Chapter 372

Chapter 372: Capturing the Evil (Part 2)

The Cave Truth Technique, an advanced spell of the Spirit Eye, had been mastered by Wang Chen to the master-level.

His perception expanded silently in all directions, enveloping all the villagers nearby.

Though Shangyang Village was remote, the proportion of cultivators among its villagers was notably high.

However, their cultivation levels were generally low, mostly below the fourth realm of Qi Training.

Wang Chen was confident that any villager tainted by dark forces would not escape his detection!

The higher the cultivation level of an evil cultivator, the more prone the dark forces within them were to losing control. Even if they retained their rationality, their aura would inevitably leak.

Thus, if any villagers here had interacted with his target, they would surely have absorbed some dark energy.

Yet, to Wang Chen’s disappointment, after a moment of observation, he found nothing.

Could the intelligence from Dongming Residence be inaccurate?

Wang Chen quickly dismissed that thought—this information had cost him one hundred thousand spirit stones!

Since the information was accurate, it suggested that Zhou Shenzhi was hiding well and had not recently had direct contact with the villagers here.

Alternatively, the villagers who had interacted with him might not be present.

Another possibility was that this evil cultivator possessed a technique to conceal his aura.

Regardless of the reason, it posed a significant challenge for Wang Chen.

Evil cultivators differ from demon cultivators; the latter can retreat into the wilderness and cultivate for years or even decades, provided they have sufficient resources.

In contrast, evil cultivators have an innate, strong desire for “human presence.” The more people around them, the more conducive it is for their cultivation.

Once separated from humans, they are like fish out of water, quickly suffocating!

However, large cities typically have formations or town guardian tools to ward off evil, making it impossible for low-level evil cultivators to survive, thus forcing them to hide and cultivate in villages or towns.

Wang Chen’s dilemma was that even if he could confirm Zhou Shenzhi’s presence in Shangyang Village, he couldn’t conduct a house-to-house search.

He needed to quietly identify his target and strike successfully in one move.

Otherwise, the mission could easily fail!

As Wang Chen pondered, he continued trading with the villagers, managing both tasks without error.

At that moment, he suddenly felt as though he was being watched.

Wang Chen subtly glanced over and noticed a group of burly men about a hundred steps away, arms crossed, observing him.

One of them had a straw in his mouth, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint.

Wang Chen felt a twinge of disappointment.

These individuals didn’t resemble evil cultivators; they seemed more like local troublemakers from Shangyang Village.

Just as one grain can nourish a hundred different people, even in a village of hardworking and honest folk, there are always a few lazy and frivolous characters.

He paid them no heed and handed the last piece of osmanthus candy to a villager.

“No more osmanthus candy,”

Wang Chen said with a smile, “It’s all gone.”

Actually, he still had quite a bit stored in his storage bag, but he had just exchanged three pieces, and taking out more would not fit the image of a traveling merchant.

Traveling merchants usually engage in small-scale trades and do not stockpile goods in large quantities.

As soon as he finished speaking, a child who had just rushed over, holding some herbs, immediately began to cry loudly.

He came just a bit too late; the sweet and delicious rice candy was gone!

Watching his companions happily enjoying their candies, his sorrow felt like a river flowing backward, and he cried like a one-point-four-meter-tall child.

Wang Chen broke into a sweat and quickly said, “Don’t cry! I will come back in a few days and save you a piece.”

This finally calmed the child’s sadness: “Really?”

“Of course it’s true!”

Wang Chen assured him earnestly, “You hold on to your things, and I promise I will exchange with you first when I return.”

The child nodded while sniffling: “Okay.”

Seeing that he had traded for about enough, Wang Chen decisively retreated.

As the saying goes, haste makes waste; Wang Chen still had plenty of time left and didn’t want to rush things.

While leaving, Wang Chen also accepted a number of villagers’ commissions.

This was also part of a traveling merchant’s business.

After leaving Shangyang Village, Wang Chen followed the map to a small town two hundred miles away.

He wandered around this town and stayed overnight, then left for another, farther city the next day.

Four days later, Wang Chen returned to Shangyang Village.

This time, many villagers recognized him.

Wang Chen fulfilled his promises, handing over the items that some villagers had commissioned him to buy.

Of course, he didn’t forget to exchange rice candy with that child.

This time there were more villagers coming to trade, many of whom he hadn’t seen last time.

However, with the Cave Truth Technique, Wang Chen still didn’t find anyone who had interacted with the evil cultivators!

This was a bit troublesome.

If he couldn’t find a target, he would have to resort to his last method—sneaking into the village at night to search house by house.

With Wang Chen’s current cultivation level, plus his master-level Spirit Concealment Technique, the chances of being discovered were very low.

But simply observing outside may not help him find a target; if the evil cultivator was hiding in a hidden chamber, even his powerful Cave Truth Technique couldn’t penetrate thick layers of soil.

Wang Chen thought it over, resolving to take things one step at a time.

After trading for about enough, he once again pulled up his stall and left.

For now, Wang Chen could no longer use his identity as a traveling merchant; the time between visits had been too short, and it would easily raise suspicion.

But what Wang Chen didn’t expect was that as soon as he left Shangyang Village and stepped onto the return road, he was stopped by someone.

“Hey there, friend, do you understand the rules of doing business?”

The ones blocking Wang Chen’s path were exactly the same idle men he had seen during his first visit to the village.

The leader, a burly man with a fierce look, stared at Wang Chen with bright eyes, like a wolf eyeing its prey.

The three men standing behind him moved in, cleverly spreading out to encircle him.

These men were all at the third or fourth realm of Qi Training, and with their leader at the sixth level of Qi Training, it took a lot of courage to rob Wang Chen, a "Qi Training seventh level" traveling merchant.

They clearly weren’t doing this for the first time!

Wang Chen smiled, “What rules?”

The burly man’s eyes flashed with greed: “Of course, the rules of Shangyang Village. Last time we let you go; this time you need to pay a toll.”

He extended his hand towards Wang Chen: “Fifty Spirit Stones, and I’ll let you go this time!”

Fifty Spirit Stones weren’t too much.

But Wang Chen didn’t want to give up a single one: “But I don’t want to let you go!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Chen cast his Body Freezing Technique.

The four villagers were instantly struck as if by lightning, their bodies stiffening and unable to move.

The next moment, they all fainted.

Wang Chen flicked his hand and unleashed a scroll, which quickly unfolded into a long painting, swallowing all the villagers inside.

It was the Supreme Mysterious Spirit Dragon True Form Image!

This treasure map could contain living beings; a large blue donkey had been kept inside.

It could also store people.

Wang Chen acted quickly, and the moment he collected them, he executed Shortening the Earth, leaping several dozen steps away.

In an instant, he disappeared without a trace!