Volume Two, Travels in the State of Qi, Chapter Ninety-Three: Has the System Encountered a Problem?

Zhang Heng and the old man listened in seething anger, yet neither of them spoke, allowing the clan head of the Han family to continue.

After more than three months of this, the infection among those outside had grown ever deeper, and now it threatened their very lives. The Han family had long since exhausted its supplies. Food was gone; the cultivators could barely hold on for a little longer, but the ordinary people had nothing to eat. They could only wait for death. As for myself, I was also wounded by the city lord and no longer able to protect them.

At first, we had already despaired. But who could have guessed that in this hour of peril, an elder would arrive here? I beg you, venerable one, show us your mercy. Save us. Drive away the people of the Dark God Sect. Restore peace to the countless citizens of this little city.

Having finished, he fell to his knees once more, weeping so hard he could not speak.

“Very well. I understand the matter now. Get up first. I will surely see that justice is done for you,” the old man said indifferently. Though he was deliberately concealing it, Zhang Heng could still see the fury in his eyes. Zhang Heng knew the old man would have gone straight to the Dark God Sect without delay.

“Many thanks, venerable one. Many thanks!” the Han family head kept knocking his head to the ground in gratitude.

Zhang Heng also wanted to wipe out that Dark God Sect, but he could not.

“Please calm your anger, senior. Leave this matter to me,” Zhang Heng said, forcing himself to remain composed.

“You brat, with no cultivation at all, don’t go wandering about. Stay here in the Han residence. Old man me will go turn that Dark God Sect inside out and make them pay for this,” the elder said, ignoring Zhang Heng’s words and speaking to himself.

“Senior, sometimes brute force cannot solve anything,” Zhang Heng continued to persuade him.

“How can it not solve anything? As for that Dark God Sect, I know them. Their core members should have gone to the imperial capital of the Kingdom of Qi to take part in the capital tournament. What remains here are only small fry. I can make them all disappear with a flick of my finger,” the old man said with obvious arrogance, though he truly possessed the strength to do it.

Even if he were asked to slaughter the Dark God Sect’s core figures, he would likely not be afraid.

“Senior, even if you can kill them, can you save the countless infected citizens in this city?” Zhang Heng pointed outside and raised his voice.

“That’s simple. I’ll just go to the imperial capital and bring that old rascal Wu Hong back,” the old man said carelessly.

So this old fellow actually knew Wu Hong! No wonder their tempers were so alike, both of them so utterly unruly.

Although Wu Hong was a fourth-tier alchemist, he truly could not save the people here.

“Senior, there’s no need to trouble Elder Wu. I am also an alchemist, and I can solve the problem here,” Zhang Heng said directly.

Since this involved a figure from a thousand years ago, other alchemists might be of little use. Only the system could solve the problem here.

“Brat, I’m not in the mood to joke with you. This matter is of great importance, so just stand by and watch. Once this is settled, I’ll send you to the imperial capital,” the old man said. Although he knew Zhang Heng was strange, he did not believe he was an alchemist.

How could there be such a young alchemist? Even if he really were one, at twenty years old he would at most be first tier. How could he be mentioned in the same breath as Wu Hong?

Zhang Heng could not be bothered to explain. He simply took out the single furnace Wu Hong had given him from his spatial ring.

Holding the furnace in both hands, Zhang Heng said, “Senior, I know Elder Wu as well. The fact that he was willing to give me this treasured furnace is proof enough of my ability. So, senior, let me handle this.”

The moment the old man of the Heavenly Origin realm saw the furnace, he stopped in his tracks.

He had known Wu Hong for a hundred years, and he understood him well. Though Wu Hong seemed unruly on the surface, he was very serious when it came to alchemy. Since he had been willing to give his own furnace to Zhang Heng, that was proof enough of Zhang Heng’s ability.

As for how Zhang Heng had obtained the furnace, the old man could not be bothered to ask. Zhang Heng was far too weak; Wu Hong could have pierced him to death with a single finger. So unless Wu Hong had willingly given it away, Zhang Heng would never have been able to get it.

“Very well, brat. Since that old Wu trusts you, don’t disappoint him.”

“Then let us split up. You refine pills here and save the people, while I go level that Dark God Sect.”

Zhang Heng also did not know why this old man was so obsessed with destroying the Dark God Sect.

However, Zhang Heng had to go there personally. He needed to find out what secrets the Dark God Sect held, and what connection it had with the Ghost Saint Daoist who had died a thousand years ago.

“Senior, let me go with you. I need to take a look at what scripture the Dark God Sect has, so I can prescribe the right remedy.”

“Very well, brat. Then I’ll take you there,” the old man said. And with that, he gathered spiritual energy and was about to carry Zhang Heng away through the void.

“Old man, you’ve lived for hundreds of years. Can’t you be a little steadier?” Zhang Heng exploded in anger, shouting directly at him.

The system was ignoring him, and he had absolutely no idea what to do. Right now, he was already flustered and irritable. Who would have thought that this old fellow, despite living for hundreds of years, could still be so immature?

“Well said, well said,” the old man said with a start. Not only did he not get angry, he even smiled and nodded at Zhang Heng.

Could it be that this old man has a taste for humiliation?

“Little brother, old man me truly was too hasty just now. How about this: for this operation, I’ll listen to you completely. Tell me who to hit, and I’ll hit them.”

Seeing this, Zhang Heng also calmed down. He bowed slightly and said, “Senior, my apologies for just now.”

He was still trying his best to communicate with the system, but there was still no response at all.

Judging by this damned system’s usual behavior, it would absolutely not stand by and ignore the countless citizens. It must have its reasons for acting this way.

“You’re called Han Xuan, right?” Zhang Heng asked, looking at the Han family head standing respectfully below.

“Yes,” Han Xuan replied with his head lowered, still somewhat unable to figure out Zhang Heng’s identity.

Logically speaking, a twenty-year-old could not possibly be an alchemist. Yet even that elder of the Heavenly Origin realm had believed him. Could it be that the one before him was not a young man at all, but some old monster who had lived for hundreds of years and altered his appearance with a heaven-defying pill?

“You’ve done very well,” Zhang Heng said approvingly.

The Han family was truly not bad. When the common people suffered, they had stepped forward and carved out a path of survival for them. That was great righteousness.

“Senior, this is only what I should do. Qingyuan City is the root of my clan. How could I stand by and watch it suffer? Unfortunately, my strength is too low. I truly am helpless,” Han Xuan replied with a desolate expression.

“Good. Leave the rest to us. Go and tend your injuries in peace,” Zhang Heng said. Then he took a third-tier Heart-Clearing Pill from his spatial ring and tossed it to Han Xuan.

“Many thanks, senior!” Han Xuan immediately fell to his knees in gratitude.

He had thrown out a high-grade Heart-Clearing Pill just like that. It seemed the one before him truly was an alchemist.

After Han Xuan withdrew, only Zhang Heng and the old man remained in the room.

“Brat! What should we do now?” Seeing that Zhang Heng still had not made a move, the old man could not help but ask.

In his eyes, this matter was actually very easy. Destroy the Dark God Sect with overwhelming force, then refine pills to save the people, and that would be that.

He did not know what Zhang Heng was thinking.

The system’s silence was truly making Zhang Heng miserable. He himself certainly did not know what pill could save the citizens, and he could not simply go and annihilate the Dark God Sect either. If he did that, they might never learn what link there was between the Dark God Sect and the Ghost Saint Daoist.

What on earth was this system up to? Could it be that the plot had not yet reached the right point?