Chapter 232: Chapter 165: Tianyao Federation, Trouble_2

In my past life, I really disliked these kinds of people, because most Earth Rats have quite limited perception. Some ceramic stele inscriptions of considerable value were regarded as worthless in their eyes, and they would carelessly destroy them without a second thought.But now, Chu Zheng couldn't be bothered to argue with these people. Along the way, the number of people he had killed was countless. In terms of karma, he probably bore a much heavier burden than those who plundered graves for a living.

"One old ring, three taels of patterned silver."

After a quick estimate, Chu Zheng casually named his price, applying a double discount.

The ring was of decent quality and could fetch between thirty to fifty taels of silver on the resale market.

"That little? Can you add more? I'm willing to pledge my life on it."

Upon hearing this, the man suddenly looked up, his expression hesitant. After he got a clearer view of Chu Zheng's face, he stiffened for a moment, then, after taking a closer look, he suddenly let out an exclamation as if he had seen a ghost:

"Tree Root?!"

Hearing that, Chu Zheng lifted his head and narrowed his eyes, pondering for a moment before recognizing the man in front of him.

That day, when he first arrived in this Star Domain, among the three who had discarded a corpse, this man had been among them.

A flicker of Spiritual Light shone in Chu Zheng's pupils, and soon information was transmitted through the interface.

[You Dawu (Zeroth Order): Bone age thirty-two, Tomb Robber, frequently enters and exits mausoleums, internal organs eroded by Yin Qi, will not live past forty. (Fixable)]

Thinking of the thirteen stabs in the back of Tree Root, Chu Zheng became thoughtful. Combining the current information, it was highly likely that the murder stemmed from an inequitable division of the loot causing internal strife.

At this moment, You Dawu's expression was extremely complicated, with fear, disbelief, and a hint of ferocity flickering in his eyes.

The sensitivity of a Qi Cultivator was incredibly sharp, and the fleeting intention to kill certainly did not escape Chu Zheng's perception.

The kind-hearted are nowhere to be found among those who deal with tombs all day.

Chu Zheng watched You Dawu quietly before suddenly standing up, reaching from behind the counter to grab the man by the neck and dragging him behind the counter.

Two months had passed since he began practicing Qi-refining Technique, with barely twenty days left until the Hundred Days Spiritual Transformation. His Qi Strength was nearing ten thousand jin, far beyond what an ordinary person like You Dawu could withstand.

Chu Zheng stepped on You Dawu's neck and glanced up at the tightly closed shop door before finally saying:

"I ask, you answer. If you tell half a lie, I'll send you to Mass Burial Mound, understand?"

You Dawu's mind was muddled at the moment, and it took a while for him to respond. seaʀᴄh thё nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Feeling the shoe about to crush his neck, he dared not hesitate and forced out a word through clenched teeth:

"Understood."

"Why did you kill Tree Root?" Chu Zheng asked casually.

"It wasn't me who wanted to kill you, it was Yan Lang who ordered me to. Your mother was killed by him, and he also set fire to your family house. It has nothing to do with me!"

"Was it really you who stabbed him thirteen times?" Chu Zheng's brow raised slightly, adding a bit of force to his foot. He meant to test You Dawu with the question, but had not expected such a quick confession.

Given the thirteen fatal stabs to a fourteen-year-old boy, each aimed at vital organs, he saw no trace of mercy in You Dawu.

Clearly unable to follow Chu Zheng's line of thinking, You Dawu felt bewildered for a moment, and only when his breathing became labored did he growl with a red face:

"I can't remember how many stabs. I had no choice – with elders to look after and children to feed, how could I dare go against Yan Lang?"

The blood rushing to his head clearly made You Dawu's thoughts even more confused. He rambled on without waiting for Chu Zheng to ask further, spilling most of the situation.

The Tomb Robbers working with You Dawu numbered five, with Yan Lang as their leader, skilled in martial arts, a former member of the Imperial Guards of the Yuangu Dynasty. But, for offending a powerful person's son, he was wrongfully imprisoned.

During his exile, he took advantage of an unguarded moment to kill the soldiers escorting him and escaped. He then gathered a few henchmen and turned to banditry on the waters.

However, due to the strict management of water transport by the Imperial Court and frequent purges by Martial Arts Grandmasters leading elite Imperial Guards, the bandit business declined, leading them to become Tomb Robbers.

