Slaying

The Six Doors, at the request of His Majesty Emperor Chu, scours the world for rare treasures. Thus, they established a grading system for these treasures to facilitate their work.

The treasures of heaven and earth were divided into nine ranks.

From highest to lowest, they were Grade One to Grade Nine.

Treasures of heaven and earth ranked Grade Three and above possessed the characteristic of emitting spiritual radiance, bestowing upon them all sorts of incredible abilities!

Zhao Qing wasn't sure what the item in the young brat's hand was, but he was certain, that it was an immeasurably valuable rare treasure!

This was also the first time he had encountered a Grade Three treasure!

In an instant, a surge of greed welled up from the depths of Zhao Qing's heart, igniting ambitions that had been dormant for years!

"A common Grade Nine treasure can already advance one's Martial Path by three ranks. I've never even seen one!"

"And I don't want to stay in this damn Six Doors anymore!"

"This item appearing is exactly what I wanted!"

A fierce glint flashed and vanished in the depths of Zhao Qing's eyes.

At this very moment, he had already conceived the idea of swallowing this Grade Three treasure!

He would crush everyone present, then dump their bodies in the deep mountains and forests. Wild beasts would naturally clean up all traces, making it impossible to find any evidence later.

It would be easy to fake his death during an exploration for rare treasures. His hated superior would likely be happy about it and wouldn't send anyone to investigate further!

He could use this opportunity to fake his death with the treasure and escape, then accept Night Roaming Tower's invitation, change his identity, and live freely!

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Qing had made his decision.

However, being an old hand after all, he concealed his intentions very well. No one around sensed the cold killing intent brewing deep within him.

"Haha, young brother, you jest. We are officials of the court, not some bandits who kill for treasure. How could we do something as heartless as discarding someone after using them?"

"If you present this item, you will undoubtedly earn great merit and be promoted to a higher position!"

Zhao Qing laughed heartily, forcing a kindly smile onto his face.

After all, the jade bottle was still in the other's hand.

If the other party decided to destroy it, shattering the bottle, it would be troublesome.

This was a Grade Three treasure!

This was the first time he had encountered one since His Majesty Emperor Chu issued the order to collect rare treasures from across the land!

Zhao Qing didn't believe, he would ever have such a good opportunity again.

Therefore, he tried his best to persuade Yang Qingyun gently, lest the latter become desperate.

However, Yang Qingyun on the opposite side remained unmoved.

"Alright, to show my sincerity, how about I release your three subordinates first?"

With no other choice, Zhao Qing signaled his three subordinates to release the captives.

Yet, in the depths of his eyes, the killing intent grew even more intense.

The three constables removed the knives from the captives' necks and kicked them away.

Wang Zhu and the other two stumbled to the ground, then scrambled to their feet and ran towards Yang Qingyun.

"Young brother, do I have enough sincerity now?"

Zhao Qing spread his hands and asked loudly.

Yang Qingyun glanced at the jade bottle in his hand, a hint of reluctance appearing on his face. He then looked at Zhao Qing again and finally nodded helplessly, saying:

"Alright then, please come and take it, Foreman Zhao."

A look of joy appeared on Zhao Qing's face.

To show goodwill, he didn't even bring his weapon, and walked towards Yang Qingyun.

"Young brother, you are enlightened and righteous. I will definitely report this to my superiors. In the future..."

Zhao Qing spoke with a smile, but as soon as he got within three feet, before he could finish speaking, his face contorted into a cruel grin. His sinister eyes shot out a vicious glint. His left hand, fingers like hooks, shot out like a viper, grasping towards Yang Qingyun's wrist, where he held the jade bottle.

His right hand clenched into a fist, and a fierce, biting force surged forward like a gale, heading straight for Yang Qingyun's head. The terrifying power tore through the air, emitting a sharp whistle!

To prevent any accidents, Zhao Qing had unleashed his full power for this surprise attack!

With such close proximity and a sudden burst of speed, let alone a mere, insignificant entry-level martial artist, even a martial artist of the same Viscera Refining Realm at this moment, if they were caught off guard, would likely be unable to dodge and would be blasted to death on the spot!

However, the next moment, Bang!

Zhao Qing's left hand grasped at empty air.

His right fist also connected with nothing!

The shadow of Yang Qingyun in front of him dispersed like a cloud of mist!

Advanced movement martial skill, Bewildering Steps!

The figure that had been standing in place was merely an afterimage left behind by the advanced movement martial skill, Bewildering Steps!

This is bad!!!

Zhao Qing's expression instantly turned to one of utter horror. At that moment, he felt as if he had plunged into an ice cave, with a bucket of bone-chilling cold water poured over his head!

He wanted to retreat, but at this moment, his surprise attack, unleashed with full force, had missed. The residual momentum had not yet dissipated, and he had no time to retreat!

Almost in an instant, a lightning-fast blade light flashed before him. With a swish, it instantly pierced his chest. The force twisted within, shredding his heart in the blink of an eye!

Simultaneously, a palm strike landed heavily on his head, and with a bang, his skull exploded, his brain matter pulverized.

"Before you make a move next time, please learn to conceal your killing intent thoroughly."

A faint voice sounded in his ear.

Zhao Qing only had time to hear this last sentence before his vision plunged into an endless dark abyss, and he completely lost all signs of life.

Yang Qingyun expressionlessly drew his long saber from Zhao Qing's chest.

Zhao Qing's corpse slumped limply to the ground.

"Mid Body Tempering, a future Grandmaster. If he hadn't had the element of surprise, it might not have been so easy to cut him down!"

"A Grandmaster..."

Yang Qingyun sighed, a deep sense of melancholy filling his heart.

Even after the Spiritual Qi Resurgence in his previous life, Grandmasters had remained an existence beyond his reach!

But now, a future Grandmaster had fallen by his own hand.

It truly made Yang Qingyun sigh with emotion.

However, who cared about all that?

Regardless of his future achievements, if he was dead, he was dead.

From the moment the other party had intended to seize his spoils from this journey, the conflict between them had become irreconcilable.

Moreover, although the killing intent deep in the man's eyes was well-hidden, to Yang Qingyun, it was as obvious as a louse on a bald man's head!

This person wanted to kill him, so he deserved to die!

"You, you actually killed Foreman Zhao?!"

"How is that possible! The Foreman is a Viscera Refining Realm expert!"

The three constables who had accompanied Zhao Qing, seeing him cut down by Yang Qingyun and then watching Yang Qingyun walk towards them with his saber, all displayed expressions of extreme terror. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably as they retreated.

"You dare to kill someone from our Six Doors, and from now on, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, no one will save you!"

One of them tripped over a stone and stumbled to the ground, losing all composure. He shakily pointed at Yang Qingyun with a trembling hand, shouting threats in a loud voice that was more bluster than bravery, seemingly trying to bolster his courage and dispel his fear.

"Do you know who I am?"

Yang Qingyun frowned slightly.

"No, we don't..."

"Then that's all there is to it."

Swish!

A flash of blade light, and three heads rolled onto the ground.