Plan Cannot Keep Up with Change

"Ding!"

A notification suddenly rang out. "Reincarnator 111 has completed the Slaughterer mission: killed a Second-Rate Expert. Settlement: 35 Slaughter Points and one Black Iron Medal. Current total Slaughter Points: 56."

"Ding-ling!"

Another notification rang out. "System reminder: Congratulations, host. Thirty-five Luck Points have been credited. Current balance: 56 Luck Points."

"A Black Iron Medal for killing a Second-Rate Expert? Is this trying to turn people into murderous fiends?"

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Gu Sheng's lips. Second-Rate Experts were no cabbages. In the Black Armor Army of Jiangning Prefecture or the Silver Dragon Army of Yangzhou, one could even compete for the position of squad leader with that level of strength. Killing Qin San had seemed easy this time, but in reality, it had been a deadly strike prepared in advance. If he had faced Qin San head-on, he would not have been his match at all.

Moreover, he could completely imagine that this kind of killing-for-medals business probably could not last forever. Once he reached a certain point, there would most likely be no more opportunities to farm them.

Gu Sheng's gaze shifted to Qin San, whose eyes were still wide with fury, as if he had died with grievances unresolved. He reached out and closed Qin San's eyes, then shook his head. "People who venture into the world always have to pay their debts eventually. Why did you have to do this? Besides, there was too big a loophole in your oath. Dying with your eyes open is useless. From beginning to end, I never laid a hand on you. The one who killed you was yourself!"

Gu Sheng had not actually lied. What had killed Qin San was his fear.

The famous American psychologist Martin Gallard once conducted an experiment proving that extreme fear of the unknown could kill a person.

In a prison, he ordered an assistant to tell a condemned prisoner that his execution was about to be carried out. Then, just as Gu Sheng had done earlier, the assistant cut the prisoner's wrist and told him that his artery had been severed. He then simulated the constant dripping of blood. In the end, the prisoner in the experiment passed out, and his body displayed symptoms of severe blood loss.

Qin San, however, was a man with far too many thoughts. Having gone through something similar before, he knew more, which only worsened his condition. He had not been as lucky as that prisoner. He had died on the spot.

What left Gu Sheng deep in thought was that these Luck Points had actually been credited to him as well. In other words, whether it was the Lord God or the system, both had confirmed that Qin San had been killed by him.

"Junior Brother! Are you asleep?"

The sudden call made Gu Sheng break out in a cold sweat. Before this person had spoken, he had not heard a single footstep. He could not possibly contend with this man.

"That's Qin Da!"

Gu Sheng's hair stood on end, and he did not dare make the slightest sound.

"Junior Brother!"

Qin Da spoke again. "Your senior brother knows you're upset. You blame me for not giving you face, and for making you unable to hold your head up in front of so many brothers. But you have to understand, the three of us senior and junior brothers didn't reach where we are today easily...

The main family trusts us. Taking a little here and there isn't too excessive, and Lord Li won't pursue the matter. But what you did today was truly... Don't think your senior brother's words are harsh..."

Qin Da continued lecturing him, but Gu Sheng's expression changed repeatedly as he listened. He silently put away the letter he had prepared, carefully closed the hidden compartment after placing Qin San inside, and his expression shifted several more times. Then he tiptoed to the window, pushed it open, and slipped outside.

"Hmm~"

Qin Da was still lecturing Qin San, but he suddenly sensed that something was wrong. His junior brother had an atrocious temper; it was impossible for him to remain silent for so long. Besides, why was there now a faint smell of blood?

"Not good~"

Qin Da's expression changed drastically. With a single stride, he reached Qin San's door and kicked heavily at it.

"Crash!"

The door, bolted from within, was violently kicked open. Gu Sheng had calculated the timing, using the opportunity to land at the same moment and cover the sound of his footsteps. Then he leaped away from the small building.

"Junior Brother!"

After a grief-stricken cry came an even louder roar.

"An assassin!"

In an instant, the entire Li Manor compound seemed to come alive. The guards on night watch shouted and began searching, while countless servants and guards who had been preparing to rest sprang into action. Even Lord Li, who had already gone to sleep, was alarmed.

"Damn it!"

Gu Sheng's expression changed. Things had become troublesome. Qin Da had arrived far too suddenly, and he had not yet cleaned up all his traces. Although Qin San had been thrown onto the bed, anyone with eyes could tell that he had not committed suicide.

Plans could never keep up with changes. An unexpected complication had arisen. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes. After making up his mind, he determined his direction and hurried toward a small courtyard blazing with lights.

"Xiao Cui, why is it so noisy outside?"

Miss Li Qingyu had been burying her head over her desk, ignoring everything outside, but the bursts of commotion suddenly disrupted her thoughts. Annoyed, she raised her head and called for the maid she had in this world.

"Miss!"

A maid's voice came from outside. "It seems an assassin has appeared in the manor. They're hunting him down!"

"An assassin!"

Li Qingyu's little face suddenly became comically animated. "Oh my God! Could someone have set their sights on me? No way! Ever since I arrived, I've kept a low profile, and my predecessor never had any major conflicts with anyone. Could this be my cheap father's fault? His rivals..."

Am I about to have a complete change in style, support the family business alone after my father dies, and then... Countless melodramatic scenarios flashed through Li Qingyu's mind, as though the heroines of various television dramas had possessed her.

"Ow! Who was that?"

Li Qingyu suddenly felt a pain in the back of her head. She turned around, intending to curse whoever had done it.

"Uh... this..."

Li Qingyu froze after turning around. The man before her was two meters tall, broad-backed and stout, and wore a ferocious tiger-head mask. Could this really be the assassin? Oh my God! I was only imagining it casually—why did he really come looking for me?

"Some—mmph... mmm..."

Li Qingyu opened her mouth to shout, but a fan-sized hand had already covered her cherry-like lips. She circulated her substantial Inner Force and struggled, but she had far too little experience fighting enemies, even less than her predecessor. The man easily fended off both her hands with one hand.

Before Li Qingyu could change her moves and resist, a sweet fragrance suddenly flooded her nostrils. Her movements slowed for a moment. Then pain struck the back of her neck, and she suddenly realized that she had lost most of her senses. Her hands and feet went limp, no longer obeying her, and her whole body slid toward the floor.

"Hmm~"

The expected collision with the floor did not occur. A powerful hand pulled Li Qingyu into the man's arms, and the tiger-faced man carrying her sat down beside the desk.

"Phew~"

After subduing this inexperienced fellow practitioner, Gu Sheng let out a quiet sigh of relief. This little girl looked delicate and weak, but her Inner Force was actually quite impressive. Her slender arms possessed nearly a thousand jin of strength, bringing her very close to the realm of a Second-Rate martial artist.

In reality, this was not strange. In the original story, Li Qingyu had been sent by Lord Li to the Gui Yuan Sect to cultivate Inner Force while she was still young, becoming an inner disciple of the Gui Yuan Sect. Although the entire story had only mentioned this in a few words, the fact that she had been allowed to return home meant that she had at least possessed the cultivation of a Third-Rate martial artist.

Disciples of sects and unaffiliated martial artists were completely different concepts. Li Qingyu's true strength was no weaker than Gu Sheng's current strength.

If Gu Sheng had not caught her off guard this time, and if this Li Qingyu had not been different from the original, lacking experience despite her strength, it would still have been impossible to say who would emerge victorious.