Translator: CinderTL
In just a short while, Jin Penglai had already been struck multiple times, his body covered in wounds, and it seemed he was on the verge of collapse.
"Zhou Chaoxian, if you kill me, the Jin family will never let you go!" Jin Penglai shouted as he struggled to defend himself.
"Let me go? You should be asking if I'll let the Jin family go!"
Zhou Chaoxian's spear moved like a dragon diving into the sea, striking Jin Penglai's shoulder, the sharp tip piercing through from behind.
"Ah!!"
Jin Penglai let out a scream. Before he could raise his blade to defend himself, a long sword had already come from behind, and his head was sent flying into the air, rolling a few times before landing at his feet.
"Bah, scum,"
Zhou Chaoxian spat disdainfully, waving his hand as he said, "To the Jin family. According to the laws of Da Qi, colluding with bandits warrants the execution of the entire family!"
Zhou Chaoxian pulled out his spear, holding Jin Penglai's head as he made his way to the Jin family.
Xu Sanyan watched Zhou Chaoxian's retreating figure, his eyes narrowing. Wasn't he after the Cultivation Method?
Perhaps… he didn't know that the Ma family had a Cultivation Method?
Well, that's fine, one less competitor.
At this moment, the chaos in the city had calmed down significantly, with only sporadic screams heard, quickly drowned out by the howling wind and sand.
Just then, Xu Sanyan saw someone emerging from the Ma family's rear residence, sneaking out over the wall and running along the alley toward the city gate.
"Liu Hong…"
Xu Sanyan's heart stirred. He knew Liu Hong wasn't dead. The old man had taken advantage of their fighting outside to sneak into the Ma family and search for something.
Xu Sanyan didn't rush to act. They were too close to Wu Jue and the others, and the sounds of battle would easily attract their attention. So, he jumped down from the rooftop and quietly followed.
Liu Hong took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and pretended to be calm as he walked away.
Just as he stepped out of the alley, he faintly saw a figure at the end of the long street, slowly approaching. Upon closer inspection, it was Xu Sanyan.
"Fourth brother, what are you doing here?"
Liu Hong forced a smile, his expression showing no signs of abnormality, though his heart was already racing.
"Waiting for you," Xu Sanyan said with a smile as he approached.
Liu Hong also smiled as he walked forward, his hand subtly moving under his sleeve, a short dagger slipping into his palm, though it was hidden by his arm, making it impossible for Xu Sanyan to see.
"What are you waiting for me for? The Ma family has countless treasures. Taking just a little would be enough to live comfortably for years."
The distance between them was less than three meters. Xu Sanyan's smile remained unchanged as he casually tossed aside the scarf on his face, the deep brown scarf stained with blood, fluttering in the yellow wind.
"What's the second brother hiding in his arms? Can you let me take a look?"
Liu Hong's smile visibly stiffened. Suddenly, the short dagger flew out of his hand, aimed straight at Xu Sanyan's face, with no warning whatsoever.
But Xu Sanyan was prepared. His long blade instantly unsheathed, deflecting the dagger, while he lunged forward, his blade slicing horizontally at Liu Hong's waist, the speed so fast that Liu Hong could barely see the movement.
Liu Hong's face turned pale as he hurriedly retreated to dodge, "You've broken through?"
Before a martial artist makes a move, it's impossible to gauge their level. Once they act, their strength and speed can be used to judge their prowess.
Thus, with just one strike from Xu Sanyan, Liu Hong could tell that his martial arts had advanced.
Xu Sanyan's strike missed, but he wasn't in a hurry to press the attack. Instead, he grinned, "Thanks to you, old man, I managed to break through. It's nothing worth mentioning. You've been hiding deep, haven't you? Wu Jue doesn't know you've already taken the item, does he?"
Liu Hong knew he was no match for Xu Sanyan, and with his age, he had long lost the courage to fight to the death. He could only plead for his life, "What I took isn't the Cultivation Method, but a rare medicinal herb. Can I use it to buy my life?"
