Clan Cultivation: Starting from Beast Taming

Chapter 79: Chapter 76: Investigation and Speculation [Second update, please subscribe]

Jiufeng Ridge, White Orchid Peak.

White Orchid Peak, another of the nine peaks, was where Zhou Jiahui’s home was located.

Unlike Zhou Jiahe, who had never married or had children, Zhou Jiahui had a Daoist partner and children.

Her Daoist partner, Shen Xin, was originally a disciple of the Sanjue Sect, and after the sect split, he chose not to join the Spirit Beast Manor but remained with the Zhou Family to accompany her to Jiufeng Ridge.

Seven days had passed since Zhou Jiahui had left Jiufeng Ridge, and her Daoist partner, Shen Xin, began to grow anxious as she had not yet returned.

“It’s already been seven days, why hasn’t Jiahui come back? Isn’t it always enough to go out for five days?”

In the room, Shen Xin, whose hair was already streaked with white, paced back and forth with a worried expression, feeling very uneasy.

After much hesitation, he couldn’t shake off the worry in his heart and took the initiative to visit Pagoda Peak to see the Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi to ask about the situation.

As Zhou Jiahui’s Daoist partner, although he did not know why Zhou Jiahui had left the family, he knew that she had been tasked by the Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi.

So, seeing that his partner had been away for many days without returning, he could only go to Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi to find out more details.

“What, Jiahui has been out for seven days and hasn’t returned?”

Inside the Central Peace Hall, Zhou Daoyi was also shocked after hearing from Shen Xin that Zhou Jiahui had not returned home in seven days.

Then, with a flash of concern in his eyes, he nodded to Shen Xin and said, “This matter has come to my attention. I will arrange for an investigation immediately, you go back home and wait for news!”

Upon hearing these words, Shen Xin immediately bowed deeply to Zhou Daoyi and said, “Then I’ll leave it in the hands of the Clan Leader!”

After sending away Shen Xin, Zhou Daoyi thought for a moment and then summoned Zhou Jiahe, the Peak Master of Baozhi Peak, and ordered in a grave tone, “Jiahui went to the underground river to collect Poison Thorn Fish mucus and she has not returned for seven days. I am worried something has happened to her. Go immediately to Hongya Marketplace, take Zhengchun with you, and investigate the underground river to see if she’s been there.”

Hearing this, Zhou Jiahe was instantly alarmed, and concern for her cousin appeared on her face.

She immediately responded with a serious tone, “Yes, junior will follow the Clan Leader’s orders meticulously.”

Without a moment’s delay, she then took two Large-Horned Green Sheep and hurried to Hongya Marketplace.

“What? Cousin Nineteen hasn’t returned for seven days!”

Inside the Spirit Beast Restaurant, Zhou Chun was also startled upon learning of this matter from Zhou Jiahe who had just arrived.

Without any hesitation, he immediately nodded and said, “Alright, I will accompany you, Cousin Thirteen, right away!”

Thus, the cousin pair quickly left the marketplace and at a certain place outside the Hongyan Mountain Range, they switched to the Large-Horned Green Sheep that Zhou Jiahe had brought, and headed straight for the underground river together.

Of course, though they were in a hurry, they did not let down their guard and used various methods to detect if anyone was following them.

After reaching the outskirts of that mountain range, the two hid the Large-Horned Green Sheep in a cave where Luo Guangshun had once stored his horses, then proceeded on foot towards that pond.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the edge of the pond.

“There are no recently left traces; Cousin Nineteen definitely hasn’t been here in the past seven days!”

On the edge of the pond, after Zhou Jiahe scanned the pebbled beach inch by inch with her Divine Sense, she spoke with an ugly expression, recounting her own investigation.

For safety’s sake, and also following Luo Guangshun’s previous example, under Zhou Chun’s suggestion, Zhou Jiahui never ventured deep into the underground river whenever she came alone to the pond to catch Poison Thorn Fish and collect their mucus—using only bait to attract them.

So if she had recently caught Poison Thorn Fish at the pond, even if she cleaned up the site before leaving, there would definitely be some traces left behind.

Moreover, the most important point was that after each visit by Zhou Jiahui, she would leave a scratch mark on an inconspicuous stone by the pond to prove she had been there.

Now Zhou Jiahe did not find the scratch mark that Zhou Jiahui was supposed to have left on that stone this time.

“It seems that Cousin Nineteen encountered some misfortune on her way here!”

Zhou Chun spoke in a low voice, expressing his own judgement with a very heavy tone.

Seven days had passed, yet Zhou Jiahui had not even reached the pond.

If she really met with an accident, the chances of misfortune were far greater than those of luck!

“Ever since cousin was assigned this specific task by the Clan Leader, she was granted a Heart-Linking Grub. So if she really encountered misfortune, as long as she wasn’t instantly killed, she would be able to leave behind a Heart-Linking Grub as a marker,” said Zhou Jiahe.

Upon reaching this point in her thoughts, she then said to Zhou Chun, “Let’s head back to the family immediately and ask the Clan Leader to use the mother grub of the Heart-Linking Grub to locate Cousin Nineteen’s whereabouts!”

“Alright, let’s do that!”

Zhou Chun nodded, and the two promptly returned to the cave where they had left the Large-Horned Green Sheep, not caring that the animals had not yet properly rested. They fed them a strong medicine to stimulate their life potential, causing them to speed all the way.

After traveling most of the distance, having run the two Large-Horned Green Sheep to death, Zhou Chun and Zhou Jiahe, the nephew and aunt duo, then directly used a Flying Artifact to cover the remaining distance, rushing back to Jiufeng Ridge as quickly as possible.

“Alright, I understand the situation. You two rest well, I will have Elder Three take the mother grub of the Heart-Linking Grub personally for this task!”

Inside the Central Peace Hall, after hearing the urgent report from Zhou Chun and Zhou Jiahe who had rushed back, Zhou Daoyi’s expression grew solemn, and he swiftly made his response.