Portrait

Chapter 2: Portrait

Fragments of his past self's memories surfaced with information about this person.

This man's name was Zhang Yuan. He was a guard for the Zhang Family, a novice at the Ninth Rank. He had a shifty, rat-like face, a thin mustache, and was short and fat. He was also a gambler with a penchant for petty schemes.

Lu Zhaojin looked at the other two men; he had no impression of them.

But they were no threat.

Seeing the dead hound on the ground, Zhang Yuan's expression flickered, but a sense of glee he couldn't conceal flashed in his eyes. "I was wondering why this beast wouldn't come back when called," he said.

He then sneered, "But tonight is our lucky night, the three brothers. We didn't find that damned Lu Jinlin, but we found his son first. The Family Head ordered a reward of a hundred taels of silver, whether he's alive or dead."

The man on the left asked, "What about this dog?"

The man on the right nodded in agreement. "This is the dog the Second Young Master bought at a high price from Qishan County. They say it's a purebred, and he doted on it. Now it's dead, and we were tasked with its care. We can't explain this, we can't bear this responsibility."

Zhang Yuan also remembered the disposition of the Zhang Family's Second Young Master. As if recalling something terrifying, he trembled slightly and said sternly, "Isn't this simple? We just report it as it is. It wasn't us who killed it, anyway."

The three reached a consensus and slowly approached Lu Zhaojin, intending to surround him and prevent his escape.

Lu Zhaojin regarded them coldly. Power surged within him, restless and eager. He had no time for their nonsense and charged forward.

He threw a punch at the man on the left. It was powerful and heavy, utterly irresistible. The man was sent flying backward, the crisp sound of breaking bones echoing in the air.

[Killed Ninth Rank martial artist, EXP +100]

A pleasant notification chimed in his ear.

Lu Zhaojin didn't stop. He charged at the other man.

Zhang Yuan's face contorted in horror, his mind filled with doubt.

Wasn't he gravely injured and near death?

Yet here he was, full of vigor. How could he be near death?

And he was already at the middle stage of the Ninth Rank?

Zhang Yuan's blood ran cold. He knew he couldn't win and decided to retreat, turning to flee.

He had to quickly report this to the Eldest Young Master and the Family Head!

Lu Zhaojin quickly dealt with the second man, who was already terrified out of his wits.

[Killed Ninth Rank martial artist, EXP +100]

Lu Zhaojin looked at Zhang Yuan, who was fleeing in disarray. He picked up the iron sword from the hand of the dead man nearby. With a few strides, he caught up to Zhang Yuan, who stumbled over the reeds in his panic. Without giving him a chance to beg for mercy, Lu Zhaojin beheaded him with a single sword strike.

The head rolled far away.

[Killed Ninth Rank martial artist, EXP +100]

After Lu Zhaojin calmed down, he saw the bloody scene before him. The smell of blood filled his nostrils, and his stomach churned, threatening to heave.

This was his first time killing someone, and he felt uncomfortable. But he had to force himself to adapt, because his future encounters with the Zhang Family would be even more brutal.

The smell of blood permeated the air, carried by the wind to farther distances.

This place was not suitable for lingering.

Lu Zhaojin searched Zhang Yuan and the others, finding some small silver pieces and dried rations. He took them with him and then headed towards Mount Qi.

[Lu Zhaojin]

[Bone Age: Sixteen]

[Talent: Low Grade]

[Realm: Ninth Rank, Middle Stage]

[Cultivation Technique: Brute Ox Stance (Mastery), Gale Sword Art (25/100)]

[EXP: 1101]

[Inventory: 0]

Gaining three hundred experience points brought his total to one thousand one hundred, a decent amount.

On Mount Qi, Lu Zhaojin found a relatively hidden spot. He planned to upgrade his sword art here before seeking out the Zhang Family for retribution.

[Consumed 750 EXP]

The Gale Sword Art belonged to the path of swift swordsmanship, its strikes like a fierce wind and driving rain, killing enemies in an instant.

This sword art was divided into stages based on the number of sword strikes per breath.

One strike per breath was Entry Level; two strikes was Minor Accomplishment; five strikes was Major Accomplishment; ten strikes was Mastery.

Lu Zhaojin entered that profound state again, but this time it was for sword art, which was slightly more complex.

He drew his sword from the earth and, in an instant, unleashed two strikes. They were as fast as shadows, leaving only two streaks of sword light that dissipated in the air. He repeated this until he could unleash five strikes in a single breath, bringing his sword art to Major Accomplishment.

He sheathed his sword, then thrust it forward. In the blink of an eye, ten sword beams struck the tree trunk in front of him, leaving ten finger-sized holes.

[Gale Sword Art (Mastery)]

His own realm also climbed at this moment, reaching the late Ninth Rank.

This was truly a huge improvement.

Lu Zhaojin opened his eyes, sharp and spirited. He practiced a few basic sword moves, as if they were extensions of his arms. The iron sword in his hand seemed to be an extension of his arm, flexible and natural.

