All things fell silent, save for the chime of bells.
Chen Yuan didn't dare get too close, and he couldn't find a suitable chance to strike. All he could do was trail far behind.
The two of them left the outskirts of Funiu Mountain, one ahead of the other, and arrived in the outer district of Qingyuan County.
Chen Yuan figured that if Zhang Hong went home, he would find a chance to lie in wait and make his move. Catching him would be a great accomplishment. If no opportunity presented itself, he would return and secretly report the matter to Li Song, letting him handle it.
However, Chen Yuan noticed that Zhang Hong didn't go home. Instead, he headed to a secluded alley and stopped in front of an inconspicuous, low-roofed house. He knocked on the door in a particular rhythm.
The door opened a crack. Zhang Hong glanced behind him a few times, and, seeing nothing amiss, slipped inside.
Chen Yuan couldn't help wondering.
Was this Zhang Hong's home? It didn't look like it. A martial artist at the peak of Skin Refining wouldn't be living in a place like this.
Could he be looking to sell the precious herbs on him?
That was the only guess Chen Yuan could make, so he prepared to wait outside for a while.
If Zhang Hong really was selling them, he would have to come back out.
While he waited, Chen Yuan didn't sit idle. Capturing a martial artist at the peak of Skin Refining would be risky even with a sneak attack. If Zhang Hong reacted in time, a fierce battle would be inevitable.
That went against the principles of the Dao of Survival. Chen Yuan wasn't willing to take such a risk. He wanted to make absolutely sure of success, so he secretly prepared a little "surprise" for Zhang Hong.
Zhang Hong entered the house and sat down without ceremony.
The person across from him was still the Masked Man.
"I take it you've managed to get your hands on something valuable?" The Masked Man's voice was hoarse; it was hard to tell whether he was disguising it on purpose.
Zhang Hong wasted no time. He put his pouch on the table and opened it, revealing one fresh Stone Scale Flower after another before the Masked Man.
He said flatly, "These are precious herbs, Stone Scale Flowers. Take a look. They should be worth enough to buy that Bone-Nurturing Pill."
The Masked Man's expression remained hidden, but the way he quickly stood and carefully inspected the batch of Stone Scale Flowers showed just how much he valued them.
A moment later, the Masked Man nodded. "Not bad. They're all in decent condition. With the deposit you gave me earlier, they're enough to buy that Bone-Nurturing Pill. You'll even have a dozen or so taels of silver left over."
As he spoke, he went through a side door. When he returned, he had a wooden box and a money pouch in his hands.
He placed the box and pouch on the table and pushed them toward Zhang Hong. "Here's the Bone-Nurturing Pill you asked for, along with the remaining silver. Check the goods."
Zhang Hong's breathing quickened a little. His hands trembled as he opened the wooden box. Inside lay a plump, rounded, dark gray pill, and a heavy medicinal fragrance filled the air.
This was the Bone-Nurturing Pill he had sought for so many years!
In truth, the Bone-Nurturing Pill wasn't very cost-effective. It was far inferior to the Bone-Strengthening Pill.
Its preparation was complicated, and the precious herbs it required were costly. Few people were willing to make it, so it was rarely found on the market.
But if the Bone-Nurturing Pill existed, there was a reason for it.
Its precious value lay in its ability to mend bones and heal hidden injuries.
A few years ago, Zhang Hong had tried to break through the Bone Realm, but failed. His qi and blood had surged out of control, injuring his muscles and bones.
If he couldn't recover from his injuries, he would have no hope of reaching the Bone Realm in this lifetime. Over the past few years, he had tried all sorts of methods and wasted plenty of money, but with little to show for it.
He had also missed out on the Bone-Nurturing Pill several times because he lacked money. So now that one had appeared again, he was determined to get it, even if he had to take a risk!
If he waited any longer, his qi and blood would dwindle as he aged. Even if his injuries healed, his chances of breaking through the Bone Realm would be slim.
This might be his only chance in his entire life to break through.
