Stabbed

Chapter 40: Taking a Blade

Thousand Mechanism Hall, Kunlun Mirror.

Watching the black blood submerge Luo Qiuzhen, Ning Ye let out a sigh of relief.

This was the Corpse Rot Poison of the Wood Puppet Sect he had specifically requested from Wang Sen; it rotted the foundation and eroded the spirit, making it nearly impossible to save those afflicted.

Having been struck by this poison, Luo Qiuzhen was essentially a dead man.

With this trouble resolved, Ning Ye could now prepare to steal the Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment.

However, before that, he had one more thing to do: conceal the wounds on his body.

The blade strike from Li Baidao had been too vicious and fierce, with the mana invading his body to the point where it could not heal in the short term.

Fortunately, he had been wearing the Death Soul Mask at the time. The mask had blocked the blade, keeping his face uninjured, though the mask itself had been damaged.

Even so, the injury still hindered his movements; anyone with a keen eye would be able to tell he was wounded.

He had to find a way to cover up this problem quickly.

Therefore, seeing that Luo Qiuzhen had been struck, Ning Ye did not waste any more time. He exited the Thousand Mechanism Hall and headed straight for Heavenly Collection Peak.

As a marketplace, Heavenly Collection Peak was the liveliest place, and because it involved buying and selling interests, disputes were common; it could arguably be considered the most unstable place in the world. It was just that Ning Ye had always kept a low profile, selling his finished talismans directly to shops at low prices, so he hadn't attracted any trouble.

This time, however, it was different.

Arriving at the market, Ning Ye didn't mince words. He found an empty spot, set up his stall, and began selling talismans.

He marked the prices extremely high, demanding ten spirit stones for a single Ninth Grade Human Rank Talisman.

The price of talisman paper generally depended on the difficulty of production and the grade. An ordinary Ninth Grade Human Rank Talisman usually cost only one spirit stone, while those like the Light Escape Talisman, which were extremely difficult to craft, only fetched six or seven spirit stones even at the ninth grade.

But Ning Ye was displaying ordinary talisman paper and pricing them at ten spirit stones, immediately drawing the mockery of a crowd.

Someone with a sharp tongue blurted out, "Has this guy gone crazy trying to get rich? How could he ask for such a high price?"

Ning Ye didn't hold back either, retorting directly, "Mind your own business. If you can't afford it, get lost."

"Damn it!" Seeing Ning Ye speak so arrogantly, someone flared up on the spot.

Ning Ye was just preparing for his opponent to strike, but to his surprise, the man was held back by his companion: "Forget it, forget it. Don't get worked up over a guy like this."

Just like that, they dragged the man away.

This left Ning Ye feeling incredibly helpless.

He had offended several people in a row, yet the battle he was expecting never happened, leaving Ning Ye feeling utterly speechless.

Since when were the people of the Black and White Divine Palace so even-tempered?

Just as he was feeling disappointed, a pair of thick, sturdy feet appeared before him: "Hey, kid, have you paid the fee for setting up a stall here?"

"Hmm?" Ning Ye looked up at the person.

The newcomer was someone he had seen before—the man from the Trial Battlefield who had performed well, possessed a cold, sharp gaze, and had a conspicuous hooked nose.

Ning Ye still remembered that the technique he had obtained back then was a blade art.

This is perfect, I need someone who uses a blade.

Ning Ye said directly, "Get lost!"

The Hook-Nosed Man was clearly stunned.

There was a protection fee in the market. It wasn't that he wanted to extort people, but it was a rule that had long been established here. Any disciple within the Cang Xiang Realm had to pay something; unless their sect was as powerful as the Twelve Heavenly Dippers, even disciples of the Human Demon had to show some respect. After all, this territory belonged to the subordinates of several big shots, and he was collecting the protection fee under orders from above. As long as he wasn't excessive, there was usually no resistance.

Finding someone so stubborn for once, the Hook-Nosed Man was actually amused: "Kid, you've got guts."

As he spoke, he reached out to grab Ning Ye.

Ning Ye was waiting for exactly this. Just as he prepared to make a move, a hand from the side blocked the Hook-Nosed Man: "Lv Yi, are you bullying a newcomer again?"

Ning Ye saw that the person intervening was also someone he had seen before—the square-faced, big-eared man who had obtained the Golden Armor defense in the Trial Killing Field.

It was a pity that although this person had come out to uphold justice, Ning Ye had no need for it, and could only curse in his heart: Who asked you to meddle in other people's business?

