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Chapter 274: Emerald Rock Mansion
Chapter 274: Emerald Rock Mansion
In the lower decks of the warship, fresh blood trickled down the gangplank, carrying with it a pungent, bloody scent. Droplets slowly fell from the edge of the gangplank.
The treasury of the Iron Fist Gang was located in the bottom of the ship, and as a top-tier existence among the rare few in the Six Viscera Realm, a master who had comprehended a single domain kept his treasures under his watchful eye, ensuring their safety.
In this small treasury room located in the lower deck, several large chests were placed on the outer periphery. Chen Mu casually opened one, revealing stacks of gold ingots inside, a considerable amount, with nearly a hundred thousand taels in each chest.
Of course.
For a master like Zong Ling, the silver he had accumulated over ten years would far exceed this amount. It was estimated to be comparable to the wealth accumulated by the He and Xie families, the great clans of Yu Prefecture, over hundreds of years. After all, the Black Sand River region spanned thousands of miles.
However, most of the wealth was likely used to bribe the Seven Mysteries Sect, and it was unknown which elders and guardians received these bribes.
Chen Mu wasn't particularly interested in gold and silver. At his current level, the things he needed were priceless and rarely traded in the market. For example, the purity spirit materials used for organ refinement, although they had a rough value range, were rarely traded with gold and silver. They were usually exchanged for other items or for a different currency known as 'Essence Stones.'
Essence Stones were the fundamental component for constructing various Earth Pulse Arrays. Maintaining these arrays also required a substantial amount of them, making them a valuable currency among high-level martial artists. The major sects and powers all needed them, making them more valuable than gold and silver.
Chen Mu's gaze casually swept over several wooden chests before stopping at the center of the room. Here, several small chests were placed, each meticulously crafted, and one was even made entirely of 'Cold Jade.'
Opening one casually, Chen Mu's eyes lit up slightly.
"Not bad, the treasury of a top-tier existence in the Six Viscera Realm indeed has some valuable items."
Inside the chest were several high-value objects, such as the horns of a fifth-tier white horned deer demon, which were considered precious medicinal ingredients. Other miscellaneous items, all taken from demon beasts, were of no lower quality than fourth-tier.
Demons of the fifth and sixth tiers had valuable resources on their bodies, but they were hard to find during non-disaster periods. Even during demon outbreaks, there was no guarantee of encountering fifth or sixth-tier demons, so these resources required time to accumulate.
Soon, Chen Mu opened another chest and found six portions of purity spirit materials for organ refinement!
It was evident that Zong Ling, as a master of the Iron Fist Gang, had sent bribes to the Seven Mysteries Sect using the money earned from the Black Sand River trade. He had privately kept the more valuable purity spirit materials, materials for crafting spirit armaments, and other items for himself.
These purity spirit materials were more valuable than Essence Stones, even if Zong Ling didn't need them himself. He could use them to motivate his subordinates, encouraging the Fifth Viscera Realm hall masters to risk their lives for him.
The only regret was that the most valuable items were the purity spirit materials, and there were no nourishing spirit artifacts.
These items were not only scarcer but also, if Zong Ling had them, he would have used them himself. Although he was too old to break through to the Marrow Washing Master Realm, refining the Six Viscera further would still lead to gradual improvement. Even if his strength didn't increase significantly, it would delay the decline of his vitality during his later years.
"It's understandable that a figure like Zong Ling has been entrenched in the Black Sand River region for many years. The sect elders might look down on his wealth, and there aren't many in the Six Viscera Realm who can defeat him. Even if he encounters a Gale Wind Rankings expert, he can escape from the weaker ones."
After organizing the items in the chest, Chen Mu nodded slightly.
It was a pity that after more than ten years of rampaging, he had finally encountered Zong Ling.
It happened that Chen Mu was currently lacking in resources, and he needed everything he could get his hands on. Moreover, since the Iron Fist Gang had been causing trouble for many years, Chen Mu would show no mercy. He would completely eradicate them without a trace.
As for whether another 'Iron Fist Gang' would emerge in the Black Sand River region in the future, he didn't care about that. After all, he was no longer an inspector general or a governor.
Zong Ling's entire treasury, including a low-quality 'Fire Separation' spirit armament he possessed, was worth a considerable amount. It was roughly equivalent to three or four portions of nourishing spirit artifacts, enough to refine his Six Viscera to nearly 90%.
