Chapter 208: Pillaging and Treasure Hunting

"What's going on?"

The sudden attack took everyone by surprise.

No one could tell where the powerful force had come from.

Zheng's patriarch, with a gaping hole in his chest, wore a terrified expression.

Only the City Lord and a few other Innate Realm warriors turned abruptly, looking in a certain direction.

About a hundred meters away, on top of a large tree, a figure stood proudly, holding a longbow in hand.

It could be none other than Lu Qing.

"What do you mean by this, sir?" The elegant elder asked in a deep voice.

"When I killed that old hag of the Zheng family, I said that I would destroy her eldest son's tomb and ensure he never rises again. Do you have a problem with that?" Lu Qing replied calmly.

The elegant elder hesitated, unsure how to respond.

Seeing his hesitation, Lu Qing looked at the City Lord and said, "City Lord, the evidence is clear. The Zheng family has shown no regard for human life by performing a cruel human sacrifice. I believe you know what to do."

"Of course, I do," the City Lord nodded.

"Good. I hope you will handle this impartially and punish the Zheng family severely. Otherwise, the next time I draw my bow, I cannot guarantee who it will target."

After speaking, Lu Qing leaped down from the treetop and disappeared.

From start to finish, he didn't even mention the head of the Zheng family, as if, in his eyes, the man was nothing more than an insect to be crushed, not worth a second thought.

As they watched Lu Qing disappear, the City Lord and his companions remained still, letting him leave.

However, their hearts were secretly shaken.

None of them had detected Lu Qing's presence before he made his move.

It was as if their Innate senses were mere decorations, useless in his presence.

This mysterious and unpredictable ability, coupled with Lu Qing's previously displayed formidable combat power, further increased the wariness the Innate Realm experts felt towards him.

The impact of this scene on the leaders of the various major family powers was undoubtedly immense.

They couldn't believe that someone dared to kill publicly in front of several Innate Realm experts and even dared to mock and threaten them.

More importantly, the City Lord and his companions not only didn't get angry but also subtly showed signs of wariness.

Who was this youth, and how did he have such intimidating power?

Moreover, from his words, it seemed that he was also responsible for the death of the Zheng family's ancestor!

For a moment, the hearts of the leaders of the various family powers were stirred with great waves of emotion.

"City Lord, what now?"

The man with a face like white jade glanced at the already lifeless body of the Zheng family head beside him and asked.

"What else? We will handle this matter impartially, of course," the City Lord replied nonchalantly.

The white-faced man's heart leaped with joy. He knew that the Zheng family was finished.

The crime of human sacrifice was too great, and with both the old matriarch and the family head dead, the Zheng family had lost all their support.

Not only in the Prefecture City but even in the entire Cangzhou, the Zheng family would have no place to stand.

Hearing the City Lord's words, many of the leaders of the various family powers showed strange expressions in their eyes, their thoughts unknown.

...

In the Prefecture City, Lu Qing moved swiftly.

After destroying the tomb of Zheng's eldest son and killing the family head, he didn't linger. He immediately used the Earth Travel Charm to leave the Zheng family cemetery and return to the city.

He didn't need to guess to know what would happen to the Zheng family next.

After he killed the old matriarch, the Zheng family's fate was already sealed.

Not to mention that they had also been publicly exposed for violating the prohibitions of the Holy Mountain and the Royal Capital.

Having lost the support of the Innate Realm expert and their influence, the Zheng family was now like a large piece of fat waiting to be devoured.

The Prefecture City was prosperous, but at the same time, the situation was incredibly complex. Powers and influences were numerous, and the competition was fierce and cruel.

Now, the Zheng family was like a juicy piece of meat, destined to be devoured by the various forces in the city.

However, Lu Qing had no intention of letting others take the best part of this feast.

Soon, Lu Qing entered the Zheng family mansion.

Inside, the atmosphere was one of panic and fear.

The news of the ancestor's death had spread throughout the entire mansion.

Although the guards and servants in the mansion feared the old ancestor, her existence was the pillar of the Zheng family.

As long as she was there, the Zheng family was one of the most powerful aristocratic families in the Prefecture City, commanding respect and deference from others.

Now that she was gone, the sky had fallen for the Zheng family, and even their family head had been taken away by the City Lord to open the tomb. How could they not be terrified?

