70: Chapter 70 Bargaining

Hu Shan's expression changed: "That's not right. The three of us jointly investigated his Meridians and Dantian, so how could an evil Cultivator possibly conceal it from the Divine Sense of three Foundation Establishment Cultivators?"

"Senior Hu, this Junior witnessed it with my own eyes," Wang Shouren took over the conversation, his voice calm.

"This person attacked me with blood-fiend Qi, and drained the vital blood of these Mortals using evil arts.

My older sister's Dantian was pierced by him using an evil technique, and the residual blood-fiend Qi in her wound has yet to be completely cleared. If Senior Hu does not believe me, you can inspect his corpse yourself."

Hu Shan said no more, squatted down, pressed his palm against Ning Chuan's head, and a spiritual sense of the Foundation Establishment Stage probed inside.

Yet just as the probing began, his expression abruptly turned livid.

"H-How is this possible? He really is an evil Cultivator." Hu Shan slowly withdrew his hand, anger surging within him. "Then just now at the martial arts arena, how did he manage to evade our investigation?"

"Perhaps it was some special concealment technique," Wang Chongyang pondered for a moment, offering his own guess.

Hu Shan also felt this was the case. Now that the person was dead, it was naturally very easy to discover the background of that evil Cultivator.

The person was dead! Ah right, the person was dead!

"Nephew Wang!" Hu Shan's anger suddenly turned into joy, and he slapped Wang Shouren on the shoulder, the gloom on his face instantly swept away.

"You are right. Ning Chuan is an evil Cultivator, these people were also killed by Ning Chuan, and you—you killed Ning Chuan, this evil Cultivator! Good, very good! This official will definitely report your merits, submit it to the imperial court, and petition the Spirit Sword Sect for a reward!"

He spoke faster and faster, a brilliant light flashing in his eyes.

Ning Chuan was dead, so there was no dead evidence for the evil Cultivator's affairs. As long as all the blame was pinned on Ning Chuan, it was true that an evil Cultivator had harmed people under his rule, but he had also slain demons and eliminated devils under his rule.

Merits and demerits offset each other, or his merits might even outweigh his demerits. His evaluation during this return to the Sect to report on his duties might not necessarily be affected.

This was truly a blessing in disguise; heaven never cuts off all paths for a person.

"A good thing, truly a good thing!" Hu Shan stroked his beard and laughed heartily, repeating the word 'good' twice.

Wang Shouren narrowed his eyes slightly, taking in every trace of expression change on Hu Shan's face. In his heart, he had already seen through the calculations of this old bureaucrat.

He cupped his fists and said: "Senior Hu, this Junior cannot accept this credit."

Hu Shan's hand stroking his beard paused slightly, his smile undiminished: "Oh? Why? Could it be that this evil Cultivator Ning Chuan was not killed by Nephew? But in these remote mountains and wild forests, besides Nephew, who else has this ability?"

"Because Ning Chuan is not the only one who Cultivates evil arts."

"What!" The smile on Hu Shan's face completely froze.

Wang Shouren no longer concealed it, briefly recounting what happened before Ning Chuan's death.

After listening, Hu Shan unconsciously clutched a strand of his beard. With a snap, he actually yanked out that beard he had kept for many years.

Yet he was completely unaware of it, only staring fixedly at Wang Shouren, his voice changing pitch.

"You, you let the remnant soul escape? Oh Nephew, Nephew, is a clansman who has lost their cultivation more important, or is hunting down the evil Cultivator's remnant soul more important? That remnant soul is the true root of disaster! How can you fail to distinguish between priorities like this!"

Wang Chongyang let out a cold snort, stepped forward, and shielded Wang Shouren behind him.

"Surname Hu, don't use that set of methods from your Sect to judge my grandson. In our Wang Family, every single young man is precious. Let alone a remnant soul, even if the King of Heaven himself came, it wouldn't compare to the life of a Wang Family young man.

When you said those words just now, did you ever think about my granddaughter's injuries?"

