Chapter 75: with translation of chapter title

The wait in the valley made every breath feel extraordinarily long.

Two days later at dusk, when Wang Shan was almost thinking something had gone wrong, a familiar figure finally appeared at the valley mouth.

"Clan Leader!"

Wang Zhitao had returned, travel-worn, but his eyes shone astonishingly bright.

"How is it?" Wang Shan rose to his feet, and the other clansmen gathered around, their faces full of tension and anticipation.

"Success!" Wang Zhitao grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth, "I've basically figured out the situation in Heishi Town, and I even rented a small courtyard on the town's edge using the miscellaneous spoils we seized—it's a bit rundown, but its seclusion is a plus."

"Good! Good!" a clansman couldn't help but exclaim softly.

Wang Shan gestured for everyone to be quiet, then looked at Wang Zhitao: "Tell me in detail about the town's situation."

Wang Zhitao cleared his throat, his expression turning serious: "Clan Leader, that Heishi Town—tsk, really isn't a good place. The streets are messy, cultivators everywhere, each looking hard to provoke. The market has everything, but it's very shabby."

He paused, then continued: "The town is mainly controlled by three forces: the Shi Clan, the Li Clan, and a group called the Mercenary Guild. Hearing from the loose cultivators there, the Shi Clan are the most domineering, basically gripping the town's mineral trade and some spirit fields."

"What about the Wan Clan's bounty?" Wang Shan asked the most crucial question.

Wang Zhitao's face darkened: "Notices are posted everywhere—at least a dozen on the bulletin board! The reward is so high it's frightening, and many people's eyes have turned red."

Hearing this, many clansmen's faces turned pale; the little joy that had just risen was replaced by worry.

"However," Wang Zhitao shifted his tone, "since Wan Hong was… uh, dealt with by us, the townsfolk may be eyeing the bounty, but most are still watching and waiting, none daring to jump out as the first bird."

Wang Shan nodded; this was as expected. Killing a chicken to scare the monkeys sometimes still has some use.

"Clan Leader, we…" Wang Boyan spoke somewhat hesitantly.

"Enter the town!" Wang Shan said decisively, "No delay—we go in at once!"

He scanned the crowd, his voice not loud but carrying undeniable authority: "The Wan Clan's bounty has already spread; this place will sooner or later be discovered. Heishi Town may be a mix of dragons and snakes, but it's currently our only hiding place."

"Listen up!" Wang Shan emphasized, "Once inside the town, everyone must keep your tails tucked tight! Run the Concealing Breath Art to the extreme, suppress your cultivation! I'll disguise myself as Body Refining Seventh Layer; Zhitao, Zhitao, you few, also suppress to about Body Refining Third or Fourth Layer. Everyone else, go as low as you can."

His gaze swept over the women, children, and wounded: "You walk in the middle of the group, try not to draw attention. Remember, unless absolutely necessary, you are absolutely not to start conflicts! All actions follow my command—understand?"

"Understood!" they replied in unison, their voices carrying a hint of suppressed resolve.

Wang Shan himself silently operated the Concealing Breath Art; the aura of his Body Refining Eighth Stage Midphase gradually subsided, finally stabilizing at the semblance of Body Refining Seventh Stage Initial Phase, appearing as a loose cultivator leader with a bit of strength—not too conspicuous, yet not weak enough to be pushed around.

Others like Wang Zhitao and Wang Zhitao likewise all restrained their auras.

After these preparations, Wang Shan said in a low voice: "Depart!"

The group of over twenty people, deliberately scattered, dressed as a small family that had just fled here and was somewhat down-and-out, carefully made their way toward Heishi Town before night fully fell.

The closer they got to Heishi Town, the more cultivators they encountered.

Most of these people were in groups of three or five, their bodies emanating demonic qi, their gazes toward Wang Shan's party full of scrutiny, some even openly showing greed in their eyes.

Wang Shan's face was as still as water as he led the clansmen forward with heads down.

Finally, the simple yet crude wooden-and-stone structured town gate of Heishi Town came into view.

At the town gate, seven or eight cultivators wearing uniform leather armor stood lazily, inspecting those entering and leaving. They all had a black stone emblem embroidered on their chests, clearly marking them as Shi Clan members.

Seeing Wang Shan's group of over twenty, including the elderly, weak, women, and children, a few Shi Clan youths' eyes immediately turned playful.

When it was the Wang family's turn, a sharp-nosed, monkey-cheeked Shi Clan youth blocked them, his triangular eyes scanning a few young women in the group, and he gave a hehe smile: "Where are you from? What are you doing?"

He spoke extremely rudely; his cultivation was only Body Refining Third Layer, yet he was very arrogant.

Following Wang Shan's earlier instructions, Wang Zhitao quickly stepped forward, squeezing out a fawning smile, and quietly handed over a few low-grade spirit stones from his bosom: "Sir, we've fled from the mountains and wish to enter the town to seek a livelihood; please grant us convenience."

The Shi Clan youth weighed the spirit stones in his hand, curled his lip: "Just this? You're trying to send off a beggar?"

His gaze swept over the group again, lingering a few extra seconds on Wang Fang and the other women, then he extended his hand: "Entry fee is ten low-grade spirit stones per person! Also, open your storage bags for me to inspect!"

Wang Zhitao's face stiffened—this was outright robbery! Ten low-grade spirit stones per person, for over twenty of them that's more than two hundred! And that's not counting the storage-bag search!

Several young clansmen in the group had already flushed red with anger, their fists clenched.

Wang Shan stood behind Wang Zhitao, his gaze calm, yet it inexplicably gave that Shi Clan youth a chill.

Just as that Shi Clan youth was about to flare up, a nearby cultivator who looked like a small squad leader, roughly Body Refining Fifth Level, glanced at Wang Shan from time to time, his brow faintly furrowing.

He seemed to sense something—perhaps the faint demonic qi that Wang Shan unintentionally revealed from his long experience of slaughter, or perhaps some intuition.

"Alright, Old Three," the small squad leader waved his hand, his voice somewhat hoarse, "Looking at them, they don't seem to have much oil and water. Let them pass; don't dawdle here and mess up business, or you'll suffer."

The sharp-nosed, monkey-cheeked Shi Clan youth seemed somewhat unwilling, but he dared not defy the squad leader's words; he could only grunt resentfully and step aside: "Consider yourselves lucky! Go on in!"

Wang Zhitao secretly let out a breath of relief, quickly bowing: "Thank you, sir, thank you!"

The Wang family members endured their stifled resentment and anger, heads down, quickly walked through the town gate.

Upon entering Heishi Town, a mixed stench of sweat, blood, inferior pills, and various unknown substances assailed them.

Sewage flowed across the streets; the buildings on either side were mostly haphazard stacks of stone and wood, crooked and twisted. The cultivators on the road hurried along, each with a robust aura and wary eyes, occasionally casting malicious glances at this Wang family group of "newcomers."

"Damn, this really isn't a good place." Wang Zhitao muttered under his breath.

"Cut the nonsense, stay close!" Wang Shan barked low.

Wang Zhitao led the way, guiding the group through several chaotic streets, winding left and right, until they reached a relatively secluded alley. At the alley's end stood a dilapidated small courtyard.

"Clan Leader, this is the place." Wang Zhitao pointed at the wood door whose paint had peeled off and said.

A new life, or rather, a new struggle, began here.