In the courtyard, Xu Yang feasted ravenously. His stomach seemed to be a bottomless pit; in just a short while, he had already devoured several pounds of Cyan-Scaled Eagle meat.
"Senior Brother Chen, would you like some?" he called out to Chen Yong, who was still there.
Chen Yong shook his head. "I’ve already eaten. This Cyan-Scaled Eagle is too potent for me; eating too much wouldn’t be good."
Changing the subject, Chen Yong asked with concern, "By the way, how are your injuries? Have you recovered?"
Xu Yang shook his head. "How could I possibly recover so quickly? These were two Exotic Beasts with strength on par with the Marrow Cleansing Great Success stage. I’m lucky just to be alive. If it weren’t for the Half-Spirit Weapon my master gave me, I probably would have died here today."
"But don’t worry, Senior Brother Chen. My injuries have stabilized. With about ten days to half a month of rest, plus this Cyan-Scaled Eagle meat, I should be pretty much recovered."
Chen Yong breathed a sigh of relief. "It’s good that they’ve stabilized. Take your time to heal. Now that the Cyan-Scaled Eagle is dead, the mining site should be safe for a while."
"Take your time eating, Junior Brother Xu. I still have to record today’s accounts, so I won’t disturb you any longer."
Xu Yang nodded. "Go on, Senior Brother Chen. There’s nothing else for me here."
Chen Yong cupped his hands and turned to leave.
The moment he turned, the smile on his face slowly vanished, replaced by a grim expression.
’Xu Yang’s injuries aren’t as severe as I thought. He can recover in just ten days to half a month. He must have only damaged his meridians; his internal organs must be fine.’
"How did it go?"
When he returned to his courtyard, Guo Yun quickly came to find him.
Chen Yong shook his head and replied via voice transmission, "He said he’ll be fine in ten days to half a month. It’s not as serious as we imagined."
Guo Yun looked incredulous. "Such powerful Exotic Beasts, and they only injured him that much? Do you think he’s just putting up a brave front and lying to you?"
It wasn’t an impossibility.
’This is the Purple Sun Sect, after all. Once you leave its grounds, everyone is wary of one another. Xu Yang was probably severely injured, but he didn’t reveal the true extent of his wounds in order to keep us in check. If it were me, I’d probably do the same.’
’After all, Xu Yang had no real friendship with them. They’d only known each other for a little over a month, so it was impossible for him to have let his guard down completely.’
’A person that brainless and incautious wouldn’t have survived three years in the Purple Sun Sect.’
Chen Yong was taken aback and frowned. "I can’t say for sure. He must have cultivated the Breath Concealment Skill; I can’t discern his true condition."
A vicious look crossed Guo Yun’s face. "Who cares if it’s true or not? We’ll find out if we test him. We might even be able to take him out for good."
Chen Yong’s expression changed. "What are you planning to do?"
’A Ten Heroes Disciple isn’t some ordinary disciple. If something were to happen, an Elder, a Peak Master, or even the Sect Leader himself might show up in person.’
Guo Yun snorted. "Get rid of him, of course. Don’t forget, the new year is only two months away. If we don’t ship that stuff out soon, he might not notice. But when an Elder comes for inspection, they’ll discover it for sure. Then, we’ll be the ones who die."
"Don’t worry, I won’t do it myself. Even if he is injured, we’re no match for him."
"Whether he lives or dies will be up to his luck."
"When the time comes, you can use the chaos to ship the goods out."
Chen Yong fell silent. ’Xu Yang might not see the problem with the mining site, but once an Elder at the Celestial Essence Realm arrives, our secret will be completely exposed. They’d see through it in a single glance.’
...
Late at night, a ghostly figure drifted out from the mining site and soon arrived at the shore of Moon Lake.
He carried a head-sized piece of Cyan-Scaled Eagle meat that gave off a strange, foul smell, as if it had been marinated.
"You beast, you’d better not let me down."
Guo Yun stared out at Moon Lake and forcefully threw the drugged Cyan-Scaled Eagle meat into the water, sending up a splash.
Having done this, he didn’t linger, drifting back to the mining site like a ghost.
The drugged Cyan-Scaled Eagle meat sank to the bottom, emitting its strange scent. In no time, nearby fish were attracted to it and began to bite.
However, when the Cyan-Scaled Eagle was alive, it was a powerful Exotic Beast comparable to the Marrow Cleansing Great Success stage. Its Physique was so tough that even a Martial Artist at the Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement stage couldn’t break its defenses.
The ordinary fish gnawed at it for ages but couldn’t tear off a single shred. Instead, from ingesting the drug clinging to the surface, they flew into a frenzy and began to attack one another.
Before long, the surrounding water was dyed red with blood.
An unknown amount of time passed before a massive shadow swam over from the distance, exuding a powerful pressure. The fish fighting in the area scattered in terror.
It had a wide mouth filled with sharp fangs, a long head, and thick, powerful limbs and tail. It was none other than the overlord of Moon Lake: the Tuo Dragon.
The Tuo Dragon drew near and quickly spotted the Cyan-Scaled Eagle meat on the lakebed. It swam over with a flick of its tail and swallowed the head-sized piece in one gulp. Then, it lurked at the bottom, preparing to digest the essence within the Exotic Beast’s flesh.
However, as time passed, the Tuo Dragon grew restless. Its tail stirred the silt on the lakebed, its eyes filled with irritation, and a savage violence began to surface.
...
In the morning, the mining site awoke from its slumber. Workers rose, washed up, and prepared to start the day’s labor after their meal.
Zhou Jiang got up as well. After a quick wash, he strapped on his saber and went to relieve the night watch.
"Brother Guo, go get some rest!"
After taking over the shift from Guo Yun, he led a few men to the mining site’s entrance to stand guard.
"Everyone seems to be in high spirits!" Zhou Jiang said with a laugh.
His gaze swept across their faces. Everyone was flushed with vitality, and their auras were much more robust than before.
"It’s all thanks to Senior Brother Xu Yang’s Exotic Beast Meat. Our cultivation has improved a lot," someone said. "If I could eat this every day, I feel like I could reach Gang Qi Minor Achievement in a month at most."