Chapter 405: Repaying Kindness and Big Figures

May 8th, Jinshan Juncheng.

The Star-Plucking Tower branch behind the Jinshan Dao Academy suddenly trembled slightly, and the instant a phantom appeared, a figure stepped out from the Star-Plucking Tower branch.

The Dao Academy disciple on duty at the Refine Star Realm only glanced at it, then hurriedly stood up and bowed, "This is the Jinshan Prefecture Star-Plucking Tower branch, please show your identity token."

Xu Jin, who had just stepped out of the Star-Plucking Tower, looked at the Jinshan Dao Academy at the foot of the mountain ahead, feeling inexplicably emotional.

A year ago, when he first arrived in this world, he was ignorant and was sent to the Jinshan Dao Academy for star-pointing by his old man, Xu Dajiang.

From panic, unease, and anxiety to settling down, the Jinshan Dao Academy left him with an extremely profound impression.

It was also Ning Yuchan's angel investment that allowed him to take the first step.

Otherwise, where he would be now, it was really hard to say.

Nine months ago, when he left the Jinshan Dao Academy, he took the Academy's star boat, which took half a day on the road.

Returning now, it was in an instant.

Just transmit via the Star-Plucking Tower.

The changes in the world were too fast.

"My lord!"

While Xu Jin was emotional, the disciple on duty at the Dao Academy behind him was so nervous that his palms were full of sweat!

He didn't know how strong Xu Jin's cultivation base was, but he could make a comparison.

In his sensing, the aura of this expert before him was stronger than that of the Academy Head, Cao Chun.

A reminder woke Xu Jin from his emotions, and Xu Jin handed over his token.

"National Dao Academy Vice Supervisor..."

When verifying the identity token, the scalp of this Dao Academy disciple on duty went numb.

A big figure!

A big figure reaching the heavens!

"My lord, I... I will immediately notify..."

"No need. Don't tell anyone that I've come."

After giving the instruction, Xu Jin stepped on the stars and flew toward the direction of Xu Family Village.

However, just as Xu Jin stepped on the stars, a red starlight in the Dao Academy suddenly shot into the sky, falling toward this direction; within a few breaths, it chased toward Xu Jin's direction.

When the red light chased over, Xu Jin had already sensed it.

And he knew who it was.

He didn't pay it any mind.

A dozen breaths later, Xu Jin had landed on the... ruins of Xu Family Village.

The moment he landed, Xu Jin's gaze froze.

"Dim-witted emperor, I only regret letting you die too easily!"

The entire Xu Family Village had turned into a ruin.

Not only was the entire Xu Family Village slaughtered, but it had also been burned by a great fire.

Now it was full of broken walls and ruins, all charred black.

Looking at this place, the heaviness in Xu Jin's heart was indescribable.

Xu Jin had originally thought that the debt would be counted on him, so he had picked up his father.

He hadn't expected that the dim-witted emperor could directly slaughter Xu Family Village.

However, in Xu Jin's sensing, he hadn't found a single corpse!

This made Xu Jin both shocked and angry.

Could it be that the dim-witted emperor had destroyed all the corpses of the elders and fellow villagers of Xu Family Village!

So poisonous?

The Bright Chronicle Star Pattern was activated at full power, and a few breaths later, Xu Jin arrived at a slightly secluded mountain hollow at the foot of the mountain behind Xu Family Village.

In the mountain hollow, there were more than seventy large and small grave mounds scattered, covered with wild grass.

There were no tombstones, only scattered grave mounds.

Only in front of the innermost grave mound was a large stone placed, with words carved on it.

"Grave of Xu Gong, courtesy name Dajiang."

Xu Jin was stunned.

His father wasn't dead yet, he was still alive, so why was there a grave?

And someone used a giant stone as a tombstone.

It could be seen that it was very rough, and the characters were crooked.

As his fingers brushed over it, Xu Jin understood; it was carved with star power.

The cultivation base was at most the middle stage of the Forge Star Realm.

Who could it be?

Just as he was puzzled, the red light landed far behind him; it was a cultivator at the peak of the fourth-tier ninth-layer.

An old acquaintance.

Tian Zhang!

Jinshan Dao Academy Patrol Star Guard Commandant, Blood Butcher Tian Zhang.

At this very moment, Blood Butcher Tian Zhang looked at Xu Jin in surprise, his face full of vigilance; seeing Xu Jin turn his head, Tian Zhang said vigilantly, "May I ask who you are, coming to these ruins of Xu Family Village, what is the matter?"

