Chapter 22 Obtaining the Spiritual Stone

After killing Alex, Zeke noticed Blake's gaze drifting towards him. Then Blake made a decision that he didn't kill Zeke. It wasn't that he didn't want to kill Zeke, but because he was unsure whether Zeke's earlier words were just empty threats or if he actually had a plan. Now Blake realized the terrifying nature of Zeke and understood why Zeke had fed the monster crystal to the cat in front of him. Because of that cat, Blake didn't dare to act rashly.

"Was all this planned by you?" Blake asked.

Zeke shook his head. "I'm no god or the legendary Emperor of the Shaoke Dynasty. How could I plan so much? I simply made various preparations out of habit, regardless of whether they would be useful or not. What kind of person are you? Only I knew you came out of the Elysium Auction House. Only I knew you might join a mysterious sect. Of course, you thought about killing me to silence me."

"I hope that one day when we meet again, you'll forget that I want to kill you today," Blake said.

Zeke didn't respond.

Blake asked, "Are you really not considering joining me? Even though you can't cultivate, as long as you have the chance for rebuilding your body, you can become a cultivator. In this world, no door is closed to anyone as long as they're willing to work hard and make changes."

Zeke smiled. "Stop lying. You don't want me to come with you. I know all your secrets very well. Once we reach that sect, I will be a threat to you."

Blake laughed without a hint of sadness. "Zeke, please don't just die easily. I think in the future, you might become my rival, a quite formidable one. Don't let me distance myself too far from you, or else when we meet again, killing you would be a boring task."

After saying those words, Blake turned and walked away.

It took a long time after he disappeared for Zeke to bend down and pick up the cat in his arms. He gently stroked its back. "Well done... You almost tricked even me. Although you consumed some monster crystal powder, you're still just a cat."

The white cat meowed, appearing somewhat proud.

"Come out, I know you've been lurking nearby all along. The disciples of the Deception Sect may not excel at anything else, but they are skilled at concealing their tracks," Zeke said.

After Zeke's words, Gordon, with a face filled with embarrassment and remorse, walked out from behind a large tree in the distance. "You know, I'm no match for that person. So when he attacked Brogan, I had no choice but to escape. But I have been following him, hoping to rescue Brogan. Zeke... please don't be disappointed with me."

"How could I?" Zeke said. "You can still help me greatly... People from the Deception Sect are adept at facial disguise techniques. Now take a good look at that dead guy over there. Can you transform into his appearance?"

Gordon nodded quickly. "Facial disguise techniques are a piece of cake for us from the Deception Sect. Just give me some time, and I promise even his wife won't recognize me."

Gordon approached Alex's corpse and flipped it over to face upwards. Then he carefully examined it. He took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, which contained various small bottles and jars. He opened those containers and applied some of their contents onto his face. After about ten minutes, he stood up and looked at Zeke. "How about now? Do I resemble him to some extent?"

Zeke glanced and said, "Raise the eyebrows a bit more and pay attention to the eyes, but there's nothing we can do about it... Luckily, it's dark outside, and Alex's subordinates are busy tonight, so they won't suspect anything."

Gordon pulled out a piece of clothing from the package and tugged it back and forth on Alex's corpse. "This is the Deception Sect's magic garment. Although it's not considered a treasure, it embodies the wisdom of many senior members of the Deception Sect. This garment can change colors, styles, making it a handy tool for disguising and deception when traveling..."

Having seen such items before, Zeke was familiar with many of the Deception Sect's tools.

Gordon asked, "What's next?"

Zeke replied, "Search Alex's body, there must be a key hidden on him. Someone like him would keep his most valuable belongings close. Then you go to the Chapman family and find a way to locate the spiritual stones. The Chapman family's estate is much larger than the Cook Mansion, so there must be many valuable items there. Remember, once you're inside, stay calm and don't get nervous. If you can't find the treasure vault of the Chapman family by yourself, just casually find someone and tell them you're going to retrieve something from the vault with you leading the way."

"I don't care how many you take, Brogan and I only need twenty-four low-grade spiritual stones," Zeke said.

"And whatever is left, no matter how many you take, will be your reward," Zeke added.

Taking a deep breath, Gordon said, "Fortune favors the bold, Mr. Anderson. I'm off."

After Gordon left, Zeke dug a hole and buried Alex's body. Then he checked on Brogan, who was still unconscious but unharmed. Zeke found a piece of rope from the house and tied Brogan's left hand. Taking advantage of the moonlight, he searched the streets until he found some chicken feces. He smeared it evenly on Brogan's right hand. Crouching next to Brogan, Zeke lightly drew on his face with a chicken feather he had picked up.

After a few strokes, Brogan felt an itch on his face and raised his left hand to scratch, only to realize it was bound. So, he used his right hand to wipe... the chicken feces all over his face, looking quite ridiculous.

Zeke chuckled, squatting there and almost laughing himself into abs.

Brogan woke up with a disgusted expression. "What's happening?! Zeke, are you okay?"

Zeke patted Brogan's shoulder. "I'm fine, my good buddy."

"Why do I smell something so foul?"

