Chapter 395 - 210: Cold Marrow Acquired, A Complete Success

Chapter 395: Chapter 210: Cold Marrow Acquired, A Complete Success

Its eyes were ruby-red and full of life. It seemed to study Chen Sheng with intelligent curiosity, its body emanating waves of pure Spiritual Qi.

This was Luoyun Manor’s clan-guarding treasure, the White Jade Cold Toad.

This beast was a rare treasure of heaven and earth. If properly nurtured and stimulated with a Secret Technique, it could endlessly produce Cold Marrow, enough to serve as the foundation for a major power’s legacy.

But Chen Sheng was alone and had no intention of founding a sect or managing a faction.

His Cultivation Realm was the only true foundation.

No matter how great external items were, they had to be converted into personal strength.

Besides, the Celestial Book had already hinted at this.

An adult White Jade Cold Toad was itself a precious Body Refining Elixir, which would be of immense help for his future breakthrough to the mid-stage of the Mystic Realm.

It was one of his goals for this venture, second only to the Cold Marrow.

"Lord Governor, Xu Jing’an requests an audience."

A respectful announcement came from outside the hall.

"Come in."

With a flick of his sleeve, Chen Sheng made the jade bottle on the desk disappear.

Xu Jing’an entered at his command, followed by two Jingwu Bureau elites escorting a young man bound in chains. The captive’s hair was disheveled, and his aura was weak.

The young man’s fine clothes were tattered and torn, and his face was caked with blood and dirt, but the handsome contours of his features were still visible.

"This subordinate greets the Governor!"

Xu Jing’an bowed, then a slight smile appeared on his face as he explained:

"Just now, this brat tried to use the chaos to escape Luoyun Manor through a secret passage. My men and I intercepted him. I thought he might be of use to you, my lord, so I brought him here for you to decide his fate."

Chen Sheng’s gaze fell upon the wretched young man, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a taunting smile.

"Well, well, if it isn’t Young Master Lu. We haven’t seen each other in days. How did you end up... so pathetic?"

Yes, this miserable young man was none other than Lu Maozhi, with whom he had a long and tangled history of grievances.

"Chen Sheng, you despicable villain! You dog!!"

Lu Maozhi snapped his head up, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Chen Sheng. Overwhelming hatred erupted in his gaze as he roared hoarsely:

"Don’t you dare be smug! When my elder brother returns from the Vast Sea Upper Sect with a senior expert, he will tear you to pieces and avenge my entire Lu Family!"

"Insolence!"

Xu Jing’an shouted sharply and slammed his scabbard heavily into the back of Lu Maozhi’s knees.

THUD.

Lu Maozhi collapsed to his knees. He tried to struggle, but the two elites behind him held his shoulders in a death grip, pinning him in place.

"The Vast Sea Upper Sect?"

Chen Sheng leaned back slightly into his large chair. His smile remained, but his eyes grew cold. "So what? Wasn’t Luoyun Manor still reduced to ashes today?"

"Besides, since I dared to make a move today, I’m certainly not afraid of some Vast Sea Upper Sect. Did you really think that in this world, Luoyun Manor is the only one... with backing?"

Chen Sheng spoke the last two words very slowly, with a hint of faint mockery.

"Naive."

"Chen Sheng, you’ll die a dog’s death! I’ll never let you go, even as a vengeful ghost!!"

Knowing his life was forfeit, Lu Maozhi fell into a complete frenzy, cursing like a madman.

Chen Sheng shook his head, looking weary of the display, and gave a casual wave of his hand.

"Drag him out and execute him. His head... is to be handled along with those of Lu Canghai, Lu Qingfeng, and the others. Bring them back to the Jingwu Bureau, hang them before the Government Office, and proclaim it throughout the prefecture."

"As you command!"

Xu Jing’an responded with a solemn expression and gestured for his subordinates to drag the man away.

"Chen Sheng, may your whole family die a horrible death! I’ll be waiting for you in hell! Waiting for you—!!"

Lu Maozhi’s shrill, venomous curses faded into the distance, finally cut short by a dull thud.

...

"You know... your actions just now really made you seem like one of those great villains from the storybooks, the kind who wipes out entire families."

A cool, feminine voice, tinged with teasing, sounded from the hall’s entrance.

Sun Yuzhi strode in, dressed in sharp, practical attire. Her gaze swept over Chen Sheng, her tone playful.

"Stealing another man’s fiancée, wiping out his entire clan, and then dragging him before you for one last humiliation before ordering his public execution... Every single one of these acts is standard procedure for the Demon Dao."

Chen Sheng couldn’t help but chuckle at her words.

"If you say so, then I suppose it is."