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow, "A rare herb?"
He had only heard of such things but had never seen one in person.
Liu Hong quickly pulled out a long wooden box from his chest, about the length of a forearm, opening and closing it in a flash.
"This is the rare herb. It's nurtured by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It can enhance martial arts cultivation and nourish the body. Its effects are extraordinary. Can I use it to buy my life?"
Xu Sanyan's heart stirred. Liu Hong's movements were too fast; he only caught a glimpse of something black, resembling wood, but couldn't see the details.
"Are you lying to me?" Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes.
Liu Hong assured him, "Every word is true!"
Xu Sanyan pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Fine. Leave the item and go."
"Thank you, fourth brother."
Liu Hong tossed the herb to the side and quickly darted into another alley.
He seemed eager to escape?
Xu Sanyan glanced at his retreating figure, bent his knees slightly, and leaped forward, catching the herb in his hand, then chased after Liu Hong.
He wanted the item, and he wanted Liu Hong's life too!
Xu Sanyan knew the principle of eradicating the roots to prevent future troubles. He would never leave behind a hidden threat!
Liu Hong quickly darted through the alley, his face tense, constantly looking back, afraid that Xu Sanyan would catch up.
Suddenly, he heard a noise above him and looked up just in time to see a cold blade piercing through the wind and sand, coming straight for his face.
Though old, Liu Hong was still agile. At the last moment, he leaned back and dodged the fatal strike.
"You're breaking your word!"
Liu Hong shouted, recognizing Xu Sanyan above him.
"Second brother, what are you talking about? We're bandits. Since when do we keep our word?"
Xu Sanyan didn't waste any more words. He flipped down from the rooftop, his feet delivering a series of kicks. Liu Hong managed to block the first two, but the third struck him square in the chest.
"Pfft!"
Liu Hong spat out a mouthful of blood. The difference in their strength was too great; he was no match.
Xu Sanyan didn't give him another chance. With a flash of his blade, streaks of blood splattered on the wall.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind and sand blew past, leaving only Liu Hong's headless corpse on the ground.
Xu Sanyan crouched down and searched Liu Hong's body, finding another item in his chest.
A small booklet.
Feeling the texture of the paper with his fingertips, Xu Sanyan's heart stirred with a vague suspicion. He eagerly pulled it out and saw eight large characters written on it:
"Supreme Truth and Absolute Stillness Sutra"
Xu Sanyan's eyes narrowed. The name of this Cultivation Method… was strange.
Without wasting time, he flipped through it, reading it carefully. But the more he read, the stranger it seemed. It appeared to be just an ordinary Cultivation Method.
His mind stirred, and a panel appeared before his eyes. The Cultivation Method section remained unchanged.
[Cultivation Method — None]
Based on past experience, even if he hadn't mastered this Cultivation Method, as long as he had read it, the panel would have reacted, though it would have displayed "Not Yet Initiated."
Xu Sanyan frowned. This thing was most likely a fake.
He speculated that the Ma family had intentionally placed the rare herb and this fake Cultivation Method together to confuse people.
Making them believe it was the real Cultivation Method, causing a scramble and diverting attention from Ma Tianqing, increasing his chances of survival.
After all, everyone's goal was the Cultivation Method. Ma Tianqing alone was far less important than the Cultivation Method.
"Truth and lies, what a cunning plan…" Xu Sanyan didn't need to think hard to know that this was undoubtedly Master Ma's idea.
Using a real rare herb to prop up a fake Cultivation Method. If Xu Sanyan didn't have the panel, he might have also believed this was the real Cultivation Method, especially since he had never seen the real thing before.
Xu Sanyan couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had thought the Cultivation Method would be so easy to obtain.
He put the items away and looked down at Liu Hong's head, kicking it aside as he stepped out of the alley.
In the cold alley, only a headless corpse remained. The wind and sand carried a faint whisper, "Idiot, trying to play the strategist…"
(End of the Chapter)
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