Chapter 2018: The Crowd Puts on a Show

Ye Liuyun first used Divine Sense to probe, and found the management here was very lax; there were no guards outside at all.

It was probably that no one dares to cause trouble here normally.

The guards were all cultivating in their quarters and chatting idly.

The herbal fragrance here was rich and pleasant, soothing the mind, and the cultivation effect was considerably better than elsewhere.

"The show is about to start!"

At Ye Liuyun's command, Green Wind leapt out, rushed into the herb field, ate while stuffing herbs into the Storage Ring, getting herbs all over its head and face.

Moreover, it followed Ye Liuyun's style, scraping up herbs without sparing even the soil.

Soon, a large patch of the herb field was gone.

A few guards of the herb field were chatting inside the room when they suddenly sensed a Formation disturbance and froze for a moment.

"It can't be some blind fool running to meet death, can it?"

"Who would dare come here to steal herbs?"

I've been here for years and never encountered this.

Maybe the nearby villagers accidentally triggered the Formation!

These guards are usually lazy; several of them are too lazy even to use Divine Sense to investigate.

But there were still responsible guards who dutifully went to check.

"You look nervous! It must be a false alarm!"

The guard beside him kept mocking him.

"Bad! It's a fierce beast.

Not only eating, but also sweeping up the herbs in sheets!"

The guard who was checking was startled by Green Wind and immediately reported to the others.

"Ha ha, your joke is too boring, at most it's for teasing kids!"

Someone nearby started heckling, thinking he was deliberately teasing everyone.

"It's true!"

The Martial Cultivator shouted anxiously, rushed out of the room, and rang the alarm.

"This joke has gone too far, hasn't it?"

"Could it be real?"

The other guards, seeing his serious demeanor, also used Divine Sense to look outside; upon seeing, everyone was shocked, leapt out of the room, and charged at Green Wind.

While running, they shouted, trying to halt Green Wind.

Green Wind originally intended to flee, but realized the first Martial Cultivators arriving were only mid‑late Fourth Layer cultivators, so it kept its eyes on them and continued stuffing herbs into the Storage Ring.

"You damned beast!"

A guard who saw Green Wind not fearing them couldn't help cursing.

But their realms were lower than Green Wind's, so they dared not charge directly; they only surrounded it and shouted to distract its attention.

There were over thirty guards at the herb field, and only one squad leader was at the Sixth Layer mid‑realm.

The strong ones of this herb base lived far away in the Side Courtyard.

The squad leader also leapt out of the Cultivation Room, summoned all Martial Cultivators, and rushed here toward Green Wind.

Only then did Green Wind bolt away.

At that moment, Ye Liuyun, accompanied by Fire Dance, Lei Ming, and Little Blue Ice, also entered the scene.

"Green Wind, Green Wind..." several people called his name from afar, hurrying toward the herb field.

Green Wind ran straight toward them, drawing those guards along.

Little Blue Ice saw Green Wind and cheered.

Green Wind directly ran behind Ye Liuyun and the others and hid.

Those guards immediately pursued, surrounding Ye Liuyun and his group.

The squad leader also brought his men and rushed over.

"What are you doing?"

Lei Ming, hands on his hips, stepped forward and scolded the guards.

Green Wind crouched behind them, looking like it feared being beaten for causing trouble.

Little Blue Ice perched on Green Wind's back, pretending to ask it about the situation.

"Where did you run to just now?"

"Why did you bring so many people back?"

"Did you cause trouble again?"

While saying that, they patted Green Wind's head.

Green Wind lowered its head and emitted a whimpering "wu‑wu" pleading sound.

Ye Liuyun clasped his fists, smiled apologetically, and greeted them.

He used Thousand Illusion Technique to transform into an ordinary person, dressed very plainly.

Lei Ming also altered his shapeshifting armor into ordinary civilian clothes, revealing no sign of any background.

Only Fire Dance wore revealing, fiery‑hot attire, with a seductive figure and expressive eyes, looking unlike Ye Liuyun's party.

The squad leader sized them up and said to Ye Liuyun, "Your pet beast stole our herbs.

You must come with us to face punishment."

"Oh?"

Ye Liuyun, hearing that, first turned back and pretended to scold Little Blue Ice: "I let you tether it, yet you insisted on letting it run around everywhere."

Look, you've caused trouble, haven't you!

Lei Ming, however, disdainfully said to the captain: "It's just some medicinal herbs, right?"

We'll just pay the money! You say how much!

The captain raised his hand, pointing to the nearby medicine field, and said disdainfully: "You can't see it yourself?"

With so many medicine fields destroyed, do you think paying money can settle it?

You didn't even bother to ask whose medicine field this is.

Pay money?

I'm afraid you won't be able to pay at all!

Lei Ming, meanwhile, pretended to gaze at the medicine field and exclaimed in amazement: "So much!"

Huo Wu was already using illusion technique to influence those guards, making them believe their captain was extorting Ye Liuyun and the others, and to hand over thirty million Divine Crystals.

Ye Liuyun and the others, however, had a very good attitude, willing to go back with the captain to negotiate, but their captain would rather just demand money outright.

This also left them puzzled.

"So the captain is this kind of person! You usually can't tell!"

Only the captain and the four middle-late stage fifth-level Martial Cultivators did she not attempt to use illusion technique on, for fear of being discovered.

"Whose medicine field is this?"

Huo Wu continued talking to him, stalling for time.

The captain glanced at Huo Wu, noting her outstanding looks and bearing, and his tone softened: "This is the Water Family's medicine field!"

"Ah?"

"Water Family?"

"Which Water Family?"

Huo Wu asked, pretending not to know.

"You don't even know the Water Family?"

"Where are you from?"

The captain had long realized they were not locals, assuming they didn't know this was the Water Family's medicine field.

Unexpectedly, these people hadn't even heard of the Water Family.

"We are immigrants who came from the eastern border."

"There, war is raging; we just fled here."

"We are unfamiliar with this place's environment; please, sir, be forgiving!"

Ye Liuyun then said.

"So that's how it is!"

The captain nodded and explained to Huo Wu: "The Water Family is a major power in the east; no one dares to provoke them."

"You are not in the eastern interior, so you may not understand the situation."

He thought these people hadn't even heard of the Water Family's name, surely they weren't from any great clan, and talking more would be useless.

Huo Wu, though her brows and eyes conveyed feeling, was very alluring.

But this matter is too great; he dare not take on this responsibility.

He also didn't want to waste more time, immediately telling Ye Liuyun and the others: "You must come back with us; after we report to the family, we'll decide how to handle it."

"On what grounds must we go with you?"

"Who knows what scheme you have!"

Lei Ming then spoke up again to voice a contrary opinion.

"Hmph, whether you go or not is not up to you! Seize them!"

The captain directly ordered his subordinates to seize them.

"Hey, sir, let's talk nicely; why resort to force?"

Huo Wu then stepped forward to smooth things over.

The four middle-late stage fifth-level Martial Cultivators behind him immediately stood up.