Chapter 372: Biyou Village (Conclusion)

"Where's the leader? Contact him quickly!" In the chaos of Biyou Village, some were chasing Feng Baobao and Wang Zhenqiu, while others shouted to find Ma Xianhong.

"There's no signal! What's going on?" People trying to call Ma Xianhong quickly realized their phones were out of service. Zhang Chulan's group had already set up devices to block all signals in the village before making their move.

The company's main target was Ma Xianhong. They didn't want unnecessary casualties, which is why Zhang Chulan used his status as a fellow Eight Wonders inheritor to keep Ma Xianhong distracted. This allowed the others to deal with the rest of the village without interference. If Ma Xianhong had a chance to rally the members of the new Jie Sect, subduing him with minimal damage would be much harder.

The ideal scenario for the temporary workers was to neutralize the upper-rank exorcists and the village members without Ma Xianhong realizing anything was wrong. That way, they could overwhelm him with a well-coordinated strike afterward. This wasn't some honorable duel between exorcists—it was a company operation, and none of the temporary workers were driven by a sense of justice. In fact, someone with an overblown sense of justice wouldn't last long in their line of work.

As the temporary workers scattered, the upper-rank exorcists were forced to split up and chase them down, falling right into the workers' diversion tactic.

Among the chaos, a few places in the village remained quiet, such as where Fu Rong and Zhuge Qing were staying. Zhuge Qing was aware of the company's plans and had no intention of intervening, and Fu Rong, though grateful to Ma Xianhong for giving her refuge, knew she couldn't fight against the company.

Wang Ye, on the other hand, simply stayed in his room, lying down as though he hadn't noticed the turmoil outside.

"It's inevitable," sighed Bi Yuan, one of the upper-rank exorcists. After his soft murmur, he blended into the crowd of panicking villagers and quietly slipped down the mountain.

Zhao Guizhen, realizing the company was attacking Biyou Village, immediately fled. Like Fu Rong, he had sought refuge in the village, though for different reasons—he was evading the company's warrants.

"I have no intention of fighting the company. Can I leave now?" Shen Fei said, raising his hands and shaking his head as he faced a middle-aged man with a bushy black beard.

The man was Hei Guan'er, a temporary worker from the Central China region of the company, with rumored connections to the military. The tube-like artifact in his hand was one that only the army possessed.

In a world where exorcists existed, the strongest organization wasn't Quanzhen Sect or even Longhu Mountain—it was the military. Many sects and exorcist families had close ties with the armed forces. For example, Wang Ye's family was linked to the Zhonghai Group, and there was also the Jia Family in the west.

As the largest force backing the nation, the military had more forgemasters than any other group in the exorcist world. It was difficult for smaller factions to afford forgemasters, but for the military, this was easy. The combat power of the military was unparalleled, especially among the special forces, who were exorcists themselves. When modern firearms were used by exorcists, their destructive power reached a whole new level.

"Oh." Hei Guan'er glanced at Shen Fei before walking away. Avoiding unnecessary conflict was fine with him. The temporary workers had no intention of going after upper-rank exorcists who didn't want to fight, like Fu Rong. Their job was only to take down Ma Xianhong; how the upper-rank exorcists were dealt with later was up to the company leadership. As long as the exorcists didn't interfere with Ma Xianhong's capture, their escape wasn't a concern. The company's exorcists, who had surrounded Biyou Village, would take care of any loose ends.

The company took Ma Xianhong's ideology and the threat of his Shenji Bailian technique very seriously. That's why they had surrounded the village and wouldn't allow anyone to leave until the matter was resolved. Even someone like Bi Yuan would have to report to the company. And Zhuge Qing, as the future head of the Zhuge family, would be questioned to ensure he hadn't leaked the Shenji Bailian technique.

Nowhere Express, the company's courier service, wasn't just a front. Its strength wasn't limited to the temporary workers. Many exorcists wanted to join the company, attracted by its benefits and superior cultivation methods.

"Zhao Guizhen has run into Xiao Ge. Wang Ye is by the creek. And Zhuge Qing sure knows how to take advantage of the situation with Fu Rong," Shen Fei mused. As Hei Guan'er left, Shen Fei made his way toward the Xiushen Furnace, using his heightened awareness to monitor Ma Xianhong and Zhang Chulan. He wasn't in a rush because his Kenbunshoku Haki had been tracking the situation closely.

