180: Chapter 180 Investigation Yields No Results

At this time, on the outskirts of Liu Village, a Cultivator dressed in black robes rose into the air. Looking down at the small mountain village with sinister eyes, he asked coldly, "You have been investigating for so long, and you still haven't figured out the situation regarding this Ye Family Old Ancestor?!"

A subordinate on the side said tremblingly, "Lord Xuan Ming, that Ye family is too cunning. They have set up many Yao Beasts to keep watch around the village. As soon as our people get even slightly close, they are killed silently. It's simply impossible to approach easily!"

This Ye family somehow possessed a secret method to tame Yao Beasts; hundreds upon thousands of crows and ferocious hound Essence Spirits surrounded the Ye family like an iron bucket.

Veins bulged on Xuan Ming's forehead, but he was also extremely wary. Could it be just as Ku Mu had said, that this Ye family truly had a high-cultivation old monster presiding over it?

He could no longer send those subordinates to their deaths, nor could he send high-cultivation subordinates to alert the enemy.

It was truly frustrating.

At this moment, another subordinate stepped forward to report: "Lord Xuan Ming, I once passed through several surrounding villages and inquired clearly about this Ye family. Originally, there was no one surnamed Ye in Liu Village. Over ten years ago, a person named Ye drifted into Liu Village."

"He worked as a helper in a family surnamed Huang, then married a Huang woman and had two sons. Originally, the family was destitute, but for some unknown reason, an eighty-year-old elder suddenly became robust and started hunting in the mountains every day, causing the family to prosper."

Speaking to this point, he hurriedly said to Xuan Ming, "Could it be that the person from the Ye family obtained some Opportunity? For an eighty-year-old elder to be different from ordinary people is also extremely strange."

Hearing this, Xuan Ming's eyes darkened several shades as they fell upon the reporting subordinate.

His tone was icy, carrying a hint of imperceptible urgency: "Is what you say true? Drifting here over ten years ago, an eighty-year-old elder suddenly becoming robust and being able to revive the family fortunes by hunting in the mountains?"

As soon as these words were spoken.

The subordinate kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "May the Lord be the judge, I dare not speak a single lie. I found this out from an old man in the neighboring village."

"That man had a friendship with the Huang Family of Liu Village in his early years and saw with his own eyes that the Ye individual was once a staggering, sallow-faced, emaciated person on the verge of death."

"But who would have thought that the elder would suddenly stand straight with high spirits? He even relied on hunting to accumulate family property, became a so-called Martial Artist, and built a high-walled courtyard."

After hearing this, Xuan Ming was full of suspicion: "For an elder to be so abnormal... and how could he accumulate so much wealth so quickly just by hunting? They even have Yao Beasts set up in an iron-clad defense."

The subordinate who had spoken earlier quickly chimed in, "Yes, Lord. I heard that the Ye family elder hasn't left the house for several years. It's as if there's a treasure in the Ye family courtyard that emits light at night. The village rumors say his family is protected by the Mountain God."

"Protected by the Mountain God?" Xuan Ming sneered, his tone full of disdain, yet a hint of solemnity flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"It must be that Ye elder. When he drifted here back then, he must have accidentally obtained some Heaven-Defying Opportunity. Not only did he reshape his body and regain his youth, but he also Cultivated a high-level Cultivation Technique and even obtained a secret method to tame Yao Beasts!"

The more he thought about it, the deeper his wariness grew, and the more certain he became that what Ku Mu said was not false.

This Ye family certainly had a high-cultivation old monster presiding over it, and that Ye elder was most likely the Old Ancestor of this Ye family!

"Rising suddenly at eighty and hiding his brilliance for over a decade... if this Ye family truly has some treasure, and if it could fall into my, Xuan Ming's, hands, wouldn't that also be a massive Opportunity?"

Xuan Ming pondered inwardly.

But he had to calm down first. Currently, the Ye family could set up such a tight defense of Yao Beasts and had killed many of his subordinates. It was clear that the Ye Family Old Ancestor was a ruthless character whose cultivation was still unknown.

