The Helper Departs, Death by a Thousand Cuts

"Youngster, where's Li Ze?" The old man interrupted Qin Yi and the other man's conversation. Li Ze should have been back long ago. Just as the old man could no longer resist going into the Blood-Colored Forest to look for him, Jin Peng had found him and said he knew where the demon-hunting team was, which was why he had come here.

"They're dead."

"How is that possible? Even if the mission failed, with Li Ze's cultivation in the Foundation Establishment Realm and his trump cards, he could have escaped back," the old man said in surprise.

"Believe it or not, Li Ze really is dead. He was killed by that woman in the team." Qin Yi didn't want to make an enemy of the old man, so he told him how Li Ze had died.

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible." The old man still found it hard to believe.

Qin Yi sighed and said, "I heard Li Ze shout about the Xie Household before he died. He said that woman had been sent by the Xie Household, and that he'd been careless."

The old man stood rooted to the spot, his lips trembling as he muttered indistinctly, "The Xie Household, the Xie Household. I didn't see it coming. I'm the one who got Ze'er killed. Hahahaha! Old Ghost Xie, fuck your whole family!"

The old man shouted at the top of his lungs as bloody tears streamed from his eyes, drop by drop. Seeing him in the grip of madness, Qin Yi didn't dare relax in the slightest. He summoned Cangyuan and gripped it tightly, keeping his guard up against the old man.

Jin Peng, standing to the side, was getting anxious. If Elder Li didn't kill Qin Yi today, Qin Yi would certainly kill him. He shouted to Elder Li in a panic, "Elder Li, don't fall for it! He's the one who set Li Ze and the demon-hunting team up to die! It was him! Kill him, hurry..."

Qin Yi watched Jin Peng's panicked expression. His gaze grew calmer and calmer, while his killing intent grew stronger.

After a long while, Elder Li stopped shouting. The moment Qin Yi mentioned the Xie Household, Elder Li had already believed most of what he said. The Xie Household and the Li Household were sworn enemies. The Li Household's Golden Core cultivator was old and nearing the end of his lifespan, but lifespan-extending pills were far too precious and rare. That was why they had come to the Blood-Colored Forest to hunt the Ghost Willow and take its tree heart, supplementing it with other pills to extend their ancestor's life.

With a moment's thought, Elder Li knew there was a traitor within the Lineage who had sold them out, costing Li Ze his life. Elder Li grew anxious at once. If the Xie Household got word of this, they would certainly seize the chance to suppress the Li Household.

At that thought, Elder Li no longer wanted to tangle with Qin Yi. Qin Yi was so young and already close to breaking through to Foundation Establishment; he had to be a disciple of some elder from the Eight Gods Pavilion. The tree heart would be of no use to him, and he had no reason to kill Li Ze. Besides, the Xie Household had already driven the Li Household to the end of the road. If they provoked the Eight Gods Pavilion as well, the Li Household might as well declare itself destroyed then and there.

Elder Li, who had lived to reach Foundation Establishment, was no fool. With a little analysis, he arrived at the truth. Qin Yi truly had no intention of taking the tree heart-provided, of course, that Li Ze was willing to give him the Nine-Eyed Demon Spider's corpse. Otherwise, if Huamei hadn't made a move, Qin Yi wouldn't have minded killing Li Ze while he was gravely wounded.

Elder Li waved a hand at Qin Yi, then took out a token and sent it over to him. "Many thanks for clearing up my doubts, young friend. Take this token. If you come to Banyan City someday and my Li Household still stands, we will surely receive you as an honored guest."

Jin Peng's expression changed drastically. What happens to me if you leave? He immediately shouted, "Elder Li, you can't believe his slander! He's the one who killed him! You can't leave! You have to avenge him! What happens to me if you leave?"