However, based on his previous cultivation experiences, the closer he got to the limit, the more difficult it became. Estimating that he would need more than what Zong Ling had, it was far from enough.
"Next."
"Emerald Rock Mansion."
A faint light flickered in Chen Mu's eyes.
Although he intended to act as a Thunder Dao Master, he needed to move quickly. After all, killing Zong Ling and eradicating the Iron Fist Gang might not provoke a reaction from the Seven Mysteries Sect. But if multiple powers encountered trouble within a few days, it would undoubtedly alert the sect and attract the attention of grandmasters.
If he were to directly confront a Grandmaster and his identity were exposed, it would not reflect well on him and could cause unnecessary trouble. Even though he wasn't afraid, it was better to avoid unnecessary complications.
Ideally, within the next three to four days, he should act swiftly, striking like lightning and consecutively eliminating several factions. After gathering the resources, he would immediately withdraw, regardless of whether it was the Grandmaster of the Six Mystic Peaks or the influential families of Crystal State. It was all the doing of the Thunder Dao Grandmaster, Li Feiyu, and had nothing to do with his guardian, Chen Mu.
...
In the northern part of Crystal State, within Jade Bell Prefecture.
Emerald Rock Mansion was located on the eastern side of Jade Bell Prefecture, close to the border of Jade Wall Prefecture. It was a unique mountain range.
Although it was called a mansion, due to the decades-long excavation of the Emerald Rock Mountains, many commoners had settled here, forming a town with a population of several hundred thousand, almost comparable to some remote county seats.
Emerald Rock Mansion dominated this area, acting as the local overlord, overseeing all matters within Emerald Town. Usually, neither the county seat of Jade Bell Prefecture nor the state capital of Crystal State would interfere too much with its affairs.
This was because Emerald Rock Mansion had the backing of one of the six great families of Crystal State, the Fang Family. An elder of the Fang Family was currently the peak master of the Heavenly Profound Peak of the Six Mystic Peaks, a Marrow Washing Grandmaster, and a towering figure in Crystal State.
At this moment.
Night had just fallen.
The town was dimly lit, with the central area being the brightest. Emerald Rock Mansion, located in the center, was almost illuminated like a beacon.
Within the intricate corridors, several servants were leading four or five young maids, their ages varying from thirteen to eighteen. As they walked towards the inner courtyard, one of the servants said:
"You were all sold to the mansion as servants, and you're the lowest-ranked maids. Normally, you wouldn't have the qualifications to serve the second young master, but he's kind-hearted and is giving you a chance. If you can please him, you might have the opportunity to stay by his side. If you do even better, you might even become his concubine, rising from servant to master."
The young maids, some looking nervous, some biting their lips, and one with a mix of worry and hope, followed the servants towards the inner courtyard.
Soon.
After winding through the corridors, the maids entered a spacious courtyard.
"Go in, the young master is waiting for you in the bedroom," the elderly servant at the front said, stopping at the courtyard entrance. The maids exchanged glances, all hesitant, but they carefully entered the courtyard as instructed.
As the maids' silhouettes gradually disappeared into the courtyard, entering the brightly lit main hall, the elderly servant at the entrance turned to the two younger servants and whispered, "Remember, no matter what you hear, pretend you didn't. Otherwise..."
The two young servants exchanged a glance, their faces tense, and nodded in response.
They had only been assigned to serve outside the second young master's courtyard yesterday. They had heard that several servants were expelled from the mansion for committing a grave mistake—having an affair with a maid. But they knew the truth; those servants hadn't been expelled but had disappeared, likely dead. They didn't want to know how.
They understood that at Emerald Rock Mansion, whether servants or lowly workers, one must follow the rules.or disappear. In Emerald Town, Emerald Rock Mansion was the sole authority.
Inside the courtyard.
The five maids entered the main hall cautiously.
The room was spacious, and beyond the entrance was the bedroom. Sitting there was a young man dressed in white, with a handsome and gentle appearance, smiling at the five newcomers.
"Greetings, young master."
The maids had just entered the mansion and had never seen the high-ranking second young master before. They only knew his name, Bai Shiyong, but nothing about his character. Although they had prepared for the worst, they hadn't expected to see such a refined and handsome young master.
