Chapter 133 - 96: Shaking the Four Quarters
Bright red blood spurted from the neck of Wang Li’s headless corpse. Jiang Yun was the closest, and she was splattered with it.
She had reached Small Success in the Skin Grinding Realm and was a Great Success Blade Master who had been through life-and-death battles. But the black-clad figure was simply too fast. With a sudden flash, his Long Saber stirred a faint breeze, and a bloody gash appeared on Jiang Yun’s neck.
She didn’t even realize it at first, remaining frozen in her stance, still holding the wine pot. When she tried to cry out, she only felt a sweet taste at the back of her throat, unable to make a sound. In her eyes, the black-clad figure moved like a specter. His Long Saber was so swift it seemed shadowless. In a series of flashes, Wang Cong and the two other men had their throats slit as they sat in their chairs.
The light in Jiang Yun’s eyes suddenly dimmed, and in an instant, she was gone.
THUD!
THUD!
Wang Li’s headless corpse and Jiang Yun’s body both collapsed to the floor.
The man in black glanced at Jiang Yun, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. He couldn’t leave any witnesses this time, no exceptions. The man in black was none other than Chen Cheng.
Seeing Wang Li’s behavior during the day, and how he had brazenly ridden a carriage into the Ruyi District, it was obvious he was targeting Chen Cheng.
Naturally, Chen Cheng wasn’t going to just sit and wait for death, for Wang Li to attack the Chens’ home. Even if Chen Cheng managed to kill him then, he would inevitably provoke the Wang Family backing him, leading to endless trouble.
After carefully weighing the pros and cons, Chen Cheng had donned a set of black Night Clothes, concealed his face, and infiltrated the Wang Family estate.
His gaze lingered on Jiang Yun’s body for a moment before he flashed out of the main hall. He swept his eyes over the bodies of the dozen or so Hospital Martial Artists lying in the courtyard, then rushed toward the Wang Family’s rear courtyard.
He wasn’t wearing his weighted training clothes, so his steps were exceptionally light and fast. He moved without a sound, like a black phantom, crossing through a corridor and into the rear courtyard in just a few flashes.
He ran right into a middle-aged man in a brocade robe holding a sword, along with seven or eight Hospital Martial Artists.
"Who’s there?"
The middle-aged man shouted, thrusting his Longsword forward to attack Chen Cheng.
The man’s aura was powerful, and his Sword Techniques were vicious and sharp. Surprisingly, he was also using a Perfect Level Sword Skill.
Chen Cheng said nothing, his body suddenly accelerating as he unleashed the Wind Chasing Saber Stance. A faint breeze stirred as his Long Saber slashed out. ’This is bad!’ the middle-aged man thought to himself. Just as he tried to dodge, he felt a cold sensation on his throat and collapsed.
From behind the first man, another Long Saber slashed diagonally toward Chen Cheng’s back. The Blade Technique was swift and fierce—it was, shockingly, also a Perfect Level Saber Technique.
Chen Cheng’s eyes narrowed. He dodged quickly to the left, causing the middle-aged Hospital Martial Artist’s Blade Technique to hit nothing but air. Before the man could react, Chen Cheng’s Long Saber flashed, and the Hospital Martial Artist’s throat was slit.
Chen Cheng didn’t stop. He charged into the midst of the Hospital Martial Artists like a tiger pouncing on a flock of sheep. The shadow of his blade moved with nimble speed. None of the Hospital Martial Artists could withstand a single blow, and in an instant, they were all cut down.
...
A moment later, Chen Cheng reappeared in the main hall of the central courtyard. He quickly searched the bodies of Wang Cong and Wang Li, finding two silk coin purses and a Blood-Colored Jade Token.
A line of small words was carved on the Jade Token: "Wind and Rain Tower, Ding." On the other side was a single, slightly larger word: "Mo."
’So this bastard really was the Wind and Rain Tower Assassin, Ding Mo!’ Chen Cheng thought. He then resumed his careful search of the main hall. From under a table not far from Wang Li’s body, he found a long, black-wrapped package. He opened it to find a strangely shaped Broken Sword, identical to the one Ding Mo had used before.
After a moment’s thought, Chen Cheng dipped his Long Saber in fresh blood and wrote a few words beside Wang Li’s body: "The rat Ding Mo, slain here!"
...
「One hour later.」
In the main residence of the Chen Family’s rear courtyard, Chen Cheng finished a hot bath in a large wooden tub. As he got up and dressed, his body and mind slowly began to relax.
He walked out into the courtyard and looked up at the sky. A pale, waning moon peeked in and out from behind the clouds. Chen Cheng’s expression was serene.
’When you carry a sharp blade, the urge to kill is born. My own urge to kill seems a bit too strong.’
’But in this chaotic world, I have no choice. If I hadn’t killed Wang Li and the Wang Family, I would be the one in peril, liable to be killed at any moment.’
’In this world, it’s just too damn hard to live a quiet life!’
"Young Master, your clothes are washed and hanging to dry. I’ve also emptied the bathwater," Xi’Er said, walking over.
Before returning home, Chen Cheng had already disposed of the black Night Clothes and everything else, leaving no trace on his person.
However, Xi’Er’s sense of smell was too keen. She had smelled the thick scent of blood on her young master, so Chen Cheng had no choice but to give her his clothes to be washed.
"Alright. You should get some sleep," Chen Cheng said softly, reaching out to ruffle Xi’Er’s hair.
"Okay. You should get to sleep early too, Young Master," Xi’Er replied obediently with a nod.
She had suffered many hardships before coming to the Chen Family, so despite her young age, she was very sensible. She knew not to pry into her young master’s affairs or to speak carelessly about them.
After Xi’Er returned to her room to sleep, Chen Cheng went into his own bedroom. He closed the door and took a small package from his bedside cabinet.
Inside the package were gold, silver, and other valuables, some silver notes, two Secret Manuals, and an Elixir Pill slightly larger than a pigeon’s egg.
This Elixir Pill was jet-black with a blood-red sheen and had a strong medicinal smell. It matched the description Chen Cheng had heard of a Muscle Strengthening Pill, and it was the very one he had taken from Wang Li’s body.
Judging by its color and sheen, it was likely a Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pill.
Even a Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pill required materials from a Tier Four Demon Beast to be refined, making it extremely precious. After all, Tier Four Demon Beasts were incredibly powerful; not even a Martial Artist at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm could hunt one alone.
Chen Cheng couldn’t help but marvel at the immense resources of the Four Great Clans of the Inner City. For even a side-branch disciple like Wang Li to be carrying such a valuable item was a testament to their wealth.