The Chou Alliance members, now in Taoist robes, are secretly transferred to Liuhe Village. They are housed in a hotel and then taken to the expanding Taoist temple, which will serve as their new base. The leaders are impressed by the village's abundant spiritual energy, recognizing it as a blessed place.
“Uncle was correct. Our Chou Alliance has suffered greatly from this affair; we ought to prioritize finding a way to replenish our cultivation resources to recover our strength,” He Xiran chimed in.
“Elder Qiu, you oversee the Chou Alliance’s cultivation resources. What is our current remaining amount?” Chen Tianmin inquired, looking towards Qiu Lao.
At the mention of resources, Qiu Lao’s expression soured.
“I’ve already completed the inventory. We have cash totaling eighteen billion, but merely a dozen Spirit Stones remain. I have these on me, and it’s highly probable that the Blood Bat Hall has absconded with much of the remaining assets at our base,” Qiu Lao stated with evident distress.
Hearing the meager amount left, Chen Tianmin and the others felt a pang of regret.
If only they had foresight, they would have secured more resources beforehand.
“Distribute the Spirit Stones to those most in need. As for the eighteen billion, allocate ten billion to Yang Zi,” Chen Tianmin decided after a moment’s thought.
“Understood,” Qiu Hongguang readily agreed.
“Yang Zi, it appears we must trouble you once more. Could you find a method to convert this ten billion entirely into Spirit Stones? We are in dire need of them right now, as everyone is weakened following the battle,” Chen Tianmin requested, turning to Chen Yang.
Chen Yang had already foreseen this necessity.
He was prepared to offer some Spirit Stones to the Chou Alliance without charge.
It was paramount to overcome their immediate predicament.
Once they recuperated and stabilized, they could manage their own affairs.
“Second Uncle, you should retain the funds yourselves. I will handle the Spirit Stone situation. Given your current struggles, how could I possibly accept your money?” Chen Yang demurred.
“This… “ Chen Tianmin felt hesitant.
Yet, Chen Yang’s reasoning was undeniably sound.
Their remaining capital was scarce; conserving it was prudent.
“Alright then, Second Uncle, must we be so formal between us?” Chen Yang pressed gently.
With Chen Yang’s persistent offer, Chen Tianmin could not refuse further and conceded.
“Very well, Yang Zi. However, we absolutely cannot accept your generosity for free. Consider it a loan from the Chou Alliance. Once we have recovered our strength, we will certainly repay you,” Chen Tianmin declared.
“Indeed, young friend Chen Yang, your assistance to our Chou Alliance has already been immense; we truly cannot keep accepting your Spirit Stones,” Qiu Hongguang added his agreement.
Chen Yang was unperturbed by these formalities and did not press the issue.
He would consider it a temporary loan to the Chou Alliance.
Subsequently, Chen Yang escorted them to various locations, introducing them to Taoist Liu.
Chen Tianmin and Qiu Hongguang expressed their gratitude to Taoist Liu as well.
Upon their meeting, they exchanged customary greetings.
After the pleasantries, as dusk approached, Chen Tianmin and his companions returned to their lodgings.
Chen Yang, too, made his way back to his residence.
Upon arriving home, his first act was to prepare some Body Strengthening Elixirs for Wanghai and Diao Bro.
During yesterday's arduous search, the pair had shown unwavering dedication and diligence.
With the task successfully completed, a reward was certainly due.
After all, their efforts should not go uncompensated.
“Wanghai, you ought to focus on enhancing your strength, you know?” Chen Yang remarked, affectionately stroking Wanghai’s sleek fur.
Ever since Wanghai attained the peak strength realm, he had become rather indolent, rarely dedicating time to quiet cultivation within his den.
In contrast to Diao Bro, his progress had been sluggish.
Diao Bro currently possessed the strength of the late peak realm, leaving Wanghai significantly behind.
Woof woof.
Wanghai devoured the Body Strengthening Elixir in large gulps, emitting two barks.