In this situation, Xu Jin didn't have any other thoughts, and with a thought, he instantly removed the illusion of the Hundred Illusions Star Pattern, revealing his true appearance!

"Xu Jin?"

Tian Zhang gasped, "You're still alive?"

"Commandant Tian, I'm still alive; the secrets involved, I won't say much for now, this is my identity token."

To prevent Tian Zhang from thinking too much, Xu Jin threw his identity token over; just by glancing at it, Tian Zhang was again shocked and lost his color.

Vice Supervisor!

This rank?

At least four tiers higher than him!

And this cultivation base!

Fifth-tier third-layer!

This...

With a bow, Tian Zhang was about to pay respects with the etiquette of a subordinate, but was stopped by Xu Jin.

"Commandant Tian, I'm here for the matter of Xu Family Village."

As soon as these words were spoken, Tian Zhang's face changed greatly, "Xu Jin, this matter is not that we didn't protect them! It's that the person who came held an order..."

"I know everything."

"This grave, who set it up?" Xu Jin didn't want to ask about the details of the slaughter of Xu Family Village that day.

Xu Jin knew that the eunuch who came was at the late stage of the sixth tier, not someone Tian Zhang and the others could block.

Seeing that Xu Jin did not pursue the matter of the Xu Family Village massacre, Tian Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and then sighed, "The angel wanted us to expose the corpses of the rebels from Xu Family Village for a thousand days. After the angel left, I couldn't bear it, so I came over quietly at night and hastily tidied up some desolate graves, just to fulfill a little of my conscience."

Hearing this, Xu Jin nodded lightly.

"Commandant Tian, you have a heart."

"Sigh..." Tian Zhang shook his head.

"Then my father's grave, who set it up?" Xu Jin asked suddenly.

"This... I don't know."

Tian Zhang shook his head, "I came to collect the corpses seven days later; when I came, that grave was already there, but at that time, it was also a new grave.

The person who set up the grave didn't have a high cultivation base.

I estimate that it is very likely some Dao Academy disciple who had a good relationship with you."

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, Xu Jin's heart stirred; he switched to the third-tier Snake Spirit he hadn't used for a long time and activated the Spirit Scent Star Pattern.

Subsequently, he smelled three wisps of aura on the remnant tombstone; one wisp was Xu Jin's, another was Tian Zhang's, and the third was very weak, about to dissipate, but it was somewhat familiar.

But for a moment, he couldn't remember.

"Commandant Tian, Xu Family Village, are there any survivors?" Xu Jin asked.

"There are six! They were the ones who happened to be away from the village that day; later, they discovered that something had happened to Xu Family Village and wanted to come over, but I arranged for my trusted subordinates to block them.

There are two women, one adult man, and three children, who were taken out to visit relatives, avoiding this disaster!" Tian Zhang said.

"Where are they?"

"For fear of news leaking, I arranged for them to work on the Dao Academy's farm; life is still passable." Tian Zhang said.

"Commandant Tian, you have a heart."

Hearing this, Tian Zhang shook his head, his eyes full of helplessness, "Regardless of what the cause was, I know that the villagers of Xu Family Village were innocent.

It's a pity that I, this Commandant, didn't have the ability to protect them..."

"Commandant Tian, have you never tried to break through?" Xu Jin asked suddenly.

"At the end of last year, I exchanged for some resources and tried to break through once, but failed." Tian Zhang said with a bitter smile.

"What was the reason for the failure to break through?"

"There were various reasons; the divine soul cultivation base was a bit short, and the star power concentration for a fifth-tier breakthrough wasn't enough either.

Academy Head Cao borrowed a fifth-tier Star Gathering Array for me, but I only prepared eleven fifth-tier star jade tablets; anyway, it was all a bit short." Tian Zhang said with a helpless bitter smile.

Hearing this, Xu Jin nodded lightly, "Then you should try breaking through again today."

"Break through again?" Tian Zhang was stunned, then shook his head, "No, if I break through again, I'll still fail; besides, I haven't saved enough resources for the breakthrough yet; I estimate that to have a higher success rate, I still need to save for another three to five percent."

"I will provide them."

While speaking, Xu Jin directly flicked out two Three-Essence Long Gui Soul-Forging Pills, "Take these now, they should be able to let your divine soul cultivation base break through to the fourth tier; first improve your divine soul cultivation base, then break through."

Tian Zhang was stunned for a moment, but he wasn't pretentious; he received the pills on the spot, swallowed one, and began to refine it.

