Chapter 618: Chapter 302: One of the Nine Treasures—Celestial Punishment Ruler! The Generous Second Master of the Zhang Family (Part 2)

"I will help you eliminate those discordant voices," Li Changgeng said indifferently.

Huang Sanlang raised his eyelids slightly, looking at the back of Li Changgeng, but remained silent.

He knew what kind of bloody storm was hidden in that seemingly casual sentence.

"Sanlang, what we are doing is an earth-shattering endeavor. The small Yellow Skin Cave is just your starting point. In the future, I will make you the Demon Leader of the Hundred Thousand Mountains..." Li Changgeng said flatly.

There was an undeniable authority in his calm voice, as if what he said was not a distant future.

"Demon Leader..." In the calm eyes of Huang Sanlang, a blaze surged.

"In this lifetime, we will obliterate the Wuwei Sect," Li Changgeng said casually.

Upon hearing this, Huang Sanlang couldn’t help but show an unusual expression. He didn’t expect Li Changgeng’s courage to be so immense and his ambition so profound—it was truly terrifying.

Whoosh...

Suddenly, a raging wind whistled past, and a figure staggered from the distance, falling beside Li Changgeng.

"Hmm!?" Huang Sanlang raised an eyebrow, instantly recognizing the person.

"Yu Xuanji!?"

"You’re hurt?"

Seeing this, Huang Sanlang hurriedly stepped forward to support her. This woman was a disciple of Sanqing Mountain, and they were considered to be on the same front.

"Changgeng..."

"Liulang is dead, Xu Changnian is also dead?"

Li Changgeng looked at Yu Xuanji, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"My Wind and Thunder Tower was also lost," Yu Xuanji said through gritted teeth.

That was a Magical Treasure from Sanqing Mountain, and it had reached the Cyan Feather Level. This loss was considerably significant, making it hard to account for upon return.

"What?" Huang Sanlang’s expression changed dramatically, and he exclaimed, "Xiao Liu is dead?"

Huang Liulang was his brother and a great support for his lineage in Yellow Skin Cave. This time, he went out with Yu Xuanji to meet the Xu Family experts and ended up dead outside.

"Who did it?" Huang Sanlang asked sternly.

He knew Huang Liulang’s strength well. Even if he encountered a Daoist Sect Mahayana Realm expert, he could still fight them, not to mention having Yu Xuanji and the Xu Family experts alongside him.

"He came?" Li Changgeng said calmly.

"Yes, he’s here," Yu Xuanji nodded.

Upon hearing this, Huang Liulang was even more puzzled, not knowing who the "he" they referred to was.

"Very well, Zhang Fan, you indeed did not disappoint me."

At this moment, a trace of a smile appeared on Li Changgeng’s face, seemingly joyful, seemingly expectant.

The great enemy was approaching, yet there was no sign of anger or hostility, as if an old acquaintance had come from afar.

Speaking, Li Changgeng raised his hand and took out a piece of skin from his bosom.

The skin was crystalline and translucent, with a surface surprisingly flickering with arcs of lightning, etched with strange patterns resembling electric arcs.

"Electric Mother’s Skin!?" Yu Xuanji’s eyes brightened.

This was an Innate Treasure.

The world is vast, and within the Mountain and Sea Desperate Realm, there are always mysterious places that ordinary people have never seen.

This Electric Mother’s Skin was obtained by Li Changgeng from a place called Thunder Swamp.

That Thunder Swamp was formed by the influence of heavenly lightning and earthly fire in a special environment, taking at least eight hundred years to nurture this piece of skin.

"This piece of Electric Mother’s Skin is enough to compensate for your loss."

When Li Changgeng acted, it was with an Innate Treasure.

Then, he looked at Huang Sanlang.

"Cultivation is crossing tribulations. Unfortunately, Xiao Liu’s path has ended," a look of fierceness flashed in Huang Sanlang’s eyes, but he did not continue to mourn.

"Desire is the root of disaster; abandoning all thoughts reveals the truth," Li Changgeng nodded, "You can accomplish great things."

"I will help you gain the right to speak in Yellow Skin Cave."

"And Zhang Fan..." Yu Xuanji, having gained the Electric Mother’s Skin, found her gloom dispelled and thought of Zhang Fan, and a murderous intent arose in her heart.

"I will wait for him here in the Hundred Thousand Mountains."

Li Changgeng sat cross-legged without moving, slowly closing his eyes.

Unaffected by the Eight Winds, he sat firmly on the Purple-Gold Platform.

...

The next day, at daybreak.

