Kill Again

Kang Dabao waved a Clear Wind Incantation, cleaning the yellow and white matter from the Army-Breaking Hammer, then tossed Lü Wen's several Storage Bags to Pei Yi. There was not a trace of stinginess in him now.

"After all these years, I never imagined you would have mastered the Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes, Senior Brother. No one has been able to use them since the second sect master." Pei Yi gave a bitter laugh, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The last time he had seen this senior brother was ten years ago. He had only been in his early twenties then, yet his cultivation had already reached the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining. Full of high spirits, he had thought a bright future lay ahead, Foundation Establishment was within reach, and the day he avenged his younger brother and sister-in-law was close at hand.

Kang Dabao, meanwhile, had been dragging Jiang Qing along on trading runs, still a bedraggled Third Layer of Qi Refinement cultivator who looked much like a Rogue Cultivator.

Back then, though Pei Yi had not mocked him for his friendly words, he had looked down on him in his heart. He had thought his master was right: their sect master martial uncle was entirely to blame for passing the position to this fat senior brother, so selfish and utterly blind to talent was he.

The sect's decline to such a state was entirely the fault of that master and disciple, and Pei Yi and his master had every reason to leave it.

Yet now, a brother with whom he had shared life and death had tried to kill him, and he had needed the sect master senior brother he had not seen in ten years to save him.

He was no ungrateful, faithless man, and at the thought, a look of embarrassment appeared on his face.

While he brooded in silence, Kang Dabao stripped Lü Wen's corpse bare. Only after examining it expressionlessly did he pour corpse-dissolving water over it and set it alight with spirit fire.

Before long, a charred stench rose into the air. After another while, all that remained was a clean patch of bare ground, starkly out of place among the surrounding grass.

"We saved each other's lives many times, and yet..." Pei Yi shook his head again.

Kang Dabao led back the old donkey, which had been lying trembling in a corner, then pulled Pei Yi along by the sleeve. This was no place to lament autumn and mourn the moon.

On the way back, Kang Dabao showed the old donkey a rare moment of consideration. Seeing how frightened it was, he threw away the donkey cart, which had been reduced to a broken plank, and walked with the reins in hand.

"From what I saw, all twelve of that scoundrel's primary meridians—the three yin and three yang meridians of the hands and feet-appeared blocked. His lungs had lost their cleansing and descending function, his stomach could no longer harmonize and descend, and his liver Qi had turned rebellious and invaded his spleen. Something went wrong when he circulated his Qi. His abilities were at least thirty percent worse than what you described at the market, so no wonder we finished him off so easily. But I'm afraid that may also be part of why he suddenly tried to kill you. No one is more violent than a person with rebellious Qi."

Kang Dabao spoke up abruptly.

"He did tell me before that some time ago, he had fought a demonic bird and lost. He fled to a secluded place to recover from his injuries, and by chance found several good things in a cave abode. He recognized only one of them, a Grass Stone Pill. After swallowing it, he initially felt that all his meridians flowed freely and that it greatly benefited his cultivation. He seemed almost ready to break through his current realm.

"But ten days later, he suddenly discovered a stream of black Qi roaming through his meridians, with signs that it might invade his spiritual sea. So he used a method to forcibly suppress it in the hand lesser yang triple burner meridian as a temporary measure.

"It was also to find the source of that black Qi that he specifically invited me to explore the cave abode again. But this time we came away empty-handed. The two of us searched around the original spot for three days without finding the entrance. Even so, I still can't understand why he suddenly tried to kill me." Pei Yi frowned in thought.

Kang Dabao did not think Lü Wen's sudden attempt at murder was hard to understand at all. Perhaps he had wanted money to seek treatment, or perhaps he had simply coveted wealth.

For low-level Rogue Cultivators like these, however close their friendship, however much like brothers they were, sometimes all it took was a single thought for even the closest person to become a pile of breathing Spirit Stones in their eyes.

It was the Grass Stone Pill that had piqued his interest.

"A Grass Stone Pill? Junior Brother, you're well versed in the Dao of Alchemy. Does a Grass Stone Pill have such effects?"

"I wouldn't dare call myself well versed. According to the Chongming Pill Canon, a Grass Stone Pill works best when half a tael each of ice grass and frost stone are mixed into water, boiled with three dingmoxiang leaves for three quarters of an hour, and taken together. Even then, its effects are only those of an ordinary First-Tier Middle-Grade pill. Let alone swallowing it outright as Lü Wen did-its effects would certainly be far inferior to those recorded in the canon." Pei Yi shook his head.

