Chapter 166: Chapter 159: The Han Family’s Forbidden Ground
Dense forests grew on both sides of the river.
Over a hundred people lay in ambush.
There were about ten at the Late Stage of Qi Refining, with the rest at the Middle Stage.
Every one of them was armed with Strong Bows and Crossbows.
Although they were all painted pitch-black, his Divine Sense could still clearly feel the fluctuations of Spiritual Qi within. They were all Disposable Magical Artifacts made from Beast Bone.
Some hid underwater, some were concealed in the trees, and others were buried in the earth...
Not only had they sealed off nearly three miles of the waterway, but their eyes were also fixed on the surging Black Water River.
’It seems the rumors about the Han Family starting as Tribulation Cultivators aren’t just empty talk. A normal family wouldn’t be this murderous!’
Seeing the scene, Chen Che couldn’t help but mutter to himself.
Most families in this world were like the Meng Family.
They all started as small, unnoticed clans, accumulating power step by step over hundreds of years to reach their current status.
But some families were different, accumulating resources through robbery and plunder.
The former developed slowly but steadily, with deep foundations. The latter developed rapidly, but their foundations were shallow, and they easily made enemies everywhere.
’Hm? There’s even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator here!’
As Chen Che was lost in thought, his Divine Sense swept over a middle-aged man with a sinister expression. His pupils constricted slightly as he noted,
’This force is strong enough to ambush and kill even Ye Jingzhou!’
The Han Family had two Foundation Establishment Cultivators: one named Han Zaiyin, and the other Han Xiyue.
Han Zaiyin was injured, and the one here was Han Xiyue.
Furthermore, crisscrossing the dense forests on both banks were four massive crossbows, each twenty to thirty feet long and wide, all aimed at the river.
The Crossbow Arrows alone were about twenty feet long, their shafts covered in runes. Though they were concealed with Magic, his Divine Sense could still detect a flowing luster on them.
Obviously, these were meant to deal with the Little Chick.
’Tsk, I’d better get out of here...’
After making a half-circle in mid-air, Chen Che turned to leave.
The Han Family’s elites were here; he wasn’t stupid enough to face them head-on.
However, after making another half-circle in the air, a thought suddenly struck him:
’If Han Xiyue and their elite forces are here, then... does that mean only Han Zaiyin is left back at the Han Family’s home?’
At this thought, his eyes lit up.
Meng Qingxuan had been very clear: Han Zaiyin had returned home vomiting blood after taking three palm strikes from Meng Changtu, and it would take him several years to fully recover.
In other words, at least for the short term, Han Zaiyin’s strength was severely diminished.
Since the other party had tried to kill him time and again, he might as well go all the way and get rid of their ancestor.
If there was no opportunity, he would just turn and leave.
...
’Hm? Just now... what was that?’
Han Xiyue, leaning on his saber with one hand, glanced at the sky. He saw nothing and paid it no mind.
Strange things were bound to happen on a dark and windy night. It was perfectly normal.
His tiger-like eyes then returned to their intense watch over the river. According to their agreement, in another hour, Dan Guangao would lure Chen Che here.
The night wind howled.
A faint bloody scent tinged the wind.
’Jinyun Valley!’
Han Xiyue tightened his grip on his saber’s hilt, a cold glint appearing in his eyes.
In fact, he would have much rather stormed Jinyun Valley, but he was wary of Ye Jingzhou.
There was no telling how many tricks a long-established Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him had up his sleeve.
Moreover, after more than two hundred years, the entire Jinyun Valley was likely under his complete control.
’Once Ye Jingzhou’s life comes to an end, Jinyun Valley will be leaderless. Then it will be only natural for us to take over!’
After pondering for a long time, the river surface remained calm, without even a small boat in sight. Han Xiyue couldn’t help but frown slightly:
’Why is it taking so long... Where is he? Why hasn’t he arrived yet...’
...
WHOOSH!
The Little Chick was extremely fast, covering a distance of one hundred and twenty-five miles in just the time it takes to burn an incense stick.
It slowed slightly as it passed the mine.
His Divine Sense revealed that even in the dead of night, the mine was a hive of activity, echoing with the clang of pickaxes. In a small guard hut, Hu Yao sat cross-legged, cultivating day and night without rest.
After the battle with the Han Family, he had turned shame into courage and cultivated even more diligently.
’Quite diligent!’
In the blink of an eye, they passed the mine.
The desolate village came into view again. Half a year had passed since the Demon Beast invasion, but the place still showed no signs of life.
Except for the occasional bark of a dog, there was almost no sound, and only one house had a light on.
"The Han Mansion!"
A moment later, they flew above a large, brilliantly lit mansion.
The estate covered several acres and had everything one could imagine: rockeries, lakes, pavilions... it was like a small park.
It was the very picture of extravagance.
Both inside and outside the courtyards, visible and hidden sentries patrolled. The defenses were ironclad, complete with numerous Spirit Dogs. Add to that the thirty-foot-high walls, and the place was like a small, impregnable fortress.
In addition, there were thirty-six huge Bed Crossbows, placed in various positions within the residence.
The bowstrings were drawn taut, ready to fire at any moment.
’As expected of a Tribulation Cultivation Clan. These defenses are insane. I doubt even two or three Foundation Establishment Cultivators could breach them!’
Chen Che rested his chin in his hand, a troubled look in his eyes.
