Chapter 15: The Tallest Tree in the Forest
Yang Zhen left with his spoils, thoroughly satisfied. He hadn't untied Big Beard and the others, but he hadn't broken his word; there were still plenty of things he hadn't taken.
"Y-you lying bastard! We gave you our Cultivation Methods and martial techniques, so hurry up and untie us!" Big Beard and the others howled in fury.
Yang Zhen turned around and explained with a perfectly serious expression, "Brother, I promised to untie your ropes, but I never said when. As cultivators, aren't you ashamed that you can't even undo a few ropes?"
The others heard this and thought he had a point. If cultivators couldn't even undo ordinary ropes, that would indeed be utterly disgraceful.
Bah! What kind of bullshit logic is that? Once they came to their senses, they immediately began cursing.
The way Yang Zhen had tied them up, they couldn't even muster any strength, let alone break free. Even the true essence in their bodies had been sealed. Without an ounce of strength, how were they supposed to undo the ropes?
Watching Yang Zhen's retreating figure, Big Beard and the others could only look at one another and wail.
Yang Zhen was having a wonderful time. Whenever he met someone, he swindled and tricked them, and he had acquired so many Cultivation Methods and martial techniques that he could hardly keep them straight. Weapons, heavenly materials and earthly treasures, medicinal pills and the like were wrapped up in a bundle larger than Yang Zhen himself.
When no one was around, Yang Zhen found a remote place to cultivate. He neglected neither robbery nor cultivation. In any case, these people all wanted to trade him for a three-star spirit treasure, so he felt no guilt about robbing them by force.
The Youzhou Grand Assembly really was an interesting place, far more entertaining than hiding away in the Shangyuan Sect.
To Yang Zhen's surprise, he actually robbed someone of a one-star longsword. His interest immediately piqued, he refined it, and his strength soared.
Yang Zhen's sudden appearance threw the entire Youzhou Grand Assembly into chaos. Countless people who had sworn they would capture Yang Zhen and trade him to Duan Langcai for a three-star weapon began to live in fear.
"Have you heard? Yang Zhen hasn't just shown up; he's been seeking out the people who want to capture him and robbing them of all their weapons, Cultivation Methods, spirit treasures and medicinal pills. He knocks the women out and ties the men to trees. People have nicknamed him 'Yang the Skinflint.'"
"What do you mean, he knocks the women out? I heard Yang Zhen ties even the women to trees."
"Gasp! Yang Zhen has sunk so low that he doesn't even spare women? He really lives up to the name Yang the Skinflint."
"That's right. I heard it too; he really doesn't even spare women. I wonder where Yang Zhen is now. More and more people have started looking for him. Apparently, when Duan Langcai heard that Yang Zhen had told him to wash his neck, he flew into a rage and raised the reward to five thousand crystals. And he only wants him alive."
"What?" a voice suddenly exclaimed beside them. "It's already up to five thousand?"
The two who had been speaking nodded in unison. Just as they were about to speak, their eyes flew wide, and they both turned toward the voice.
"Who are you?"
"Yang Zhen!"
Boom!
The Heavenly Demon Gang Fist was incomparably fierce; a single punch could take the life of any cultivator below the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Yang Zhen had no interest in their lives. Killing them wouldn't give him experience to level up, and committing too much slaughter wasn't good in the end.
Watching Yang Zhen stride away, the two men tied to the tree felt a chill run down their backs, and cold sweat poured from them.
Who would have thought Yang the Skinflint could appear and disappear so mysteriously? Where did the others find the courage to provoke a fellow like that?
Somewhere in the Nine Nether Mountain Range, Duan Langcai's face was ashen, and he repeatedly flew into rages.
"A bunch of useless trash! You can't even catch someone at the Essence Condensation Stage Eighth Layer! Are you going to make me offer even more crystals?"
Beside Duan Langcai, a small, thin young man chuckled. "There's no need to be angry, Senior Brother Duan. What right does that brat Yang Zhen have to tell you to wash your neck? I heard Yu Qimu of the Black Nightmare Sect is also interested in Yang Zhen and has already started looking for him."
