Chapter 28: Leaving Home

"Huh! What is this thing?" Meng Dayong pulled a palm-sized stone disk out of the Flying Tiger Demon's belly. Some winding lines were carved onto it, and a mysterious fluctuation radiated from this stone disk, causing faint clouds and mist to gather around it.

Meng Yifan took the stone disk, looked at the mist above it, and then thought about the fog that had sealed the village. He estimated that the Flying Tiger Demon had used this stone disk to release the mist and seal Qinghe Village.

Now that the Flying Tiger Demon had been finished off by Meng Yifan, the stone disk had no master to drive it, so the mist outside the village had dissipated.

"Is this a Dharma Artifact?" Meng Dayong was incredibly excited. He had heard that Commandant Zhang of Luolong County possessed a Dharma Artifact, which had great power and could allow one to fight above their rank. If this stone disk was also a Dharma Artifact, then he and his son would have struck it rich.

"This is definitely a treasure, but how should it be used?" Meng Yifan tried to channel his Manyuujin True Qi into the stone disk, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea; the stone disk had no reaction at all.

Meng Yifan thought of the novels he had read in his past life, where one would drip blood to claim ownership of a treasure. He bit his index finger and dripped three drops of fresh blood onto the stone disk.

However, the fresh blood dripped onto the stone disk, yet the stone disk still had no reaction. This left Meng Yifan puzzled. He guessed that dripping blood to claim ownership was useless, and there might be two reasons for this.

One possibility was that he was not an Immortal Cultivator and there was no Spirit Power in his blood, so he could not make the stone disk acknowledge him as its master.

Another possibility was that this stone disk was a Dharma Artifact used by the Demon Race, which was different from human Dharma Artifacts, and humans simply could not drive it.

These were just Meng Yifan's guesses, and he did not know if he was right. Since he could not use the stone disk, he put it in his pack, waiting until he entered the city to find someone to ask and see if he could find a way to use it.

Immortal Cultivators existed in this world, and Meng Yifan also yearned for Cultivating Immortality and Seeking the Dao, longing to be able to fly through the heavens and burrow into the earth, roaming the North Sea in the morning and the Cangwu Mountains in the evening, free and unfettered between Heaven and Earth.

"Where can I find an Immortal Cultivation Technique?" Meng Yifan was somewhat distressed. He had a Game Panel; as long as he obtained an Immortal Cultivation Technique, he could use Experience Value to exchange for proficiency and rapidly improve his cultivation. But the problem was that he could not even get his hands on an Immortal Cultivation Technique right now, which was a bit troublesome.

The villagers of Qinghe Village were all busy. A large number of Wild Beasts had been killed in this battle, and a lot of beast meat could be harvested. They certainly could not finish eating it in a few days. To prevent the beast meat from rotting, Meng Dayong arranged for everyone to cut the meat into strips and then smoke it into Monster Cured Meat, so that it could be preserved for a long time without spoiling easily.

Meng Dayong also organized the villagers to collect all the relatively intact furs of the beasts. These furs could be sold for money once sent to the city.

Especially the furs and claws of Demon Beasts, which could be used to make leather armor or weapons; their uses were very extensive, and they were also more valuable.

That Second Grade Tiger Demon had been shot through the mouth by a Lead Bullet, so its fur was almost perfectly preserved. Such a complete white tiger pelt was the favorite of noble ladies in the city; if made into a fur coat, it could certainly be sold for a good price.

That Third Grade Flying Tiger Demon had been blasted to death by Meng Yifan with an Elm Cannon pointed at its head, and a large hole had been smashed into its belly by an Iron Ball, so its fur was severely damaged.

However, the Third Grade Flying Tiger Demon had a massive body, and the relatively intact fur could still be used to make two or three pieces of leather armor.

Additionally, the tiger claws were extremely sharp, and through special methods, they could also be crafted into weapons.

Moreover, the fur and claws of a Third Grade Demon Beast were not only tough in texture with strong defensive and offensive capabilities, but they also contained Heaven and Earth Spirit Power, making them materials for crafting Dharma Artifacts.

In every city of the Great Wu Heavenly Dynasty, there were merchant guilds specialized in purchasing Demon Beast materials, and Third Grade Demon Beast materials could be sold for a lot of money.

"We're rich! We're rich!" Meng Dayong was incredibly excited. He had been hunting for over a decade and had never hunted a Demon Beast before. He hadn't expected that this time, even a Third Grade Demon Beast had been finished off. As long as they sold the Demon Beast materials, he and his son would be free from worry about food and clothing for a long time, and even his cultivation, which was stuck at a bottleneck, could rise a level.

"Dad, have you thought about what we should do in the future?" Meng Yifan frowned, looking at the Tiger Mark on his chest. He had already tried every method he could think of; whether it was washing with water or cutting the flesh, it was useless. This mark was like a lingering Yin Soul, firmly engraved on his body, which made him feel a strong sense of crisis.

