Chapter 114: The Materials Repository

"No! Don't..."

Zuo Qiu screamed in terror. Just moments ago, Lei Xiang had blown Chen Zhi's head apart with a single shot. Zuo Qiu realized then that Lei Xiang was not someone they could defeat. The magical artifact in his hand had emitted a beam of white light, instantly causing his opponent to explode and die. What kind of terrifying weapon was this? It was beyond his ability to resist. "Please, don't kill me! It has nothing to do with me. Senior Lei, I beg you, please spare me."

Lei Xiang frowned. Wu Lan, who had remained silent until now, spoke calmly, "Senior Lei, our Sect Leader is dead. You are the strongest person here, and killing us would be as easy as turning over your hand. However, our Immortal Ape Sect has not offended you. All the blame lies with Sect Leader Chen Zhi. Now that he is dead and you have had your revenge, please spare the Immortal Ape Sect. After all, it is not easy to preserve a legacy for hundreds of years."

Lei Xiang looked quietly at the young woman in her martial attire, finding her courage even greater than that of the Dharma Protector Elder. "What does that have to do with me?"

Wu Lan was not discouraged; she even smiled. "The Immortal Ape Sect may mean nothing to you, but we are, at the very least, a reputable sect. If you were to wipe us out, it would not be good for your reputation. Furthermore, the sect is now leaderless. If Senior Lei is willing, we can serve you as our leader and help restore the Immortal Ape Sect to its former glory..."

"Not interested!" Lei Xiang interrupted her. In truth, he did not want to commit a massacre. First, his internal spiritual energy was only sufficient to power the Immortal-Slaying Gun for two more shots. Second, he still hoped to use the resources of the Immortal Ape Sect to find clues about Dugu Yixiao.

Wu Lan maintained her composure. "It is a great pity that Senior Lei is unwilling to lead us. To make amends for the errors of Sect Leader Chen, I can consult with the Dharma Protector Elder to compensate you with spiritual stones and materials. Sect Leader Chen once mentioned that our sect possesses a storehouse of rare refining materials. If you need them, you are free to take whatever you wish."

Seeing that the time was right, Lei Xiang put away the Immortal-Slaying Gun and retracted the Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod above his head, just in case. "A material storehouse? Can you take me to see it?"

"Naturally. Please, Senior!" Seeing Lei Xiang relent, Wu Lan let out a sigh of relief. Lei Xiang nodded slightly. "I have two other matters. You are to investigate whether, within the last three months, anyone has seen a person carrying a blue cloth bundle—a bundle like mine. If someone has, you must track down their whereabouts. The second matter is to investigate an organization called 'Tooth Eleven' and provide me with all the information you can find."

The Dharma Protector Elder bowed in agreement. Lei Xiang smiled, "I shall trouble you to lead the way, Miss Wu."

Wu Lan led Lei Xiang directly into the inner hall. Zuo Qiu and the others dared not stop them, only shaking their heads and sighing. The Immortal Ape Sect, with its hundreds of years of history, was on the verge of decline simply because Chen Zhi had offended someone he shouldn't have. They were lucky to keep their lives; they cared little for material possessions now.

The inner hall was sparsely furnished, save for a long desk against the wall that appeared unique. Wu Lan walked straight to the desk and pushed it with both hands. With a rumbling sound, the desk slid into the wall, revealing a wooden trapdoor in the floor. Wu Lan took out a piece of jade and tapped the board—three long knocks and one short. A hand reached out from the floor—a withered, aged hand—took the jade from her, and immediately retracted.

Before long, with a loud thud, a staircase appeared out of thin air. Wu Lan led the way down, and after a moment's thought, Lei Xiang followed. After walking for the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, Lei Xiang saw the owner of the withered hand: a dried-up old man over a hundred years old, whose eyes flashed with a golden light, though his cultivation was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

The two leaned against the wall where a small hole was embedded with Wu Lan's piece of jade. The old man reached out, removed the jade, and returned it to her. "Put this away, Little Lan. Next time you come, give us a heads-up beforehand."

"Understood, Uncle Chen," Wu Lan replied, taking the jade and leading Lei Xiang through a bronze door at the back, which slowly closed behind them.

"Wow!" Lei Xiang exclaimed inwardly. He was astonished by the scale of the Immortal Ape Sect's material storehouse; it was truly all-encompassing. Yet, on the surface, he remained as calm as a frozen pond. "Miss Wu, am I free to choose whatever I like here?"

"Of course. Everything here is yours; please feel free to take whatever you desire."

