Killing

[Azure Cloud Finger (Second Layer): 61/200].

Ye An felt no particular stir in his heart as the string of numbers slowly climbed.

The progress was not fast, but at least he had a goal.

Even without Body Tempering Pills, Ye An could raise it by a few points a day through hard training alone. To him, that was already pretty good.

After two months, the calluses on Ye An's fingers had thickened by another layer, while the bulge on the back of the wooden board grew larger and larger. It was only a matter of time before it truly split open.

"Just one more push." After watching Ye An's performance, Zhao Tieshan said, "Once you get through that push, the Second Layer will be complete."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother." After thanking him, Ye An continued practicing.

That evening, Ye An was just preparing to head to North Granary.

Then Zhou Yuanlong's voice came from behind him: "Don't leave yet. I'm buying dinner tonight—Drunken Immortal Tower."

Ye An was about to leave Green Bamboo Martial Arts Hall when he was called back.

"Ye An." Zhou Yuanlong called out.

Hearing the voice, Ye An turned around and saw Zhou Yuanlong standing in the middle of the courtyard. Standing beside him were Sun Wanqing and several students at the First Body Tempering level or above.

Lin Shaoyun was there too, though his face showed little expression, making him seem somewhat cold.

Zhou Yuanlong smiled. His smile was neither warm nor cold. "You're at the First Body Tempering level now. In any case, that means you've officially entered the sect. How about joining us for a drink? The braised pig knuckle at Drunken Immortal Tower is Anping County's finest!"

Sun Wanqing chimed in from the side: "That's right. Before, you hadn't even reached the First Body Tempering level, so inviting you would have been pointless. Now it's different. At least you're a martial artist."

That was how it sounded on the surface, but there was a hint of charity in her tone.

Ye An glanced at the two of them and replied crisply.

"I'm not going."

The smile on Zhou Yuanlong's face stiffened for an instant.

"Why?"

"I have something to do tonight. You all go ahead."

The lively scene in the courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Zhou Yuanlong's expression changed, while Sun Wanqing gritted her teeth. She wanted to snap back at Ye An, but held herself back!

At that moment, Zhao Tieshan had just finished his exercise and was wiping his fingers. Noticing that something was wrong, he immediately stepped forward to smooth things over.

"All right, all right. Ye An has something to do today. We'll talk about it next time."

Zhou Yuanlong treating people to dinner was nothing new at the Martial Hall. He did it once or twice every month, inviting only those he believed were "useful."

At first, he invited Senior Brothers such as Lin Shaoyun and Zhao Tieshan, who had reached the Second Body Tempering level. Later, he began inviting students at the First Body Tempering level and above.

Whenever someone broke through, he invited that person.

The dinner was a pretense; winning people over was the real purpose.

The Zhou Family was not short of silver. What they lacked were martial artists they could use.

Ye An had never been invited before because he had not been worth it. What was the point of winning over someone who had not even reached the First Body Tempering level? A waste of food.

Now that Ye An had reached the First Body Tempering level, Zhou Yuanlong came to invite him.

But Ye An refused, cleanly and decisively, leaving no room for maneuver.

"I have something to do tonight." What kind of excuse was that?

And Ye An really did have something to do that night: he had to patrol North Granary. Four taels of silver a month—his only hope of buying Body Tempering Pills.

Zhou Yuanlong's expression slowly returned to normal. He tugged at the corner of his mouth. "All right. If you have something to do, go take care of it first. We'll talk next time."

He turned and called to the others, "Let's go. Time for a drink." His voice was somewhat loud, deliberately meant for Ye An to hear.

The group followed him out in twos and threes.

When Lin Shaoyun rose from the doorframe and passed by Ye An, he stopped beside him.

He did not look at Ye An, merely saying in a low voice, "It's better not to go when Zhou Yuanlong is treating."

After saying that, Lin Shaoyun left. After all, Ye An's refusal did not mean that Lin Shaoyun himself would refuse.

Zhao Tieshan walked over and asked, "You're really not going?"

"I'm not going."

"Why? Eating something good can help a martial artist's body a little too..."

Ye An was brief and direct. "Drinking with that lot would be a waste of time."

Zhao Tieshan forced a smile. What did that mean? Was Ye An counting him among them too?

"All right, then. Go take care of your business."

Before long, only Ye An and Qian Duoduo remained in the courtyard.

After watching everyone leave, Qian Duoduo walked over to Ye An.

"Do you know why Zhou Yuanlong wanted to invite you?"

"I know."

"Then why didn't you go? If you accepted his invitation, you'd have Body Tempering Pills."

Ye An did not answer. He merely gave Qian Duoduo a deep look.

