When Killing Is Called For

Ji Yuan's right hand, which had been lightly tapping his knee, suddenly stilled, and his gaze shifted to Qiu Qianhai.

The latter nodded.

"He's already lying in ambush on Crouching Tortoise Island. He had me lure you there."

Ji Yuan did not answer at once, instead quietly pondering in his mind... Lousy Liu wants to kill me, but I bear him no grudge. I don't even know him.

If so, then it was most likely what Huang Laotou had mentioned.

He killed my parents, and now he wants to kill me too...

"Then why tell me about this? Wouldn't it be better to join hands with him directly?" Ji Yuan asked with a smile.

Qiu Qianhai shook his head and said matter-of-factly, "I have very few friends. You're the only one."

"In Zengtou City, I can kill anyone—but not you."

"Since Lousy Liu wants to kill you, then we might as well kill him instead."

Ji Yuan felt a slight warmth in his heart. Zengtou City might be vile, but there were always people patching together the frayed seams of human hearts.

"If I remember correctly, Lousy Liu is already at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement, isn't he?" Ji Yuan asked.

"Mm, but he was injured over at Maple Leaf Island. And I'm at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining now too. What about you?"

After saying that, Qiu Qianhai gave Ji Yuan a serious once-over, and at last showed a trace of surprise. "You've reached the Middle Qi Refining Stage too?"

Qiu Qianhai's impression of Ji Yuan was still of him being at the Second Layer of Qi Refining.

Yet in barely two months without much contact, Ji Yuan had somehow reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining. How could he not be astonished?

"Lucky, lucky."

Ji Yuan smiled.

"Then there's even less of a problem. He, Lousy Liu, is a wounded Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement, while we're two uninjured Fourth Layers of Qi Refining. Killing him will be easy!"

It was clearly not Qiu Qianhai's first time killing someone. He rose decisively.

Ji Yuan did not get up, but reached out to stop him.

"Hmm?"

"He always lures people out of Cloud-Rain Marsh before killing them. If we stay in Zengtou City, he probably won't dare attack us directly, right? Besides... you, Qiu Qianhai, would stand with me. Do you think Lousy Liu wouldn't have thought of that?"

Ji Yuan voiced his thoughts.

"You mean he wants to kill me too?"

That truly had not occurred to Qiu Qianhai.

"A man like Lousy Liu has survived in Zengtou City until now, so there's no need to say more about how cunning he is. We can both see that he's a wounded Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement; he certainly understands it himself."

"A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Lousy Liu is naturally no gentleman, but he definitely understands the principle. So he's most likely using himself as bait, fishing for the two of us."

Ji Yuan finished in one breath. Qiu Qianhai's eyes darkened as he calmed down... It was eight or nine times out of ten the truth. How much was killing Ji Yuan even worth?

Lousy Liu's true target was him.

Otherwise, why had Lousy Liu agreed so readily to every demand he made?

After sitting back down, Qiu Qianhai analyzed, "Lousy Liu definitely doesn't know you've reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining. And if he hires someone, an Early Qi Refining cultivator would be useless, while he likely can't hire a Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement. In that case, the person he hired is most likely another Fourth Layer. We can still kill them!"

Qiu Qianhai was extremely confident in himself.

Ji Yuan remained silent.

Qiu Qianhai saw through his thoughts. "You want to hide in Zengtou City, thinking Lousy Liu won't dare kill you there."

"No, it's just..."

"There's no 'just.' You said earlier that a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. I'll give you a saying too."

"When killing is called for, a gentleman kills!"

Qiu Qianhai sprang to his feet. "Since Lousy Liu has set his sights on you, whether this attempt succeeds or not, he'll find every possible way to kill you."

"If you're willing to go today, then go. If not, I'll go meet him myself."

Qiu Qianhai, who had always lived with his head tied to his belt, simply did not know what fear was.

Thoughts flashed rapidly through Ji Yuan's mind... I'm at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining now too. I have the Water Arrow Technique and Water Drop Finger for offense, plus a Thunderstrike Talisman, and I've saved up twenty Spirit Stones.

Besides, Qiu Qianhai was indeed right.

Lousy Liu had his eye on him. If he did not deal with him while he was injured, then once he recovered, Ji Yuan would be the one worrying.

He might not even be able to sleep soundly.

"Fuck!"

Ji Yuan got to his feet as well. "Let me make another trip to Zengtou City to buy some things, then we'll fuck him up!"

Qiu Qianhai, who had already been about to head out, turned back with a smile.

"That was crude. You should say... 'his mother's, indeed.'"

On the road to Zengtou City.

"You've read books?" Ji Yuan asked curiously.

"My father liked reading old texts. I was influenced by what I saw and heard from childhood, so I picked up a little."

"Then why haven't I seen you act all that refined? You only learned 'his mother's, indeed'?"

"Bullshit. I also know 'Mother of his, truly displeased by his mother's!' 'Thieving bastard!' 'Dog-fucked!' and plenty more. I know lots."

Ji Yuan gave him a suspicious look. "You weren't taking the chance to curse me, were you?"

"How could I? You're my sworn brother." Qiu Qianhai shook his head. "Besides, do I need an opportunity to curse you?"

"You dog bastard!"

Ji Yuan punched him. Qiu Qianhai hurriedly clutched his shoulder and sucked in a breath of cold air. "You brat, have you trained your body?"

"How is that possible?!"

The two laughed and chatted, seeming not to feel the slightest pressure from the life-and-death battle ahead.

Ji Yuan went straight to Hundred Treasures Pavilion. Of his twenty Spirit Stones, he spent ten to purchase another Middle-Grade Talisman—the Golden Body Talisman.

He could buy a Thunderstrike Talisman as a trump card, so he did not think Lousy Liu would lack one. A protective talisman that could save his life was therefore especially precious.

Of the remaining ten Spirit Stones, he spent five on a healing Hundred-Herb Pill.

Qiu Qianhai recommended a killing move for the final five Spirit Stones.

Water Ball Talismans at one Spirit Stone each, along with a bottle of Itch-Poison Liquid for two Spirit Stones.

Drip the Itch-Poison Liquid onto a Water Ball Talisman before throwing it out, and the water ball became a poison ball. That way, even if it failed to injure the opponent, as long as a little toxic water splashed onto him, it could produce remarkable results.

"You really are filthy."

Ji Yuan sat aboard Qiu Qianhai's Spirit Vessel, watching the scenery continually race backward around them, and finally felt a trace of nervousness.

"First, we'll see who Lousy Liu hired. I know most of Zengtou City's Fourth Layers of Qi Refining... I'll leave the weaker one for you."

"Remember, don't go soft. Once you gain the upper hand, beat the other side to death."

Qiu Qianhai instructed him solemnly.

"Don't worry."

Though Ji Yuan had never killed anyone, with life and death on the line, he understood this principle.

"Mm."

Qiu Qianhai was not much of a talker. After that warning, he said nothing more. Only after roughly half an hour did the Spirit Vessel beneath them suddenly slow.

"We're here."

Crouching Tortoise Island lived up to its name, shaped like a crouching tortoise.

At that moment, on the sandy shore of Crouching Tortoise Island, Lousy Liu was sitting cross-legged. As Qiu Qianhai's Spirit Vessel approached, it did not dock.

Lousy Liu slowly opened his eyes. Glancing at the figures aboard the vessel, he sneered.

"Who would have thought that Zengtou City really had such a scene of brothers bound by deep affection?"