Having executed the perpetrator who attempted to poison Mi Xue and annihilated the Jiang family who served as accomplices, there was nothing left for Zhang Yang to do in this villa that had successively seen two powerful clans destroyed.

Putting aside thoughts of the mysterious man in black robes, Zhang Yang finally allowed a genuine smile to grace his lips—this time, it was not forced in the least.

“Chirp chirp!”

“Squeak squeak!”

Sensing the pleasure welling up inside Zhang Yang, the two little creatures, Lightning and Shadow, grew equally delighted. They darted onto Zhang Yang’s shoulders, chirping happily that he had found the one responsible for the poisoning.

Zhang Yang reached up to stroke Lightning and Shadow resting on his shoulders, chuckling as he said, “Alright, let’s go.”

Shadow and Lightning had long wished to depart this shadowy place, so upon hearing Zhang Yang’s words, they were naturally overjoyed.

Just as Zhang Yang, Lightning, and Shadow turned to leave, the old man who had been watching silently from the side—locked in the underground water dungeon alongside Zhang Lin—could no longer hold back. He spoke first: “Young man, wait a moment!”

Perhaps it was due to the long period of silence or the extended duration of his confinement in the subterranean pool, but the old man’s voice was incredibly stiff and unusually hoarse.

Zhang Yang paused his departure, turning instead to face the elder he had previously disregarded. The man had remained silent throughout, so after dealing with the surviving remnants of the Hua Tuo Residence’s Zhang family, Zhang Yang had no intention of involving himself with this individual.

It seemed, however, that the elder could not hold back any longer.

“Who are you?” Zhang Yang asked him directly.

“Did you truly kill the descendant of the so-called Sage of Medicine, the Zhang family? Are you not afraid of retaliation from the Jiang family? You must know that this young man possessed something the Jiang family coveted dearly…” The elder bypassed Zhang Yang’s question, instead posing his own with a hint of confusion. It was evident the elder still harbored a strange suspicion toward Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang frowned, then replied with displeasure, “If you wish for me to save you, then answer my questions honestly.”

At this moment, Zhang Yang had little patience for entanglement with this old man. Regardless of the reason the Jiang family held him captive here, it had nothing to do with Zhang Yang. Even though Zhang Yang had already guessed the man’s identity, whether to save him ultimately depended on his mood.

This man had no standing to haggle with Zhang Yang.

The elder stared intently at Zhang Yang, the muddied depths of his eyes showing fleeting sparks of clarity, as if weighing Zhang Yang’s words.

Seeing the elder’s continued hesitation, Zhang Yang immediately turned, lifting his leg as if preparing to walk away.

The elder panicked as he watched Zhang Yang turn without the slightest pause. He had been locked in this water dungeon for far too long; this young man represented his only hope. Therefore, he quickly cried out, “Wait!”

Immediately thereafter, the elder announced his identity: “I am the original master of this villa, the head of the Wang family, Wang Daolin, whose entire lineage was wiped out by the Jiang family!”

Just as he had suspected, Zhang Yang turned back and re-entered the half of the pool where the elder was confined. He had been wondering who this scarred old man could be.

This villa originally belonged to the Wang family of the Northern Suburbs. Later, the Jiang family usurped the property, not only slaughtering three generations of the Wang family but also seizing their foundation. However, from that point until Zhang Yang’s arrival, aside from the direct relatives of the Jiang family, there wasn't another soul within the villa, not even a servant. This alone spoke volumes about the extreme secrecy the Jiang family maintained regarding this location. The person locked down here, besides Zhang Lin who was brought by the mysterious man in black robes, could only be someone from the original Wang family.

The one imprisoned with Zhang Lin was, in fact, the former patriarch of the Wang family, Wang Daolin.

“You saw everything that transpired earlier. I came here seeking revenge against him,” Zhang Yang stated his purpose plainly.

Hearing Zhang Yang’s words, the light in the elder’s clouded eyes grew stronger. He licked his cracked lips, and his demeanor softened instantly. He pleaded with Zhang Yang, “Young man, might I ask a favor of you? Rest assured, it is nothing difficult. I only need you to relay a message.”

“Relay a message?” Zhang Yang was slightly taken aback. He had expected that the head of the Wang family, imprisoned by the Jiang family, would beg him to secure his freedom. He never anticipated a request merely to pass along a message.

“Yes, that’s all. Just help me travel to the Northern Suburbs and deliver a message to one household,” the elder hesitated repeatedly, then bit down hard, as if making a crucial decision. He said to Zhang Yang, “If you agree to do this small favor for me, I will reward you with the inner core of a Fourth-Tier spirit beast!”

The inner core of a Fourth-Tier spirit beast!

Upon hearing this, the little creatures Lightning and Shadow’s eyes immediately shone, and they began chirping excitedly!

