Chapter 28
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Chapter 28: The Chess Game
The land rhinoceros had vanished.
After the earth-shattering battle, not a single trace of a land rhinoceros was found in any of the spirit fields within the Yunyang Sect’s outer sect area, as if they had all become extinct.
However, the cost was devastating.
Hundreds of cultivators were injured or killed, and thousands of acres of spirit fields suffered varying degrees of destruction.
Some of these spirit fields were left empty-handed.
Many of the deceased cultivators were spiritual plant farmers.
But for the Yunyang Sect, which boasted one hundred thousand Outer Sect Disciples, this loss was insignificant.
Soon, new cultivators stepped in as spiritual plant farmers, eagerly claiming the inheritance of those who had perished.
The families of the deceased spiritual plant farmers quickly wiped away their tears and prepared for the upcoming summer harvest.
As for compensation, there was none to be had!
“Brothers, I kneel before you!”
That morning, as Wang Chen was returning from fetching spring water, he saw several Wei Hall Disciples menacingly blocking the entrance to a household.
A middle-aged man knelt before them, pleading, “Our family truly cannot afford so many spirit stones. We didn’t know we had to pay spirit stones when we accepted the flags.”
Beside him, a woman stood with a sorrowful expression, shielding her two children behind her, tears welling in her eyes.
“Don’t give me that nonsense!”
One Wei Hall Disciple roared, “Your family received the flags; the inner sect dispatched a flying ship and a master to eliminate the pests. It was only through the intervention of the Grand Elder that the evil objects were eradicated, saving your family’s lives.”
“Now you refuse to offer even a mere twenty-five spirit stones? Do you hold no respect for the masters and true masters?”
The kneeling man was stunned by the shouting.
The Wei Hall Disciple’s expression grew even more menacing: “If you’re so ungrateful and refuse to pay the spirit stones, fine! Leave the sect immediately. You can farm the fields outside without offering a single spirit fragment!”
A Purple Palace master, a Grand Elder!
Let alone a Golden Core true master—even the name of a Purple Palace master weighed heavily on the shoulders of a small outer sect cultivator like him.
How could he possibly resist?
The man had no choice but to empty his storage bag, swallowing his pride to borrow from the watching neighbors.
Finally, he managed to scrape together twenty spirit stones to give to the Wei Hall Disciples.
Among them were many spirit fragments.
Then the Wei Hall Disciples hurried off to the next household.
Soon, cries echoed from that home as well.
From the conversations of passersby, Wang Chen learned that a few days prior, the local head had distributed flags from the headquarters to the farmers under his jurisdiction, allowing any spiritual plant farmer affected by the pest disaster to claim one.
Now that the issue was resolved, the Wei Hall had sent enforcers to collect spirit stones as offerings for the inner sect.
One acre of spirit fields requires one spirit fragment!
Only farmers who haven’t received flags and those with dead family members are exempt.
Wei Hall sent envoys to collect payments, and with the authority of the masters and true masters backing them, who would dare refuse?
Out of the ten households nearby, at least seven or eight would have to pay up!
Wang Chen wasn’t particularly surprised by this situation.
He had sensed something was amiss when Old Sun had proudly boasted to him earlier.
His instincts had proven correct!
Now, Wang Chen could do nothing but continue walking home after hearing the news.
“Oh heavens!”
Just as he neared his doorstep, he saw Old Sun sitting by the roadside, wailing and wiping his tears in despair.
Wang Chen’s appearance seemed to offer a glimmer of hope to the old man, who immediately rushed toward him.
“Doggie, I can’t go on living like this!”
Wang Chen, whose legs were tightly clutched by the old man, could only sigh in exasperation: “…”
The night before last, when Old Sun had drunkenly come to him for comfort, he hadn’t been nearly this distraught!
“Doggie.”
Old Sun wiped his tears and sobbed, “Do you know…”
“I know!”
Wang Chen cut him off directly: “Wei Hall sent someone to collect thirty spirit fragments from you.”
Old Sun had rented thirty acres of spirit fields by himself.
And he had received flags.
Wasn’t he obligated to pay thirty spirit fragments?
“So you already knew.”
Old Sun awkwardly got to his feet and pleaded, “Doggie, help me out, lend me…”
“See for yourself.”
Wang Chen took the storage bag hanging at his waist and handed it over: “See how many spirit stones I have!”
This storage bag was his original one, containing only a dozen or so spirit fragments and some everyday items.
As for the large storage bag he had seized from the traveling merchant, it was securely hidden in his bosom.
This way, even if someone stole or robbed the outer bag, he wouldn’t lose much.
The truly valuable items were all in the hidden bag!
Old Sun, clearly desperate, actually took the bag to inspect it.
Wang Chen’s storage bag had no restrictions; it could be opened simply by infusing it with spiritual power.
As a result, Old Sun was utterly dumbfounded.
“Wait, Doggie, where did all the spirit stones you earned go?”
Wang Chen couldn’t help but roll his eyes: “Haven’t you noticed that I’ve already reached mid-level Qi Training?”
“I rented a cave in the city to advance!”
This reason was so compelling.
It left Old Sun speechless, and he could only grudgingly return the storage bag to Wang Chen.
Wang Chen couldn’t be bothered to deal with the old man any longer and simply walked away.
Wang Chen had no intention of worrying about him.
An old leek like him.
Old Sun, with no children or family, had rented so many spirit fields and had been in the outer sect for ten years.
Despite frequently visiting the brothels in Yunshan City and splurging spirit stones, someone like him couldn’t possibly be without some savings.
Even if Wang Chen had spirit stones, he absolutely wouldn’t lend Old Sun even half a piece!
Once he got home, he took out a water barrel filled with spring water from the large storage bag and placed it back in the kitchen.
Then he went to the quiet room.
Sitting on the cushion, he fell deep into thought.
Land rhinoceros, flags, flying ship, evil objects, Purple Palace master, Grand Elder…
And the surprising reaction of the Yunyang Sect right when the insect disaster broke out.
All of these made Wang Chen feel as if some invisible hands were orchestrating everything behind the scenes.
They were playing a game!
Of course, Wang Chen didn’t believe his feelings were necessarily correct.
Perhaps it was just his illusion or simply a coincidence.
Wang Chen didn’t dwell on the matter any longer.
If someone was indeed playing a big game, then he didn’t even have the qualifications to be a piece on the board.
Why trouble himself unnecessarily!
The urgent matter was to master the Heavenly Dragon Vajra True Method.
For the past two days, aside from tending to the spirit fields, Wang Chen had spent most of his time at home comprehending this body-refining technique.
This set of spells he obtained included a picture of the Great Might Heavenly Dragon true form.
As long as he understood this image and awakened the vital energy, he could be considered to have entered the practice.
It sounded simple, but Wang Chen’s low comprehension kept him stuck in a dilemma.
He couldn’t grasp even the slightest true meaning contained in the Heavenly Dragon image.
He just couldn’t cross the threshold.
If he couldn’t master the technique, then having the Cultivation Panel was pointless.
So he wanted to try again.
“Chirp chirp!”
Two white figures suddenly dashed into the quiet room, one in front and one behind.
Wang Chen focused his eyes.
It was the big white mouse with its companion.
It was the golden-haired mouse that had seemingly gone missing earlier!
He couldn’t help but smile: “You two are getting back together?”
