Li Hongfei Coughed Up Blood in Rage, Pill Comprehension Primer! Zheng Kecheng Trapped and Killed!

"Strange, how did it catch fire?"

Li Hongfei stood at the entrance of Courtyard No. 88, staring at the flames shooting into the sky from within. His face was incomparably grim. "Where the hell did Ding Gang and Wen Zhong die off to? I wonder if the underground chamber burned."

It would not matter if the courtyard aboveground had burned down.

What he cared about most was what lay in the underground chamber. That was the work of his entire life.

A quarter of an hour later.

With the help of numerous residents, the blaze was finally extinguished. At that moment, the guard Jin Yuan approached and respectfully cupped his fists. "Master, Ding Gang and Wen Zhong, along with the four large wolfhounds, are all dead. They were killed first, then someone set the place on fire."

"What?"

Hearing the guard's report, Li Hongfei's heart skipped a beat. He immediately stepped forward and saw that the Eight Steeds Painting and the wall cabinet where the underground chamber had been concealed had both burned away, exposing an entrance. He promptly ordered two guards to pry open the charred wall cabinet and headed down into the underground chamber.

"Luckily, the fire was put out in time. It didn't reach the underground chamber."

Li Hongfei had the guards wait above before walking to the door of the third pill chamber. He pressed the bronze lamp three times and opened the chamber. Apart from the smell of scorching, everything inside was fine.

Li Hongfei rushed straight to the built-in wall cabinet. It held the most important things in his life—the fruits of his lifetime's labor.

The instant Li Hongfei opened the cabinet, his body swayed. The cabinet was completely empty. Everything was gone.

"My Dragon Blood Pills! Tiger Blood Pills! My gold bars and banknotes!"

"Which damned bastard was it? Pfft!"

Staring at the empty cabinet, Li Hongfei staggered as though he might collapse at any moment. His chest felt clogged, his inner qi rampaged through his meridians, and he spat out a mouthful of old blood before falling backward.

The Dragon Blood Pills had been meant for his grandson. The boy was still young, so Li Hongfei had planned to wait a little longer before letting him take them.

The gold bars and banknotes were the savings he had accumulated over the years.

To prevent anyone from getting ideas, he had specifically raised four large wolfhounds. With the pill chamber's mechanisms and the poisoned arrows in the wall cabinet, anyone caught unprepared would surely die!

Yet somehow.

Even the porcelain basin had been carried off in one sweep!

It was utterly infuriating!

"Master!!"

"Master!"

The two guards hurried down and helped Li Hongfei up.

Morning.

Eleven o'clock.

"So this is a Dragon Blood Pill?"

"After taking these pills, I should be able to raise my cultivation to the second-rate realm!"

Qin Wang crouched amid the thatch in a secluded, rarely visited corner three li from his rented courtyard. Looking at the pale-red pill the size of a pigeon egg inside the white porcelain bottle in his hand, anticipation shone in his eyes.

There were three Dragon Blood Pills.

The Tiger Blood Pills were likewise pale red and pigeon-egg-sized. There were ten in total.

Qin Wang had carried off the entire porcelain basin of Qi and Blood Pills. Li Hongfei had probably refined them but had not yet had time to bottle them up for sale. After counting them carefully, Qin Wang found a total of 132 pills.

There was a stack of banknotes, all in fifty-tael denominations. Ninety notes in all, worth 4,500 taels of silver.

There were thirty small gold bars, each roughly one tael.

"Pill Comprehension Primer?"

Qin Wang looked at the yellowed ancient book he had taken from Li Hongfei, delight appearing in his eyes.

It was an ancient text concerning pills. It contained the methods for refining Qi and Blood Pills, Tiger Blood Pills, and Dragon Blood Pills, along with a great number of small-script annotations.

Moreover.

The latter half of the ancient book depicted mountains and rivers, seemingly forming a map.

"So Li Hongfei became an alchemist and opened Tongrentang Pharmacy because he obtained this Pill Comprehension Primer?"

"This time, I've truly struck it rich!"

Holding the Pill Comprehension Primer, Qin Wang's eyes showed satisfaction.

Not counting the pills, the gold and silver alone were worth more than 5,000 taels this time!

The Dragon Blood Pills and Tiger Blood Pills in particular were priceless treasures unavailable on the market!

"I'll rent another place first, then come back here and wait for Zheng Kecheng!"

"I'll deal with that bastard!"

Qin Wang packed up everything and left the hidden spot.

Afternoon.

Three o'clock.

Qin Wang rented a courtyard with three blue-brick tiled rooms, eight li away from his previous rental.

After storing away all his belongings.

He returned to the old courtyard, laid his trap, and waited for Zheng Kecheng to arrive.

The third day.

Before dawn.

Daily Intel Has Been Updated!

Today's Intel

1: You paid attention to Zheng Kecheng yesterday and obtained related intelligence. At 10 o'clock this morning, Zheng Kecheng will find your previous rented residence. Zheng Kecheng hates you to the bone and plans to torture you to death after finding you.

2: Three days ago, you obtained Dragon Blood Pills, Tiger Blood Pills, and a large number of Qi and Blood Pills. You obtained related intelligence: after taking all these pills, you will advance to the second-rate realm.

5: You paid attention to Li Hongfei yesterday and obtained related intelligence. Because you took away the work of Li Hongfei's entire life, Li Hongfei was so enraged that his inner qi ran wild, causing him to cough up blood twice. He is currently sending people to investigate who stole his Dragon Blood Pills.

