Yang Zhai opened the door and stepped inside. What he saw was that the so-called village leader was lying there, sleeping soundly on a bed made of wood with a layer of wool upon it, completely at ease even while the others were still fighting outside.
"This old man's age is truly catching up to him," Yang Zhai muttered as he walked closer. He lit the lanterns placed around the room, one after another, and then finally reached out to wake him up.
"What are you doing here?" the old man said groggily, his eyes blinking at the sudden light. As his ears caught the distant noise of fighting and shouting outside, he muttered again, "What's happening out there?"
"Forget about that for now. Let me show you what this is…" Yang Zhai pulled out the corpse collector that was hanging at his waist and continued, "Look closely. This is the corpse collector, a tool that can turn living people into lifeless corpses. I have already bound your soul to it. From now on, I can kill you whenever I choose. So you better tell me everything I want to know."
"You're lying… Master Jang Tang will never let you get away with this! Cough, cough…" the old man shouted in defiance, but his voice soon broke into a harsh fit of coughing.
"You think so? Can you not hear the noise outside? The fighting, the screams? I have already attacked this entire village. Very soon it will be slaughtered and looted beyond recognition. From this moment forward, I will be the ruler here. Whoever obeys me will live, and whoever dares to go against me will die. You are old—you should be able to guess for yourself whether that Jang Tang of yours is stronger, or me. He is still outside fighting, while I managed to walk in here without anyone able to stop me…" Yang Zhai's eyes glinted with cold sharpness as he spoke.
"Do you really think I'll believe that?! Jang Tang has many cultivators with him, while you are all alone!" The old man hesitated, his voice shaking, but he still managed to gather enough courage to speak out.
"Oh? Then perhaps you wish to see my power for yourself…" Yang Zhai said, and as the words left his mouth, he activated the seal ring. A faint glow began to spread, and soon after, the inheritance gate opened before them.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the old man and threw him inside the gate.
"Look ahead," Yang Zhai ordered coldly.
The old man slowly lifted his eyes. The moment his gaze fell upon what lay ahead, his expression twisted in terror. His eyes widened as an uncontrollable fear surged into his heart, for there before him stood a massive army of hounds, their presence oppressive and overwhelming.
"What is he planning…" Ying Xue was sitting quietly in the cage, absentmindedly playing with her long hair, when she noticed the gate opening. From within it came flying the frail figure of the old man, tossed out like a rag.
After planting fear deeply in the old man's heart, Yang Zhai threw him back and closed the gate behind him.
Ying Xue: "..."
"Now, tell me," Yang Zhai's tone was calm but heavy, "what exactly is that Jang Tang you mentioned planning to do?"
"Uh…uh…he is…but first, promise me…promise me you will spare me…" The old man's body trembled. Fear had overtaken him completely, and though he was about to reveal something, he stopped midway, begging desperately for his life.
"Fine. I promise. But you must tell me everything you know. If I succeed in taking over this village, I might even consider granting you the chance to become a cultivator yourself."
"Really! Then…I will tell you. I don't know everything, but I do know this—he is planning to refine an ire. That much I heard by mistake when Gu Dan and Jang Tang were talking to each other. For that refinement, they need to consume the body parts of humans. The more important the body part is, the stronger the result becomes. Every single person involved in the refinement, whether the refiner or the refined, must eat human flesh for a long time. Each of them must consume the flesh of the others at least once. By now, most of them already have. Only a few are still left…" The old man's words spilled out.
"Then what about Wen Bo? Why was his lung taken? The refinement could have continued even without his flesh, couldn't it? Why would they go so far as to offend a rank 5 cultivator? There's something you're still not telling me." Yang Zhai's voice turned colder as his eyes locked onto the old man.
"It's just that…he had once eaten the flesh of someone from our village. If his flesh was not consumed in return by the others, then the refinement would have failed…" the old man replied weakly.
"Wen Bo ate only one villager's flesh by accident. Yet, according to what you said, everyone involved must eat each other's flesh, otherwise the refinement cannot succeed…" Yang Zhai pressed, unwilling to let even the smallest detail slip.
He kept every word in mind carefully.
I cannot afford to miss a single detail. This method clearly involves the Human's Way…
In this world, there are two roads a cultivator can walk: a path, and a way. A path is tied to an element or natural concept. A way, however, is rooted in teachings and ideas left behind by identities and great beings. The Human's Way is one of them. It is known for its complexity and ruthlessness. I must tread carefully.
Yang Zhai fell into deep thought.