It remained unclear whether he was acknowledging the advice or grumbling about Chen Yang’s lecture.
Chen Yang let out a chuckle and shook his head, leaving the beast to his meal.
Instead, he retreated indoors to prepare some herbs, intending to refine a batch of Body Strengthening Elixirs that very night to present to his Second Uncle.
The Chou Alliance had found temporary refuge in Liuhe Village.
With the immediate safety concerns addressed, the next priority was to restore their vitality.
Providing ample resources to bolster their strength was crucial for the Chou Alliance’s expansion, which was key to their resurgence.
The Body Strengthening Elixir, instrumental in reinforcing one’s foundation, was the ideal remedy at this juncture.
“Furthermore, tomorrow I must visit Fuling Village to procure Spirit Stones from the mine leader. We also need to augment our workforce to accelerate Spirit Stone extraction.”
Chen Yang outlined his strategy.
Previously, the daily coal output from Fuling Village sufficed for Chen Yang’s personal cultivation needs.
However, with the addition of over thirty members from the Chou Alliance, the supply had become inadequate.
Consequently, an increase in manpower and expedited mining operations were imperative.
As a last resort, Chen Yang even contemplated revisiting the Gu Family’s coal mine once more.
Merely a handful of Spirit Stones might be within his grasp.
A prior visit or two had yielded excellent outcomes recently.
However, the thought of accumulating too many stones, potentially inviting unwanted complications, had kept him from returning.
After such an extended period, revisiting should pose minimal risk.
Chen Yang engaged in contemplation.
With the necessary herbs swiftly collected and his mind cleared, he prepared to commence the refinement of the Body Strengthening Elixir.
Just as he was about to begin, his phone let out an urgent ring from his pocket.
A call was coming through.
Seeing that it was Ma Jiantao on the line, Chen Yang conjectured it might pertain to the increasing demand for Body Strengthening Elixirs.
Yet, upon answering, he discovered his assumption to be incorrect.
"Chen Yang, have you caught wind of the events that transpired yesterday?" Ma Jiantao inquired, launching into an unexpected question.
Chen Yang felt a surge of bewilderment: "Yesterday's events? What exactly are you referring to?"
"You're unaware? The deputy hall master of the Blood Bat Hall was in pursuit of Chou Alliance members when, for reasons unknown, he was decapitated by a single sword strike. Additionally, over a hundred Qi cultivators met their end!" Ma Jiantao exclaimed, a clear undercurrent of excitement coloring his voice.
A momentary pause fell upon Chen Yang as he processed this information.
He hadn't anticipated Ma Jiantao's call would be about this particular incident.
Chen Yang rapidly assessed potential scenarios: "Could Ma Jiantao be harboring suspicions about me?"
Consequently, admitting his involvement was out of the question; feigning ignorance was his only recourse.
"How could I possibly know? Aside from yourselves, I've had no dealings with other cultivators, so I have no way of obtaining such news," Chen Yang asserted, maintaining his pretense of unawareness.
"Indeed, you do lack a direct channel for information," Ma Jiantao conceded, shifting his focus from inquiry to a word of caution.
"Chen Yang, the Blood Bat Hall has sustained a significant blow this time. In their pursuit of the truth and to continue their hunt for the Chou Alliance members, they have deployed all their elite forces."
"The location of the incident is merely eighty kilometers from your Liuhe Village. Exercise extreme caution and avoid any actions that might provoke the Blood Bat Hall."
Ma Jiantao harbored genuine concern for Chen Yang's potential entanglements with the Blood Bat Hall.
This concern prompted him to swiftly contact Chen Yang whenever incidents involving the Blood Bat Hall occurred, ensuring he was forewarned.
While Chen Yang inwardly acknowledged Ma Jiantao's benevolent intentions, he was aware of the inevitable friction between himself and the Blood Bat Hall, even if a direct confrontation had yet to occur.
Therefore, at this juncture, he resolved to keep Ma Jiantao in the dark, thereby preventing unnecessary complications and sparing his friend undue worry.