Tree Root's involvement with such a dangerous thug was purely accidental.

Tree Root's ancestors had been Martial Scholars, but the family had fallen on hard times. His grandfather, who had some martial skills in his lifetime, secured a Tomb Guardian's job for his descendants. Although it wasn't enough for immense wealth, it could ensure a life of comfort.

But unpredictable disasters occur – his father died early due to chronic illness, and his mother was frail, bedridden for many years. Life became increasingly difficult.

A Tomb Guardian often needs to enter the mausoleum to maintain the mechanisms of the tomb pathways, preventing them from falling into disrepair and being taken advantage of by Tomb Robbers.

Yan Lang set his sights on that grand mausoleum, and after some investigation, under the pretense of seeking treatment for his mother's illness, he coaxed the layout of the traps from Tree Root, then murdered him to silence the witness.

His methods were very clean and efficient; after the murder, he even set fire to the old house to stage it as an inside job.

Chu Zheng was already aware of what happened afterwards.

Yan Lang was naturally sly and overly cautious. Almost always on guard, he waited more than two months after robbing that grand mausoleum before he started selling off the loot.

In fact, over the past few days, You Dawu had visited multiple pawnshops and sold over twenty funerary objects—all without a hitch, smooth sailing, until his encounter with Chu Zheng today.

It was simply a twist of fate, for if Chu Zheng hadn't entered Tree Root's body, the incident wouldn't have happened at all.

After listening, Chu Zheng remained silent for a long while before he finally spoke:

"How many of you are currently in Yuncao City? Where are Yan Lang and the others now?"

At this moment, You Dawu was barely breathing, his eyes lifeless. Upon hearing the question, he whispered weakly:

"All at Ping'an... Inn."

Ding——

Before Chu Zheng could reflect any further, the wind chime by the door tinkled, signaling the arrival of another guest.

Chu Zheng straightened up, glanced over, and saw five people—two women and three men—all dressed in brightly polished attire, their clothing so new it bore no signs of ever being washed.

The leading woman appeared to be about twenty years old, full of a brisk and resolute aura.

"Shopkeeper, show us some treasures to look at. If I like something, I'll buy it. These people behind me are not short on silver."

The woman looked at Chu Zheng, her eyes curved with a hint of a smile.

Chu Zheng sized up the group, furrowed his brow slightly, feeling an eerie sense of discord about these people. The spiritual light in his pupils flickered, and soon messages appeared on his face panel.

[Zhuo Xiu (First Order): Bone age fifty-two, second-generation Gene Evolver of the Tianyao Federation, senior guide at Galaxy Travel Agency, highly experienced. (Details)]

[Detailed information: Implanted with the fourth-generation 'Tianyao Genesis Series' chip at the base of the skull, has Tianyao Star Domain Network login access, advanced language sync translation function, live transmission recording function, and an emergency alarm system that can upload an alarm to the 'Galaxy One' central hub within one minute.]

Chu Zheng quickly scanned the information of the others and soon had a general understanding; these individuals did not belong to this world, or rather, they did not belong to this star.

Looking at the information provided by the Spiritual Eye, Chu Zheng fell into a deep thought.

It seemed that what he saw in the starlight was not an illusion—this star indeed fell under the jurisdiction of a rather powerful civilization.

Yet, he still lacked some information and could not fully analyse his current situation.

"Shopkeeper, why aren't you speaking?"

Zhuo Xiu approached with a playful grin, tip-toeing and resting one hand on the counter, she suddenly flipped over and sat down on it, her tone flirty, "If you don't have any impressive treasures, we'll just leave."

She particularly enjoyed teasing such fourteen or fifteen-year-old youths. The shyness of youth was always appealing.

Before her words even finished, Zhuo Xiu noticed the figure of You Dawu under Chu Zheng's feet. At the same time, a red light flickered in her eyes, bringing up a light screen:

[Warning: The target native's power is closing in on that of a first-generation Gene Evolver, and is currently engaging in criminal activity.]

[Danger Assessment: A-level]

The smile on Zhuo Xiu's face instantly froze.

Chu Zheng remained expressionless as he suddenly increased the pressure under his foot.

Crack——

Hearing the voices and desperately struggling, You Dawu's body suddenly went limp.

The crisp sound of a broken neck clearly entered Zhuo Xiu's ears.

Chu Zheng lowered his eyelids, speaking indifferently:

"What does the guest wish to purchase?"