Energy Points

Luo Yi walked up to Second Qi, who had fallen unconscious, and took out the thick hemp rope used for tying up pigs. He bound the man hand and foot.

Then he cut the man's hand and foot sinews, but still wasn't satisfied. He broke all five of the man's limbs, and only then did he finally feel better.

Even after being beaten like that, Second Qi still hadn't woken up.

Luo Yi felt a wave of lingering fear. Thankfully, he'd been quick-witted at the time; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

He searched the two Qi Family Brothers from head to toe and found two Silver Notes worth one hundred taels each, a few taels of loose silver, and a book titled Introduction to Poisons.

He didn't rush to study the manual.

Looking at the blood splattered all over the courtyard and Elder Qi's scattered innards, Luo Yi felt a headache coming on.

At that moment, Luo Xi, who had been hiding in the room, saw that her brother had driven the bad guys away and hurried into the courtyard.

"Brother! You're not hurt, are you?" After asking, Luo Xi circled around Luo Yi, checking to see if he had been injured.

"Don't worry, Xiao Xi. I'm fine. These few petty thieves were no match for me."

"By the way, why are you out so late instead of sleeping?"

"Wuu, wuu, wuu. I heard noises from the courtyard, so I secretly opened the door a crack. Then I saw you fighting several bad guys out there. I want to learn martial arts too, so I can protect you!"

He ruffled the little girl's hair. "Since you want to learn martial arts, you'll have to get used to seeing corpses. Tonight, you can help me deal with the body and clean up the bloodstains."

The two of them cleared out the haystack in the corner of the courtyard, dug a deep pit, and threw Elder Qi's corpse into it.

Just as they were about to cover it with earth, a pitch-black pearl fell out of Elder Qi's stomach.

Luo Yi jumped into the pit and examined the black pearl. As soon as he picked it up, still wondering what it was, the pearl turned into a stream of black smoke and surged into his body.

Congratulations, host, on picking up a Demon Soul Pearl. You have gained 10 Energy Points.

(Demon Soul Pearl: After a demon consumes a human, it uses its own vital essence and the deceased's soul to condense this pearl. Wearing or consuming it for a long time will cause demonic qi to devour you, gradually transforming you into a human pill that greatly nourishes demons.)

Host: Luo Yi

Age: 16

Realm: Skin Refining (Minor Accomplishment)

Skills: Basic Archery (Major Accomplishment 231/400)

Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique (Major Accomplishment 1/400)

Traits: None

Energy Points: 10 (Each Energy Point can increase skill progress by ten points)

Looking at the newly added Energy Points option on the Panel, he saw that each point could increase skill progress by ten. What a good thing!

He turned and rummaged through Elder Qi's corpse and stomach, but found nothing else like it.

Alas! Luo Yi sighed, sprang up out of the pit, filled it with earth, and put the haystack back in place.

Standing in the courtyard, he looked at the haystack covering the corpse. "Mm." Nothing seemed out of place. It looked exactly as it had before.

After burying the corpse, he began cleaning the bloodstains in the courtyard. Luo Yi drew water while Luo Xi scrubbed the ground. They worked for over ten minutes, until the blood was gone.

Looking at Second Qi, who was still unconscious, Luo Yi lifted two buckets of well water and poured them over the man's head. He showed no sign of waking.

He still wasn't waking up after all that. The poison this man had used was no ordinary stuff! Luo Yi picked up the unconscious Second Qi and threw him into his own room, planning to question him when he woke up.

Lying on the ground, he stared at the Panel message displaying "Demon Soul Pearl." How had these men ended up with something like this inside them? Had they encountered a demon while out and been forced to swallow it? Or was there some other reason?

Thinking of the man who had escaped, Luo Yi felt a powerful sense of danger!

He had ruined the demon's plans. If the man went back and reported it, and the demon came after them in person, could he and his sister escape? No. As soon as it was light, he'd take Xiao Xi to the county seat and leave this dangerous place.

Luo Yi tossed and turned on the ground, completely unable to fall asleep. Unease kept welling up inside him.

He climbed to his feet, hung his Dao at his waist, slung his bow and arrows over his back, packed the Tiger Hide, Tiger Bone, and the Tonic Medicine he'd bought into his hunting pack, then dragged the unconscious Second Qi to his sister's room.

"Knock, knock, knock. Xiao Xi, it's me. Are you asleep?"

Hearing her brother's voice, Luo Xi opened the door. Seeing him loaded down with bags, she looked puzzled.

"Brother, where are we going?"

"Xiao Xi, it's not safe here. We'll stay at Uncle Wang's for the night. Then, first thing tomorrow morning, we'll go to the county seat."

Seeing how tense her brother looked, and remembering what had happened that night, Luo Xi ran back to her room, picked up a Jade Pendant her mother had left behind, and came back out.

As soon as his sister emerged, Luo Yi took her hand and ran toward Wang Meng's house.

At Mister Li's residence, Qi the Third, who had narrowly escaped, found Butler Tang sitting in the courtyard, waiting for news.

"Butler Tang, the mission failed. My big brother died at that man's hands, and my second brother was knocked out by the poison he'd made. I don't know if he's alive or dead. I'm the only one who made it back. I hope you can spare me some men so I can go rescue my brother."

After hearing Qi the Third's account, Butler Tang stood up.

"I can't make this decision myself. Let me report to Master first."

Walking into the gloomy, sinister rear courtyard, Butler Tang couldn't help shivering.

"Knock, knock, knock. Master! Master!"

Mister Li, who had been sleeping soundly, was roused by the noise outside. He got dressed and opened the door.

"Old Tang, what is it at this hour? Couldn't it wait until tomorrow?"

"Reporting to Master, this afternoon your subordinate learned that Luo Wei's niece was very likely an Extremely Yin Maiden. So I sent the Qi Family Brothers to bring her back tonight."

"Who would have thought the three of them wouldn't be a match for Luo Wei's nephew? Elder Qi died at that man's hands, and Second Qi fell into his hands. We don't know if he's alive or dead. Only Qi the Third escaped and came to beg for help, asking us to send the guards from the residence with him to rescue his second brother."

After hearing the steward's report, Mister Li asked, "Did the three of them reveal their identities?"

"No! Nobody knows who we are." Qi the Third, who had been waiting outside the courtyard and hadn't seen Butler Tang come out, barged straight into the inner courtyard.

A murderous glint flashed in Mister Li's eyes as he looked at Qi the Third, who had charged inside.

"All the guards in my residence combined are no match for the three of you. You three still fell into that man's hands. If I sent all my guards over, wouldn't I just be sending them to their deaths?"

"This... this... this!" After hearing Mister Li's explanation,

Qi the Third lost his wits and hurried toward the side room where Lady lived. Just as he was about to knock,

Lady, transformed into a demon, burst out of the room. Her mouth stretched all the way to the back of her head as she lunged to bite Qi the Third's head.

Seeing the huge mouth snapping at him, Qi the Third drew the chopping knife at his waist and swung it at Lady in her demonic form.