“Misjudged you, a real master,” the man in black chuckled grimly.
“When two tigers fight, one is bound to get hurt. We share no grudge, so why not cease fighting and leave?” Chen Mu said calmly, his smile fading away.
The brawny man’s brows furrowed slightly as he glanced at Dongshan Hill not far away.
Just now, Lu Jin had desperately fired a signal arrow.
He suspected that this was a secret code for communication with Qingfeng Observatory.
“I can’t afford to linger here for too long!”
With this in mind, the brawny man took two steps forward, “What if you report me to the authorities afterwards and turn against me? Wouldn’t that be an endless trouble?”
Chen Mu, sensing the other’s hesitation, immediately intensified his persuasion, “We don’t know each other. Why make enemies for no reason?”
“Even if someone comes to me for information about you later, all I can provide is the direction you’ve left in.”
Chen Mu stepped closer and whispered, “Once over the bridge, you’ll have countless paths to choose from. The information I give could even lead them astray.”
The brawny man was visibly moved and slid his knife back into the sheath at his waist with his left hand, gripping the handle of his other knife with his right hand, he stepped aside and pointed at Chen Mu, “A word from a gentleman!”
Chen Mu let out a long sigh of relief; the brawny man was extremely strong, having disabled Constable Lu and captured him. It was better not to fight if possible.
He immediately stepped forward, raising his right hand and swearing to the sky, “As fast as a horse with a single whip!”
“Haha, good!” The brawny man exclaimed happily.
Chen Mu’s face broke into a smile as he clasped his hands in salute, “May we never meet again!”
“So, shall we part ways here?” the brawny man chuckled.
“Part ways,” Chen Mu echoed with a laugh.
“Then let’s go,” the brawny man gestured as he turned to leave.
“After you,” Chen Mu said humbly.
“Alright then, I’ll go first,” the brawny man smiled broadly.
Sacrificial Strike!
He suddenly stepped forward, his left hand, kept behind his back, swung forward abruptly.
His arm was like a whip, and the dagger was the tip.
A great force acted upon the hilt, accelerated by the sheath.
Woosh!
The dagger seemed to teleport, spanning four meters in an instant, suddenly appearing to Chen Mu’s right side.
Clang!
A short sword appeared, blocking the path of the dagger.
The tip of the sword touched the blade just right.
Sleeve Sword Technique!
“Haha, I knew it! My heart harbors no harm to others, but others mean to harm me!” the brawny man glared at Chen Mu.
“You must be with Lu Jin,” the brawny man said, as if he had figured it all out.
“You misunderstand…”
“Exactly! The world is treacherous, not one good person!” the brawny man bellowed, his face filled with sorrow.
“If the world shows me malice, then I shall return it with my sharp dagger!” the brawny man screamed frantically, “Killing to protect life! Slaying karma, not people! Aaaah…”
Demon-Sealing Slash!
Rolling blades shrouded Chen Mu like a net.
“You evil doer! Shatter! Break into pieces! Hahaha…”
Chen Mu: “…”
Splat!
A cloud of bright red mist appeared out of nowhere, targeting the brawny man’s face.
The brawny man’s eyes, nostrils, and mouth were instantly invaded by the red mist.
Taken by surprise, his Blade Net almost collapsed.
But he resisted the urge to rub his eyes, and with another burst of strength, the blade’s edge grew even more fierce.
Pumping blood into his legs, he advanced instead of retreating.
Ignoring the loss of his sight, he closed his eyes, leaped, and courageously charged at Chen Mu.
But as he soared through the air, a sudden wave of drowsiness overcame him.
For a brief moment, the Blade Net hesitated.
Whistle!
Like it had been practiced countless times before, an Iron Lotus Seed arrived as expected, smoothly passing through a small gap in the Blade Net.
Carrying a spiral current, it drilled into the brawny man’s right eye and straight through to his brain.
Spurt!
Chen Mu stood in the middle of the bridge, motionless.
Expressionless, he watched the brawny man’s head tilt back, his body flip over, and he fell face upwards, silent.
Glancing at the bridgehead, he confirmed that Lu Jin remained unconscious.
Chen Mu turned and silently vanished from the spot.
He didn’t intend to kill Lu Jin, but he wouldn’t save him either.
What the brawny man said wasn’t wrong.
The world is a dangerous place!
Good intentions don’t always yield good results.