He sheathed his sword and carried it on his back.

Lu Zhaojin looked at the status panel. "Both techniques are perfected, and I still have over three hundred experience points left. If I had another technique, I might be able to break through to Eighth Rank."

In this wilderness, he naturally wouldn't find any techniques. However, perhaps someone from the Zhang family might have one. With experience points, he wouldn't refuse any technique, though sword arts were his priority.

All for the dream of once roaming the world with a sword.

Actually.

Before activating the system, Lu Zhaojin's plan was to hide in Mount Qi. The mountain was covered in dense trees and inhabited by wild beasts, making it ideal for hiding at night. As long as he didn't go too deep, he might be able to surprise them and take a detour to Qishan County.

Then, the Zhang family's influence wouldn't reach him.

But Lu Zhaojin hadn't expected that the original host's father had also hidden in Mount Qi. However, upon reflection, perhaps the original host's father had the same idea as him.

But now, he didn't need to go through all that trouble.

Lu Zhaojin recalled the inexplicable feeling of melancholy in his heart; it was likely the lingering obsession of the original host before his death. He didn't want a dead person to influence him. He could help with what was within his ability, but otherwise, he would wait until he was capable.

Lu Zhaojin looked up at the mountain, "I hope it's not too late."

Shiqiao Town.

Sihai Escort Agency.

A great fire raged wantonly in this place.

Houses were engulfed by flames, then collapsed, scattering glowing embers high into the sky.

In front of the escort agency.

A middle-aged man and a young man walked out, one after the other.

The middle-aged man was burly, wearing a loose, brown robe. He moved with the imposing gait of a dragon, his gaze sharp as lightning, making it difficult to look directly at him.

He carried one hand behind his back, idly spinning two iron balls the size of walnuts.

The young man wore a fitted outfit and had a long sword at his waist. He bore some resemblance to the middle-aged man, suggesting they were father and son.

These two were none other than the Zhang family head, Zhang Heng, and Zhang Jiao.

Zhang Jiao looked at the guards who had been waiting there for a long time and waved them to start inventorying the valuables being carried out of the escort agency. With only the two of them left, Zhang Jiao finally spoke, "Father, we made a big move tonight, yet we didn't eliminate Lu Jinlin. Will Lord Xu blame us?"

Zhang Heng pondered for a moment and said, "I will handle Lord Xu. The priority now is to find Lu Jinlin as soon as possible."

He looked towards the Qi River, "And Lu Zhaojin cannot be let off either. We must see him alive or dead. Even a corpse has its uses. He is Lu Jinlin's only son, the perfect bait."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiao intended to lead his men towards the Qi River. Zhang Heng, sensing his son's thoughts, said, "I have already assigned this task to Xiao Mang."

Zhang Jiao knew his younger brother's temperament and frowned slightly. "Father, sending Xiao Mang might not be entirely stable. You know his personality..."

Zhang Heng interrupted, "It's fine. I've asked Elder Gu and Elder Shi to go with him. Even if he's mischievous and habitually lazy, with Elder Gu supervising him, it will surely temper his spirit."

He looked at Zhang Jiao seriously and said, "Jiao'er, your most important task now is to cultivate diligently. I heard that the disciple competition of the Dingshan Sect this time is different from previous years. Not only can one enter the inner sect, but a Grand Elder will also be present to observe."

Zhang Jiao nodded. "Before returning home, I did hear about it from my senior brothers in the sect. However, it seems that the Grand Elder's visit to the Dingshan Sect is not solely for observation, but to find someone."

Zhang Heng asked in surprise, "Who?"

Zhang Jiao shook his head helplessly. "I don't know."

He took a folded white paper from his pocket. "The Sect Master gave each of us disciples a portrait, but the face in the drawing is too blurry to be identified."

Zhang Heng took the portrait and unfolded it. This portrait was indeed difficult to discern. The entire face was covered by a cloak, with only the eyes, drawn realistically like a falcon's, giving the feeling of looking through the paper.

These eyes felt vaguely familiar to Zhang Heng. "That kid from the Zhao family had eyes like that once..."

Zhang Jiao looked at Zhang Heng with astonishment. "Father, are you referring to Zhao Jinzhi?"

He then chuckled, "Father, perhaps you are mistaken. Zhao Jinzhi is the famously fallen genius of our Shiqiao Town. He clearly had superior bone structure and outstanding talent, yet over the years, his martial arts realm has never reached the ranks, making him more useless than Lu Zhaojin."

Zhang Heng's brows furrowed, and he said earnestly, "Jiao'er, secretly send someone to investigate Zhao Jinzhi. If it really is him, then we can establish a connection with that Grand Elder, and controlling Shiqiao Town in the future will be even more assured."

He looked in the direction of the Zhao family, his eyes narrowing slightly, and said in a deep voice, "Even if it's not him, based on our relationship with the Zhao family, it's not wrong to plan ahead."

Better to kill a thousand by mistake than let one go.