Chapter 930: Pulling Threads and Peeling Layers

Although Kao Mountain Village is not far from Linjiang County, this village is nestled deep within the mountains, accessible only by a rugged and narrow path.

Moreover, most of the villagers bear the surname Zhang, and aside from the occasional traveling peddlers, outsiders rarely set foot in the village.

Given the nature of demons, Wang Chen initially deduced that the Blood-sucking Beast responsible for the massacre was likely hiding among the villagers.

Thus, a thorough investigation was essential.

However, gathering all the few hundred villagers of Kao Mountain Village at once was impractical.

The village is home to both hunters and gatherers of mountain goods, and it is not uncommon for those living farther away to miss the toll of the gathering bell.

Understanding the situation, Wang Chen decided to wait in the village.

"Sir, please come to my humble home for a while," the old village chief offered warmly. "I’ll have my wife brew you a pot of cloud mist tea."

Wild tea that grows on the mist-shrouded mountain peaks is known as cloud mist tea. Due to its low yield and the difficulty of harvesting, it is considered a premium mountain good and is highly valued.

To curry favor with Wang Chen, a Blood Guard small flag, the old village chief spared no expense.

"No need to trouble yourself," Wang Chen replied, waving his hand. "I will just wander around the village."

After a brief pause, he added, "Let the villagers disperse. Have someone keep watch here, and when anyone returns, let them wait at your house. I will come by later."

The old village chief, of course, had no objections and promptly arranged for the villagers to stand guard at the village entrance.

Wang Chen wandered through Kao Mountain Village on his own.

This small mountain village is nestled against the mountains, surrounded by towering peaks and lush greenery, creating a serene and pleasant environment.

The mud houses and wooden cabins are scattered yet orderly on the hillside, connected by small stone-paved paths.

As he strolled, Wang Chen noticed that the spiritual energy here was noticeably denser than in the county city.

If the spiritual energy concentration in the Haotian Realm is 10,000, then Linjiang City has only 1, while Kao Mountain Village boasts a level of 3 to 5.

Though these numbers are still meager, for Wang Chen, they were intriguing.

It is known that this world possesses methods of cultivation, and although it differs from the celestial realm’s system, there are many similarities.

For instance, the Demon Identification Talisman that Wang Chen kept close to his heart; he had studied it meticulously and gained considerable insight.

If the surrounding environment were richer in spiritual energy, Wang Chen might even achieve Dual Cultivation, mastering both martial and magical arts!

Martial arts as the primary path, supplemented by methods, is still a road to becoming one of the Strongest.

When he arrived at the finest house in the village, which belonged to the old village chief, several villagers had already returned.

As usual, Wang Chen inspected them all, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

But ten villagers were still unaccounted for.

"Sir, it is already noon," the old village chief said respectfully. "My wife has prepared a pot of chicken soup and some mountain goods. Please join us for a modest lunch."

Wang Chen’s arrival had been sudden, and the old village chief had little time to prepare. He had his wife slaughter an egg-laying Old Hen and gathered mountain mushrooms, bamboo fungus, chestnuts, and other mountain delicacies to assemble a hearty lunch.

Of course, “hearty” only referred to Kao Mountain Village. The old village chief was deeply concerned about neglecting a distinguished guest like Wang Chen.

“It’s a trouble.”

Wang Chen could sense the old village chief’s anxiety and smiled, saying, “As long as it fills my stomach, that’s enough.”

This meal was absolutely necessary; not eating would be truly terrifying.

Although he hadn’t been in this world for long, Wang Chen had already fully embraced his new identity, understanding the immense influence a person with authority equal to that of a county magistrate holds over these common people!

The table was laden with eight dishes and a soup, clearly showing that the old village chief’s family had gone all out. The cooking skills were modest, but the ingredients were excellent, particularly a pot of Old Hen cooked with various mountain delicacies, which was truly aromatic and delicious.

The old village chief even sent his son to fetch Bamboo Wine from the mountains for Wang Chen to enjoy.

Kao Mountain Village had planted a lot of bamboo nearby, and the wealthier villagers would fill hollow bamboo stalks with their homemade rice wine, sealing them to ferment slowly. The resulting Bamboo Wine had a unique and delightful flavor.

Wang Chen drank two tubes of it; it was smooth and sweet, with a refreshing bamboo aroma.

He found it genuinely enjoyable, so he pulled out a piece of government silver and placed it on the table, saying, “How much Bamboo Wine do you have? I’ll take it all.”

“Not at all, sir.”

The old village chief panicked, saying, “If you like it, I would gladly offer it all to you.”

Since the founding of Kao Mountain Village, Wang Chen was undoubtedly the most significant figure to visit the village. Unlike other officials who extorted and bullied, Wang Chen’s presence was a relief, and the old village chief felt grateful, not daring to accept his silver!

Wang Chen frowned and said sternly, “Do you take me for a corrupt official?”

The old village chief immediately knelt down.

Though he was terrified to the point of nearly having a Heart Attack, he realized that Wang Chen genuinely did not wish to take advantage, so he sent his Family to gather more Bamboo Wine from the village.

Wang Chen stayed at the old village chief’s home, chatting with him.

Realizing that Wang Chen was indeed different from other officials, the old village chief gradually relaxed and began to open up.

Unlike most of their territory, who had lived in the village for generations, the old village chief had martial skills in his youth and had roamed far and wide, visiting many towns.

Later, he was seriously wounded by bandits and was forced to return to Kao Mountain Village.

Thus, the old village chief had a wealth of experience. When he discovered that Zhang Xiao Qi’s family had suffered a Calamity, he immediately sent someone to the county to report and seek help.

Wang Chen asked, “Have you noticed anything unusual in the village recently?”

The old village chief thought for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile, saying, “No, truly nothing.”

If there had been anything unusual, he would have told Wang Chen immediately and would never dare to hide it.

Anything involving demons is no small matter. The old village chief was most worried that Wang Chen wouldn’t find any clues and would return to the county, leaving the Blood-sucking Beast to strike again, which would shatter the morale of Kao Mountain Village.

In fact, many villagers were already feeling anxious and uneasy.

While Wang Chen was speaking with the old village chief, more villagers gradually returned.

But the results were the same; Wang Chen’s Demon Identification Talisman showed no signs of reaction.

As dusk approached, fourteen of the fifteen villagers who had been missing returned for inspection, but the last one still had not appeared!

The old village chief grew restless and instructed his son to take people to search.

Wang Chen asked, “Who is the last one who hasn’t come?”

The old village chief hesitated for a moment before answering, “It’s Zhang Shi Tou, who lives in the mountains. He’s a hunter and often goes out to hunt.”

“Ah!”

He suddenly remembered something and slapped his thigh, saying, “Three months ago, Zhang Shi Tou had a conflict with Zhang Xiao Qi’s family. Could it be…?”

The old village chief didn’t dare to think further, but Wang Chen abruptly stood up, saying, “Let’s go; take me to Zhang Shi Tou’s home!”

His instincts told him that this hunter, Zhang Shi Tou, had a significant connection to the massacre of Zhang Xiao Qi’s family!