Lin Lang dipped his writing brush in Yu Canghai's blood and wrote on the wall:
To seize the Evil-Warding Sword Technique, Yu Canghai slaughtered the entire Fuwei Escort Agency, provoking the wrath of men and gods alike. Today, justice has been served on Heaven's behalf, as a warning to others.
Signed-Duan Yu.
"Yu Canghai did remind me just now. Great Song has the Four Great Constables, and Zhuge Zhengwo too. They'll definitely be able to tell that Yu Canghai had all his qi drained before he died."
"Even if the Divine Constabulary of Great Song doesn't get involved, there's no guarantee that the other experts coming to pay their respects won't notice."
"If word reaches Blackwood Cliff, won't Dongfang Bubai find out that Ren Woxing has escaped?"
Unfortunately, he had no corpse-dissolving powder or any of the other indispensable remedies for murder and plunder. Setting a fire would draw too much attention, so he might as well find someone to take the blame.
There was another benefit to this: he could absorb more people's qi along the way and rapidly increase his strength without anyone suspecting him or Ren Woxing.
"Duan Yu, don't worry. I'll pick villains of the jianghu to target. I'll make your name known throughout the world, and you can carry this black pot of blame for me. Fair enough, right?"
Early the next morning, a disciple came to bring Yu Canghai his meal. After he pushed open the door, a piercing scream rang throughout Pine Wind Temple.
"Disaster! Master has been murdered!"
Hou Renying and Hong Renxiong stared at the writing on the wall, grinding their teeth in hatred.
"Master killed the people of the Fuwei Escort Agency because Lin Pingzhi killed our junior brother Yu Renyan. A father paying his son's debt is only right and proper. How dare Duan Yu murder Master? We must make him answer for this!"
Without their master, their Qingcheng Sect was finished. It had only been a second-rate sect in the jianghu to begin with; now it would sink completely into obscurity.
Within a few days, news of Duan Yu slaying Yu Canghai in righteous fury spread throughout the Great Song Jianghu.
Everyone knew that Duan Yu had used his strange qi-absorbing martial art to drain Yu Canghai dry before running him through with a sword. He had even left his name on the wall of Pine Wind Temple, concealing nothing. These were truly the deeds of a great hero.
After Yu Canghai's death, not only did no one seek justice for the Qingcheng Sect, but the sect became the target of widespread ridicule.
Even some people who had old grudges against Yu Canghai now came looking for trouble with the Qingcheng Sect.
The Qingcheng Sect, which had existed for decades, soon crumbled into dust with Yu Canghai's death.
In a tavern somewhere in Great Song, a young man with red lips and pearly teeth sat drinking gloomily.
He was Duan Yu, who had just left Manduo Manor after Bao Butong had angered him into leaving Wang Yuyan's side.
Just thinking of Bao Butong's cutting mockery left him utterly depressed.
Did he have to put up with such treatment simply because his name wasn't as renowned in the jianghu as Murong Fu's?
But becoming famous meant constantly fighting and killing, which was something he didn't want to do.
Smack!
The crack of a storyteller's block drew the attention of Duan Yu and everyone else in the tavern.
"Today, we continue the tales of the great hero Duan Yu's exploits in the jianghu."
"Last time, the great hero Duan Yu sought justice for the Lin family of the Fuwei Escort Agency, who had met such tragic deaths. With peerless lightness skill, he ascended Mount Qingcheng, drained the qi of Qingcheng Sect's leader Yu Canghai, and killed him with a single thrust of his sword. Cheers rang out throughout the jianghu."
"Today, I received more news. The great hero Duan Yu has tracked down that notorious evildoer, Mu Gaofeng, the Northern Desert Camel..."
As the storyteller on the platform vividly recounted the great hero Duan Yu's exploits, Duan Yu himself sat at his table with his wine, looking increasingly stupefied.
Exceptional lightness skill, adept at absorbing people's qi, heir to Dali's Prince of Zhennan-that's clearly me.
