Chapter 409: Chapter 230: System Component; Two Rewards
Hearing this, Cheng Zongyang sank into thought.
’If I kill him now, He Shujun will lose any chance of becoming a Soul Slave.’
’The only way would be to kill him and collect his Soul with a new Soul Crystal Stone. Once that stone is full, I could reforge him, and only then would there be a high chance of him becoming a Soul Slave.’
’At that point, none of his secrets would remain hidden.’
’However, the chances of that are low. Although the Souls inside the Crystal Stone compete for the chance to be reforged, the contest is based on the strength of their Soul Power, not their physical abilities in life. Comparatively, the odds are better if I keep him alive and force the information out of him.’
"Keep him alive for now. We’ll deal with him after I’ve handled these other matters. The six-month period is more than halfway through, so things with the Da Yi Commerce Association should be coming to a head soon."
"Understood. In that case, you’ll need to find a replacement to bring in," Luo Dingran said with a smile.
Cheng Zongyang nodded.
The two continued walking through the area that had been the center of the Palm Seal, examining the remaining ruins.
"There aren’t any plants growing in this inner region. Could it be because of that Power?" Luo Dingran asked as he followed Cheng Zongyang into the remains of a half-destroyed building and started searching.
"Most likely," Cheng Zongyang replied, his focus on the search. "See if you can find any skeletons, books, or anything of the sort. We haven’t seen a single skeleton in any of the towns or villages we’ve passed through, which is highly unusual."
’He didn’t care what had happened to Huining County; he was more interested in finding useful information.’
Just then, Luo Dingran, who was crouching on the ground, looked at Cheng Zongyang in astonishment. "Sir, there’s something strange about the ground. It’s warm."
Hearing this, Cheng Zongyang looked down to see Luo Dingran in a half-crouch, his palm pressed against the ground.
Cheng Zongyang touched it himself to feel.
He found that the ground was indeed warm, like the heat from an underfloor heating system.
Cheng Zongyang immediately tested other spots and found that the temperature was even higher within the Palm Seal’s region.
After testing the surrounding area, the two confirmed that the temperature was highest at the center of the palm, reaching over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. They hadn’t noticed because of their shoes. Outside the County Town, however, the temperature was normal.
Now, they understood why nothing grew here.
There might be other factors, but this was undoubtedly a result of that palm strike.
"More than a hundred years must have passed, right? The aftershocks of a single palm strike are still present. Just how powerful was it?" Luo Dingran marveled. "And yet, it only destroyed the County Town, leaving everything outside completely untouched!"
At that moment, Li Kai rushed over, bringing news for Cheng Zongyang.
On his way over, he had been chased by a passing Exotic Beast, but the creature hadn’t dared to approach this area.
Cheng Zongyang merely nodded, not giving it much thought.
’He, too, was wondering why anyone would have obliterated the County Town in the first place.’
The group of three continued to search through what was left of the buildings.
However, most of what remained were residences, with some household items still left behind, though they had mostly rotted away.
After half an hour of finding nothing, Cheng Zongyang shook his head. "This is too inefficient. Old Luo, set an anchor point, then go arrange for more men. Handle the situation with the village as you see fit."
"Yes, sir," Luo Dingran immediately replied.
After Luo Dingran set the anchor point and departed, Cheng Zongyang turned to Li Kai with a smile. "You’ve made significant contributions recently. What would you like as a reward?"
Li Kai had discovered both Botao Town and Huining County; his merits were undeniable.
Li Kai cupped his hands. "Easing your burdens is my duty, Sir. I dare not speak of rewards."
Cheng Zongyang chuckled. "Alright, we’ll put it aside for now. However, if you can find the County Mansion or a similar location, I promise to promote you to a High Tier Soul Slave. Your Talent is for Tracking, so you have a lot of potential for advancement."
"Thank you, Sir!" Li Kai dropped to one knee in excitement, bowing his head repeatedly in gratitude.
"That’s enough. Get up," Cheng Zongyang said. "I’ll leave this place to Steward Luo. Go on and attend to your tasks."
"Yes, Sir!" Li Kai suppressed his excitement, gave a final salute, and turned to leave.
Cheng Zongyang surveyed the ruins, feeling little joy.
’To put it bluntly, even scavengers would avoid this place. There was absolutely nothing of value.’
He didn’t pause, but instead continued his search for shops, the County Magistrate’s Office, or mansions of wealthy families. Only places like these were likely to hold anything of value.
「Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.」
Night had fallen again, and Cheng Zongyang no longer knew which part of Huining County he was in. He had, however, made a few discoveries.
After three hours of searching, he had finally located the County Magistrate’s Office.
To his surprise, the County Magistrate’s Office wasn’t located in the County Town’s Central Region, but was tucked away in a corner. This made him question its authority and standing.
But considering the current devastation of Huining County, he was thankful the office hadn’t been in the center, as the palm of the destructive hand had struck the Central Region.
Buildings in the area of the fingers might have had a slim chance of surviving, but in the center of the palm, nothing could have possibly remained intact.
The County Town’s Central Region had been completely flattened!
Although he’d found the County Magistrate’s Office, less than a third of it remained standing. Fortunately, he did find a room used for storing official documents, archives, or other records.
The room had collapsed, and it took Cheng Zongyang an hour to carefully clear away the debris.
He summoned Luo Dingran and had him fetch some chests. There were plenty of chests that had been used for gold and silver, which would be more than enough.
Since it had grown dark, Luo Dingran also brought a solar-powered lamp.
Together, the two of them carefully packed everything in the room that contained writing into the chests.