Tian Zhang had cultivated for nearly twenty years, and his divine soul cultivation base had long reached the peak of the third-tier ninth-layer, but he had just been unable to break through.

With one Three-Essence Long Gui Soul-Forging Pill in his belly, his divine soul aura immediately began to rise.

As for Xu Jin, he began to personally clear the weeds for the wild graves one by one, and re-tidy them!

Although this was also a futile act, it was just to express his heart!

An hour later, Xu Jin hadn't finished tidying up, but Tian Zhang had finished refining the two Three-Essence Long Gui Soul-Forging Pills, his expression even more excited!

His divine soul cultivation base, which had been trapped at the peak of the third-tier ninth-layer for six or seven years, had broken through; it had broken through to the fourth tier.

Not only did it break through to the fourth tier, but it also broke through to the fourth-tier second-layer in one breath.

The improvement was huge.

"Since the divine soul cultivation base has broken through, then gather battle and break through to the fifth tier."

Xu Jin directly took out his own fifth-tier Star Gathering Array and prepared twenty fifth-tier star jade tablets, "You just focus on breaking through; if it's not enough, I will make up for it."

"This..."

Tian Zhang, who had just received a great favor, only hesitated for an instant before taking it.

Having floated and sunk for so many years, Tian Zhang knew very well that opportunity knocks but once.

At this time, it was not the time to be pretentious.

Xu Jin continued to clear the weeds and tidy the wild graves.

An hour and a half later, after consuming eighteen fifth-tier star jade tablets, Tian Zhang, whose divine soul cultivation base had greatly advanced, successfully broke through to the fifth tier.

Tian Zhang's expression was already excited to the point of being indescribable!

Originally, according to his plan, he would have to save resources for at least five or even seven years before he could try to break through again.

But he hadn't expected that today, with Xu Jin's help, he would break through in one morning.

"Commandant Tian, in the future, please take good care of the graves of the Xu Family Village tribesmen.

And for those six survivors, please give each of them five taels of silver every month." Xu Jin instructed.

"Supervisor Xu, rest assured!"

"Also, help me investigate, who set up this grave!"

Xu Jin looked at the crooked stone carving and felt some emotion.

At that time, the person who set up this stone tombstone must have risked their life to come.

Not to mention anything else, just this bit of heart was worth Xu Jin repaying it.

Repay kindness with kindness, repay hatred with hatred.

After tidying up all the wild graves and giving instructions, and placing a divine soul seal on Tian Zhang, Xu Jin stepped on the stars and left instantly.

A quarter of an hour later, Xu Jin arrived above Heshui County in Jinshan Prefecture.

Xu Jin, who arrived above Heshui County, stood invisibly and looked down at Heshui Juncheng.

Coming to Heshui Juncheng, Xu Jin was also to fulfill a wish from last year.

Last June, not long after Xu Jin succeeded in star-pointing, his cultivation base was only at Meal of Mist fourth-layer, and he was incorporated into the Patrol Star Guard to execute a mission.

That was also the first time Xu Jin stood out, and it was that mission that allowed Xu Jin to complete the preparations for the Arena's ascent.

The mission was to suppress demons!

It was also that mission that allowed Xu Jin to see what a real demon was!

The wanted demon Qi Shanye was teaching him, while in all directions of Jinshan Prefecture, demons were committing crimes day and night.

After the Heshui County mission was completed, eight children who had been abducted and mutilated were rescued.

Those eight children were sent by Xu Jin to the Relief Institute, and he also left two hundred taels of silver.

In order to deter the officials of the Relief Institute and let them treat the eight children who had suffered disaster well, Xu Jin said that he would definitely come back for a follow-up visit in half a year.

It was just that for the past half a year, Xu Jin himself had been running around, rushing non-stop.

Only today did he have a little leisure.

Counting it up, a full eleven months had passed.

He hoped the eight children who had suffered disaster were well.

Otherwise...

The next instant, Xu Jin landed silently in Heshui Juncheng and then headed straight for the direction of the Relief Institute.

Although nearly a year had passed, Heshui Juncheng hadn't changed.

Entering the Relief Institute, Xu Jin frowned; the smell was very unpleasant.

The environment of the Relief Institute was even worse than a year ago.

"Who are you?"

An old man wearing clerk attire looked at Xu Jin, who was exploring the Relief Institute, and stepped forward to ask.

"A passerby!

