Assassination

After leaving the inn, Xiao Ming headed straight for the residence of the Green Poison Twin Ghosts.

The two truly deserved to be counted among the top experts of Green Rock Town. Their residence was far more luxurious than those of ordinary people, and Xiao Ming found it without much effort.

Finding an unoccupied corner, Xiao Ming looked at the white courtyard wall before him, which stood over two men tall. He leaped onto its top and carefully observed the inside. Finding no sign of anyone there, he lowered himself and successfully slipped in.

The Green Poison Twin Ghosts had fearsome nicknames, yet their living environment was surprisingly elegant.

Standing in the courtyard, Xiao Ming saw Orange Crown flowers arranged neatly in the beds, each one like an opened green umbrella.

Their branches spread close to the ground, countless beyond measure. The leaves crowded against one another, cluster piled atop cluster. Nurtured by spring rain, a fresh layer of green had grown over their surfaces, gleaming with a rich, oily verdance under the sunlight.

He plucked a leaf and crushed it in his palm, and an intense fragrance seeped into his heart and lungs.

Smelling that fragrance, Xiao Ming quickly realized something was wrong.

"This scent is wrong. This plant is poisonous."

Xiao Ming frowned, held his breath, and stopped breathing the air in the courtyard.

"No wonder they didn't arrange for anyone to guard their home while the two brothers wandered around everywhere. So it was because of these plants. Without precautions, even I would be done for if I smelled them for too long."

"I heard from the innkeeper that among the Green Poison Twin Ghosts, Poison Ghost is a poison-wielding Da Dou Shi. This must have been his handiwork."

Once again, he sighed over how the Black Corner Region was filled with traps everywhere, silently reminding himself to be more careful in the future.

Xiao Ming then stepped lightly, investigating every room while trying not to leave behind any trace.

After a while, Xiao Ming appeared in the courtyard again.

"The Twin Ghosts aren't here, and the Green Rock Profound Water isn't here either. They may be carrying it on them."

Xiao Ming sighed lightly.

This was something he could have anticipated long ago, but now that it had happened, it still made him somewhat troubled.

He had originally come to see whether he could obtain the Green Rock Profound Water directly. If he could steal it without engaging in combat with the Green Poison Twin Ghosts, he did not want to make a big fuss.

After all, the Green Poison Twin Ghosts were no easy opponents.

Both of them were of a higher rank than him, but now that hope had undoubtedly fallen through.

"Fine. Since that's the case, don't blame me."

A vicious glint appeared in Xiao Ming's eyes. He was determined to obtain the Green Rock Profound Water and would never give up. Since the Twin Ghosts used the Mysterious Water to fish every day, he would reluctantly rid the people of this scourge.

With that thought, Xiao Ming turned and returned to a room. He jumped onto a beam, closed his eyes, and began meditating.

He would wait here for the Twin Ghosts to return today!

Evening.

The setting sun was like blood, staining the horizon crimson.

Xiao Ming's eyes were tightly shut as he sat sitting cross-legged on the beam like an ancient tree rooted in place, not allowing even a trace of aura to leak from his body.

Suddenly, Xiao Ming's ears twitched slightly. He opened his eyes and looked toward the door below.

A sinister voice came from outside the door.

"Eldest Brother Pu Lu, when we came back just now, did you hear what those passersby were discussing?"

Creak!

Along with the voice, the door to the room opened.

A green-haired middle-aged man and a young man dressed in white entered.

"Oh, you're talking about He Lai Inn? I heard about it too. They say everyone there was slaughtered clean last night, without a single survivor left. Hehehe, them being gone is good for us too. From now on, we'll be the only dominant force in Green Rock Town."

As he walked, the green-haired man answered the white-clothed youth's question, his words carrying a trace of schadenfreude.

Watching the two below, Xiao Ming guessed at their identities.

"According to what the innkeeper said, the green-haired one is Green Ghost, while the younger one is Poison Ghost."

