The Crazy Son-In-Law

Ruan Heixiong had lost all hope of luck; he knew the feeling of weakness and powerlessness when facing Xiao Shun.

Back in his days at the Southeast Asian Witchcraft Association, he could be considered a significant figure, though not among the top practitioners, he was still within the top ten.

However, over the past decade, since he had come into contact with the “Wild Gu People” in the woods, he had resigned from his position at the association to fully commit to business dealings with this mysterious group.

After Ruan Heixiong was seated, Xiao Shun slowly began, “There’s something I need to inquire about from you.”

Xia Li, sitting nearby, didn’t know why Xiao Shun had summoned Ruan Heixiong, but she sensed it was for some serious discussion, so she offered to leave: “Mr. Xiao, you two chat, I’ll wait outside!”

“No need, you can stay,” Xiao Shun said, waving his hand and signaling her to sit beside him.

Seeing this, Xia Li was somewhat puzzled but nodded and sat down.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Xiao Shun then turned his gaze back to Ruan Heixiong.

Ruan Heixiong frowned, his expression sour.

He hadn’t seen his son, Ruan Jinshui, and already knew what had befallen him; at this moment, he regarded Xiao Shun as his sworn enemy.

Yet, his opponent still had questions for him, and given a choice, he would prefer not to answer any of them.

But with the Witchcraft Association still holding sway over the lives of the Ruan family, if he displeased Xiao Shun, the resolute Xia Li would likely make things difficult for his family.

With this thought, Ruan Heixiong, with a blank face, asked, “What do you want to know?”

Hearing this, Xiao Shun smiled lightly, “Heh, it seems Mr. Ruan is a wise man, aware of what he should be doing now.”

“For the sake of the Ruan family, I have no other choice!” Ruan Heixiong said bitterly.

Xiao Shun glanced at him and got straight to the point, “Tell me about the things in the Laogua rainforest; I’m quite interested in that place!”

As soon as he finished speaking, both Ruan Heixiong and Xia Li looked at him in disbelief.

To the east of Laogua, a vast rainforest stretched across the border, isolating the countries of Southeast Asia. Its unique ecosystem attracted many scientists eager to explore.

However, as the death toll in the area rose, the government had to limit the number of people entering to reduce casualties.

Despite this, people still infiltrated the area continuously, with the Witchcraft Association and the Ruan family being the most frequent, consequently suffering the highest casualties.

They operated only on the periphery of the rainforest, yet the casualty rate had already reached an alarming fifty percent.

At this, Ruan Heixiong looked thoughtfully at Xiao Shun and asked, “Why are you interested in that place?”

Xiao Shun smiled faintly, “Heh, I heard about a poison mist swamp there that piqued my interest.”

He didn’t intend to hide this matter; as his questioning deepened, the other party would likely guess the specifics themselves, making secrecy unnecessary.

When Xiao Shun mentioned the “poison mist swamp,” the reactions of Xia Li and Ruan Heixiong were vastly different.

Xia Li’s eyes widened, her bright pupils filled with a mix of confusion and horror.

As for Ruan Heixiong, he was half-squinting, motionlessly watching Xiao Shun, seemingly confirming something.

After a while, he slowly asked, “Did Jinshui tell you?”

Without confirming or denying, Xiao Shun nodded and smiled, “Your son was very clever. Even at death’s door, he tried to drag me down with him. However, I must congratulate him because certain things he revealed truly captivated me!”

The premium “Mandragora” and “Hallowed Chromatic Earth” were both very important alchemical resources to him.

Putting aside the highly toxic plant “Mandragora” for a moment, the “Hallowed Chromatic Earth” alone was a temptation Xiao Shun could not miss.

The amount of this sacred soil in the Hanging Flask Inn was not much, totaling no more than twenty square feet. Ning Zhiyuan had previously shared half of it with Xiao Shun, who in turn distributed it among individuals like Yang Tiancai and Miao Xiuyun, leaving himself with less than three square feet.

Before his death, Ruan Jinshui claimed that there was a whole garden filled with “Hallowed Chromatic Earth”!

What exactly a ‘whole garden’ entailed, Xiao Shun wouldn’t equate it simply to a fenced garden. A garden that could sustain numerous premium “Mandragoras” must be of no small scale!

Hearing from Xiao Shun himself about his son’s demise, Ruan Heixiong, as a father, naturally felt an immense grief and fury, but what could he do?

He was no match for Xiao Shun; any resistance tonight meant it wouldn’t just be Ruan Jinshui dying-possibly the entire Ruan family would end up as sacrifices.

With a sigh, Ruan Heixiong said weakly, “Not stopping Jinshui then was the biggest mistake of my life, one that even led to the downfall of our entire clan.”

With that, he spoke no further and directly answered Xiao Shun’s question.

“The Poison Fog Swamp lies in the deepest part of the rainforest, which is also where the ‘Wild Gu People’ congregate. It’s said that for over five hundred years, they have protected that place, waiting for a certain eminent figure’s revival.”

“A significant figure?”

Xiao Shun was taken aback, his mind involuntarily recalling the “Eternal Elder” Ada had once mentioned.

As he contemplated, Ruan Heixiong continued, “This significant figure is known as the ‘Eternal Elder,’ who, over five hundred years ago, came from the direction of the Kunlun Mountains and fell there. At that time, a group of indigenous people living in the rainforest provided him some treatment, and from then on, ‘Wild Gu People’ became their designation.”

Hearing this, Xiao Shun was shocked, “Are you saying that person turned those indigenous people into the ‘Wild Gu People’?”

The “Eternal Elder” must possess an astonishing level of cultivation to transform a group of rainforest natives with no foundations into a powerful collective in such a short time!

“Although no one has ever confirmed this to me, my recent close collaboration with the ‘Wild Gu People’ has allowed me to glimpse some clues from their actions,” Ruan Heixiong mused.

The clues he spoke of, Xiao Shun had witnessed firsthand.

When Ada mentioned the “Eternal Elder” recently, the madness and adoration on her face were unmistakably evident.

Such expressions could only belong to someone who had become the faith of a community!

Clearly, the “Eternal Elder” had become the faith of the ‘Wild Gu People,’ the indigenous people, for over five hundred years.

Reflecting on this, Xiao Shun suddenly felt that venturing into that forest now to retrieve what he wanted might indeed be perilously dangerous.