Chapter 122: Chapter 120: Husband, Just How Many People Did You Kill?

Soon, over a hundred Loose Cultivators had gathered before the Ten Thousand Poison Gang’s Rock Inscription, looking on.

The Loose Cultivators of Netherworld Valley had long suffered because of the Jile Pill!

The Ten Thousand Poison Gang had made a fortune from the Jile Pill business alone.

Now that the Antidote Pill Formula was leaked, the crowd of Cultivators was so ecstatic they almost forgot to go and loot the Ten Thousand Poison Gang’s headquarters.

However, the Cultivators who had rushed in earlier came back out empty-handed.

Inside the Ten Thousand Poison Gang’s headquarters, aside from several dozen corpses of those who had been poisoned to death, the Treasure Vault had already been completely emptied.

Even the storage bags of the dead had vanished without a trace.

Who could have pulled off such a huge feat so quietly?

Everyone chattered amongst themselves, but for a time, no one could reach a conclusion.

"The Ten Thousand Poison Gang must have offended some great expert. That Ten Thousand Poison Taoist got what he deserved!"

Many who had seen the Ten Thousand Poison Taoist’s mutilated corpse in the Treasure Vault gleefully spread the news.

Some went so far as to immediately buy a large number of Spirit Pattern Firecrackers and Magical Fireworks, setting them off in Netherworld Valley. The atmosphere was as lively as a festival.

There were also members of various families who, after witnessing the gruesome state of the many Ten Thousand Poison Gang Cultivators, were utterly shocked. They grew wary of the mysterious Cultivator and secretly exchanged theories among their families.

It just so happened to be the Netherworld Grand Assembly. Not only had the Loose Cultivators of Netherworld Valley gathered, but many from the Jiujiang Alliance, Divine Pillar Mountain, and the Abyssal Marsh had also come. Among them were many capable individuals, all of whom were now trying to deduce the authenticity of the Jile Pill’s Antidote Pill Formula.

An elderly man said leisurely, "I began trying to crack the Jile Pill over a decade ago. This Pill Formula before me differs from my own by only two Spiritual Medicines. Looking at the quantities and heat control, they’re not far off either."

"I wish to perform Alchemy on the spot. Would any Fellow Daoists be willing to help me find some Spiritual Medicines?"

As he spoke, he summoned an Alchemy Furnace and sat cross-legged beneath the Rock Inscription.

Immediately, several people took out Spiritual Medicines from their storage bags, gathering all the ingredients listed on the Antidote Pill Formula and handing them to the old man.

The old man offered a word of thanks and skillfully began the Alchemy process.

The crowd gathered around him, holding their breath in concentration as they patiently awaited the result.

The Antidote Pill Formula for the Jile Pill was not complex. In less than an hour, the old man had refined a furnace-full of pills.

"Who will test the pill?"

The old man took out a pill and swept his gaze across the crowd of observing Cultivators.

The crowd fell silent, their gazes unanimously turning to a down-and-out Cultivator among them.

This man was known as the poorest Cultivator in Netherworld Valley. All the Spirit Stones he earned were spent on Jile Pills, and when that wasn’t enough, he would constantly try to borrow Spirit Stones from his friends.

He just never paid them back.

Unable to withstand his pestering and shameless tactics, many would often just give him a few Spirit Stones to make him go away.

At that moment, someone laughed and said, "Zhou the Third, why don’t you give it a try? You’re out of Jile Pills anyway. Now that the Ten Thousand Poison Gang is gone, if you don’t find a solution, are you just going to wait to suffer from cultivation deviation?"

Zhou the Third gave a sheepish smile. "I don’t know how poisonous this pill is. I have a family to support... what if something happens..."

The crowd sneered, "Didn’t your wife run off with another man and take the kids long ago? You’re a bachelor now, what’s there to be afraid of?"

Zhou the Third said, displeased, "My wife and I separated, she didn’t die! Even if she’s with someone else, she’s still my, Zhou the Third’s, woman!"

The crowd roared with laughter. Joking and shoving, they pushed Zhou the Third forward and forced him in front of the Elder Alchemist, pressuring him to test the medicine.

