Putting on a Show?!

Wurong County!

Anping Ward, northern corner!

Though this place belonged to Wurong County, it was tucked away in a remote area. Most who lived here were ordinary lower-class commoners, down-and-out martial artists, or idle folk who did not wish to draw attention.

The streets and alleys here were old and mottled, the houses and courtyards scattered in disorder, and the dirt roads pitted and uneven. The area was quiet and deserted all year round.

Even beneath the daylight, few pedestrians could be seen on the streets, and everywhere lay a bleak, desolate air.

Not to mention now, as night gradually deepened and dusk shrouded the land. Darkness seeped through the streets and alleys, and not even a single human shadow could be seen nearby.

At that moment, two furtive figures lay in wait at a dark street corner not far from the secluded courtyard where Chen An lived.

Both wore neat black combat attire, tight-fitting with bound sleeves. Their auras were restrained to the utmost, yet their bodies radiated a fierce, ruthless bandit-like air.

One had a grim, sinister face. A savage scar wound from his left forehead to his jaw, cutting across the entire side of his face and making his gaze seem even gloomier and colder.

The other was short and stocky, broad-shouldered and thick-backed, with a face full of flesh. One look was enough to tell he was no good man.

The two crouched low, staring fixedly at the courtyard's wooden gate. The short, stocky man spoke in a low voice. "Brother Heng, it's dark. Shall we make our move?"

"What the hell are you in such a hurry for?" The scarred man shot him a cold glance.

"I'm in a hurry! I made an appointment with Zhihua at Spring Delight House tonight. If I get there late, someone else might beat me to her!"

Anxiousness colored the stocky man's voice. "Brother Heng, aren't we just dealing with some guy at the second level of Qi Condensation? With our skills, wouldn't that be as easy as taking something out of our pockets? Do we need to be this cautious?"

"Laosan, I've told you long ago—what you must avoid most when doing things is letting your heart float and your temper boil!"

Brother Heng's expression darkened as he cast Gao Laosan a cold glance. "This job may pay five hundred yuan crystals, but the target is a registered student of the county academy. The county examination is in two days. If this gets exposed, neither of us will be able to bear the consequences!"

"Then... Brother Heng, what should we do?" Hearing this, a trace of hesitation flashed across Gao Laosan's face.

"Look at that courage of yours. Scared?"

Seeing Gao Laosan's timid expression, a flicker of contempt passed through Brother Heng's eyes.

If not to guard against the unexpected—and because this fellow had always been obedient, had no brains to speak of, and possessed cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Condensation—he would never have brought him along for this job.

"Relax. I've already investigated. That brat has no family or friends and lives alone. As long as we're careful and don't expose our identities, nothing will happen!" Brother Heng added.

After a pause, Brother Heng's tone abruptly turned harsh. "And after we finish this, don't let your brain heat up and go running to Spring Delight House. Get out of the city and lie low for a few days. Once the county examination is over and the storm settles, come back and enjoy yourself. Got it?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Brother Heng. I'll listen to you!" Gao Laosan nodded repeatedly.

Brother Heng looked up at the silent, empty surroundings, his eyes flickering. He rose to his feet and tied a strip of black cloth over his face as he said coldly, "Enough. Time to work. Put your masks on properly. If we show our faces, this will become a losing deal!"

Seeing this, Gao Laosan did not dare delay. He too took out a piece of black cloth and tied it over his face, his eyes gleaming viciously as he stared at the courtyard ahead.

"Move!"

Brother Heng said no more. With a wave of his hand, he took the lead in quickly closing in on Chen An's small courtyard.

Though the courtyard was surrounded by an earthen wall around ten feet high, in the Great Luo Dynasty, where martial customs flourished and martial artists were everywhere, such a low wall could at most keep out gentlemen. To martial artists with cultivation like them, it was no different from nothing and could not stop them in the slightest.

Without even a running start, the two let their true qi ripple faintly beneath their feet. With light, effortless leaps, they cleanly vaulted over the earthen wall and landed without a sound.

The instant they landed in the courtyard, they bent low and restrained their auras. Their wary gazes swept over the entire small courtyard before they moved softly and carefully toward the tightly shut door.

When they reached the door, Brother Heng first placed a hand against it and gave it a gentle push. Seeing that it did not move, he showed no impatience.

He precisely covered the spot where the door bolt lay with his palm. True qi quietly circulated within him and slowly flowed into his fingertips.

Crack—!

An extremely faint, crisp sound rang out.

The thick wooden bolt snapped at once.

The tightly shut door trembled lightly with the force, letting out a hoarse creak as it slowly opened a pitch-black gap.

Seeing the door give way, satisfaction flashed through Brother Heng's eyes. He then gently pushed the door open with his hand.

Just as Brother Heng and Gao Laosan were about to step inside to search for their target, a figure sat quietly before a wooden table in the hall, hidden within the shadows of the dim room.

In the deep night, the figure raised his eyes. Those eyes, faintly glimmering with silver light, fixed coldly upon the two men who had broken in, carrying a trace of casual mockery.

In an instant, an inexplicable chill shot up their spines to the tops of their heads. Their previous ferocity and smugness froze on their faces.

"How was that?"

"Surprised? Was it unexpected?"

Chen An sat at the table, his gaze lightly sweeping over the two black-clad figures who had forced their way in. Silver light flickered in his eyes as a detached curve touched his lips.

With his current Grandmaster Realm cultivation, he had already taken everything in when the two had been lying in wait and talking at the street corner.

He had also seen at a glance that they were merely Qi Condensation Realm martial artists. To him now, they were like ants.

Thus, though he had discovered them long ago, he had merely sat quietly and deliberately allowed them to climb over the wall, enter the courtyard, and pry apart the door bolt. He wanted to see just how much nerve these two desperadoes truly had.

"You..."

Though there was no lamp in the room, with his late-stage Qi Condensation cultivation, Brother Heng could barely see in the dark. He quickly discovered that the man sitting inside as if waiting for them was actually their target—Chen An!

Not only had the other party not gone to sleep, he was sitting quietly in the room, as though he had known they were coming and had simply waited there for them to arrive.

Was he highly skilled and bold?

Or was he putting on a show after discovering them?!

In that instant, Brother Heng's heart sank sharply, and a layer of cold sweat sprang up across his back. For a moment, uncertainty churned in his heart.

However, Brother Heng had carried out such underhanded dealings for years, and his courage was not small. He quickly steadied himself and calmed down.

He focused and sensed carefully, soon noticing that Chen Ning's aura was thin and weak, without any deep martial foundation. It perfectly matched the second level of Qi Condensation cultivation they had investigated.

His taut heart instantly settled. All caution faded from his eyes, replaced by ruthlessness and scorn.

So he was only putting on a show. I almost got scared!

Thinking of how he had nearly been frightened just now, a vicious gleam rose in Brother Heng's eyes. In a hoarse voice, he said,

"You brat, you're quite alert. Since you spotted us long ago, there's no need to keep putting on an act."

He stepped forward, and the aura of late-stage Qi Condensation slowly spread from his body. Deliberately radiating pressure, he said with a face full of brutality, "Originally, the employer only ordered us to break your legs and cripple your cultivation. But because you deliberately tried to scare me just now, I've changed my mind!"

"Tonight, I won't just cripple your cultivation and break your legs. I'll break your hands too, destroy those pair of eyes of yours, and turn you into a cripple who drags out a miserable existence for the rest of his life!"