In order to kill one Third Grade Flying Tiger Demon, Meng Yifan had already exhausted all his trump cards. If two or three Third Grade Demon Beasts came at once, with his current strength, he would certainly not be able to withstand them.

The mark left behind by the Third Grade Flying Tiger Demon would certainly attract other Demon Beasts, and Meng Yifan had to think of a way to deal with it in advance.

"Yifan, we will take the villagers into the city. There are powerful constables in the city, and the County Magistrate can also wield the Dynasty Luck of Luolong County. With them guarding, it is safe inside the city. Besides, there are many experts in the city; perhaps someone knows how to break this mark."

Meng Dayong had already made up his mind when the fog dissipated. Too many people had died in Qinghe Village, and it might face attacks from Demon Beasts at any time, so it was no longer suitable for human habitation. Moving into the city to live was a very good choice.

"Take the villagers into the city together?" Meng Yifan asked. He did not object to living in the city, but if he had to take the villagers of Qinghe Village with them, he was somewhat unwilling.

Most of these villagers were old, weak, sick, or disabled. Taking them along was a heavy burden. In a year of famine, it would be good enough if he and his father could survive; bringing so many villagers along wasn't that just asking for trouble?

Meng Dayong said, "Yifan, those bad guys like Zhang Cheng have all been killed by us. The remaining villagers are all kind-hearted people, and some are our relatives within the five degrees of mourning. I have lived with them for so many years, and I know them inside and out; I can trust them."

"In this battle, you saw it too; everyone worked together, and there wasn't a single coward. If these people are used well, they will be a great help to us."

"Your father has already thought it through. After we enter the city, we will sell these Demon Beast materials and buy a large courtyard in the city. These villagers are not lazy people and can help us do things."

Seeing Meng Dayong say this, Meng Yifan did not object anymore. He could see that Meng Dayong was still very sentimental and wanted to help the villagers.

Time passed quickly. After the villagers finished making the Monster Cured Meat, more than half a day had passed.

Meng Dayong gathered the villagers together and then said loudly, "There are also Demon Beasts active in the nearby villages, and they could attack Qinghe Village again at any time. Staying in Qinghe Village is very dangerous. My son and I plan to take advantage of the fact that the fog outside the village has dissipated to go to Luolong County city to live."

As soon as Meng Dayong's voice fell, the villagers' expressions changed drastically, and they whispered to each other, discussing heatedly.

"Brother Meng, what will we do if you leave?"

"That's right, Uncle Meng, can you take us with you?"

"Sigh! Meng Wulang, what are you thinking? It's not easy to live in the city. Why would Meng Dayong and his son take you along?"

"I heard that houses in the city are very expensive. We mountain villagers can't afford houses at all. Besides, living in the city requires money for food and clothing. We only know how to farm and hunt. If we go to the city, are we just waiting to starve to death?"

"But if we don't go to the city, are we just staying here waiting to die?"

The villagers discussed for a long time. They also knew that in Qinghe Village, the Meng father and son had the strongest strength, while the other young and strong men were just Unranked ordinary people. If the two of them left, the remaining villagers would not be able to stop the next attack of the Demon Beasts at all, so entering the city was their only way to survive. However, even if these villagers entered the city, they would still have to worry about how to survive.

Meng Dayong waited for the villagers to finish discussing before saying again, "If everyone is willing to follow us into the city, I will sell the Demon Beast materials and buy a large courtyard in the city. We will live together. As long as my son and I have a bite to eat, we won't let everyone go hungry."

"If you still want to stay in Qinghe Village, I will leave fifty catties of Monster Cured Meat for each person. If you eat sparingly, you can hold out for a period of time. How you choose depends entirely on your own will. Those who are willing to follow us, take a step forward."

The villagers started discussing again, and soon all the villagers chose to follow the Meng family into the city.

"Good, then go and collect the supplies in the village. In ten minutes, we will set off for the city," Meng Dayong said. After he finished speaking, the villagers dispersed and went home to pack their things.

Meng Dayong took Meng Yifan back to their own home, looking at the dilapidated thatched cottage, his eyes full of reluctance.

Although this house was very dilapidated, it was something he had built bit by bit, and it contained much of his heart's blood. It was in this thatched cottage that he had married and had children, watching Meng Yifan grow up day by day. Now that he suddenly had to leave his hometown and go to the city to live, he felt very bitter inside.

But in order to survive, no matter how reluctant he was, he had to go.

There was actually nothing valuable left in the house. Meng Dayong returned mainly to take away the spirit tablets of Meng Yifan's grandparents and mother. Then he took Meng Yifan to the graveyard behind the village to kowtow and offer incense to his deceased relatives, muttering about his plans, and also saying that after the Great Wu Heavenly Dynasty wiped out the demons in the future, he would return.