Backstab (Please Follow)

"Brother Qin."

Zhao Youming's voice sounded by Qin Xiangnan's ear.

Qin Xiangnan's figure paused slightly.

Zhao Youming's voice continued:

"Help us kill Wang Mengde. Once it's done, you can take half of all the Azure Jade Ghost Carp."

Qin Xiangnan narrowed his eyes slightly.

He did not turn around.

The skiff continued racing forward.

He silently used a sound-transmission technique to reply, "All right."

A hint of a smile curled Zhao Youming's lips.

He looked at Zhou Lie and Sun He, giving a slight nod.

The three kept impassive faces, but their hands quietly reached into their robes.

They silently activated their attack talismans.

Wang Mengde controlled the spirit boat as it sped onward.

Suddenly, Qin Xiangnan's voice sounded by his ear.

"Mengde, be careful. Zhao Youming and the other two just sent me a message—they're preparing to make a move on you."

Wang Mengde's eyes flickered slightly.

His heart turned cold.

Sure enough.

Just as he had expected.

Zhao Youming and the others truly harbored ill intent.

Not just them.

He did not entirely trust Qin Xiangnan either.

Having lived two lives, he had seen far too many people turn on each other over profit.

Before sufficient gain, even fathers and sons, husbands and wives, could turn against one another as enemies—let alone friends.

That was also why he had given Qin Xiangnan a full fourteen Azure Jade Ghost Carp.

First, because their relationship was the best.

Second, to win him over.

Fourteen Azure Jade Ghost Carp—nearly half the haul.

Now, it seemed his generosity had paid off.

Wang Mengde remained expressionless and continued urging the skiff onward.

Yet spiritual light silently circulated within his eyes.

Spirit Eye Technique.

He did not look back, merely sweeping his peripheral vision across Zhao Youming and the other two.

With the Spirit Eye Technique at its peak, his gaze could see through things clearly.

His eyes pierced through their clothing and bodies, clearly seeing the spiritual power within the three of them surging wildly.

Their hands hidden in their robes were tightly clutching talismans.

Spiritual power was pouring into the talismans.

The spirit patterns on the talismans were lighting up bit by bit.

Wang Mengde's gaze turned cold.

Without the slightest hesitation.

His hands suddenly formed seals.

Entwining Silk Technique.

Countless threads of spiritual power shot wildly from his fingertips, like a spiderweb blanketing the sky, instantly enveloping Zhao Youming, Zhou Lie, and Sun He.

"What?"

Zhao Youming's expression changed drastically.

He struggled desperately, spiritual power erupting wildly from within him as he tried to break free of the threads.

But the threads were unimaginably tough.

The more he struggled, the tighter they wound around him.

Zhou Lie and Sun He were likewise deathly pale. They frantically circulated their spiritual power, yet could not break free at all.

The threads had already cut into their flesh, blood seeping out.

Wang Mengde pulled three talismans from his robes with his other hand.

Golden Arrow Talismans.

Spiritual power poured into them.

Three streaks of golden light condensed at his fingertips.

Zhao Youming's pupils shrank sharply as he cried out in terror:

"Wang Mengde, what are you doing? We're neighbors! We only had a few minor conflicts before, but wasn't everything fine?"

Even his voice trembled:

"Spare me. I don't want the Azure Jade Ghost Carp anymore. When we get back, I'll apologize to you. I have spirit stones at home too—I'll give them all to you."

His tone made it seem as though he believed Wang Mengde had not noticed his movements.

As though all of this were merely a misunderstanding.

Zhou Lie hurriedly begged as well:

"Brother Wang, Big Brother Wang, I don't want the Azure Jade Ghost Carp either. I'll give you spirit stones when we get back. One hundred—no, two hundred."

Sun He was trembling all over in fright, his voice cracking:

"Wang Mengde, I have no grudge against you! Spare me, and I'll give you anything."

Wang Mengde watched them, the golden glow in his hands growing ever brighter.

He spoke blandly. "What do you mean, no grudge? Didn't you just agree to kill me?"

The three froze.

Then their faces filled with extreme horror and disbelief.

They abruptly turned their heads toward Qin Xiangnan in the distance.

