- Chapter 67 (1/2)
The Plan That Would Startle the Two Girls
The light of the early morning sun penetrated through the mist. It made Ning Fan feel stifled. This forest wasn’t an appropriate place for a living human to live in.
He pushed open the door and the sunlight shone in. The two ladies that were watching him had left to rest. He wouldn’t be restricted from going out during the day, but that didn’t mean that he could go in and out of the clan encampment freely.
“There isn’t a distinct differences of rank or position among the ghosts of Green Clan, not to mention they aren’t united. It’s safe to say that every ghost that joined the clan has an ulterior motive.”
Ning Fan pushed open the bamboo fence and walked into the forest. His eyes scanned every ghost expert which brushed past him, as if he was trying to read their hearts.
Every one of them had a hidden agenda. There was only one word for these Gold Core ghost gathering here; that was ‘benefit’.
It indicated that it wasn’t definite that the vault elder wouldn’t steal the treasure inside the vault himself, but because there were ten intermediate and fifty early Gold Core ghosts guarding in the vicinity at the same time, it meant that he didn’t have the chance.
Sinister, this was the most suitable word to describe the ghosts in Green Clan.
Thus, it wasn’t only Ning Fan alone who had the motive to seize the treasures in the vault as every ghosts here was preoccupied with their ulterior motives.
The vault of the clan was located at the end of the forest. That area was encompassed by a shapeless force of formation and guarded by Gold Core experts at different hidden spots. The security of the building was very tight.
He wanted to go there to gather information such as the topography of the land, the formation that it was set in and the arrangement of the guards before setting up a comprehensive plan to seize their Sense Beads.
Every month, the medical officer would go into the vault to get a certain portion of herbs to concoct medicinal pills. Ning Fan wanted to take this opportunity to explore the vault and its surroundings.
When he reached the outer part of the vault, he saw a ghost trying to steal herbs from the vault, provoking the formation.
That ghost was an early Gold Core expert. It was considered a top-notch expert across Yue Country, but its spirit sense didn’t know that there was a defensive formation outside the vault.
The formation shook slightly and the ghost’s facial expression changed. It retreated at once, but it was too late. A force was exerted and a wave of irresistible spirit sense permeated out, incinerating it in a breath’s time as it let out a wail.
“Another early Gold Core thief. After a certain period, there will be someone bold enough to risk their life to steal the items in the vault.”
Snickers came out of the darkness, as if they were mocking the incinerated ghost and at the same time, Ning Fan.
These experts thought that Ning Fan’s intention of joining the Green Clan was mostly to obtain the herbs in the vault. In fact, it wasn’t hard for them to guess because many of them who chose to guard the vault had similar hidden motives.
Ning Fan came to a halt as the shapeless formation was just in front of him. He could also feel the Qis of countless experts hidden in the vicinity indistinctly. He definitely couldn’t discover their presence if he didn’t use his spirit sense.
Given his cultivation level in formation, he was able determine the number of formation eyes in just a few moments.
There were 108 formation eyes within the formation. It was almost a ‘Nascent’ realm formation. Furthermore, each formation eye wasn’t formed by Immortal Jades or Immortal Ores but Sense Beads!
It was a grand formation that was set using the power of spirit sense from the sense beads. Any ghost cultivator below Nascent Soul realm could be eliminated by the formation easily.
Ning Fan’s eyes blazed while focusing on the 108 formation eyes. He found it a little unacceptable for them to use just Sense Beads as the formation eyes. That was purely wasting the gifts of heavens.
However, it was understandable. Only herbs were precious to ghosts. As for the Sense Beads, they could get it after killing others of the same kind. Besides using Sense Beads to craft magical treasures and setting a formation, there wasn’t any other better uses for it. this was because they were unable to devour the Sense Beads as they weren’t humans.
A dazzling golden Sense Bead emerged beside the dead ghost. Very quickly, a female ghost who had the waist of a serpent appeared beside the Sense Bead with a green flash. She snatched it away and shifted her eyes towards Ning Fan.
