Chapter 2426: Killing to Silence

Especially this piece of white fang still has a large cavity indented, making it even more like a cavity in a human tooth.

Shangguan Biao then dropped the dew onto the cavity on Bai Shi.

One drop, two drops...

When the third drop fell, the trembling of the ground lessened, and the cave no longer twisted.

When the fifth drop fell, the fissures in the ground returned to calm.

Aside from the scattered stalactite fragments on the ground, it seemed as if nothing had happened.

Shangguan Biao put the medicine bottle away properly and continued cleaning the nest.

From his demeanor, it seemed he had done this before. However, seeing Shangguan Biao acting furtively, He Lingchuan suspected that the fact that the dew of the Wind-Dew Golden Lotus could pacify the Earth Mother was probably still unknown to anyone in Changfeng Valley.

Immortal Mingke pondered: "If this is a nest, where is the Earth Mother?"

He had still thought that this trip would allow him to see the Earth Mother's true form.

Zhu Xiuer corrected: "Perhaps, Shangguan Biao is currently inside the Earth Mother's body."

"Huh?" Immortal Mingke immediately understood: "You mean this entire back mountain is the Earth Mother's body?"

"For now." Zhu Xiuer continued, "The Earth Mother originally evolved from a stone heart, and its form can change infinitely."

At that moment, a sudden "crack" sounded not far away, as if something had struck the scattered stones on the ground. Shangguan Biao jerked his head up, pointed a finger, and the bright light sphere flew over, revealing a figure sneaking toward the entrance not far off.

"Who!"

That figure was stopped by his call, neither moving nor staying still, momentarily embarrassed, and finally could only turn around.

Shangguan Biao exclaimed: "Senior Brother Wang? Weren't you bedridden?"

This fellow always went to curry favor with Supervisor Zhao, and relying on his seniority, he often bossed around the other laborers, sometimes slacking off and not working, so Supervisor Zhao would have Shangguan Biao and a few other minor laborers cover his shift.

When Wang Senior Brother's movements were exposed, he rubbed his nose, somewhat annoyed and angry: "You're hiding such a treasure for pacifying the Earth Mother, yet you don't care about the lives of the rest of us."

Seeing the big hat about to be slapped on him, Shangguan Biao immediately explained: "I still lack confidence; I'm just doing a preliminary test. Before it's successful, who would dare report it to the sect?"

Wang Senior Brother immediately seized on the words: "A test? Meaning you have no confidence in this thing's effect? What kind of person are you? What qualifications do you have, daring to use our mountain spirit beasts as test subjects? If the test fails, what consequences can you bear?"

Moreover, He Lingchuan and Immortal Mingke felt his words made considerable sense.

"It won't fail." Shangguan Biao hurriedly smiled, "I can even drink that dew myself."

"Whether it fails or not, is that for you to decide?" Wang Senior Brother snorted, turned, and walked back the way he came.

Although there were many pebbles on the road, he walked surprisingly fast.

Shangguan Biao's gaze darted uncertainly.

He knew Wang Senior Brother's character all too well—once back on the surface, he would most likely report this matter.

But the dew of the golden lotus was fundamentally insufficient for so many people to use. If someone took it, Shangguan Biao would lack this protective charm the next time he cleaned the nest.

Moreover, the sect would likely punish him severely for such behavior. The merit he desired might just fly away!

That was his only hope of leaving this place!

What to do, what to do?

By the time Wang Senior Brother returned to the surface, it would already be too late. Shangguan Biao gritted his teeth and suddenly lunged forward in pursuit:

"Senior Brother Wang, wait—I am willing to share with you!"

"Oh?" Wang Senior Brother indeed turned around.

Shangguan Biao wore an expression of flattery and fear, which made him lower his guard.

"The amount of this dew is too little, barely enough for three people." Shangguan Biao stated his difficulty, simultaneously handing over the jade bottle: "If you report this, it will benefit none of us."

Wang Senior Brother instinctively took the bottle, but the next instant, his palm erupted in burning pain, like fire scorching!

He loosened his grip, the bottle fell to the ground and shattered, its liquid spilling out and corrosively eating several small holes into the stone floor.

"Corrosive poison!"

Wang Senior Brother was caught off guard, smoke pouring from his seven orifices as he writhed on the ground, no longer able to attend to anything else.

He suddenly lifted his eyes—the last sight he would ever see in this life was Shangguan Biao casually snapping off a broken stalactite and violently stabbing it through his heart!

Zhu Xiuer praised: "Ah yo, this kid's strike is both precise and ruthless. Looks like his basic skills have been drilled solidly in daily practice."

The Blood Demon chuckled: "Hehe, probably a technique he practiced behind the door panels in ordinary times."

The tip of the bamboo shoot was as sharp as a blade's point, and with a swish, it pierced through, bringing a chilling sensation to the heart.

Wang Senior Brother immediately froze motionless.

Shangguan Biao retreated two steps, leaning against the stone, staring at the corpse and muttering: "Why go through all this? Is it not disadvantageous for both of us?"

He looked left and right, confirmed no third person would appear, then dragged Wang Senior Brother's corpse and hurled it swiftly into the deeper part of the ground fissure.

No one had ever gone down there before.

The Blood Demon commented: "This Wang fellow lacks experience in harming others. After making threats, he should never have turned his back on someone."

Then Shangguan Biao continued cleaning the passage until he had collected all the ointment, whereupon he found a stalactite and smashed his own head until it bled profusely!

Upon seeing this, He Lingchuan and Zhu Xiuer both understood his intention.

Is this Shangguan Biao before his darkening? He's already quite ruthless toward himself.

Afterwards, Shangguan Biao returned along the original path to the surface.

After using the lotus dew, the Earth Mother slept soundly, never again flying into a rage.

Clearly, Shangguan Biao had done this before.

Zhu Xiuer asked: "Why does he want to conduct this experiment?"

According to He Lingchuan's understanding: "Having been demoted from an inner disciple to a laborer on Duzhi Mountain, he naturally feels resentful. The Wind-Dew Golden Lotus is a spiritual herb cultivated by his family; likely no one in Changfeng Valley knows it better than he does. Perhaps he wishes to use this spiritual herb to heal the Earth Mother's wounds and earn merit, thereby gaining a chance to climb back up?"

Immortal Mingke said: "Liu Yisheng once said that at this stage, the Earth Mother's spiritual essence suffers recurring damage, never improving. If Shangguan Biao could heal the Earth Mother's injury, that would indeed be a great merit."

If so, Shangguan Biao indeed needs to conduct repeated trials without failure. This opportunity is truly vital for him.

He Lingchuan also felt two parts of emotion: "Until now, his idea remains to rely solely on personal effort to achieve merit and promotion, wanting to walk the proper path. In a sect like Changfeng Valley, he is still too naive."

Mingke Xianren also nodded and said: "Even if he can heal the Earth Mother, this merit may not necessarily be his."

Halfway through the journey, Shangguan Biao suddenly stopped his steps, as if listening to something, looking left and right.

But the eyeball spider heard and saw nothing; everything around remained as usual. Shangguan Biao, however, suddenly let go of his steps and rushed toward his residence!

While running with abandon, he kept looking back, his face full of worry and fear.

"What is he doing?"

He Lingchuan pondered: "Perhaps that red monster went to find him again."