Chapter 367: Chapter 211: Another Fair Trade, Part 2

He looked at He Shujun and asked calmly, "Are you regretting coming after us?"

He Shujun had already regained his composure. He looked at Cheng Zongyang, his expression serene. Instead of answering, he asked in return, "Can you answer a few questions for me?"

He already knew what his fate would be, so he wasn’t agitated like Liu Chengdong. There was no point. He just wanted to get some answers before he died.

Cheng Zongyang nodded. "Fine. A fair trade."

He Shujun gave a slight nod.

The exchange made Liu Chengdong, in the adjacent cell, frown.

’Have these two done this before?’

He Shujun leaned against the wall and asked, "Are you truly a Sixth Grade Martial Artist or not?"

Cheng Zongyang shook his head. "I’m not, but I’m close enough."

’He couldn’t be bothered to answer that question truthfully.’ He followed up with his own question: "Of your six families, which one has ties to the Li Family?"

He Shujun stared at Cheng Zongyang for a moment before letting out a wry laugh. "So you didn’t believe that intelligence report after all."

Cheng Zongyang didn’t respond, simply waiting in silence.

Seeing this, He Shujun shook his head slightly. "I don’t know the specifics, but the Xu Family has ties. It’s said that Xu Tieshan’s father was once a guard for a Yellow Level branch of the Li Family. I’m not sure if it’s true.

"The Qiu Family is another possibility. Qiu Fengxing has a capable daughter, and the Qiu Family’s rise to prominence over the last decade or so was largely due to her masterminding things from behind the scenes. I heard she caught the eye of a disciple from a branch family, but I don’t know if that’s true, or whether it was a core or peripheral family. As for the rest of us, we’re average. No significant connections."

Cheng Zongyang frowned.

This was the first time he’d ever heard the term ’Yellow Level branch.’ He hadn’t heard this piece of information when interrogating the other Martial Artists. But before he could press for details, He Shujun asked another question.

"What was that thing? How can it affect even a Sixth Grade Martial Artist?"

He was incredibly curious about it!

If not for that bizarre item, how could he possibly have been defeated by a group of Lower Three Grades Martial Artists!

He could have killed several more Seventh Grade Martial Artists like Li Lu with ease!

Cheng Zongyang said, "You’ve already experienced it. It’s just a special kind of mineral I happened to find in the mountains. Now, what’s this about a Yellow Level branch?"

’There was no need to keep this a secret. He knew Li Mingxin must be curious too. But so what if she was?’

He Shujun looked at him in surprise upon hearing the last part of his question.

’Based on everything he’d seen, a family like the Cheng Family—from the age of their Martial Artists to their methods and the items they possessed—was no ordinary Lower Three Grade Family. Surely they would have some knowledge of the Royal Families from beyond the borders.’

Seeing Cheng Zongyang’s expression, He Shujun was certain he truly didn’t know. He wanted to ask his own question but had to answer first.

"Royal Families develop over long periods—a minimum of one or two hundred years, some for four or five hundred, or even longer—so their populations are naturally immense. The main and branch lineages constantly expand, growing more numerous. To make it easier to distinguish between them, the Four Levels of Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow were established."

"Families that share the royal surname and consist of Lower Three Grades Martial Artists are classified as Yellow Level. The Middle Three Grades are Profound Level, the Upper Three Grades are Earth Level, and Innate masters are Heaven Level. As for how the Royal Family internally manages its main, branch, and collateral lines, that is beyond my knowledge."

After listening, Cheng Zongyang felt he had a grasp of the system.

’The capable rise, and the weak fall.’ He couldn’t guess the overall management structure, but he had some theories.

"My turn," He Shujun said, looking at Cheng Zongyang. "You’ve captured so many Martial Artists. Is it for our vital energy?"

Cheng Zongyang snapped out of his thoughts and chuckled. "No. It’s just that you’ll fetch a good price. A certain family in the Da Liang Dynasty collects the corpses of Martial Artists. They’re quite valuable."

At this, the color drained from the face of Liu Chengdong, who had been listening the whole time. "Corpses! What do you need corpses for?!"

Fear gripped him. He had thought he would be used as a living bargaining chip against his main family, but it turned out they were going to kill him and sell his corpse!

In that instant, he looked at Cheng Zongyang as if he were staring at a demon.

He Shujun, on the other hand, just frowned. ’This isn’t what I suspected.’

’If it were a Poison Physician’s technique, the Martial Artist’s vital energy would be more useful if they were alive. But he wants corpses? What kind of technique is this?’

