Free Web NovelChapter 452: Chapter 249: Returning to the Village to "Fill the Pit" (Part 2)
Just as he was heading back to his study, Zhang Zeyu came hurrying from the front courtyard.
"Young Master, Hall Master Zhao is here to see you."
Cheng Zongyang paused and said, "Show him to the living room and bring him a cup of tea."
"Yes, sir." Zhang Zeyu nodded in acknowledgment.
A short while later in the living room, upon seeing Cheng Zongyang, Zhao the Seventh immediately said, "My Lord, the other three families have begun preparing to enter Tianduan Mountain."
Cheng Zongyang wasn’t particularly surprised to hear the news.
’Jade Peak County is right next to Tianduan Mountain, so it’s only natural they’d rely on the mountain for sustenance. It was well within my expectations that they would send men to exploit it. That’s why I told Zhao the Seventh to keep an eye on their movements from the start.’
He thought for a moment. ’The Soul Gathering Stele is back, which is perfect timing. I can start setting things up in Cheng Family Village.’ He then said aloud, "You don’t need to keep an eye on this matter anymore. I’ll make other arrangements."
Zhao the Seventh had no objections, simply clasping his hands in a salute before departing.
Cheng Zongyang then gave some instructions to Zhang Zeyu and dispatched a dozen or so horse-drawn carriages to haul the one hundred and forty thousand taels of silver to the waypoint.
Finally, he stored the silver in the Wilderness World and returned to the village himself.
The purpose of this trip was to set up the so-called "mysterious place." It was the perfect pretext, one he had been laying the groundwork for, to bring numerous items from the Wilderness World for use in the Cheng Family Village.
Back in the village, construction was mostly complete. All that remained were the finishing touches on the main large buildings, like the Cheng and Zhou family compounds, and the construction of the roadbeds.
It was safe to say that the current Cheng Family Village was completely different from before, now orderly and quite beautiful. The basic layout was unlikely to change, though future expansion was still a possibility.
That night, after speaking with several of the elders, Cheng Zongyang took Gangzi into the mountains the next day.
This trip was to make preparations. He would bring the guards back tomorrow to move everything.
After a morning of running at Rapid Speed, the man and beast arrived at the valley once again around Noon.
He went to the pit he had found before, took out the Soul Gathering Stele, and plunged it into the earth. The next moment, at his command, the 2,100-meter Yin Realm expanded in an instant.
A gray mist immediately followed, blanketing the entire valley.
Cheng Zongyang backed out of the valley to observe from its edge. The sight of the gray mist filling the valley, like a natural forest miasma, was already quite sinister. Coupled with the numerous animal skeletons scattered on the ground, the scariness factor shot right up.
However, Cheng Zongyang then discovered that the gray mist of the Yin Realm had no effect on animals. They could still enter and exit the area freely.
’Looks like its effect on people has a lot to do with psychology. Animals, at least, don’t have so many complicated thoughts,’ Cheng Zongyang mused.
Next, he went over to the pit, entered the Wilderness World, and prepared to take some items out.
There were four boxes in total.
The first contained medicinal formulas, Elixir Recipes, Martial Arts Techniques, Martial Arts, and other secret formulas that had been transcribed at the Book Workshop.
The second held ready-made Elixirs, medicinal seeds, and Medicinal Materials. These were for the Medicine Hall and the family members to use.
The third was a chest of Gold and Jewelry. He had no immediate use for the Gold, having already stored twenty to thirty thousand taels of it, plus a separate chest of Jewelry. In the future, these could be used as rewards for the villagers.
The fourth was an Array Box, in preparation for using a Teleportation Array in the future.
Of course, he also prepared a few special Talismans that even ordinary people could use. They could serve as the village’s trump card.
To make the act convincing, he buried the four chests at the base of the Stone Stele. That way, they could be conveniently "discovered" when the stele was later "unearthed."
He then covered the area with vines and other plants, spraying them with a growth solution to ensure they looked naturally overgrown by the next day.
By the time he finished his arrangements and returned to the village, it was already night.
Everyone else had already eaten dinner, but Mother Cheng had saved plenty of food for Cheng Zongyang.
"Thanks, Mom." Cheng Zongyang smiled, looking at the steaming-hot meal.
"So, how did your investigation go?" Cheng Guanghai knew his son had gone to explore that mysterious place, and seeing him in a good mood, he couldn’t help but ask.
"Honestly, can’t you let your son finish his meal first?" Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family shot her husband a glare. "Our boy is running himself ragged every day. He’s gotten so thin! If you, his own father, don’t feel bad for him, I certainly do."
Cheng Guanghai glanced at his eldest son’s tall, sturdy frame and couldn’t see how he was ’thin’ in the slightest, but he was smart enough not to argue. It would only earn him more complaints.
Seeing his father’s speechless expression, Cheng Zongyang chuckled. After a couple of quick bites of rice, he said to his mother, "Mom, Gangzi hasn’t eaten yet. Could I trouble you to get a few Elixir Pills for it? It was a great help this time. It deserves a proper reward."
"Oh, you clever boy!"
Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family knew full well her son was just trying to get her out of the room. She paid the father-son duo no more mind, went to her room to get a Pill Bottle, and then headed out to the courtyard.
Seeing his mother leave, Cheng Guanghai smiled and gestured at his son. "So, what did you find?"
Cheng Zongyang swallowed the food in his mouth, then slowly recounted the story he had prepared. "Gangzi led me into that valley, and at its center, I saw a Wordless Stele. After studying it, I believe it’s what’s causing the mist. Tomorrow, I’m planning to take a team of men to check it out and dig the thing up. That stele might be able to protect our village."
"Is it safe?" Cheng Guanghai asked. "Aren’t you worried about traps?"
Cheng Zongyang shook his head. "There are none. You know what Gangzi’s Ability is. If you’re worried, you can come along tomorrow as well."
Cheng Guanghai thought for a moment and agreed it was a viable plan. If they encountered any danger, he could risk his life to hold it back and let his son escape. He immediately said, "Alright."
