Chapter 330

Chapter 330: Schemes

As cups clinked and laughter filled the air, Wang Chen left, and Huang Deqi went alone to the study in the inner courtyard.

Inside the room, two people were already seated, one of whom was none other than Chen Anhe!

The other was an elderly woman with wrinkled skin and white hair. Upon seeing Huang Deqi enter, she cackled, “Ah, Lord Huang, how did your conversation go with this fellow?”

Huang Deqi casually sat down in a grand armchair, poured himself a cup of tea, and replied, “Not much. This kid is tougher to deal with than I expected.”

During their discussion, he had tested him several times, only to encounter setbacks that left him seething with frustration.

Chen Anhe spoke in a deep voice, “This Wang Chen is young yet a Purple Palace cultivator. He wouldn’t receive an entry assessment task from the West Sea Sect without some ability. What worries me is…”

“Are you worried he has connections in the West Sea Sect?”

The elderly woman scoffed, “Then why are we scheming? Let’s just split up and be done with it.”

“Not at all.”

Huang Deqi said in a deep voice, “I’ve already checked through my connections. This Wang Chen hails from outside, just a loose cultivator who got lucky with an entry assessment task from the West Sea Sect. He has no background.”

Chen Anhe furrowed his brow, “I still think we should be cautious; perhaps we should just get rid of him…”

“Chen Anhe!”

Before he could finish, the elderly woman shouted sharply, “Has a donkey kicked your head? You’re talking nonsense! We worked hard to create this situation; why would we want to cut him in for no reason?”

She sneered, “You’re not really thinking of making him your granddaughter’s husband, are you?”

“No, not at all!”

Chen Anhe quickly denied it, “He’s just a wild seed; killing him wouldn’t matter. I’m mostly worried about…”

“Worried about what!”

Huang Deqi said coldly, “If he behaves himself, we can let things be. Helping him with a few good words wouldn’t hurt. If he tries to stir trouble, then losing another village chief isn’t a big deal.”

Chen Anhe fell silent.

Among the three, he held the lowest status, and true authority always lay with Lord Huang.

Chen Anhe understood well that he was nothing in front of him.

“That’s right.”

The elderly woman nodded, “A mere initial Purple Palace cultivator; the three of us can easily handle him together.”

“I alone am enough.”

Huang Deqi rolled his wrist and revealed a talisman brimming with spiritual energy, “Let me show you this; it’s a spiritual symbol given to me by my grand-uncle, with destructive power comparable to a full-force attack from a higher level Purple Palace cultivator!”

The elderly woman and Chen Anhe exchanged glances, both revealing expressions of awe.

They both understood that Huang Deqi’s arrogance stemmed from his grand-uncle.

A Golden Core true master!

With this spiritual symbol in hand, Wang Chen was truly not to be feared!

At that very moment, Wang Chen had returned home.

A feast is not always a feast, and tonight Wang Chen truly witnessed the demeanor of Huang Deqi, the wealthy local gentleman.

Not to mention anything else, the array of exquisite dishes on the banquet table alone included many delicacies that Wang Chen had never even heard of.

All were top-quality spiritual materials.

He roughly estimated that such a lavish spread would cost no less than several thousand spirit stones, a level of extravagance that left one breathless.

It’s worth noting that Datian Village is merely a remote village in the West Sea Spiritual Realm.

Huang Deqi’s grand display was clearly intended to demonstrate his power!

What puzzled Wang Chen was, if this wealthy gentleman had such capabilities, why had the position of village chief remained vacant for two years? Why didn’t he take the position himself?

If Huang Deqi became village chief, there would be no role for Wang Chen.

There must be a reason behind this!

Sitting at his desk, Wang Chen pulled out a thick stack of books from his storage bag.

This was a five-volume set of "Record of the West Sea Region" that he had purchased at a bookstore in Wancheng, documenting the customs and culture, interesting tales, and major events of the West Sea Spiritual Realm.

It was akin to an encyclopedia about the West Sea Spiritual Realm.

After spending an hour, Wang Chen read through the entire set of "Record of the West Sea Region."

With his soul attributes at 20 points, he possessed an exceptional memory, and after a single reading, he had memorized it all.

He gained a deeper understanding of the West Sea Spiritual Realm.

The West Sea Spiritual Realm is rich in resources and vast in area, boasting the best spiritual veins in the entire Mountain-Sea Realm, thus regarded as a sacred place for cultivation.

For thousands of years, it had been under the control of the West Sea Sect.

In reality, the massive West Sea Sect resembled an empire, having no rivals within the West Sea Spiritual Realm. However, due to its vast territory, many "lords" were appointed to manage it.

These "lords" were the various immortal sects, both large and small.

The vast majority of sects within the West Sea Spiritual Realm regarded the West Sea Sect as their leader, paying tribute and submitting to it.

The West Sea Sect established five major divisions and stationed patrol guards to maintain its rule.

Wang Chen was fortunate to encounter Luo Zhen earlier; after all, strictly speaking, he was a smuggler. If Luo Zhen had discovered him and killed him on the spot, no one would have raised a voice on his behalf.

Luo Zhen even gave him a chance for the entry assessment.

However, after meeting Huang Deqi, Wang Chen realized that the situation was far from simple!

This Lord Huang obviously concealed some secret, causing him to regard the new village chief with great caution, constantly probing with words and subtly flaunting his background and strength.

Was it just a coincidence that Luo Zhen "sent" Wang Chen to Datian Village?

Could it be possible that he was being used as a pawn?

Wang Chen felt that beneath the seemingly idyllic surface of Datian Village lay bottomless hidden currents!

After a moment’s thought, he clasped his palms together to channel his magic, and the five volumes of "Record of the West Sea Region" instantly turned to ash.

To be honest, Wang Chen did not want to get caught up in trouble.

But his purpose for coming to the West Sea Spiritual Realm was to join the West Sea Sect and then find the person who held the Path to Heaven.

Some troubles are unavoidable!

After deep consideration, Wang Chen decided to remain still for the time being.

If things remained peaceful, that would be best. However, if trouble came his way, he would have to take action!

The next morning, Wang Chen took Little He to receive the village chief’s spirit fields.

Datian Village’s spirit fields totaled one hundred acres, and the yield from these spirit fields was the salary the village chief was entitled to.

Generally speaking, the spirit fields represented the best cultivation land in the village.

However, what Wang Chen received was nearly abandoned land among the hundred acres, neither in the best location nor of the highest quality!

Chen Anhe, who was responsible for the handover procedures, wore an expression of embarrassment and explained, “With the position of village chief vacant these past two years, no one has farmed the spirit fields. I will gather the villagers to reclaim the land now.”

“No need.”

Wang Chen shook his head, “I’ll do it myself.”

Farming was his old profession!