"Aren't you a rich man too? Why don't I see you winning people over like they do?"

Qian Duoduo chuckled twice. "What if I won you over?"

"Sure. But what would you treat me to?"

"Steamed buns."

"Get lost."

Qian Duoduo ran off laughing.

Ye An stood in the empty courtyard. It was time to go to North Granary.

Ye An was just about to head toward North Granary when he ran into someone coming from the opposite direction.

It was Steward Liu.

"Ye An."

Ye An was puzzled. Steward Liu was in charge of North Granary and usually stayed there. Why had he come to the Martial Hall?

"What happened, Steward Liu?"

Steward Liu caught his breath, his expression not looking good. "You don't have to come tonight."

"Something happened at North Granary. The granary will be sealed tonight for an inspection, and outsiders won't be allowed in. Take the night off."

"What happened?"

Steward Liu waved his hand. "Don't ask. It has nothing to do with you. Just come as usual tomorrow."

After saying that, Steward Liu turned and walked into the Martial Hall. He was probably going to find Master Su.

He did not have to patrol tonight.

This was the first time.

Since he did not need to go to North Granary tonight, he might as well practice a little longer.

An hour later, night had fallen completely.

Ye An walked out of the Martial Hall's main entrance. Moonlight shone over South Street, bleaching the bluestone road white.

There were few people on the street. Most of the shops had closed, and only a few lanterns swayed in the wind.

Ye An followed South Street toward Willow Alley.

When he turned into Willow Alley, his footsteps slowed.

The alley was very dark. The courtyard walls on either side blocked most of the moonlight, leaving only a strip of light across the narrow road.

Ye An walked a few steps, then suddenly stopped.

Fifty paces ahead, there was a figure.

The figure walked very slowly, his footsteps light, each step landing in the shadows at the foot of the wall. He wore dark clothing and deliberately kept his head lowered, making his face impossible to see.

Ye An had lived in Willow Alley for more than a decade and knew every person in the alley. Zhang San liked to swing his arms as he walked, Li Si dragged his feet with a loud scrape, and Wang Wu liked to hum little tunes on the way.

But he could not match this person's build to anyone in Willow Alley. The man was far too unfamiliar.

Moreover, the man was not walking deeper into the alley, but toward its exit.

If he was heading out, he should have taken the main road. Why cling to the wall?

Something was wrong!

Ye An took a step back and hid his body in the shadows at the entrance to the alley.

He watched as the figure reached the middle of the alley, then suddenly turned into a side passage.

The side passage led to a courtyard.

Ye An knew that courtyard.

Wang Youde's grocery shop!

Ye An's eyelid twitched.

He recalled that two months earlier, the owner of the shop opposite his father's grocery store had been Wang Youde.

Rivals across the street, enemies in business!

His father had said that Wang Youde was no good, always thinking of ways to ruin his business.

Ye An made no sound. Like the figure, he pressed himself against the wall and quietly followed.

The side passage was narrow, allowing only one person through. High walls stood on both sides, blocking out the moonlight and making it pitch-black.

At the end of the passage stood a wooden door. It was ajar, and dim yellow light seeped through from inside.

Ye An stood against the wall and listened intently.

Someone was speaking inside.

"Master Liu, Ye Ning is in East Ward tonight. He won't be coming back." It was Wang Youde's voice. Even with his voice lowered, he could not conceal the excitement he could barely hold back.

"This matter..."

"Wait."

Master Liu paused, then made a demand. "However, I have a condition."

"Please, go ahead."

"After this job is done, I have to leave Anping County for a while. You pay my travel expenses."

"How much do you need?" Wang Youde's excitement instantly vanished. Skinning a tiger for its hide naturally came at a price.

"Fifty taels!" The travel expenses were actually ten taels more than the price of a murder!

"Don't worry. You won't lose out on this job. Once Ye Shouzhuo is dead, won't everyone come here to buy things? Besides, these fifty taels include the hush money. It's a very good deal."

Master Liu simply watched Wang Youde. If Wang Youde refused, Master Liu might well turn on him right there and kill him!

Wang Youde's eyelid twitched. He cursed inwardly, You can never feed a dog enough. But on his face, he still put on a broad smile.

"All right."

Ye An took everything in.

Wang Youde.

Hiring a killer.

To kill his father!

Ye An drew a deep breath and forced down the anger roiling in his chest.

Ye An slowly retreated to the mouth of the side passage, turned, and quickly left the alley.

This was an abandoned threshing ground, with stone rollers and dried weeds piled all around.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

A black figure walked out of the alley and stood at the edge of the threshing ground.

Moonlight shone across his face. He had a face full of coarse flesh, sinister eyes, and slightly drooping corners of his mouth that gave him a naturally vicious look.

