Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Chapter 189: The Spirit Crow Cultivator

“We will discuss the decryption later,” Sect Leader Qi said, his voice grim. “The priority now is to screen these rogue cultivators. Every single one.”

Han Yu pocketed the two silver Heavenly Secret Spindles and fell into line behind Sect Leader Qi and Elder Lü.

The screening process was invasive and thorough. Elder Yan moved down the line of prostrate cultivators, his Qi probing their bodies like a surgeon’s scalpel—checking the dantian for Spirit Breath, the meridians for corruption, the blood for traces of demonic arts, and the storage bags for stolen goods.

“This one is a true rogue cultivator,” Elder Yan pronounced, retracting his hand from a trembling man. “No illicit techniques, no blood-stained loot. Release him.”

The vines binding the man dissolved. He scrambled to his feet, bowing frantically.

“Yes, yes! Thank you, Senior! I will never forget Wanchun Valley’s mercy! I swear I’ll walk the righteous path!” He didn’t wait for a reply, fleeing the market as if escaping a tiger’s maw.

But men like him—innocent and clean—were rare in the Small Gathering. Most people came here because they had something to hide.

Elder Lü stopped in front of a thin, shifty-eyed man. “Why do you practice the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method? That is a Wanchun Valley exclusive.”

“I… I bought the jade slip ten years ago!” the man stammered, shrinking under the Elder’s gaze. “Someone was selling stolen goods cheap. I just bought it… I haven’t killed anyone! I swear!”

Elder Lü checked the man’s storage bag. Indeed, no signs of murder or banditry. Just petty theft and opportunism.

“It’s a dilemma,” Elder Lü muttered. “We can’t ignore the theft of sect techniques, but killing him seems excessive.”

He turned to Han Yu. “Disciple, watch him. We will decide his punishment later.”

“Yes, Master.”

Han Yu stepped forward. Sensing that his Boss Crow was currently in a pill-induced coma inside the Spirit Beast Bag, he summoned his two smaller crows. They circled overhead, their beady eyes fixed on the prisoners bound by the green vines.

The prisoner looked up at Han Yu, offering a smile that was equal parts awkward and ingratiating.

“I never thought I’d be so… honored,” the man said, his voice trembling slightly. “Captured by the Sect Leader himself, and guarded by the famous ‘Spirit Crow Cultivator.’ It’s a story for the grandkids, if I live.”

Han Yu stared at him blankly. “What did you call me?”

“The Spirit Crow Cultivator,” the man said, his smile becoming more fawning. “Your battle with the Spirit Beast Sect spy… summoning that flock of crows to devour him? It’s legendary among us rogue cultivators.”

The man leaned in slightly, whispering as if sharing a secret. “I know a few old timers at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. Arrogant bastards. They always bragged that sect disciples were just greenhouse flowers, soft and untested. They claimed they could crush any ‘young master’ in a real fight.”

“But after hearing about you? They shut up. Now they say they are just ‘rotten grass and fireflies’ compared to the ‘bright moon’ of Han Yu.”

Han Yu kept his expression neutral. “Flattery will not get you released.”

“It’s the truth!” the man insisted, though Han Yu had already tuned him out.

As the screening continued, the catch grew more diverse—and more incriminating.

“You also practice the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method?”

“Sect Leader! Mercy! I am Zhang Wenbin, an Outer Disciple from the market district! I just came to buy cheap herbs!”

“Sect Leader, I am a Laborer Disciple from the Spirit Field Department…”

“Elder Yan, I ran away during the chaos… please don’t kill me!”

The final tally was sobering. They had netted 12 people directly connected to Wanchun Valley: two moonlighting Outer Disciples, six Laborer Disciples, and four deserters who had fled during the crisis caused by the four-sect alliance.

In the past, the sect had been too chaotic to chase down deserters. Today, they had walked right back into the net.

Beyond the internal leaks, there were seven rogue cultivators stealing the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method, eight practicing the forbidden Blood Refining Technique, and 13 confirmed murderers with blood-stained loot.

There were also five practitioners of the Beast Heart Psychic Pact, six utilizing the Mystic One Sect’s “Heart Talisman Unity,” and two using the Little Sky Net Sect’s wire arts.

One man was found with a storage bag full of fresh human corpses. He claimed it was for “cultivation research.” Elder Yan executed him on the spot.

Once the innocent were released and the petty criminals detained, only the hard-core cases remained.

Suddenly, one of the five Beast Heart Psychic Pact users began to struggle violently against the vines.

“You hypocrites of Wanchun Valley!” he screamed, his face twisting with hatred. “If you have the guts, kill me now!”

“I am Wei Pu! An Outer Disciple of the Spirit Beast Sect!”

“My sect is destroyed! I am a wandering ghost! Being caught by you is just bad luck. Death is nothing!”

Sect Leader Qi spun around.

The air temperature plummeted. The full, crushing weight of his Golden Core pressure slammed onto Wei Pu.

“We are hypocrites?” Sect Leader Qi’s voice was a low growl, vibrating with suppressed rage. “And what is your Spirit Beast Sect? Animals?”

“Because of your sect’s greed, you framed Wanchun Valley for colluding with demons! You nearly wiped us off the map! Do you know this?!”

Wei Pu’s face turned purple under the pressure. His bones creaked audibly, but his eyes burned with defiance.

“Do you know,” Qi roared, stepping closer, “that our Supreme Elder begged for peace? He advocated compromise to save lives, and your sect spat in his face! He died fighting a war you started! Do you know this?!”

“Your entire sect practiced demonic arts! You enslaved 200,000 mortals from the Nanli and Xiyue kingdoms! You lured 10,000 innocents into the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain under the guise of the Immortal Destiny Grand Ceremony and butchered them like cattle! Nearly 100,000 dead!”

Qi leaned down, his face inches from the crushing disciple. “Do you know this?!”

Blood streamed from Wei Pu’s eyes, nose, and ears. His internal organs were failing under the pressure. Yet, through gritted teeth stained red, he forced out six words.

“Sect destruction… hatred… under… the sky!”

“Good!”

Sect Leader Qi straightened up. “Since you are so loyal to a sect of butchers, go join them in hell!”

BOOM.

A wave of Qi obliterated Wei Pu. There was no corpse—just a fine mist of blood that settled onto the grass.

Sect Leader Qi turned his burning gaze to the other four practitioners of the Beast Heart Psychic Pact.

“Are you also this loyal?”

The four men frantically shook their heads, their faces pale as ash.

“No! No!”

“Senior, spare us! I just bought the book!”

“I’m not a disciple! I don’t know that lunatic!”

Sect Leader Qi glared at them, his chest heaving. The killing intent rolling off him was palpable, a physical weight that made even the air hard to breathe.

Then, a gentle hand tugged at his sleeve.

Sect Leader Qi blinked and turned to see Elder Yan looking at him with deep concern.

“Sect Leader,” Elder Yan’s voice echoed in his mind via Divine Sense. “Calm your heart. Why ruin your cultivation state for vermin like this?”

Sect Leader Qi froze. The red haze slowly receded from his vision.

He knew why he was so agitated today. The memory of her. The bitterness of the past hundred years. It had all boiled over.

“Fine,” Qi whispered, his shoulders sagging slightly. “Fine.”

“Elder Yan, Elder Lü,” he said aloud, his voice weary but composed. “Process the rest. You have full discretion.”

He turned away from the carnage and beckoned to Han Yu.

“Han Yu. Walk with me.”