"Alright, no need for excessive courtesy. Since you've come to my room, you're all mine now."
Bai Shi Yong sat there, his demeanor gentle, and then addressed the girl at the front, "Come here, tell me your name."
The maid, about sixteen or seventeen years old, approached and bowed to Bai Shi Yong, whispering, "This servant is called Ying'er..."
Before she could finish, Bai Shi Yong reached out and pulled her into his embrace. His palm gently caressed her chest as he said, "Ying'er, good. I'll remember this name."
Ying'er, standing so close to the handsome young master, blushed, her cheeks turning red all the way to her ears. Her body trembled with shyness, but she didn't dare resist. She weakly said, "Ying'er... I'm still innocent, please, please have mercy on me..."
"Ah, mercy. I will, I'll savor you slowly."
Bai Shi Yong revealed a faint smile.
Splat!
Blood splattered.
Ying'er froze in shock, feeling a sharp pain in her heart. She saw Bai Shi Yong's hand stained with blood, holding a still-beating red heart.
The hint of timidity and shyness in her eyes was instantly replaced by endless terror. She felt her strength ebbing away, wanting to say something but unable to make a sound. She could only watch as Bai Shi Yong's mouth suddenly opened wide, swallowing her heart whole and chewing a couple of times.
"Ahhhh!"
The other maids were initially stunned, but then reacted with looks of sheer terror. Their screams of fear were almost simultaneous, but they were cut short as they all felt a sudden pain in their throats, unable to make another sound.
"Too noisy."
Bai Shi Yong chewed a couple of times, swallowing Ying'er's heart, then glanced indifferently at the other four maids. "Every time, it's so noisy my ears hurt... I can't be bothered to remember your names."
The maids, suddenly rendered mute, were filled with extreme terror in their eyes, unable to stand steadily, trembling and collapsing to the ground. They curled up, trying to crawl out of the bedroom.
But in the next moment, blood splattered as three of the maids exploded, revealing three more bright red hearts that Bai Shi Yong, with his hands now unnaturally large, snatched and devoured one after another.
Only one maid remained, having crawled to the doorway, leaning against it. Her face was deathly pale, and her body trembled, but she lacked the strength to crawl over the threshold and open the door. She could only watch as Bai Shi Yong chewed on human hearts, his gaze eventually turning to her.
Swish! In the next instant, Bai Shi Yong extended his hand towards her, and a residual image flashed as his elongated hand, like a claw, reached for her chest, intending to pierce her body.
But just as the maid felt she was on the verge of suffocation, her thoughts overwhelmed by terror, and her body nearly rigid, the gray claw abruptly halted a foot away from her chest.
Gwaak!
The gray claw seemed to be stuck in a quagmire, unable to move an inch. Then, right before the maid's eyes, it shattered and crumbled into gray flesh, ground into a pulp, all the way up to the upper arm!
Bai Shi Yong's entire body was then pinned down by an unseen force, unable to move. His eyes, now with a demonic glint, revealed a hint of shock, and he tried to speak, but only a 'heh heh' sound escaped his mouth.
Bang! The door to the main hall swung open.
Chen Mu, cloaked in black, stepped in, his gaze cold as he looked at Bai Shi Yong.
"Celestial Demon Sect?"
Chen Mu had only intended to take some resources from the Emerald Rock Mansion, just as he had done with the Iron Fist Gang, but he never expected to witness such a scene. Bai Shi Yong's half-human, half-demon appearance was all too familiar, almost indistinguishable from the Celestial Demon Sect.
The Emerald Rock Mansion not only dominated the region but also oppressed and exploited the common folk without restraint. To make matters worse, they practiced the demonic arts of the Celestial Demon Sect, and the Seven Mysteries Sect was completely unaware of this. There was no intelligence about this from the Prefecture Capital's Inspection Department either!
Chen Mu's gaze swept across the bloody room, his eyes growing colder. Finally, he looked at Bai Shi Yong, and the Heavenly-Earthly power restraining Bai Shi Yong lessened slightly, allowing him to speak.
"Tell me, how did you learn the evil arts of the Celestial Demon Sect? How many others in the Emerald Rock Mansion practice these demonic arts?"
(End of Chapter)
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