Chapter 2224 - 1196:

After seeing Yang Xiao’s strength and potential, the elders of the Esoteric Sect changed their attitude towards Yang Xiao significantly. At this moment, Yang Xiao felt a sense of kinship with everyone.

After seeing Elder Kunpa off, Yang Xiao couldn’t wait to open the medicine box the elder had brought, which contained a Moyu Porcelain Bottle.

Once he opened the bottle stopper, a rich, pungent smell of blood gushed out.

But this is the Esoteric Sect, where it’s normal for elixirs to have a hint of humanity in them; without it, they wouldn’t be authentic.

While in the country, Yang Xiao heard Captain Yang Lao mention that he had investigated a case involving counterfeit elixirs.

It’s not actually complicated. Essentially, the Angels Envoy crafted a batch of fake elixirs domestically, smuggled them abroad to the Myanmar-Thailand border, and then brought them back through official channels.

In the end, the elixirs were brazenly sold as genuine products from the Yin Temple, even blending pig and cow blood into the fakes to enhance the bloody scent.

It’s said that many sects were deceived, and consuming them had no effect on spiritual state or suppressing the Resentful Eye’s backlash, but surprisingly had an extraordinarily potent stamina-boosting effect.

Elders from various sects, many of whom were in their seventies or eighties, endured the suffering of the Resentful Eye’s backlash while struggling with the increased heat from heightened yang energy, tormenting their old bones. One elder even nearly reached his limit, received the Ghost Script that night, and never returned.

Sects who were deceived then reported to the Patrol Defense Office. The Jiangbei Province Office took the case very seriously upon learning its severity. With inside cooperation, Captain Yang Lao and his team thoroughly dismantled the counterfeit elixir production and distribution gang. A trial later revealed that these people used to sell magic oil.

The case was supposed to be resolved with the arrest of the main culprit and the matter should have calmed down, but someone leaked the news, leading many sects to send disciples to the Provincial Office requesting some fake elixirs.

Officially, they were to buy them for a cautionary seminar to raise vigilance against seeking small bargains, but everyone understood it was really the middle-aged sect elders who wanted them, but couldn’t say it openly.

What a joke, even the Patrol Defense Office didn’t have enough of these treasures for themselves. As far as Yang Xiao knew, the fake elixirs were seized and stored in the provincial office warehouse, but within days, thousands of them mysteriously vanished.

Yang Xiao didn’t know who took them, but during meetings, he could clearly see that the complexion of his older colleagues had noticeably improved.

This included Director Hong Anguo, Captain Yang Lao, and even his closest uncle.

There was also a short, plump logistics base manager named Hu who directly skipped the meeting, only claiming ill health.

Yang Xiao actually wanted some of those fake elixirs too, planning to snag a couple when he had the chance, though not for himself—he was young and didn’t need them—it was for Director Nalan.

Returning to the moment, Yang Xiao tipped the porcelain bottle over, letting a few round, black pills roll into his palm.

Yang Xiao knew these pills were good stuff, so he pinched one and swallowed it whole with water. Soon, he began to feel hot all over, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead and back.

Sitting upright on the bed, Yang Xiao closed his eyes, attempting to mobilize his spiritual power. After a few minutes, most of the drug’s effects were neutralized, and at this moment, Yang Xiao felt a wave of fatigue, although the internal injuries seemed to have been suppressed, if not completely healed.

During his head-on confrontation with Mahasha of Dharma Sect, he had suffered some losses, as the opponent’s spiritual power greatly exceeded his own.

After refining the drug’s effects, Yang Xiao’s mind felt very clear, but his body was peculiarly exhausted, prompting him to immediately lie down and sleep.

That night he slept well, without any bizarre dreams, waking only by noon the next day.

After lunch, Yang Xiao was deeply engaged in a battle with two girls when someone outside came to deliver a message that Dean Sheng wanted to see him regarding an urgent matter.

Before leaving, Yang Xiao stared at the chessboard for ten seconds, then warned the two girls that he had memorized the positions of the pieces, and if he returned to find them moved, he would punish them harshly.

"Young Priest, what’s the point of memorizing? You’ve already lost your chariot, horse, and cannon, leaving only three pawns, and you’re just three steps away from being checkmated." A younger, straightforward girl said bluntly with a stretched-neck confidence.

"Then let’s have another round when I get back. I’m going to be serious!" Yang Xiao was always full of fighting spirit, unwilling to be defeated in chess or any other contest.

"If you’re serious, next time we’ll only give you one chariot. Giving both a chariot and a cannon would make it difficult to defeat you." The girl looked up earnestly at Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao had already noticed the twisted face of the secret sect leader coming to deliver the message, his mouth slightly puckered, eyes darting towards the chessboard with brewing laughter.

To save face, Yang Xiao hurriedly left, confirming that few in the world truly understood his chess skills—one being his good brother Qu Muzhi, and the other, far away in Japan, Senior Jiushan Cangxuan, understanding but only half so.

Arriving at the heavily guarded courtyard, Yang Xiao entered alone and met with Dean Sheng who was waiting inside.