Cultivation Starting from Choosing Augments-Chapter 83 - 81: Young Hero Xiao, Even a Cornered Rabbit Will Bite
After the dust settled on the great purge of Demonic Foundation Establishment cultivators,
the Li Huo Sect once again sent out Inner Sect Disciples in patrol teams to hunt for the remaining fugitives.
Elder Chen summoned Xiao Chen and handed him a written confession. "I have a lead for you," he said. "Take a team to investigate. See if you can catch any of the remaining Demon Cultivators."
Xiao Chen glanced at it and saw it was a confession from ten days ago.
A captured Demon Cultivator had, under interrogation, informed on his accomplices at another location.
’After all this time, wouldn’t they have fled by now?’
Elder Chen then called over a junior brother and sister.
He introduced them with a smile. "These two disciples joined the Second Division a few months ago. They’ve both been performing well. Take them with you this time and let them get some real-world experience."
"Give them some suitable tasks. Any odd jobs, just leave it all to them."
Xiao Chen sized them up with curiosity. They were indeed both at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining and looked so similar they had to be siblings.
Together, they greeted him, "Greetings, Senior Brother. I’m Chen Zixuan." "I’m Chen Zirui."
Ohh...
Xiao Chen understood instantly. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
’If I’m not mistaken, the place this lead points to is one hundred percent guaranteed to have Demonic Remnants that Elder Chen left behind on purpose.’
’Ostensibly, this was a mission to investigate a lead, but in reality, it was just about going through the motions.’
’Who would have thought such a cushy assignment would fall into my lap?’
To prevent Inner Sect Disciples from being ambushed again, the sect had increased the size of patrol teams from seven members to twelve.
With the addition of the Chen siblings from the Second Division, their party of fourteen set off for Heyang County, located over six hundred li west of the Li Huo Sect.
Unaware of the true nature of the mission, the other disciples were all incredibly eager to get moving.
They were so afraid of wasting time by moving too slowly that they traveled through the night, reaching the outskirts of Heyang County in just two days.
Though Xiao Chen didn’t stop them, his curiosity got the better of him, and he asked one of the disciples from Bishui Peak for the reason behind their haste.
"Why does everyone look so eager to fight Demon Cultivators?"
The disciple answered excitedly, "The sect is offering exceptionally high rewards this time! Just for participating in the capture of a Demon Cultivator, you can earn an assistance reward of at least two Contribution Points."
"If you manage to capture one yourself, you can earn anywhere from twenty to two hundred Contribution Points."
"If I can just catch one more Demon Cultivator this time, with the Contribution Points I’ve already saved up, I’ll finally be able to get a new Magical Artifact."
Xiao Chen hadn’t actually paid any attention to this before.
’Still, if there are rewards just for participating, it must mean the sect is deliberately increasing its support to help disciples improve their strength.’
"Xiao, are we there?"
Chen Zixuan was also extremely excited, pointing to a gatehouse up ahead that was carved with the word ’Heyang’.
Xiao Chen took out the written confession. "Yes, this is it."
"Ahem. Everyone, rest here. We might have to fight once we go inside, should we encounter any Demon Cultivators."
This was Chen Zixuan’s first official mission, and he excitedly gripped his Flying Sword, his eyes fixed on Heyang County.
Chen Zirui was more composed, dutifully sitting down to meditate and regulate her breath.
A short while later, Xiao Chen led them directly to a large local estate.
This was the home of a former Foundation Establishment family—the Xuan Family.
Of course, ever since the Xuan Family’s Old Ancestor passed away twenty-eight years ago, they had not had a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator among their ranks.
However, to Xiao Chen’s surprise, he saw a total of seven cultivators at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining in the family’s reception hall.
Furthermore, there were another ten late-stage Qi Refining cultivators standing guard at the hall’s entrance.
The Xuan Family Patriarch came forward to receive them, his face wreathed in smiles.
He had tables and chairs laid out in the hall and summoned twenty young, beautiful maids to stand in attendance, who then served fourteen cups of Spirit Tea.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit from the young heroes of the Li Huo Sect?"
The atmosphere should have been pleasant and harmonious, but the disciples from the Li Huo Sect showed the Xuan Family no courtesy.
No one touched the tea they were served. Instead, each of them gripped their Flying Swords, their auras menacing.
This was especially true for Chen Zixuan, whose hand hadn’t left his sword hilt since the moment he walked in. He all but had "I’m here looking for trouble" written across his face.
Xiao Chen was far calmer by comparison.
He addressed them calmly. "It’s not a major issue, really. We received a report that you’ve been colluding with and harboring Demon Cultivators. Do you know anything about this?"
But upon hearing his words, the members of the Xuan Family immediately grew agitated. "Nonsense!"
"Someone is clearly trying to slander us!"
The Xuan Family Patriarch looked at the two cultivators beside him. "Someone is trying to frame us!"
"As it happens, Zhang and Daoist Zhao are visiting as well."
"I must ask the two of you to help bear witness. Our Xuan Family has always despised Demon Cultivators and would never have any association with them."
The two cultivators, both at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, chimed in with their agreement.
Xiao Chen opened his disciple handbook and read from it. "According to sect rules, I am required to remind you that anyone who harbors Demon Cultivators will be considered an accomplice of the Demon Dao and exterminated, root and stem."
"You’ve been given a chance. Don’t waste it."
The Xuan Family Patriarch lowered his head to sip his tea, saying nothing.
One of the Xuan Family’s Great Perfection cultivators immediately retorted, "What is that supposed to mean? Are you accusing us of harboring Demon Cultivators?"
Another cultivator added, "The Li Huo Sect can’t just baselessly accuse us of being Demon Cultivators."
Outside, the other Xuan Family cultivators began to get agitated.
Chen Zixuan immediately shot back, "You’re clearly harboring Demon Cultivators, yet you won’t admit it. Are you trying to defect to the Demon Dao?"
A Xuan Family clan elder, also at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, spoke in a tone that was seemingly persuasive but actually threatening. "The Li Huo Sect can’t just throw its weight around and bully people."
"If you continue making such malicious accusations, we won’t take it lying down."
Immediately after, a dozen or so auras from late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators flared up at once, pressing down on Xiao Chen and the others.
Although most of the group were Inner Sect Disciples, besides Xiao Chen himself, there was only one other disciple at the ninth level of Qi Refining.
Caught by the sudden pressure, several of the disciples shot to their feet.
The Xuan Family Patriarch issued a reminder. "Young Hero Xiao, even a cornered rabbit will bite."
"Is that so?"
Xiao Chen shook his head. "I don’t believe you."
As he spoke, he snapped his fingers. "Go on. Show me you can bite."
The moment he did, thorns he had been secretly cultivating since he first sat down erupted from the ground.
In a flash, both inside and outside the reception hall,
all of the Xuan Family cultivators, including the maids, were bound by thorns right where they stood.
The five Great Perfection cultivators, including the Xuan Family Patriarch, were each bound by an additional, even thicker vine.
The Protective Spiritual Light shimmering around their bodies lasted for less than a breath before shattering completely.
The dense barbs on the thorns pierced their flesh, draining their Magical Power as nourishment.
In just three breaths, every member of the Xuan Family present had lost the ability to fight.
Only the two guests, Zhang and Daoist Zhao, remained, utterly panicked.
The instant they saw the thorns, they had instinctively drawn their Flying Swords.
Then, just as quickly, they consciously tossed them to the ground, lowered their gazes, and pretended to be statues.
