Pharmacy

Two figures flashed through the pitch-black streets like ghosts.

"Who knew this little thief had Lightness Skill?"

"But let's see where you can run to!"

A cold smile curled Huang Xinglong's lips. He drew in his qi and leaped forward, his speed increasing further.

A Qi Gathering Martial Artist could circulate Inner Breath through his legs, unleashing speed far greater than an eruption of qi and blood.

He was just about to catch the figure ahead.

With a whoosh, that figure seemed to transform into a flying swallow and swept forward, opening up the distance again in the blink of an eye.

Qin Yang even brazenly waved at Huang Xinglong, as though bidding him farewell.

"Flying Swallow Steps?!"

Huang Xinglong was a dignified Qi Gathering Martial Artist, a man who could summon wind and rain within the city. How could he endure such provocation? Fury flared within him as his figure flashed and he gave chase once more.

The two figures raced madly through the streets.

They chased all the way from the Inner City to the Outer City.

Relying on his perfected Flying Swallow Steps, Qin Yang pulled farther away every time Huang Xinglong closed in.

This time, when Huang Xinglong once again came within five meters of him, Qin Yang did not activate Flying Swallow Steps. Instead, he flipped into a pharmacy.

Burning with rage, Huang Xinglong did not hesitate before chasing into the pharmacy's rear courtyard.

Yet after landing, Qin Yang was nowhere to be seen.

"That brat shouldn't have gone far. He may be hiding inside the pharmacy."

Huang Xinglong's face turned grim as he prepared to enter the pharmacy and search.

"What are you looking for?!"

A dark, hoarse voice suddenly came from behind Huang Xinglong.

Huang Xinglong frowned and turned around.

In the pitch-black courtyard, moonlight spilled down.

A White-robed Elder had appeared behind him at some unknown moment.

The elder rolled two White Jade Balls in his hand. Under the moonlight, his face looked deathly pale.

"And who are you?"

Huang Xinglong's heart tightened.

This old man did not look like someone simple.

As the White-robed Elder stared at Huang Xinglong, he too found himself uncertain.

He had not expected someone from an Inner City noble clan to come knocking—much less a Qi Gathering Martial Artist.

"Fine. Since you've come, don't think of leaving."

In the end, the White-robed Elder still gave rise to killing intent.

Huang Xinglong's eyes flickered. His figure flashed, his right hand spread open, and he fiercely struck at the White-robed Elder's face with his palm.

The force of that palm was savage, raising a shrieking gust.

He had sensed the White-robed Elder's killing intent toward him as well, so he simply chose to strike first and gain the advantage.

Splurt!

The old man seemed unable to react in time. Huang Xinglong's palm smashed apart his eyes and nose, exposing white bones.

But then something terrifying happened.

The elder in white robes opened his mouth as if nothing had happened. "Didn't you eat?"

Bang!

Before Huang Xinglong could understand what was happening, tearing, twisting pain exploded in his abdomen.

"Aaaahhh!!!"

His face instantly twisted as he lowered his head to look.

A black arm had extended directly from the elder in white robes' stomach. Like a long blade, it pierced through Huang Xinglong's lower abdomen and wildly crushed his internal organs.

"Y-you..."

Huang Xinglong stared at the elder in white robes, but no words came out.

A while later, chewing sounds drifted from the courtyard.

It was as though a starving brute were wolfing down a feast.

The elder in white robes wiped the blood from his mouth. The eyes and nose Huang Xinglong had torn away had somehow already grown back, as though he had never been injured.

Zhou Weichan entered the courtyard at that moment as well.

"Spirit Sorcerer, why did this man come here in the middle of the night?"

Zhou Weichan frowned.

Could it be that their activities in Linjiang City had been noticed by the many forces of the Inner City?

"I don't know. But before this, someone else came in."

"That person was incredibly fast. The instant I noticed him, he vanished from the courtyard."

"This Qi Gathering Martial Artist may have entered while pursuing that person."

Only then did the elder in white robes come to his senses and realize something was wrong.

Someone might be setting a trap.

"What should we do now?" Zhou Weichan asked softly.

"The pharmacy has likely been exposed. Abandon this stronghold for now."

"Confirm this Qi Gathering Martial Artist's identity as soon as possible."

The elder in white robes spoke in a deep voice.

"I'll make arrangements at once." Zhou Weichan nodded.

Very soon, only the elder in white robes remained in the courtyard.

He muttered to himself, "Who the hell is stirring up trouble?"

In a dark corner not far outside the pharmacy.

Qin Yang had been watching the pharmacy's movements all along. After a long while, he still had not seen Huang Xinglong emerge.

"This pharmacy truly is an important stronghold of the Other Shore Cult."

"Huang Xinglong was a Qi Gathering Martial Artist, yet he still met his end in there."

Qin Yang's gaze flickered.

When he had flipped into the pharmacy's rear courtyard earlier, he had immediately used the Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow Divine Ability and swiftly retreated.

He had even unleashed Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow three times in succession, stopping only after retreating more than a hundred meters.

As for how he knew about this stronghold—

That brought up an old acquaintance of Qin Yang's.

Yao Ya.

After Qin Yang had dismissed Yao Ya from Daliang Pharmacy, he sent people to investigate him in secret and learned that he had become the shopkeeper of this Outer City pharmacy.

This pharmacy was highly suspicious. Supposedly, it had been opened by an out-of-town merchant, who then immediately hired Yao Ya as its shopkeeper.

The moment Qin Yang heard that, he knew something was fishy about the pharmacy. He simply had not wanted to startle the snake in the grass, and tonight it had finally come in handy.

"Once Huang Xinglong dies, the Huang Family will be a flock of dragons without a head. Won't they be mine to knead and pinch as I please?"

Qin Yang was in no rush. Only after waiting another half hour did he slowly vanish into the dark streets.

In the latter half of the night.

Huang Manor was brightly lit.

The main hall was packed with people.

"The Family Head has been pursuing him for over an hour and still hasn't returned. Could he have run into some trouble?"

One of the Huang Family's clan uncles frowned.

"My father's martial arts are exceptional. There's no way he can't deal with some little thief."

Huang Xinglong's second son, Huang Tianhu, did not believe anything unexpected could have happened.

"One must not be careless. No matter how high one's martial arts, one still fears a sneak attack from behind."

An elder of the clan shook his head.

"Brother, say something already."

Huang Tianhu looked toward his elder brother, Huang Ruhu.

"An hour truly is too long."

"Uncles, take some men out to search first. See if you can find any trace of Father."

After considering it, Huang Ruhu felt it was better to be cautious.

The Huang Family's uncles all nodded. Rising from their tables and chairs, they quickly left with their men.

Before long.

More than half the people in the main hall were gone.

Huang Ruhu also had the female relatives return to their rooms and wait for news. Staying here would only add to the chaos.

But they did not notice.

A figure that had left returned, infiltrating Huang Manor once more.

Qin Yang wanted to take them by surprise and fish in troubled waters.

Most of the guards within the manor had been transferred away, making Qin Yang's infiltration even easier.

However, when he quietly reached the Meditation Chamber courtyard deep within the manor, he still saw three figures standing guard before the entrance.

Qin Yang picked up a small stone from the ground and lightly flicked it toward the eaves.

Pa!

A roof tile gave a faint, crisp sound.

The three guards instinctively looked up.

At that moment.

Qin Yang charged into the courtyard, qi and blood erupting through his legs as he transformed into a streak of light and shadow that shot forward.