Chapter 3 The world was shocked; this was the first such case in Great Shang in three hundred years!
Ji Qing ran faster and faster. Passing a blacksmith's shop on the street, he stopped, then climbed into the shop and picked out a handy saber.
He was out of silver, but he still had a jade pendant that hadn't been confiscated by the jailers, and it was worth some silver.
He placed the jade pendant on the blacksmith's table to pay for the saber.
With the saber in hand, Ji Qing's courage grew.
Soon, Ji Qing arrived at Ji Residence. In the dead of night, Ji Residence was very quiet.
“Hoo…”
A gentle breeze brushed past, and Ji Qing's brow furrowed.
“This is… the smell of blood?”
Where would the smell of blood come from in Ji Residence?
Ji Qing immediately leaped into Ji Residence.
As soon as he jumped into Ji Residence, Ji Qing smelled an even stronger scent of blood.
He saw bodies on the ground.
They were all the bodies of guards, maids, and other servants.
Moreover, these bodies had died terribly, their faces skinned raw.
“Skin-painting demon!”
Ji Qing was filled with immense anger.
Previously, the Skin-painting demon had been quite “restrained,” perhaps out of fear of exposure, or perhaps wanting to take a long-term approach, and had not harmed anyone in Ji Residence.
But now?
The Skin-painting demon had clearly revealed its true nature, wantonly attacking the people of Ji Residence.
Was this the Skin-painting demon's retaliation against him?
After all, the Skin-painting demon had lost a clone. Demons are treacherous and cruel by nature, so slaughtering the entire Ji Residence as revenge was quite normal.
“Ah…”
Suddenly, Ji Qing heard a scream coming from the back courtyard.
Ji Qing immediately rushed towards the back courtyard.
Along the way, there were too many bodies on the ground.
The entire Ji Residence had become a living hell.
Ji Qing immediately hurried to his father's room.
The room door was open, and a maid's figure was vaguely visible inside.
However, this maid was holding Mister Ji's heart, and fresh blood was still dripping from her hands.
The scene was bizarre and terrifying.
“Clang.”
Ji Qing instantly drew his saber.
“Demon, die!”
Ji Qing struck with hatred, instinctively unleashing the Thirteen Road Fast Saber. A flashing saber light streaked across, and the sharp long saber instantly slashed at the maid's neck.
“Pfft.”
Blood splattered.
The head fell to the ground.
“Thud.”
The maid's headless body also collapsed to the ground.
“Killed a Skin-painting demon clone, gained one source point.”
Indeed, this maid was also a clone of the Skin-painting demon.
This Skin-painting demon clone seemed to have weak combat power.
With Ji Qing's current strength, he could easily kill clones like this maid.
The maid still clutched a heart in her hand.
Ji Qing rushed to the bedside and saw his father, pale-faced, with a bloody hole in his chest.
“Father, I’m too late…”
Mister Ji hadn't quite died yet. He stared at Ji Qing with wide eyes.
“Qing… Qing'er, I misunderstood you, there really is a demon in the Residence… I can't live, quickly… quickly go save Yao'er…”
After speaking, Mister Ji's head fell, and he was no longer breathing.
“Yao'er…”
Ji Qing only had this one younger sister.
He immediately rushed towards Ji Yao's room.
Before reaching Ji Yao's room, Ji Qing saw an old woman from the Residence, a strange smile on her face, gnawing on a crimson heart.
“Die!”
Ji Qing, of course, knew that this old woman must also be a Skin-painting demon clone.
“Pfft.”
The old woman was split in half by Ji Qing's saber.
“Killed a Skin-painting demon clone, gained one source point.”
Ji Qing had already obtained two source points.
“Whoosh.”
Just as Ji Qing was sprinting, a saber light suddenly slashed out from a corner.
Ji Qing raised his saber to block.
“Bang.”
Ji Qing felt a great force transmit through the saber. He couldn't help but retreat five steps before the force dissipated and he stopped.
“Hmm? Uncle Jiang?”
Ji Qing saw that the attacker was Jiang Da Kui, who used to be the top martial artist among Ji Residence's guards.
“No, you are a Skin-painting demon clone!”
Ji Qing immediately realized.
Jiang Da Kui couldn't possibly attack him; only the Skin-painting demon would.
“Ji Qing, you only started practicing martial arts a few months ago, yet you've already become a third-rate martial artist in the pugilistic world, with considerable strength. Tsk tsk, if I peel your skin, I'll have another powerful clone!”
Jiang Da Kui licked the blood on his fingers, his expression subtly turning sinister.
Ji Qing's heart sank.
He roughly guessed the Skin-painting demon's ability.
As long as it peeled off human skin, the Skin-painting demon could use it as a clone.
The former Yun Niang, as well as the maid, the old woman, and others, including the Jiang Da Kui in front of him, must have all had their skin peeled by the Skin-painting demon and thus became its clones.
The strength of a Skin-painting demon clone actually depended on the original strength of the person before they died.
If the person was very strong in life, then their clone would also be stronger.
Ji Qing knew how strong Jiang Da Kui was.
The other party had been fighting in the pugilistic world for twenty or thirty years.
His strength was extremely high among third-rate martial artists.
From that single strike, Ji Qing already knew that with his current strength, he was probably no match for Jiang Da Kui.
But he had two source points, and he could increase his strength at any time.
Now, Ji Qing needed to fight for his life, and his saber technique realm was particularly important.
“Improve Thirteen Road Fast Saber!”
