Chapter 1234: Chapter 1234 - 1219: Clan Guardian Secret Vault

Watching Marquis Xingqing leave, Ye Zhen looked thoughtfully at Princess Jie Youu.

Perhaps, the reason Princess Jie Youu still wanted to ruthlessly eliminate Ye Zhen after making an agreement with him earlier was not only because she didn’t want him to hold anything over her, but also had something to do with the arrival of Marquis Xingqing.

However, the specifics are hard to say.

The few words left by Marquis Xingqing before leaving were filled with too much information.

"Captain Ye, if you need the old slave’s cooperation, just feel free to command!" A soft and feminine voice sounded behind Ye Zhen, finally prompting him to take a closer look at Zhao Zhong, whom Marquis Xingqing left behind.

A pale-faced, beardless man who exuded an indescribable restrained feminine aura; if he hadn’t previously revealed his aura fully, who could have imagined that such a seemingly submissive old eunuch was someone at the Late Stage of the Divine Communication Realm?

"I trouble you, Senior Zhao! However, there’s no rush for this matter! We shall wait for Lord Xitian to bring the payoff himself! Hey, every day the Zombie Powder poison is delayed, it causes irreversible aftereffects!" Ye Zhen’s voice was slightly loud, clearly intended for Lord Xitian and Princess Jie Youu to hear.

Lord Xitian was fine, but Princess Jie Youu’s pretty face suddenly twitched; the irreversible aftereffects were terrifying for her.

"Zombie Powder?"

Upon hearing these words, Zhao Zhong gave a sinister smile, glanced fiercely at Lord Xitian, and then turned to Ye Zhen, "Captain Ye, do as you wish, don’t worry about the old slave, just directly instruct the old slave on what to do!"

Ye Zhen, however, repeatedly professed not daring to.

Although knowing that Zhao Zhong was a eunuch specialized in serving others, his Divine Communication Realm strength was enough to instill a sense of reverence in Ye Zhen.

Ye Zhen glanced at the thousands of grass and tree spirits with varying levels of cultivation behind him, lightly stomped his foot, spreading a circle of green radiance. After looking at Ye Zhen, the thousands of wood spirits put down their Flame Spirit Burst Demon Crossbows and turned around, rushing towards the area outside the Xitian County’s palace.

"Lord Xitian, open the palace gates!" Ye Zhen suddenly shouted.

Lord Xitian glared fiercely in the direction in which those tree demons were leaving, yet hesitated to give the command.

"If you want your Xitian County’s palace to be destroyed even more thoroughly, Lord Xitian, we can have another good play!" Ye Zhen grinned malevolently.

At the same moment, Zhao Zhong took a slight step forward behind Ye Zhen, casting an ominously frigid gaze towards Lord Xitian.

Swept by Zhao Zhong’s frigid gaze, Lord Xitian’s expression suddenly became despairingly dejected, he waved his hand gently and said, "Open the palace gates, let... them out!"

In fact, Ye Zhen’s Yimu Spiritual Communication Technique only temporarily awakened the spiritual wisdom in these tree demons, transforming them into tree demons, though they couldn’t maintain it forever.

Once the Yimu Spiritual Power Ye Zhen infused into them dissipates, they would revert back to trees.

However, after today, Ye Zhen reckoned that the Xitian King dare not plant any flowers, grass, or trees within this palace anymore, leaving them in place would only endanger their lives.

Letting them leave instead provides them a chance for survival, the outcome depends on their own fate.

Truthfully, today was also Ye Zhen’s first large-scale exhibition of the Yimu Spiritual Communication Skill. With his strength, the awakened tree demons had insufficient combat power.

But combined with the powerful armaments of the Great Zhou Empire, it was like carrying a terrifying combat regiment along.

Furthermore, if it were Little Demon performing the Yimu Spiritual Communication Technique, these tree demons’ fighting power would directly multiply several times.

Only today did Ye Zhen truly realize the value of the Yimu Spiritual Communication Technique.

Moreover, according to Marquis Xingqing’s words, this Yimu Spiritual Communication Technique should be called the Yimu Spiritual Communication Divine Art, seemingly not inferior at all to Ye Zhen’s Impermanence Profound Fire Technique.

Additionally, in Marquis Xingqing’s eyes, Ye Zhen had already mastered the highest tier of Yimu Spiritual Power.

There were indeed things Ye Zhen didn’t understand.

When Ye Zhen initially cultivated the Yimu Spiritual Communication Technique to emit the first wisp of Wood Spirit Power, it was extracted from the Ancient Divine Wood Root, pure to the utmost, and his subsequent cultivation advances were supported by the endowment from thirteen Ancient Giant Spirit Tree Demons.

Hence, once this Yimu Spiritual Power was cultivated, it became the most supreme and pure Yimu Spiritual Power, which others—even those at the Divine Communication Realm—could not cultivate to such pure Yimu Spiritual Power.

This was the true reason for Marquis Xingqing’s amazement.

With a sweep of his broad sleeve, Ye Zhen collected all the Flame Spirit Burst Demon Crossbows, "Lord Xitian, remember, three days! You have only three days to consider what to exchange for the antidote!

Three days later, I will be gone. By then, your life or death matters are no longer my concern!"

Having finished, Ye Zhen departed with Zhao Zhong, directly returning to the small courtyard where they had been in silent cultivation for several days.

Watching the departing Ye Zhen, the corners of Lord Xitian and Princess Jie Youu’s mouths were etched with bitter distress.

Before plotting this matter, they never would have dreamed that it would unfold like this.

