Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

Huang Deqi's disdain was clear in his expression.

Even if Chen Anhe was very shrewd, his old face still burned with embarrassment.

He couldn't help but jab at the other, "Now that we've staged this whole farce, I'm worried that Wang Chen will sniff something out. Replacing the Village Head won't be so easy!"

Chen Anhe didn't approve of using the lawsuit over the Chen Family brothers' inheritance to test Wang Chen.

It felt utterly frivolous.

Although Wang Chen had no local roots, he was a powerful Red Mansion Cultivator.

How could his IQ be lacking?

In fact, Chen Anhe didn't want to clash with Wang Chen to the death, fearing he would become cannon fodder.

"You know nothing!" Huang Deqi rebuked unapologetically, "How can we take action without understanding his background thoroughly?"

Nobody knew how much he dreaded Wang Chen.

Since taking on the role of Village Head of Datian Village, Wang Chen had never engaged in any power struggles or profiteering; he was amiable and low-key in his dealings, even tilling the land to grow Spirit Wheat himself.

His conduct was entirely different from most Purple Mansion Superiors.

It was precisely because of this that Huang Deqi couldn't read Wang Chen and felt he couldn't control this foreign Purple Mansion.

To prevent any potential threats, he had resolved to eradicate any hidden dangers.

After all, what they were doing was completely illicit!

Chen Anhe silenced himself.

Among the three big family names of Datian Village, the Huang Clan might not have the largest number of people, but Huang Deqi was the most domineering and assertive.

His background and influence were something Chen Anhe couldn't afford to offend.

Huang Deqi was the de facto emperor of Datian Village!

At that moment, a Messenger Crane fluttered in from the window and hovered in front of Huang Deqi.

His gaze flashed, and he immediately grasped the crane to unfold the message.

After reading the contents, Huang Deqi's face turned exceedingly unsightly.

Chen Anhe asked, "What's wrong?"

He was, in fact, tied to the same rope as Huang Deqi – prosperity for one meant prosperity for all, just as a loss for one meant loss for all.

Huang Deqi pressed his palms together, and the paper in his hands instantly turned to ash.

He said gravely, "This Wang Chen was recommended by Luo Zhen, the Southern Domain Patrol Department Guard Cultivator of the West Sea Sect."

This was the information Huang Deqi had been seeking all along.

Now he had his answer.

"Luo Zhen?" Chen Anhe's face paled in shock, "Yama Luo!"

Yama was a folkloric sovereign of the underworld. Although not officially worshipped, he still wielded extensive influence among ordinary folk and lower-tier cultivators.

For a cultivator to earn the name "Yama" meant a reputation forged through countless deaths!

Luo Zhen, the Southern Domain Patrol Department Guard Cultivator of the West Sea Sect, was an infamous character.

Rumor had it that since he began his duty as a Guard Cultivator, he had executed thousands of Demon Cultivators, Evil Cultivators, and cultivators who were criminals, his hands steeped in blood, cold and ruthless.

Moreover, the number of local gentry and powerful families decimated by Luo Zhen numbered in the dozens.

Not one of them was innocent!

Thus, Luo Zhen was also dubbed "Murderous Maniac."

As the notoriety of Luo Zhen dawned on him, Chen Anhe couldn't help but tremble, "Elder Huang, we should stop, outside..."

He never dreamed that Wang Chen was recommended by Luo Zhen to take the position of Village Head of Datian Village.

Did that mean that the Living King Yama was already setting his sights on Datian Village?

The more Chen Anhe thought about it, the more frightened he became.

"Stop?" His words were cut short by a stern interruption from Huang Deqi.

Huang Deqi stared intently at Chen Anhe with a sinister sneer, "Do you think there's still a way for us to turn back now?"

"Don't worry!"

He waved his hand and said, "If Luo Zhen really discovered something, he wouldn't play such tricks; he'd have come directly to arrest us. He wouldn't let us sit here comfortably."

"The Southern Domain Patrol Department Cultivators also have to follow rules and principles, they can't falsely accuse us without any proof!"

Chen Anhe swallowed, "So, what do we do next?"

"We'll talk about changing the village head later."

Huang Deqi spoke sternly, "But we can't let the village head sit idle, we need to find him more things to do."

People cannot afford to be idle; once too idle, they easily start to entertain various thoughts and ideas.

And they will no longer stay compliant.

"With so many people in Datian Village and the new village head having been in office for so long, it's not like he can still come to us for everything. I think some things should definitely allow Wang Chen to exert some strength, don't you think?"

Chen Anhe dared not disagree, "Right, since he came for the West Sea Sect's entrance assessment, I believe he too needs a good evaluation."

Huang Deqi showed a smile, "That's the spirit, you go arrange these matters."

It was him again!

Chen Anhe cursed inwardly but had to put on an agreeable expression, "Okay."

Huang Deqi was satisfied, "Go on."

After Chen Anhe left, Huang Deqi turned to the old crone sitting beside him, who had remained silent the whole time, and said, "Priest Xu, we must accelerate our plans. The longer we delay, the higher the chance of problems cropping up."

This old woman with white crane hair was indeed the Temple Priest of Datian Village's Empire Land Temple, with a cultivation level of the ninth tier of Qi Cultivation.

Huang Deqi, Priest Xu, and Chen Anhe were the true power-holders of Datian Village.

"That is difficult."

The old woman with the surname Xu spoke slowly, "In fact, I'm even more anxious than you, but haste won't help, and if we become too hasty and expose ourselves, both you and I will end up with nowhere to lay our corpses!"

Huang Deqi knew she was right and after much thought, clenched his teeth and said, "I'll think of a way!"

Thinking of the troubles that lay ahead, Huang Deqi's resentment towards Wang Chen intensified by another degree.

Wang Chen couldn't have come any earlier or later, just at this time to disrupt his entire plan.

If possible, Huang Deqi truly wanted to slap this new village head to death.

"Achoo!"

Just having returned to the Village Head Residence, Wang Chen couldn't help sneezing, feeling an inexplicable surge of emotion.

He calculated using his fingers.

But he didn't figure out anything.

Because Wang Chen had not yet learned the Heavenly Secret Technique.

"My lord."

He approached as he heard the sound, looking concerned, "Is the matter resolved?"

"A minor issue."

Wang Chen smiled and said, "But there will be more things to come."

His hunch was right—by noon the next day, an old man from the village came to him with a worried frown to report that his cattle had been stolen the previous night!

Following him, several farmers rushed to the Village Head Residence in haste.

To report to the village head that Burrowing Rats had been found in their Spirit Fields.

Burrowing Rats were a major pest in the wheat fields, with a particular fondness for chewing on tender wheat ears.

These small Monster Transformations usually dug mazelike burrows under the fields, emerging at night to wreak havoc on the crops.

Since low-tier Qi Cultivation cultivators couldn't deal with Burrowing Rats, they wanted to ask Wang Chen to help eradicate the vermin.

And it was not over yet, for a third group arrived shortly after.

Reportedly, some villagers went to the mountains to chop wood in the morning and were attacked by bandits.

Two were abducted, and one desperately escaped back.

One group after another, the previously deserted and neglected Village Head Residence suddenly became a bustling, noisy hub!