Tracking and Killing

Tap, tap, tap!

Meng Haoran's footsteps rang rapidly through the mountain forest.

He suddenly crouched down, spotted the bloodstains on the ground before him, then looked up toward a towering boulder.

"Lin Jiangye! Stop hiding! I've already found your position!"

Behind the boulder, Lin Jiangye pressed his lips together and tore off a strip of cloth with both hands, binding it around his right calf.

"Meng Haoran, you and I have never harbored any grievances against each other. Why must you take things so far?"

Lin Jiangye's voice came from behind the boulder. "As long as you let me leave today, I'll never speak of this! No—I was never here!"

Meng Haoran slowly began moving, speaking as he walked. "Lin Jiangye, neither of us is a three-year-old child. If those words came from my mouth, would you believe them?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiangye's heart suddenly tightened, and a faint sense of death gradually crept over him.

Crack!

Meng Haoran instantly stepped on a broken branch beneath his feet. The sound rang out from the other side of the boulder where Lin Jiangye was hiding, scaring him into springing away as he turned to dash deeper into the forest!

Swift Snake Step!

Seeing Lin Jiangye flee, Meng Haoran's footwork suddenly accelerated, agile as a snake.

Before Lin Jiangye could escape very far, Meng Haoran had already arrived behind him.

Water Cloud Sword!

A tiny sword-shaped technique formed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth appeared once more between Meng Haoran's palms. With a sharp shout, he cried, "Go!"

The Water Cloud Sword shot forth violently, instantly piercing Lin Jiangye's other leg.

With both legs injured by Meng Haoran, Lin Jiangye lost all support and rolled to the ground not far away in the blink of an eye!

After several leaps, Meng Haoran arrived at Lin Jiangye's side. Looking at the latter's bloodied, battered head, he said quietly, "Don't blame me for being too ruthless. I already gave you a chance, but you insisted on entering the Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field. You brought this upon yourself!"

Only then did Lin Jiangye truly realize that he was going to die here!

"Meng Haoran! Spare me! I'll agree to anything you want!"

During his tumble, Lin Jiangye had accidentally broken his left arm. Unable to make any further resistance, he could only plead helplessly to Meng Haoran, "Spirit Stones! I have Spirit Stones! I'll give you all of them!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Meng Haoran saw sunlight breaking through on the horizon. He knew it was getting late; if he hesitated any longer, more people would pass through this place.

"Of course I need Spirit Stones, but you've forgotten one thing. Once I kill you, all those things will naturally be mine as well!"

Lin Jiangye's pupils constricted. "You..."

Before he could finish, Meng Haoran's right palm slammed heavily into his chest!

The sound of bones shattering came from Lin Jiangye's chest. His whole body collapsed limply, his whitened eyes staring fixedly at Meng Haoran.

This was Meng Haoran's first time killing someone. He forcibly suppressed the unease in his heart and carefully searched Lin Jiangye for spoils.

"One Storage Bag, and one Storage Ring!"

Meng Haoran murmured, "It seems Lin Jiangye's standing in the Lin Family wasn't all that low."

After saying that, a cluster of flame suddenly burst from Meng Haoran's fingertips. With a thought, the flame leaped directly onto Lin Jiangye's body.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, the flames completely engulfed Lin Jiangye's corpse.

Meng Haoran summoned the Thunderfire Tiger and, without lingering, turned around to clean up the traces left along the way while pursuing Lin Jiangye.

Before the morning mist had dispersed, Meng Haoran and the tiger raced straight toward the Meng Family of Xinghua Village.

The traces have been cleaned up. Lin Jiangye died in the mountains, and his corpse must have already been scorched black by now. It will probably take three or four days before anyone can piece things together and discover Lin Jiangye's whereabouts.

By then, the Spirit Plants in our Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field will have been completely harvested!

And this matter must be reported to the elders as soon as possible!

"Clan Uncle Bohai, that's what happened."

Inside a pavilion, only Meng Haoran and Meng Bohai sat facing each other.

Meng Bohai smiled faintly and reassured him, "Haoran, you handled this matter very well. You protected the Lineage's interests from infringement, safeguarded yourself, and eliminated a grave threat for our Meng Family."

Meng Haoran placed the Storage Bag and Storage Ring he had obtained from Lin Jiangye on the stone table. "Clan Uncle Bohai, I obtained these from Lin Jiangye. There are over three thousand Spirit Stones in the Storage Bag, while the Storage Ring contains only a little over five hundred Spirit Stones. However, there are also two Lin Family Cultivation Methods inside the Storage Ring."

Hearing this, Meng Bohai felt a flicker of delight. Compared to Spirit Stones, Cultivation Methods and Daoist Magic interested him far more.

"Qi Gazing Technique, Body Sculpting Art."

Meng Bohai replied, "Both of these are cultivation methods. Their grades are no better than our Meng Family's Forging Yin Refining Yang Method. Still, we can make copies and sell these two cultivation methods in the Black Market."

Meng Haoran nodded gently.

He understood Meng Bohai's intentions.