The inner core itself was the most concentrated essence of a spirit beast. Generally speaking, only spirit beasts of the Fourth-Tier and above could condense an inner core. Furthermore, not every Fourth-Tier spirit beast managed to gather one within its body; the essence of most spirit beasts existed primarily in the form of vital blood. This demonstrated that an inner core was inherently superior to vital blood by more than a single tier.

The preciousness of a Fourth-Tier spirit beast’s inner core was simply beyond description.

Zhang Yang suddenly understood why the Jiang family, after wiping out the entire Wang lineage, spared the patriarch: the Jiang family must have kept him alive solely to extract the whereabouts of that spirit beast core from him.

Seeing Zhang Yang’s delayed response, the elder grew anxious and quickly urged him, “Why the hesitation? Don’t worry, I will never harm you. An inner core of a Fourth-Tier spirit beast in exchange for a short errand—this trade is worthwhile in any calculation!”

“What message do you need me to deliver?” Zhang Yang did not rush to agree, countering with a question.

Seeing Zhang Yang soften his stance, the elder hurriedly explained, “In the westernmost part of the Northern Suburbs county town, there is a family surnamed Yan. They have practiced medicine for generations and are well-known traditional Chinese physicians in this region. You will find them easily if you ask around. Go to their home and tell the head of the family that Wang Daolin of the Wang family sent word: the Jiang family is preparing to move against your Yan family. Tell them to flee the Northern Suburbs immediately!”

Zhang Yang froze upon hearing this. So, Wang Daolin’s message was to warn the Yan family that the Jiang family was targeting them. It seemed Wang Daolin was unaware that the Jiang family had already struck; currently, only Yan Liangfei remained as a male survivor of the Yan family.

It was clear the Wang family of the Northern Suburbs and the Yan family shared a close relationship. Even in this desperate state, Wang Daolin’s first thought was to notify the Yan family.

“Young man, can you do this?” The elder grew more frantic, causing the iron chains binding him to sway. “You killed that descendant of the Zhang family earlier; the commotion was enormous. The Jiang family could not possibly have noticed nothing. I know you are powerful, but the Jiang family now has the Huyuan family as its backer, and recently they even allied themselves with the Demonic Sect. Young man, please agree to my request and leave quickly before the Jiang family discovers you!”

This old man had been imprisoned for too long; in that time, many things could have occurred—such as the collapse and total annihilation of the millennium-old aristocratic Huyuan family overnight, or the swift downfall of the burgeoning Jiang family at the hands of avengers.

Zhang Yang did not answer the elder. Instead, he drew his Cold Spring Sword. With a light touch of his toe, he moved like a startled swallow, skimming across the water’s surface a few times before darting toward the elder.

Swish, swish!

Two white flashes cut through the air. The elder watched in horror as the iron chains anchoring him to the wall snapped clean through. His hands, previously fixed to the wall, were finally free, and his entire body pitched forward uncontrollably toward the water’s surface!

Just as the elder braced for impact with the water, a pair of hands suddenly seized him, and an immense pulling force followed.

Splash!

The water churned into waves as the elder was pulled free. In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yang had brought the patriarch of the Wang family back to the edge of the pool.

Having been soaked in the icy water for so long, Wang Daolin’s legs were now useless, and not a single patch of skin on his body remained intact. Looking at him, Zhang Yang couldn't help but frown.

Wang Daolin’s injuries were too old and severe to be easily healed. Had he not used his internal energy to protect himself, he would have died long ago in the underground water dungeon, never living to see Zhang Yang’s arrival.

Zhang Yang couldn't help but admire the old man. He endured such immense suffering simply to find a chance to notify the Yan family and save them from persecution by the Jiang family.

Freed from the shackles of the water dungeon, the Wang family patriarch, Wang Daolin, could not utter a word as he looked at Zhang Yang. Initially, he had never expected this young man, who had come specifically to the water dungeon for revenge and killing, to rescue him. In his mind, merely getting the message relayed to the Yan family would have been enough.

But he never imagined that this terrifyingly powerful young man would actually save him directly… Does he truly fear neither the Jiang family nor the Huyuan family and the Demonic Sect backing them?

The elder’s face was etched with worry.

Zhang Yang did not know what the elder was thinking, but seeing the look of sorrow, devoid of any excitement at being saved, he understood the source of his concern. Zhang Yang spoke, “You don't need to worry about the Jiang family. All of them are dead.”

“What! Dead?” Wang Daolin exclaimed in disbelief.

Zhang Yang nodded with a slight smile. “Yes. As for the Jiang family’s backers, the Huyuan family and the Demonic Sect, do not trouble yourself over them either. The Huyuan clan has been utterly annihilated, and the Demonic Sect is effectively crippled, preoccupied with its own survival.”

“Just who in the world are you…” Wang Daolin stared at Zhang Yang in disbelief, then glanced at the Cold Spring Sword that could slice through iron like mud, and finally at Lightning and Shadow. Suddenly, he could no longer suppress his excitement, and all the haziness vanished from his eyes.

“You, you, you are the true descendant of the Sage of Medicine, the Zhang family!”