"Because I smeared chicken feces on your face..."

"You're damn!"

Zeke untied Brogan and found water for him to wash his face. Brogan kept sniffing, occasionally giving Zeke a stern look.

"Let's go, we'll wait outside the Chapman family," Zeke said, as they left the house while chatting.

Though the moonlight wasn't very bright, they could still see each other's faces clearly. After walking for a while, Zeke noticed Brogan's face contorting, and he suddenly covered his buttocks and hurried into an alley. After several minutes, Brogan returned, looking embarrassed.

"What happened?" Zeke asked.

"I've been having stomach issues these past couple of days, diarrhea. I've had seven or eight episodes today. It's just gas... I had a severe stomachache earlier, and I thought there was nothing left to release, that it was just gas. But I had urgent matters and couldn't waste time, so I took a gamble, betting it was just gas... and I lost," Brogan explained.

Zeke jumped to the side. "What the fuck? How did you handle it?"

"With my underwear."

"So, you're not wearing underwear now?"

"Yeah..."

Brogan chuckled awkwardly. "Actually, you shouldn't pay too much attention to this. I've encountered even more embarrassing situations... I remember about a year ago, I had diarrhea too. The pain was unbearable in the middle of the night, so I crawled out of bed and rushed to the outhouse. As soon as I squatted down, I suddenly felt nauseous. Probably ate something contaminated. I turned around quickly to vomit into the pit... but I vomited with too much force and ended up defecating on the ground."

Zeke is speechless.

Brogan said, "But that's nothing. I vomited in the pit and defecated outside. Then I quickly turned around to get the rest into the pit, but when I saw what I had defecated in front of me, I vomited again. Then my mother heard the noise and came over, worried that something had happened to me. She saw me squatting there vomiting while facing a pile of feces... You have no idea what expression she had at that moment."

"You've truly survived against all odds. Your mother didn't kill you, which is considered spoiling," Zeke replied.

As the two walked and chatted, they squatted in an alley outside the Chapman family, with Brogan being more concerned, afraid that Gordon wouldn't handle the situation well. Zeke, on the other hand, wasn't too worried and remained deep in thought.

"Zeke, if we obtain the spiritual stones, how can we rebuild our bodies? Without the assistance of a strong cultivator at the middle stage or above, even if we have the spiritual stones, it won't be enough," Brogan asked.

"We'll need to find someone trustworthy. Otherwise, the two of us carrying twenty-four low-grade spiritual stones would be like toddlers parading around with a big gold bar on Nance Street. It won't provide any security," Brogan explained.

"I know who to find, but I'm not sure if she'll help," Zeke stated.

"Who?"

"Mrs. Yates."

"Ah? Mrs. Yates? Mrs. Yates is a cultivator?"

"Yes, she is, and her strength is unfathomable. But she prefers to remain hidden, so approaching her without caution might not end well. I plan to make a trade, and perhaps Mrs. Yates will agree," Zeke explained.

"What trade?"

"You, offering yourself as a servant in the tavern, repaying the favor for a lifetime."

"I think that might work..."

Brogan asked, "Zeke, you're completely different from before. How do you know so much now? And why are you so calm?"

This wasn't the first time Brogan had asked this question, but Zeke didn't know how to explain.

"Here he comes."

Just at that moment, Zeke saw Gordon staggering out of the gate of the Chapman family and pulled Brogan back. Gordon purposely lingered at the entrance for a while before slowly heading towards the direction of Zeke's courtyard. Halfway there, he noticed Zeke and Brogan waiting for him in the alley, and immediately rushed into it trembling.

"You scared me, it's the first time I've done something so dangerous," Gordon said, handing over the package he was carrying to Zeke. "Here are all the low-grade spiritual stones from the Chapman family, probably around seventy or eighty pieces, along with one mid-grade spiritual stone. It should be enough for you. I also stole several hundred million check, enough for my travel expenses. Zeke, to be honest, I'm glad to have met you, so it's hard for me to part ways. But I know we're not on the same path... I'm going on a pilgrimage to the Shaoke Dynasty."

There was a glimmer in his eyes. "I want to visit the Ministry of Justice in the Shaoke Dynasty, even if it's just to see the grand doors. It represents justice and fairness in my heart."

Zeke's expression slightly changed, then he shook his head. "With your current strength, it's better not to go to the Shaoke Dynasty for now. The Ministry of Justice isn't as pure and sacred as you imagine. Some things are better left in fantasies. Brogan and I plan to go to the city center of Fantasy City, where the Fantasy Academy established by Lord Louis Evans is located. It's the best place in Fantasy City to receive cultivation guidance. Why don't you come with us?"

Gordon smiled bitterly. "I know my own physique. I'm already twenty years old and can barely sense the power of cultivation. Attaining even the first realm of early-stage seems impossible... But I'm willing to be with you guys. You are people who can become brothers. Though you're much younger than me, I'm sure you're a great big brother!"

Zeke replied, "You will go to the Shaoke Dynasty one day, and I'll take you inside the Ministry of Justice."

Gordon shrugged. "Big brother needs to be serious, no boasting..."