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The battle on Maple Leaf Island had ended, and the fishermen who had gone to seize treasure gradually returned.

The injured Lousy Liu was naturally among them.

He knew he had offended plenty of people, but he had never expected so many to dare take this opportunity to join forces and hunt him down!

Three or five had teamed up against him. If he had not saved up quite a fortune over the years, he might well have left his life there this time. After returning to Zengtou City and recuperating for two days, his injuries finally improved considerably.

Yet whenever he thought of what he had suffered this time, his heart still felt far from pleased.

What should one do when displeased?

When the heart was unhappy, one should kill!

That had always been Lousy Liu's way. Speaking of killing... he could not help thinking of the person Huang Laotou had mentioned last time.

Ji Yuan.

Huang Laotou had already fed the fish, and Lousy Liu had watched him feed them with his own eyes.

So if he wanted to kill Ji Yuan now, he could no longer go to Huang Laotou.

Then who should he find?

Lousy Liu closed his eyes in thought. His usual method of killing over the years had been to find one of the target's close friends, buy him off with Spirit Stones, link the two together, and then join hands to kill the target.

If this were elsewhere, that method might not have worked so well.

But unfortunately, this was Zengtou City, Zengtou City by the shores of Cloud-Rain Marsh.

The law of men dying for wealth and birds dying for food had been magnified without limit here.

Back then, Ji Qingyun had been killed because Lousy Liu bought off Huang Laotou, who then lured Ji Qingyun into a trap Lousy Liu had prepared beforehand.

Now, that same method would fall upon Ji Yuan once more.

But who should he find... Lousy Liu did not know Ji Yuan well, but that was no matter. Someone had to know him well.

Lousy Liu spent a day out visiting several people, and quickly gathered some information, as well as a suitable candidate.

Of all the people Ji Yuan could befriend, he had to befriend someone like Qiu Qianhai... What kind of man was Qiu Qianhai?

He was one of Zengtou City's famously desperate outlaws.

The saying that barefoot men feared no men with shoes was the perfect description of Qiu Qianhai.

So finding him was absolutely reliable.

"Knock—"

"Knock knock—"

That night, Lousy Liu knocked on Qiu Qianhai's courtyard gate.

Anyone coming at this hour most likely had something urgent, but even so, Qiu Qianhai still gripped a Water Arrow Talisman before opening the door.

Standing before him was a middle-aged man whose face was covered in pockmarks.

"What did you come to me for?" Qiu Qianhai frowned.

Lousy Liu's vile reputation was something everyone in Zengtou City knew.

"Naturally, I came to help you get rich." Lousy Liu glanced around, and only after confirming that no one else had noticed him did he jerk his chin toward the inner room. "Let's talk inside."

Qiu Qianhai hesitated briefly, but ultimately let Lousy Liu in. The two entered the house. There was no tea, and they simply sat there dryly.

Lousy Liu cleared his throat and asked,

"Ahem, Qiu Qianhai, do you think Spirit Stones are more important, or life?"

"Naturally, life is more important."

Qiu Qianhai's right hand instinctively moved to his waist, where his magic artifact was hidden.

Lousy Liu naturally noticed that obvious motion, so he added with a smile, "Then what if it is someone else's life?"

"Then Spirit Stones are more important."

The words flew from Qiu Qianhai's mouth.

Lousy Liu smiled. Then he leaned closer and asked softly, "Then tell me, is Ji Yuan's life more important, or are Spirit Stones more important?"

"Ji Yuan?"

Qiu Qianhai was somewhat startled, but quickly understood. "You want to kill him?"

When Lousy Liu set his sights on someone, there was no other possibility besides murder.

If there were, he would have gone directly to Ji Yuan rather than seeking him out.

"Ah."

Lousy Liu shook his head. "How can you call it killing? Clearly, it is helping him escape the bitter sea that is our Zengtou City."

"Heh."

Qiu Qianhai gave a mocking snort without trying to hide it.

Seeing this, Lousy Liu spread his hands. "Just say it outright. Are Spirit Stones more important, or is Ji Yuan's life more important?"

Qiu Qianhai stared straight into Lousy Liu's eyes without the slightest fear.

