"Miao Hua Village has been destroyed. You should head south and find another place to settle down, as far away as possible. Moreover, never speak of today's events to anyone, or it will bring great disaster. Here are some valuables for you and your daughter to use on the road and for your future lives." Yuan Ming took out a small cloth bag and handed it over, admonishing them.

Gold and silver do not contain spiritual power and are of little value to cultivators. They are only used in the refining of some special magic artifacts. The Southern Border is rich in gold and silver mines, and the sect has considerable quantities of these metals, which are mostly used for trading with various tribes.

Yuan Ming had been planning to leave Biluo Cave and return to Central Earth for quite some time and had prepared quite a bit.

"Thank you, sir!" Tuya's mother had never seen so much gold and silver. She felt it was more than enough to last a lifetime and hurriedly pulled her daughter to thank Yuan Ming.

Tuya, however, looked steadily at Yuan Ming without moving.

"You silly child, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and thank Master Yuan!" Tuya's mother urged anxiously.

"Big brother, I want to learn the skill to fight. Please teach me," Tuya finally said, surprising everyone with her unexpected request.

"You want to learn how to fight?" Yuan Ming wasn't surprised.

"Yes, I want to learn to fight. Those villains killed Hu Tou, Little Chan, and my father. I must avenge them!" Tuya said, her eyes wide and fists clenched, speaking with hatred.

Yuan Ming didn't say anything and looked Tuya over from head to toe.

He had seen Tuya before but had been too busy to take a good look at her. Now that he took a closer look, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Tuya's features had not yet matured, but her eyebrows were thick and upturned like a flying knife, and there was a fierce look in her eyes unlike that of ordinary children.

"What a fierce countenance she has! If left to her devices, Tuya might end up as a bandit or a female thief..." Yuan Ming felt troubled.

If he let Tuya be, her life would surely be fraught with disasters. But guiding her onto the path of cultivation might not necessarily be a good thing either.

"Tuya, what nonsense are you talking about? Such a young age, and all you think of is fighting!" Seeing the change in Yuan Ming's expression, Tuya's mother scolded her, fearing her daughter's desire to learn to fight had angered him.

"No harm done," Yuan Ming said, raising his hand.

"This isn't about fighting; this is about cultivation. The path of cultivation is fraught with danger, and one misstep can lead to death. You are too young, and my own cultivation is not enough; I have no intention of taking disciples," he said quietly after a moment, shaking his head.

Tuya's face fell with disappointment, and she was about to say something when her mother pulled her back.

"However, since we have met, we are also fated. Here is a Peace Talisman I obtained in the past, which can ward off disasters. I'll gift it to you," Yuan Ming said, taking out a palm-sized, exquisite cloth bag from his storage bag and handing it to Tuya.

Tuya took it, somewhat disappointed.

"Many thanks, sir," Tuya's mother quickly said thank you.

"There's no need for thanks. It's getting late. You should leave now," Yuan Ming said, waving his hand.

Tuya's mother bowed in thanks once again and, with Tuya, hurriedly left.

Yuan Ming watched their figures disappear into the distance before he turned and left.

What he had given Tuya was naturally not a Peace Talisman but a paper with the Martial Arts Mantra for the 'Biluo Skill'.

Yuan Ming had pondered and decided to give Tuya a chance. If she was fortunate enough to discover the cultivation technique, it would be her opportunity.

Thus, whether or not Tuya could embark on the path of cultivation was entirely up to fate.

Yuan Ming didn't enter the village but went to where Hagon's body lay.

His expression changed slightly; Hagon's body had a long wound from chest to abdomen, through which one could vaguely see the organs, seemingly cut open by a sharp weapon.

"Why would someone open up Hagon's body? Are they looking for something? Could it be that Hagon had cultivated a Soul Pearl within him?" Yuan Ming's eyes flashed brightly.

The matter of the Soul Pearl was quite secret; it's likely that Hu Huo and the others didn't know. If someone was really looking for Hagon's Soul Pearl, it was likely the doing of the silver cat.

After digging a deep pit to bury Hagon's body, Yuan Ming quickly left for the valley where the Beast Slave Hall detained the Wild Men.

At this moment, Yuan Ming's hair was dishevelled, and his clothes were torn, pretending to be out of breath.

"Yuan Ming, what happened to you? Where are the others, like Brother Hu Zha?" asked a Beast Slave Hall disciple upon seeing him.

"Run for your lives! Brother Hu Zha and I went to Miao Hua Village to capture the villagers there, but we were attacked by a group of formidable enemies. Brother Hu Zha is already dead, and those people are on our tail. If they catch up, everyone here will die!" Yuan Ming blurted out before immediately running into the distance.

The Beast Slave Hall disciples left to guard the valley were already a motley crew with little strength or decisiveness. Seeing Yuan Ming fleeing, they also took the Wild Men and followed.

Yuan Ming feigned a hasty escape, resting very little, and in half the time it took to get there, he hurried back to Biluo Cave.

The group headed straight to the Beast Slave Hall and reported the situation to Elder Saren.

On the way back, Yuan Ming deliberately fed the idea to his companions that Hu Zha was killed by powerful enemies. They unconsciously believed it to be true. When it was time to report, Yuan Ming didn't need to speak; the others eagerly told the story.