In fact, Ye Zhen’s guess was correct, their intentions to eliminate Ye Zhen even after making an agreement with him truly related to Marquis Xingqing.

According to the Great Zhou Empire’s tradition, nobles would only marry women of lower social standing. Coupled with some old acquaintances between the two families, Princess Jie Youu could very well become Marquis Xingqing’s principal wife; aside from the lack of formal ceremonies, everything that should be verbally established was already in place.

Then, unfortunately, Princess Jie Youu was abducted by a Chi Jiao while out on an excursion and was missing for four or five years.

This time, as soon as Princess Jie Youu returned, before matters could be handled properly, somehow Marquis Xingqing heard the news and rushed over, even expressing a desire to meet this loyal guard.

In their haste, Lord Xitian and Princess Jie Youu planned to take out Ye Zhen, poison him at the most careless moment to silently eliminate him, and then find a loyalist to impersonate Ye Zhen, making everything seamless.

Who could have known they would encounter such a freak as Ye Zhen, causing such a commotion.

But what left Princess Jie Youu in despair the most was what Marquis Xingqing said when he left; obviously, Marquis Xingqing had seen through something.

In the end, they would have to atone with their own lives!

It’s imaginable that at that time, this transaction would definitely be a one-sided negotiation with Ye Zhen dictating the terms.

Of course, Lord Xitian would not give in so easily.

After arranging for people to clean up the mess, Lord Xitian hurriedly pulled National Master Yanz Zigui towards a quiet great hall to discuss strategies.

"National Master Yanz, you have vast knowledge and over a thousand years of experience; tell me, how should this matter be resolved? Is there any other way to detoxify this Zombie Powder?" Lord Xitian urgently asked.

"Your Majesty, the urgent task at hand is to first confirm whether you’ve been poisoned by that lost ancient poison Zombie Powder. This is the top priority!" National Master Yanz Zigui said.

"This... I can’t be completely sure! But with our current condition, it is exactly the same as on the first day of Zombie Powder poison activation!"

"If the conditions on the second and third days are also the same, then it is indeed true!" National Master Yanz Zigui said.

"But I dare not gamble! The longer the delay with such a strange poison as Zombie Powder, the more sequelae there will be!

If it drags on past three days, even if the poison is detoxified, one will become a living zombie for life." Lord Xitian bitterly smiled, saying that a nobleman should not sit under a collapsing wall and take such risks with his life.

He, the Lord Xitian conferred by the Holy Son of Heaven, Great Zhou, governing a million miles of land in one county, how could he risk his life?

"What a pity, the time is too short. If there was enough time, Your Majesty could go to the Heavenly Temple, where perhaps the poison of Zombie Powder could be resolved!" National Master Yanz Zigui said.

Upon hearing this, Lord Xitian shivered suddenly. To ask those mighty figures in the Heavenly Temple for help, his entire Xitian county might need to be offered, only to barely step into the holy land of the Heavenly Temple.

"It seems, I can only let that boy benefit..." With the decision made, Lord Xitian’s face turned exceedingly ashen.

While Lord Xitian made his decision, Ye Zhen was trying to get close to Zhao Zhong.

"Senior Zhao, what do you think the appropriate asking price should be?"

"Senior Zhao, in your opinion, what is the most valuable treasure in Xitian County?"

"Senior Zhao, what do you perceive as Lord Xitian’s bottom line?"

...

Initially, for these questions from Ye Zhen, Zhao Zhong just smiled without speaking. He was left by Marquis Xingqing to support Ye Zhen, to deter, but answering such questions was not within his duties.

"Senior Zhao, I know you must know how to truly squeeze out Lord Xitian’s treasures; could you give this kid some advice?

For the gains from extortion, how about we split fifty-fifty?" Recalling the memory gained from Soul Search about those old eunuchs serving nobles being greedy, extremely greedy, Ye Zhen fiercely made a lucrative offer.

Sure enough, as soon as Ye Zhen said this, Zhao Zhong’s previously droopy eyes instantly lit up brilliantly, "Really?"

"Really, Senior Zhao can have first pick of the wealth, but when it comes to cultivation treasures, I must have priority!" Ye Zhen said.

"Deal!"

Zhao Zhong let out a low, sinister laugh with that extremely raucous voice, making Ye Zhen feel a chill down his spine, "I didn’t expect Captain Ye to be such an insightful and aware person!"

"If you want to squeeze out every drop from Lord Xitian’s roots, Captain Ye must first understand one iron law of Great Zhou—no heirs, no title!

This Lord Xitian holds a hereditary title and in this life has only one legitimate daughter, Princess Jie Youu! According to the Law of Great Zhou, he can adopt an heir from other branches of his family to inherit the title!

However, Lord Xitian has never done so, hoping to have another late bloom!

If Lord Xitian and Princess Jie Youu’s poison activates, Lord Xitian’s hereditary title will be completely lost! The adoption of heirs in Great Zhou is an extremely serious matter, with all the rituals completed, it cannot be completed in less than half a year!"

At this point, Zhao Zhong chuckled sinisterly, "Captain Ye, do you understand?"

Ye Zhen nodded, Zhao Zhong whispered again, "As for the treasures in Xitian County, besides the obvious national treasury, Royal Palace Treasure Vault, and Lord Xitian’s private vault, there is a Clan Guardian Secret Vault, a secret treasure passed down for thousands of years by the Jie Family of Lord Xitian!"

"Captain Ye, you are really getting a great deal this time! Even Marquis himself isn’t too aware of this information!" Zhao Zhong’s words made Ye Zhen break into a wide smile!