Ma Dacai swore to heaven that even if he had to dig three feet into the ground, he would drag those two beggars out.
Thus, a group of people aggressively began a village-wide sweep.
They searched the village over and over again, but by sunset, they were still completely at a loss.
The villagers whose own children had escaped injury yet were forced to participate in the search were filled with resentment.
How long are we going to search? I have not even had dinner yet, seriously, I am both exhausted and starved.
Is it really worth getting this furious over a couple of kids?
Hearing the discordant voices within the search party, Ma Dacai, the leader, grew angry as well.
Relying on his cultivation level at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage, he lorded over the surrounding ten miles and eight villages. He had always been respected and had never been treated with such disrespect.
Yet now, someone in the team was chattering and complaining, directly challenging his authority.
His eyes widened, and spit flew everywhere. Who is running their mouth over there? If we do not find them tonight, no one is allowed to go back!
A young man could not hold back and snapped back.
If they are not found, they are not found. How many times have we searched back and forth through this village already? We are not immortals, how are we supposed to search the skies and the earth?
Ma Dacai spat fiercely onto the ground. If they are not in the village, do you not know to go into the mountains to look? Idiots!
He could not help blaming Ma Dajun, cursing him for being useless; otherwise, how would it ever be his turn to step in?
Sighs filled the search party. Telling them to go search the mountains in the middle of the night was pure suicide.
Those wolves, tigers, and leopards were terrifying, and he had even heard that a cultivator had once spotted a horrifying magical beast!
Magical beasts not only possessed physical attributes far exceeding ordinary beasts, but they could also use spellcraft, much like human cultivators.
Rumor had it that some magical beasts had even gained sentience and become spirits, capable of speaking and tricking people into falling into traps.
At this thought, the villagers began to back out.
It was one thing to submit and not dare to resist out of fear of Ma Dacai’s tyranny on ordinary days, but personal safety was a top priority. None of them were fools, and no one was going to listen to him on a matter like this.
The crowd looked at each other, and for a long while, not a single person stepped forward toward the mountains.
The young man from earlier had a fiery temper and could not hold it in. Hearing this made him even more furious. No, why should we?
When we encounter wild beasts, we can only fight them bare-handed. Even if we have to run, we certainly cannot run as fast as a cultivator like you, leaving us to die for nothing. I am not going.
Seeing this, the others quickly chimed in and agreed.
That is right, that is right. If that beggar really ran into the mountains like you said, he definitely will not survive the night.
Yeah, the beasts in the mountains are so ferocious, they will definitely eat him down to the bone.
The villagers, who usually swallowed their grievances, began speaking up one by one.
Seeing this scene, a surge of fury welled up and rose within Ma Dacai’s chest.
He could no longer hold back, raising his hand to strike the young man who had resisted him first, sending him flying!
The young man was caught completely off guard. Struck suddenly, he crashed heavily to the ground like a kite with a broken string.
He wailed in agony, his arm twisted at a bizarre angle as if it were broken.
No one expected Ma Dacai to resort to violence directly. Everyone turned pale with fright, and some even had their legs trembling.
As for the struck young man, he wore an expression of intense pain, vomited blood, and then fainted.
Tonight, let us see who else dares to run! Ma Dacai sneered coldly, pointing at the unconscious young man on the ground. Whoever refuses to enter the mountains will end up just like him!
The rest immediately fell silent upon hearing this.
Ma Dacai kicked the unconscious young man further away as if he were tossing trash.
That Qi-Gathering Palm technique was something he had secretly learned back when he was an errand-running disciple at the Misty Palace.
Although it was only a low-grade Yellow-tier technique, it was basically more than enough to deal with these mortals.
Just when everyone thought they had no choice but to resign themselves to fate and enter the mountains, their savior finally appeared.
A villager puffed and panted, running hard toward them.
He bent over, supporting his knees with his hands. V-Village chief, those two little beggars have been found!
They are hiding in the abandoned old house at the entrance of the village. The old woman who used to live there died not long ago!
Lead the way! Ma Dacai narrowed his eyes. Daring to hurt my son, I must teach them a lesson, or else my name is not Ma!
Chi Yuan had nowhere else to go anyway. Even if he ran out of this village, the surrounding territory was entirely under Ma Dacai’s influence. How far could he run even if he tried his best? Besides, he still had a burden tagging along behind him.
In the end, Chi Yuan chose to return to the old woman’s former residence, the only place where he had felt warmth.
This place had been abandoned for a long time and was rarely visited by people. Hopefully, that group of people would arrive a little later.
The room was messy and covered in dust. Jiang Qiran puckered his lips with a look of extreme disgust.
Meanwhile, the group led by Ma Dacai was marching toward them in a grand and aggressive manner.
Looking at the dilapidated wooden door before him, he sneered, raised his hand, broke the wooden door open, and dragged the panicked Jiang Qiran and Chi Yuan back.
Jiang Qiran struggled with all his might. Let me go! Do you know who I am? I am the young master of the Jiang family!
Acting as if he had only just remembered he could throw his weight around using his background, he cursed, flailing and mimicking the villains in storybooks: Let this young master go! You bunch of unruly rabble! I will have my great-grandfather come exterminate the lot of you!
Ma Dajun, whose face was bruised and swollen, stepped out from the side, glaring fiercely at Jiang Qiran as if he wanted to tear him to pieces.
Yet Jiang Qiran was startled by the unrecognizable Ma Dajun. Wah, where did this wild pig spirit come from? Get away from me!
Hearing these words, some of the servants holding him down could not help bursting into laughter.
You could hardly blame them. Ma Dajun was already chubby to begin with, and now, having been injured and badly swollen, he truly looked the spitting image of a pig head.
What are you laughing at? None of you are allowed to laugh! Ma Dajun’s face darkened so much it looked like it could drip water. He taunted Jiang Qiran, Young master? If you are the young master of the Jiang family, then I am the founding patriarch of the Jiang family!
Jiang Qiran clawed and lunged forward, trying to bite him, but was held firmly in place by the others.
Ma Dajun stared at Jiang Qiran, his eyes rolling as if he had thought up some wicked scheme.
He smiled ingratiatingly. Dad, why do we not throw this brat into the pigsty and properly torture him tomorrow?
A pigsty was smelly, filthy, and full of excrement; normal people simply could not stand it, making it definitely an excellent method for tormenting someone.
I will not go to the pigsty, you bastard! Jiang Qiran yelled in panic.
Ma Dacai, after all, possessed a wealth of life experience. At first glance, he could tell that Jiang Qiran’s attire was extremely valuable.
Only after thoroughly searching through all the items the other carried did he completely set his mind at ease.
There were no communication tools resembling sound-transmission talismans, nor any objects capable of verifying his identity. Even if he really were a young master of the Jiang family, no one would ever know if he died here.
Moreover, judging by his root-bone aptitude, he was probably an unfavored member within his family.
Ma Dacai felt a surge of inner joy, knowing he had struck it rich. With a grand wave of his hand, he ordered the servants, Strip off his clothes and change him into hemp cloth!
Then throw him and the other one into the pigsty!
This set of clothing was exquisitely crafted down to the last detail, and the material was top-notch. It would definitely fetch a hefty price.