Translator: Cinder Translations
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Faced with Su Qian's question, a trace of fear flashed in Su Anqing's eyes. He steadied his mind before answering.
"Ancestor, the Yellow Essence Mushroom has been stolen. A thief infiltrated the spiritual field and stole all the mushrooms that were over ten years old."
Su Qian, who had just moments ago appeared calm and graceful like an immortal, immediately darkened. His expression became as stormy as a sky overcast with dark clouds, and his eyes burned with fury.
"Useless fools! What good are you?"
Suddenly, a terrifying aura erupted from Su Qian, his powerful presence crashing over Su Anqing and Su Wenshi like a violent tidal wave.
Neither dared resist, allowing the overwhelming force to sweep them up. They were flung dozens of meters away, landing straight in the stream outside the wooden house.
Their bodies were soaked by the water, looking utterly wretched.
After a moment, Su Qian seemed to suppress his anger temporarily. He frowned in thought for a while before speaking again.
"How many of the cultivators practicing the Longevity Technique have you captured?"
Su Anqing bowed his head low. "Ancestor, we've captured over 900, and they are all young adult cultivators in the later stages of Qi Refining."
"Work quickly. You must gather a thousand within half a month."
"Understood!"
Seeing that the ancestor had no more instructions, Su Wenshi, the elder who had remained silent, finally spoke.
"Ancestor, without the Yellow Essence Mushroom, will the effects of the Devouring Soul Array be impacted?"
Su Qian replied, "The Yellow Essence Mushroom is used to activate the Devouring Soul Array, but there is another method that is even more effective. Not only can it extend life, but it can also allow me to advance my cultivation further, breaking through the mid-stage of the Golden Core. However, the difficulty and risk are greatly increased. I have been hesitant about using this method, but perhaps the theft of the Yellow Essence Mushroom is a sign from the heavens."
Upon hearing this, Su Anqing let out a sigh of relief. Since there was a better alternative, the loss of the Yellow Essence Mushroom seemed less critical. The ancestor likely wouldn't punish them.
However, a glint of light flashed in Su Wenshi's eyes.
Especially when he heard the phrase "advance cultivation further," his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
Su Wenshi asked, "May I ask, Ancestor, what preparations are needed to activate the Devouring Soul Array using this alternative method?"
Su Qian replied, "There's nothing you need to do. Just focus on gathering a thousand sacrifices alive as soon as possible."
As soon as the words fell, Su Qian seemed to remember something and gave further instructions.
"Send a message to Lady Qingyan of the Beastmaster Sect, inviting her to come to the Su family ten days from now to assist me."
"Ten days from now!" Su Anqing looked up, surprised, and asked Su Qian, "Ancestor, isn't that a bit rushed?"
Su Qian replied, "Time waits for no one. My health is deteriorating quickly; I can't afford to wait."
...
Song Wen watched as Elder Su Junhao returned once again, looking somewhat surprised. The Su family was still not giving up—they were continuing to investigate the foreign cultivators.
Why was the Su family so certain that the thief was hiding within their ranks? Could it be that they had discovered something?
"All alchemists, step forward and cooperate with the Su family's investigation."
Su Junhao, floating in mid-air, shouted loudly.
Eighty-some alchemists, including Song Wen, stepped out of their houses again.
This time, the Su family's investigation was far more thorough. Not only did they conduct body searches, but they also dug up the houses where the alchemists were living, down to three feet below the ground.
Every alchemist's residence was completely torn down, with the areas in front and behind the houses dug several meters deep.
Furthermore, they meticulously traced every alchemist's movements over the past few days.
Fortunately, Song Wen's recent activities could withstand scrutiny. Su Huayue, who shared an alchemy room with him, could testify that for the past seven days, Song Wen had been continuously refining pills.
Although Song Wen was not in the alchemy room on the night Su Wei and Su Gu were killed, he covered it up by saying he was at his residence, meditating and recovering his spiritual and mental energy. It was well-known that alchemy consumed a lot of mental and spiritual power, and the only way to recover was through meditation or rest.
That night, Song Wen wasn't the only alchemist resting in his room. More than half of the alchemists were resting, and the Su family couldn't possibly detain all of them.
Song Wen originally thought that the Su family would carry out a prolonged and thorough investigation into the theft of the Yellow Essence Mushroom.
But by dawn, the Su family suddenly ceased their efforts, abruptly halting the investigation. At least on the surface, there were no further inquiries. This made the grand investigation from the previous night seem like nothing more than a farce.
The dozen or so foreign rogue cultivators who had been detained in prison were released as well. Apart from some minor injuries, they were largely unharmed.
The Su family issued a notice: Everything from last night was now concluded, and the Su family would compensate for all damages caused during the investigation. The Su family sincerely requested that the foreign cultivators put aside any grievances and continue to work diligently for them.
This left many of the foreign cultivators confused, unsure of what the Su family was up to.
However, Song Wen vaguely sensed that something was about to happen in the Su family, and they were using this method to placate the foreign cultivators, ensuring the Su family could weather the storm smoothly.
And sure enough, Song Wen's suspicions soon proved correct.
Today, as arranged by Su Huayue, Song Wen had a day off. He spent the entire day meditating and cultivating in his newly arranged quarters.
It wasn't until dusk that Song Wen left his room and headed to the dining hall.
In the dining hall, he once again encountered Duan Jie and Qi Xiong, along with others.
"Today, I told Steward Su Huayue that I wanted to leave the Su family," said a female cultivator named Gao Yan.
"I also submitted my resignation," said Duan Jie.
There were seven people at the table, and five of them said they had gone to resign today. Only Song Wen and Qi Xiong hadn't.
Not wanting to stand out, Song Wen chimed in.
"You all went to resign today? Last night scared this old man half to death. I want to resign too, but I had the day off today and haven't had the chance. Did Steward Su accept your resignations?"
Gao Yan shook her head and replied, "Not yet. Steward Su assured us that last night's incident won't happen again and even raised our monthly salaries to persuade us to stay."
"The more they try to calm us, the less secure I feel. I can't shake the feeling that something big is about to happen in the Su family. In two days, it'll be the end of the month. Once I collect my salary, I'll leave, whether the Su family agrees or not."
Gao Yan spoke with clear concern, and her words were met with agreement from the others. They all expressed their intention to leave with her after collecting their pay in two days.
"Qi Xiong, aren't you going to leave with us?" Duan Jie asked.
Qi Xiong looked hesitant and stammered, "I... I'm not leaving. Today, Steward Su gifted me a Breakthrough Pill, and I promised her that I'd stay with the Su family for the next five years and continue to serve."
Hearing this, the group stopped trying to convince him.
Everyone has their own choices to make, and no matter how things turn out—whether good or bad—they must face the consequences themselves.
"Then we wish you success in breaking through your bottleneck, Qi Xiong, and hope you become a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator soon."
The group congratulated Qi Xiong, which firmed his resolve.
Although they had been friends for several months, and could be considered close companions, everyone has their own path and their own opportunities.
Qi Xiong's opportunity lay with the Su family, and he knew he had to seize it. There was no need to get tangled up with Duan Jie and the others.
Perhaps in a few years, when they meet again, Qi Xiong will have become a second-tier alchemy master, while Duan Jie and the others are still stuck in the Qi Refining stage.
(End of the Chapter)
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