I Have a Status

On Barren Mountain.

Gao Fengxing felt ice-cold all over. Fear overwhelmed his shock as he pressed his head to the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"I, Shuang Qiuyue, am clear about gratitude and grudges. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for harboring such delusions."

Shuang Qiuyue shook her head. Her expression was as still as an ancient well, completely unmoved, as she said with calm, unwavering killing intent:

"You have the time it takes for one incense stick to burn to tell me who you wanted to kill."

At those words, regret swept over Gao Fengxing like a flood. He did not hate that he had been caught; he only hated that he had not acted quickly enough.

In this martial world, those with mediocre talent had to risk their lives if they wanted to grow stronger!

"Damn it!"

Gao Fengxing gritted his teeth and lowered his head. His body suddenly swayed as he tried to use his movement technique to flee, not even sparing a glance for his two severed arms.

But unfortunately, Shuang Qiuyue's sword was faster!

Lu Li only saw a flash of red. Then, thin lines of blood split across Gao Fengxing's knees.

Pfft! Pfft!

Blood sprayed wildly. Lu Li's eyelids twitched as Gao Fengxing's legs were severed, and he toppled face-first onto the ground.

The Astral Condensation Realm martial artist who had been chasing him moments ago had been reduced to a human stump in the blink of an eye.

"Shuang Qiuyue, spare my life! Whatever you want, I can steal it for you!"

Extreme agony caught in his throat. Gao Fengxing wept bitterly, his eyes filled with pleading. Once martial artists cultivated inner qi, they were no longer ordinary people—especially Astral Condensation Realm martial artists.

As long as severed limbs were reattached within half an hour, there was still a chance of recovery.

Shuang Qiuyue remained completely unmoved, her expression blank.

"If you have not made up your mind, I can decide for you. I'll kill your master instead. I imagine you have long hated him to the bone."

Gao Fengxing was rather well known, though not because of his movement technique. Rather, it was because his master had slept with his wife, turning the matter into a widespread joke.

The man who had raised him since childhood, both master and father, had cuckolded him for years. Gao Fengxing's temperament had long become twisted. That was why he later became a flower thief, venting his resentment by ruining respectable women.

At those words, Gao Fengxing fell silent for a long while. Hatred and pain appeared in his eyes. At last, his eyes turned crimson, as though a roar were trapped in his throat, and he said word by word:

"I want you to kill that bitch! And cripple that old dog's martial arts! The Hundred-Li Soul-Chasing Worm is worth a fortune. You owe me this!"

Shuang Qiuyue nodded silently, then raised her hand and swept her sword. Scarlet sword qi flashed past, a bloody line appeared across Gao Fengxing's neck, and his head soared into the air.

He was dead just like that?

Lu Li was silent as well. To kill an Astral Condensation Realm martial artist of the same realm so effortlessly—Shuang Qiuyue's cultivation was likely close to reaching the Divine Intent Realm.

In the current martial world, Shuang Qiuyue was undoubtedly among the top hundred experts.

Sheathed her sword, Shuang Qiuyue shifted her gaze to Lu Li. His hairs stood on end, and a chill rose from the depths of his heart.

Lu Li felt deeply uneasy.

As far as he knew, Shuang Qiuyue was no righteous figure. If she decided to silence him now, he had no chance of surviving.

"You needn't worry that I will kill you."

After looking at him once, Shuang Qiuyue withdrew her gaze and offered a brief explanation.

"I, Shuang Qiuyue, have always been clear about gratitude and grudges. This girl's birth mother had some friendship with me, so I promised to protect her for life."

Lu Li relaxed at those words, but then her tone shifted again beside his ear.

"What is your name?"

Huh?!

She was asking his name—did she suspect him? But why did she not ask where he was from or about his background?

His thoughts raced. Lu Li immediately lowered his head slightly and answered:

"Lu Li."

He had no intention of making up a name, because there was no point.

Sure enough, Shuang Qiuyue nodded lightly, clearly not caring much. She looked toward the unconscious Liu Yueling.

