Fishing for a Kill

"Young Master Ji, my father... my father will serve you from now on. We are on the same side. For my father's sake, for Brother Guo Jing's sake, please let me go."

Yang Kang tried to appeal to Ji Boying's emotions, hoping that Ji Boying would consider Yang Tiexin's feelings.

After all, he seemed to have done a lot for Yang Tiexin, although Yang Kang didn't know what value Yang Tiexin had.

Ji Boying ignored him.

He strode forward, not taking Yang Kang's strength seriously, as if he were looking at an ant.

Let him say those things, but don't react at all.

Yang Kang knelt on the ground with his head down, filled with fear.

But as he watched Ji Boying walk steadily forward, getting closer and closer, showing no mercy whatsoever, hatred surged in his heart.

He lowered his head to hide his ferocious expression, knelt on the ground, and stuck his hands into the soil.

"Ah! Die!"

Yang Kang, with a ferocious grin, suddenly sprang up, his five fingers forming claws, and used that strange claw technique to grab at Ji Boying's chest.

Ji Boying watched him unleash the Nine Yin White Bone Claw.

The wind seemed to blow in the darkness, and it appeared to have power, but it had already gone astray.

He responded with a simple, unremarkable punch, like the Stone Splitting Jade Breaking Fist.

No matter how strange Yang Kang's attack was, this punch landed easily on his wrist.

With a crisp snap, his wrist bone was broken.

Intense pain shot from his arm to his brain in an instant, and Yang Kang broke out in a cold sweat.

Ji Boying kicked him casually, sending him flying backward and crashing to the ground.

Yang Kang gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain, and spat out his resentment through gritted teeth.

"It's all your fault! You're the one who's meddling! What did I do wrong? I did nothing wrong! If you hadn't interfered, we would all be living our own lives peacefully!"

"What's done is done. Does he still deserve to be my father or my mother's husband? If he knew what was good for him, he wouldn't have appeared in front of me calling me father and son. It's ridiculous. I've never even met him before. How could I possibly have any feelings for him?"

"My mother is a princess in the Prince Zhao's Estate of the Great Jin Dynasty, enjoying endless wealth and honor. Yet he suddenly appears and threatens us with some kind of affection. Is there really any affection between us? If he really cares about us, he should obediently cover his face and get out of here! Why ruin our good life and make us suffer with him, living a life of hardship and displacement?"

Yang Kang spoke and cursed at the same time.

"And you self-proclaimed righteous people, meddling in other people's business and being presumptuous. Since Qiu Chuji knew my background, why did he still allow me to recognize a thief as my father?"

"It's not me who's going to die! It's you! It's you!"

"Are you done talking? If you are, I'll send you on your way."

Ji Boying's casual remark further broke Yang Kang's defenses.

"No, you can't kill me. How can you righteous heroes of the martial world not let me die a worthy death, instead of indiscriminately killing innocent people?"

"Oh."

Ji Boying gave a cold laugh.

"I have never claimed to be a righteous knight-errant. Try to use morality to bind me. I am willing to do good deeds, and I am not guilty if I do not want to do good deeds."

"However, I am indeed a person with a moral bottom line. If you hadn't chosen to run away, how to deal with you would have been a real problem for me. Now that you've made this decision yourself, killing you will naturally make me feel at peace."

Yang Kang kicked his legs in fear.

"Why? Why do you insist on killing me? I have no grudge against you, and I am no match for you. You don't need to take me seriously at all."

The logic is the same, but Ji Boying never regarded Yang Kang as a threat. However, Yang Kang left behind a time bomb for his own actions.

If he were truly respectful and courteous to Yang Tiexin, then Ji Boying would be in a real predicament.

After all, as a person with a moral bottom line, one can only grit one's teeth and accept it, unless one sees some clues before taking drastic measures.

Fortunately, Qiu Chuji's judgment was correct.

"Don't blame others. Qiu Chuji saw you recognize a thief as your father, but he must have tested you long ago. You were weak-willed and greedy for wealth, so he didn't reveal your true identity to you. Besides, your mother is already a princess. How much decision can an outsider Qiu Chuji make?"

"As for your seemingly innocent appearance, I have already told you that your mother was taken away and tricked by Wanyan Honglie, and he did indeed intend to kill your biological father. Strictly speaking, he is the source of all your tragedies. You were snatched from your biological father and kept by human traffickers who murdered and robbed you."

"Even if there were indeed feelings between you after eighteen years, upon learning of this, you should at least avoid it and not take sides. But now, don't you still lean towards Wanyan Honglie as your father?"

"He is the Sixth Prince of the Great Jin Dynasty. If you follow him, you will enjoy endless wealth and honor, and you will also Prince in the future. If he can advance further, the Great Jin Dynasty may even be yours. What will you get by following Yang Tiexin? The status of a descendant of a loyal official? You must be laughing to yourself. On one hand, you are above all others, and even the emperor of an enemy country has to give you some face. On the other hand, you are forced to ruin your family by a few local officials. What would a fool choose?"

Yang Kang vaguely sensed some sarcasm from Ji Boying.

But he could tell that Ji Boying agreed with this reasonable choice, and he was secretly pleased.

"Then... then why?... Master Ji, your martial arts are superb. If you are interested, I can recommend you to my father. If there is an opportunity in the future, the position of Grand Preceptor of the Great Jin Kingdom will surely belong to you."

Ji Boying's tone remained unchanged.

"Since we've already analyzed this rationally from a self-interested perspective, you can go now. Killing you will definitely benefit me, maybe not the most beneficial, but certainly the most reassuring."

"You...!"

Yang Kang pointed at Ji Boying in disbelief, but Ji Boying gently pressed a palm into his chest, instantly rotting his internal organs and rendering him speechless.

He killed Yang Kang with a single palm strike.

Ji Boying carried his body and flew deep into the mountains.

In the entire martial arts world Ji Boying trusted Guo Jing the most, considering him to be the most persistent, the most honest and loyal, and the one who never forgot his original aspirations.

Yang Kang is very capable. If he can sincerely repent, or if some means are used to get him to help Guo Jing, he will surely achieve great things in the future and can be of great help.

But Ji Boying was still worried.

Yang Kang was not concerned with righteousness and was easily swayed by wealth, honor, and power.

Even if the plan succeeds in the future, the Great Jin Dynasty will no longer be available for him to choose.

Ji Boying was also worried that Guo Jing would hinder his plans and steal the fruits of his labor for the sake of power and wealth.

Just as Ji Boying judged himself.

He has a moral compass and wants to do good deeds, but he's not some kind of hero.

If Yang Kang is being respectful now, although I'm worried he might change his mind, it's really not a good idea to just kill him decisively.

Now it's all right, thanks to Yang Kang's help.