Master Liu wore black short fighting clothes, a short saber at his waist, and black cloth wrapped around his hands.

"Kid, why are you following me?" Master Liu's voice was not loud, but both men were martial artists and could hear one another clearly.

"Why did you go to Wang Youde?" Ye An asked, though he already knew the answer.

Master Liu narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over Ye An.

"First Body Tempering." A hint of disdain colored Master Liu's tone. "You only broke through recently, didn't you? Your fingers are still swollen."

"So are yours."

Martial artists could sense one another's level of qi and blood. At that moment, Ye An could feel the fluctuations of his opponent's qi and blood. He was far inferior to Lin Shaoyun and nowhere near the Second Body Tempering level.

Master Liu snorted. "There are differences even among those at the First Body Tempering level. Let me show you what someone who has broken through five times can do!"

"That sounds impressive, but weren't you simply someone who failed to break through to the Second Body Tempering level five times?" Ye An told the truth.

Master Liu smiled. It was an ugly smile, stretching open the scar that marked his humiliation!

"I hadn't wanted to create more bloodshed, but some people insist on courting death." Master Liu reached down and drew the short saber from his waist.

He spun the short saber in his hand. The Saber Edge flashed beneath the moonlight.

"More people have died beneath my blade than you've ever seen!"

"Scared yet?!"

Ye An did not answer. He extended his right hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together and pointing them forward.

Master Liu looked at his fingers and let out a mocking laugh. "You think practicing finger techniques for a few days means you can fight me?"

Before his voice had even faded, Master Liu vanished from the spot.

The short saber swept upward, swift and vicious.

Ye An shifted lightly to the side. The Saber Edge scraped past his left arm, and the next instant, it sliced open a cut in his clothing. It had missed his flesh by only a hair.

Master Liu changed moves with astonishing speed!

When the first slash missed, his wrist turned again, and the Saber Edge swept horizontally toward Ye An's neck.

Seeing this, Ye An crouched directly down. The Saber Edge skimmed over his head, shearing off several loose strands of hair that drifted onto the moonlit ground.

Ye An retreated one step, widening the distance.

Master Liu gave Ye An no chance to catch his breath. He pursued him relentlessly and swung his saber again! This slash thrust straight at Ye An's heart!

This time, Ye An did not retreat. He turned his hand and tapped the flat of the blade with one finger! A crisp sound rang out.

"Clang—"

The short saber veered off course and stabbed into the air beside Ye An's shoulder.

The web between Master Liu's thumb and forefinger went numb from the impact, and the short saber nearly slipped from his hand.

His expression changed, and he retreated two steps.

"What kind of finger technique is that?"

Ye An did not answer. Instead, he seized the opening and stepped straight forward.

Master Liu gritted his teeth and endured the pain in his hand as he swung the short saber again!

This time, he had gotten clever. The saber edge targeted Ye An's weak points—his wrists, the crooks of his elbows, and his neck.

Ye An dodged left and right, but three more wounds appeared on his body: one on his left arm, one on his right shoulder, and one across his back.

"Drop dead!"

Master Liu's saber chopped down again. As Ye An twisted aside, he simultaneously thrust forward! His left hand shot out and seized the wrist of the hand gripping the saber, his five fingers clamping down like iron hooks.

The moment Master Liu was caught, he sensed something was terribly wrong. He abruptly exerted all his strength, trying to break free and preserve his advantage of having a weapon!

Ye An would never give him that chance. He unleashed the Azure Cloud Finger! His right index finger shot forward!

The finger strike landed with full force! It struck Master Liu in the chest, right against his ribs!

"Crack—"

The sound of breaking ribs rang exceptionally clear across the empty threshing ground.

Master Liu's eyes flew wide and his mouth fell open, yet not a sound came out.

His body froze for an instant, then leaned backward like a marionette with its strings cut.

The short saber slipped from his hand and struck the ground with a crisp clang.

Ye An took a step back and gasped for breath.

Master Liu lay on the ground. The bones in his chest had caved inward, and blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.

He was dead!

Ye An did not linger. He first searched Master Liu's body.

There was a short saber of average quality. It could be bought for five taels of silver at a blacksmith's shop. There was also a money pouch. When he opened it, he found roughly thirty taels in loose silver.

There was also a thin booklet—"Qi-Nourishing Formula"!

Ye An turned to the first page. Written there were the words: "The way of nourishing qi lies in stilling the mind. When the mind is still, qi flows smoothly; when qi flows smoothly, strength reaches its destination."

It was a Mortal Grade internal cultivation manual. Ye An had never seen anything like it.

Ye An stuffed everything into his robes.

