Parchment

Jian Liang's heart turned cold. His body desperately tried to dodge, only to find that there was simply no time.

That sword was too fast—so fast that all one could see was a flash of sword light.

Chen Fei's strength and reactions were, at most, at the Flesh Refining Realm. But his Sword Technique was powerful, especially now that he had cultivated Sword Qi—it was truly astounding. Yet at this level, he should already have reached his limit.

How could Chen Fei possess yet another style of Sword Technique like this? Such a technique should never have appeared in a place like Pingyin County. Even the Noble Families of Pingyin County could not possibly possess such a legacy.

"Sshh!"

A bloody wound pierced straight through Jian Liang's chest. Though it was not large, such an injury was already fatal. Jian Liang's attack involuntarily weakened, and his entire body toppled from the wall, crashing to the ground.

"What Sword Technique is this?!"

Jian Liang struggled to raise his head and look at Chen Fei, only to see Chen Fei appear before him with an expressionless face, his sword thrusting toward Jian Liang's head.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three Hidden Weapons suddenly shot from Jian Liang's sleeve. Chen Fei flipped his sword light and knocked them aside, only to discover Jian Liang desperately fleeing into the distance.

Chen Fei's feet flickered, and within a few steps, he caught up to Jian Liang.

Sensing the movement behind him, Jian Liang's heart filled with bitterness. He had meant to stall for time so he could fire his Hidden Weapons. He had not expected Chen Fei to refuse to play along at all; without saying a word, he had simply tried to kill him.

What kind of decisiveness was this for a mere Alchemist? He was steadier than some seasoned veterans of the martial world. After all, when victory was at hand, people could hardly avoid letting down their guard, even becoming smug with success. Yet Chen Fei did none of that. He only wanted to kill his enemy first.

"Spare my life! Name whatever conditions you have!"

Jian Liang shouted loudly, but the only response he received was Chen Fei's sword passing through his throat. Jian Liang tried desperately to evade, but he no longer had the strength to do so.

Chen Fei pulled out his Longsword. Jian Liang helplessly rolled onto the roadside, his eyes fixed fiercely on Chen Fei, filled with immeasurable resentment.

Chen Fei met his gaze without the slightest fear or hesitation. Those who killed would inevitably be killed—this was Chen Fei's creed, and he would carry it through to the end.

Chen Fei had not feared Jian Liang while he was alive. Now that he was about to die, what could a mere glare possibly do to him?

Jian Liang raised a finger and pointed at Chen Fei, seeming to want to say something. In the end, however, his head merely drooped limply to one side as he breathed his last.

Chen Fei stepped forward and searched Jian Liang's body.

As one of the leaders of that band of Mountain Bandits, Jian Liang's wealth was certainly considerable. And beyond the money, Chen Fei was also deeply interested in Jian Liang's cultivation method.

A moment later, delight appeared on Chen Fei's face. A piece of cowhide appeared in his hand, densely covered in writing.

Chen Fei could not help recalling the faint sound of crashing waves that had echoed when Jian Liang attacked earlier.

Martial artists generally kept cultivation methods they had yet to master close to their bodies. They did not feel safe leaving them elsewhere. They could also take them out from time to time to study, deepening their understanding and advancing their cultivation.

Chen Fei tucked the cowhide into his clothes and was about to continue searching when a burst of footsteps suddenly sounded.

As Chen Fei lowered his head, his features rapidly changed. The corners of his eyes lengthened into Phoenix Eyes, several wounds appeared on his face, and his body silently grew somewhat larger.

"Third Brother!"

A pained voice rang out. Ling Hanjun stared ahead in disbelief at Jian Liang, who lay on the ground covered in blood.

They had broken out of the encirclement earlier and split into several groups. On their side, it had been only him and Jian Liang, and they had found several Courtyards in which to hide.

If anything happened, they were supposed to support each other immediately.

Yet Ling Hanjun had barely hidden himself when he heard sounds coming from Jian Liang's direction. When he chased over to investigate, he found that Jian Liang was already dead.

He had not died at the hands of those Yamen Runners, yet had lost his life here.

"I'll kill you!"