After such a recounting,

"The souls collected are all here, please examine them, Elder." A Beast Slave Hall disciple took out a bundle, inside of which were a few silver-white bells used for collecting souls.

Elder Saren picked up the bell to carefully inspect it, confirming that the souls within were correct.

"You just mentioned an ambush? Yuan Ming, explain in detail," Elder Saren sat down and inquired.

"Reporting to the Elder, I witnessed it with my own eyes," Yuan Ming stepped forward and spoke with sincere anxiety and fear.

"What were the features of the enemy? Which magic artifacts did they use? How many were they? Explain everything one by one," Elder Saren looked at Yuan Ming.

"Yes. It went like this..." Yuan Ming complied and first recounted in detail how Hu Zha led people to slaughter Miao Hua Village.

Naturally, he altered the latter part of the story, stating that Hu Zha was attacked by a group of people in black clothes and was killed by them, and that he, having arrived later, couldn't win and jumped into the river, thus narrowly escaping with his life.

"People in black clothes? What methods did those people use?" Elder Saren pressed for answers.

"At that time, I was focused on escaping and didn't see clearly, but they seemed to be able to command corpses and ghosts," Yuan Ming said after hesitating for a moment.

"Commanding corpses and ghosts! Are you sure of what you saw?" Elder Saren's face twitched as he questioned with a grave voice.

"I dare not guarantee it, but Brother Hu Zha was indeed killed by a black ghost that emerged from the ground, and one of the people in black controlled a refining corpse with a green face and fangs to attack me," Yuan Ming replied.

"Is there anything else?" Elder Saren asked again.

"Before I managed to escape far, I saw Brother Hu Zha set off a distress firework. Whether anyone came to rescue him afterward, I do not know," Yuan Ming pondered and said.

Elder Saren's expression turned somewhat grim, yet he remained silent, as if considering something.

"With my low cultivation, I was unable to overcome the battle. I will surely focus on my cultivation from now on and ask the elder for forgiveness!" Yuan Ming finished speaking, and the other Beast Slave Hall disciples also began to plea for mercy.

"This incident is not your fault. The enemy is too strong, and staying would only have resulted in more casualties. Being able to escape and inform the sect of this matter is still considered meritorious. All of you may go and rest. The contribution value for this mission will be doubled as a reward," Elder Saren surprisingly consoled everyone.

"Thank you, Elder Saren!" Yuan Ming expressed his gratitude, feeling somewhat reassured.

The argument just now was essentially what Wulu had dictated and discussed with him. Elder Saren's response was exactly as Wulu had predicted, which seemed to suggest that their plan was largely successful.

The others also hurriedly expressed their thanks and performed courtesy.

"This mission is now concluded. Regarding any information about the mission, you are not to disclose it to anyone else. Should you dare to violate this, the sect will surely impose severe punishment!" Elder Saren's eyes suddenly turned stern as he spoke in a deep voice.

How could anyone dare not to agree? All of them then left.

Elder Saren sat in the Beast Slave Hall for a moment before standing up to leave. Shortly afterward, he arrived at Biluo Cave's council hall.

This mission's unexpected development was no small matter, not only because Hu Zha had been killed but also because of the group of people in black. According to Yuan Ming's description, the origins of this group were definitely not ordinary. If the forces behind them were to learn of Biluo Cave's soul-taking actions, the trouble would be significant, and it was necessary to report to the sect.

Elder Saren frowned with some distress and was about to enter when a white tunneling light flew from afar, landing outside the hall.

The white light flickered and dissipated, revealing a tall figure, with a square face, a straight nose, short stubble on his face, and wearing a brocade robe.

"Elder Mengshan, you don't look very well. What happened?" Elder Saren asked.

Elder Mengshan shook his head and walked into the hall quickly without saying a word.

Elder Saren's brows furrowed slightly, and he followed inside.

The walls and floor in the hall were dark grey, with a size of over a dozen zhang. However, the illumination was not very bright, with only a few lighting stones embedded in the walls on both sides.

Elder Saren had never quite liked the council hall, feeling it was too dark and oppressive, but since the layout had been personally arranged by the Great Elder, no one dared to make adjustments.

Inside the hall, other than Elder Mengshan who had just entered, there stood two other people. One of them was a stern middle-aged man wearing two shiny copper rings on his ears and a ferocious green snake tattoo on his chest and neck that looked extremely realistic, as if it might come to life at any moment. Standing in front of him was an ordinary-looking burly man who was reporting something in a bent-over position.

"Great Cave Master!" Both Mengshan and Saren bowed to the middle-aged man.

Among the Three Cave Masters of Biluo Cave, the Second Cave Master was obsessed with Alchemy, and the Third with Artifact Refining; they were rarely seen on a daily basis.

In comparison, the Great Cave Master was the most approachable one, as he was not only responsible for his own cultivation but also tasked with the day-to-day operations of the entire Biluo Cave.

"Is what you recounted the entirety of the event?" the Great Cave Master asked in a deep voice.

"Yes, without any concealment," Wulu said with some fear.

"Alright, you may step down," the Great Cave Master looked at Elders Mengshan and Saren and said.

Wulu respectfully complied, bowing to both Mengshan and Saren and then withdrew backwardly, leaving the hall.

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