For the past month, he had racked his brains and exhausted himself trying to save enough silver to buy the Bone-Nurturing Pill. In the end, he had set his sights on the Herb Garden he was responsible for guarding.
If he could find a way to take a batch of precious herbs and sell them, he would have enough silver.
But how to get them out without implicating himself had become a difficult problem.
At first, he had wanted to devise a plan that would pin all the blame on Chen Yuan.
After thinking it over and over, he realized he was trapped in a dead end. Chen Yuan wasn't a fool, and neither were the Herb Garden manager or Steward Li. There was no way he could completely clear himself.
Those who weren't willing to give anything up got nothing at all.
Once he understood that, he came up with a plan to put himself in the thick of things. He would pin most of the blame on the thieves who had attacked the Herb Garden before, while he and Chen Yuan took some of the blame. That way, he wouldn't arouse suspicion.
The whole plan would cost him less than ten taels of silver, yet bring him dozens.
When he came up with it, even he was stunned. It was a brilliant plan, with heaven, earth, and people all on his side.
That was the thing about people: pressure brought out their best.
Afterward, he had gone to his close friend Huang Yongbo to discuss the matter and refine the details. Tonight, they had carried it out perfectly, playing Chen Yuan, Steward Li, and the others for fools.
Zhang Hong contentedly shut the wooden box, then tucked the money pouch into his shirt.
The remaining silver would serve as payment for Huang Yongbo.
Pushing open the wooden door, Zhang Hong slipped out without a sound. Head lowered, he started toward home.
Chen Yuan, who had been lying in wait for a long time, saw Zhang Hong coming his way and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He didn't know which way Zhang Hong's home was, so he had gambled on the road leading to a wealthier area. Thankfully, he had guessed right.
Just as Zhang Hong briskly passed an alley entrance, Chen Yuan moved. With lightning speed, he flung the handful of lime in his hand straight at Zhang Hong's eyes.
Zhang Hong had never imagined that a sly old fox would be lying in wait there. Caught completely off guard, he took the attack head-on. His eyes burned and stung, and tears streamed down his face.
But the tears reacted with the lime, making the burning sensation in his eyes even worse. It felt as if he were going blind.
Chen Yuan was kindhearted and couldn't bear to let Zhang Hong suffer any longer. As he threw the lime, he stepped forward, dodged Zhang Hong's wild flailing, and landed a precise palm strike on his temple.
Down in one second.
Seeing Zhang Hong, whose strength might not have been any less than his own, get taken out in an instant, Chen Yuan couldn't help marveling at how satisfying it was to be the one lurking in the shadows.
Lime really was useful, too. He'd have to carry more from now on.
Whether for a sneak attack or an escape, it worked wonders.
Chen Yuan had no intention of killing him. Instead, he stuffed Zhang Hong into a sack, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and headed for the Li Family's Herb Garden on Funiu Mountain.
Zhang Hong hadn't meant to kill him. He had only wanted to frame him for his own gain.
Chen Yuan was simply returning the favor and fighting to defend what belonged to him.
Besides, in a situation like this, a living person was obviously worth more than a dead one.
As for what would happen to Zhang Hong after Chen Yuan handed him over to the Li Family, that wasn't something he needed to worry about.
He suppressed the thought of searching the body, too.
Even if he knew Zhang Hong likely had a great deal of silver or other treasures on him, he absolutely couldn't take them.
The Li Family would surely interrogate Zhang Hong. If they found the goods didn't match, they would naturally suspect Chen Yuan, and that would be more trouble than it was worth.
If he wanted to earn credit, he had to show his loyalty.
The Li Family was powerful and wealthy. If this incident left them with a good impression of him and earned him their favor, the long-term benefits would be immeasurable.
It was the same principle as not pocketing the allotted amount of supplies: don't let a small gain make you lose sight of the greater prize.
After glancing at the inconspicuous house in the distance, Chen Yuan hurried away.
Tonight was destined to be an unsettled one.
Huang Yongbo, along with the people inside that house, would all become targets of the Li Family's reckoning.
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