Chapter 346

Chapter 346: A Complete Seizure

As night fell, Wang Chen tallied the day’s gains within the village chief’s residence.

The most significant acquisition was undoubtedly the storage bag of the leader of the Gray Wolf Bandits. Its contents had swelled his purse considerably, bolstering his confidence as a Purple Palace cultivator.

Money emboldens a hero, and spirit stones are the lifeblood of cultivators. Without them, a cultivator finds it nearly impossible to navigate the world of cultivation, let alone aspire to a prosperous future.

Adhering to the adage that "even a fly’s worth is still meat," Wang Chen had also secured over a hundred additional storage bags.

These bags, all looted from the Gray Wolf Bandits, contained only modest amounts of spirit stones individually, but collectively, they amounted to a substantial sum.

However, the sheer volume of miscellaneous and disorganized items made the task of sorting them quite cumbersome.

Thus, Wang Chen enlisted Little He’s assistance in organizing the haul.

The young girl, who had never before encountered such a multitude of storage bags, found the process of sorting—akin to opening a series of mystery boxes—utterly enthralling.

Each time Wang Chen opened a bag and spilled its glittering contents onto the table, she would gasp in delight.

“Ah! Oh! Wow?”

Her reactions never failed to lift Wang Chen’s spirits.

Among the spoils was a storage bag belonging to the demon cultivator Yuan Shen Kui, which appeared to be of superior quality.

Yet, Wang Chen refrained from tampering with it.

It was common knowledge that the storage bags of demon and evil cultivators were often booby-trapped with special restrictions or hidden dangers.

Moreover, since Wang Chen had decided to hand Yuan Shen Kui over to Luo Zhen for judgment, it was all the more reason to leave the storage bag untouched.

He was determined to secure his merits without a shadow of doubt!

As it turned out, Wang Chen’s caution was well-founded.

Yuan Shen Kui was a demon cultivator long sought by the West Sea Sect, with multiple bounties on his head from powerful families.

Such an individual undoubtedly harbored countless secrets, and meddling with his storage bag could invite unwarranted complications.

Wang Chen trusted that Luo Zhen would not covet his spoils of war.

Together with Little He, they spent an entire hour cataloging their haul.

The spirit stones alone numbered over seventy thousand.

These bandits, who lived by the sword and often squandered their ill-gotten gains, had managed to amass a considerable fortune—a testament to their plunder.

The other items they cataloged filled a lengthy inventory!

The sale of over a hundred storage bags alone promised a handsome return in spirit stones.

If all these items were sold, Wang Chen stood to gain hundreds of thousands in spirit stones.

With a heart full of contentment, he turned to Little He and said, “Don’t move.”

Little He instantly froze, her face betraying a flicker of anxiety.

Wang Chen smiled gently and reached out to place a golden hairpin into Little He’s hairstyle. “You’ve worked hard.”

This golden hairpin was a magical artifact, though its rank was not particularly high. Its craftsmanship, however, was exquisite, especially the lifelike flying phoenix design at the top, which exuded an air of elegance and luxury.

A faint blush spread across Little He’s delicate cheeks as she murmured softly, “Thank you, sir.”

She stole a quick glance at Wang Chen before lowering her gaze.

Her unintentional display of shyness and charm caused Wang Chen’s heart to stir.

It reminded him of the beauty who had once shared the skies with him.

He sighed inwardly and said, “It’s late. You should rest now.”

Little He, feeling a pang of disappointment, bit her lip lightly, gave a respectful bow to Wang Chen, and quietly left the room.

Wang Chen stood and walked to the window, pushing it open to gaze at the bright, full moon hanging in the night sky.

Tonight, the moon was radiant and perfectly round.

As memories of his beloved and the echoes of their parting resurfaced, he was overcome with longing.

The moonlight, soft as water, bathed Wang Chen, wrapping him in a silvery glow.

…

The next morning, Wang Chen received a message flying talisman.

The message flying talisman was an advanced version of the message crane, significantly faster and capable of transmitting over much greater distances, though it was also far more costly to produce.

After reading the message conveyed by the talisman, Wang Chen was deeply surprised.

Half an hour later, a dazzling golden flying ship appeared abruptly above Datian Village.

Before the villagers could react, the ship’s doors opened, and a group of battle cultivators clad in battle robes leaped down.

They brandished weapons, moved with agility, and radiated an aura of seasoned warriors, each one exuding the ferocity of countless battles.

“The West Sea Sect is here to apprehend guilty cultivators! Resistance will be met with death!”

A deep, commanding voice boomed from the flying ship, instantly echoing throughout Datian Village.

The battle cultivators swiftly took control of the Chen clan temple, the Huang family’s residence, and the Houtu Temple…

They encountered no resistance whatsoever!

Many villagers were paralyzed with fear. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that the West Sea Sect’s battle cultivators would descend upon a remote village like Datian Village to capture guilty cultivators.

For centuries, the supreme authority of the West Sea Sect had been etched into the very souls of the people.

Not even a group of Qi Training cultivators, let alone a Purple Palace master, would dare to defy the West Sea Sect’s battle cultivators.

The thought of resistance never even crossed their minds.

Soon, the villagers watched in shock as the usually dignified and respected Lord Huang Deqi was dragged out of his grand residence like a lifeless dog.

Also seized were Chen Anhe, Xu Miao, and several other prominent figures from the three main clans.

A complete sweep!

The skies over Datian Village were about to change.

Witnessing this, the villagers felt as though the end of days had arrived, their hearts gripped by terror.

At that moment, Wang Chen stepped forward. “Everyone, stay calm. The immortal sect will not let a single wrongdoer escape, nor will it wrong the innocent. Remain in your homes and await further instructions.”

After reassuring the frightened villagers, Wang Chen returned to the village chief’s residence.

Luo Zhen was seated in the main hall, sipping tea.

Having received the flying talisman earlier, Wang Chen was not surprised. After exchanging greetings, he remarked, “I didn’t expect you to arrive so swiftly.”

It was indeed remarkably fast. They had only taken someone away the previous day, and now they were already clearing Datian Village.

Huang Deqi and the others had been completely rounded up!

“Speed is essential,” Luo Zhen replied with a smile. “If they escape, our efforts would be for naught.”

Wang Chen paused for a moment, then asked, “Are these individuals truly connected to the demon cultivators?”

“Yes,” Luo Zhen nodded. “They have long been colluding with Yuan Shen Kui.”

According to Luo Zhen, he had taken them to the South Region Patrol Division the previous day, and by nightfall, he had extracted a confession from Yuan Shen Kui.

Three years ago, Yuan Shen Kui, severely wounded, had fled to the outskirts of Datian Village. To recover his strength and cultivation level, he had taken control of the Gray Wolf Bandits hiding in the mountains, and through them, he had established ties with Huang Deqi and the others.

For years, Huang Deqi and his associates had been shielding Yuan Shen Kui, selling the purple copper ore mined by the Gray Wolf Bandits to acquire the resources needed for cultivation.

Yuan Shen Kui’s ability to construct the Wanhua Blood Pool was made possible by their support.

As accomplices to the demon cultivators, they would undoubtedly face the most severe punishment!