Chapter 218: A Prisoner Under the Stairs
Translator: Cinder Translations
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Su Huayue's expression was filled with panic as she attempted to retreat and escape the alchemy room, but a sharp blade hovered threateningly at her brow, preventing her from making any move.
"I'm worried that you might be spreading information about Qi Xiong's whereabouts, causing unnecessary trouble," Su Huayue said.
"Where has Qi Xiong been taken?" he inquired.
"I don't know," she replied. "I'm just following orders, claiming I would teach him a new method, and asked him to come to the alchemy room early. He was taken away by an elder from the family who is at the Foundation Establishment stage."
"Why did you come alone to kill me?" Song Wen asked.
"Your cultivation level only appears to be at the seventh layer of Qi Refining," she said. "I thought I could easily deal with you on my own, so I didn't inform anyone else."
Su Huayue's face turned pale; she truly hadn't expected that the usually docile Yuan Cheng was actually a Foundation Establishment cultivator, hiding his true strength far too well.
"Please don't kill me! I can swear an oath, promising not to reveal a word about your infiltration in the Su family," she pleaded.
"No need for that. Dead people can keep secrets better," he replied coldly.
With a light shake of the cold moon blade, a dazzling beam of light surged forth, instantly piercing through Su Huayue's brow.
In a moment, she lost her breath and collapsed to the ground.
Song Wen flashed over to her side and began to search her soul.
After a brief moment, the soul search concluded.
Song Wen discovered that, just as Su Huayue had said, she didn't know much. He couldn't extract any additional information.
He devoured her soul and blood, turning Su Huayue's corpse into ashes, which he then tossed into the deep pit beneath the furnace.
After completing all this, Song Wen opened the stone door of the alchemy room and casually walked out.
He could no longer stay in this alchemy room, nor could he remain in the Su family.
Su Huayue's death would soon be discovered, and since it happened in a heavily guarded place, it would certainly trigger a strict investigation by the Su family.
Song Wen strolled out of the alchemy room, where people were coming and going in the great hall, yet not a single person paid him any attention.
As he made his way to the foot of the mountain and approached the mountain gate, he noticed a group escorting Su Shan toward the small town of the Su family.
He couldn't help but feel puzzled; just two days ago when he came down the mountain, he had greeted Su Shan, who was on guard at the mountain gate.
How could it be that just two days later, Su Shan had become a prisoner?
Song Wen glanced back toward the middle of Qingping Mountain but saw nothing out of the ordinary, indicating that Su Huayue's death had not yet been discovered.
Stepping forward, Song Wen quickly approached the escorting group.
He cupped his fists and said to the leader, "May I ask, what crime has Su Shan committed? Where is he being taken?"
The leader, a middle-aged male cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refining, glanced at the alchemist robes on Song Wen and replied somewhat impatiently.
"He practiced evil techniques to refine corpses, turning his own wife, his unborn child, and thirty helpless neighbors into walking corpses."
"Su Shan's crimes are heinous, devoid of humanity! He's being taken to the entrance of the small town for public beheading, to uphold the family's rules!"
Upon hearing this, Song Wen couldn't help but glance at Su Shan, who was being escorted.
So ruthless and cruel!
Indeed, he was a promising candidate for practicing demonic arts.
Song Wen had to admit that he had previously underestimated Su Shan.
He had never expected that the seemingly affable Su Shan would resort to such actions against his own wife and child.
However, his methods were lacking! He had just begun practicing demonic techniques and had already been discovered, about to be executed for all to see.
With a flip of his hand, two jade vials appeared in Song Wen's grasp, containing ten gathering Qi pills.
He discreetly placed the two vials into the hands of the leading man and lowered his voice to speak.
"I have some connections with Su Shan. Could you allow me to see him off for the last time?"
The leader's spiritual sense swept over the jade vials in his hand, and he put them away in his storage bag, a smile appearing on his face.
"Considering my ties to Su Shan, I'll allow you both to speak privately. It would be quite pitiful if no one sent him off for his final journey."
The leader gestured to several escorting personnel behind him, and they spread out, giving Song Wen and Su Shan space to talk.
Su Shan had been bound with chains, unable to use spiritual energy, making escape impossible.
His face was ashen, and his gaze was vacant. The imminent execution and the coming death plunged his heart into deep fear.
Seeing Song Wen approach, a flicker of emotion crossed Su Shan's eyes.
"Yuan Cheng, I never expected to see you again before my death."
"Alas!" Song Wen let out a deep sigh.
"Su Shan, what were you thinking? How did you fall into the path of practicing demonic arts?"
A bitter smile appeared on Su Shan's ashen face.
"I had poor talent, and my mother was just a mortal. Neither of us received any attention from the family. After my mother gave birth to me, she fell ill and was unable to work, leaving us to struggle with hunger."
"When I was five, my mother fell into deep despair, and I had to beg for food from neighbors, suffering humiliation and disdain."
"But I believed that through hard work, I could overcome my inherent disadvantages. Ever since I turned ten and could start cultivating, I have trained day and night, but the result after years of effort was only reaching the fifth layer of Qi Refining."
"Only then did I come to realize the harsh reality: with such poor talent and no resources for cultivation, how could I possibly achieve powerful cultivation?"
"I was unwilling to live such a mediocre life, so I turned to the path of practicing demonic arts. Last time you mentioned the mysteries of demonic arts in my home, it completely solidified my resolve."
Su Shan seemed to be recounting his final moments, revealing all the secrets buried deep in his heart.
"Then why did you kill your wife and child?" Song Wen asked.
Su Shan suddenly became agitated and shouted loudly.
"I didn't kill them! I did not kill them! No matter how mad I become, I could never harm my own wife and children!"
"They suddenly disappeared, and I searched everywhere but could not find them."
"I reported it to the family, but they didn't believe me. They found the walking corpses of our neighbors in my yard and assumed I had turned my wife and child into walking corpses, but I really didn't!"
When it came to his wife and child, Su Shan was filled with deep concern.
"Then why did you refine your neighbors, who are just mortals, into walking corpses?" Song Wen pressed.
A deep-seated hatred emerged on Su Shan's darkened face.
"I've suffered bullying from them since I was little. My mother passed away in her twenties, and they were involved in that."
"It was precisely because my mother was a concubine of the family that Su Anqing never cared for us, leading us to live in a poverty that was even worse than ordinary clansmen. Anyone could come and bully us, a widow and her orphan."
"My mother was beautiful and endured much harassment from rough men. There were even instances where someone barged into our home at night and assaulted her."
"I only hate my own weakness, unable to take revenge on all my enemies, unable to slay that beast Su Anqing and comfort my mother's spirit in the afterlife."
As he said those last two sentences, Su Shan almost growled through gritted teeth.
His voice was loud enough to attract the attention of several escorting personnel.
The leader hurried over, pushing Song Wen aside, and slapped Su Shan across the face.
Su Shan immediately fell to the ground, spitting out blood along with a few teeth.
The leader yanked Su Shan up from the ground, glaring fiercely.
"If you want to die, don't drag us down with you."
Openly speaking against the family is a grave crime, practically asking for death; they didn't want to get involved in such matters.
TL: Honestly, I am confused as to why MC led Su Shan down this path? Does he have a purpose in mind or was it just a side quest?
(End of the Chapter)
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