With only a Fourth-Layer Sensing Cultivation, Zhou the Third was no match for the pressure from so many Cultivators. He looked troubled, turning to the Elder Alchemist with a look of helplessness and a pained expression. "Master, how toxic is this pill?"

The Elder Alchemist said seriously, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, rest assured. Even if this pill is poisonous, I can save you."

Zhou the Third was still hesitating, stubbornly keeping his mouth shut.

Someone from behind urged him, "Zhou the Third, what are a few Spirit Stones worth compared to your life? If you test the pill, the ten Spirit Stones you owe me will be wiped clean. I won’t ask for them again!"

Another person tried to persuade him, "That’s right, Fellow Daoist Zhou, think of your wife and child... Can you bear to see them being bullied in another man’s Cave Mansion?"

"Brother Liu, you’re mistaken. How can you say Mrs. Zhou is being bullied? She’s gone off to enjoy a better life! What future was there with Zhou the Third... But, Third, it’s not my place to say, but if you test the pill, everyone here will respect you. Once you’re free from the trouble of the Jile Pill, who knows, your luck might turn around. You think you’ll be short on beautiful wives and concubines then?"

Zhou the Third’s face flushed red. He stared intently at the pill in the Elder Alchemist’s hand and swallowed hard.

He had just opened his mouth to speak when the Elder Alchemist seized the opportunity, flicking the pill into his mouth and straight down his throat.

Zhou the Third immediately started to choke.

Someone handed over a wine flask, shouting, "Quick, wash it down! Don’t throw it up!"

The person next to him took the flask and poured it into Zhou the Third’s mouth.

A moment later, Zhou the Third had swallowed the pill. The Spiritual Mechanism in his body fluctuated, but not violently.

The Elder Alchemist took Zhou the Third’s pulse and carefully examined it for a moment. Suddenly, his face lit up with joy. "The antidote is real!"

The onlookers were silent for a second, then erupted into cheers. In an instant, the area below the Rock Inscription became incredibly festive.

...

「Brocade Cloud Stream, Purple Cliff Cave, Netherworld Valley.」

Inside the warm and elegant bedroom stood a magnificent, large bed. Curtains hung low on all sides, creating a tranquil and serene atmosphere.

A fair, long, and well-proportioned leg extended from behind the curtains, its slender, beautiful foot landing on the soft carpet.

Dressed in light, cool gauze, Die’Er walked out barefoot. The blush had not yet faded from her fair face. She picked up a plate of fresh Spirit Fruits from the table, returned to the large bed, and said softly, "Young Master, have some Spirit Fruit."

Ye Yan was nestled lazily in Fang Cheng’s arms. Seeing Die’Er on the other side diligently feeding Fang Cheng Spirit Fruits, she chided with a smile, "You silly girl, you’re playing favorites. Why are you only feeding the Young Master and not me?"

Fang Cheng was propped up against the headboard, an arm around each woman. He felt refreshed and full of vigor.

Die’Er picked up another Spirit Fruit and brought it to Ye Yan’s lips, smiling back. "If you wanted to be fed, you should have just said so, my lady. You were shouting so loudly just now, you must be exhausted. You really do need to soothe your throat."

Ye Yan shot Die’Er a look but didn’t eat the Spirit Fruit. Instead, she held it in her mouth, leaned over to Fang Cheng, and fed it to him in another way.

After Fang Cheng had finished tasting it, Ye Yan huffed at Die’Er. "Your voice, on the other hand, was soft and faint just now, but it was so seductive. Even I could barely control myself listening to you."

Deeply embarrassed, Die’Er also took a Spirit Fruit into her mouth and fed it to Fang Cheng.

Fang Cheng listened to the two women giggling and whispering sweetly in his arms. He didn’t interrupt, just patiently listened and watched.

After a while, Ye Yan and Die’Er started chatting about the destruction of the Ten Thousand Poison Gang, a topic that had been causing a stir for the past few days.

They knew that the Vice Gang Leader of the Ten Thousand Poison Gang had come to their Cave Mansion and been killed by Fang Cheng.

Later, when Fang Cheng returned not long after going out, they hadn’t thought much of it at first. But connecting the events now, they had more or less figured things out.

