Crafted Bronze Cannon

Xu Yuan had already run more than ten li, only to be inexplicably "captured" and brought back.

Saint Aunt said triumphantly, "You killed our people and you think you can run? Do you think it's that easy!"

The cannon muzzle turned, aiming at Xu Yuan.

"I will ask, you will answer. If you dare to utter half a lie, I will shatter you into pieces."

Xu Yuan still didn't speak, and Saint Aunt had already begun her interrogation. This brat was already like fish on a chopping block.

"Where is the June Bug?"

Xu Yuan observed his surroundings. Accountant Liu was bound by chains all over his body, dejected, clearly not someone he could count on.

Besides himself, everyone else around was the enemy.

This altar—thankfully it was just an altar, with no other restrictive measures, so it wouldn't trap him.

Seeing that the brat was still feigning deafness and dumbness, Saint Aunt laughed angrily, "Do you think I'm afraid to act for fear of breaking the pot, and dare not kill you?"

The bronze cannon on top of the sedan chair glowed red! If they killed this brat, the maid would capture his soul and refine it into Yin Soldiers, forcing him to say whatever they asked.

Zhao Yong and a few others' faces changed drastically, and they hurriedly retreated several zhang away.

The bronze Crafted Cannons of the guild could fire several types of shells, including explosive shells and solid shot.

Logically, solid shot should be used against a single person, but if they accidentally loaded explosive shells, those nearby would suffer as well.

Xu Yuan turned around and dashed swiftly into Master Qiao's study.

But as soon as he moved, the Crafted Cannon turned its barrel, automatically tracking its target.

Xu Yuan completely ignored it. After entering the study, he twisted and turned, slipping out through a small door in the side yard.

Only the inn's staff knew about this small door.

The red light from the bronze Crafted Cannon grew stronger and stronger, but the cannonball was never fired.

The body of the cannon bulged. Someone shouted, "Not good, it's going to explode!"

Saint Aunt realized something was wrong. With a whoosh, she flew out from the sedan chair that had been smashed open and rushed towards the courtyard gate.

Zhao Yong and the others were even more terrified. Some jumped over walls, some squeezed through doors, all fleeing the courtyard at top speed.

Accountant Liu, bound by chains, widened his eyes and bounced vigorously...

BOOM!

The bronze Crafted Cannon exploded.

The side yard looked as if it had been ravaged by a storm. Bamboo, plum blossoms, and flowers were instantly pulverized!

Rockery stones were blasted into the air, with seven or eight pieces flying over ten zhang away, smashing onto the street outside.

The courtyard walls collapsed neatly, the front doors and windows of the study shattered, and the walls were riddled with holes.

The sedan chair was blown to pieces, and a pit half a person deep appeared on the ground!

Accountant Liu was blown away. A huge, tile-shaped fragment of the cannon barrel pinned him to a wall that hadn't collapsed. His eyes were wide open, and he was no longer breathing.

Outside the courtyard, Saint Aunt had several wood chips stuck in her hair. She had never been so disheveled.

She was furious, "Chase him! I want him dead!"

Zhao Yong and the others immediately darted out like wild beasts.

"When did this brat tamper with it!?" Saint Aunt asked angrily.

The maidservant lowered her head behind her, guessing it was last night.

But how could that brat have the ability to tamper with such an Artisan Cultivator creation?

Even if he had eaten the June Bug, he was just a Fate Cultivator. Their fields were different. Let alone tampering with it, he shouldn't even be able to understand the principles of Artisan Cultivator creations.

Xu Yuan had originally just hidden in the sedan chair and hadn't intended to tamper with it.

However, upon seeing the owner of the Yin Soldiers in the front yard, he made some "modifications" to the sedan chair with the idea of being prepared.

When he was working on it, Xu Yuan discovered that the Artisan Cultivator who built this sedan chair was far inferior to his Stepmother.

His Stepmother had lectured him daily. Although Xu Yuan was not an Artisan Cultivator, he was actually very familiar with the ways of Artisan Cultivators.