"I have urgent matters to deal with recently and cannot spare the time. I need you to do something for me."

As she spoke, she flicked her hand. An exquisite token flew from her sleeve and landed on the ground beside them.

"Take this girl to the Miao Poison Sect in the Southern Wasteland for me. Once it is done, you may ask for any reward you wish."

Lu Li's gaze shifted as he looked sideways. The token was made of metal, its delicate engravings gleaming faintly silver beneath the moonlight. A single character, "Cliff," was stamped in its center.

This was a token of Shangling Cliff.

Lu Li recognized its origin at once.

Shangling Cliff enjoyed widespread renown in the Jing Dynasty's martial world. Though it was not considered a first-rate force, its branches were scattered across the north and south, accepting all manner of assassination contracts.

Moreover, there were no restrictions on who could accept missions. Aside from the assassins raised by Shangling Cliff itself, disciples from all manner of martial sects could take them on, whether righteous or evil.

Liu Yueling was one of Shangling Cliff's famous assassins in the future. Her most shocking feat was nearly succeeding in assassinating the emperor of the Jing Dynasty.

"This is a Shangling Cliff token known to me. With it, you may send messages to me through any of its branches throughout the martial world. If you provoke an Astral Condensation Realm martial artist, this item can save your life."

Lu Li's eyes immediately lit up, and he quickly picked up the token. This was truly a fine thing.

It had fallen into his lap for free—how could he possibly refuse it? It might even save his life someday.

Lu Li understood his current situation very clearly. When a martial artist far stronger than him entrusted him with something, he had no choice but to refuse.

He did not want to die.

Shuang Qiuyue nodded in satisfaction. Lu Li cupped his fists.

"I will certainly not fail you, heroine!"

Although he had no room to refuse, this was not necessarily a bad thing.

He had heard the conversation between the two earlier. Shuang Qiuyue might be a little mad, but she was extremely trustworthy. She repaid kindness with kindness, and he could ask her to do something for him in the future.

At worst, he would gain a favor.

Besides, with this token in hand, he would have a layer of protection while traveling the martial world. He could be considered someone with backing now, greatly increasing his chances of survival.

Lu Li understood one thing very clearly: the martial world might be full of fighting and killing, but it also ran on connections and social customs.

If others saw you as nothing more than a commoner, they could kill you without burden. But if you had backing, anyone who wanted to act against you would have to think twice.

"If I remember correctly, Qiongqi's token seems to be somewhere near the Miao Poison Sect in the Southern Wasteland..."

Another reason Lu Li agreed was because of the Demon Token.

Lighting up the nine Demon Compendium entries and collecting demonic martial arts was far more worthwhile than fighting over Heavenly Profound Divine Weapons.

What was more, he still remembered many cultivation manuals, spirit pills, and other resources related to side quests. With a little effort, he could seize them ahead of time.

Having made up his mind, Lu Li nevertheless showed a trace of difficulty on his face.

"I have never traveled far from home. How do I get to the Miao Poison Sect?"

Though he was familiar with the game map, the real world was not a one-to-one recreation of the game's settings.

Furthermore, among the six kingdoms, the Jing Dynasty's territory ranked among the top three in size.

He only knew that the Miao Poison Sect was roughly in the south.

Shuang Qiuyue's delicate brows drew together at his words.

She still had to deal with the corpses. If the people from Shangling Cliff in the city learned that she had killed Gao Fengxing and left for a long time, Liu Yueling would inevitably be implicated.

When that happened, Liu Yueling would most likely be taken away and trained as an assassin from childhood.

Chaos was rampant in the martial world, and the people suffered greatly, but assassins did not necessarily live easier or less miserable lives.

Shuang Qiuyue pondered with a frown before finally tossing over a purse.

"Head east and you will find a broad river. It connects to Liangshui Town. There is an inn in the town called Li Xi. This silver will be enough to hire a driver familiar with the roads to take you to the Southern Wasteland."