Eight Hundred Silver Taels, the Master is Shocked!

"He's dead... Master is dead!!"

The short-haired youth's gaze was vacant, his body trembling like chaff in the wind. He had never expected that his master, a martial artist in the Bone Refining Realm, would die so easily.

Moreover, he had died at the hands of the very same Tendon Refining martial artist he had crossed blades with just moments ago!

"How is this possible? How can this be..."

The short-haired youth muttered to himself, unable to accept the reality.

Yet, he had witnessed the clash between his master and Liu Chu with his own eyes. He had seen his master fall into a disadvantage, be suppressed, have an arm severed, and finally be decapitated by a single sword strike!

These facts were undeniable, no matter how much he refused to believe them!

"No, it's impossible!"

"This isn't real, it's absolutely impossible. How could Master die so easily—"

The truth lay right before him, but the short-haired youth still refused to believe it.

Or rather, he refused to accept it!

He refused to accept his own impending death!!

"I'm going to kill you—"

The short-haired youth's eyes turned bloodshot. In his desperation, he unleashed one final, suicidal charge toward Liu Chu.

To this, Liu Chu responded with only a single slash!

A dazzling, brilliant flash of blade light suddenly bloomed.

A vibrant, burning life was extinguished in an instant!

Clean and decisive, he sheathed his blade.

Liu Chu said calmly, "Clean up the bodies!"

Han Qi and the other disciples of the Black Dragon Gang finally stepped forward, beginning to loot the spoils and gather the corpses for burial.

"Was the gang leader's fight with this man too intense? Is this guy really just a Tendon Refining martial artist?"

Some gang disciples whispered to each other while clearing the bodies.

"It really doesn't look like a Tendon Refining martial artist. After all, the gang leader once killed the leader of the Wild Wolf Gang in six strikes, and that guy was supposedly a Tendon Refining martial artist."

"Could it be that the person the gang leader just killed was a Bone Refining martial artist?"

"Hiss, killing a Bone Refining martial artist... that can't be, right?"

"Hard to say. Look at who our gang leader is. He only needed six strikes to kill a Tendon Refining expert; it's not impossible for him to kill a Bone Refining expert!"

"That makes sense. Perhaps this really was a Bone Refining expert!"

The few gang disciples exchanged low whispers, their hearts filled with uncertainty and shock. They felt that the expert their leader had just killed was very likely a Bone Refining expert!!

That was a Bone Refining expert!

And he had been killed so easily by their own gang leader!

Their awe and reverence for their leader deepened even further; they admired him to the point of prostration.

"Gang Leader, these are the valuables found on them. Please take a look!"

Han Qi presented the looted spoils: "I've counted them. There are six hundred taels in silver notes, as well as two bottles of pills. I'm not sure what they are."

"Six hundred taels... With this, the two hundred taels needed for the Treasure Fish are covered, and there are four hundred taels left over. I can use them to cultivate the Yanglian Technique!"

Liu Chu tucked away the silver notes and picked up the two porcelain bottles. Upon opening them, he saw one red pill and one black pill.

However, the bottles had no labels indicating their names or effects.

"These must be the poison that Senior Brother Lin Bei was struck with..."

Liu Chu guessed to himself.

He didn't waste time trying to identify the pills and simply instructed Han Qi to dispose of the bodies properly.

Afterward, he went alone to the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Hall.

Inside the hall, Yang Wenhuai was still fretting over how to treat Lin Bei.

He stood guard by the bedside, watching Lin Bei, who was still frowning in his unconscious state. His expression was haggard: "I've invited almost every doctor in Zhaojiang City over the past few days, yet none can neutralize the poison in Lin Bei's body. Do I really have to ask the Qianjin Divine Doctor for help?"

His face showed his inner struggle. Thinking of the exorbitant price that divine doctor charged for treatment, he couldn't help but frown.

Just then, a knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh, it's Liu Chu. You've come to see me—is there something you need to ask?"

Yang Wenhuai opened the door and asked, his expression weary upon seeing Liu Chu.

"Master, I found two bottles of pills on Gu Hualong. Perhaps they can neutralize the deadly poison in Senior Brother Lin Bei's body."

Liu Chu took out two bottles of medicinal pills directly.

"Hmm? Pills?"

Yang Wenhuai took the porcelain bottles in a daze, but a moment later, he suddenly frowned, realizing the crux of the matter, and widened his eyes: "Are you saying that you obtained two bottles of pills from my traitorous junior brother?!"

