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Chapter 53: Reason
Since they couldn't openly attack and annihilate Taiyi Sect, the Zhao Family had been secretly scheming. For example, they sheltered traitors from Taiyi Sect like Fang Meng, intending to use their identities to interfere in Taiyi Sect's internal affairs. Later on, Zhao Family cultivators discovered the hideout of a Foundation Building-stage Ghost cultivator, which was the abandoned mine mentioned before. Compared to Taiyi Sect, this hideout was like a big piece of fat meat.
Of course, within this fat meat, there were also great risks. The Taiyi Sect traitors, including Fang Meng, were forced by the Zhao Family to enter the mine as cannon fodder. Most of them died at the hands of the Ghosts in the mine, while Fang Meng managed to escape skillfully and disappeared without a trace. The only one saved by the Zhao Family cultivators was Fang Yong.
Inside the abandoned mine were numerous Ghosts that posed a bit of a challenge even to the Zhao Family's Refining Qi late-stage elders. Meng Zhang's practice of Lesser Yang Qi Art had a special restraining effect on Ghosts and evil spirits. This level of information had long been disclosed to the Zhao Family by Fang Meng.
Moreover, Zhao Family patriarch Zhao Yanbei considered that although Taiyi Sect was a long-declined small sect, it still had a long-standing legacy. There might be some formidable techniques hidden in the hands of Taiyi Sect's Sect Master, Meng Zhang.
So, after extensive discussions among the Zhao Family high-level members, they settled on the plan. They secretly placed restrictions in Fang Yong's body and sent him back to Taiyi Sect.
On one hand, Fang Yong could act as the Zhao Family's informant, providing them with the latest information from Taiyi Sect. On the other hand, through Fang Yong, they could reveal some information about the abandoned mine to lure Meng Zhang into exploring it.
The hideout of the Ghost Path cultivator certainly held sinister techniques. With Meng Zhang, who cultivated Lesser Yang True Qi, leading the way, Zhao Family cultivators could reduce casualties and save a lot of effort.
However, Meng Zhang didn't follow the plan and refused to fall into the trap. After such a long time, he not only never went to the abandoned mine but also showed no interest in doing so.
Looking at the timid Fang Yong, Zhao Chen felt a surge of anger. He couldn't tell if Meng Zhang was truly cautious and had no curiosity or if Fang Yong, the useless man, couldn't deceive Meng Zhang and was exposed.
Therefore, Zhao Chen repeatedly questioned Fang Yong about all the details of his contact with Meng Zhang. To prevent Fang Yong from lying, they inevitably used some means, making him suffer greatly.
Apart from honestly answering questions, Fang Yong kept crying and begging for mercy.
From Fang Yong's responses, they couldn't determine if Meng Zhang had seen through Fang Yong. The intention was to have Fang Yong infiltrate Taiyi Sect, but this useless man couldn't even enter Taiyi Sect's main gate and could only stay with ordinary people in Sweetwater Oasis. Zhao Chen truly wanted to slap this utterly useless guy to death.
Considering that sending Fang Yong back to infiltrate Taiyi Sect was a direct order from Zhao Yanbei, the patriarch of the Zhao Family, Zhao Chen suppressed his killing intent and directly kicked Fang Yong out.
Since Meng Zhang hadn't fallen into their trap all this time, it seemed unnecessary to continue waiting. Zhao Chen decided to advise the patriarch to explore the abandoned mine forcefully to avoid unexpected situations.
After that, internal debates arose among the high-level members of the Zhao Family. Was it worth taking such a risk to forcefully intrude into the Ghost Path cultivator's hideout for fictitious wealth? If the information leaked and led to Ghost Path cultivators coming to attack them, it could spell the doom of the Zhao Family.
Some Zhao Family elders strongly opposed provoking the Ghost Path cultivator and entering the abandoned mine.
As Zhao Chen was a trusted subordinate of the Zhao Family patriarch, Zhao Yanbei, he proposed an opinion. He suggested that the Ghost Path cultivator might have been killed by Flying Swan Sect cultivators during their pursuit. If their master didn't return, everything in the abandoned mine would become ownerless, and there would naturally be no risk. Of course, this optimistic idea was immediately opposed by some elders in the clan.
In the end, it was Zhao Yanbei, the patriarch of the Zhao Family, who made the final decision. He forcefully suppressed the opposing voices and decided to intrude into the abandoned mine, searching for the Ghost Path cultivator's hideout to obtain wealth.
Zhao Yanbei's reason for making this decision was simple—Zhao Family couldn't be without a Foundation Building-stage cultivator for too long. They must cultivate another Foundation Building-stage cultivator for the family as quickly as possible, which required a massive amount of resources.
Over the years, the Zhao Family had lost some benefits, either openly or secretly, and had been squeezed by some competitors. As long as it didn't involve open conflict, this kind of competition was in accordance with the rules of the Cultivation World and was tacitly accepted by various forces.
This kind of method was like cutting meat with a soft knife, making the Zhao Family extremely uncomfortable. If the situation continued to develop like this, the Zhao Family might end up like Taiyi Sect—losing all external gains and only being able to live off their own spirit field.
As long as a Foundation Building-stage cultivator appeared in the Zhao Family, all problems could be solved, and they could reclaim lost benefits.
After Zhao Yanbei made this decision as the patriarch, the entire Zhao Family began to mobilize. To be cautious, the Zhao Family collected many magic tools and talismans specifically designed to restrain Ghosts.
While the Zhao Family was preparing to intrude forcefully into the abandoned mine, Meng Zhang, who had already returned from the abandoned mine with a full load, arrived at Firewell Market as planned.
A journey of over four thousand li was not something the Wind Chasing Horse could cross in one go. They galloped all the way, stopping and camping several times along the road, taking several days to reach their destination. Even the Wind Chasing Horse was exhausted, and Meng Zhang felt a bit tired.
Firewell Market was just as its name suggested, established on a group of fire wells. The original location of Firewell Market not only had a Second Rank top-grade spirit vein but also many fire wells around it.
The so-called fire wells were naturally occurring cracks on the ground that continuously spewed intense flames from the underground.
Earthfire Sect, skilled in refining tools, was the first to discover this place. The flames gushing from the ground were the best for refining tools.
The tool refiners of Earthfire Sect used various means to control the flow of these underground flames and confined them within a series of fire wells.
During this process, Flying Swan Sect also put in a lot of effort and also stretched their hands in to grasp some benefits of Firewell Market.
Of course, Earthfire Sect cultivators were known for their madness, and some of them were fearless maniacs.
Even Flying Swan Sect didn't want to provoke madmen easily.
Although Earthfire Sect was nominally a subordinate of Flying Swan Sect, they had considerable autonomy.
Flying Swan Sect treated Earthfire Sect with relatively mild attitudes, and both sides cooperated happily and developed together at Firewell Market.
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