32: Chapter 32 The Wu Family's Scheme

Boom—!!!

On a distant hillside, two dazzlingly bright fireballs expanded almost simultaneously, and a violent shockwave spread out in all directions, visible to the naked eye.

In an instant, every tree within dozens of meters of the blast center was uprooted. Soil, gravel, and broken wood were hurled high into the air, forming a small mushroom cloud of smoke, dust, and flames.

The massive explosion was muffled by the mountains, forests, and distance; by the time it reached Liang Shoushan, it had turned into a dull roll of thunder.

The area where the fox den was located was instantly leveled, leaving behind a charred, shallow pit over ten meters in diameter.

The meticulously constructed grass nest and the supporting boulders were crushed and vaporized like paper under the thousands of degrees of heat and the terrifying shockwaves.

Just as the smoke and dust began to thin slightly, Liang Shoushan's scope captured a staggering figure.

A Phantom Fox, twice the size of a normal fox, with charred and ragged fur and blood leaking from its nose and mouth, struggled to pull half its body out of the rubble at the edge of the explosion.

It was clearly dazed by the sudden, devastating strike. One front paw was unnaturally twisted, and its eyes were vacant, filled with pain and disbelief. It hadn't even had time to activate its protective Demonic Qi, or perhaps the Demonic Qi it had summoned was torn apart the moment the explosion occurred.

Now.

Liang Shoushan held his breath, the crosshairs steady on those vacant, bloodshot fox eyes.

He pulled the trigger.

Zzz—Hum!

A slender red beam of light shot out silently, crossing the distance of several kilometers in an instant.

Pfft.

A tiny flower of charred blood bloomed on the fox's head. The Phantom Fox's body stiffened, the light in its eyes quickly faded, and it slumped down, lifeless.

"One confirmed kill. There may be another that hasn't appeared or died in the explosion."

Liang Shoushan reported calmly into the communicator, "Begin the second round of shelling immediately. Expand the coverage area by twenty meters to ensure nothing is missed."

"Received," Liang Chengping's voice came through.

Soon, two more precisely calibrated grenades whistled through the air, kicking up two more plumes of fire and smoke at the edge of the first blast zone.

The impact points were carefully calculated to cover all possible hiding spots or escape blind spots.

Only after the smoke had completely cleared did Liang Shoushan lead his men forward cautiously to inspect the site.

The scene was a mess. The corpses of two Rank One Late-Stage Phantom Foxes were found: one had its head blown off by a laser, while the other had taken a near-direct hit from the first round of shelling, with half its body blown away, identifiable only by the remaining fur and features.

Although the pelts of the two demon foxes were charred and damaged, most areas were still intact. In particular, the one killed by the laser had its back fur relatively well-preserved; it could still fetch a good price if skinned.

However, their muscles and internal organs had been shattered and charred by the blast and high heat, and many bones were broken. Their value was greatly reduced, and they could only serve as supplementary ingredients for refining low-grade Spiritual Food.

Looking at the results before him, a heartfelt smile appeared on Liang Shoushan's face.

"If we had used the old methods and fought in close quarters..." He shook his head. "Not only would the outcome be uncertain, but these Phantom Foxes have incredible speed, and a deathbed counterattack would be enough to seriously injure someone. How could it be as easy as this—a few shells and a finishing shot to take down two Rank One Late-Stage beasts?"

He instructed the servants who followed: "Clean up all usable materials, especially the pelts and Fox Teeth. Take the intact bones. Once processed back home, send them to the town shop."

The "profit" from this hunt was clear to see, coming faster and more abundantly than the hard work of farming spiritual fields.

For the current Liang Family, there were almost no costs other than the labor invested.

-

Heishan Town, Wu Family Mansion.

The Third Elder of the Wu Family paced irritably back and forth in the spacious study, his face dark.

At the head of the room, First Elder Wu sat with his eyes closed, resting his mind while slowly rotating a pair of jade balls in his hand.

"Big Brother! Are we really going to just stand by and watch those bumpkins from the Liang Family get more and more arrogant right under our noses, relying on some unorthodox tricks?"

The Third Elder finally couldn't help himself and stopped pacing, his voice carrying suppressed fury. "Their shop's business is booming, and they have a constant supply of demonic beast materials! If this continues, they'll eventually threaten our position in Heishan Town! The humiliation of the last competition..."

"Enough." First Elder Wu opened his eyes, his gaze calm. "Impatience won't solve the problem. Do you think I don't want to deal with them?"

He set down the jade balls and said slowly, "That old man from the Liang Family showed some sinister methods last time. It's still unknown whether there's truly a powerful figure behind them. Moving against them rashly again carries too much risk."

"Then are we just going to endure it?"

"Endure?" A sharp glint flashed in First Elder Wu's eyes. "It's not enduring; it's waiting. Waiting for our opportunity."

"Our 'Qilin Son' is currently in closed-door cultivation, attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Once he succeeds, our Wu Family will have a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Our influence in Heishan Town and the surrounding areas will be completely different! At that time, dealing with the Liang Family will be as easy as turning over a hand."

He paused and added, "Furthermore, have you forgotten? Your nephew, the one practicing at the Qinglan Sect, sent word a few days ago. He said he has already broken through to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer and will be coming down the mountain soon with a Sect Deacon for experiential training. He'll stop by home to visit."

The Third Elder's eyes lit up. "You mean...?"

"Exactly." First Elder Wu nodded. "When the time comes, with a sect cultivator and a nephew at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer at home, we'll find an excuse to pressure the Liang Family. We'll test their background to see if there really is someone behind them. If not... hmph."

Hearing this, the stifled frustration in the Third Elder's chest finally eased a bit, and a ruthless expression appeared on his face.

"Fine! I'll endure them for a while longer! When my nephew returns and the Qilin Son successfully reaches Foundation Establishment... then, I will make that Liang Shoushan pay it all back with interest!"