Counter-Kill

The skinny one clutched his head and yelped, "Then where do we go to lie in wait?"

The fat one stroked his chin, pondering aloud, "This area, within a dozen miles..."

"Xiaoqing Town is the only relatively large town. We'll use Xiaoqing Town as our base and inquire in the surrounding villages."

"The Heaven's Mystery Rankings said that Shen Yi is skilled with a blade."

"This is a remote and impoverished area with few martial artists passing through. A young swordsman should stand out."

"We'll ask the villagers if they've seen a young man with a sword. We're sure to get something."

The fat one spoke eloquently.

The skinny one, however, stared blankly ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing the skinny one's expression, the fat one felt a surge of anger and slapped him on the back of the head.

"Listen when I'm talking!"

"What are you spacing out about!"

The skinny one yelped again, clutching the back of his head and pointing at the stall across the street.

"Ow, ow, Boss, don't hit me."

"Look, isn't that the guy you were just talking about?"

The fat one was suddenly stunned.

He slowly turned his head to look in the direction the skinny one was pointing.

He saw a young man sitting in the corner of the eatery across the street, eating flatbread and drinking congee with gusto.

He was dressed in tight-fitting black.

A thick-backed, sheathed saber hung at his waist.

His aura was outstanding and sharp.

Definitely a young swordsman.

The fat one instantly felt his breathing quicken. This, this person! In all likelihood, it was Shen Yi!

The wanted criminal from the Pacification Office with a bounty of a thousand taels!

A walking treasure in the eyes of bounty hunters!

In general, the Pacification Office's external bounties only reached a thousand taels for experts at the Innate Realm or above.

However, Shen Yi was different.

First, he betrayed the Pacification Office.

Then, he ascended the Heaven's Mystery Rankings in a short period of time. This was practically a public execution, slapping the Pacification Office's face in front of all the martial artists in the world.

Therefore, the bounty increased again and again.

Far exceeding other wanted criminals of the same cultivation level.

And those bounty hunters who felt they were strong enough were eager to take action, wanting to snatch Shen Yi's fortune.

The fat one and the skinny one were famous bounty hunters in Jianghuai Commandery, having studied at the Vajra Sect in their early years.

But only as lay disciples.

Later, they felt that the life of a Buddhist was too bland, so they returned to secular life and made a living in the jianghu.

They earned the nickname "Fat and Thin Kongos."

Both of them were first-rate experts, and they cooperated seamlessly. Even against an Acquired Realm expert, they might not be unable to fight.

Therefore, they were also eager for Shen Yi's bounty.

They didn't expect to actually stumble upon him.

The fat one pressed down on the skinny one's hand and whispered, "That must be Shen Yi, don't act rashly."

"Let's follow him from a distance and wait for the opportunity!"

"Okay..." The skinny one immediately retracted his hand, pretending to nonchalantly munch on peanuts.

On the other side, Shen Yi finished feeding his stomach.

He got up and left.

Several gazes from all directions followed him closely.

His eyes narrowed.

He thought he had been careful, crossing mountains and ridges, but he didn't expect to be targeted as soon as he entered the town?

He remained calm.

With one hand on the hilt of his sword, he walked out of the eatery at a leisurely pace.

He had originally intended to rest in Xiaoqing Town for two days.

Looks like that won't work.

He has to keep moving.

Tsk, Shen Yi thought to himself, am I destined to be a wanderer, exposed to the elements and drifting through the wilderness?

It sounds a bit down on his luck, but there's a certain artistic flair to it.

But he still needs to lure out the tails behind him first, otherwise, no matter where he goes, his whereabouts will always be exposed.

Shen Yi entered from the south of the town.

And exited from the north.

He passed through the bustling streets of the town, briefly enjoying the rare sense of everyday life, but unfortunately, he hurried past it.

And plunged back into the wilderness.

The midday sun was scorching.

Casting countless dappled shadows in the shade of the trees.

Shen Yi's figure, clad in black, flickered in the dense forest, now visible, now hidden, like a silent ghost.

Suddenly, in an instant.

Shen Yi's figure seemed to have vanished completely.

"Where'd he go?"

Several hushed voices echoed in the jungle.

Figures flitted about, looking around, talking in low voices, each trying to find Shen Yi's trail.

Just as the trackers were getting frustrated.

A fierce wave of saber energy descended from the sky.

The long saber stirred up a hurricane, moving like a thunderbolt, spreading out layers upon layers of saber shadows.

Shen Yi held his saber, looking like a celestial being descending to earth.

"Shen Yi!"

The trackers only had time to cry out in alarm before the saber's edge, as swift as lightning, flashed across their necks.

"Slain a second-rate martial artist..."
"Reward: Two years and four months of secluded cultivation..."

These people had all discovered Shen Yi's whereabouts and rushed over to become bounty hunters.

They were willing to risk their lives for the reward.

Shen Yi, therefore, drew his saber without hesitation or concern; life and death are determined by fate.

Everyone must pay the price for their choices, no matter how rashly they made this fatal decision in the first place.

Shen Yi didn't even notice the faces of those who died by his hand, as he shot off like an arrow...

Charging towards the next pursuer.

In the blink of an eye.

Cold Night had claimed another soul.

The other bounty hunters in the jungle barely had time to react, shouting loudly, "This guy's tough!"

"Let's get him together!"

The crowd wielded axes, yokes, hooks, spears, and all sorts of strange weapons, their energy surging, sweeping through the bushes, stirring up flying leaves.

Although there were several of them.

Shen Yi, facing multiple opponents, was not afraid at all. His thick-backed saber seemed to cut through the invisible air, instantly plunging into the crowd.

Instantly, the energy surged.

The saber light, like the darkness of night, flew and danced wildly through the jungle.

The sounds of metal clashing were as rapid as drumbeats, blood splattering like falling red petals.

Mixed with terrified voices and screams.

Making the jungle, with its chaotic figures, even more deep and terrifying.

But none of this could disturb Shen Yi.

He only cared about killing.

Killing all those who tried to kill him.

Clang!

The violent wind stopped.

Shen Yi suddenly sheathed his saber.

The three remaining figures standing around him crashed to the ground with a thud, stirring up fine dust.

[Seclusion] Remaining: 11 years and 2 months

Shen Yi took a deep breath. His seclusion time had increased dramatically, going from almost nothing to overflowing.

He was now starting to think that being wanted might not be such a bad thing.

His seclusion time could always remain abundant, allowing him to seclude himself and study more martial arts.

Further out in the forest.

The "Fat and Thin Kongos" were perched on a towering ancient tree, observing the situation through the gaps in the branches and leaves.

They had witnessed Shen Yi's transformation into a killing god.

They had seen the scene of him slaughtering the group of hired thugs.

The skinny one muttered:

"Damn, he's ruthless."

"Big Brother, this kid is vicious!"

"His blade strikes are decisive, without the slightest hesitation. And his swordsmanship is so strong. Should we really go through with this?"

The fat one's heart was also pounding.

Although they were both top-tier experts, and could coordinate to unleash a combined strength greater than the sum of their parts.

Shen Yi's power was simply too overwhelming.

It naturally suppressed them, and they would already be at a disadvantage psychologically if they fought him.

They weren't confident.

The fat one was pondering whether they should just retreat.

They took on this job for money.

But it wasn't worth losing their lives for money. Even losing an arm or a leg wasn't worth it.

Moreover, a genius who could make it onto the Qilin Rankings couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.

Suddenly.

He blinked.

Shen Yi, who had been standing still in the forest, had vanished again.

An indescribable sense of dread surged into his mind, making his scalp tingle. He shouted angrily:

"We're exposed!"

"Retreat!"