Chapter 60: Chapter 60

The voice rolled across the lake, vast and mighty. The aura spreading with it pressed down upon the combatants, leaving them unable to move.

This was the difference between Third-Rank True Qi and the Internal Qi of anyone below the Third Rank.

True Qi had already come into subtle accord with the Momentum of Heaven and Earth. When circulated, it moved as though Heaven and Earth themselves were lending it strength. Naturally, Internal Qi could not compare.

Gong Lianyou clearly felt that overwhelming power. She had only just reached the Fourth Rank, and under that pressure, even her cultivation foundation began to waver.

Yet her enemy was right before her. She could not bear to leave empty-handed.

Lin Yining, meanwhile, had climbed to his feet, emboldened like a dog backed by its master’s power. Although he did not dare move, his mouth showed no restraint.

“Saintess? You’re nothing but a fart as far as I can see! My old man has friends throughout the world! You want to kill this Young Master? Sure—in your dreams, where anything is possible!”

Now!

Gong Lianyou’s hands moved without hesitation. The Bone-Clinging Golden Needles shot from her fingers and flew directly toward Lin Yining.

“You’re courting death!” Zhao Jiu roared furiously.

Fuck! A mere Fourth Rank dared to steal his business? Was she really going to show him no respect?

Zhao Jiu activated Chasing the Stars and Pursuing the Moon and stomped heavily against the water. His figure instantly vanished from the lake, appearing beside Lin Yining almost in the blink of an eye.

His True Qi surged like a flood, forming a barrier that suspended the hair-thin Bone-Clinging Golden Needles in midair. With a slight clenching motion, he crushed them into a twisted clump and dropped them to the ground.

Gong Lianyou was astonished.

Before she could recover, Zhao Jiu had already closed the distance. He jabbed a finger into her shoulder, and a burst of True Qi punched straight through her body, spraying a small cloud of blood into the air.

“Saintess!”

The people beside the lake shouted anxiously. They wanted to come to her aid, but Lin Yining’s two retainers kept them occupied.

Zhao Jiu struck several times in rapid succession, sealing the Major Acupoints throughout Gong Lianyou’s body.

“I don’t care what kind of Saintess you are. You’d better come with me to the Imperial Prison!”

Zhao Jiu’s voice was soft, but to Gong Lianyou, it sounded like a demonic note calling for her death.

She had only wanted to kill a worthless Fifth Rank. How had she managed to provoke the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Judging by Zhao Jiu’s behavior, this clearly was not going to end well. If she entered the Imperial Prison, would she ever emerge alive?

She tried to struggle to her feet, but all her Major Acupoints had been sealed. She could not gather even a trace of Internal Qi, and moving a single muscle was nearly impossible.

He held the knife. She was merely fish upon his chopping block.

Seeing that Gong Lianyou could no longer move, Zhao Jiu ignored her. His True Qi surged, leaving an afterimage behind as he charged toward the other combatants.

If he wanted to conceal his involvement, the simplest solution was obvious.

He merely had to kill everyone present.

“Monument-Splitting!”

The combatants saw an afterimage flash before them. Before anyone could react, Zhao Jiu’s palm had already struck one of them.

As his shout fell, the victim’s entire body swelled before exploding like a watermelon, spraying blood and flesh across everyone nearby.

Zhao Jiu unleashed fists and palms amid the group. In mere moments, the combatants had disappeared, leaving only several piles of mangled flesh on the ground.

Only then did Zhao Jiu release a long breath.

The pent-up frustration of being manipulated, the irritation of waiting endlessly for his quarry, and the fury of nearly having food snatched from his jaws all poured out at once.

After venting the discomfort in his heart, Zhao Jiu’s face was flushed crimson. He walked toward Lin Yining one step at a time.

Under the moonlight, he resembled the King of Hell ascending from the depths of the Underworld.

The two nuns behind Lin Yining trembled as they clung to each other, doing everything they could to make themselves seem inconspicuous.

Zhao Jiu had no intention of sparing them.

Although he had already used Complete Transformation, leaving living witnesses behind could still expose a flaw and cause enormous trouble.

Two swordlike streams of True Qi shot out and pierced the women’s skulls. heir eyes widened, but both were already dead beyond doubt.

Zhao Jiu casually picked up a saber from the ground, then turned to stare at Lin Yining.

“Lin Yining, the Young Master of Sword-Washing Manor?”