He wasn’t repulsed by such things; after all, he himself had risen through the ranks using a Poison Physician’s methods. His current predicament could only be blamed on the fact that he had underestimated this kid from the very beginning, and he had underestimated the Cheng Family’s capabilities.

’I thought these local Lower Three Grade Families in Da Liang were just average. Compared to the forces from beyond the border, who are constantly fighting and competing, the local powers within the Da Liang Dynasty are like flowers in a greenhouse. Restricted by the Dynasty’s laws, they develop without any real lethality.’

The results of the invasion of Da Liang had seemed to prove that point.

And it was precisely that viewpoint... no, almost all the families thought that way.

As a result, the Lu Family suffered, the Liu Family was wiped out, and now he had been taken down too!

Neither Cheng Zongyang nor He Shujun paid any mind to the enraged Liu Chengdong. He Shujun’s remaining left hand dangled over the hay, idly twirling a stalk. He slowly closed his eyes and said:

"I have no more questions. If there’s anything else you want to know, just ask. I’ll tell you anything I know."

Cheng Zongyang looked at him, quite surprised. ’That straightforward?’

But a moment later, He Shujun added, "However, I have one condition."

Cheng Zongyang said curiously, "Let’s hear it."

"It’s nothing much. After I die, I hope you won’t sell my body. I want to be left intact, just find a place and bury me," He Shujun murmured.

Cheng Zongyang stared at him. "You’ll be dead. Why would you care what happens to your body? It doesn’t seem like your style," he said, curious.

He Shujun’s fingers paused, tightening slightly, but his expression remained calm. "It’s for that very reason that I don’t want my body to be desecrated. Consider it my last request."

Cheng Zongyang thought for a moment. ’It doesn’t hurt to agree. After he’s dead, the body is just going to be used for the Soul Crystal Stone anyway.’

"Fine," Cheng Zongyang agreed with a nod.

He Shujun’s fingers relaxed slightly, and he resumed twirling the stalk of hay. "Ask away."

Cheng Zongyang proceeded to ask more about the Royal Family and the other families. He needed to gather more intelligence so that Zhou Zhendong and Li Lu could make adequate preparations.

’The County Town’s affairs are being handled. Li Yihuo is managing the business operations, and the Celestial Break Gang is helping with miscellaneous tasks. Later, I’ll have Housekeeper Zhang assist Zhou Zhendong in managing the Cheng Family’s affairs.’

’For now, the County Town is mostly stabilized. After I’ve discussed a few things with the other three families and Li Mingxin, I can hand it all over to Zhou Zhendong.’

’Once these matters are settled, I’ll go back to Cheng Family Village to take care of a few things. After that, it’ll be time to start exploring the Wilderness World.’

As his questions were answered one by one, Cheng Zongyang gained a more detailed understanding of the Royal Li Family and the other three families.

Half an hour passed.

Cheng Zongyang finished his questioning. He had considered getting some information from Liu Chengdong, but the man was too volatile and full of threats, so he couldn’t be bothered.

Ignoring Liu Chengdong’s furious roars, Cheng Zongyang turned and left the dungeon.

After coming up from the basement, Cheng Zongyang put the rug back in place and turned toward the door. But a moment later, his gaze froze. He glanced at the door, then slowly took two steps back, his eyes fixed on a hair on the floor near the entrance.

He picked up the strand of his own hair from the floor, then, with a placid expression, opened the door, went out, and closed it behind him as if nothing were wrong, heading toward the front courtyard.

’The basement’s existence wasn’t a secret. But after I locked these Martial Artists inside, it became one!’

’The only thing protecting the basement is the Soul Gathering Stele I placed here.’

Once outside, with a mere thought, the Yin Realm instantly enveloped the entire room!

He continued to act as if nothing was amiss, opening the main gate to the courtyard and locking it behind him as he left.

「In the back courtyard, on the roof.」

A figure lay prone on the roof, emitting no aura, like a corpse. A smile touched his lips when he saw Cheng Zongyang leave the courtyard, seemingly without a clue. He dropped to the ground, strode quickly to the small house, opened the door, stepped inside, and shut it.

Just then, Cheng Zongyang walked back into the courtyard from outside, his expression serene.

’I can’t believe someone was actually watching me,’ he thought. ’I’m curious to see who it is.’

’Once they’re inside the Yin Realm, they can’t even dream of leaving unless their True Qi is powerful enough to disperse the gray mist.’

As he reached the door, he heard angry shouts from within.

"Dammit! What is this place?"

"What kind of trick is this! Cheng Zongyang, get out here!"

"..."