Immortal Guides the Way

The entire day passed in peace and quiet within Pingyin County.

Chen Fei was somewhat puzzled. Did the people from the County Government Office not believe the message he had sent?

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

If they truly investigated carefully, they should still have been able to uncover some clues.

During the day, Chen Fei practiced the Fierce Mountain Sword. From time to time, he also studied the Pill Recipe for the Light Spirit Pill, using it to give his mind a change of pace.

To say that the Light Spirit Pill Recipe he had obtained from Chi Defeng was complete nonsense would have been an exaggeration. But if one claimed it had any real value, there was very little to be gleaned from it.

Fortunately, Chen Fei had a Panel. After simplifying the Light Spirit Pill Recipe, he obtained a set of Light Spirit Pill Refining Techniques.

Every type of pill had many matters requiring attention during refinement. At such times, 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 herbs needed for the Light Spirit Pill himself.

Chen Fei had originally considered buying more similar pill recipes and trying to simplify them, to see whether he could obtain other things from them.

Unfortunately, compared with cultivation methods and Secret Manuals, pill recipes were useful to very few people. Nor would any alchemist buy such inexplicable pill recipes.

Without buyers or sellers, naturally no one would be bored enough to compile pill recipes. Those cultivation methods and Secret Manuals could at least provide some amusement, but pill recipes were so dry and tedious that they could not even serve to pass the time.

Therefore, besides practicing his Sword Technique, Chen Fei would take out finished Light Spirit Pills and analyze the composition of their herbs. Occasionally, he would also refine a few batches to see the results.

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

This was no longer his original Courtyard. Sun Shu already knew of that residence. Chen Fei still did not know where Sun Shu was, and he did not want to remain on guard at all times. It was more trouble-free to simply move somewhere else.

Holding a Longsword, Chen Fei darted and shifted through the Courtyard. As sword light flashed, Sword Qi faintly coiled around it.

"Kill!"

A shout suddenly came from the distance. Chen Fei stopped and turned to look southeast, where flames surged into the sky. His brow stirred slightly. Was that not where the Mountain Bandits were hiding?

"Looks like the County Government Office has made its move!"

Chen Fei stared at the distant blaze. Sounds of slaughter drifted over intermittently. Though broken and scattered, Chen Fei could hear the brutality within them.

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

"That group of Mountain Bandits actually succeeded in breaking through!"

Chen Fei's brow furrowed slightly. The sounds of battle in the distance had begun spreading in all directions. Clearly, the County Government Office had failed to complete this encirclement and extermination.

The cries of battle came closer and closer. Mountain Bandits were pouring this way, with Yamen Runners chasing after them. Gradually, the sounds faded away. It was impossible to tell whether the Mountain Bandits had been killed or whether the Yamen Runners had instead been slain.

A few scattered sounds remained, but calm was gradually returning. Chen Fei put away his Longsword and was just about to return indoors when three figures suddenly vaulted over the Courtyard wall.

The three people were also startled when they saw Chen Fei in the Courtyard.

"It's him."

Jian Liang recognized Chen Fei at once as the physician from before. To think they would meet here—what a strange twist of fate.

"Who are you people?!"

Chen Fei nervously stepped 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 probably have to flee again. Those Yamen Runners were still pursuing them relentlessly.

As for the debt of gratitude from Chen Fei's treatment back then, Jian Liang had never taken it to heart. Letting him go last time had already been an act of mercy. Now that they had met again, Jian Liang had no intention of revealing his true face. Killing him directly would do.

"Help... help..."

Perhaps because he was too terrified, even Chen Fei's cry for help sounded extraordinarily hoarse. The two bandits sneered and walked up to Chen Fei, their blades chopping toward his head.

"Pfft!"

The sound of weapons entering flesh rang out. The two Mountain Bandits suddenly froze. Instinctively, they clutched their throats, where blood was now gushing wildly. Their palms could not stop the flow no matter how tightly they covered the wounds.

"Ghk... ghk..."

The sound of breathing mixed with blood bubbled from the two Mountain Bandits' mouths, but they could no longer utter a single word. Their bodies crashed to the ground, producing two dull thuds.

Jian Liang spun around and saw Chen Fei holding a Longsword. The terror on his face had long vanished, leaving behind only absolute calm.

Jian Liang looked at the two men still twitching on the ground, his eyes narrowing at once. He raised his head to look at Chen Fei. "I never expected that I had misjudged you!"

"Now you can take a proper look." Chen Fei lightly flicked his Longsword, sending the blood on its blade flying away.

"Impudent!"

Jian Liang roared. His body flashed, and he was already before Chen Fei. The blade in his hand transformed into an afterimage, appearing at Chen Fei's neck.

"Clang!"

The clash of weapons rang out. Chen Fei was forced back a step. Just as Jian Liang was about to press the attack, Chen Fei's Longsword had already thrust toward his face.

"Pfft!"

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 hastily dodged aside, he would already be dead.

After the lingering fear came extreme fury.

The Ants he could have crushed to death with a casual pinch back then—out of his own mercy, he had spared him. Yet now, that Ant had nearly killed him in return. How could Jian Liang possibly 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 dull thud, the sword body held before him slammed into Chen Fei's chest. His entire body crashed into the courtyard wall, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

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

Jian Liang's eyes were bloodshot, his qi and blood pushed to their utmost limit. In just a few strides, he reached Chen Fei. His long saber descended once more, and the sound of crashing waves seemed to rise in the air again.

"Sword Qi Traverse!"

Chen Fei suddenly shouted, wisps of sword qi appearing upon the Sword Blade.

Jian Liang's heart tightened as he recalled Chen Fei's sword qi from earlier. Now, hearing such an overbearing name for the sword move, the long saber in his hand slowed slightly.

If anything truly happened, Jian Liang would still be able to react at once.

Whoosh!

There was no Sword Qi Traverse. 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 flew wide. He knew he had been played. His already furious state of mind shattered completely; his qi and blood boiled, and droplets 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 streaked before his eyes.

White Steed Flits Past a Crack, like Immortal Guides the Way.