19: Chapter 19 The Hidden Agent

Hu Shan strode forward, pulling the young boy behind him.

His Divine Thought quickly swept through the boy; the Meridians were normal, the Dantian was intact, and the Sea of Consciousness was clear, with no traces of any tampering.

Hu Shan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, assuming that the Wang Family members had just wanted to secretly intimidate the boy under the cover of the gray fog.

He let out a cold snort and flicked his sleeves, saying, "Brother Chongyang, keep your Wang Family juniors under control."

Wang Chongyang cupped his fists with an apologetic smile, "Brother Hu, calm your anger. The young juniors don't know any better, and this old man will definitely discipline them properly later."

Hu Shan said no more, took the young boy's hand, and turned to leave.

After walking a few steps, he looked down at the young boy, his tone softening a bit, "Child, what is your name?"

The young boy raised his head, the terror in his eyes not yet fully dissipated.

He answered properly and respectfully, "Replying to my lord, my name is Tian Zhen."

Hu Shan nodded slightly, leading him out of the mountain gate.

"Hold on."

Wang Chongyang's voice came from behind.

Hu Shan's footsteps paused, and his brows furrowed.

He turned around to see Wang Chongyang standing with his hands behind his back amidst the corpses.

"Brother Hu, you can take this child away if you wish, but as you heard earlier, he kept shouting about wiping out my entire Wang Family."

Wang Chongyang's gaze landed on Tian Xingye, his tone unhurried.

"Today, this old man is giving Face to Brother Hu by handing the person over to you, but Brother Hu surely cannot expect my Wang Family to bear this risk for nothing, right?"

Hu Shan narrowed his eyes, "Brother Chongyang means?"

"This old man doesn't mean much."

Wang Chongyang smiled, but that smile carried an unyielding toughness.

"It's just that Brother Hu also knows this old man's Lifespan is coming to an end. With a Single Spiritual Root sapling returning after Foundation Establishment in the future, what will my Wang Family use to resist?"

"If Brother Hu doesn't give an explanation today, this old man will risk his old life to keep this child's life at the Dadao Sect."

As soon as these words were spoken, the air suddenly froze.

Hu Shan's expression sank.

He stared at Wang Chongyang for several breaths, his gaze sweeping back and forth across that old Face.

When this old fellow spoke, his aura was steady and his gaze was resolute; he was clearly not just putting on a bluff.

If a Foundation Establishment Cultivator whose Lifespan was coming to an end were to truly risk his life, even Hu Shan would have to be three parts wary.

After a long silence, Hu Shan finally sighed, "Brother Chongyang, what do you want?"

Wang Chongyang stroked his beard and smiled, extending a finger, "A foundation establishment pill."

Hu Shan's pupils shrank slightly.

"One foundation establishment pill in exchange for this child's life, and also in exchange for a century of peace for my Wang Family."

Wang Chongyang's voice was calm, as if he were talking about an ordinary business deal.

"Brother Hu comes from the Spirit Sword Sect. While a foundation establishment pill is extremely rare and hard to come by in the eyes of others, before Brother Hu, it is merely a matter of going through some trouble."

"What this old man wants is not much; one is enough."

Hu Shan remained silent.

To a Loose Cultivator and a small Family, a foundation establishment pill was indeed a rare treasure that might not be obtained even by exhausting the efforts of the entire clan.

However, Hu Shan was an executive sent out by the Spirit Sword Sect to Wanshan County.

With his connections and merits within the Sect, exchanging for a foundation establishment pill was not a difficult task.

However, the cost of one foundation establishment pill was enough to make his heart ache for a long time.

But if he didn't give it and this old fellow truly risked his life, let alone failing to protect Tian Ji, he himself would suffer heavy losses.

After a moment, Hu Shan slowly nodded, "Very well, but I do not have a foundation establishment pill on hand; I need to return to the Sect to retrieve one."

He raised his right hand, his fingertips tracing empty air, and a profound golden talisman pattern materialized out of thin air.

"With the Heavenly Dao as my witness, I, Hu Shan, hereby swear an oath: within three days, I will gift the Wang Family one foundation establishment pill."

"If I violate this oath, my Dao Heart will shatter and my cultivation will be completely crippled."

The golden talisman pattern flashed and vanished into the air, transforming into two thin threads that sank into the glabella of Hu Shan and Wang Chongyang respectively.