“Yes, that’s me! You must be one of my father’s friends, right?” Lin Yining hurriedly replied. “I’ll never forget your life-saving grace! Rest assured, I’ll prepare a generous gift and have it delivered to your residence!”

Upon hearing Zhao Jiu identify him, Lin Yining had assumed that the man was one of his father’s friends and immediately began currying favor.

“Heh. I’ve already been paid.”

Zhao Jiu sneered and stared fixedly at him.

In truth, he was examining the Young Master to see whether he could squeeze out a little more silver. Judging by his clothing, the man before him was certainly not poor.

He ought to have some money, right?

You’d better have money!

Lin Yining did not understand Zhao Jiu’s meaning.

“That’s good. When are we leaving? And that woman—could we perhaps…”

Zhao Jiu’s smile widened.

This brat really did not know how to take a hint.

Unable to move on the ground, Gong Lianyou watched in terror. Failing to kill Lin Yining was one thing, but was she going to be dragged down as well?

She refused to allow that!

“My lord, I have silver! I have silver!”

At this point, she could only hope that Zhao Jiu was not some perfectly impartial official and that she could purchase her freedom with money.

Zhao Jiu’s eyes lit up the instant he heard the word “silver.”

Smart people truly were different. She understood with the slightest hint!

“How much?”

“Five hundred taels!”

Zhao Jiu flew into a rage. “Your life is only fucking worth five hundred taels?”

“No, no! My lord, one thousand! One thousand taels!” Gong Lianyou hurriedly corrected herself, terrified that the saber would fall if she answered a moment too late.

“Hmm?”

Zhao Jiu narrowed his eyes at Gong Lianyou.

She was not being honest.

A paltry sum like that was supposed to test a Lower Fourth-Rank Official? Any Lower Fourth-Rank Official could withstand that kind of temptation!

“I’ll name the price: two thousand two hundred taels. If it’s short by even a single coin, I’ll kill you.”

Circumstances were stronger than the individual. Gong Lianyou had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Zhao Jiu was pleased by her attitude, and his tone became much gentler.

“When will I receive the silver?”

“Two months.”

“I have to fucking wait two months for you?”

Zhao Jiu was furious.

Was she merely dangling pie in the sky before him? Why did she not promise to burn the silver as an offering after he died?

He had already transmigrated, yet people were still feeding him empty promises. If he accepted that, he would have transmigrated for nothing!

“If everything goes quickly, it can arrive within fifteen days—the time it takes for a letter to make the journey!” Gong Lianyou hurriedly added.

The gleaming saber swaying before her was truly terrifying.

Only then did Zhao Jiu’s expression ease. Fifteen days was much easier to accept. At least the explanation was reasonable and believable.

“Since you’ve done me such a tremendous favor, I must repay you. I’ll handle one small matter for you and relieve a little concern weighing on your heart. After all, accepting payment without providing any service isn’t my style.”

Gong Lianyou was utterly confused.

Were members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard really this conscientious now? Did they feel uncomfortable taking money without doing anything in return?

“No need, no need. Let’s not discuss that.”

“It’s only a small matter. How about I kill someone for you?” Zhao Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled at Gong Lianyou.

“Kill whom?” she asked in bewilderment.

This man was exceedingly strange. Why insist on going through this entire routine and acting so mysterious?

Zhao Jiu did not care what she thought.

When making money, service was the most important thing.

“Someone surnamed Lin—Lin Yining. How does that sound? Isn’t he a little concern of yours?”

“Oh my, that man is simply terrible!” Gong Lianyou exclaimed.

Off to the side, Lin Yining stared at them in shock as they casually discussed the price of his life. Cold sweat had long since soaked his entire body.

Just as he prepared to speak, a blade flashed.

His head flew high into the air, and blood erupted like a fountain.

Lin Yining’s eyes remained wide open. Even at the moment of death, he could not believe Zhao Jiu had truly killed him.

After killing Lin Yining, Zhao Jiu casually slashed the corpse several more times. He circulated his True Qi and blasted the severed head apart, leaving a headless set of remains beside the lake.

He did not unseal Gong Lianyou’s Major Acupoints. Instead, he hoisted her sideways around the waist as though carrying a burlap sack.

Activating Chasing the Stars and Pursuing the Moon, he vanished from the Temple of Beauties in several bounds.

Only after Zhao Jiu had disappeared without a trace did several people approach carrying torches.

The flickering flames illuminated corpses scattered across the ground.

It was an exceedingly bloody sight.