none are familiar faces—we can’t tell which faction’s gloves they are.”
Su Yan looked at the items Ding Yu’an handed over: 178 killed, 54 captured—this was no small number.
“Can’t tell? Then use torture. I want to see how tough their mouths are.”
Su Yan casually gave the order, and Ding Yu’an revealed a cruel smile: “Just waiting for Junior Brother to give the word; by afternoon, I’ll have clues for you.”
Ding Yu’an wasn’t boasting; these martial artists were originally bandit cultivator robbers entrenched in the surrounding areas, and even as gloves, their stubbornness couldn’t compare to that group from the Old Huang Temple.
In this situation, he naturally had confidence in prying things out of their mouths.
With Su Yan’s approval, Ding Yu’an’s interrogations went even more smoothly.
By afternoon, he handed over another set of clues.
Tianyuan Gambling House, the Liu Family of Ma Wang Town, Four Seasons Pharmacy, Lie Shan Gang…
Fully six or seven factions were identified as the sources; this attack could be said to be the result of multiple parties acting in unison.
The Old Huang Temple researched monsters like the Yaksa Monster and refined Yaksha Secret Medicine.
Most of the population came from factions like the Lie Shan Gang and gambling houses.
They were from all walks of life, controlling the gangs of the town’s underbelly.
Those children and their families were quietly captured by them in this way.
Every few days they would act, specifically targeting families with simple networks that wouldn’t attract notice if taken.
With people in hand, they needed herbal shops like Four Seasons Pharmacy to provide large quantities of spirit herb treasure plants as materials.
Beyond those two, there were even more customers of the Old Huang Temple.
Those Yaksha Secret Medicines, especially the second-order ones, all flowed into the various factions.
Just one pill could turn an ordinary person into a Peak Spirit Nurturing Realm martial artist overnight.
Even with a death probability, even if expensive.
But for these factions, as long as it could be converted into strength, controlling enough Yaksha slaves, what did the death of one or two ordinary people matter?
An invulnerable, fearless-of-death monster placed in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains could create more resources, kill more feral beasts, and offset the faction’s losses.
“It’s a pity that the Ma, Lin, and Zhou San families have no news at all.”
Su Yan knew the results of the forced interrogations and investigations, but precisely because of this, he felt regretful.
He ordered Ding Yu’an to raid homes and exterminate clans based on the new clues.
Mountain Guard disciples directly entered Ma Shan Town, Liang Shui Town, and Han Shan Town, capturing these factions one by one.
The three county towns were turned upside down because of this Old Huang Temple.
The businesses of the three families like Ma Tianhong were also disrupted quite a bit.
“Young Master Su, if this continues, the three towns really can’t hold out.”
Ma Tianhong brought Ma Lixue along and quietly offered a storage ring.
He complained bitterly: “Mountain Guard disciples sweep every day; the city factions are in chaos, everyone in peril. Whether hunting feral beasts, medicine field operations, feral beast pens, origin stone mining… almost all have stopped. If this goes on, with no income, there’ll be no way to pay tribute.”
“What does Family Head Ma mean by this?”
Su Yan didn’t take the storage ring, his tone somewhat flat.
“Beast King Sect disciples died unclear deaths; isn’t it reasonable for me to investigate to the bottom?”
Ma Tianhong’s expression changed slightly, and he said gravely: “Perfectly justified, but I wonder if some leniency is possible. The city factions do have connections; I’m afraid those Old Huang Temple people are dogs of the Sacred Weapon Path or the Hundred Caves Witch Sect—their goal is to disrupt the four towns of Cold Shadow Peak.”
Su Yan nodded: “That’s what I think too, but there needs to be a result. Now not even half a Sacred Weapon Path person has been seen—how to stop?”
Ma Tianhong’s gaze darkened: “Really no way? Thirteen factions, seventeen or eighteen bandit cultivator strongholds, already killed no less than five hundred…”
The Mountain Guard’s own kills, plus the three families’ bandit suppression kills, the slain martial artists far exceeded this number.
He gritted his teeth: “For the sect’s losses, our factions are willing to compensate with thirty percent of this year’s income.”
Thirty percent was on top of the tribute—this was no small amount.
Su Yan slightly raised his eyes and shook his head: “It’s not for me to decide now; the sect side needs to rule on it.”
Ma Tianhong’s expression changed, and he suddenly asked: “Those temple followers have confessed?”
“My teacher has his own methods.”
“That’s excellent, that’s excellent.”
Ma Tianhong let out a long breath and smiled: “Then we’ll await good news from the sect.”
He rose and left with Ma Lixue, but didn’t take back the storage ring, as if forgetting it.
