Chapter 9 No way, I'm just kidding... No way, I'm just kidding...

However, Wu Chen was not someone who could be easily manipulated.

He said "sincerely" to the crowd, "Tan Family Village has suffered a great calamity, and no one has escaped. However, there may still be some of our descendants who are still out there. Now, the wealth in the village should naturally be inherited by the descendants of the Tan family. I hope that you fellow practitioners, even if you stay to observe, will not touch these things. A gentleman sacrifices himself for the benefit of others, and I believe that you chivalrous people will agree with this."

What a huge hat! Some of the rogue cultivators who had hoped to take advantage of the situation immediately gave up their ideas.

Well, with the Divine Palace, the Flame-Slaying Platform, and the Golden Pavilion already involved in the affairs of Tan Family Village, even if Tan Family Village truly possessed the Spirit-Communicating Fruit, it wouldn't be their turn. And with Wu Chen saying this, they wouldn't even be able to gain any advantage. They might even have to return what they already had. So what's the point of staying? Who knows what else might happen in Tan Family Village?

So the independent cultivators took their leave and departed.

Luo Dushou gave his subordinates a look: "They think they can just take advantage and leave? Who knows if any of these people have mistakenly taken the Spirit Fruit? He won't let any of them go."

Jin Hua's men also received Jin Hua's signal and quietly followed the rogue cultivators.

Only the faction of the Divine Palace, with Wu Chen and Yu Jitang having a great reputation, only had two people, so they were simply too busy and didn't care about such things, so they didn't consider other options.

Wu Chen personally fetched a clean recliner and let Lu Qing lie down and rest in a clean and refreshing place. He personally took care of her, while only letting Yu Jitang go and search for clues with the two groups of people.

Yu Jitang had come specifically for the Spirit Fruit, and seeing that Wu Chen didn't seem inclined to compete for it, he felt a sense of relief, but also secretly marveled. He thought to himself: Could it be that this black-hearted radish has actually changed his nature? Has he been assimilated into a radish ball by the lotus root starch ball?

Tanjiazhuang immediately became busy again. The only people who were free were the dead lying on the ground and Wu Chen and Lu Qing.

Lu Qing was not feeling well. She disliked the smell of blood to begin with, and the tragic state of the women in the inner quarters only aggravated her. Wu Chen gave her a Jade Dew Heart-Clearing Pill before she could catch her breath.

Wu Chen held her hand and channeled some spiritual energy into her to help her recover. Seeing that her complexion was gradually improving, he asked, "How about I take you back to the inn to rest? If you stay here, you probably won't be able to eat anything."

Lu Qing frowned, "I'm afraid I won't be able to eat when I get back."

Moreover, the murderer who could wipe out everyone in Tan Family Village overnight has not yet been found. With Wu Chen not by her side, the murderer could do whatever he wanted to her. In this critical moment, survival is paramount.

Of course, if you want to cling to a powerful figure, you must be sincere and maintain a respectable demeanor.

So Lu Qing grasped Wu Chen's hand in return and said sincerely, "I'm sorry, I've held you back. You stayed here to find the murderer, but I've wasted your time. Go ahead and do your work. There are people coming and going around here, and it's broad daylight, so the murderer probably won't dare to come out. If he does come out, I'll immediately shout your name."

Wu Chen thought for a moment, "Alright, you rest on this recliner for a while. I'll be right back."

Uh! You're really leaving?! Shouldn't you stay and take care of me? Lu Qing looked at him, who kept turning back to look at her, and forced out a "sincere" yet "strong" smile.

But Wu Chen still left.

Lu Qing: What use are you men?!

That's enough! She looked around and saw that there were indeed quite a few people from Zhan Yantai and Jin Manlou coming and going, but none of them were free; they were all carrying corpses.

She shuddered violently. She pulled an outer robe from her pouch and covered herself with it, signaling to herself to avoid the scene, to look into the distance, and to stop focusing on these bloody tragedies.

At the highest point of Tanjiazhuang stands a towering tree that reaches into the clouds. Unlike the lush greenery of other trees, the branches and leaves of this tree are all crimson, appearing like a blazing flame under the azure sky.

It's really beautiful!

Lu Qing was captivated by it and gradually became lost in thought...

Unlike the others who searched for secret rooms or similar locations, Wu Chen went directly to the Tan Family Ancestral Hall. Located on the southwest side of Tan Family Village, the hall was solemn and magnificent. Inside, memorial tablets were piled up layer upon layer, almost reaching the top.

Wu Chen walked around the ancestral hall and stopped in front of the murals on both sides.

These murals depict the life stories and achievements of famous figures from Tanjiazhuang throughout history. Some subdue demons, some achieve great success in cultivation, and some educate and save people. However, the third mural at the very beginning depicts a man standing in front of a tree.

What does this mean?

Wu Chen stood in front of the mural, examining it carefully.

