Meng Hao recognized some of the plants as ones described in Shangguan Xiu’s treasured turtle shell. As he strode forward, his fingers flickered, and the two wooden swords appeared. They stabbed into a crack in the shield created by the restrictive spell. The crack slowly widened.
“Meng Hao, are you really going to steal my treasured items too? I’m your Patriarch! I paid a heavy price to steal that medicinal courtyard all those years ago….” Patriarch Reliance was growing even more anxious. The rumbling noise from under the ground grew stronger, but Meng Hao didn’t even blink. He was happy to finally be able to vent his anger.
“My divine spirit plants… you, you… you’re plucking them all out!” Patriarch Reliance’s anger soared to the heavens. “That’s my Outlander Tree. I cared for it for hundreds of years before it sprouted, you can’t take it….” Amidst Patriarch Reliance’s shrill protestations, Meng Hao cleared out the courtyard as cleanly as if he’d used a razor. He sucked everything into the bag of the Cosmos. By the time he withdrew the two wooden swords, the courtyard looked as if it had been swept by a massive gale.
“Enough, enough,” said Patriarch hastily, looking over the emptiness. “Listen, little Patriarch, leave some things behind for old Patriarch here. Don’t take anything else…. You’re not allowed to touch any more of my things. Meng Hao, you listen to Patriarch, okay? As a member of the junior generation, you should have a bit of respect. You….”
“I’ve been like this since I was young,” said Meng Hao with a cold snort, throwing Patriarch Reliance’s words back at him. Looking around, he caught sight of a lone restrictive spell shield. Beneath it were what appeared to be three withered little trees. However, on each tree was a leaf that occasionally sparkled with arcs of energy, making them appear extraordinary.