Liu Chu nodded.

"That's impossible, my junior brother would never give you these pills... could it be!"

Yang Wenhuai's eyes erupted with shock and suspicion as he stared fixedly at Liu Chu, a bold guess forming in his mind!

Liu Chu, however, remained calm and said indifferently: "Master, your blade was not sharp enough, so this disciple cleaned up the sect for you. I hope you do not blame me."

"This... how is this possible!?"

Yang Wenhuai paid no attention to words like "blade not sharp enough," "cleaned up the sect," or "do not blame me." What he cared about was that the meaning behind Liu Chu's words confirmed his suspicions!

Liu Chu had actually killed Gu Hualong!!

How could this be!!

Gu Hualong was a Bone Refining Realm expert!!

Liu Chu was only at the Tendon Refining Realm; how could he possibly kill a Bone Refining expert!

Yang Wenhuai was stunned for a long while before he finally reacted, asking in disbelief: "You... did you really kill him?"

"Does Master wish to handle his corpse personally? I will arrange for someone to bring it over later."

Liu Chu suddenly slapped his forehead, almost forgetting that Yang Wenhuai and Gu Hualong were fellow disciples after all; the body should not be disposed of carelessly.

But fortunately, a corpse is not that easy to dispose of; even if buried in a pit, it could always be dug back up.

Hearing that Liu Chu intended to bring over Gu Hualong's body, Yang Wenhuai finally calmed down, concluding that Liu Chu was not joking.

"I never imagined that in just a few short months, you would have cultivated such strength, actually being able to slay a Bone Refining expert!!"

Yang Wenhuai sighed with deep emotion.

Previously, to protect Liu Chu, he had exchanged several blows with Gu Hualong and knew clearly that his strength was not the type like Luo Qingyue, who possessed the realm but lacked actual combat ability.

And yet, such a Bone Refining expert with formidable combat power had been killed by Liu Chu...

Even though Yang Wenhuai had recovered from his shock, his heart remained far from calm!

"Master, you should first check these two bottles of pills to see if any can cure Senior Brother Lin Bei."

Liu Chu reminded him.

"Yes, yes, yes, I almost forgot the important matter!"

Yang Wenhuai hurriedly began to examine the pills, but he clearly could not distinguish the effects of the two bottles, and only after using a dog for an experiment did he finally figure out the difference.

One bottle contained poison, while the other was the antidote.

After feeding the antidote to Lin Bei and seeing his complexion improve and his tightly furrowed brows relax, Yang Wenhuai finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Although Lin Bei had not yet regained consciousness, he was basically out of danger; waking up was only a matter of time.

"Liu Chu, this time it is truly thanks to you, otherwise your Senior Brother Lin Bei might not have survived this ordeal!"

Yang Wenhuai wiped the sweat from his forehead, his expression weary, yet he revealed a smile.

"It was a small effort, as long as I could help Master."

Liu Chu also smiled.

Although Yang Wenhuai had not provided him with much help, he was, at the very least, his guide who had pointed him toward cultivation, and after seeing his strength, he had already prepared to pass the Jinding Technique to him once he broke through to the Bone Refining Realm.

"Wait a moment!"

Seeing that Liu Chu was about to leave, Yang Wenhuai called out to him, then returned to his bedroom and took out a stack of banknotes.

"This is..."

Liu Chu was surprised and looked at Yang Wenhuai.

Yang Wenhuai explained with a chuckle: "Since you now possess the strength to kill a Bone Refining expert, and your Yanglian Technique has already reached perfection, you must have made up your mind to cultivate a new Yanglian Technique."

"The resources required to cultivate a second Yanglian Technique are not a small sum. Take these two hundred taels of silver; it will be of help to your cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Liu Chu instinctively tried to decline.

But Yang Wenhuai's attitude was firm: "I am old and no longer have the chance to break through to the Neizhuang Realm. Over these years of running the martial arts school, I have earned quite a bit of money. This money was meant for talented disciples like you to use for cultivation."

"Take it. All these years, I have carried the hatred of my sect's destruction, not daring to marry or have children. I have no family, and this money has nowhere else to go."

Seeing this, Liu Chu no longer declined.

After the battle with Gu Hualong, he had indeed felt the diminishing advantage of his perfected technique and had made up his mind to cultivate a second Yanglian Technique!

It could be said that he was in dire need of silver at this very moment.