Greed

Chapter 13: Greed

The battle was over.

But the crowd didn't disperse.

Instead, they felt their chance had finally arrived.

Although they didn't know why Zhao Jinzhi only took the Blood Ginseng, the young man had indeed been injured by him.

He had been valiant earlier, but now he was spitting blood, his face pale and appearing as if he wouldn't live much longer.

Chen Yuan wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass. "..."

Seeing the young man digging out the Blood Ginseng to take with him, he quickly led the Moon Wolf Gang members to block the young man's path, saying smugly, "Kid, that Blood Ginseng isn't something you can touch. I advise you to hand it over to me, and perhaps, in my benevolence, I'll spare your life."

Suddenly.

A gang member behind him leaned over to Chen Yuan's ear and whispered something, his gaze towards Lu Zhaojin filled with fear, as if looking at a terrifying beast.

Chen Yuan's expression shifted slightly after hearing this. His gaze towards Lu Zhaojin became ferocious as he said viciously, "So it was you who killed two of my Moon Wolf Gang leaders. Now that you've fallen into my hands, I will surely sever your limbs and head to appease the spirits of my two uncles."

Lu Zhaojin heard this and thought, no wonder their clothes felt familiar. It was the Moon Wolf Gang.

Speaking of his grievances with the Moon Wolf Gang, it all started when he and Zhang Mang went to the ruined temple and discovered the Moon Wolf Gang trying to kill Zhao Nuanyu. Later, Mu Kui attacked him without a word, forcing him to fight back.

Afterward, Mu Zhuo was manipulated by Zhao Huaishui to seek revenge for Mu Kui, attacking with killing moves... and then he died by Lu Zhaojin's hand.

Since they were already enemies, killing one more wouldn't make a difference.

Lu Zhaojin's injuries were indeed severe, but not so bad that he couldn't lift his sword.

Moreover, his previous demeanor was an act. He wanted to see if anyone would be unable to control their greed and try to take advantage of the situation.

His EXP was only a meager forty-nine points.

Lu Zhaojin looked at the young man in luxurious robes before him and raised the Blood Ginseng in his hand. "If you want it, come and take it."

He tossed the Blood Ginseng into the air.

Chen Yuan's face changed drastically. He ordered his gang members to capture Lu Zhaojin, "Don't let him escape."

Then he leaped up, reaching out to grab the Blood Ginseng.

However, someone was faster. A kick sent his hand flying, and the Blood Ginseng was in another's grasp. This person laughed triumphantly, "Such a treasure naturally belongs to the capable. Young Master Chen, surely you understand this principle?"

Chen Yuan's right hand burned. Seeing that the other party knew his identity, he said coldly, "Since you know who I am, you should return the Blood Ginseng to me, otherwise, you will be an enemy of my Moon Wolf Gang."

He said with killing intent, "My father will emerge from seclusion soon. By then, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, you won't survive."

The title "Howling Moon Wolf" did indeed intimidate the man, but the Blood Ginseng was precious. In the future, it might be possible to reach Seventh Rank, and then perhaps he could contend with the Howling Moon Wolf.

But he didn't have time to gloat for long.

A flash of blade light cut off his right hand, the one holding the Blood Ginseng.

The Blood Ginseng changed hands again.

The man clutched his severed hand, wailing in agony.

The crowd surged forward almost as one, their eyes only on the Blood Ginseng, descending into a chaotic free-for-all.

Chen Yuan was furious and joined the fray, fighting to seize the Blood Ginseng.

Some people saw the writing on the wall and chose to leave without joining the battle.

These gang members were weak and no match for Lu Zhaojin. They were all killed with a single sword strike.

[Killed Ninth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +50]

[Killed Unranked Martial Artist, EXP +5]

[Killed Ninth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +50]

[...]

[EXP: 269]

Lu Zhaojin caught the Blood Ginseng as it fell from the sky, surprised it had returned.

