Death by Heavy Blade

After the caravan rested for a while and ate some dry rations, they continued on their journey.

They raced through the night along the rugged mountain road.

Chen Luo had no idea what these people were protecting, nor why they were in such a hurry. But he did not care about any of that. He was still studying the Jade Slip, and he would not leave before reaching their destination. In that brief moment earlier, he had already had three "brains" comprehend it. Yet aside from the Royal Family Brain, none of the others had reacted. It seemed that cultivating the Jade Slip was just as he had guessed—there was an innate restriction.

That restriction was most likely the Spirit Root!

With the caravan's protection, Old Tian, who was driving the cart, visibly relaxed. He even began humming a tune midway through the journey, looking quite at ease.

"Up ahead is Swallow Ridge. There's a stretch of Old Forest there, so everyone be careful."

Tian Danu, Old Tian's nephew, called out from the caravan ahead.

At those words, everyone became alert. They gripped their weapons tightly, and at the slightest disturbance, these men could react immediately.

"If we didn't have the caravan protecting us, could we be this comfortable?"

Following behind, Old Tian became even more smug.

The Old Forest was pitch black and utterly silent.

"Sometimes, having more people doesn't necessarily mean it's safer." Chen Luo, who had lain motionless in the cart the entire time, had somehow sat up.

His voice gave Old Tian a fright.

But Chen Luo did not pay attention to him. Instead, he looked toward the dark Old Forest ahead.

After reaching the third realm of Bone Forging, what improved was not merely raw strength, but every aspect of the body.

Just now, he had heard the sound of blades striking each other within the wind. Though faint, he had caught it. As the caravan advanced, the sound became clearer and clearer. Not only that, but the scent of blood mixed into the air had drawn nearer as well.

Someone was fighting ahead!

Who was the target?

This caravan with its strange movements?

Chen Luo's thoughts raced as he cautiously tucked the Jade Slip into his clothes, keeping it close against his body.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Already timid by nature, Old Tian's voice trembled at those words.

"Watch yourself."

With a leap, Chen Luo vanished from the caravan.

When traveling the jianghu, the most important thing was caution. The caravan was too conspicuous a target and unsuitable for concealing one's presence. Once he slipped into the surroundings, things would be much easier. Darkness was not only cover for the enemy; it was the same for his own side.

Before figuring out the goal of those people ahead, hiding himself first was the steadiest course of action.

"Great Hero?!"

Old Tian's voice changed. But when he turned around, Chen Luo was nowhere to be seen on the ox cart. Old Tian's heart immediately rose into his throat.

"Niuwazi, Niuwazi!!"

At this point, Old Tian could no longer care about his nephew's dignity. He even called out Tian Danu's childhood name.

"What is it, Fifth Uncle?"

Tian Danu, who had been standing guard nearby, heard Old Tian's call and hurried over.

On the way, he glanced at the cart behind them. The moment he looked, his heart jolted. Fifth Uncle's young guest was gone? Could that brat be trouble?

"There's danger!"

Old Tian was no fool. He pulled his nephew aside and only lowered his voice after making sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Fifth Uncle, did you discover something? Could it be that guest of yours?"

Tian Danu's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at the other brothers, and seeing that none of them were looking over, he lowered his voice as well.

"No, my guest is an expert. He just told me there was danger, then hid himself in the forest." As he spoke, Old Tian grabbed his nephew and tried to run away with him. He had witnessed Chen Luo's methods on the road earlier, so he believed Chen Luo's words without the slightest doubt. Precisely because he understood, he could not watch his nephew go throw his life away.

"Hurry up and hide in there with me. We'll come out after the danger passes."

"Fifth Uncle!"

Tian Danu seized Fifth Uncle's arm.

As the captain of the guards, he naturally could not run away just because of a word from Old Tian. If he did, he would never be able to hold his head high again. More importantly, unlike Old Tian, he did not particularly trust that young man.

"If there really is danger, we should stay. The caravan is protected by experts. It's pitch black outside; escaping would only make us lose our advantage and place ourselves in danger for nothing."

Tian Danu's reasoning was sound, making Old Tian hesitate.

He looked at the pitch black woods around them, and fear immediately surged up within him. The young fellow was a martial path expert and could hide in the darkness, but he was different. Any random venomous snake in the Old Forest could take his life.

"Let's stay for now. We'll talk after we get through the Old Forest ahead."

After comforting Old Tian, Tian Danu returned to patrol the front.

When Old Tian looked back once more at the pitch black forest, he completely lost his nerve. He had not felt there was anything wrong before, but after his nephew's reminder, the outside seemed more dangerous no matter how he looked at it.

In the shadows.

After leaving the convoy, Chen Luo entered the forest ahead of them.

He had to seize the Spirit Mine.

This concerned his future path. Making his move before Prince Ning's follow-up forces arrived was the optimal solution. Otherwise, once the main force truly arrived, the special mineral deposit would have nothing to do with him.

The Bone Forging Realm was not invincible. The Imperial Court also had Bone Forging Realm experts, and quite a few of them. Above the Bone Forging Realm, the Imperial Court also had Grandmasters. For an individual's strength to contend against a nation was nearly impossible in a low-martial world.

Never underestimate the resources of a national machine. As a high-ranking ruler within that machine, Prince Ning undoubtedly had many resources under his command.

For that very reason, Chen Luo needed the Spirit Mine even more to break the deadlock. And deep in his heart, he had always harbored a suspicion.

That mine in Qingya County might be Immortal Ore! A Spirit Mine needed by Immortal Cultivators. Only that could explain why Prince Ning would risk assassinating the Imperial Clan and slaughtering civilians. When the profit was great enough, these people would dare sell even their ancestors, let alone kill a few people.

After proceeding along the Old Forest for some time, the road forked.

Chen Luo stopped and examined it.

To the left was a dry dirt path. To the right was a wet waterway, with the faint sound of water audible from within. The sound of blades clashing that he had heard earlier had come from the right.

The blood scent follows the water-borne wind. Right side.

Inside his mind, one brain offered its suggestion.

Given the same knowledge, different brains produced different feedback. Chen Luo glanced toward the left, then his figure flashed as he headed right.

The farther he went, the muddier the road became.

Damp vapor soaked into the ground, mixing with fallen leaves. His footsteps made faint sounds as he trod upon it.

After walking a little farther, Chen Luo abruptly stopped.

Because he saw a corpse.

His choice had been correct. This was where the battle had taken place earlier. At first, he had thought it was an ambush aimed at the caravan, but now it seemed otherwise. It was more like a grudge killing between Jianghu Wanderers. Back when he and Third Uncle worked as Corpse Buriers, they had seen many such killings.

The first batch of "brains" that had made his fortune had been provided by people like these.

"Died to a heavy blade. What a pity."

Chen Luo deftly took out his Deerskin Gloves and turned over the corpse lying facedown in the mud. The man looked extremely slight of build, while the joints of his fingers were somewhat coarse. Judging from that, he should have been an expert in claw techniques. But he had died miserably. His head had been cleaved straight through, his face split in two from the bridge of his nose, like a cracked gourd opening left and right. White brain matter mixed with the surrounding mud, making for an exceptionally ghastly sight.

Contacted a Dead Man. Damage degree: 100%. Unable to read.

This was Chen Luo's first time seeing a brain that could not be read at all. Before death, this man was probably not some powerful expert; otherwise, there should have been at least 1% remaining.