Chapter 200: The Golden Cicada's Shell‑Shedding Stratagem

Inside the room, Yang Shu, Yang Lan'er, and Wu Sheng still lay on the ground, poisoned, looking pitiful.

Hundreds of Yang family experts around them stared dryly.

Heng Xian sat in the cage, leisurely sipping tea.

After a full three incense sticks, the Yang family elder brothers finally returned.

Yang Yan held up a brocade box with both hands, then approached the cage and carefully opened it: "This is it!"

Heng Xian glanced into the box and saw only an ordinary small drum, as plain as the toy drums sold by street vendors to pacify children—clearly nothing special—and he frowned slightly.

Yang Yan quickly said, "Young brother, don't misunderstand—this small drum looks ordinary, but it is truly miraculous; and now it's just a rainy day, take a look!"

Saying that, he lifted the drum and placed it on the ground, then hurried away.

Strangely, the drum suddenly grew to half a person's height visible to the naked eye, the drumhead buzzed, and everyone nearby felt a wave of dizziness.

Heng Xian felt greatly surprised, suppressed his discomfort, and hooked his finger: "Bring it here!"

Yang Yan carefully lifted it, and the large drum shrank back to a small one, which he handed over.

Heng Xian took it, played with it a bit, still feeling quite ordinary, then opened the Profound Yellow Heavenly Hexagram: "What is this thing?"

The hexagram showed: "This item is made from the seven-tailed fox bone and howling-heaven divine rhino hide found in the Nine Heavens Vast Sea; it was likely refined by a certain loose immortal a thousand years ago; one can barely strike it in the late Qi Hai Realm; seven unique seals are laid upon it, and each seal broken increases its power by one level!"

Heng Xian collected the small drum without changing expression, looked at the Yang family, and said, "Alright, I'll take it!"

Yang Yan immediately laughed, "Come on, let's open the cage for the young brother!"

"No need!" Heng Xian snapped his fingers, "Dog Egg!"

In the corner of the room, a monkey ran over upright and pressed a button under the nearby table.

"Click!"

The cage opened by itself.

Yang Yan and his brothers were stunned for a moment.

On the ground, the listless Yang Shu wore a dazed expression—this guy's monkey… can it actually open mechanisms?!

Is he staying in there just to watch us make fools of ourselves?

Heng Xian stretched his waist, stood up, took out the antidote and gave it to Yang Lan'er and Wu Sheng, walked over to Yang Shu, and was about to speak loudly.

Yang Jia suddenly looked ashamed and said, "Young brother, I have been bewitched, I was wrong—"

"Besides giving the small drum to the young brother as payment, my Yang family will also present one million low-grade spirit crystals and a thousand stalks of precious medicinal herbs."

Saying that, he clapped his hands without caring what Heng Xian thought.

Immediately outside, dozens of people entered carrying neat piles of spirit crystals and medicinal herbs.

Yang Yan also chuckled, "No disrespect intended, young brother—please accept these!"

"Then I'll… not stand on ceremony!" Heng Xian coughed, not being polite, opened his storage bag, and stuffed everything in.

Yang Yan laughed again, "It's all a misunderstanding; you've taken the things, we feel a bit easier, but you definitely can't leave—we must properly fulfill our host's duty and resolve the grudge first!"

"Exactly! Exactly!" Elder Yang Jia echoed.

Heng Xian hesitated: "If you say that, then I won't leave."

He pointed at Yang Lan'er: "Miss Lan'er, are you already engaged? I'll stay and become a son-in-law to the Yang family!"

"Uh…" Everyone present from the Yang family froze.

I've seen shameless people, but never this shameless—just climbing up the pole!

Yang Lan'er, who had just been detoxified, also wore a look of astonishment.

Yang Jia and his brothers' faces shifted repeatedly, finally forcing a smile: "To gain such a dragon‑swift son‑in‑law as the young brother is a blessing for our Yang family; we agree!"

Yang Lan'er blinked, her face full of bewilderment.

"Good!" Heng Xian took out a pill, tossed it to Yang Shu, grabbed Yang Lan'er in one sweep, and headed to the side room: "I'm tired, I'll rest a bit—Lan'er, keep me company."

"You…" Elder Yang Jia raised his hand, his face turning red with suppressed anger.

Yang Yan patted him, lowered his voice: "This is fine too; Lan'er knows her limits, the Song family experts will arrive soon—let's leave first!"

Saying that, he waved his hand.

Soon, the Yang family people all around the courtyard vanished cleanly.

In the side room.

Yang Lan'er sat anxiously on the bed, her tender hands nervously kneading.