But when did I kill Yu Canghai, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect? And now I've killed Mu Gaofeng, the Northern Desert Camel, too?
Both men were renowned peak Martial Arts Masters of the jianghu. Normally, he would take a detour just to avoid them. How would he dare fight them?
He didn't even dare kill a chicken, let alone a person!
He was just about to stand up and deny it when the tavern suddenly erupted in thunderous cheers.
"Duan Yu truly deserves to be called a great hero, killing villains like these. Among the younger generation, I'd say only Northern Qiao Feng and Southern Murong can stand alongside him."
"That's not right, is it? Chief Qiao has rid the jianghu of plenty of villains, but what has Murong Fu done? He's just riding on his ancestors' reputation. I don't think he even measures up to the great hero Duan Yu."
"Exactly! The great hero Duan Yu hasn't just killed those two. He's taken down several other scum of the jianghu too."
Suddenly, Duan Yu no longer wanted to deny it. Being called a great hero felt far too good.
Hearing them say that he deserved more respect than Murong Fu was especially refreshing-better than drinking ice-cold flower nectar in the sweltering dog days of summer.
If Miss Wang hears these stories, will she see me in a different light? Bao Butong won't be able to say I'm far inferior to Murong Fu anymore, will he?
Although he didn't know who had done these things and credited them to him, it brought him nothing but benefits. He would simply accept it without a word.
I'll wait a few more days. Once these stories have spread farther, I'll go find Miss Wang.
"I'm finally back within Great Ming's borders. My luck wasn't bad on this trip."
In a room at an inn, Lin Lang soaked comfortably in a bathtub. Unfortunately, he had no one to scrub his back.
After killing Yu Canghai, he had headed north, encountering several notorious villains of the jianghu, including Mu Gaofeng, the Northern Desert Camel, a peak Martial Arts Master. He had drained all their qi, killed them, and left Duan Yu's name behind.
His Reverse Star-Sucking Great Skill had finally reached minor attainment, and his qi had grown to fifty years' worth.
News traveled quickly in the jianghu. Even here in Great Ming, Lin Lang could hear stories about Duan Yu killing Yu Canghai and the others.
"I thought Duan Yu would come forward and deny it. Instead, that brat shamelessly accepted it and even earned himself the title of great hero. Next time we meet, I'll have to make him give me a thank-you gift."
Duan Yu possessed several martial arts inheritances at the Martial Arts Masterwork level: the Northern Darkness Divine Skill, Lingbo Microstep, Yiyang Finger, and Six Meridians Divine Sword. Lin Lang would gladly accept any one of them.
"I absorbed so many people, but much of their qi was too weak. There wasn't much left after purification. Still, fifty years' worth of Evil-Warding Qi has more than doubled my strength."
"Once I get back and find somewhere quiet to enter seclusion, I'll easily break through the Ren and Du Meridians and step into the Grandmaster realm."
With Evil-Warding Qi this abundant and pure, breaking through the Ren and Du Meridians would surely be easy.
He also wanted to experience how the Grandmaster realm differed from his current state.
By now, Lin Lang's longing to return flew swift as an arrow. After resting for a night, he mounted a fast horse and raced toward Pingyang Prefecture.
Before leaving for Great Song, he had already sent word to Wang Wu and Jia Liu, telling them to bring Liu Zhengfeng and Xiao He to wait in Pingyang Prefecture.
He hadn't seen Xiao He in a long time, and even his kidneys missed her dearly, especially when his baths could only be plain and unseasoned.
Although Xiao He knew no martial arts and wasn't a heroine of the jianghu, he had personally taught her every one of her skills. He would never abandon her.
Several days later, Lin Lang rode into the prefectural city of Pingyang and spotted Wang Wu waiting by the city gate.
The lad wasn't bad. He'd even known to wait at the gate.
Lin Lang reined in his horse. "Wang Wu, why are you here alone? Where's Jia Liu?"
The moment Wang Wu saw Lin Lang, he sprang to his feet. "Sir, you're finally back!"
Lin Lang: "???"
Why did that sound wrong?
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