Ling Hanjun instantly went mad. Brandishing his saber, he charged at Chen Fei. The other Mountain Bandits also rushed toward Chen Fei at once, ready to support Ling Hanjun at any moment.

Since Chen Fei had been able to kill Jian Liang, his threat level had risen to the very highest in their minds.

Chen Fei took the Silver Taels from Jian Liang's chest, glanced at Ling Hanjun, then flashed away into the distance.

Fundamentally, Chen Fei was still only a Flesh Refining Realm martial artist. Compared to the Bone Forging Realm, both his strength and reactions were actually far inferior.

If not for the sword move Immortal Guides the Way, it would have been impossible for Chen Fei to kill Jian Liang. If they had dragged things out, Jian Liang could have worn Chen Fei to death.

Now, faced with the even stronger Ling Hanjun and the encirclement of the other Mountain Bandits, Chen Fei would have to be out of his mind to remain and fight them head-on.

"Over there! Chase him!"

The voices of Yamen Runners suddenly came from behind. Chen Fei's expression shifted slightly as he considered whether to hold back these Mountain Bandits for a moment, so that he could join the Yamen Runners in surrounding and killing them.

But he immediately discarded the thought.

Not to mention that Ling Hanjun was presently crazed with grief and fury—if given the chance, he would likely risk being surrounded just to kill Chen Fei first. More importantly, those Yamen Runners did not know Chen Fei. They would likely mistake him for a Mountain Bandit and surround him as well.

Chen Fei stepped onto the rooftops. The tiles remained undamaged beneath his feet, yet he could still race several meters at a time. Such a Movement Technique was enough to make more than ninety percent of Bone Forging Realm martial artists hang their heads in shame.

The Mountain Bandits chased behind him, but they only fell farther and farther back.

Ling Hanjun's eyes were bloodshot. He wished he could tear Chen Fei apart alive, but he could only watch the distance between them steadily widen.

"Even to the Ends of the Earth, I will kill you!" Ling Hanjun roared, then turned and ran in another direction.

There would be little point in continuing the pursuit, while it might instead cost him the lives of his men. No matter how unwilling Ling Hanjun was, he could only swallow this grievance for now.

Sensing the Aura behind him vanish, Chen Fei considered for a moment before dropping into an alley. His features quickly changed again, while his body shrank somewhat.

A moment later, Chen Fei darted out from another alley and ran toward the direction in which Ling Hanjun had disappeared.

These Mountain Bandits had to be eliminated, or Pingyin County would never know peace. What Chen Fei needed most right now was time.

As long as he had enough peaceful, stable time, Chen Fei's strength would continue to improve. At present, killing Bone Forging Realm cultivators still required Immortal Guides the Way.

Once Chen Fei had grown into the Bone Forging Realm, killing these people would no longer require such trouble. For his own sake, he had to make this band of Mountain Bandits disappear from Pingyin County.

He trailed them from far behind, but before long, Chen Fei lost the Mountain Bandits.

"I overestimated myself."

Returning to the Courtyard with the Pill Room, Chen Fei sat beneath the eaves and looked up at the starry sky.

Last time at the Black Market, he had managed to keep track of those Mountain Bandits because he had caught them unprepared. But today, knowing they were being hunted, they would surely have used every possible method to evade pursuit.

Other than having the advantage in his Movement Technique, Chen Fei was actually quite ordinary when it came to eyesight and tracking. If he could still cling to them like a tail under those circumstances, the Mountain Bandits would likely have been captured by the Yamen Runners long ago.

"Should I find a cultivation method that enhances eyesight or tracking and learn it?"

Chen Fei was tempted, but when he thought of the tasks currently on his hands, he could not help sighing. His time was truly squeezed to the limit.

He could only make plans for it later, when he had a little free time.

Chen Fei took out Jian Liang's money pouch. Opening it, he could not help feeling disappointed. The stolen Silver Taels had probably been hidden elsewhere; the pouch contained only several dozen taels of loose silver.

In the past, Chen Fei would likely have been pleased by this. But now that his Pill Refining Art had borne fruit, several dozen taels were no longer enough to satisfy him.

He tossed the money pouch into the flames to burn it away, then unfolded the sheet of Oxhide.