Chapter 202
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Chapter 202: Paying from One’s Own Pocket
Ten elite Imperial Guards, like ten roaring tigers ready to pounce, fiercely stormed into the Celestial Guardians’ residences.
They dragged everyone inside to the front courtyard, awaiting Wang Chen’s judgment!
In Da Qian, the Celestial Guardians’ residences, representing the Yunyang Sect, held a status equivalent to that of nobility. This estate, with its five courtyards, was the largest in South Shao County, surpassing even the governor’s residence in both size and grandeur.
Thus, the number of miscellaneous workers and managers residing in the Celestial Guardians’ residences was considerable, and the Imperial Guards rounded up about thirty to forty individuals.
Among them was a middle-aged man in a brocade robe, who, even as he was dragged over, arrogantly shouted, “Who do you think you are? Do you know where you are?”
“I am the chief manager of the Celestial Guardians’ residences; not even the king’s law can touch me!”
However, the eyes that met his were cold and filled with scorn.
This self-proclaimed chief manager was no fool; he was merely accustomed to his domineering ways and momentarily failed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
When he finally realized something was amiss, he quickly fell silent.
“Immortal Master,” one Imperial Guard saluted Wang Chen with a fist-palm gesture, “Everyone is here!”
Immortal Master?
The young man in the brocade robe felt as though he had plunged into an icy abyss, a chill running from his head to his toes!
He never anticipated that the Yunyang Sect would dispatch a new Celestial Guardian.
And they, the inhabitants of the Celestial Guardians’ residences, had received no prior warning.
The young man in the brocade robe couldn’t help but silently curse his misfortune.
At that moment, he noticed the doorman lying on the ground, barely recognizable.
This doorman, related to the young man in the brocade robe, had a head swollen like a pig’s, blood oozing from his mouth and nose, his eyes squeezed into mere slits, looking utterly pitiful!
He immediately knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly to Wang Chen: “Immortal Master, I beg for mercy…”
Wang Chen raised his hand.
A “Body Freezing Technique” silenced him instantly!
The Body Freezing Technique, a high-level Qi Training spell, was capable of binding and controlling living beings, making it highly practical.
Though Wang Chen had only just begun to master the Body Freezing Technique, it required minimal spiritual power to subdue a mere mortal.
“These people are yours to handle,” he said to Xiao Wan, who stood nearby. “Find out what they’ve been up to over the past three years.”
The position of the Celestial Guardian in South Shao had been vacant for three years.
This meant that for three years, the Celestial Guardians’ residences had been without a master!
The behavior of these caretakers clearly indicated that they had treated the place as their own domain.
They had even exploited the title of Celestial Guardian to act with impunity!
How could Wang Chen endure this?
However, with Wang Chen’s current status, personally interrogating these managing miscellaneous workers would indeed be too much of an honor for them.
Fortunately, Yu Feihong had assigned Xiao Wan to accompany and serve him, along with a squad of elite Imperial Guards.
This truly saved Wang Chen a great deal of trouble.
Xiao Wan gracefully performed a bow: “Yes.”
Her gaze turned to a group of trembling managing workers, a sharp glint flashing in her captivating eyes.
After handing over the interrogation to Xiao Wan, Wang Chen did not interfere any further.
He made his way to the Star Observation Pavilion located at the center of the Celestial Guardians’ residences.
The Star Observation Pavilion was tower-shaped, nine stories high, built primarily of bluestone and rosewood, with a glazed tile roof, its design intricate and imposing, serving as the cultivation residence for the Celestial Guardians.
Standing before the locked door, Wang Chen felt the presence of restrictive powers.
Clearly, the defensive formations set up within this tower were still functioning, though their strength had weakened considerably.
Wang Chen displayed his identity token and infused it with spiritual power.
The token glowed briefly, and with a thunderous sound, the tightly shut door swung open!
This Star Observation Pavilion had been unoccupied for three years, and due to the formations, outsiders could not enter.
As a result, the air inside was stale, and dust had settled everywhere.
Wang Chen climbed the stairs, inspecting each floor one by one.
At each level, he opened the windows and used the Cleansing Technique to clear away all the accumulated dust.
Although this task could easily be assigned to the servants, Wang Chen was not particular; if he felt uncomfortable, he simply dealt with it himself.
After all, he would be living and cultivating here for the next three years.
He continued until he reached the top floor.
The highest level of the Star Observation Pavilion was empty, devoid of any furnishings.
However, cleaning was quite simple for Wang Chen.
He took a quick look around and then approached the windowsill to admire the view of South Shao County.
The Star Observation Pavilion was undoubtedly the tallest building in South Shao County, towering above and offering a sweeping view of half the city.
In truth, there wasn’t much to see; compared to Yunshan City, this mundane city was far inferior.
Wang Chen glanced briefly and then withdrew his gaze, heading back down to the ground floor.
He easily found the hidden chamber located beneath the Star Observation Pavilion.
This hidden chamber was divided into one large room and four smaller ones, organized as a living room, bedroom, study, quiet room, and storage room, with fully furnished arrangements.
This was also where the control center for the defensive formations was located!
Seventy-two bronze lamps were hung on the walls of the hidden chamber, with each lamp embedded with three spirit stones, totaling two hundred sixteen spirit fragments, providing the energy source for driving the formations.
Most of the spirit stones had already exhausted their spiritual energy, and the remaining ones were dim and lifeless.
They were on the verge of running dry!
If Wang Chen had arrived any later, the defensive formations would have completely failed.
With no other option, he had to dip into his own resources and replace all the depleted spirit stones.
This expense was unavoidable.
The formations of the Star Observation Pavilion not only ensured his safety, shielding him from surprise enemy attacks, but more importantly, they enhanced the spiritual energy environment, which was crucial for his daily cultivation.
Once Wang Chen installed the new spirit stones, the formations resumed their normal operations.
He immediately felt a significant improvement.
It was akin to descending from an oxygen-starved plateau into a verdant forest; breathing became much easier.
No wonder people were reluctant to venture into the Mortal Realm.
Wang Chen shook his head.
Having grown accustomed to the world of cultivation, returning to a realm devoid of spiritual energy was truly a hardship!
To cultivate effectively, one had to expend a considerable amount of spirit stones.
He was fortunate in that he could rely on the resources of the Yunyang Sect.
For the struggling loose cultivators, coming here would inevitably lead to a decline in their cultivation level!
Thus, they preferred to endure hardships in the outer domains rather than descend into the mundane world.
Wang Chen couldn’t help but think of Old Sun.
He wondered how his former neighbor, who had decisively fled, was faring now with his wife and child in Da Qian!
He explored other rooms and stumbled upon three large chests.
Upon opening them, Wang Chen found one chest filled with silver, another with large yellow fish, and a third with jewelry, elixirs, and talismans!
This discovery certainly took Wang Chen by surprise.
He hadn’t anticipated that the former Celestial Guardian had left anything behind for him.
Although ordinary gold, silver, and jewels held little value for cultivators, these items were essential for the daily upkeep of the Celestial Guardians’ residences in the Mortal Realm.
This fellow sect member had indeed been thoughtful.
As for the elixirs and talismans, while not of high value, they were highly practical.
For instance, there were blood talismans that could be used by mortals.
And the Innate Pill!