After confirming that these were his targets, Xiao Ming considered how to turn the tables on these fishing guys who spent every day plotting against others. Then he heard their conversation.

The two walked to the round table in the room and sat down, pouring themselves cups of tea.

After sipping his tea, Poison Ghost spoke in a somewhat worried tone. "Although the destruction of He Lai Inn is good for us, I'm afraid this matter isn't simple."

"What could be so complicated about it? He Lai Inn dealt in human trafficking. Inns like that are everywhere in the Black Corner Region. I think they were wiped out precisely because they set their sights on someone they shouldn't have. Haven't we seen this plenty of times over the years? Hehe, that old fellow Ku Mu is truly senile." Green Ghost sneered.

"But I heard that old fellow Ku Mu had recently become involved with the Blood Sect. Could this matter be related to the Blood Sect? Given how those people operate, it isn't impossible."

Poison Ghost frowned as he spoke. The cultivation method practiced by those Blood Sect fellows was exceedingly strange, allowing them to rapidly improve their cultivation with the help of a strong person's blood.

Therefore, members of the Blood Sect often purchased slaves for cultivation. They could be considered major customers of these human traffickers.

Moreover, the Blood Sect was even more brutal and bloodthirsty than ordinary people of the Black Corner Region. Black-on-black crime was simply standard practice for them.

If they had taken a liking to Ku Mu's blood vitality during a transaction with He Lai Inn, gone back on their word, and ruthlessly killed him, that could only be called basic behavior.

After all, Ku Mu, like them, was a Five-Star Great Dou Shi. He counted as a Great Tonic.

Hearing Poison Ghost's analysis, Green Ghost found it very reasonable, and his expression turned rather ugly.

"If that's true, then we're in trouble. If the Blood Sect's people haven't left, they may have already set their sights on us. After all, we're Da Dou Shi as well, Great Tonics to them. If they could deal with He Lai Inn, dealing with us shouldn't take much effort either."

"Besides, we often spread news of the Green Rock Profound Water at all the inns. Afraid it will attract their attention."

By the end, not only was Green Ghost's hair green, but his face had turned somewhat green as well.

Back then, using the Green Rock Profound Water as bait had simply been an impulsive idea, and attracting big fish required good bait.

At the same time, because Green Rock Town had virtually no experts, the two Da Dou Shi could handle everyone there.

Since they spread the news every day, the townspeople merely thought they were bragging, and nothing had happened.

But now, who could have known that the people from He Lai Inn would actually bring the Blood Sect here?

If they heard news of the Green Rock Profound Water, true or false, they would definitely pounce on it like magical beasts smelling blood.

"That damned old bastard Ku Mu! Even after dying, he still has to drag us down with him. No, we can't stay here. We must leave Green Rock Town immediately."

As he spoke, Green Ghost abruptly stood up and called to Poison Ghost.

"But what about the corpses we left in the Eastern Rock Cavern? Those are essential materials for our Thousand Corpse Green Poison Palm. Collecting those corpses took us a great deal of effort, and the Green Rock Profound Water is still there too..."

"Our lives are almost gone, and you're still talking about that? We'll come back after the heat dies down. No one will touch those corpses. Besides, there are the poisonous insects and poisonous grass you arranged there. Nothing will go wrong."

"Th-this... fine. But we should still take the Mysterious Water with us." Thinking of the little darlings he had arranged in the Rock Cavity, where even a Da Dou Shi would lose his life after taking one hit, Poison Ghost felt there should be no problem and agreed.

Seeing that they had stood up and were about to leave, Xiao Ming immediately stopped hesitating.

Two streams of Beast Flame shot from his mouth. His fingers moved rapidly, forming a strange hand seal as a blue-pink seal took shape between them.

"Three Flame Ethereal Seal!"

Thanks to Ink Eyebrow for the Monthly Pass, and thanks everyone for the Recommendation Tickets.