Lei Xiang nodded secretly. "I would like to ask about your position in the Immortal Ape Sect. I assume you are not an ordinary member?"

"I... I was a candidate for the Sect Leader's wife."

Lei Xiang understood the implication and did not want to press further. "I wish to go into seclusion here. If there is no news about the person with the blue bundle or the 'Tooth Eleven' organization, please do not disturb me."

Wu Lan, being exceptionally sharp, bowed gracefully. "Please make yourself at home, Senior. I shall take my leave." As she spoke, she backed out, and the bronze door closed once more. Lei Xiang cast out his beast-skin defense, which grew to cover the entire storehouse. He then formed seals with his hands, setting up a Sealing Technique and the Profound Heaven Li Fire Array. Now, he could safely select his materials. If he had time, he wanted to re-refine his Wind-Fire Boots first.

Ten days later, the bronze door opened from within. A radiant and refreshed Lei Xiang stepped out. Seeing Zuo Qiu, Wu Lan, and the others waiting, he paused and asked, "Do you have any news for me? Why are you waiting here?"

Zuo Qiu bowed. "The Immortal Ape Sect has done its utmost regarding your requests. We have sent people to inquire within a hundred-mile radius over the past few days, but no one has seen the person you are looking for, nor has anyone seen a blue cloth bundle. As for the 'Tooth Eleven' organization, we have discovered that it is a group of habitual thieves. They are elusive and mysterious, consisting of at least a thousand members, none of whom possess high cultivation levels. They mostly engage in petty thefts..."

Lei Xiang did not feel much regret about the lack of news regarding Dugu Yixiao, but he showed sufficient interest in the "Tooth Eleven" organization. "Where is the headquarters of this organization? What is the highest level of cultivation among them? How strong are they?"

Zuo Qiu produced a jade slip and presented it with both hands. "All the information on the 'Tooth Eleven' organization is here. Please, take a look."

Lei Xiang took the jade slip and, without ceremony, poured his spiritual sense into it, focusing intently. The others held their breath, waiting for his instructions. After about a quarter of an hour, Lei Xiang withdrew his senses, a faint smile on his face. "This information is very detailed. Thank you all, including for the materials from the storehouse. As compensation, I have two mid-grade flying swords and a high-grade Wind-Rain Star-Hook to present to the Immortal Ape Sect."

Wu Lan's eyes flashed with agility. "Senior Lei is too kind. It is our honor to serve you. Please, take these artifacts back."

Lei Xiang waved his hand. "A deal is a deal; keep them as I said. I have one more request: please provide me with a map of this region. Also, if it is convenient, please provide me with a copy of the agility technique you practice. I am quite interested." Although his current cultivation level meant his speed already far surpassed that of the Immortal Ape Sect members, the sect's agility technique was indeed advanced for its tier.

Wu Lan sought confirmation from Zuo Qiu and the others. Upon receiving their nod, she agreed with a heavy heart. After all, Lei Xiang was too powerful to refuse, and it seemed he was preparing to leave anyway.

Three days later, a beam of white light crossed the Kelin Mountain Range and came to a halt above a small village. As the light faded, it revealed a large, transparent white jade bed. A young man with ordinary features stood upon it, flashing his small tiger fangs in a smile as he looked toward a corner of the small mountain village. "Ah, this is the place. The headquarters of the 'Tooth Eleven' organization is actually set up in such a remote and poor mountain village. I have to admire their leader; they are so thrifty. How can they be this poor when a thousand thieves are bringing in a take every year?"

They must be keeping such a low profile to avoid exposing their identities.

After a brief internal grumble, Lei Xiang stowed away the white jade bed and vanished into the air with a flash.

In a house in the village below, three people stood in the main room. They all shared the same trait: their faces were covered with black cloth. Sitting in a grand armchair was a barefoot man, sitting crookedly and puffing on a long, dry tobacco pipe. The three masked men dared not breathe, waiting for the peasant-like old man to finish his pipe. When he finally looked up with cloudy eyes, his mouth revealed a set of teeth stained yellow by tobacco. "Why is the take for these two months so dismal? It's less than half of what we had last time. Have you been unable to find any fat sheep lately, or have you all become lazy?"

The three masked men hung their heads, their voices muffled. "Boss, it is true... We will strengthen our management of the brothers. Next time, the take will certainly be higher."

The old man stood up and turned away, waving his hand listlessly. The three masked men, as if granted amnesty, backed out of the room. After scanning the surroundings with his spiritual sense and finding nothing suspicious, the old man began to chant, and he vanished from the spot. The old man sighed and slowly turned back around, only to discover that there was now another person in the room.