“Huh? Isn’t he the newly joined medical officer named Zhou Ming? He wants to come here to steal and die?”
Ning Fan’s eyes turned cold when he saw the female ghost.
She was a late Gold Core female ghost. It seemed she was the vault elder.
“Zhou Ming won’t dare to steal anything from the vault. But as Zhou Ming is a medical officer and is in need of some herbs to concoct pills, I come here on purpose to claim some herbs. According to the rule of Green Clan, the medical officer is allowed to claim ten century-old herbs every month to concoct pills. Meanwhile, the medical officer is required to present at least one Second Revolution pill to the clan every month.”
Ning Fan’s expression was unchanged. He made an obeisance by cupping his hands before his chest.
His composed facial expression impressed the late Gold Core female ghost. She slowly kept her jeering face and looked at Ning Fan eloquently.
“You know how to concoct pills? Which revolution of pills?”
“I wonder how may I address you, Elder?” Instead of answering the question, he questioned the elder with a faint smile.
“Hehe…an early Gold Core puny ghost dares to ask for my name? Do you want death so badly? Fine. I forgive you for you are an alchemist. Listen, my name is Qu Han.”
The elder answered Ning Fan’s question which amazed those experts around because they had never seen the elder treat an early Gold Core ghost with such benign countenance.
However, it made sense because very few ghosts knew actual the skills of an alchemist. Although many of them knew these skills before they died and turned into a ghost, majority of them would lose their past memories when they became ghost. So, there was an even a lower chance for them to remember their alchemy technique in the past.
Ning Fan didn’t show any significant abilities yesterday when he joined the clan but if he really could concoct pills, his status and position would be raised. At the time, he might have a higher rank than the intermediate Gold Core elders.
Qu Han scanned Ning Fan. She found it strange that he could be this calm even though he was merely an early Gold Core expert.
“Elder Qu Han. I am Zhou Ming, a Second Revolution Dan Master.”
Ning Fan replied in a flat tone. He wouldn’t reveal his identity as a Fourth Revolution Dan Master because that would immediately attract the attention of countless of experts, making it harder for him to act in secrecy.
“I see, Second Revolution…” The expression in Elder Qu Han’s eyes became unenthusiastic again because of disappointment.
Although there weren’t a lot of Second Revolution Dan Master, the demand for these Dan Masters wasn’t high because Second Revolution pill was virtually ineffective to Gold Core ghosts.
“Chu Chen, bring him in to select the herbs, only herbs of century old. If I find any of the five centuries herbs and millennium herbs missing…you should know what the consequences will be.”
Qu Han said coldly with murderous intent. Then she turned and disappeared without a trace, refusing to converse with Ning Fan anymore.
A moment later, an old and shaky elder in fisherman’s attire emerged slowly with a disk array on his hand and chuckled at Ning Fan.
“I am Chu Chen. Greetings, Dan Master Zhou.”
This fisherman-like elder was merely an early Gold Core expert and the tone he used was with respect, courteous and sincerity, but the moment he appeared gave Ning Fan a sense of coldness that made him feel slightly fearful of the elder.
This was strange. He hasn’t felt this kind of danger even if he is facing a late Gold Core expert. This elder mustn’t be as simple as he looked.
As Ning Fan continued to analyse the elder, he found some clues from the elder’s Qi.
The Qi of Nascent Soul? This elder was a half-step Nascent Soul expert. His grade was on par with those Great Elders of other clans. He must be a Great Elder of any other clan but who would know which clan this Great Elder was from?
Ning Fan was afraid that this elder had the same ulterior motive—camouflaging the cultivation grade and sneaking into Green Clan. Since he was guarding the vault, his target naturally would be the herbs.
“I am Zhou Ming. Greetings, Senior Chu. Lead the way, Senior.”
His mind was running with hundreds of thoughts but his facial expression didn’t change even the slightest bit. He cupped his hands before his chest and followed the elder into the vault.