May I ask, old man, last June, the Relief Institute received eight children who had been abducted and mutilated; where are these children, why are there only two left? What about the others?"

Xu Jin's Bright Chronicle Star Pattern spread out, and in the Relief Institute, he only found two children with twisted hands and feet, shrinking on grass mats, dry, yellow, and withered!

But they were still alive, at least... but the other six were gone.

"Who are you to them?" the clerk asked cautiously.

"Last year, I saw they were pitiful and donated two hundred taels of silver; it shouldn't have been spent in a year, right?" Xu Jin asked.

"Oh, so you're a kind guest! To tell you the truth, those six children were adopted by someone."

"Adopted?"

Xu Jin frowned.

Children who had been abducted and mutilated were the most crippled of the crippled, many could only crawl.

A kind person might appear to adopt one, but to adopt six, in this small county, it was really...

"Who adopted them, and also, where is the original manager of the Relief Institute, Su Mingbai?"

Following Xu Jin's questioning, a flash of panic crossed the old clerk's eyes, "Who adopted them, I don't know; as for Manager Su, he was promoted!"

Seeing this appearance, a bad premonition rose in Xu Jin's heart.

He didn't talk nonsense either; Dream Warmth was instantly activated, directly interrogating in a dream.

Dealing with an ordinary person with Dream Warmth was a matter of hand-to-hand combat; once asked, everything became clear!

After asking, Xu Jin was already glaring with anger!

What kind of adoption was that!

The six children who disappeared were all dead!

Within a few months, they all died of illness!

For children who had been abducted and mutilated, dying of illness was normal.

But the situation he asked about was that in a situation of lacking clothes and food, they got sick, and then no doctor was invited to treat them, and they were left to fend for themselves.

Six died!

As for the manager of the Relief Institute, he was even promoted!

Now he was the third-in-command of Heshui County, the County Assistant!

A few breaths later, Xu Jin woke the old clerk and dropped ten taels of silver, "Go, boil some hot porridge for those children and the old people in the Relief Institute."

Xu Jin, with a gloomy face, headed straight for the Su Mansion in Heshui County, the residence of the current Heshui County Assistant, Su Mingbai!

A three-courtyard mansion, very luxurious!

There was even a gatekeeper.

But in Xu Jin's view, all of this exuded a bloody smell!

With one kick, he directly shattered the gate and broke into the Su Mansion.

It was evening, and Heshui County Assistant Su Mingbai was in the mansion, eating.

One person, three concubines, fine wine and delicacies filled the table, at least eight dishes!

This life was good enough!

But in Xu Jin's view, what was on this table was all the flesh and blood of those children who had been abducted and mutilated!

"Bold, who are you?"

Seeing Xu Jin rushing in aggressively, Su Mingbai was furious; two Forge Star Realm attendants rushed up and were directly kicked unconscious by Xu Jin.

Su Mingbai, who was at the late stage of Forge Star, was also kicked by Xu Jin until he vomited blood.

Just as he was shocked and angry, he suddenly recognized Xu Jin!

"You..."

"You..."

"You human scum!"

Xu Jin slapped him, directly knocking out half of Su Mingbai's teeth.

Xu Jin was already considering how to deal with this Su Mingbai; should he personally execute him by slow slicing?

Or hand him over to the Jinshan Prefecture government to deal with?

Just as he was hesitating, Su Mingbai, who recognized Xu Jin, suddenly roared, "You mere Dao Academy disciple, you dare to touch me, be careful that my uncle kills your whole family!"

Apparently, this Su Mingbai's cultivation base was too low to see Xu Jin's cultivation level.

But upon hearing this, Xu Jin became interested.

Uncle?

It seemed this Su Mingbai had someone behind him!

It was reasonable to think so; otherwise, he wouldn't have been promoted so fast!

And he wouldn't have dared to do such evil, looking down on the warning of a Dao Academy disciple!

Since that was the case, let's see who his backer was!

"Your uncle, who is he?"

"My uncle is a big figure in Jinshan Prefecture! If I say it, it will scare you to death; you, a tiny Dao Academy disciple, he can pinch you to death with one finger!"

Crack!

Xu Jin directly broke Su Mingbai's thigh bone.

Su Mingbai screamed like a pig in pain!

"Immediately, have your uncle come to save you! If he doesn't come within a quarter of an hour, I will break one of your limbs!" Xu Jin, like a fierce god, directly tore off one of Su Mingbai's thighs!

In the screams, Su Mingbai's trembling hand took out his own Star-Plucking Token!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 406 =====