——
Ma Tianhong and his daughter Ma Lixue returned to the Ma Family, his face already turned gloomy.
“Lixue, go monitor the news from all places.”
“Got it, Dad.”
Ma Lixue immediately followed orders, sending out spies to closely watch the news from various places.
Ma Tianhong quickly arrived at the courtyard deepest in the Ma Family manor.
This courtyard was serene, shaded by tall spirit trees, with a deep house situated here.
Ma Tianhong stepped into this courtyard but didn’t knock on the door; instead, he went to a rockery and turned a certain mechanism.
“Click click”
The mechanism activated, and in front of that house, several bluestone tiles sank, revealing a passage leading to the basement.
Ma Tianhong entered the tunnel, and the entrance restored to its original state.
Night pearls lit both sides of the tunnel, about over a hundred meters long, and dozens of meters deep underground.
He walked all the way to the bottom, where the space immediately widened.
Bluestone bricks, thirty-six pillars each two men hugging thick, reaching from floor to ceiling, about four or five zhang high, supporting this seventy or eighty mu basement.
“Old Ancestor”
Upon entering, Ma Tianhong immediately knelt and kowtowed loudly.
The direction he worshiped was the deepest part of the basement.
Only the sound of chains rattling was heard, a pair of scarlet eyes emerging from the shadows, a two-meter-tall burly figure with cyan skin walking out from the depths.
“Stand and speak”
The voice was hoarse and low, as if something was suppressed deep in the throat, somewhat like a wild beast.
The light illuminated this figure’s appearance: black fangs, vaguely an old man’s face, but with scarlet eyes and green-cyan body, like a humanoid Yaksha.
“What commotion has that Beast King Sect brat caused again?”
Ma Dingshan stared at his grandson, his voice coldly inquiring.
“They’ve already swept Four Seasons Pharmacy, Lie Shan Gang, Liu Family, and other factions; they all cooperated with Old Huang Temple and this time couldn’t hold back, sending their subordinate bandit cultivators to attack the Mountain Guard, getting caught by the handle. If they can’t withstand the interrogation this round, I’m afraid that Su Yan brat will follow the vine to more factions.”
Ma Tianhong’s words carried resentment; if not for these fools dragging them down, calculated by Su Yan’s simple scheme.
How would Ma Wang Town be so passive now, dragging the Ma Family into a very unfavorable situation.
The more factions captured, the more interrogated, the more past dealings would be exposed.
Not necessarily just the Old Huang Temple matter; other things alone could draw the Beast King Sect’s crushing force.
“A few mere fools also want to breakthrough to Dan Qiao Realm like this old man using Yaksha Secret Medicine?”
Ma Dingshan sneered disdainfully, his eyes full of contempt.
“Old Ancestor, I’m worried that if this continues, even if the Ma Family’s connection to Old Huang Temple is hidden deeply, that kid might dig it out. Today I advised him to stop, and he showed no intention of stopping, even saying those temple priests were sent to Feng City, and that woman Long Qiushui has ways to make them talk.”
Ma Tianhong showed worry; if it really went as Su Yan said.
If the Old Temple Priest spilled the truth, no matter how much they covered it up, it would be futile.
The Ma Family had reached a moment of life and death.
“Hahaha, fools.”
Upon hearing this, Ma Dingshan burst into laughter and said coldly: “Those Old Huang Temple people are medicine slaves pushed out by the Hundred Caves Witch Sect, with things implanted in their bodies—even a Dan Qiao True Person couldn’t make them talk. I’m afraid that group of temple priests are already dead by now.”
“What?!”
Ma Tianhong’s expression changed: “That kid was bluffing me?”
“Right, he’s tricking you all, to make you show more flaws.”
“Cunning thing.”
Ma Tianhong cursed darkly, his eyes turning: “So as long as we hold steady, no matter how hard this pass, we can get through?”
“No”
Ma Dingshan’s gaze was profound, carrying a chill: “Bai Shan Town was destroyed by someone—that’s the root cause; without a result, the Beast King Sect won’t stop. If they keep investigating like this, the Ma Family will suffer heavy losses. Have Cheng Han and them move out, give that kid a ‘merit’.”
Ma Tianhong’s face darkened, and he said: “But we’ve nurtured Cheng Han for so long to make them outer disciples of the Sacred Weapon Path—using them here, isn’t it a waste?”
“They were always disposable pieces; how is it a waste? Moreover, the Beast King Sect’s true disciple can only die at the hands of Sacred Weapon Path disciples; others can’t bear this matter and won’t attract the Beast King Sect’s attention.”