"According to the Chongming Pill Canon, a Grass Stone Pill is cold in nature and sweet in taste, with snowy patterns on a black ground, and resembles a Lion Insect egg. The Guide to Cold Crow Mountain's Spiritual Creatures also records that Lion Insect eggs have snowy patterns on a black ground and hatch when they encounter spiritual Qi," Kang Dabao continued.

"You mean Lü Wen swallowed a Lion Insect egg, Senior Brother? That would make sense. In all these years, I've never heard of anyone eating one. Who knows what would happen if someone did? If it's true, what a waste of a rare Second-Tier Lower-Grade spiritual insect." Pei Yi found himself somewhat in agreement.

Rogue Cultivators at the bottom often lacked even the most basic skills for identifying spiritual objects. It was not so strange for them to steam a fine pear before eating it, or to recklessly squander heaven's treasures, as had happened here.

"If there was even a spiritual insect as rare as a Lion Insect egg, that cave abode is probably no ordinary place. We brothers should explore it when we have time. Let's wait for Jiang Qing to return and go together." Kang Dabao settled the matter without giving Pei Yi a chance to object. How could Pei Yi fail to see that this was a way to make him stay?

He gave a bitter laugh. How could he have the face to refuse again? He might as well go back. Their master was gone, so at least he would not be scolded.

Suddenly, he felt his legs bound tight. He instinctively looked at Kang Dabao, only to see Kang Dabao looking back at him with the same uncertainty. He let down his guard, only to grow worried again.

Thick vines were slithering and coiling around both their legs like pythons. Only then could Kang Dabao be certain Pei Yi was not trying to harm him.

He could hardly be blamed. Though they were all his junior brothers, if Jiang Qing or Yuan Jin had been at his side, he certainly would not have thought twice.

Struggling in this damned world where one could lose one's life at any moment, a person to whom one could entrust one's back was naturally not easy to find.

"Damn it, the snipe just ate the clam, and now the fisherman's here." Kang Dabao could not break free at once. The old donkey brayed loudly in fright again, turned, and fled for its life.

Kang Dabao had no time to mind it. Two flying swords, one green and one white, came hurtling toward them on fierce winds. Kang Dabao brushed his Storage Bag and threw out the Golden Armor Round Shield, which swelled in the wind and protected them both securely.

The clash of metal rang out without cease. Kang Dabao grunted and gritted his teeth as he held on.

Pei Yi swallowed a handful of spirit-restoring pills and formed a sword with his fingers. Two streaks of sharp Qi emerged from between them, cutting most of the way through the vines around Kang Dabao's legs. His injuries were far from healed, and what little color had returned to his face drained away again. His face turned as pale as paper, and he had no strength left.

A beautiful woman in palace robes emerged from the woods. Abandoning her graceful bearing, she came running toward Kang Dabao from a distance, holding a heavy, silver-glinting jian mace in one hand with its tip trailing behind her. The sight was rather incongruous.

"Gui! You dare bring your lover to do this on the Fellow Cultivators Association's turf? Aren't you afraid of ruining your own reputation? Will Qin Sufu let you off?"

Kang Dabao already found it difficult to fend off the two flying swords, and he knew nothing of the female cultivator's background. But a single look at the silver mace told him it was no ordinary object.

The beautiful woman raised the silver mace high in both hands and twisted her slender waist, bringing it crashing down. The round shield shuddered violently and gave a thunderous boom.

Kang Dabao felt the force of the impact make every bone in his body creak and his meridians tingle numb.

"Damn it, this woman's strong!"

Using the force of the blow, he tore himself free of the vines and staggered back several steps. Bracing his legs, he reached back and pulled the vines around Pei Yi's feet out of the ground, roots and all. Then he formed a flame blade in his palm and severed them with one slash before flinging Pei Yi away.

"Go back to the market first and protect the little ones. If I don't make it back today, send word to Yuan Jin in Xuanwei City and have Jiang Qing come with him to take you all back!"

"I haven't even bothered to conceal my green and white swords. How could either of you get away?" Gui Xiang emerged from the woods. The hairpin on his head turned into a streak of green light and shot forth so quickly that it reached Pei Yi's side in the blink of an eye, winding through the air. It had become a small green-scaled snake and tangled with Pei Yi.

"If you know what's good for you, hand over your Storage Bag. For the sake of our old friendship, I might let you live." As Gui Xiang spoke, the two flying swords spat out sharp green and white beams, forcing the Golden Armor Round Shield back several steps.

