Immortal Points the Way

For the entire day, Pingyin County remained calm and peaceful.

Chen Fei was somewhat puzzled. Did the people in the County yamen not believe the message he had sent?

That was possible. After all, such a sneaky method was hard to trust. But at the very least, the County yamen should have sent people to investigate.

If they truly investigated carefully, they would still be able to uncover some clues.

During the day, Chen Fei practiced the Extreme Mountain Sword Technique. Occasionally, he would study the Light Spirit Pill formula as well, giving his mind a change of pace.

The Light Spirit Pill formula obtained from Chi Defeng was not entirely nonsensical, though calling it that would not be much of an exaggeration. Yet if one asked what value it held, there was very little to be gleaned from it.

Fortunately, Chen Fei had a panel. After simplifying the Light Spirit Pill formula, he obtained a set of pill-refining techniques for the Light Spirit Pill.

When refining every kind of pill, there were many details requiring attention. At such times, pill-refining techniques were used to adjust the changes within the pill furnace.

Thus, this set of Light Spirit Pill refining techniques was still helpful to Chen Fei. However, he would have to deduce the medicinal ingredients needed for the Light Spirit Pill himself.

Chen Fei had initially considered buying a few more similar pill formulas and trying to simplify them, to see whether he could obtain anything else.

Unfortunately, compared with cultivation manuals, pill formulas had far fewer applicable users. No alchemist would buy such strange and inexplicable formulas, either.

Without buyers or sellers, naturally no one would be bored enough to compile pill formulas. Those cultivation manuals could at least provide some amusement, but pill formulas were so dry they could not even serve to pass the time.

Therefore, while practicing his swordsmanship, Chen Fei would take out finished Light Spirit Pills and analyze the composition of their ingredients. Occasionally, he would refine a few batches himself to observe the results.

Night fell, and Chen Fei practiced in the courtyard where he lived.

This courtyard was no longer his original one. Sun Shu already knew about that residence. Sun Shu's whereabouts were still unknown, and Chen Fei did not want to remain on guard at every moment. Changing residences was simply more worry-free.

Sword in hand, Chen Fei leaped and shifted through the courtyard. Sword light flickered, while Sword Qi faintly coiled around it.

"Kill!"

A shout suddenly came from afar. Chen Fei stopped and turned to look southeast, where flames were already soaring into the sky. His brow shifted slightly. Was that not where the bandits had been hiding?

"Looks like the County yamen has made its move!"

Chen Fei stared at the distant blaze. Sounds of slaughter drifted over from time to time. Though intermittent, he could hear the brutality in them.

Apart from the firelight in the distance, every household along the way had extinguished its lamps. Clearly, the commotion had frightened countless ordinary people so badly that they did not dare make even the slightest sound.

"That group of bandits actually succeeded in breaking through the encirclement!"

Chen Fei frowned slightly. The sounds of fighting in the distance had begun spreading in every direction. Clearly, the County yamen had failed in this siege.

The cries of battle drew nearer and nearer. Bandits surged in this direction, with yamen runners chasing after them. Gradually, the sounds faded away. It was impossible to tell whether the bandits had been killed or the yamen runners had been counter-killed.

Scattered noises still remained, but calm was gradually returning. Chen Fei sheathed his sword and was just about to return indoors when three figures suddenly vaulted over the courtyard wall.

The three people froze for a moment when they saw Chen Fei in the courtyard.

"It's him."

Jian Liang recognized Chen Fei at once as the physician from before. To run into him here truly was a strange twist of fate.

"Who are you people?!"

Chen Fei nervously took a step back. As though he were too frightened, he staggered and fell to the ground.

"Kill him!"

Jian Liang gave the order, then turned cautiously toward the courtyard wall. If there was the slightest disturbance outside, they would likely have to flee again. Those yamen runners were still hot on their heels.

As for Chen Fei's kindness in treating them before, Jian Liang had not taken it to heart at all. Letting them go last time had already been an act of mercy. Since they had met again, Jian Liang had no intention of revealing anything. It would be enough to kill him outright.

"Save... save..."

Perhaps due to excessive fear, even Chen Fei's cries for help sounded extraordinarily hoarse. The two bandits sneered and approached him, raising their blades toward his head.

"Sshk!"

The sound of blades entering flesh rang out. The two bandits stiffened abruptly, instinctively clutching their throats. Blood was now gushing wildly from there, and no matter how tightly their hands covered the wounds, they could not stop it.

"Guh... guh..."

The sound of breathing mixed with blood bubbled from the bandits' mouths, yet neither could utter another word. Their bodies crashed to the ground, producing dull thuds.

Jian Liang spun around and saw Chen Fei holding a longsword. The terrified expression from before had long vanished, leaving only utter calm.

Jian Liang looked at the two people still twitching on the ground, his eyes narrowing. Raising his head toward Chen Fei, he said, "I never thought I would misjudge you!"

"Now you can take a proper look." Chen Fei lightly flicked his sword, shaking the blood from its blade.

"Impudence!"

Jian Liang roared. With a flicker of movement, he was already before Chen Fei, his blade turning into an afterimage as it appeared at Chen Fei's throat.

"Clang!"

The sound of weapons colliding rang out. Chen Fei was forced back a step. Just as Jian Liang was about to press his attack, Chen Fei's longsword had already stabbed toward his face.

"Sshk!"

A streak of Sword Qi shot past. A bloody gash appeared on Jian Liang's cheek, and several strands of hair drifted into the air.

A trace of shock appeared in Jian Liang's eyes. Just now, that Sword Qi had nearly pierced straight through his head. Had he not sensed something wrong at the final moment and hurriedly dodged, he would already be dead.

After the lingering fear came boundless fury.

An ant he could have crushed with a casual pinch back then had been spared because of his mercy. Yet now that ant had nearly killed him in return. How could Jian Liang endure that?

"Die!"

With an enraged roar, veins bulged across Jian Liang's forehead. The blade in his hand seemed to transform into rolling waves of a jade sea, howling toward Chen Fei.

"Clang!"

With a muffled crash, the sword Chen Fei held before him slammed into his chest. Chen Fei was hurled against the courtyard wall, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"I'll peel every shred of flesh from your bones, one cut at a time!"

Jian Liang's eyes were bloodshot, his qi and blood circulating to their utmost limit. In several strides, he reached Chen Fei. The long blade descended again, and the roar of waves seemed to rise in the air.

"Sword Qi Runs Rampant!"

Chen Fei suddenly shouted, and threads of Sword Qi appeared along his blade.

Jian Liang's heart tightened. Remembering the Sword Qi Chen Fei had unleashed earlier, then hearing the name of such a domineering sword move, the long blade in his hand slowed slightly.

If anything truly happened, Jian Liang could react at once.

"Whoosh!"

There was no Sword Qi running rampant. Chen Fei stamped his right foot and appeared atop the courtyard wall. In the next instant, he was already fleeing into the distance.

Jian Liang's eyes widened. He knew he had been played. His already furious state of mind shattered completely; his qi and blood boiled, and beads of blood could even be seen seeping from his pores.

Jian Liang shot forward. In only a few steps, he caught up to Chen Fei's retreating figure.

"Die!"

Jian Liang raised his blade high, just about to bring it down, when a flash of light suddenly passed before his eyes.

Like a white colt flashing through a crack, like an immortal pointing the way.