The figure depicted in this mural is an ancestor of the Tan family named Tan Ruan. Wu Chen carefully calculated his birth date and found that he was a person from three thousand years ago, long past his death.

Not every ancestor of the Tan family was qualified to leave a mural in the ancestral hall. Wu Chen looked at the two murals flanking Tan Ruan's; the birth dates of the two figures were hundreds of years after Tan Ruan's. This meant that Tan Ruan's murals were not merely a filler.

So what's so special about this mural? Or perhaps, what extraordinary contribution did this Tan Ruan make?

The mural features only two main figures: Tan Ruan, who, unlike other figures in the mural, is depicted without weapons, wearing a flowing robe and possessing a handsome appearance. He maintains a considerable distance from the tree, yet they are not intimate.

Wu Chen frowned slightly, moved closer, and carefully observed the tree. The tree only had an outline; the trunk and branches were visible, but the shape of the leaves was unclear. It was of ordinary height and ordinary thickness; there was nothing particularly remarkable about it.

A cloud of doubt suddenly rose in Wu Chen's mind. He continued walking towards the other murals, but each of them clearly depicted a story. Moreover, occasionally, he would see a tree appearing in the background.

What kind of tree is this? Is it just an unintentional stroke by the artist, or is there some hidden meaning?

"What is Young Master Wu looking at?" Luo Dushou received a secret report from his subordinates that Wu Chen had been looking at the murals in the ancestral hall alone for a long time, so he rushed over immediately. Jin Hua and Yu Jitang also arrived after hearing the news.

Wu Chen, his thoughts interrupted, nodded to them. "Have you made any discoveries?"

Luo Dushou said, "We did discover a few secret rooms. But they only contained treasures, not spiritual fruits."

Wu Chen had already anticipated this outcome, but he feigned a puzzled expression. "Senior Luo, I only heard rumors about the Spirit Fruit yesterday. But last night, Tan Family Village was massacred. Could it be that the murderer took the Spirit Fruit? What exactly is the information you received? Does Tan Family Village possess the Spirit Fruit? Or does Tan Family Village know its whereabouts?"

Luo Dushou didn't want to speak, but Wu Chen had a very good reputation, and everyone said he was extremely intelligent. If he could give him some clues to find the whereabouts of the Spirit Fruit, what could Wu Chen do even if he turned his back on him? There were so many of them, yet Wu Chen was dragging along a useless little girl who was holding them back.

Having made up his mind, Luo Dushou said, "It is said that an ancestor of the Tan family once obtained the Fruit of Spiritual Communication, but did not consume it, instead keeping it treasured at home."

Jin Hua and Yu Jitang nodded, presumably because everyone had received the same information.

Wu Chen chuckled, "It's said that the Spirit Fruit only ripens once every thousand years. Even if the Tan family has one, it's probably from at least several hundred years ago. Wouldn't a fresh fruit spoil after being left out for so long?"

Jinhua, however, was certain: "Since it is a fruit of spiritual communication, it must be extraordinary."

Wu Chen had a vague idea in his mind, but shook his head. "Since it's unusual, it might be behaving in an unusual way. Have someone investigate whether there's anything unusual about Tan Family Village."

Seeing that he had no other suggestions, Luo Dushou and Jin Hua ordered their men to search the surroundings for anything unusual. Wu Chen, on the other hand, went back to check on Lu Qing. Seeing her sleeping soundly on the recliner, he helped her straighten her outer robe and then wandered around aimlessly.

Yu Jitang searched for a long time but found no clues. He then approached them. "Hey, do you think there really is a Spirit-Communicating Fruit in Tan Family Village?"

Wu Chen asked him, "Where did you get this information from?"

Yu Jitang hesitated for a moment, then spoke up, "An elder told me."

Yu Jitang is different from Wu Chen. Wu Chen is an orphan who rose to the position of divine servant through his own cultivation, while the Yu family is a large clan with members holding important positions in the divine palace for generations. It is not surprising that Yu Jitang, being the most outstanding child of his generation, receives the favor and care of the Yu family elders.

Wu Chen pondered, "According to the secret records of the Divine Palace, the High Priest once consumed the Fruit of Spirit Communication, which granted him the power to communicate with spirits and gods. If the Tan family truly obtained the Fruit of Spirit Communication, why didn't they consume it, but instead kept it at home? Moreover, the Tan Family Village has maintained a low profile for so many years, without any noteworthy developments."

Yu Jitang scratched his head, "Yeah, we got it but didn't eat it. Why? Are we going to save it for seed, to grow a spiritual tree?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen's heart stirred, and he immediately turned around and scanned the Tan Family Village. The tall and lush scarlet tree inevitably came into his view.

Yu Jitang was stunned by his own words, this almost impossible possibility. "No way. I'm just talking nonsense."

Wu Chen had already walked towards the scarlet tree.