Blocked in his attempt to strike, Lv Yi looked at the other man and shouted angrily, "Zhang Dasheng, are you meddling in my business again? Collecting protection fees in the market is a rule formed by the Black and White Divine Palace over the last thousand years, and I am acting on behalf of Senior Brother Kong."

Zhang Dasheng snorted coldly: "Yes, I understand the rules, but I also know that you've always relied on Senior Brother Kong's reputation to act like a tyrant. If you didn't overcharge, people wouldn't refuse to pay."

Damn it, you only heard half of what happened. You don't even know the situation, do you?

Lv Yi wanted to say that he hadn't even had a chance to quote a price before the other guy told him to get lost, but if he explained, he would lose his momentum. He glared at Zhang Dasheng: "Do I need you to manage how I do things? Get lost!"

Zhang Dasheng simply stood there, refusing to budge.

Ning Ye was almost in despair.

I just want to take a blade strike, is that so hard? I actively look for trouble and get intercepted?

This Zhang Dasheng was actually a decent person, but unfortunately, a good person was the last thing he needed right now.

Everyone in the Black and White Divine Palace was an enemy. The more "good people" there were, the more his killing intent would waver, making him hesitate to strike.

Therefore, Zhang Dasheng's benevolence was not a good thing for him; it was a shackle. Dissatisfied in his heart but unable to show it, and seeing both sides at daggers drawn yet refusing to yield, Ning Ye's thoughts raced as he tapped his foot slightly.

The Body Killing Blade allowed every part of his body to become a blade. With a flick of his toe, he released a strand of blade qi, piercing directly into Lv Yi's foot.

Lv Yi did not expect anyone to strike at this moment; feeling a sharp pain in his foot, he let out a strange cry and leaped up, his blade already drawn.

Ning Ye's strike was extremely stealthy. Zhang Dasheng did not see Ning Ye move, only seeing Lv Yi draw his blade, and assuming he was about to attack him, he let out a cry as a Golden Light Shield appeared around his body.

In the instant those two were about to clash, Ning Ye rushed out and shoved Zhang Dasheng away.

Swish!

The blade light had already struck Ning Ye.

This strike was both vicious and heavy. Blood splattered across Ning Ye's robes; not only did his old wounds flare up, but he had also sustained new ones, leaving even Lv Yi stunned.

Since when did my Wind-Slaying Blade have such power?

Zhang Dasheng was also shocked, rushing over to support Ning Ye: "Hey, are you alright?"

Ning Ye's legs went soft, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. This was no act; he forced a smile and said: "I'm fine, I won't die."

Seeing that someone had taken action, a large crowd gathered from all sides to watch the commotion.

Lv Yi also felt a bit uneasy.

Collecting protection fees was one thing, but injuring someone was a different matter. If this blew up, he would surely face some trouble.

Zhang Dasheng was still lamenting: "I'm telling you, are you stupid? I have the Golden Light Shield to protect me; his blade couldn't have hurt me. You don't have that defensive technique, why go and take the hit?"

A trace of a smile squeezed onto Ning Ye's face: "My business has nothing to do with you."

Zhang Dasheng was taken aback, then looked at him with newfound respect: "You're a real man, I, Zhang Dasheng, admire you!"

Damn it, who wants your admiration?

Ning Ye couldn't be bothered to deal with him. He glanced at Lv Yi and said: "Senior Brother Lv's Wind-Slaying Blade is truly formidable. Ning Ye admits he is no match, so I will not set up my stall here anymore."

With that, he packed up his talisman stall and left directly.

Seeing that the other party did not want to escalate things and was willing to take the loss, Lv Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

Having achieved his goal, Ning Ye felt a surge of satisfaction.

He hadn't walked far when he saw someone running up from behind.

"Brother Ning Ye, wait a moment!"

Turning his head, he saw that it was Zhang Dasheng chasing after him.

Why are you chasing me? Ning Ye was speechless.

"What is it?" he asked.

Zhang Dasheng stopped in his tracks: "Regardless of anything else, you took that blade for me. Take this bottle of healing medicine; it will help you recover faster."

Looking at the medicine in Zhang Dasheng's hand, then looking at Zhang Dasheng himself, Ning Ye thought for a moment before finally shaking his head: "Thank you, but no need."

He did not want to become friends with anyone from the Black and White Divine Palace, so he declined Zhang Dasheng's kindness and departed.

"Hey!" Zhang Dasheng shouted. Watching Ning Ye leave, he couldn't help but scratch his scalp: "This guy is really a bit strange."