"What?" Duan Langcai was startled. "Why would that madman be interested in Yang Zhen?"
The thin young man shook his head and said hesitantly, "Maybe Yu Qimu is preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and needs a good weapon and crystals. But now that the madman is interested in Yang Zhen, Yang Zhen won't be able to hop around for much longer."
Duan Langcai gave a sinister smile. "Yang Zhen, oh, Yang Zhen, I never thought you'd attract that madman's attention. Should I admire you or pity you?"
With that, Duan Langcai said to the thin young man beside him, "Find Yu Qimu for me. Remember not to offend that madman. You only need to tell me where he is. When he goes mad, he even attacks his own master. Don't let him accidentally beat Yang Zhen to death."
"Yes, Senior Brother Duan. I'll go keep an eye on Yu Qimu right away."
Duan Langcai clicked his tongue in wonder. Though he wanted very much to see Yu Qimu brutally thrash Yang Zhen, he had something more important to do now. Once he had finished it, he would be able to subdue Yang Zhen easily, even with one hand.
Zhen Ping'er stopped among some beautiful mountains. Turning to glance at Senior Sister Fang, who had been gathering information, she asked, "Senior Sister, any news?"
Senior Sister Fang said through gritted teeth, "That bastard Duan Langcai actually dared to issue a bounty so openly. It seems he's tired of living."
Zhen Ping'er's face turned cold. "Is there news of Duan Langcai?"
Senior Sister Fang looked no less grim. She nodded and said, "Someone saw him at Ghost's Sorrow. As it happens, there's an unusual disturbance in the ambient Qi there. Let's head over now too."
Zhen Ping'er sneered. "Duan Langcai, if I don't chop you to pieces myself, my name isn't Zhen Ping'er!"
Then Zhen Ping'er giggled. "This Yang Zhen is rather interesting. Even under these circumstances, he dared to come to the assembly all alone. I should meet him sometime."
Senior Sister Fang nodded. "The name Yang the Skinflint is known to everyone at the assembly. I just don't know whether he can be called a leading talent among the younger generation."
"Won't we find out if we go and see? I'm very interested in him."
Meanwhile, a young man in a long black robe stood facing the wind. A violent presence rolled off him like waves of blood, and he looked like an evil ghost that had crawled out of the Nine Nether Hell. A cultivator covered in blood lay beside him; strangely, the cultivator wasn't wearing any clothes.
The young man asked softly, "Which way did Yang Zhen go?"
The cultivator on the ground trembled all over and hurriedly replied, "He went toward Ghost's Sorrow. He must have heard about the unusual disturbance in the ambient Qi and gone there because of it."
The young man nodded, sighed softly, and crouched down before the cultivator. "I really don't know where you people find the courage. Is the Youzhou Grand Assembly a place that trash like you can come to?"
A trace of terror flashed through the cultivator's eyes, and he said in a trembling voice, "D-don't kill me!"
The young man smiled and reached out with a pair of bloody hands, gripping the cultivator's neck. A bloodthirsty gleam flashed in his eyes as he said, "Remember, the man who killed you was named Yu Qimu!"
Crack!
A crisp sound rang out, and the cultivator lying on the ground died without even managing a scream.
"What a beautiful sound!" Yu Qimu walked to one side, picked up the clothes on the ground and wiped the blood from his hands. Then he headed toward Ghost's Sorrow.
Ghost's Sorrow was a place on the edge of the Nine Nether Mountain Range, a canyon overgrown with shrubs. It was said that on every full-moon night, the sound of ghosts weeping and wolves howling could be heard there, so shrill and harrowing that it made one's blood run cold.
If someone could stand in midair and look down over Ghost's Sorrow at that moment, they would see countless cultivators approaching from all directions. Among them was a figure carrying a large bundle on his back: Yang Zhen, who had made quite a haul.
(End of chapter)