Chapter: The Hidden Treasury

If not for the Zheng family's strict discipline and harsh punishments, the place would likely be in chaos by now.

Lu Qing could sense the fearful atmosphere, but he didn't mind it.

Activating his ability, he began to search the compound.

With the concealment of his spirit charms and his formidable strength, Lu Qing moved about the Zheng compound at will, unseen by anyone.

Soon, he found what he was looking for.

He shot out two steel needles, taking care of the two guards at the entrance, then drew his longsword and slashed open the door lock before pushing it open.

"As expected of a prestigious aristocratic family, their collection is indeed impressive."

Upon entering the treasury, Lu Qing was greeted by rows of shelves filled with an array of treasures, causing his eyes to light up with a reddish glow, occasionally interspersed with strands of golden light.

He took a slow step forward, and a light screen appeared in his hand. With a wave, he swiftly scanned the items in the treasury, storing them into his Cosmos Bag with his mental power.

Time was of the essence; he knew that the elegant elder and his companions wouldn't take long to return to the city.

Lu Qing didn't have the leisure to inspect each treasure with his ability, so he decided to take everything.

After all, his Cosmos Bag had ample space.

Before long, he had emptied the entire treasury.

It was a good thing that his spiritual power was abundant; otherwise, a typical Innate Realm cultivator, even with a Cosmos Bag, might not have been able to carry away so many items.

After all, using the Cosmos Bag to store items also consumed spiritual power.

After looting the treasury, Lu Qing found something odd.

While there were many treasures, their quality was somewhat lacking.

From his initial scan, the highest-grade item only emitted a faint golden light amidst the red, indicating a slightly superior quality.

Logically, a family like the Zhengs, with a heritage spanning hundreds of years, should possess more remarkable treasures.

"It seems that the Zheng family must have another, even more secretive, treasury."

Lu Qing stroked his chin, his eyes narrowing.

Just as he was about to leave the treasury, he heard a sharp rebuke, "Who are you? How dare you trespass in our treasury!"

Lu Qing looked up to see a middle-aged beautiful woman, her eyebrows furrowed and her face filled with murderous intent. She was accompanied by two guards and an old maidservant in green.

As he saw the information displayed about the woman, Lu Qing's eyes lit up.

"Your timing is impeccable. I was just worried about finding my way."

For some reason, when the woman met Lu Qing's gaze, a chill rose in her heart.

Before she could react, the green-clad maidservant stepped in front of her protectively, her face grave.

"Be careful, my lady. This man is not simple."

The two guards also drew their swords, having noticed their fallen companions at the entrance.

However, as they unsheathed their blades, they felt a sharp pain in their chests, and their strength seemed to drain away, causing them to collapse on the spot.

With a casual wave of his hand, Lu Qing took care of the two guards. In the next moment, he was already in front of the middle-aged woman, reaching out to grab her.

The green-clad maidservant was startled. She hadn't expected Lu Qing to be so powerful, easily taking down the two Internal Organ Realm guards.

Sensing the oppressive aura emanating from Lu Qing, the maidservant didn't dare hold back. A cold aura surfaced, and her wrists trembled as a silver light shot out from her sleeve, aiming straight for Lu Qing's throat.

"Soft sword, Master-level swordsmanship?"

Lu Qing was surprised. He hadn't expected that this woman, with her weak vitality and mere initial stage of the Internal Organ Realm, would possess such swordsmanship.

However, with his current strength, even Master-level swordsmanship was no longer a threat.

He casually flicked his finger, deflecting the soft sword aimed at his throat, and then clenched his fist, forming a powerful seal. His vital energy surged, and he unleashed a fierce punch.

Boom!

Before the green-clad maidservant could react, she was hit squarely in the chest by Lu Qing's punch, infused with his newfound understanding of fist intent. She flew backward and crashed into a massive pillar.

Her chest caved in, and her eyes lost focus as she lay dying.

"Although your swordsmanship is impressive, the aura you carry is quite unpleasant."

Lu Qing commented indifferently as his punch left the maidservant breathless.

Sensing the cold aura emanating from her, he didn't even need his ability to know that this old maidservant had taken numerous lives, each one tortured to death.

He paused for a moment, his gaze resting on her corpse, and discovered that this green-clad maidservant had been the longtime personal attendant of the elderly matriarch of the Zheng family.