"About that…" the old man hesitated, his voice trailing.
"You people have been feeding him secretly, haven't you?" Yang Zhai asked, his tone calm, already forming the conclusion in his mind.
"Yes…yes, you are right…" the old man admitted.
The Human's Way truly is terrifying. Perhaps it's even more ruthless than the Demon's Way itself. Humans truly do feed on each other. That is the nature of what we are. On Earth, they try to mask it with nice words, calling themselves 'social animals,' choosing softer terms to hide the ugliness of what they are. And they call me ruthless. Yet all I do is follow their way. After all, I too am human. I am not ruthless. If anything, I am too nice. And if being even nicer a hundred times over is what it takes, then I will be the nicest person alive. Yang Zhai thought calmly.
But how could a mere mortal like this old man know so much from nothing more than eavesdropping? That is only possible if the plan had been discussed in full detail, and the eavesdropper arrived before the very beginning. Not to mention, he knows every detail too clearly. This can only mean one thing…
"You…speak the truth. How do you know so much? It's not possible from just overhearing conversations. It's as though you are the very creator of this refinement method yourself… Tell me the truth, or I will kill you where you stand."
"I am telling the truth!" the old man shouted desperately, his voice breaking under the pressure.
Yang Zhai fell silent. He did not speak. He simply stared at the so-called village leader with calm eyes, letting the silence suffocate him.
Then, without a word, he activated a rank 2 technique. An ice spear began to take form in his hand, sharp and gleaming.
The old man's face turned pale as he watched. His body trembled, his eyes wide, and in sheer terror he wet himself where he stood.
Yang Zhai drew his arm back, ready to drive the spear straight through him.
"Wait, wait, I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!" the old man cried out in panic, his voice cracking. "This method…this method has been passed down from generation to generation. Along with it, all the necessary materials were preserved—the kas, the ires, the amalgamation—all of it. But we were unable to act, because everything was sealed away. Only around two years ago, those seals broke open. That is the truth! Believe me!"
"Oh? And what exactly does this refinement accomplish?" Yang Zhai asked, his voice calm yet heavy with suspicion.
"It…it refines a rank 7 ire, one with the ability to send you into another place, chosen at random…only once," the old man stammered out.
I see, so it can teleport me to a place randomly, only once. Still, such a thing can come in handy.
"So, since I have already eaten a piece of human flesh…will I also be affected by this refinement?" Yang Zhai asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"What?! No, you won't. You weren't involved when the refinement procedure first began, so you don't need to worry. The refinement can still continue without you," the old man quickly replied, though his mind was racing. How could Gu Dan be so reckless? How could he dare to feed an outsider the flesh of a villager? Was he trying to risk the refinement failing on purpose? If Jang Tang were to discover this, he would tear all of us apart. Thankfully, it won't have any effect on the refinement itself.
"You just said only a few people remain. Does that mean the refinement is about to begin soon?"
The old man fell silent, his lips pressed tightly together.
So…it's close. It will begin soon. Yang Zhai concludes after looking at the old man's expression.
"How exactly will the refinement start? This is my last question. Answer truthfully, and I will let you live. Wait until the refinement ends, and I will help you step onto the path of cultivation. You can even keep your position as the village leader," Yang Zhai said, his tone calm, yet carrying the weight of a final judgment.
"In about a week," the old man finally spoke, his voice trembling, "when the last person involved eats the final piece of flesh from the last person required, the conditions will be fulfilled. At that point, Jang Tang will initiate the refinement."
"To do this, he must kill one person of every age, at least sixteen bodies in total. At first, we truly wished to avoid offending Wen Xui, but in the end, we had no choice. What we required was one of every age, every stage of life. At that stage, he was the only one available…" the village leader explained weakly.
So, that means he did not eat it by mistake as the old man claims, but they fed him themselves. Yang Zhai thought.
"Fine. I will take my leave now. But before I go—tell me, is there a condition to activate that ire?" Yang Zhai asked, turning slightly, his movements making the old man feel a brief surge of relief.
"Yes…yes, there is. Its name is Eleca. To use it, one must sacrifice a part of their own body. Only then can it be activated. It doesn't matter whether you possess void rays or not. Even a rank 5 cultivator can use it if they are willing to pay the price," the old man confessed.
Yang Zhai gave a slow nod and said quietly,
"You can sleep now."
With that, he reached out, grabbed the old man by the neck, and snapped it without hesitation. The body fell limp instantly. Without sparing another glance, Yang Zhai turned and left the room.
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