"This thing looks fancy, but it's actually not that great, a paper tiger."

So it was very easy to tamper with it.

Xu Yuan hadn't heard Saint Aunt threaten Accountant Liu.

Could something purchased by the Divine Machine Camp of Beidu be bad?

Zhao Yong and his men were very familiar with the town. Xu Yuan was caught up before he could run far.

Xu Yuan weaved through the alleys, but he couldn't shake them off.

Zhao Yong was also anxious. Saint Aunt had suffered such a huge embarrassment; if he couldn't quickly capture Xu Yuan, he feared he would also be implicated.

He carefully observed Xu Yuan's route and leaped onto the roof of an adjacent building by stepping on the wall.

The skills of a Martial Cultivator were exceptionally agile.

He sprinted across the rooftops, clearing two courtyards with a single leap, soaring like a roc before landing precisely in front of Xu Yuan.

This was a narrow alley, and two more people were chasing him from behind.

Zhao Yong stood up, exuding a certain presence. "You can't escape."

Xu Yuan saw Zhao Yong blocking his path but didn't slow down at all. Zhao Yong let out a cold laugh, his arms shaking as his sleeves shattered with a snap. His arms became thicker than Xu Yuan's thighs!

Xu Yuan suddenly opened his mouth: Pfft!

A pill, shimmering with gold and silver, flew rapidly towards Zhao Yong.

Zhao Yong was surprised. "Pill Cultivator?" He then sneered, "Enter Stream level at best."

He took a step forward, reaching out his palm to meet the pill, and exhaled, "Haa—"

The pill, capable of snapping a tree trunk as thick as a bowl, was caught in his hand!

The pill spun rapidly in his grasp. Zhao Yong squeezed hard, producing a squeak-squeak-squeak sound of friction, and a wisp of white smoke rose from his palm.

Then, Zhao Yong opened his palm. The pill had stopped in his hand.

Clear palm prints were left on the pill!

"Accept your Fate," Zhao Yong said coldly.

But he saw a sinister grin spread across Xu Yuan's lips.

Xu Yuan had already rushed in front of him. Zhao Yong reached out to grab him, confident of success. Zhao Yong had already decided that once he caught him, he would first break the boy's collarbones, giving him a small lesson.

But his hand, halfway to grabbing Xu Yuan, suddenly drooped powerlessly. Zhao Yong suddenly felt his life force rapidly draining away!

Xu Yuan rushed past Zhao Yong, his body brushing against Zhao Yong's arm. Zhao Yong fell to the ground with a boom.

"Merchant Law, Life-Buying Money..." Zhao Yong gasped his last breath, finally understanding.

"Proprietor!" The two people chasing Xu Yuan behind were shocked and rushed to Zhao Yong's corpse, shaking and calling out to him repeatedly.

Why were they still chasing? Their Proprietor was dead; catching up now would be suicide.

And so, a scene of deep master-servant affection unfolded in the alley.

Xu Yuan moved through the streets and alleys like an agile, nimble leopard, making turns, breaking out of town, and quickly charging into Ghost Witch Mountain.

By the time Saint Aunt and her group arrived, Xu Yuan had long since vanished without a trace.

Saint Aunt's face turned ashen with anger. Her maidservant, steeling herself, went to examine Zhao Yong's body and retrieved the pill, presenting it to Saint Aunt. "Life-Buying Money."

"It was probably found on Huang Wanliang and refined using his Pill Cultivator methods."

"Zhao Yong was caught off guard and fell for his trick."

Saint Aunt pinched the pill, crushing it like dough. "Enter Stream level at best!"

The men from Zhao's Furs Shop were visibly stunned. If they had known the boy was only at this level, they would have pursued him relentlessly, dedicating themselves to Saint Aunt and avenging their Proprietor!

Saint Aunt cursed inwardly: An idiot, and a bunch of cowards he brought with him!

She swept her cold gaze over the men, already labeling them as "Bait" in her mind.

"Wu Haishan!" Saint Aunt called out. "You're also a Pill Cultivator. Do you have a way to catch him?"