"No wonder Ma Xianhong hasn't noticed the massive fire in the village. Zhang Chulan was covering it up well." As Shen Fei arrived at the furnace, he saw Ma Xianhong and Zhang Chulan seated in a way that obscured Ma Xianhong's view of the fire raging in the village. Shen Fei finally understood Zhang Chulan's plan.

The furnace was located some distance from the village, but the flames should have been visible in the dark night. However, due to Ma Xianhong's position, he couldn't see it. And with the signal jamming in place, he had no idea what was happening.

"Let me help you out." With a swift kick, Shen Fei sent a small stone flying, causing it to strike a nearby boulder. The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough to catch the attention of both Ma Xianhong and Zhang Chulan, who were sensitive to their surroundings. While Ma Xianhong stood up to investigate, Zhang Chulan looked annoyed.

"Zhang Chulan, you bastard!" Ma Xianhong didn't go to check the source of the sound. Instead, as soon as he turned around, he saw the flames engulfing Biyou Village. Thanks to Shen Fei's interference, Chen Duo wasn't in the village, but Ma Xianhong quickly pieced together what was happening and glared angrily at Zhang Chulan.

Ma Xianhong had trusted Zhang Chulan because they were both inheritors of the Eight Wonders, but now he realized that Zhang had betrayed him.

"Sorry, Master Ma. But I'm an employee of the company," Zhang Chulan admitted. Now that the situation was exposed, there was no point in pretending anymore. He didn't want to be an Eight Wonders inheritor in the first place, unlike Ma Xianhong, who had grand ambitions. All Zhang Chulan wanted was a peaceful life—and maybe a beautiful girlfriend.

Ma Xianhong's dream of uniting all the Eight Wonders inheritors was nothing more than a fantasy. Neither Wang Ye nor Zhang Chulan had any interest in it.

"Zhang Chulan, you—! You're unbelievable!" Ma Xianhong, furious, rushed back toward the village, smashing his phone in anger when he saw there was no signal.

"Master Ma, you really trusted me, didn't you? But now I have to destroy this." As soon as Ma Xianhong left, Zhang Chulan grabbed a large hammer from the tool shed, ready to smash the Xiushen Furnace.

From Zhang Chulan's perspective, Ma Xianhong's reaction had been anticipated. Whether Ma Xianhong stayed to fight him or rushed back to save the villagers, Zhang Chulan had already accounted for both scenarios. If Ma Xianhong stayed, it would buy the other temporary workers more time to handle the chaos in the village. If he left, Zhang Chulan could destroy the furnace.

While Ma Xianhong was overly trusting of those he considered allies, he was cautious around outsiders like the company's workers.

"You were just calling him 'uncle,' and now you're about to destroy his life's work. Truly shameless." Just as Zhang Chulan was about to bring the hammer down on the furnace, Shen Fei suddenly appeared, forcing Zhang Chulan to retreat several steps, creating distance between them.

Zhang Chulan was a master at building relationships, and it had worked like a charm.

"It's you," Zhang Chulan said, his expression turning serious when he saw Shen Fei. Behind his shameless facade, Zhang Chulan was an extremely clever and resourceful person. The fact that Shen Fei, a powerful upper-rank exorcist, had been present all along but hadn't revealed himself until now made Zhang Chulan realize something.

"Ma Xianhong, what kind of people do you have around you?" Zhang Chulan cursed inwardly.

"So, you've been hiding here with ulterior motives," Zhang Chulan said after a moment of silence.

"I won't deny that. I came here for the furnace. So, I can't let you destroy it. You should leave," Shen Fei said, pointing to the Xiushen Furnace, making his intentions clear.

"Sorry, but my job is to destroy it," Zhang Chulan responded, his expression becoming serious as he stared at Shen Fei.

"So, you're ready to fight me? Shu Zhi Jing Tou, Qi Ti Yuan Liu—I've always been

 curious about this Eight Wonders technique. Let's see it," Shen Fei taunted, motioning for Zhang Chulan to make his move.