In the chaotic battle, someone had kicked the Blood Ginseng, and it happened to land in his hand.

Afterward, he saw the frenzied crowd, their eyes red with greed, all charging towards him.

Lu Zhaojin showed no mercy, killing every one who came at him.

[Killed Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +500]

[Killed Ninth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +50]

[Killed Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +500]

[...]

[EXP: 2569]

He finally stopped after turning the place into a river of blood.

Since there was no one else nearby to kill.

The only one still standing was Chen Yuan.

He looked at Lu Zhaojin, who was like a god of slaughter, in terror. "You... you're not injured!"

Lu Zhaojin didn't waste words with him and beheaded him with a single sword strike.

[Killed Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +500]

[EXP: 3069]

He strode past the corpse and found the unconscious Niu Hang, then woke him up.

Niu Hang groggily opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a face smeared with a bit of blood. Then he saw the scene of corpses strewn about behind him, which truly startled him. "Ah! Don't kill me!"

Lu Zhaojin patted his face. "Wake up."

Niu Hang came to his senses and, smelling the pervasive scent of blood in the air, felt slightly unwell and wanted to vomit. "What... what happened to them?"

Lu Zhaojin said calmly, "Greed knows no bounds."

Niu Hang then noticed the Blood Ginseng in Lu Zhaojin's hand. Recalling what the other man had just said, he realized that these people were all killed by him.

Although the simple-minded man felt it was a bit cruel, that's just how the martial world was. If one wasn't strong enough, the Blood Ginseng in Lu Zhaojin's hand meant he possessed something that would bring about his doom. It was possible he himself would have died.

So Niu Hang didn't say much more.

Lu Zhaojin broke off a corner of the ginseng root and handed it to Niu Hang. "Thank you for your righteous intervention. This is for you."

Niu Hang remembered being casually kicked away by Zhao Jinzhi and his face was full of shame. He didn't take the ginseng root, but instead pushed it back. "I can't accept this, I can't accept this."

Lu Zhaojin tucked the ginseng root into Niu Hang's collar, patted it, and left without another word.

He needed to find a safe place to heal and consume the Blood Ginseng to see how effective it was.

His EXP had also broken through the 3,000 mark. It was time to advance the Flowing Water Art to Great Accomplishment.

Niu Hang took out the ginseng root and looked at it for a long time before looking at the departing Lu Zhaojin. After hesitating for a moment, he picked up his Xuanhua great axe and followed. "Young hero, wait for me!"

Lu Zhaojin stopped and looked back at him, wondering what he wanted.

Niu Hang said very solemnly, "Thank you, young hero, for the medicine. Great kindness needs no words. In the future, if you ever need my help, Niu Hang, just say the word. Even if it means going through mountains of knives and seas of fire, I, Niu Hang, will not refuse."

Lu Zhaojin replied, "Brother Niu is too kind."

Niu Hang shook his head, didn't explain further, cupped his fists, and bowed. "I believe Mount Qi cannot trap you, young hero, and your name will surely echo throughout the martial world. In the future, if you leave Mount Qi and pass through Luoshui Commandery, you can find me in Luoshui City."

Lu Zhaojin nodded, indicating he had noted it down.

Niu Hang left, fully satisfied.

Not long after they both left, the group of people who had left earlier secretly returned.

They wanted to see the final outcome of the chaotic battle.

When they arrived at the scene, they were overcome by the pungent smell of blood and began to vomit uncontrollably. Seeing the tragic sight of corpses everywhere, they were utterly horrified.

Someone exclaimed, "That person is terrifying, slaughtering people like flies. From now on, it's best to take a detour if we see him."

Someone else said resentfully, "That person is completely bloodthirsty. He killed so many people, including the son of Gang Leader Chen Kang. Let's see how he handles the aftermath."

But most people felt fortunate. If they hadn't been cautious and decided not to fight for the ginseng at the time, they might have been among the dead.