“Thirteen Road Fast Saber Great Accomplishment!”
“Continue.”
“Thirteen Road Fast Saber Great Accomplishment!”
Ji Qing consumed two source points, directly raising the Thirteen Road Fast Saber to Great Accomplishment!
Great Accomplishment in the Thirteen Road Fast Saber was basically the highest realm of this saber technique.
Images flashed through Ji Qing's mind.
It seemed he practiced the Thirteen Road Fast Saber diligently every day.
Whether it was eight years, ten years, or even twenty years.
Practicing the Thirteen Road Fast Saber day after day, this saber technique had become his instinct.
He could wield it even with his eyes closed.
“Whoosh.”
Ji Qing made his move.
He slashed at Jiang Da Kui.
“Bang.”
Jiang Da Kui also drew his saber to block. The two long sabers collided, and internal energy erupted. Jiang Da Kui's internal energy was slightly stronger.
But it didn't make much difference.
However, Ji Qing's saber technique realm was even stronger!
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh.”
Ji Qing struck one saber after another, the Thirteen Road Fast Saber flowing naturally from his hands. Each saber was faster than the last, an incessant barrage of attacks that left Jiang Da Kui breathless.
This was the Thirteen Road Fast Saber, primarily focused on the word “fast.”
Moreover, its offensive was continuous; if you couldn't block it, you died!
“Chh.”
Jiang Da Kui, defending for too long, was bound to make a mistake!
Ji Qing's saber slashed across Jiang Da Kui's neck.
Jiang Da Kui touched his neck, his expression turning terrified, sinister, and… enraged!
“You ruined another one of my clones, Ji Qing, I want you to die…”
Jiang Da Kui collapsed to the ground.
Although it was a Skin-painting demon clone, it was still flesh and blood, and having its neck slit by a saber meant death!
Ji Qing did not stop, but rushed into Ji Yao's room.
“Ji Yao?”
Ji Qing didn't see Ji Yao's figure in the room.
Ji Qing's heart sank.
Could Ji Yao also have been harmed?
Just then, Ji Qing heard a “whimpering” sound from under the bed.
He knelt down and looked, and Ji Yao was hiding under the bed.
“Brother… Grandma Rong is dead, Xiao Wan is dead too… I'm scared…”
Seeing Ji Qing, her own brother after all, Ji Yao couldn't help but burst into tears.
Ji Yao crawled out from under the bed.
Although she was covered in dirt, it was a blessing that she was unharmed.
Ji Qing picked up Ji Yao and said in a deep voice, “Yao'er, it's alright now.”
“Brother, there really are monsters. I saw monsters peeling skin…”
At this point, Ji Yao was trembling all over.
She clearly recalled that terrifying scene.
She now believed there were demons in Ji Residence.
“Don't be afraid, the Skin-painting demon has been killed by me.”
Ji Qing knew that the Skin-painting demon had many clones, so he carried Ji Yao and searched Ji Residence, looking for more Skin-painting demon clones.
As a result, he killed three more Skin-painting demon clones, accumulating four source points.
After searching for all the Skin-painting demon clones, Ji Qing's heart was heavy.
Because everyone in Ji Residence had died.
Out of over a hundred people in Ji Residence, now, except for Ji Qing and Ji Yao, no one survived.
“Quick, arrest the fugitive Ji Qing! If Ji Qing resists, kill him without mercy!”
At this moment, sounds of hurried footsteps came from outside Ji Residence.
The yamen constables had arrived.
Now Ji Qing was a “fugitive,” and the constables had to arrest him and bring him to justice.
Ji Qing looked at the current Ji Residence; there was nothing left to be nostalgic about.
And he certainly wouldn't just sit there and wait for death.
“Go!”
Ji Qing immediately left Ji Residence silently through the back door.
But just as he left, he suddenly turned back.
Inside Ji Residence, a raging fire had ignited at some unknown time.
“Does the Skin-painting demon still have clones?”
Ji Qing's eyes turned cold.
But the raging fire burned fiercely, and thick smoke gradually engulfed the entire Ji Residence. The fire was already unstoppable.
“Quick, put out the fire…”
Facing the blaze, the constables were in a frantic mess.
Ji Qing no longer lingered, turning resolutely and leaving.
“The Skin-painting demon has only lost a few clones; the true Skin-painting demon is not dead yet. No matter where the Skin-painting demon is, even if I have to chase it to the ends of the earth, I will make you die…”
Ji Qing's heart was incredibly cold.
The Skin-painting demon had caused his family to be ruined, almost his entire clan annihilated. Such a great vendetta would never be forgotten!
The next day, Liang City County Yamen issued a wanted poster.
“Regarding the 8th day of the 7th month in the tenth year of eternal prosperity, fugitive Ji Qing of Liang City, who murdered his father and mother, going against human ethics. He annihilated the entire Ji Residence, a crime unforgivable by heaven! This unfilial villain, his crimes are unforgivable! Ji Qing's scholarly title is hereby revoked, and he is wanted throughout the land. Anyone providing clues or apprehending Ji Qing shall be rewarded with one thousand taels of silver…”
The wanted poster detailed Ji Qing's physical characteristics and his alleged crimes.
Clearly, the authorities had also attributed the massacre of Ji Residence to Ji Qing.
Upon the issuance of this wanted poster, the entire world was shocked!
Great Shang governed the world with filial piety.
Murdering one's father and mother, such a heinous act, this was the first case in Great Shang in three hundred years!