But it was to be expected. The Han Family lacked the natural geographical defenses of Jinyun Valley, so they had to rely on such measures. Then again, maybe it was just because they had made too many enemies.
’Be-behind...’
’I came here to raid their base, only to find it’s a bust?’
Chen Che was very disappointed. Such an impregnable fortress was impossible to assault by force, not to mention how many unknown Grand Arrays there might be. Just as he was considering whether to leave, the Little Chick’s voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
’Behind?’
Looking back, he saw the desolate village.
His gaze fell upon the lit farmhouse. He hadn’t paid it any mind before, but with this reminder, Chen Che realized something was amiss.
Ordinary mortals couldn’t afford to burn oil lamps at night,
especially one shining so brightly. For a farmer, it was an outrageous luxury.
’Just as I suspected!’
Flying overhead, he enveloped the place with his Divine Sense, and the scene inside the house immediately appeared in his mind:
Inside the small thatched hut, five Han Family cultivators sat on high alert, their weapons cradled in their arms!
One was at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, and four were at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer!
’Something isn’t right. Something is very wrong! Why guard a small farmhouse so heavily? Could this be the Han Family’s treasury? Even if it’s not, it has to be an important location!’
While he was thinking this, Chen Che had already silently reached the door and pushed it open.
’Since I’m here, I can’t leave empty-handed.’
"Who is it?!"
Hearing the noise, the five cultivators stood up in shock. They looked up to see an unfamiliar cultivator in green robes pushing the door open and entering. While the others had yet to react, the one at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer had already taken half a step forward, his weapon drawn.
But in the next instant, a flash of sword-light streaked by. With a series of THUDS, they collapsed to the ground, silent forever.
Without even glancing at the corpses on the floor, Chen Che stepped into the house.
The inside of the house was very ordinary, with almost nothing out of place. He walked around a few times, then suddenly stopped in the center of the hut.
’There’s a hidden compartment here! And a secret tunnel!’
The ground beneath his feet was hollow. With a jolt of True Essence, he swept away the loose dirt, revealing a stone slab.
’They really know how to pick their spots!’
Chen Che waved his hand, shattering the stone slab and revealing a neatly constructed tunnel underneath.
The tunnel was lined with hewn stone blocks, and every thirty feet or so, a Luminous Bead was embedded in the wall. The entire tunnel, far from being dim, was as bright as day.
"Who dares to trespass in my Han Family’s forbidden ground?"
The moment Chen Che stepped into the tunnel, a Divine Sense, wrapped in shock and anger, swept towards him.
Chen Che’s Divine Sense stirred, and he met it head-on without any courtesy.
The two invisible Divine Senses clashed in the void, like a dragonfly skimming water, separating after a single touch.
"Hmph!"
As the other’s Divine Sense retreated, a muffled grunt followed. Chen Che’s expression remained normal; in that brief, restrained probe, he had, as expected, gained the upper hand!
Even though his opponent was a genuine Foundation Establishment Cultivator, his Divine Sense was still weaker than Chen Che’s.
After all, his Divine Sense had already reached the level of the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer!
It had long surpassed that of most Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
"Who would have thought that the great ancestor of the Han Family wasn’t hiding in the Han Mansion, but instead under a neglected farmhouse!"
Chen Che’s voice slowly echoed.
He didn’t rush forward rashly, but spread his Divine Sense, tailing the opponent while also searching the surroundings for hidden Arrays.
His Divine Sense surged forward like a mighty tide.
At the end of the tunnel sat a luxurious underground palace.
In the very center of the palace sat an old man with prominent cheekbones and a venomous expression.
The man’s hair and beard were both white, his hair disheveled. He was bare-chested, revealing a deep Hand Seal on his chest, an impression so deep it almost reached the bone. Strangely, the skin around the Hand Seal had already turned to charcoal, yet stray sparks still flickered upon it.
Who else could it be but Han Zaiyin, who had taken three palm strikes from Meng Changtu?
"Fellow Daoist, how did you discover this place?"
Han Zaiyin was dizzy, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The earlier clash of Divine Senses had caused him to suffer a great loss.
At this moment, his eyes, filled with venomous hatred, stared ahead.
The Han Family’s rise hadn’t been smooth sailing. Foundation Establishment Cultivators had come seeking revenge before, and on one occasion, the family had nearly been annihilated.
But this deceptive tactic had helped him escape death several times.
Because no one would ever think that instead of hiding within his impregnable clan estate, he would be hiding out in the Mortal World.
"As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, you are completely ignorant of the hardships of the common people. What ordinary farmer would light a lamp at night?"
The voice, accompanied by footsteps, came from ahead.
"So that’s how it is!"
Han Zaiyin gave a miserable laugh, the venom in his eyes deepening.
But then, that trace of venom turned to confusion. As the figure in the tunnel ahead gradually became clear, he saw it was a young man in green robes with a sword on his back:
Cultivators who have awakened their Divine Sense all have eidetic memories.
Even if they only met once, they wouldn’t forget, even after several decades. After the earlier clash of Divine Senses, he had thought a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator had come seeking revenge, so he hadn’t even tried to flee. But now, seeing his opponent, he was shocked to find that he didn’t recognize him at all.
"Who might you be?"
Han Zaiyin’s eyes narrowed.
"Han Xiyue is leading his men to ambush me at the Black Water River right now..."
Meeting the other’s shocked and uncertain gaze, Chen Che grinned:
"So, who do you think I am?"