The two remained silent for a long while before Qiu Qianhai slowly said, "I, Qiu Qianhai, have not had many friends in my life... Does Lousy Liu truly not know that Ji Yuan is my brother by blood, my beloved friend and dearest kin?"

"You, Qiu Qianhai, have a brother by blood?"

As though he had heard the greatest joke in the world, Lousy Liu burst out laughing.

"Enough. Say it straight: what will make you agree to do it?"

Qiu Qianhai did not blush either. The index finger and thumb of his right hand, resting on the table, rubbed together slightly as he chuckled. "You need to add money!"

"Fine. Once the job is done, I will give you an extra three Spirit Stones. How about it?"

Three Spirit Stones were enough to pay a month's Immortal Residence Fee, so Qiu Qianhai naturally had nothing to refuse.

"Fine."

Lousy Liu then laid out his plan.

The plan was exceedingly simple. Qiu Qianhai only needed to bring Ji Yuan to a certain place in Cloud-Rain Marsh, where the waiting Lousy Liu would strike. Once Ji Yuan was killed, the spoils would be divided seventy-thirty.

Lousy Liu would take seventy, Qiu Qianhai thirty.

Lousy Liu would also give Qiu Qianhai an additional three Spirit Stones.

"Make it fifty-fifty. I will be taking part in killing him too."

Qiu Qianhai spoke with extreme decisiveness.

"Fine."

Lousy Liu agreed readily as well. To him, Ji Yuan was merely an Early Qi Refining lackey. How much treasure could he possibly have on him?

Taking two extra shares, or two fewer shares, might only mean a difference of a few Spirit Fragments.

"Fine. When do we act?"

"Tomorrow." Lousy Liu naturally wanted this settled as soon as possible. "The sooner such matters are handled, the better."

"All right. Then I will go find him early tomorrow morning. Where?"

"Cloud-Rain Marsh, Crouching Tortoise Island."

"..."

"Pfft—"

Ji Yuan pulled his hand from the ground and looked at the smooth, round... hole in the earth with great satisfaction.

After practicing for several days, using Water Drop Finger no longer caused him the slightest pain. In fact, as spiritual energy transformed into water droplets and shot out from his finger, it even brought an inexplicable sense of exhilaration.

As for the number of times he could use it, given the spiritual energy reserves of his Fourth Layer of Qi Refining—

Firing it forty or fifty times in succession should not be a problem.

After all, this technique consumed little to begin with, and water-element cultivators possessed spiritual energy that was naturally more prolonged and enduring.

"Knock knock—"

Someone was here?

Ji Yuan instinctively touched his chest. The Thunderstrike Talisman was still there. Only then did he relax and go open the door.

"Qiu Qianhai? Why are you here?"

Since the two had met, this was Qiu Qianhai's first time visiting his home, so Ji Yuan was naturally quite surprised.

"Naturally, I came because I have something to discuss with you."

Qiu Qianhai forced a smile onto his face and nodded.

"Then come in and let's talk."

Ji Yuan first shut off the effects of several buildings in his mind, then led Qiu Qianhai into the house.

Unlike Huang Laotou, who would look around everywhere the moment he entered, Qiu Qianhai sat obediently in the main hall after coming in.

Ji Yuan even made him a cup of tea.

Qiu Qianhai watched this year's fresh tea leaves tumble up and down in the water, the curled leaves unfurling again, and seemed somewhat lost in thought.

Ji Yuan was in no rush. He waited quietly for quite a while before hearing Qiu Qianhai ask, "Ji Yuan, do you remember how we met?"

"Of course I remember."

Ji Yuan was about to speak when Qiu Qianhai beat him to it. "My parents had only just passed away then. I refused to accept my fate, so I took a boat out alone."

"Then I ran into the most dangerous storm in Cloud-Rain Marsh. I was knocked unconscious and washed ashore, and in the end, you saved me."

Seeing that something seemed off with Qiu Qianhai, Ji Yuan put away his smile and nodded slightly.

That was indeed how it had happened.

After speaking, Qiu Qianhai closed his eyes in thought for a long while. Only then did he open them and slowly say, "Lousy Liu wants to kill you. Let us brothers join hands and finish him."