At the time when Jiang Rui from the Jiang family was extremely anxious.
Qingyun Immortal City.
"Who leaked this news? With this out, which rogue cultivator would dare to come to our Lingdan Pavilion to sell things?"
"Situ Chengang, this bastard! Doing this completely disregards the reputation of our Situ family! He's digging the roots of our family! He deserves to be cut to pieces!"
"Our Situ family is a Golden Core family in Qingyun Immortal City, and such a scandal occurs! What a disgrace!"
"A matter of such magnitude, and the family head is still not showing up?!"
In the council hall of the Situ family, more than twenty elderly men with powerful auras sat, each furious and looking extremely grim.
"Bring him in!"
At this moment, two middle-aged men with strong auras, around their forties, with somber expressions, dragged a disheveled, large-bellied middle-aged man into the council hall.
"Situ Chengang! You bastard! Look at the trouble you've caused!"
"Explain yourself!"
Seeing Situ Chengang brought in, the numerous elders and stewards of the family stepped forward to berate him.
"First Elder, the family head is in seclusion… there's a sign saying 'Do Not Disturb'."
At this moment, a young family disciple hurriedly arrived and respectfully bowed to a thin, white-bearded elder sitting on the left.
"In seclusion again... What is the family head up to?"
Situ Yunfeng sighed deeply, glanced around at the numerous elders of the Situ family, and said in a deep voice, "Elders, stewards, since the family head is not here, we will decide this matter through the elder council. Please share your opinions!"
Situ Yunfeng was extremely worried. In recent years, the family head had never chaired a family meeting and had always been in seclusion. Over the years, corruption within the family had become severe, and he saw it all and was deeply concerned.
"I suggest we expel Situ Chengang from the family and execute him publicly to restore some of our family's reputation!"
"The matter has already been exposed. Besides executing Situ Chengang, we must also find out who spread the news. This person has great courage to plot against our Situ family! Our Situ family is not a pushover!"
"We must give an explanation to the public, no matter what!"
The numerous elders of the council voiced their opinions.
"Since everyone agrees to execute Situ Chengang, then it's decided!"
After Situ Yunfeng finished speaking, he looked at Situ Chengang standing nearby and said in a deep voice, "Chengang, the situation has come to this; the family can only push you out to give an explanation to the public."
Hearing the First Elder's words, Situ Chengang slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with despair, and said, "First Elder, may I say something?"
"Speak."
The First Elder nodded.
"Haha... Ever since the family head returned from the Tianwu Secret Realm, he has ignored family affairs, leading to chaotic management within the family. Which of the elders here doesn't take more than I do? I didn't do this at first, but seeing the uncles and brothers do it, I had to fit in!"
"I only killed a few rogue cultivators, and now I'm being pushed out?"
"I'm not convinced!"
Situ Chengang's eyes turned blood-red as he looked around at the numerous elders.
"The family has indeed been poorly managed in recent years, but this isn't about killing a few rogue cultivators; you're digging out the family's roots!"
"With this news spread, the family's business will surely plummet! Pushing you out to give an explanation is the only way!"
"Rest assured, your family won't be affected!"
Situ Yunfeng sighed after hearing this and remained silent for a long time. His last sentence was crucial to prevent Situ Chengang from dragging others down with him!
Situ Yunfeng understood better than anyone.
The family head was disinterested in family affairs, and the numerous elders present were all guilty of corruption. If this was brought to light, the entire family would be ruined. This matter could only be slowly reported to the ancestors and dealt with gradually.
"Thank you, First Elder... I plead guilty."
Situ Chengang was silent for a long time before closing his eyes and speaking in a deep voice.
He understood the elder's intentions; if he implicated others, his children would suffer greatly.
Qingyun Immortal City.
East City East.
Rogue cultivator market.
"Oh my! Daoist Ma, do you think the news about Situ's family killing rogue cultivators is true?"
"Keep your voice down. There's no smoke without fire!"
"This reminds me of Daoist Zhang, who sold beast materials at Lingdan Pavilion three months ago and disappeared in the Manyong Mountains. He never returned..."
"Situ's family killing rogue cultivators who sell beast materials? This is terrifying! I won't go to Lingdan Pavilion anymore. Who knows when I'll end up dead in the mountains!"
"Yeah, the Situ family is really evil, doing such despicable things!"
Groups of rogue cultivators gathered, discussing heatedly.
"Situ Chengang, Jiang Ping!"
"You thought you could scheme against me! Now, it's your turn to suffer!"
Qin Wang, who had hidden his cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Refining, stood among the rogue cultivators, listening to their discussions with satisfaction.
Over the past few days.
He had sent messages through his hidden spirit rat to Zhao Hunyi, then followed and controlled Zhao Hunyi, making him carve messages in conspicuous places in the North and East Cities at night.
Now, the entire East and North Cities were buzzing with talk about the Jiang and Situ families, even spreading to the South and West Cities.
Rumors were flying about Situ Chengang insulting his sister-in-law, killing rogue cultivators, and Jiang Ping's third daughter Jiang Ping having a seductive body, draining cultivation from others and killing Ouyang Qing of the Ouyang family.
At this moment.