6: You paid attention to Chief Constable Zheng Kecheng yesterday and obtained related intelligence. Zheng Kecheng received word from his elder brother Zheng Keshou that his son Zheng Lingyun, due to his decent martial talent, has been accepted by Great General Li Jingzhong as his thirteenth sworn son. After killing you, Zheng Kecheng plans to go serve Prince Jin in the Heavenly Fortune Alliance and win merit and glory.

7: You heard news of Prince Jin's rebel army yesterday and obtained related intelligence. Li Jingzhong, the Heavenly Fortune Great Protector under Prince Jin, has already led one hundred thousand troops to capture three cities in You Prefecture. He will capture Yan Yun County City in six months!

8: You paid attention to the Chen Family yesterday and obtained related intelligence. After Chen Kun killed Zhang Aofeng, the Zhang Family's businesses were divided among the Chen Family, the Lin Family, and the Su Family. Chen Kun is considering secretly wiping out the Lin Family and Su Family to dominate Yan Yun County alone.

9: You paid attention to Li Hongfei yesterday and obtained related intelligence. Song Lin, the No. 98 Human-rank assassin of the Blood Kill Hall assassin organization contacted by Li Hongfei, is searching Yan Yun County for traces of the Hundred Knowledge Divine Lord.

"Ten o'clock this morning!"

"Zheng Kecheng, enjoy my grand gift!"

Looking at the first piece of intelligence, anticipation appeared in Qin Wang's eyes.

Zheng Kecheng was so vicious. At last, Qin Wang could kill him and claim his soul!

"After taking all the Dragon Blood Pills and Tiger Blood Pills, I'll advance to the second-rate realm?"

Qin Wang's eyes lit up as he looked at the second piece of intelligence.

That was only to be expected.

With three Dragon Blood Pills, ten Tiger Blood Pills, and another 132 Qi and Blood Pills, if he still could not advance to the second-rate realm, that would truly make no sense.

"That old bastard is investigating me? Heh. Once I advance to the second-rate realm, your death day will come!"

Qin Wang looked at the fifth piece of intelligence, murderous intent flickering in his eyes.

"Zheng Kecheng's son, Zheng Lingyun, became the thirteenth sworn son of Great General Li Jingzhong under Prince Jin?"

"Li Jingzhong will capture Yan Yun County City in six months?"

Qin Wang frowned deeply as he looked at the sixth and seventh pieces of intelligence.

With the rebel king's army pressing down on the border, the present peace would be shattered. That was not good news for him.

"Li Hongfei is still contacting Blood Kill Hall assassins to find me?"

Qin Wang narrowed his eyes at the ninth piece of intelligence.

"I'll sleep first. I'll set out at five and go to the old rental to wait for Zheng Kecheng!"

Having made up his mind, Qin Wang lay down and went to sleep.

Ten o'clock.

Zheng Kecheng kept a hand on his saber hilt as he headed toward a small courtyard behind a street alley, with Constable Wang Jiang at his side.

"Chief Constable, that youth Qin Wang has changed rental residences repeatedly in such a short time!"

"He's this cautious!"

"Could he have already disguised himself and left the city?!"

Thinking of how they had searched one rental after another these past few days without finding anything, Wang Jiang found himself growing curious about the youth Qin Wang.

"Not likely."

Zheng Kecheng stared at the half-open iron gate of the blue-brick tiled courtyard ahead and tightened his grip around the hilt of his saber.

All four city gates kept records of everyone entering and leaving. There was no record of that little bastard leaving the city. Besides, that little thing's older sister had become a maiden of the Chen Family. On the fourth day of the fourth month next year, she would be offered in the River God Sacrifice!

His instincts told him that Qin Wang was definitely still in Yan Yun County City!

"The Arrest Bureau is pursuing a criminal suspect. We need to enter and search the premises!"

Wang Jiang stepped forward, pushed open the gate, and entered with Chief Constable Zheng Kecheng. No one answered from inside. Wang Jiang used his sheathed saber to push open the door. In the main hall stood an old square table and several old wooden chairs.

On the table sat a plate of unfinished leftovers and an unwashed bowl.

"Wang Jiang, check the rooms!"

Zheng Kecheng gave Wang Jiang an order.

In their search for the Hundred Knowledge Divine Lord that Qin Wang was impersonating, they had brought all the constables and searched every household, every room.

"Mm."

Wang Jiang nodded and headed toward the room on the left. Suddenly, he spotted a cloth bundle the size of a bowl behind the main gate, sparks flickering from it. He immediately said, "Chief Constable— Thud!"

"Wang Jiang, you—"

Zheng Kecheng watched Wang Jiang fall backward to the ground and immediately drew his saber in alarm. But just as his saber left its sheath, his entire body went limp and weak. He could not muster his inner force and collapsed onto the ground.

"Not good! Poison!"

Zheng Kecheng immediately sat cross-legged and circulated his cultivation technique, trying to force out the poison with his inner force.

Just then.

Zheng Kecheng saw a sallow-faced youth dart out from behind the half-open room door, dagger in hand, thrusting toward him. He tried to dodge, only to discover that his inner force had completely scattered and his whole body was limp. He could only watch helplessly as the dagger slit across his throat!

Please keep reading, and please send recommendation votes!