Chapter: The Secret Treasury

"That human sacrifice incident from years ago was also partly her doing."

"Indeed, a nest of snakes and rats. This Zheng family is utterly rotten."

Lu Qing turned to the middle-aged beauty, who was already trembling in fear. She shuddered and immediately knelt down at his words.

"Spare my life, brave warrior. Please don't kill me!"

Her voice quivered, and she looked pitiful.

"Are you the lady of the Zheng family? Lead me to your family's treasury, and if the items there satisfy me, I might spare your life." Lu Qing said indifferently.

The middle-aged beauty initially wanted to argue that the Zheng family only had this one treasury.

But when she met Lu Qing's indifferent gaze, as if he could see through her, her heart suddenly froze, and she dared not play any clever tricks.

"Brave warrior, I only know that in this mansion, there might be another treasury in the residence of our late ancestor. Other than that, I don't know anything else, but I suspect that Green Granny might know more than I do."

Green Granny was, of course, the old maidservant whom Lu Qing had just killed.

However, Lu Qing did not regret his actions.

Having served that old lady for so many years, this Green Granny was extremely cunning and undoubtedly loyal.

Even if she agreed to guide him, there was no guarantee that she would be truthful.

He casually flicked his finger, and a pill flew into the middle-aged beauty's mouth. Then, before she could react, he pressed on her throat, forcing her to swallow it.

As the woman looked at him in terror, Lu Qing said indifferently, "The pill I fed you is a poison of my own making. If you don't get the antidote within two hours, your intestines will rupture, and you will die a painful death. I'm sure you understand what that means. Now, lead the way."

Hearing this, the middle-aged beauty's face turned ashen, and she could only nod in resignation.

Lu Qing took off one of the guard's clothes and put them on. Then, he threw the bodies of the guards into the storage room and closed the door.

Although this crude method wouldn't conceal what happened for long, he didn't mind. As long as it bought him some time, that was enough.

"Let's go."

After his quick disguise, Lu Qing spoke.

It must be said that the Zheng mansion was indeed in chaos at this point.

The confrontation between Lu Qing and the green-clad maidservant had caused some noise, but surprisingly, no one had come to investigate until now.

Having witnessed Lu Qing's ruthless methods, the middle-aged beauty had lost all will to resist. She led Lu Qing to another part of the mansion without hesitation.

With her guidance and Lu Qing's powerful spiritual sense, the two of them reached their destination without alerting anyone along the way.

Seeing how Lu Qing seemed to predict and avoid everyone they encountered, the middle-aged beauty's respect for him grew.

"This is the residence of our late ancestor. My husband once told me that there is a secret treasury in his room, but I've never been inside. In the entire Wei family, only my husband, Zheng Shihao, and Zheng Yu have been allowed to enter."

As she spoke, a hint of hatred flashed in the woman's eyes.

Even Zheng Yu, that good-for-nothing, had been allowed into the secret treasury, but her eldest son had never been granted permission.

That old man was truly despicable and biased.

Lu Qing sensed the hatred in the woman's tone but paid it no mind.

There were countless despicable deeds within noble families, and he had no interest in delving into them.

He led the middle-aged beauty into the old lady's room, and with his ability, he quickly located a hidden door.

To his surprise, when he used his ability to scan the door, it seemed like there were no traps or mechanisms on the other side.

Perhaps the old lady was confident that no one would dare trespass in her bedroom.

However, Lu Qing remained cautious.

The hidden door was made of steel and seamlessly integrated into the wall. He knocked on it and found it to be extremely thick.

Without a way to open it, it seemed difficult to get inside.

But this was not a problem for him. In front of the middle-aged beauty, Lu Qing took out a long sword from his Cosmos Bag and, with a few swift slashes, reduced the iron door to a pile of scrap.

He kicked open the hidden door and stepped inside, the middle-aged beauty following closely behind with a pale face.

The passage beyond the door was not long, and Lu Qing carefully scanned the area, surprised to find that there were indeed no traps or mechanisms.

Soon, they arrived in a small, dimly lit chamber.

The room was illuminated by a night pearl, making it bright enough to see.

However, Lu Qing's attention was immediately drawn to an object within the room, and his eyes lit up with excitement.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end