"You've got to be kidding. I don't have Qi Ti Yuan Liu. We confirmed that back on Longhu Mountain," Zhang Chulan replied, his pupils narrowing in shock, though he quickly switched to his usual playful demeanor, flashing a mischievous grin.

"No Qi Ti Yuan Liu, huh? What about Old Farmer's Skill?" Shen Fei asked.

"Who are you, really?" Zhang Chulan's smile vanished instantly as a thin layer of lightning, Yang Wu Lei, began to form around his body.

"Don't be so tense. I'm not interested in your Qi Ti Yuan Liu. Rather than worry about me, shouldn't you be more concerned about your companion, Feng Baobao? Wang Zhenqiu seems very interested in her. Without you by her side, do you think he might find out something?" Shen Fei continued.

"You know about Bao'er?" Zhang Chulan's voice tensed when Shen Fei mentioned Wang Zhenqiu's name, though he didn't immediately return to Feng Baobao's side. Instead, he pressed Shen Fei for more information.

"Relax. Just as I'm not interested in your Qi Ti Yuan Liu, I don't care about Feng Baobao's secrets either. Rather than worry about me, you should keep an eye on those who are truly interested in her," Shen Fei said.

"Speed of Thunder!" Zhang Chulan suddenly burst forward, moving at lightning speed as his body surged with powerful thunder energy, aiming a lightning-charged palm at Shen Fei.

Zhang Chulan rarely took risks, but in this moment, he decided to gamble. With someone who knew so much about his and Feng Baobao's secrets standing before him, he couldn't take any chances. He had to eliminate Shen Fei to protect both their futures.

Yang Wu Lei gave Zhang Chulan a massive speed boost, allowing him to close the distance between them in an instant. In his battle with Tang Men's Tang Wenlong, this speed had given him the edge and led to his victory.

Smack.

Before Zhang Chulan could land his lightning-infused palm strike on Shen Fei, he felt a sharp pain in his throat. He realized he was being lifted off the ground—Shen Fei had grabbed him by the neck.

"You thought you could fight me? Do you really believe Qi Ti Yuan Liu is the most powerful technique in the world?" Shen Fei sneered as he lifted Zhang Chulan effortlessly by the throat.

With a flick of his wrist, Shen Fei tossed Zhang Chulan a good ten meters away. "I'll let you off this time out of respect for the old master at Longhu Mountain. But remember, there won't be a next time. Now get lost."

"Cough, cough!" Zhang Chulan coughed violently as he struggled to regain his breath. Without saying a word, he stood up and left immediately. Facing an opponent far stronger than himself, Zhang Chulan wasn't foolish enough to continue the fight—he wasn't as stubborn as someone like Luffy.

"Now, for Qu Tong." With Zhang Chulan gone, Shen Fei wrapped the furnace in a large cloth and shrunk it down to a manageable size before carrying it off toward Ma Xianhong.

Thanks to the magical effects of the cloth, none of the traps Ma Xianhong had set around the furnace were triggered. Shen Fei had neutralized the Huashou, Black Puppets, and White Puppets Ma Xianhong had prepared to defend his creation.

Ma Xianhong valued the furnace greatly, especially the improved version he'd built with Zhuge Qing's help, which was key to restoring his memories. To protect it, he had placed multiple Huashou around it, ready to activate at any sign of an intruder.

"Xiao Ge really is something—cold, silent, and deadly." When Shen Fei finally arrived at the standoff between Ma Xianhong and the temporary workers, the upper-rank exorcists had all been defeated. Only the transformed humans remained, stubbornly refusing to leave despite Ma Xianhong's pleas, shouting that they would fight for him.

It wasn't until Xiao Zizai appeared, carrying Zhao Guizhen's severed head and spine, that the scene fell into an eerie silence. The gruesome sight stunned the transformed humans into submission. Even among exorcists, few had witnessed such brutality.

Once the shock wore off, the transformed humans fled down the mountain in panic, terrified by Xiao Zizai's horrifying display.

"Come on, all of you at once. Let's see what the company has in store for me!" Ma Xianhong, now fully encased in the black and red armor of his Wu Dou Armor artifact, challenged the temporary workers surrounding him.

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]