Chapter 107: Extra Treasure

By the time Su Huchen, carrying the flowerpot, had walked out of sight, Xu Chengzhu and the few people beside him finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then they all burst out laughing, chuckling and giggling.

Was the Blood-Crimson Vine useful or not?

It was indeed very useful. Without it, the Great Shell Beetle would never have exposed itself voluntarily. If everyone had fought it beneath the earth, frankly, that would have been its home ground; cultivators from Xiancheng would have had to sacrifice at least four or five times as many people to take it down.

But the Blood-Crimson Vine was just too gluttonous.

Everyone knew that the brains of large insect races were extremely valuable.

They were the primary raw material for refining various high-grade treasure pills, while the leftover scraps could be used to refine various special magical artifacts.

The insect nest needed no further mention; even the remaining carcasses of the shell beetles, their claws, and so on, were all good things. Even the leftover dorsal shells of the shell beetles could be used to refine various types of armor.

Damn it, if the Blood-Crimson Vine sucked them dry, leaving not even a crumb for anyone, what the hell would we get?

"That little fellow must be angry about being sent home like that. When we dismantle the insect nest later, we must pick out some large chunks of insect crystal to send to him," Director Bao Junyi said while laughing.

"Indeed, we must pay him wages. Send him five large, high-quality insect crystals. After all, there is another insect nest outside the city. If we don't give him something tasty this time, I reckon he will go on strike again," Xu Chengzhu joked as well.

He had only just learned during his chat with Director Bao Junyi that the Blood-Crimson Vine had gone on strike before.

The group of human experts around him had all heard Director Bao Junyi tell the story before. They all knew that the Blood-Crimson Vine had once refused to work, simply lying in the basin, because it disliked the small amount of insect crystals given to it.

So they all burst into laughter.

"I remember when that Blood-Crimson Vine was first born over sixty years ago, you could offer it a red date and it would just shake its head."

"When that Blood-Crimson Vine was first born over one hundred and thirty years ago, you could offer it a few spirit stones and it would emit the laughter of a baby."

"Damn, how have you seen so many Blood-Crimson Vines? This is the first time I have seen one with my own eyes."

"Kid, you've exposed your age. Remember to hide behind the elders when the great battle starts later."

"Old brother, you've exposed your age too!" some gloomy young cultivator immediately started to complain.

"Alright, stop discussing. Everyone, start working. Let's try to finish it off today," Xu Chengzhu said, looking at the shell beetle with burning eyes.

Although this wretched bug had caused no small trouble, once the sect heard the news, they would certainly send people down to investigate strictly.

But the rewards for killing it were also high.

He himself was a pill refiner by trade and knew too well how rare good materials were.

Just as Xu Chengzhu was preparing to work, Xu Yunrui transmitted a voice directly to him.

After listening, Xu Chengzhu immediately nodded at Xu Yunrui, telling him to go ahead and do as he pleased.

Xu Yunrui immediately left with Lu Jing.

As soon as they left, Su Hanlin realized something and immediately transmitted a voice to Director Bao Junyi.

Upon hearing this, Director Bao Junyi's eyes flashed, and he immediately transmitted a voice to Han Yiqu, the Chief Administrator of the North City. Han Yiqu's body stiffened, and he immediately transmitted a voice to his several confidants, quietly slipping away as well.

Su Huchen, carrying the small flowerpot, went directly to find Su Jian, who was at work.

After all, since Su Jian was not at home, it was not appropriate for him to knock on the door.

As soon as Su Jian saw him and the Blood-Crimson Vine, he requested leave to return home.

As soon as they walked through the door, the Blood-Crimson Vine cried out joyfully. "I'm home, I'm home." Then it plunged into the ground and vanished.

"Where did it go?" Su Huchen asked in surprise.

"It must have gone to the backyard to frolic. That spiritual field in the backyard is its territory."

"So that's how it is. Then when it said it was watching over its younger brothers and sisters, it actually meant the spiritual plants in your backyard?" Su Huchen asked hurriedly.

"No, the Blood-Crimson Vine was hatched from a ginseng seed, so it regards the other ginseng as its younger brothers and sisters." This way of calling them younger brothers and sisters, Su Jian had heard from Su Jin. Although the Blood-Crimson Vine's size was still the shortest among all the ginseng seedlings, it insisted that it was their leader.

"By the way, did you finish your work so quickly?" Su Jian asked. "Does that mean we don't have to worry about any major dangers within the city anymore?"

"We have reached the final stage. Once this hidden insect nest within the city is destroyed, Xiancheng will be temporarily safe. Our Su family won't have to be on high alert and ready for battle every day anymore."

"That is truly good news. Being so tense every day is indeed quite unbearable. Not to mention anything else, just the various food, drink, and daily necessities have seen their prices skyrocket several times in just a few days, which is enough to make us uncomfortable."

"Alright, I won't talk to you much longer. I still have to go join the battle. Tell the Blood-Crimson Vine that once the great battle is over and the rewards are distributed, I will bring them to it immediately."

"Okay." Su Jian agreed.

After Su Huchen finished speaking, he left, while Su Jian had to return to work.

Liu Yunniang was taking a nap with Su Xiaohe and had no idea they had returned.

By the time Su Jin came home from school, the great battle had just ended.

News of many great victories and celebrations swept through the entire Xiancheng at lightning speed!

It was said that under the wise and insightful leadership of Xu Chengzhu, the Xiancheng Patrol Bureau had gathered many experts from Xiancheng. They had destroyed a mobile insect nest, the Great Shell Beetle, of the Starry Sky Insect Race, killed nearly twenty-five hundred insect people, and countless mutated black locusts, and captured four new black locust queen insects!

The entire Xiancheng erupted in thunderous cheers.

Of course, along with the great victory, various tragedies caused by the Great Shell Beetle were also spreading rapidly.

For instance, the Great Shell Beetle's massive body had trampled to death many mortals and cultivators.

For instance, the Wang family's ancestral land had suffered a catastrophic blow unseen in a hundred years.

For instance, the North City had suffered extensive damage this time; not only did the terrain change violently, but spiritual lands in various places were heavily damaged. Most importantly, due to the shell beetle's concealment, it was revealed that the main defensive array of the North City had a fatal flaw.

In short, although the shell beetle was dead.

The economic losses and harm it caused were impossible to fully calculate.

Moreover, the major cultivation families in the North City region and the Xiancheng officials in the North City region all faced terrifying accountability from sect personnel sent down.

Only the Wang family, whose ancestral land had already been destroyed and whose clan members had lost at least one-tenth of their numbers, could be considered lucky.

Although they had lost quite a few clan members, at least the family would not face accountability.

The old patriarch of the Wang family, overwhelmed by grief due to the massive loss of ancestral land and heavy casualties among the people, directly abdicated, handing the position of patriarch to his eldest daughter, Wang Yueyi.

As the first female patriarch of the Wang family, her rise to power drew the attention of many families in Xiancheng.

Whether this new female patriarch could protect the Wang family and lead it forward became a hot topic of discussion throughout Xiancheng for a time.

Additionally, a small rumor has also spread like wildfire: it is said that after eliminating the Shell Beetle, City Lord Xu and President Bao harvested a cache of the Shell Beetle's hidden treasures from its lair.