With Chu Ge deliberately holding back, Fu Wei, a Bone Training Realm martial artist, was still so badly injured he was nearly dead.
His two subordinates were only at the Skin Refining and Muscle Refining Realms. They posed even less of a threat to Chu Ge.
The Shadow Puppets flitted about the room, their shifting silhouettes doing little more than causing a slight obstruction.
But both men were so frightened that they didn't dare break through the encirclement. In the blink of an eye, Chu Ge had easily subdued them.
The men stared in terror as the Shadow Puppets rapidly shriveled up, then flew back onto the walls like kites pulled by invisible strings. They had never seen such fantastical, demonic methods before, and they were all terrified of Chu Ge's impassive expression.
What kind of terrifying monster had they provoked?
Why did he possess the formidable strength of the Blood Change Realm, yet lie low in Linyuan City and keep such a low profile?
Soon, all three were thrown into a corner, and Chu Ge began questioning them.
If you pulled up the weeds but left the roots, they'd grow back as soon as the spring breeze blew.
These people seemed organized and their attack premeditated. They'd had their eyes on him for some time, and he didn't know whether they had accomplices watching from outside.
Chu Ge didn't want to kill a few men, only for more to show up a couple days later and disturb the peaceful, leisurely life of a craftsman.
"Who are you people? There's no one like you in Linyuan City. Do you have any other accomplices?"
".You can't kill me. You'll bring down a huge amount of trouble on yourself. Otherwise, even your big sister from the Hidden Water Sect might not be able to protect you, hu, hu..."
Fu Wei spoke with difficulty. His internal organs were torn, and his own broken bones had punctured his lungs. Every breath brought him closer to agony and suffocation. His eyes were bloodshot, and only his desperate will to live kept him going.
"Oh? You even know about my big sister."
Chu Ge looked surprised. He'd only beaten them half to death because he'd wanted to be cautious and ask them a few questions.
He hadn't expected to learn anything useful. Could these people be enemies his big sister had made?
He gave a faint smile. "Go on, then. Who are you people, and what kind of backing do you have?"
"The Heaven and Earth Incense Cult... hu..."
Fu Wei's forehead was slick with sweat. He spoke haltingly. "I'm an outer disciple of the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult, and the boss of the Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits. Ever since the cult recruited us, we've had to pay regular tribute to them every month.
"And we already had orders from the cult to rob wealthy merchants. I...I was forced into it, too. The higher-ups told me to choose targets and rob them.
"If...if I don't deliver the tribute to the Iron Token Envoy at the stronghold this month, he'll definitely come looking for me. Then you won't escape either, because I've already handed over the list of targets for this job."
"The Heaven and Earth Incense Cult..."
Chu Ge pondered. He'd heard of this crooked sect before. They seemed to enjoy robbing wealthy merchants and had even recruited followers to openly oppose the Great Zhou, plotting rebellion.
He stared at Fu Wei, trying to judge whether he was telling the truth.
But it was hard to read a seasoned hand like him from his expression.
His smile was cool. "Where is the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult's stronghold?"
Fu Wei froze, then coughed up a mouthful of blood and sneered. "Even if I told you where it was, would you dare go? Our protector's in the Blood Change Realm, and he's learned the cult's Mysterious Power Secret Method, too. If you dare go there, I'll salute you as a real man."
"Blood Change Realm... Mysterious Power Secret Method?" Chu Ge frowned.
It did sound formidable. This was going to be a little troublesome.
By nature, he wouldn't make a move without being absolutely certain of success. He wouldn't put himself in danger without good reason.
Still, if he sacrificed the people in front of him to the Dragon Clock, along with the Mysterious Power already accumulated inside it, it should be enough to let him make some paper talismans with powerful effects using his Left Path Skill, boosting his strength.
"You don't need to provoke me. I'll ask you one more time: are you telling the truth?"
Chu Ge lowered his eyes. With a turn of his hand, a knife as thin as a cicada's wing appeared in his palm. He also took a ruler from his belt behind him.
"Y-you... what are you doing...?"
Fu Wei's eyelid twitched. "Everything I said is true. You'll bring a lot of trouble on yourself if you kill me."
"You've already handed over the list of targets. They'll find me sooner or later, so what's there to worry about?"
"You just praised my craftsmanship. Now let me show you another one of my crafts: making shadow puppets. You've got thick skin, so you'll make good material..."
The knife flashed.
"Ah—!"
No matter how tough a man Fu Wei was, Chu Ge's words alone were enough to scare him out of his wits. Now that he felt the pain as well, he let out a bloodcurdling scream.
The two subordinates had also spent years living by the sword, but the strangeness and terror they'd witnessed today surpassed anything they'd ever seen. They screamed along with him, pissing themselves in fear and regretting ever setting foot in the Chu Household that night.