If the other's cultivation was above his, acting rashly might not only result in failing to seize the spirit mine but also losing his own life or gaining a powerful enemy for nothing.

Even more troublesome was that this Ye family was on good terms with the Qingyun Sect. Moving against them and drawing in the Qingyun Sect would be another headache.

The more he thought this way, the more irritated he became. He truly could not swallow this grievance.

Seeing the situation, Xuan Ming thought back and forth before a hint of killing intent surfaced in his eyes: "Since this Ye family has had no reaction, I will personally test them. I refuse to believe in this evil!"

"Lord Xuan Ming, this is inappropriate!" his subordinate hurriedly tried to stop him.

"What, do you think I am just like you all?" Xuan Ming's eyes were cold as he shouted.

The subordinate hurriedly knelt and kowtowed: "Lord, I wouldn't dare! This Ye family is unfathomable. Deepening the investigation rashly might alert the enemy, and the losses would outweigh the gains!"

If anything happened to Xuan Ming, none of them at the bottom would escape.

Xuan Ming clenched his fists, his body radiating a powerful Qi pressure. He snorted coldly, "What you say makes sense. In that case, you all continue to investigate the perimeter for me. Find out exactly what the background of this Ye family is as soon as possible!"

"Yes!"

The subordinates all broke into a cold sweat, unable to help grumbling in their hearts: This Xuan Ming talks a good game, but the dirty and exhausting work still falls to them.

Inside the Ye family residence.

Ye Jing looked at the Spiritual Plants he had written down. Seeing that they were all rare Spiritual Plants, some of which Ye Jing could slowly Cultivate using the Immortal Willow's spiritual field, while others needed to be purchased or searched for.

This was a bit troublesome. The medicinal ingredients used to refine foundation establishment pills were all extremely rare, and searching for them would likely be quite a hassle.

Just as Ye Jing was agonizing over where to start, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. His eyes widened instantly as he felt a sense of foreboding.

Before Ye Jing had time to think carefully, he felt the Immortal Willow inside his body. Among the branches belonging to Ye Yi, one willow twig was slowly losing its luster.

And that willow branch belonged to Ye Tianhui!

The branches of this Immortal Willow were always full of vitality. Why did it suddenly dim? Could it be...

"Hui'er!" Ye Jing cried out immediately. The Yao Beasts within him swarmed out at once to go and help.

Ye Jing couldn't care about anything else and instantly transformed into a gust of clear wind, rushing towards the Tiangong Market.

At the current Ye Family Spirit Medicine Shop.

The originally tidy shop was now a mess, with Spirit Medicines and Spiritual Plants scattered all over the floor.

Among them, a youth no more than ten years old lay on the ground dying. Around him were shop assistants trembling with fear, not daring to step forward.

"Kid, you're quite a fighter. I almost fell for your tricks!" At this moment, the perpetrator spat and shouted.

They were several Cultivators at Qi Refining Level 5 and above. The leader was a dark-skinned burly man whose restless Qi suggested that the fight just now had cost him a lot of energy.

At this time, Ye Tianhui, who had fallen to the ground, struggled to get up and shouted angrily, "Who are you people! Why have you come to cause trouble!"

The burly Cultivator sneered, "Brat! You only have your Ye family to blame for provoking the wrong people! If I don't overturn your Ye family today, it'll be hard for me to explain myself!"

After saying that, he brandished his blade at Ye Tianhui: "I advise you Ye family people to get out of Tiangong Market immediately. Otherwise, I will certainly leave your Ye family in utter chaos!"

Having said that, he wanted to step on Ye Tianhui's head and grind it into the mud.

Suddenly, a black hound lunged out, roaring as it charged forward. Its ten-foot-tall body radiated a strange purple light as it bit directly into the burly man's thigh.

With a "crack," the burly man's leg bone shattered instantly.

"Ah!" The burly man immediately let out a shrill scream, and the surrounding Cultivators all retreated half a step in horror.