As the sky began to brighten, Zhang Fan quickly packed some belongings and headed towards the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

"I’m not going for fun; you really don’t need to follow,"

Along the way, Zhang Fan, looking at Li Miaoyin, who followed him, couldn’t help but mutter.

He had deliberately risen early and hadn’t brought Lin Jianyue with him, originally intending to set off quietly by himself, but was eventually caught by Li Miaoyin.

"Leaving someone after crossing the river, isn’t it," Li Miaoyin characterized Zhang Fan.

"I really have something to do; why are you following me?" Zhang Fan said, pouting.

"Can I join in the fun?"

Li Miaoyin leaned close to Zhang Fan’s ear and whispered, "If you don’t bring me along, I’ll tell Li Yishan and his mom about you pulling me into your room late at night."

"You..." Zhang Fan’s eyes widened.

"Classmate Zhang, you don’t want our little secret to be known by others, do you?" Li Miaoyin chuckled lightly.

"Fine, you win!"

Zhang Fan reluctantly compromised, thinking again that bringing Li Miaoyin along might be a big help.

The Hundred Thousand Mountains doesn’t really have a hundred thousand mountains; it’s a vast stretch of mountains that can’t be fully accounted for.

Moreover, within the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the terrain is complicated, the environment harsh, with miasma and poisonous insects everywhere.

Therefore, this isn’t a tourist attraction, and aside from the occasional villagers collecting herbs, only a few explorers dare venture inside.

However, these activities are prohibited, as the local tourism bureau issues warnings annually to advise visitors that once trapped in the complex mountainous terrain, rescue is extremely difficult, so avoid going deep into the mountains.

Yet the more forbidden it is, the more curious the explorers become.

"There are many access points to enter the mountains, and many rent an ox cart to go in, which saves a lot of physical effort," Li Miaoyin explained.

Xiaodu Town is a small town located near an entrance to the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Towns like this leading to the Hundred Thousand Mountains amount to around fifty or sixty across Guixi Province, scattered around the mountains, and over time, these towns have become gathering places for mountain explorers.

Local people make a living from this, supporting many, while the local government turns a blind eye.

At the moment, dawn is just breaking, and in the town, only two or three ox carts are active.

In such a place, you hardly see cars, and even electric scooters are rare.

"Hey there, heading into the mountains?"

Zhang Fan walked to the cattle shed, called out, and was stunned as the old man on the ox cart turned around.

"Aren’t you the old man handing out flyers?"

That day under Elephant God Mountain, the bald old man handing out flyers for a cram class was chased away by park staff.

"Hm? Young man, you seem familiar..." The bald old man sized up Zhang Fan.

"Were you the one who asked me to fix the plumbing a few days ago?"

"..."

"Ordered takeout? No, I haven’t delivered for half a month."

"..."

"Scrubbed your back? It’s been a while since I did that for a young guy."

"You’re pretty versatile, sir." Zhang Fan forced a laugh.

"Heading into the mountains?"

"Yes." The bald old man nodded. "Five hundred per person."

"So expensive?" Zhang Fan’s eyes widened.

That’s outrageously steep.

"It’s always been this price," the bald old man replied flatly. "Or you can take a look around."

"Sir, here’s a thousand, for both of us."

At that moment, Li Miaoyin directly handed over a wad of cash, as the locals preferred cash payments.

"The young lady is very straightforward, let’s go."

The bald old man counted the cash, grinned, hitched up the ox cart, and swaggered off towards the Hundred Thousand Mountains with Zhang Fan and Li Miaoyin.

"Young man, don’t think it’s expensive."

On the way, the bald old man leisurely swung his whip and turned to look at Zhang Fan.

"I’m quite experienced here, sometimes meeting generous customers who feel they’ve given too little and are willing to give more."

The bald old man seemed to be subtly hinting to Zhang Fan.

"Too little?" Zhang Fan pursed his lips. "Anyone stupid enough for that?"

"Sure..." the bald old man raised his head, as if reminiscing, "That was many years ago..."

"About forty years ago, mountain visitors were rare. Two people came, one was generous, hired me for three days, paid me two thousand."

"That’s really stupid then." Zhang Fan couldn’t help but say.

Forty years ago, two thousand could get you two or three courtyard houses in the city.

"More than that, they also paid for my bath, even went to the second floor..." the bald old man reminisced.

Li Miaoyin showed an odd expression, glancing at Zhang Fan.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"It’s been years, never met anyone so foolish again..." the bald old man lamented.

"I still remember their name."

"The person with them called them Second Master... Second Master of the Zhang Family..."

"Oh yeah, his name was Zhang Tian Sheng!" the bald old man said to himself.