He did not wish to become entangled in trouble.
And this stone bridge is the only way to Qingshan County.
Lu Jin was bound to be found by someone.
Dead or alive, it depended on his luck.
…
Half a quarter of an hour later, on the stone bridge.
Cheng Yi crouched down to check Lu Jin’s injuries.
“He’s not dead yet,” Cheng Yi let out a sigh of relief, then shook his head, “But he’s finished.”
After some pressing and manipulating, Lu Jin gradually woke up.
Seeing Cheng Yi, a flicker of hope shone in his eyes as he said in a thread-like breath, “Save me…”
Cheng Yi looked towards Feng Ren.
Lu Jin struggled to turn his gaze and involuntarily shrank his pupils.
Cheng Yi said calmly, “If Master were still here, you wouldn’t be confident in controlling us, master and disciple. Why else would you have helped us kill and harvest organs?”
“Feed him two Five Qi Pills,” Feng Ren glanced at Lu Jin and said indifferently.
Lu Jin’s face immediately filled with gratitude.
Five Qi Pills were regarded as divine medicine.
They could stimulate the circulation of qi and blood, speeding up cultivation.
They could enhance one’s life potential and heal injuries.
These master and disciple still needed me!
Yes, that scholar!
They needed to find five people with special fates for alchemy. That scholar was my bargaining chip!
Lu Jin’s heart relaxed.
“He has taken Five Qi Pills in succession before, and his life potential is almost exhausted. Eating two more could directly squeeze him dry. He might heal from his injuries but won’t live many days.” Cheng Yi frowned slightly.
Lu Jin’s entire body stiffened.
Exhausting life potential, squeezing dry, not living many days…
Weren’t Five Qi Pills supposed to supplement life potential with precious medicine?!
Lu Jin stared at Feng Ren and his disciple in horror and desperation.
“Useless trash can still be exploited,” Feng Ren glanced at Lu Jin, “Extract all of his life potential, take out his five organs, and use them to refine the Heartless Bell.”
“Yes,” Cheng Yi suddenly understood.
Lu Jin felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.
…
“Master, could we be exposed?” Cheng Yi asked, looking at the corpse of the brawny man with concern.
“It’s not impossible,” Feng Ren pondered.
“Then…” Cheng Yi grew somewhat restless.
“It’s not a big problem,” Feng Ren thought for a moment and said, “Lu Jin doesn’t know much anyway.”
“Right! Even if someone investigates, their focus would be on the murder and alchemy,” Cheng Yi immediately calmed down.
“But we can’t be careless,” Feng Ren said solemnly, “Inform Li Qing tomorrow to urge the workers to speed up the construction of the ritual site.”
“Okay,” Cheng Yi nodded.
Feng Ren flicked his foot, and the body of the brawny man was kicked into the Bailang River like a rag doll.
He glanced at Lu Jin lying on the ground, his body constantly twisting and writhing, attempting to escape.
Feng Ren said indifferently, “Take him, let’s head back to the observatory.”
“Yes,” Cheng Yi stepped forward, grabbed Lu Jin’s belt, and lifted him up.
“The fifth person… the fifth…” Lu Jin spoke in a barely audible breath, using all his strength.
Cheng Yi stopped in his tracks and looked towards Feng Ren, “Master, we’ve found four of the required human cauldrons, just missing the last one.”
“Don’t bother with him; I have an alternative candidate,” Feng Ren said without looking back.
Lu Jin plunged into despair.
…
As the sunset descended in the west, Chen Mu sat on a bamboo chair.
In front of him sat a black pottery sand pot on a red clay stove.
The flames licked the bottom of the pot, while billows of white steam drifted up from the edges of the lid.
Chen Mu stared at the fiery red stove, occasionally adjusting the fire.
“My heart has grown cold as well,” he said.
Just over a year ago, he was a timid office worker with a kind heart.
He might not have achieved much, but he would not have been much of a threat either.
Now, he could end a life with ease, without the slightest ripple in his heart.
Thinking of that brawny man, Chen Mu sighed.
“Why can’t we live in peace? Why can’t we be good people?”
“It’s always forcing my hand to kill.”
“It is these evildoers that harden my heart more and more, chill it more and more, make me detest this world more and more.”
Chen Mu lifted the lid off the pot and placed the sliced, deboned fish into it.
A tantalizing aroma filled his nostrils.
“Mmm… delicious!”