Marked Again

"Ding!"

Zhang Lin had been pondering the Extreme Soul Refining Method.

Just as he was lost in thought, a cold flash suddenly streaked past his ear and plunged straight into the wall behind him.

"Murder!"

At once, the hall erupted into chaos, and the tea drinkers swarmed toward the exit.

Although Zhang Lin had sensed the cold flash, he knew it would not hit him, so he did not dodge.

He turned around helplessly.

By then, there was hardly anyone left in the teahouse hall!

"Tsk! Quite a few skipped out on their bills!"

The teahouse's performance was tied to his wages. His pay would probably be docked again this month!

Beneath a table near the entrance lay a random passerby, with a hole in his forehead spilling blood.

Beside him sat an old man.

The man was hunched and stooped, his clothes ragged and tattered. He leaned on a cane, with only a few sparse strands of long hair left atop his head. His face seemed to have nothing but skin stretched over it, utterly bloodless. His eye sockets were like bottomless black holes; if one did not look carefully, one could not even see his eyeballs.

He gave off a cold, sinister aura. One look was enough to tell he was no good man.

Zhang Lin had no impression of this person. He had probably started killing the moment he entered!

The old man lifted his cane, which pierced through the passerby's corpse. A suction force emerged, and before long, the body had become a dried corpse.

In broad daylight, he had murdered someone openly before everyone's eyes! And he had even devoured flesh and blood—what utter contempt for everyone else!

To be honest, Zhang Lin was quite shocked.

In his understanding, even demons, monsters, ghosts, and fiends would not act so brazenly when killing people. Most of them were the sort to sneak around like chickens and dogs.

Was he not afraid of being wiped out by righteous cultivators or the Demon Suppression Division?

Zhang Lin felt that his understanding of this world did not even amount to a scrap of fur.

This old man was quite strong, possessing the strength of the Ninth Level of the Qi Refining Realm.

"Ding!"

With a wave of the old man's hand, the dagger embedded in the wall flew back to him.

"What are you staring at? Bring your grandpa some tea!"

The old man stomped his foot, and the dried corpse turned to dust and vanished on the spot.

If not for the bloodstains left on the floor, no one would have known a murder had just taken place here.

Zhang Lin did not meddle in idle affairs. Shopkeeper Li was there to shoulder it; it was not his turn!

Besides, he had no favorable impression of Shopkeeper Li now. He wished nothing more than for the man to have even more trouble!

Zhang Lin sighed and quickly prepared the tea.

"Don't rush off!"

Just as Zhang Lin set down the tea, the old man grabbed his arm and refused to let go.

"...?"

What kind of disease did this man have?

Zhang Lin was somewhat dumbfounded. "Is something the matter, sir?"

"I wonder, little friend, would you like to take a master and learn some arts?"

The old man was about to continue.

Just then, three more people entered from outside. In the middle was a young man, while the two middle-aged men on either side lagged several steps behind, clearly acting as bodyguards.

Both possessed the strength of the Ninth Level of the Qi Refining Realm, and faint Baleful Intent seeped from their bodies.

Especially the young man. He carried an otherworldly air and possessed the strength of the Eighth Level of the Qi Refining Realm.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! Old Ghost of Withered Blood, you're rubbing the Demon Suppression Division's face into the ground. Aren't you afraid they'll settle accounts with you afterward?"

The young man found a seat and casually teased him.

Clearly, he had seen what had just happened.

"The Gao family of Liaoxiang City?"

Old Ghost of Withered Blood had originally wanted to curse him out, but when he saw the jade pendant hanging from the other man's body, his tone became somewhat more courteous.

"Gao Xuhai!"

The young man nodded.

"So it's the Gao family's Third Young Master. I've long admired you, long admired you!"

Old Ghost of Withered Blood snorted, then mocked, "Who doesn't know that Great Xia's nation-protecting divine formation can barely hold on any longer!"