Zhao Youming cursed furiously:

"Qin Xiangnan, you actually betrayed us!"

Zhou Lie also roared like a madman:

"Qin Xiangnan, may you die a miserable death! You dog, you promised us!"

Sun He cried out himself hoarse:

"You faithless, treacherous villain! Even as ghosts, we won't let you go!"

Wang Mengde gave them no further chance.

The three Golden Arrow Talismans activated completely.

Three thick golden arrows, carrying sharp whistles through the air, instantly pierced their bodies.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Bloody mist exploded.

Zhao Youming, Zhou Lie, and Sun He stared wide-eyed, lowering their gazes to the massive bloody holes in their chests.

Their mouths opened as if they wanted to say something, but no words came out.

Their bodies tilted, and they fell from the skiff.

Into the sea.

Their blood stained a stretch of seawater red.

However.

At the very instant Wang Mengde fired the three golden arrows.

A sharp whistle through the air suddenly rang out behind him.

Qin Xiangnan raised his hand.

A slender flying sword shot from his sleeve.

Like lightning, it arrived in an instant.

It shot fiercely toward Wang Mengde.

This sword was incredibly fast.

Yet at that instant, Wang Mengde's body shifted to the side.

The flying sword grazed his robe, plunged into the seawater, and splashed up a small wave.

He had dodged it.

As though he had been prepared all along.

Wang Mengde turned around and looked at Qin Xiangnan.

His expression was terribly grim.

Amid that grimness was a trace of heartache.

He had regarded Qin Xiangnan as a friend.

When they broke through the encirclement, Qin Xiangnan had been the first person he called out to.

After killing the Azure Jade Ghost Carp, he had given him a full fourteen.

Fourteen.

Nearly three thousand spirit stones.

He had thought that this bond was enough.

He had thought Qin Xiangnan would stand by his side.

But reality had slapped him hard across the face.

Qin Xiangnan wanted all the Azure Jade Ghost Carp.

Fortunately.

Although he had considered the man a friend, he had kept watch over every one of his movements from the corner of his eye.

Wealth moved people's hearts.

The cultivation world had seen far too many examples of people slaughtering one another for profit.

The principle Wang Mengde had always believed in was that the cultivation world was fraught with danger; one could never go wrong with an extra measure of caution.

Today, it had indeed saved his life.

Qin Xiangnan's expression changed as well.

He had not expected Wang Mengde to evade that strike.

But in only an instant, his gaze became fierce.

Things had reached this point; there was no use saying anything.

He only had to kill Wang Mengde.

Kill him, and all the Azure Jade Ghost Carp would be his.

More than thirty Azure Jade Ghost Carp—over seven thousand spirit stones.

That was worth several decades of his income.

It would probably be enough to push him into the late stage of Qi Refinement.

He wasted no more words, moving his divine sense.

The flying sword shot out of the seawater, drew an arc through the air, and slashed at Wang Mengde again.

A chill flashed through Wang Mengde's eyes.

Both his hands formed seals at once.

He divided his attention into two.

On one side, he unleashed the Entwining Silk Technique with all his strength. Countless threads of spiritual power shot toward Qin Xiangnan, seeking to bind him.

On the other, spiritual power surged madly within him. The seawater was drawn in, swiftly gathering before Wang Mengde and condensing into fifteen water arrows.

Water Arrow Technique.

For more than five hundred days, he had practiced every day.

Come rain or shine, without interruption.

He had long since cultivated this technique to the level of perfection.

Each water arrow was as thick as an arm, crystal clear throughout, radiating a sharp, icy gleam.

Qin Xiangnan controlled his flying sword, cutting through the spirit threads formed by the Entwining Silk Technique before slashing toward Wang Mengde again.

With a thought from Wang Mengde, ten water arrows shot out, meeting the flying sword head-on.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The water arrows collided with the flying sword, exploding into clouds of watery mist.

The flying sword was knocked back again and again, its blade trembling as its spiritual glow dimmed.

At the same time, the remaining five water arrows, together with several newly condensed ones, shot toward Qin Xiangnan.

Qin Xiangnan's expression changed drastically.

He had never expected Wang Mengde to have silently cultivated the Water Arrow Technique to such a realm.