Free Web NovelChapter 1656: Chapter 1958: Corpse Brain Pill (2)
"Elder Tong, did you buy all these?"
"No." Tong Zhentian shook his head and said, "I discovered someone purchasing Corpse Brain Pills, so I set up an ambush and caught both buyers and sellers in one sweep, intercepting this batch of Corpse Brain Pills. Unfortunately, the person in charge of selling was merely a pawn, and they had already taken a Corpse Brain Pill, making their every move controlled by someone else. We couldn’t extract any information or trace back to the orchestrators behind the scenes. It can be imagined that once Corpse Brain Pills flood the Martial Arts world and become a tool used by multiple factions, the entire Martial Arts world will be engulfed in a bloody conflict, leaving everyone on edge. Because of the seriousness of the situation, I hurried back to East Sea City to discuss countermeasures with you all."
Ling Chen furrowed his brow slightly and said, "This sort of thing isn’t easy to handle." After hearing Tong Zhentian’s account, he was very clear about the potential consequences of the Corpse Brain Pills. If someone within Dragon Tiger Hall ingested a Corpse Brain Pill and fell under the control of a rival, who knows when they might suddenly strike and stab a peer in the back. Just thinking about such scenarios was enough to break out in a cold sweat.
"Elder Tong, is there really no clue about the person selling the Corpse Brain Pills?"
"It’s not entirely without clues. Corpse Brain Pills are a kind of elixir, requiring someone proficient in alchemy, so that’s one direction of our investigation."
"Alchemy?" Ling Chen’s heart stirred, and he said, "Doesn’t the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion practice alchemy? Of course, I believe the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wouldn’t do such a thing. However, the Su Family in Beijing might not be as trustworthy. Su Cheng’en is the founder of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and Su He is its Old Pavilion Master, they are definitely skilled in alchemy. The Su Family was just established a few days ago, and a massive amount of Corpse Brain Pills appeared in Beijing, which is probably not a coincidence."
"You make a valid point," Tong Zhentian chimed in, "But even if your speculations are correct, it would be very difficult to find evidence. Everyone knows the strength of Su Cheng’en and Su He, it goes without saying. If Elder Ling were here, we might give it a try. Otherwise, it would just be a death mission."
Ling Chen knew that when he mentioned Elder Ling, he was referring to Ling Gengqiu. However, ever since the Netherworld Snake appeared, Ling Gengqiu had vanished without a trace, unreachable by phone, and nobody knew where he had gone.
Therefore, seeking Ling Gengqiu’s help was evidently unreliable.
Seeing that everyone was silent, Tong Zhentian spoke up, "I’ve already had Mr. He send people to conduct a secret investigation. If there are any new developments, he’ll notify us in time. Since no one has a good suggestion at the moment, perhaps we should hold off and discuss this later. However, since these Corpse Brain Pills have already spread within the Martial Arts world, everyone should be cautious, particularly warn the disciples not to accidentally fall victim to the Corpse Brain Pills."
Ling Chen nodded and said, "Sir Chen, please arrange for everyone to let the entire Dragon Tiger Hall know about this matter as soon as possible."
Chen Junfeng acknowledged and immediately left the office with the others.
As the door closed, only Ling Chen and Tong Zhentian remained in the office.
"What is it, do you have something to tell me?"
"Elder Tong, someone claiming to be from the Dark Pavilion approached me yesterday, saying they want to cooperate with our Dragon Tiger Hall."
"Dark Pavilion?" Tong Zhentian’s face darkened, "How did someone from the Dark Pavilion come to us?"
Ling Chen shrugged, "How would I know? From what he said, it seems they see the development potential of Dragon Tiger Hall. He gave me a week to think it over. I’m not sure, so I wanted to consult with you."
Tong Zhentian pondered for a moment and said, "You know the ways of the Dark Pavilion. Cooperating with them would mean being complicit. If you’re asking for my advice, I suggest you stay away from them to avoid tarnishing Dragon Tiger Hall’s reputation."
"I know that, but the problem is that Dragon Tiger Hall’s position is too precarious now, with wolves ahead and tigers behind, we dare not act rashly. Moreover, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion recently announced its seclusion and withdrawal from Martial Arts disputes, making all eyes focus on Dragon Tiger Hall. Even though Dragon Tiger Hall isn’t weak, a single lion, no matter how mighty, can’t possibly fend off a pack of hungry wolves."
Saying this, Ling Chen rubbed his forehead and said, "I’ve been pondering this issue for the past few days. For Dragon Tiger Hall to survive, we must find a strong ally. Only this way can others be deterred."
"So, you’re thinking of cooperating with the Dark Pavilion?"
"No," Ling Chen shook his head, "That’s not what I meant. I haven’t even considered the Dark Pavilion’s proposal, but they did remind me of the importance of having an ally in the current situation."
"If you’re looking for an ally, I suggest you contact the Zhu Family. After all, you have a good relationship with them, and their overall strength is strong. Once a cooperative relationship is established, it will benefit both parties."
"The Zhu Family..." Ling Chen thought about it and nodded, "I’ll talk to Zhu Qing and see what the Zhu Family has to say."
He then pointed to the Corpse Brain Pills in the suitcase and asked, "Elder Tong, can I take a few of these?"
"What do you need them for?"
"Not for anything specific, just curious, for casual use."
"Then take a few, but be careful not to cause trouble. The Corpse Brain Pills have a time limit; their effect lasts at most a week."
Ling Chen asked, "So, is it possible to take them continuously?"
Tong Zhentian nodded, "Of course, you can. However, continuous use would cause significant harm to the body, especially the brain. If taken more than five times, it could lead to dementia or brain death, turning the user into a vegetable."
"Understood." Ling Chen took three glass bottles, totaling six Corpse Brain Pills, and put them in his pocket.
Back in his room, Ling Chen thought of last night’s events, took out his phone, and called Tang Shiyun, only to find that her phone was turned off.
What is that girl up to? How can her phone be off? Could she be in trouble?
Thinking of this, Ling Chen hurriedly dialed Xu Hong’s number. However, while the call was not disconnected, it constantly indicated a busy line. Ling Chen dialed seven or eight times before finally connecting.
"Hello, Mr. Ling? I’m really sorry, it’s been so busy today, and the phone hasn’t stopped ringing."
"It’s fine. Sister Hong, where’s Shiyun? I called her, but her phone’s off."
"Shiyun is resting at home, because she suddenly announced she was leaving the music scene last night, and this has caused a stir in the entire entertainment circle. Reporters have been looking for us ever since morning. Shiyun doesn’t want to be disturbed, so she turned off her phone."
Ling Chen asked puzzledly, "Sister Hong, why would Shiyun suddenly make such a decision?"
Xu Hong’s voice carried a hint of helplessness, "Mr. Ling, to be honest, we don’t know either. Last night, Shiyun abruptly announced her departure from the music scene, and we were all shocked."