In front of Lingdan Pavilion, a five-zhang tall pillar stood, with a large-bellied middle-aged man bound to it. His head hung low, eyes filled with resentment and hatred.
"Damn it! Who carved that message?"
"How did they know about my killing rogue cultivators and my affair with Jiang Ping?"
"Damn it, if I can't catch that bastard and tear him apart, I'll be damned!"
Situ Chengang was consumed with hatred for the person who spread the news. If not for them, he wouldn't be publicly executed.
He didn't want to die, but with his cultivation sealed and the elders determined, he had no choice. The First Elder made it clear: if he confessed and didn't implicate others, his family would be spared.
His death was the only way to restore some of the family's reputation.
Dengxian Garden, No. 168.
Morning.
Qin Wang sat in his room, silently cultivating, with a soul pot, a treasure bowl, and a soul lock jade placed nearby. He kept these items within reach, hoping to gather information related to them.
"Fourth layer of the soul pot's restrictions!"
After absorbing three pills, Qin Wang rested and pondered the soul pot. When his consciousness entered the soul pot again, his eyes lit up.
"Refining the fourth layer of restrictions on the soul pot allows it to collect the souls of newly deceased people within a two-mile radius?"
Qin Wang held the soul pot, deep in thought.
"Almost at the ninth level of Qi Refining, time to grind proficiency!"
Qin Wang looked at the proficiency progress on his panel, eyes full of anticipation.
At this moment.
He heard Gao Yuan and Ouyang Long talking outside.
"The Situ family is executing the traitor Situ Chengang today? To give an explanation for the deaths of rogue cultivators?"
Hearing their conversation, Qin Wang's eyes flashed, and he decided to go see how Situ Chengang would die. Situ Chengang had a piece of a map related to the Taiyi Heavy Water, which he needed to obtain.
"Little Qin, let's go see the execution of Situ Chengang at Lingdan Pavilion!"
Seeing Qin Wang come out, Gao Yuan immediately invited him to join them.
"Yes, let's go."
Qin Wang agreed and followed Gao Yuan, Ouyang Long, and others to Lingdan Pavilion.
In front of Lingdan Pavilion, on an open ground, a pillar stood with the dying Situ Chengang and his three accomplices bound to it.
The streets were packed with cultivators watching.
"Fellow Daoists, I am Situ Yunfeng, the First Elder of Lingdan Pavilion. Due to lax family discipline in recent years, we have spawned a traitor like Situ Chengang. After a decision by the elder council, Situ Chengang will be expelled from the family and executed publicly! To give an explanation to the rogue cultivators he harmed!"
"I, Situ Yunfeng, on behalf of the Situ family, deeply apologize to the rogue cultivators of Qingyun Immortal City!"
An old man in white robes, with white hair, stood before the crowd and deeply bowed to the numerous cultivators.
"Situ Chengang, you have committed heinous crimes, harming both yourself and others! I hereby expel you from the family!"
"Do you have any last words before your execution?"
Situ Yunfeng bowed for a long time before turning to look at Situ Chengang, speaking in a deep voice.
"First Elder, I have committed a grave sin and deserve my fate. Harmed rogue cultivators... please, execute me."
Situ Chengang understood the First Elder's intentions. Though filled with resentment, he knew that if he didn't cooperate, his children would suffer greatly.
He worked hard for spirit stones, all for his children.
"Very well!"
Situ Yunfeng stepped forward, and with a flick of his blade, Situ Chengang was beheaded and died instantly!
Following that, the three accomplices were also executed one by one.
"Fellow Daoists, the traitors of the Situ family have been executed. As a gesture of apology and sincerity, from today onwards, all pills at Lingdan Pavilion will be sold at a fifteen percent discount!"
Situ Yunfeng bowed to the numerous cultivators again and announced.
This was the decision of the elder council. Without this discount, the family's business would truly be finished.
"Fifteen percent discount on all pills at Lingdan Pavilion? That's great news!"
"Yes, that's like buying a pill worth ten spirit stones for only eight and a half! Wonderful!"
"This is a great opportunity; let's go buy some pills!"
Hearing Situ Yunfeng's announcement, the numerous cultivators became excited and rushed towards Lingdan Pavilion.
Qin Wang, mingling in the crowd, also squeezed towards Lingdan Pavilion. With the soul pot hidden in his sleeve, he pretended to be jostled against the execution platform, silently capturing Situ Chengang's soul into his sleeve.
Taking this opportunity.
Qin Wang bought several hundred spirit stones worth of Guyuan Pills from Lingdan Pavilion and then returned to Dengxian Garden No. 168.
[Qin Wang]
[Lifespan: 19/139]
[Realm: Ninth level of Qi Refining (2/9000)]
"Finally reached the ninth level of Qi Refining!"
At night.
Qin Wang looked at his panel with satisfaction, noticing that his lifespan had increased to 139 years after reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining!
"Time to refine a couple of soul seeds."
Qin Wang pondered, thinking it was time to prepare some soul seeds. With the ninth level of Qi Refining, he could use a suitable body immediately. He checked the locked door, took out the soul pot, and his consciousness entered it.
As soon as his divine sense entered, he saw two souls.
One was Zixia Zhenren Mu Zhen, and the other was Situ Chengang!