Elder Li's expression darkened. Jin Peng, this creature who betrayed his own side to serve outsiders, instantly reminded him of certain people within the Lineage who had sold them out. Even now, Jin Peng still wanted to kill with a borrowed knife. Elder Li snorted coldly. Golden light flashed in his hand, and an iron chain bound Jin Peng where he stood. Then he looked at Qin Yi and said, "Young friend, I'll leave this man to you. You must never show mercy to someone like him."

Seeing this, Qin Yi put the token away. "You can rest assured of that. I've never been softhearted toward my enemies. I'll deal with him." He made no effort to hide the killing intent in his gaze as he looked at Jin Peng.

Elder Li nodded in satisfaction and said to Jin Peng, "Did you think a Foundation Establishment cultivator would be so easy to fool? You even wanted to kill with a borrowed knife. Let me tell you, I've used more tricks than you've swallowed pills."

"Take care, young friend. If fate allows, we'll meet again." As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Li rode his sword away and quickly disappeared into the night.

Only after seeing Elder Li leave did Qin Yi breathe a sigh of relief. The pressure Elder Li gave him had been immense. At the moment he made his move, the presence he displayed had been even stronger than Lan Xuan's. He was definitely at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. Fortunately, Qin Yi hadn't attacked first, or the odds would have been heavily against him.

"Hahahaha! Kill me, then!"

"Qin Yi, I won't let you off even as a ghost!" Seeing Elder Li leave, Jin Peng gave up struggling altogether. He hadn't expected Qin Yi to send Elder Li away with just a few words. His fate was sealed, and there was no hope left. The light gradually faded from Jin Peng's eyes.

"Do you remember what I told you?" Qin Yi asked as he walked up to Jin Peng.

Seeing Qin Yi's dark gaze, Jin Peng's heart trembled. He said in a panic, "You... what are you going to do?"

A vicious grin appeared at the corner of Qin Yi's mouth, and his slightly excited voice reached Jin Peng's ears. "You'll find out what I'm going to do soon enough."

Dragging Jin Peng by the chain around him, Qin Yi walked into the Blood-Colored Forest. After walking for half a shichen, Qin Yi stopped and turned to look at Jin Peng.

"Do you know what death by a thousand cuts is?" Qin Yi asked.

"Wh-what?" As soon as Jin Peng spoke, Qin Yi took out a knife and cut him.

"Ah!" Jin Peng cried out in pain.

"Don't worry, there are one thousand and eight cuts. Take your time and enjoy them." Ignoring Jin Peng's screams, Qin Yi cut him again and again. As he listened to Jin Peng scream, a bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face.

"Kill me. Please, kill me. I'm begging you, kill me..." After all one thousand and eight cuts, Jin Peng was covered in wounds, even his face scored with knife cuts.

Jin Peng's whole body trembled uncontrollably. Whenever he was close to dying, Qin Yi fed him a pill; whenever he was about to pass out, Qin Yi sprinkled some salt water on his wounds, forcing him to live through all one thousand and eight cuts. Now he only wanted to die and bring it all to an end quickly.

Looking at Jin Peng's utterly miserable state, Qin Yi took a sword from his Storage Bag and smiled kindly. "Tsk, tsk. I'll grant your request."

"Ah!" Qin Yi chopped off Jin Peng's left arm with one stroke, then cut off both his legs and his right arm with three more.

All that remained of Jin Peng was his head and torso. If his chest had not still been rising and falling, no one would have thought he could still be alive.

Qin Yi crouched down and slowly asked, "Any last words?"

"You... you're a... demon." Jin Peng's faint voice reached Qin Yi's ears. Qin Yi's smile grew wider, and he swung his sword, severing Jin Peng's head and ending his suffering.

Qin Yi wiped the longsword in his hand and casually tossed a flame onto Jin Peng's corpse. Standing before it, he watched as the flames gradually spread over the body, until the blaze consumed it.

"A demon? Are there true demons in this world? The so-called immortals and demons are all merely pursuing great power. If my Dao heart is steadfast, what's wrong with becoming a demon?"