Hu Shan was choked to the point his face turned livid. He opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't dare to clash head-on with Wang Chongyang.

He took a deep breath and put on a heart-broken tone: "Fine, fine, fine, I won't argue with your Wang Family about these things. Tell me quickly, which direction did that remnant soul escape to? This official must eliminate demons and devils to make up for my faults!"

Wang Shouren raised his hand and pointed to the northeast: "That direction, but it has already escaped for a quarter of an hour."

"What!" Hu Shan almost jumped up from where he stood, the blood on his face instantly draining completely away.

"A quarter of an hour! Nephew, you have harmed me bitterly! That remnant soul is the Origin of the evil Cultivator. To restore its cultivation, it will inevitably commit more massacres, and after being on guard, it will definitely hide even deeper. Catching it again will be extremely difficult!"

He paced around in circles, his face full of anxiety. "No, this official must go try. Just in case I catch it..."

"Senior Hu." Wang Shouren suddenly spoke, his voice as calm as water. "This Junior has a way to catch that remnant soul."

Hu Shan's footsteps nailed to the spot, and he abruptly turned his head, staring intently at Wang Shouren with burning eyes.

Wang Shouren met his gaze without dodging or avoiding it, his tone still level: "However, this Junior has a request."

"A request? What request?" Hu Shan's eyes widened, a trace of the pressure of the Foundation Establishment Stage unconsciously overflowing. "Can this old man consider that you are trying to threaten this old man?"

Wang Shouren chuckled lightly and cupped his fists: "Senior Hu has wronged this Junior. This Junior's request is not excessive either. As the head Family of Wanshan County, our Wang Family is only here today to look for our own people. As for slaying the evil Cultivator, that is entirely Senior Hu's credit; this Junior dares not take the credit."

On the surface he was respectful, but in his heart he thought: By the time you request merits for me from the Spirit Sword Sect and they get approved, who knows how long it will take. Furthermore, what could the Sect reward? A few bottles of Medicinal Pills? A banner? It's completely useless to the Family.

Might as well take this opportunity now to exchange it with you for some practical benefits.

A trace of shrewd calculation flashed in Hu Shan's eyes, but verbally he let out a cold snort.

"Hmph, this old man won't accept this favor of yours. Slaying demons and eliminating devils is inherently this old man's duty. Speak, what request do you actually have? If it is excessive, this old man will definitely not agree, and furthermore, the primary responsibility for losing the evil Cultivator in pursuit... hmph hmph."

Before he finished speaking, his meaning was already clear.

Wang Chongyang furrowed his brows slightly and cast a worried glance at Wang Shouren.

Wang Shouren's expression remained unchanged as he softly asked: "I wonder if Senior Hu knows of any Medicinal Pill that can repair a Cultivator's Dantian?"

Hu Shan glanced at the thatched cottage enveloped by the defensive Formation, was silent for a moment, and slowly spoke.

"There is. A Tier 3 Guyuan Suotian Pill can do it, and there is also the Tier 5 Xuanyuan Recasting Pill. Especially the latter, which can even repair symptoms of a Golden Core Stage Cultivator's Dantian shattering, Golden Core being damaged, and True Essence dissipating in large amounts. It can even recast the Dantian Foundation and repair a damaged Golden Core. Even a Cultivator with a shattered Dantian can gradually recover within half a month after taking it, but—"

He paused, a hint of self-mockery in his tone: "None of these are things this old man can get his hands on."

Wang Shouren's expression dimmed: "Is there really no other way?"

Sister Qingyan was wholly dedicated to the Family, yet ending up like this was unfair. Even if she survived this time and recovered from her injuries, being unable to Cultivate would be an even greater blow to a woman who strived so hard to be strong.

Hu Shan sneered: "For a woman, is it worth it? Does she have a Single Spiritual Root or a dual Spiritual Root?"

Wang Shouren did not answer, only silently looking at him.

Seeing him like this, Hu Shan found it inappropriate to continue sneering and mocking, and softened his tone as he said.

"There is one more kind, the Tier 2 lesser guyuan pill can also do it."