A dozen breaths later.
Chu Ge held the bloodstained knife and looked at the two robbers, who'd wet themselves in terror. He smiled placidly. "He's told me almost everything. Now it's your turn. Say thank you."
"Huh?"
The two bandits were so terrified they were in a daze, their faces twisted.
"Say thank you. I'll give you a quick death!"
A short while later, three corpses lay on the ground.
Chu Ge naturally wouldn't go easy on these violent thugs who broke in at night to rob people.
But after frightening them and forcing them to talk, he'd gotten the information he wanted.
Fu Wei had indeed submitted the list of wealthy merchants to the stronghold. He'd also revealed its location and the number of experts there, and spilled everything about his men stationed outside the city.
The other two subordinates, however, knew nothing at all.
With no other choice, kindhearted Chu Ge gave them a quick death, sparing them too much suffering.
"The Heaven and Earth Incense Cult. What a nuisance. I never thought they weren't ordinary bandits. When you want the trees to be still, the wind keeps blowing...
"All I want is to quietly practice a few crafts and live like a rich young master. Why is that so hard? Now the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult has its eyes on me because I'm wealthy.
"Good thing I'm not the only one on that list."
Chu Ge pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from his hands and the knife. Looking at the four corpses on the ground, he squatted down and began searching them.
In the end, he found two fifty-tael Silver Notes and several dozen taels in loose silver on their bodies.
They'd broken into his home to rob him, only to hand him almost two hundred taels of silver.
"I'll send you off."
Chu Ge made a casual grab. The green Dragon Clock tattoo on his right wrist flashed, and Fu Wei's corpse was immediately sacrificed into the Dragon Clock.
Golden light flickered at the center of the clock, and a corpse appeared inside.
"Fu Wei: Profile: (Bone Training Realm martial artist, registered outer disciple of the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult, highly skilled in the Great Achievement stage of the Thirteen Golden Spear Forms and the Minor Achievement stage of Iron Wire Fist.)"
Soon, the others' corpses were also sent into the Dragon Clock and sacrificed.
"Liang Zhou: Profile: (Muscle Refining Realm martial artist, member of the Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits, highly skilled in the Minor Achievement stage of Iron-Splitting Palm.)"
"Wu Yong: Profile: (Skin Refining Realm martial artist, member of the Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits, highly skilled in the introductory stage of Iron Crotch Kung Fu.)"
"Wu Sheng: Profile: (Skin Refining Realm martial artist, highly skilled in the introductory stage of Iron Finger Kung Fu and the Minor Achievement stage of the Eavesdropping Divine Skill.)"
Seeing the information displayed at the center of the clock, Chu Ge silently shook his head. Aside from Fu Wei, the others were all useless.
The one who practiced Iron Crotch Kung Fu had just had his balls kicked to pieces with a single, effortless kick.
Based on the Dragon Clock's ability to extract the best traits, these men's greatest value might lie in their Martial Arts. In the end, they could all contribute the Martial Arts they'd learned.
But those Martial Arts weren't of much use to him. He'd eventually discard them and refine them into Mysterious Power, taking whatever he could get.
After dealing with the corpses perfectly, Chu Ge turned and walked over to a nearby desk, where he took out a large piece of cowhide.
After checking its thickness, he wrote down Fu Wei's measurements from earlier and marked them out, sketching a human figure.
This was the Skin Painting Technique.
He'd measured Fu Wei's height earlier, cut open his skin to check its thickness, then roughly measured the size of the hide using cowhide. It could be used to make a Shadow Puppet tailored to match him.
Since Fu Wei had truly reported the purpose of their visit, and the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult had its sights on wealthy people like him, Chu Ge had no choice but to prepare for the Iron Token Envoy.
When the time came, a Shadow Puppet modeled on Fu Wei would be extremely useful.
In the past, when Chu Ge made Shadow Puppets, he'd either base them on characters he'd imagined or model them after himself. He'd never needed to measure anyone so precisely.
These thugs had broken into his home to rob people and rape women across the four corners of the city, then delivered themselves right to his door. He didn't mind taking a little material from them while he interrogated them, then using his excellent Skin Painting Technique to make a flawless replica of Fu Wei.
Though it would only be skin deep, with poison concealed inside its body, it could still work wonders.
Judging by what Fu Wei had told him, he had at least ten days to prepare.
In ten days, Fu Wei would be due to pay his tribute.
Only when Fu Wei failed to deliver the money to the stronghold would the Iron Token Envoy realize something was wrong.
"Ten days... That's enough time to stabilize my realm and make some paper talismans infused with Mysterious Power.
"But Fu Wei still has some men outside the city. That's a problem. I'll have to deal with them."
Chu Ge's eyes flickered. He casually opened a mechanism in the room and went inside, then soaked the marked cowhide in a vat full of liquid.
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