He stood up and walked over to Sun Yuzhi’s side, gazing out at the deepening night. His tone was calm.

"The righteous path? The Demon Dao? It’s just a matter of perspective, different names for the same things. Golden Spring Temple paraded itself as compassionate and righteous, but weren’t they involved in all sorts of sordid dealings behind the scenes? Luoyun Manor called itself an orthodox and distinguished sect, but did they ever show mercy when they were exploiting the common people and colluding with water bandits?"

"In this world, strength is what ultimately matters. Only the victor has the right to define good and evil."

Sun Yuzhi pouted but didn’t argue. Her gaze shifted to the White Jade Cold Toad in the crystal cage on the desk, a flash of surprise in her eyes.

"So that’s the White Jade Cold Toad? The Spiritual Qi it gives off is truly potent. It’s no ordinary creature."

She had long heard rumors about this clan-protecting treasure of Luoyun Manor, but this was the first time she had seen it in person.

"You like it? It’s yours."

Chen Sheng said casually.

Sun Yuzhi shot him a glare.

"Stop with that nonsense. This thing is hugely beneficial to you, so you should keep it. The White Jade Cold Toad is a top-tier Body Refining Treasure Medicine. If you can also find an ’Ink Flame Spirit Frog’ and fuse the essence of their flesh and blood, you can refine an ’Ice Flame Barrier-Breaking Pill’."

"This pill is incredibly rare and is especially effective for breaking through the bottleneck of the Thunder Sound Realm."

"An Ink Flame Spirit Frog?"

Chen Sheng’s eyes lit up. "Where can I find one?"

"This creature loves intense heat and carries a strange poison. It mostly grows in places with active earth-fire. I’m afraid there are none within Ning’an Prefecture."

Sun Yuzhi pondered for a moment before continuing, "The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect in Nanzhao Prefecture deals with all sorts of poisonous creatures year-round. They might be raising this frog in their sect’s restricted area."

"Nanzhao Prefecture, the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect..."

Chen Sheng repeated in a low voice, lost in thought.

His subordinate, Li Huai Sheng, was from that very sect.

So it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to him.

"Of course, that’s not the only way."

Sun Yuzhi changed the subject, glancing at him. "If you go to the Nie Family in Yunzhou, with their accumulated resources, a mere Ink Flame Spirit Frog would surely be no problem for them."

"In that case, it seems a trip to the Nie Family is unavoidable."

Chen Sheng stroked his chin.

Compared to seeking the spirit frog from the unfamiliar Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, which was known for its treacherous use of poisons, relying on the Nie Family’s power was clearly the safer option.

"Then go."

Sun Yuzhi’s tone suddenly became a little strange—partly teasing, yet laced with another, barely perceptible emotion.

"And while you’re at it... you’d best bring back one of the ’Nie Family’s Three Beauties’."

Chen Sheng couldn’t help but smile at her words, his arm naturally wrapping around her slender waist.

"What’s this? You sound... a little jealous."

"Who’s jealous? Don’t be ridiculous."

Sun Yuzhi slapped his hand away but didn’t pull free. She simply looked up, her bright eyes gazing at him as her expression turned serious.

"I’ve told you before, if you truly want the Nie Family’s full support, a political marriage is the fastest and most stable way to get it. The ’Nie Family’s Three Beauties’ are talented, beautiful, and of noble status. They are the most suitable candidates. Besides..."

Sun Yuzhi paused, a complex light mixing pride and tenderness appearing in her eyes.

"With your current strength, status, and potential, you are more than worthy of them. A Mystic Realm cultivator in his early twenties who can kill experts of a higher rank, like Zhou Kuohai and Lu Canghai... How many people in all of Yunzhou can boast such a record?"

Chen Sheng could hear the sincerity and anticipation in her voice. He dropped his teasing expression and nodded solemnly.

"Alright. I understand. I won’t disappoint... your expectations."

...

「At the same time.」

While Chen Sheng and Sun Yuzhi were flirting, news of Luoyun Manor’s sudden collapse and the extermination of its entire clan was spreading throughout Ning’an Prefecture at an astonishing speed.

Everyone who heard the news was stunned into a dead silence, their hearts reeling from the immense shock.

Anyone with a bit of insight understood exactly what the destruction of Luoyun Manor implied.

But that was precisely why they couldn’t conceal their utter horror.

This was one of the six great powers of Ning’an Prefecture.

Its foundation was deep and its strength extraordinary.

And yet, it had been directly wiped out by troops led by the Government Office!

How could that not be shocking?

But what terrified people most was the news that the six great powers of Ning’an were now fractured and falling apart.

This revelation caused a shockwave no less powerful than the news of Luoyun Manor’s demise.

----

Please support with a monthly ticket...