Heng Xian stood at the rear window, glanced outside, gave a cold chuckle, walked to the bedside, and lifted Yang Lan'er's chin: "What do you think of me?"

Yang Lan'er's little face flushed red, her beautiful eyes glanced at him: "Brother Yan, are you sincere?"

"Does it matter whether I'm sincere or not?" Heng Xian asked.

Yang Lan'er breathed quickly: "Brother Yan, you're handsome and a cultivator; I'd ten thousand times agree, I only ask that you cherish me in the future!"

"Good." Heng Xian seized Yang Lan'er's shoulders and lay down on the bed with her.

Yang Lan'er's face reddened to her neck, she trembled violently, and closed her eyes.

However, Heng Xian suddenly said, "You've worked hard; keep this pose—I'm leaving!"

Yang Lan'er snapped her eyes open, her face paling: "You… why?"

Heng Xian said, "Your Yang family isn't unable to deal with me, but your uncle and father are just too easy to talk to."

"I used your marriage as a test, and they still readily agreed—do you think that's normal?"

"This is clearly an attempt to stall me; without a doubt, experts to deal with me are already on their way, so I naturally must leave!"

"Out of respect for your face, I'll take the things and won't kill anyone. Keep this pose—thanks!"

Saying that, he pinched her cheek, shot out like a fish, and went out through the rear window.

"Heh, is this your game?" Yang Lan'er murmured, still holding the embrace pose, but tears streamed down her face.

……

Outside the house, Heng Xian performed the "Wandering Fish Escape" from the Twenty Paths Creation Escape Technique, darting like a fish among the flowers, fake hills, and courtyard corners.

Even a Primordial Dan Realm cultivator would find it hard to catch him with just the eyes, without spiritual sense, let alone peers of the same realm.

Soon after, he left the Yang Clan and entered an alley outside.

Heng Xian sat up straight and whistled.

In the distance, a black shadow came hopping—it was Gou Dan.

"What a hassle dealing with them, let's go!"

Heng Xian picked up Gou Dan and headed straight for outside the city.

Once outside the city, following the route designed by the Heavenly Hexagram, he nonstop rushed toward the Ten Thousand Li Vast Mountain.

The Yang Clan.

Yang Yan and his brothers, together with a group of Yang Clan members, closely watched the courtyard where Heng Xian stayed while waiting for the Song Clan to arrive, noticing nothing unusual.

After waiting a full hour, eight figures suddenly descended from the sky, all dressed in black, with stern expressions and imposing auras.

They were all Qi Hai Realm experts!

Leading them was a woman in her twenties, who coldly glanced over the Yang Clan and said, "I've greeted your two uncles; I'm Song Yu of the Song Clan's Beheading Hall—where is he?"

Yang Yan immediately clasped his fists and said, "He's inside!"

The woman waved her hand, and she together with the other seven black-clad figures surrounded the seven corners of the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Yang Yan led the Yang Clan members to encircle the courtyard on all sides.

Not even a fly could fly out of the house.

The black-clad woman Song Yu and Yang Yan exchanged a glance, tapped their toes, and lightly approached the house; looking inside, they saw Yang Lan'er holding a side-crawling posture, as if kissing someone.

Yang Yan awkwardly turned his head away and said, "He's in there!"

Song Yu immediately stepped back a few steps and coldly said, "The Northern Frontier Song Clan has come for revenge—come out and die, Heng Xian!"

There was not a sound from inside.

"Come out and die, Heng Xian!" Song Yu repeated.

Still no response from inside.

Song Yu and Yang Yan exchanged a glance, kicked the door open and rushed in; looking at the bed, they saw only Yang Lan'er, whom they grabbed and asked, "Where is he?"

Yang Lan'er's face turned pale as she said, "He's gone!"

Song Yu's expression shifted slightly as she asked, "How long ago did he leave?"

"About an hour!" Yang Lan'er replied.

As her words fell, Yang Yan and the outside Yang Jia suffered a surge of qi and blood to the heart, each spitting a mouthful of old blood: "How did he escape?! Our Yang Clan's Thundering Heaven Drum!"

Song Yu frowned slightly, walked to the window, pinched a speck of dust, and asked, "I heard he raised a monkey—is that true?"

Yang Yan patted his chest and said, "Indeed!"

Song Yu waved her hand and said, "Chase!"

……

The fine rain continued to fall.

Heng Xian, with Gou Dan, had run nonstop for a day and night, over four hundred li.

Not far ahead lay the Qing River.

Upon arriving, he already felt somewhat weary.

Heng Xian glanced around, saw a village ahead, descended, and knocked on a random household's door.

The door creaked open.

Seeing the person inside, Heng Xian couldn't help but startle.

(End of chapter)