Chapter 738 - 665 Ascending the Peak 64
After they blew open the cave entrance, without waiting for the defenders inside to react, Qian Chong led his people charging in. Tan Shuangshuang had already received Qian Chong’s instructions and stayed at the entrance with four Wuji Sect disciples of Great Martial Artist Level, ready to catch anyone who slipped through.
The battle inside was fierce, and those outside were fully focused. Quickly, a person covered in blood, with a torn robe, mask missing, eyes red like a raging Evil Ghost, burst out. Seeing Tan Shuangshuang and others, he swung his knife without a word, attacking while shouting, "Get out of my way, don’t block the path!"
He seemed enraged, filled with a reckless momentum, a mad demeanor ready to kill anyone in his path. Ordinary cultivators might easily be intimidated by such an act. Even a moment’s hesitation could give this person a chance to escape.
The Wuji Sect disciples brought by Qian Chong were all skilled and experienced in solo adventures, not likely to be fooled by his antics. As for Tan Shuangshuang, currently she was very combative; rather than being afraid of his attitude, it excited her, and she rolled up her sleeves before charging forward!
This man, although imposing, unfortunately did not have strong cultivation, only at Martial Master Level. Tan Shuangshuang found it easy, without using Thousand Silk Entanglement or Thousand Layered Sword, to knock him down in less than two moves and have people nearby tie him up tightly, sealing his Spirit Mansion.
Afterwards, two more managed to escape, but with low cultivation, Tan Shuangshuang easily caught them with her team and tied them up, sealing their Spirit Mansions and tossing them in a heap with the previous one.
This matter was settled very quickly. The people inside the cave were captured swiftly under the leadership of Elder Qian Chong, just as Tan Shuangshuang had suspected. These people were actually an ’army,’ and the culprit behind the destruction of the small family’s clan was the small town’s administrator, a minor mayor.
The army was not a formal military force; the small town’s administrator was just a minor official who could not mobilize official troops. This private army was actually composed of his household servants, trained like regular troops, making their movements seem military-like.
Tan Shuangshuang did not stay to handle the subsequent matters, eager to return to Qingyun City. However, her meddling this time yielded quite a bit of benefit.
After capturing the people, Third Elder Qian Chong conducted a detailed inspection and discovered the Spirit Stone Mine was vast, with only a small portion currently being mined. There was a large area of Spirit Stone Mine further inside, especially Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
If this Spirit Stone Mine was carefully mined, sustaining recovery, it could be exploited for at least a hundred to a hundred and fifty years. This would bring substantial annual earnings to the Wuji Sect, with Tan Shuangshuang receiving a ten percent commission from the sect’s share.
Don’t underestimate this ten percent share; given the mine’s size, even tens of thousands of Spirit Stones annually are unstoppable. This represents a considerable income for both Tan Shuangshuang and the Tan Family, allowing her to retain a portion for herself and support her family’s development.
After completing the task, Tan Shuangshuang left while Qian Chong was contacting the current Da Cheng Yun City Lord due to state matters; the sect needed to avoid involving itself due to potential conflicts of interest.
The Yun City Lord promptly apprehended the small town’s mayor who annihilated the small family discovering the Spirit Stone Mine and intended to loot it. They also dug up a large cache of Spirit Stones hidden underground from the mayor’s home.
The Yun City Lord did not keep these Spirit Stones greedily; instead, working with the Spirit Stone Mine’s calculations, generously allocated a share to Qian Chong, reserving the rest to report to Baiyue Country’s court, awaiting the Emperor’s disposition.
After receiving the Spirit Stones, Qian Chong distributed one-tenth, roughly over ten thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones and two thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones to Tan Shuangshuang, making her suddenly wealthy, her already rich wallet even fuller.
On the journey back, Tan Shuangshuang, in high spirits, bought plenty of various items visible along the way as gifts for the Tan Family; naturally, many delicacies for herself and Fei Hu were included, filling her storage bags used for concealment around her waist with various delicacies.
Upon returning to the Tan Family, the guards at the gate thought they were seeing things; but once confirmed it was Tan Shuangshuang, they immediately shouted that Miss Shuangshuang had returned, quickly running into the courtyard to report.
As Tan Shuang walked in, she quickly saw her grandfather Tan Wencheng and uncle Tan Qianzheng hurriedly coming out, faces full of excitement. Upon spotting her, they sped up briskly, nearly jogging towards her.
Tan Shuangshuang was equally excited; not feeling it before while away, but seeing her family made her realize how much she missed them.
Tan Wencheng grabbed Tan Shuang’s hand, gazing at her, after a while, unable to resist the urge to ask about her welfare, "Good child, it’s good you’re back. How was life outside? Are the Wuji Sect members easy to get along with? Are you accustomed to the food? Is the money at hand sufficient? If not, we have more at home..."
Tan Wencheng’s worries poured endlessly, completely forgetting Tan Shuangshuang had left with a substantial amount of Spirit Stones and Spiritual Pearls given by the second Master Si Kaojing, where would she lack spending money!
Tan Shuangshuang did not find her grandfather’s concern bothersome, patiently answering each question, wait for the excitement between them to calm before Tan Qianzheng, who was squeezed out, had the chance to express his care for Tan Shuang as well.
As they walked towards the house, Tan Shuangshuang recounted the events since she left home. Her experiences during this time were ups and downs, making Tan Wencheng and Tan Qianzheng’s emotions fluctuate.
After recounting, Tan Shuang even produced many Spiritual Medicines, Spirit Pills, along with a handful of Low-grade Mid-grade Spirit Stones, unable to spend them all, so better to help the family’s development.
Knowing Tan Shuangshuang never uses pills to enhance cultivation, both Tan Wencheng and Tan Qianzheng accepted the Spiritual Medicines and Spirit Pills, but firmly refused the Spirit Stones, insisting Tan Shuang keep them for herself, arguing that with plenty of money she’d be safe outside, it’s only concerning when funds are scarce, the more Spirit Stones in hand the better.
No matter how Tan Shuangshuang tried to insist, Tan Wencheng and Tan Qianzheng wouldn’t keep the Spirit Stones, adamant she retain them, forcing Tan Shuangshuang to reluctantly accept them back.
Nevertheless, Tan Shuangshuang was resolute, determined that the Spirit Stone commission from the Wuji Sect’s Spirit Stone Mine should be sent back home, ordering the messenger to leave immediately, making it impossible for her family to refuse them.
After the emotional reunion with Tan Wencheng and Tan Qianzheng, Tan Shuangshuang greeted various elders within the family and handed out gifts. However, Tan Feiyu remained unseen, and the often rowdy younger generation of the Tan Family were also absent.