The female cultivator seized the chance. Her hands formed several spiritual seals in an instant, and the silver mace flew from her grasp, slamming into the round shield and nearly overturning Kang Dabao's life-saving Law Artifact.

"You've been Qin Sufu's dog all these years, yet you can't even bear to pass up two thousand Spirit Stones. Haven't you been a dog for nothing, then?" Kang Dabao drew a deep breath and sneered. He glanced back at Pei Yi and saw that the little snake could do nothing to him, though Pei Yi could not shake it off for the moment either.

Relieved, he focused his eyes. Pale gold appeared around the edges of his black pupils, and two sharp beams shot forth.

"Channiang!" Gui Xiang cried out in pain. The female cultivator immediately fell into a pool of blood, lifeless.

Using the Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes twice in such a short time left Kang Dabao dizzy and unsteady on his feet. His eyesight was severely impaired, and everything before him was blurred, as though veiled in amber.

Even so, he pretended nothing was wrong and made mocking jokes to unsettle his enemy.

"I thought your lover might have some ability. Then again, if she had any, how could she have taken a liking to a useless old thing like you? What a waste of a fine piece of mutton. I was hoping to have a taste for you."

His hands never stopped moving. His fingers formed several spiritual seals, and the Army-Breaking Hammer whipped up a gust of wind as it charged straight for Gui Xiang's head.

Gui Xiang forced back his tears, a ruthless look appearing on his face. The green flying sword returned to protect him, while the white flying sword continued its attack, glowing with spiritual light. "Die!"

"Die, my ass!" Kang Dabao's Army-Breaking Hammer easily knocked the green flying sword back, but its attack had already lost momentum. The white flying sword was upon him, and the Golden Armor Round Shield met it just in time, blocking it with ease. Gui Xiang caught the returning green sword in a reverse grip and struck hard, parrying the Army-Breaking Hammer. Then he leaped into the air, seized the white sword, and rushed forward with both swords in hand.

"You're courting death, old dog!" Kang Dabao waved the Army-Breaking Hammer back to him in a rush of wind. "Collapse!"

Seeing the attack coming, Gui Xiang crossed his swords before him to block, but did not stop moving. In the blink of an eye, he was within three zhang of Kang Dabao. He still had not given up on fighting to the death at close quarters.

With a bang, the Army-Breaking Hammer, imbued with the Collapse Instruction, surged in power.

The white sword met it first. Its blade shook violently, and several cracks as thick as ox hairs appeared. Though it blocked the heavy blow, it suffered considerable damage.

Gui Xiang's attack faltered. He coughed hard several times, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. A hint of surprise appeared in his cloudy eyes, and his initial fury gradually subsided as his black pupils darted about.

Kang Dabao fared no better. He recalled the Army-Breaking Hammer and gripped it in his hand, grunting.

"Well, you scoundrel, only today did I learn you had such ability."

"You pewter spearhead aren't bad yourself. Shame your lover couldn't take a pounding, or she might have seen what I can really do!"

"I misjudged you, Brother Kang. Take good care of yourself. The immortal path is long, and we'll meet again someday!"

After only a few exchanges, Gui Xiang was actually going to abandon the fight and leave.

He brushed his Storage Bag, tore open a talisman, deftly stuck it to his foot, and turned to leave.

This is bad, Kang Dabao thought. He channeled power into his eyes again, and two beams of golden light shot from his little eyes. Two streams of bloody tears flowed down without stopping.

Without slowing his flight, Gui Xiang tossed a jade-green inkstone behind him. The carving on it seemed to come alive, and in an instant it conjured the illusory manifestation of a Mountain Venerable, a zhang tall, with a bird's head and a turtle's body.

The bird's head gave a piercing shriek and opened its long beak, spitting out hundreds of ink-black "swastika" incantation characters. They gathered before the Mountain Venerable's manifestation, forming a protective wall of "swastika" characters.

The turtle claws swiped through the air, sending six beams of bloody light and a foul stench rushing toward Kang Dabao.

With a clang, the golden light scattered the bloody beams and shattered the thick protective wall in an instant. Even the Mountain Venerable's manifestation could scarcely protect itself, and all that remained was its terrified wailing.

A moment later, the golden light pierced through it, reducing it to nothing. The jade-green inkstone cracked as well and fell to the ground.

With his technique broken, blood surged against his heart and into Gui Xiang's mouth. He staggered, nearly pitching forward.

Even so, the fellow did not look back.

After narrowly dodging three heavy hammer blows from Kang Dabao, the talismans on his legs flashing with spiritual light, he finally broke away. A few quick steps later, he vanished into the woods.

Thank you all for your support. I'll post another chapter later.