Afterward, he looked at the corpse on the ground without much hesitation.

The threshing ground was wide open. People would pass by during the day, and if the body remained here, it would eventually be discovered.

Ye An bent down and dragged Master Liu's corpse to the edge of a dried-up well behind the threshing ground.

The well had long since dried up. Half a stone slab covered its mouth, while weeds grew thickly around it. Ye An lifted the slab and peered inside. It was pitch-black, and he could not see the bottom.

Ye An pushed the corpse down, covered the well with the stone slab again, and casually brushed the weeds around. No traces could be seen now.

He then turned and walked toward Wang Youde's general store.

Wang Youde was sitting behind the counter drinking tea. When he heard the door open, he raised his head.

The moment he saw Ye An enter covered in blood, his face went deathly pale.

"You... how did you..."

"Master Liu is dead."

Wang Youde's teacup fell to the ground and shattered.

"No, impossible... He was already at the threshold of Second Body Tempering... You're only at First Body Tempering..."

"He's dead." Ye An repeated himself, every word striking Wang Youde's soul like a hammer.

Wang Youde's mouth hung open as he tried to say something, but not a single word came out. His body trembled, and he slid from his chair, finally collapsing onto the floor.

"My father had a grudge against you?"

"No, no..."

"Then why did you hire someone to kill him?"

Wang Youde's lips quivered as tears and snot streamed down his face.

"I... I was just jealous... His business was better than mine... I... Master Liu said he could help me settle it... so I... Ye An, you can't kill me... I'll keep it secret for you... I won't tell anyone about this..."

"I only trust the dead!"

Wang Youde's eyes flew wide and his pupils shrank. He wanted to shout, but the moment he opened his mouth, Ye An swung his saber.

The blade struck his throat squarely.

Wang Youde's voice caught in his throat, producing only a muffled sound. His body spasmed twice, then went still.

Ye An withdrew the short saber and looked at Wang Youde lying on the ground before exhaling.

Ye An searched through the room.

A cabinet beneath the counter concealed one hundred and twenty taels of silver.

Ye An put the money away, then searched Wang Youde's body as well. He found more than ten taels in loose silver and a string of keys.

Ye An picked up the oil lamp from the table and splashed the lamp oil over the counter and account books.

He struck a fire starter.

Flames leaped up, licking across the wooden counter and spreading along the account books to the walls.

Ye An turned, pulled open the door, and walked into the moonlight.

Behind him, firelight shone through the windows, dyeing half the alley crimson.

When he reached home, Ye An glanced at his clothes and saw the bloodstains.

He went around to the rear courtyard, scooped up a ladle of water from the tank, and wiped the blood from his face. Then he dusted the dirt from his clothes. His wounds were still oozing blood, but martial artists recovered well. With a little attention later, injuries this minor would be fine.

The light in the main room was still on. His father was sitting by the table, waiting for him.

"Why are you so late today?" Ye Shouzhuo raised his head, his gaze settling on Ye An.

"Why are your clothes torn?"

"I accidentally scratched them while practicing."

"It's nothing."

Ye Shouzhuo looked at Ye An but did not ask anything else.

"There's still porridge in the pot. Serve yourself."

"Mm."

Ye An entered the kitchen, served himself a bowl of porridge, and slowly finished it.

Then he returned to his room and placed the "Qi-Nourishing Formula" beneath his pillow. Next, he hid the silver in the secret compartment beneath his bed. With one hundred and fifty taels, he would have enough to buy quite a few Body Tempering Pills.

Master Liu's corpse was in the dried-up well.

Wang Youde's shop had burned down, and he was gone.

The fire would erase the traces.

That was enough.

Ye An closed his eyes and stopped thinking about it.

The next day, the Martial Hall was as lively as ever.

The students gathered together to eat dry rations and chat idly.

"Did you hear? A shop in Willow Alley burned down last night."

"Which one?"

"Wang Youde's. It burned to the ground, and the man died inside."

"What happened?"

"No idea. The patrol said an oil lamp was knocked over, and he burned to death."

A few days later.

"Liu Yin of Blackwind Stronghold—the saber-wielder at Peak First Body Tempering. I heard he's gone missing."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Blackwind Stronghold has announced that Liu Yin took the stronghold's silver and ran off. Pang Hu issued a wanted notice, offering a hundred taels for his head."

"He ran off with the money? Interesting."

"Who knows? Let him do whatever he wants."

Qian Duoduo listened to this idle gossip while chewing on dried meat, thoroughly enjoying himself.

In the corner, Ye An pressed one finger against a wooden board. His face was expressionless, as though the gossip had nothing to do with him.

[Azure Cloud Finger (Second Layer): 64/200]