The Heavenly Dao oath was now formed, with the Laws of heaven and earth as witness, leaving no room for regret.

Only then did Wang Chongyang break into a smile, cupping his fists and bowing deeply, "Brother Hu is righteous, and this old man thanks you on behalf of all the Wang Family members."

"We have offended you greatly today, and another day this old man will personally visit to offer an apology."

Hu Shan waved his hand, grabbed Tian Xingye, and turned to leave.

A cyan light of escape soared into the sky, vanishing into the horizon in a flash.

In front of the mountain gate, the members of the Wang Family watched the escape light recede into the distance before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Joy had already appeared on the Faces of several young people of the Wang Shou generation.

A foundation establishment pill!

That was a foundation establishment pill!

The Wang Family had been mired in stagnation for many years; if they had this pill, the hope of adding another Foundation Establishment Cultivator to the clan would greatly increase.

However, Wang Yaowen and Wang Yaowu exchanged glances, but there was not much joy in their eyes; instead, there was more worry.

Wang Yaowu lowered his voice and said, "Second Brother, that child is ultimately a hidden danger."

"With a Single Spiritual Root, future Foundation Establishment is a certainty."

"Although a foundation establishment pill is good, one must have the life to use it."

Wang Yaowen nodded, his brows tightly locked.

"A Single Spiritual Root grows at an extremely fast speed. Coupled with the Sect's cultivation, I'm afraid it won't take even ten years to reach Foundation Establishment."

"The County Lord's foundation establishment pill is, when all is said and done, just taken out to appease our Wang Family."

"Hu Shan has obtained a Single Spiritual Root sapling, and recommending him upwards in the future will naturally bring immense benefits."

"For our Wang Family to only take one foundation establishment pill is ultimately a loss."

Wang Chongyang stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant horizon without saying a word.

How could he not know what the Second and Third brothers were saying?

But if they truly killed this young boy today, not only would the Wang Family have to bear the County Lord's wrath, but the Spirit Sword Sect would also not let his Wang Family off in the future.

Being able to ask for a foundation establishment pill now was already a great fortune; he only hoped that Shouren child hadn't lied to him.

After a moment, he turned and walked to Wang Shouren's side, his gaze lowering to fall on his grandson's calm and waveless Face.

"Shouren." He transmitted his voice directly, "How was it?"

Wang Shouren met Sixth Grandpa's gaze with a calm expression and simply nodded.

"Sixth Grandpa, rest assured, it is done. Grandson will report the specific details to you once we return."

Wang Chongyang took a deep look at him and asked no further.

He turned around and walked out of the mountain gate, his gray robe fluttering audibly in the morning wind.

"Pass down the order to clean up and return to Lotus Pier immediately."

In front of the back mountain bamboo building, a pot of clear tea and three coarse porcelain cups were placed on a stone table.

Wisps of tea smoke curled upward, blown this way and that by the mountain wind.

Wang Chongyang sat cross-legged on a stone stool, while Wang Yaozu stood respectfully to the side with his hands hanging down.

After listening to Wang Shouren's words, the two looked at each other in dismay, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"So that's how it is." Wang Chongyang slowly put down his teacup, his gaze lingering on Wang Shouren's Face for a long time before letting out a long sigh.

"To think that there is such a wondrous item in this world that can directly enter the human heart and eliminate hatred; this is the first time this old man has heard of it."

Wang Yaozu was also full of shock and couldn't help asking, "Shouren, where did you acquire such a treasure?"

Wang Shouren's expression was calm as he calmly recounted the pre-prepared explanation.

"Father, Sixth Grandpa, this treasure was precisely what was seized from the hands of a Loose Cultivator when Qinhu Mountain was attacked a few days ago."

"This item was originally a lotus seed that would take root on its own upon encountering a Divine Soul."

"Grandson originally intended to report this matter after returning to the Family, but hadn't had the time yet."

"Moreover, this lotus seed is consumed completely upon use, and today I happened to encounter Tian Zhen, that Single Spiritual Root sapling."

"If we truly killed him, it would be difficult to explain to the County Lord; if we let him go, he would definitely become a grave threat to our Wang Family in the future."

"Grandson thought to himself that since the treasure can only be used once anyway, it might as well be used where it counts."

Wang Shouren knew that this set of rhetoric could not withstand scrutiny, and a careful investigation would definitely reveal loopholes in his words.