"Back when that broken thing was suppressing everything, no one dared act recklessly within Great Xia! But now? Heh heh! Great Xia's era has already become a thing of the past!"

"Besides, in such a remote little city, do you think those lackeys from the Demon Suppression Division can take down this old ghost? If they could, I'd have died who knows how many times already!"

After saying that, Old Ghost of Withered Blood looked at Zhang Lin with a cold sneer.

"So the several villages destroyed nearby were indeed your handiwork."

Gao Xuhai said unhurriedly, fanning himself.

"What? Does Third Young Master Gao intend to plead for the common people?"

Old Ghost of Withered Blood drove his cane directly into the ground, and a wave of cold air burst from his body.

The two attendants beside Gao Xuhai immediately stepped forward and stood before him, ready to fight at any moment.

"You jest, old ghost. I'm not that idle."

Gao Xuhai motioned for his attendants to step back, his face full of indifference.

"Kid, your blood and qi are quite vigorous! No wonder the old ghost can't bear to let go of your hand!"

He then looked at Zhang Lin and revealed a thoughtful smile.

So that was it!

After transforming his blood qi into qi last night, he was still unfamiliar with controlling qi, causing some of it to occasionally leak out.

That was why these cultivators could sense the vigor of his blood and qi!

"Hahaha, this kid is a treasure. Could it be that Third Young Master Gao is interested as well?"

Old Ghost of Withered Blood tightened his grip, making Zhang Lin frown.

Damn it! Does this bastard want to eat me too? Fuck! If I weren't afraid of causing more trouble, I'd slaughter you right now!

Zhang Lin cursed furiously in his heart and had already placed Old Ghost of Withered Blood on his death list.

Gao Xuhai merely smiled without speaking.

"If you're not drinking tea, get the hell out already! Don't interfere with my business!"

A surge of mana suddenly swept out, and half of Old Ghost of Withered Blood's arm fell straight to the ground, blood spraying several meters away!

"Who?"

Old Ghost of Withered Blood sprang up from his seat. He hurriedly tapped the severed end of his arm a few times, then drew the severed hand from the floor into his left hand through the air. His face filled with terror as he stared toward the counter.

Shopkeeper Li had emerged!

He was staring expressionlessly at Old Ghost of Withered Blood, Gao Xuhai, and the others.

"Shopkeeper!"

Zhang Lin froze for a moment, then hurriedly backed away.

Looking at Shopkeeper Li, he breathed a sigh of relief!

If the old ghost pushed him too far, he truly would have no choice but to fight back, even if it meant tearing apart all pretense with Shopkeeper Li's group in advance!

"You're actually in the Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm, perhaps even higher! I never expected a master like you to be hiding in this godforsaken place where birds don't even shit!"

Old Ghost of Withered Blood looked at Shopkeeper Li in disbelief.

"If you don't get out now, stay here forever!"

Shopkeeper Li took a step forward.

"Hmph! I'll repay the grudge of this severed arm another day!"

Old Ghost of Withered Blood turned into a cloud of black smoke and vanished!

"We didn't cause trouble. We only came to have a cup of tea!"

Gao Xuhai did not leave directly.

Shopkeeper Li gave him a deep look, then departed.

Before leaving, he instructed Zhang Lin to clean up the hall!

"Don't just stand there. Bring tea! Are you not doing business today?"

Gao Xuhai chose a seat by the window and called for Zhang Lin to serve tea.

"Please wait a moment, sir!"

Zhang Lin shook out his arm and quickly brought over a pot of tea.

Afterward, he took out some tools and cleaned the bloodstains from the floor!

Damn it!

Once he finished cleaning, his expression darkened!

He had been marked again!

And this time, there were two marks!

One had been secretly placed by Gao Xuhai. Though it was well hidden, it could not escape Zhang Lin's senses.

The other came from the bloodstains Old Ghost of Withered Blood had left behind!