Destroying the Bodies and Erasing the Traces

Zhao Qiu narrowed his eyes at the small boat in the distance, thoughtful.

"Boss, that kid went into the water, then crawled back into the cabin and hasn't made a peep for ages. Did he fish up something good again?" the triangular-eyed Zhang Kui asked.

"Almost certainly." Zhao Qiu licked his lips, greed flashing in his eyes.

"That kid comes up with something every time he dives. There's definitely something strange going on. Maybe he's found some way to locate spirit clams quickly."

Hearing this, the sharp-mouthed Liu Ba's eyes lit up. He said impatiently, "Boss, what are we waiting for? This kid's slipperier than a fucking loach. Why don't we just rob him here? The longer we wait, the more can go wrong, and he might slip away again."

Zhao Qiu glanced at Liu Ba and sneered. "When I call you stupid, you really are that fucking stupid. People come and go through these waters. How are we supposed to make a move? If word gets out, even if we pry the secret out of him, do you think the three of us can hold on to it?"

Liu Ba shrank back at the scolding and didn't dare make another sound.

Zhao Qiu stared fixedly at the distant boat and said in a menacing tone, "There's no need to rush. We'll follow him once he leaves these waters. This time, keep your eyes glued to him. We can't let him slip away right under our noses again!"

"Wise as always, boss!" Zhang Kui and Liu Ba flattered him in unison.

Zhao Qiu was in high spirits, as though he could already see himself feasting and living well after getting his hands on the secret. He grinned at his two underlings.

"Don't worry. Stick with me, and you definitely won't get the short end of the stick."

The two showered him with more flattery. Just then, the distant boat suddenly began to move.

Zhao Qiu perked up. "Come on, follow him."

After they had followed him for some distance across the water, all three were pleasantly surprised.

Chen Ye wasn't heading toward the docks. Instead, he rowed farther and farther into the remote reaches, leaving the main waterway behind and entering a stretch of water seldom visited by anyone.

Zhao Qiu had been worried about finding a suitable place to strike, but to his surprise, the other man was walking straight down a dead end of his own accord. Naturally, he was delighted.

One behind the other, the two boats soon entered the hazy mist.

The surroundings grew very quiet, with only the splashing of oars cutting through the water echoing around them.

Suddenly.

The small boat ahead stopped.

The boat carrying Zhao Qiu and the other two immediately swept in, blocking the way back from behind.

Chen Ye didn't panic. He simply stood up and calmly looked at the three men.

"You three have been following me for so long. What can I do for you?"

Zhao Qiu sneered. "Kid, I've had my eye on you for a long time. Hand over your method for finding spirit clams quickly, and give us all the spirit pearls you have on you. Then I can spare your life!"

Chen Ye smiled. "Who told you I had a method for finding spirit clams?"

"Cut the fucking crap." Zhang Kui immediately unleashed a torrent of abuse. "If our boss tells you to hand it over, then hurry up and do it. Keep dragging your feet and, believe it or not, I'll take your arm off right now!"

The smile slowly faded from Chen Ye's face, and his gaze grew unfathomable.

"Oh? Then I'd like to see you try."

Though surprised by Chen Ye's composure, Zhao Qiu had nothing more to say now that things had come to this. He waved a hand. "Get him. Just leave him breathing."

But the moment the words left his mouth, Chen Ye moved on the opposite boat.

He sprang forward, instantly crossing the distance between the two boats and shooting toward Zhao Qiu and his companions.

His speed was terrifying.

Zhao Qiu's pupils contracted, but before he could react, Chen Ye had already closed in. A flash of cold light came and went.

Pfft!

Zhang Kui, who had shouted the loudest moments ago, had his throat slit in an instant. Blood gushed out.

Liu Ba screamed in terror and turned to run, but Chen Ye reversed his grip and drove his blade straight into the man's back, piercing his heart.

Liu Ba's body went rigid. He stumbled forward a few steps, then fell straight into the water.

Only then did Zhao Qiu react. Shocked and furious, he roared, "Fuck!"

Then he threw a punch.

Zhao Qiu had studied boxing under a master in his youth. Though he had never reached a recognized level, his Qi and blood were still vigorous. His fist whistled through the air with considerable force.

But he couldn't even touch the hem of Chen Ye's clothes.

Chen Ye didn't even turn around. He shifted to the side, and the wind of the punch brushed past his clothes.

Immediately afterward, Chen Ye spun with the movement and appeared behind Zhao Qiu.

Another slash.

This blade didn't strike a vital point. Instead, it stabbed with unerring precision into a gap in his spine.

Zhao Qiu felt his whole body go numb. He toppled onto the deck, all sensation gone.

Meanwhile, Chen Ye walked over to his head.

Terror filled Zhao Qiu's face as he begged incessantly, "I was wrong. Don't kill me, please. I really know I was wrong..."

Chen Ye paid him no attention. He crouched down and searched him, his face expressionless.

He soon found a weighty little money pouch. Opening it, he saw some gleaming yellow gold beans inside.

"That's it?" Chen Ye seemed somewhat disappointed.

"No, there's more!" Seeing this, Zhao Qiu seemed to grasp at a life-saving straw and hurriedly shouted.

"I... I have a lot more money and a secret boxing manual, all hidden in a very secret place. I'm the only one who knows where it is. If you'll spare me, I'll tell you everything!"

Chen Ye's movements paused for a moment, as if he were considering it.

A flicker of hope lit up in Zhao Qiu's eyes.

But the next second, Chen Ye raised his hand and drew his blade straight across his throat.

The hope in Zhao Qiu's eyes froze instantly, and he soon breathed his last.

Chen Ye had acted so decisively because he didn't believe a word of Zhao Qiu's nonsense.

A man like that would do anything to stay alive, and this supposed hiding place for his treasure sounded more like a trap.

Rather than take that risk, it was better to pull the weeds out by the roots and eliminate future trouble once and for all.

He stood up and kicked both Zhao Qiu's and Zhang Kui's bodies into the water.

A few rings of ripples spread out, and the two bodies quickly sank and disappeared from sight.

As for whether anyone would notice the deaths of the three men, the answer was no.

On Blackwater Lake, the lives of convict boat dwellers were cheaper than grass.

Every day, people disappeared without a sound for all manner of reasons. Even though Zhao Qiu and the other two were high-level convicts, their disappearance wouldn't stir up the slightest ripple.

Even so, Chen Ye carefully washed the blood from the boat with lake water and erased every trace that might have been left behind. Only then did he take his boat and leave those waters at an unhurried pace.

Afterward, Chen Ye found another spot and dove into the water to retrieve two ungraded spirit pearls to turn in.

By the time he finished, dusk was approaching.

Chen Ye completed the handover at the docks, then returned to his residence.

After making sure no one was paying attention, Chen Ye closed the door and opened the system panel.

[Name: Chen Ye]

[Status: Blood Lotus Sect convict]

[Profession: Nightwalker (lv3)]

[Talent: Child of Shadow]

[Skills: Deft Hands lv10, Swift Blade lv10, Running on Eaves lv10, Shadow Concealment lv5, Throwing lv5]

[Profession: Boat dweller (lv2)]

[Talents: Yin Cold Resistance, Ox and Horse Physique]

[Skills: Diving lv2 (you can hold your breath underwater for longer and have greater resistance to water pressure), Spirit Clam Sensing lv2 (you can vaguely sense the presence of spirit clams within five meters and make a preliminary judgment as to whether they contain spirit pearls)]

[Boat of the Other Shore (cooldown complete, can be activated again)]