Chapter 84: Xiao Chen Returns to the Valley
Xiao Chen himself had not expected this.
What was supposed to be a simple trip to purchase herbs ended with him witnessing a scene of oppression.
What was supposed to be an ordinary act of chivalry led to his entanglement in the schemes of one of Qingzhou's top sects, the Moonlight Pavilion.
Had it been anyone else, they would likely have withdrawn by now.
But Xiao Chen was clearly not like others.
He first took out a transmission jade slip. True essence condensed at his fingertip as he quickly carved a few lines of script, then tossed it into the air. The jade slip turned into a streak of light, flying toward the valley.
This was the communication token Wu Bo had given him when he left the valley.
Afterward, he followed Shuang'er and her clansmen to the Plant Spirit Clan's village.
…
The Plant Spirit Clan's village was located within a hidden valley. Mountains surrounded it on all sides, with spiritual energy so dense it nearly formed mist, almost equal to the outskirts of the valley where Xiao Chen resided.
Houses were scattered throughout the village, spirit fields spread far and wide, and many clansmen were tending to spiritual herbs. Seeing Shuang'er return with outsiders, they all cast curious glances.
"Father!" Shuang'er quickly walked toward a wooden house at the center of the village and pushed open the door.
Inside, a stern-faced middle-aged man was bent over an ancient scroll. Hearing the sound, he raised his head. When he saw Shuang'er, a trace of gentleness flickered in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a frown as he noticed Xiao Chen and Yao Lao behind her.
"Shuang'er, these two are?"
Shuang'er hurriedly recounted everything that had happened today—how Xiao Chen had stepped in to help, how he competed in alchemy with the Moonlight Pavilion's disciple, even summoning Heavenly Tribulation to temper the pill, ultimately forcing the other party to admit defeat.
The clan leader was silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "So that is how it was…"
He looked at Xiao Chen with a bitter smile.
"Young friend, your aid is deeply appreciated. But perhaps you do not know—our spiritual land is rich enough to serve as the station of a sect.
In the past we occupied it because of Da Zhou's protection. Now that Da Zhou is in turmoil with an uncertain future, we have become targets for all. That is why Shuang'er's second uncle sought to negotiate with the Moonlight Pavilion, hoping to gain their protection."
Xiao Chen nodded. On the way here, Shuang'er had already explained much of the Plant Spirit Clan's plight.
The matter was indeed troublesome.
Not only was their village a coveted treasure, but even the clan itself was highly attractive to the major sects.
After all, a clan skilled in planting spiritual herbs, with weak cultivation and no ambition, was the perfect labor force. No wonder the Moonlight Pavilion was willing to play both villain and protector, allowing its disciples to oppress them.
It was merely a game of one playing the harsh face, the other the kind face.
If not for Xiao Chen's sudden interference, they would have already succeeded.
After pondering for a moment, a bold thought suddenly rose in Xiao Chen's heart. "Clan Leader, you actually have a better choice."
"Oh?" The clan leader was startled.
"Since you must relocate, why not settle outside my master's valley?" Xiao Chen said with ease. "That area is still vast forest, with abundant spiritual energy. More importantly—so long as my master agrees, no one in this world would dare bully you."
He added, "Of course, this is only my own idea. It still requires my master's approval."
The clan leader was stunned, then gave a bitter smile. "Young friend, you may not know, but the Pavilion Master of the Moonlight Pavilion is a Heavenly Human Realm expert…"
Xiao Chen laughed loudly. "So what if he is in the Heavenly Human Realm? My master is a Saint Realm powerhouse, a true Saint Venerable!"
"Saint Venerable?!" The clan leader's pupils contracted sharply. Shuang'er and the surrounding clansmen all gasped in shock.
Xiao Chen's victory over the Moonlight Pavilion's alchemist had already led them to suspect his background, even holding faint expectations. That was why they had brought him into the village to negotiate with the clan leader.
At first, their hope was only to rely on Xiao Chen's backing to slightly raise their own value in the eyes of the Moonlight Pavilion.
But they never imagined that behind Xiao Chen stood a Saint Venerable!
They did not doubt Xiao Chen's words.
In this world, anyone brazen enough to impersonate a Saint Venerable had long since perished.
"To insult the Saint Realm is impossible"—this was no empty phrase.
Every Saint Realm expert represented one of the top powers of the Xuan Ying Continent.
And each power took immense pride in the existence of their own Saint Venerable.
Should anyone dare to impersonate a Saint Venerable, they would immediately earn enmity with the great force that Saint represented. And such enmity would be—
A feud of life and death!
The Moonlight Pavilion, at best, could be considered a top power within Qingzhou. But across the entire Xuan Ying Continent, they were still nothing more than ants—merely stronger ants.
"May I ask… which Saint Venerable is your master?" the clan leader's voice trembled.
The corner of Xiao Chen's lips curved upward. He enunciated each word clearly—
"Chen Chang'an."
In an instant, the room fell into dead silence.
The names of every Saint Venerable were well known throughout the cultivation world of the Xuan Ying Continent.
But there was one exception.
From the moment of his emergence, that Saint Venerable had always appeared with unfathomable mystery.
Even now, factions across the continent still endlessly speculated about his true identity and the power behind him.
Fewer still knew that it was precisely because of his sudden appearance that even the millennium-long scheme of the great sects and noble clans—the "Six Saints Slay the Monarch"—had been forcibly delayed for several months!
With a sharp crack, the tea cup in the clan leader's hand shattered on the floor. Tea splashed everywhere, but no one paid it any attention.
Everyone's faces were filled with shock, as though they had heard something utterly inconceivable.
At length, the clan leader swallowed hard, his voice hoarse. "You… you mean… that one… the one who, from the moment he appeared, suppressed all others, even pushing the Grand Supreme Emperor of Da Zhou to second place… that number one on the Heaven Ranking?"
"Indeed!" Xiao Chen's smile was radiant. "That is none other than my esteemed master!"
…
Several days later.
Chen Chang'an hurriedly flew to the valley's entrance, his face full of shock as he looked down at the dense crowd below. After hearing Xiao Chen's uneasy explanation of the entire matter, he could not help but cover his forehead and let out a long, weary sigh—
"So, you little brat went out for less than four days… and managed to drag back an entire clan of people!?"
…
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