Since the Qi Gazing Technique and Body Sculpting Art were both inferior to the Meng Family's Forging Yin Refining Yang Method, rather than leaving them to gather dust in the Lineage's library, it was better to sell them in the Black Market. That would not only earn Spirit Stones from the two Cultivation Methods, but also use the Black Market's fluid traffic to divert the Lin Family's attention.

It would make the Lin Family believe that someone from the Black Market had killed Lin Jiangye and taken some items from him.

Thinking this, Meng Haoran cupped his fist and said, "I'll follow Clan Uncle Bohai's arrangements in all things."

Meng Bohai smiled. "A Storage Bag cannot compare to a Storage Ring. A junior of the Lineage like you naturally has no qualifications to carry one. To avoid drawing the attention of Lin Family members, I'll accept this Storage Ring on behalf of the Lineage. As for the Storage Bag, almost everyone has one, and their designs are mostly alike, so I'll give this Storage Bag to you."

Now that Meng Haoran had embarked upon the path of cultivation, the Cultivation Resources he required would surely increase with time.

With this Storage Bag, it was tantamount to solving Meng Haoran's future difficulties in cultivation.

"Haoran thanks Clan Uncle Bohai!" Meng Haoran replied.

Seeing Meng Haoran's expression, Meng Bohai smiled and waved his hand. "But your clan uncle won't have you do these things for nothing."

As he spoke, Meng Bohai placed the Storage Bag and Storage Ring together. With a movement of his divine sense, a glimmer of light flashed between them.

"You've made such a great contribution to our Meng Family. Your clan uncle certainly won't let you suffer a loss."

Meng Bohai pushed the Storage Bag toward Meng Haoran. "There are five hundred Spirit Stones inside. Consider it your reward this time."

Hearing this, joy appeared on Meng Haoran's face.

He was currently at the peak of the third level of the Qi Refining Realm and urgently needed Spirit Stones as Cultivation Resources to support his breakthrough.

Moreover, he had the Thunderfire Tiger, this little gold-devouring beast, by his side.

Naturally, Meng Haoran would not refuse these five hundred Spirit Stones. Cupping his fist, he said, "Thank you, Clan Uncle Bohai!"

"No need! You deserve them!"

Meng Bohai replied, "Today was your first time killing someone, and it was also one of the hurdles on your road of cultivation. In the future, for our Meng Family and for your own path of cultivation, you will kill more people who stand in your way. Since it has already happened, and you handled it very properly, there is no need to dwell on it."

Meng Haoran replied softly, "Haoran understands. I won't hesitate over this matter."

Meng Bohai pondered briefly, then said, "Rest well in the village for now. After noon, come with me to the Spirit Plant Field and complete the harvest of that batch of Spirit Plants!"

Meng Haoran nodded. "All right, I understand, Clan Uncle Bohai."

At sunset, after Meng Haoran and the Meng Family members had finished harvesting the batch of Spirit Plants in the Meng Family's Spirit Plant Field, they returned directly to Xinghua Village.

Watching the clansmen carry bag after bag of Spirit Plants back to the Lineage, Meng Bohai turned and called Meng Haoran over.

Meng Bohai said quietly, "We worked all afternoon, and nothing unusual happened around us. Moreover, with passing travelers and our clansmen walking back and forth, the traces from your pursuit of Lin Jiangye this morning will become even more obscure and bewildering. Now you can rest completely at ease."

Meng Haoran replied, "After killing Lin Jiangye, I cleaned up all the traces along the path I took there. After everyone's interference, even if the Lin Family wants to investigate the culprit, I don't think they'll direct their suspicions toward our Meng Family."

Meng Bohai nodded. "The most important matter for our Meng Family now is to quickly plant that batch of Second-Tier Spirit Plant, Six-Pattern Wheat, in our rear courtyard. The patriarch previously entrusted you with the task of the new Spirit Plant Field, so, Haoran, you must make haste and successfully plant that Second-Tier Spirit Plant, Six-Pattern Wheat."

Meng Haoran said gravely, "I understand. The Lin and Chen Families have secretly joined forces and target our Meng Family at every turn because our Meng Family has only the patriarch, a single cultivator in the Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm, while each of their two families has two cultivators in the Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm. If any further unfavorable changes arise for our Meng Family, the Lin and Chen Families will surely deal us a fatal blow. Therefore, we must seize the time and accumulate Cultivation Resources extensively, in preparation for a rainy day!"

Meng Bohai said with some satisfaction, "Haoran, I'm greatly relieved that you can think of this. And I have good news for you: within three months, I will break through to the Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm!"

Meng Haoran asked in delight, "Really? That's wonderful! Your nephew congratulates Clan Uncle in advance on your successful advancement!"

Ten years ago, the Meng Family had lost two members of the Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm at the same time, causing the Meng Family's entire development plan to be hindered to a certain extent.

If Meng Bohai truly advanced to the Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm, part of the Meng Family's current predicament could be dissolved.

Meng Bohai smiled. "So you must hurry and cultivate and plant more Cultivation Resources for the Meng Family."

Meng Haoran nodded. "All right, I'll go now."

As soon as his words fell, Meng Haoran headed straight for the Meng Family's rear courtyard.