Ye Yan asked curiously, "Husband, did you really wipe out the Ten Thousand Poison Gang?"

Fang Cheng nodded. "Although doing so might affect our grand plans, if I didn’t eliminate them root and stem, it would weigh on my mind."

Ye Yan’s beautiful eyes sparkled as she said gently, "It doesn’t matter. No one knows it was you. We just need to keep a low profile. In another year or so, that place might open up."

"Everyone outside is saying some mysterious expert was serving justice. Some guess it was a True Disciple from the Yinluo Sect, while others say it was a Disciple from Taihao Mountain, or an Elder from a major family on Divine Pillar Mountain... but none of it has anything to do with us."

Fang Cheng smiled and said, "Right, the Ten Thousand Poison Gang’s Treasure Vault had a lot of things. I couldn’t be bothered to look through it all. How about you and Die’Er organize everything?"

Ye Yan said enthusiastically, "Okay! I’d love to do that."

The three of them got up from the bed and went to the main hall of the Cave Mansion. Fang Cheng took out several dozen storage bags in one go, one of which was filled with everything from the Ten Thousand Poison Gang’s Treasure Vault.

Ye Yan and Die’Er’s beautiful eyes widened at the sight.

"Husband, just how many people did you kill?"

...

It took Ye Yan and Die’Er two full days to finish sorting everything.

The total haul included 130,000 Lower-Grade Spirit Stones, nineteen Tier One Upper-Grade and Top-grade Magical Artifacts, one Tier Two Array, three Tier Two Talismans, and forty-nine Tier One Upper-Grade Talismans.

In addition, there were various Spirit Pills, precious materials, Secret Techniques, strange objects, and more.

Conservatively estimated, the total value of everything combined should exceed one million Spirit Stones!

Fang Cheng had essentially taken the entire accumulation of the Ten Thousand Poison Gang over several decades.

From all these items, he had Ye Yan and Die’Er pick out what was useful to them and keep it. He planned to take the rest back to the Yinluo Sect Marketplace and sell it all at the Ye Family’s Cangshan Pavilion.

Afterward, aside from buying some Tier Two Demon Beast Flesh and Blood and materials for refining Gu, he would exchange everything else for Upper-Grade Spirit Stones.

He now possessed seven Tier Two Early Stage Vajra Gu and one Tier Two Poison Gu, which was more than enough to deal with ordinary Cultivators.

Wang Daqian would probably never imagine that the "Younger Brother Chen" he had introduced to the business would earn so many Spirit Stones on his very first solo job.

He had truly taken the path of the Tribulation Cultivator to its extreme.

Now, the turmoil in Netherworld Valley had gradually subsided, and the Grand Assembly was over. But an undercurrent was surging through the valley. In the wake of the Ten Thousand Poison Gang’s destruction, several new powers had risen to take its place.

Among them were the surviving members of the Ten Thousand Poison Gang!

They hadn’t been at the headquarters that day, thus escaping the disaster. Now, they no longer dared to use the name "Ten Thousand Poison Gang." Instead, they adopted a new name and guarded a spiritual garden the gang had previously established in Netherworld Valley, using it as a foundation to plan their resurgence.

Another faction was rather interesting. It was a group of Cultivators rallied by Wang Daqian and Monk Po Jie, who had formed a Loose Cultivator organization called the "Cultivation Association." They had aggressively moved into the Ten Thousand Poison Gang’s former Cave Mansion headquarters, occupying the area with the densest Spiritual Qi in the valley.

The president of the Cultivation Association was none other than He Yujing, who was not far from the Life Talisman Realm!

However, He Yujing had a peaceful and scholarly temperament and disliked worldly affairs, so the daily operations were all managed by Wang Daqian and Monk Po Jie.

Besides the Cultivation Association, several other circles of Loose Cultivators had also banded together. With Late-stage Sensing Cultivators at their core, they were preparing for the future on one hand, while carving up the cake left behind by the Ten Thousand Poison Gang on the other.

Therefore, there were not many truly unaffiliated Loose Cultivators left in Netherworld Valley. They were either too weak for anyone to want them, or strong enough to have no reservations and still dared to operate alone.

This process would likely continue until a new organization with enough influence emerged to take control.

...