Chapter 489 - 23: Harvest

’Crap!’

As a Steward of the Qingyi Gang with no significant background, Guo Jie had clawed his way up from the very bottom.

He had survived numerous life-or-death battles, and his wealth of combat experience had solidified his path in Martial Arts.

Being struck by the Divine Soul Secret Technique had left his mind reeling and his limbs weak, but this desperate situation only ignited his fighting spirit.

CRACKLE!

The power hidden deep within his bloodline erupted from his heart as azure electric arcs, instantly surging throughout his body.

’Move!’

’Move, faster!’

"AARGH!"

With a furious roar, Guo Jie’s eyes flashed with electricity. He abruptly raised an arm, forming a sword with his fingers and aiming for his assailant’s throat.

Thunderbolt Lightning!

His movements were incredibly fast, his arm leaving afterimages as a sharp sound of displaced air echoed.

The full Cultivation and power of a Lower Seventh-Grade Martial Artist were on display in that moment.

Beneath his mask, Zhu Ju’s eyebrows twitched.

His opponent’s reactions repeatedly defied his expectations.

First, there was his astonishingly fast draw.

It had forced Zhu Ju to use the Divine Soul Secret Technique with the Magical Artifact he’d taken from Ma Yuanzhi.

And now, he had forcefully broken through the mental suppression of the Soul-Shocking Needle to counterattack with his Sword Pointing technique.

’And those azure electric arcs... where did they come from?’

However...

Under the illumination of the Formless Divine Light, Zhu Ju saw Guo Jie’s every move, even the ones he was about to make.

Before the Sword Pointing strike could even arrive, Zhu Ju had already moved his arm, positioning his vibrating fist to intercept it midway.

Strength gathered at his knuckles, grinding like a millstone as it collided with the rapidly approaching fingers.

CRACK!

"AAH!"

Guo Jie felt as if his fingers had slammed into a solid iron plate, the bones shattering instantly.

As he screamed in agony, his guard fell open. Zhu Ju seized the opportunity, surging forward and unleashing his Fist Momentum like a spear in nine consecutive strikes.

BANG!

The first three fists.

Smashed through Guo Jie’s defense.

The next three.

Brought him into close range.

The final three.

One struck his heart, one his throat, and one his lower abdomen. The savage Fist Force blasted into his body, instantly pulping his Vital Organs.

THUD!

Guo Jie’s body was sent flying. He was dead before he even hit the ground, landing like a pile of mangled flesh.

"Huuu..."

Zhu Ju exhaled a slow, turbid breath and gradually withdrew his fist.

’I was careless. A Seventh-Grade Martial Artist really is completely different from an Eighth Grade. I almost slipped up.’

Before he could finish the thought, his eyebrows twitched.

BANG!

"Steward Guo!"

"Who are you?!"

Guo Jie’s scream had alerted the people outside. Several figures smashed through the door and rushed in.

Seeing the scene inside, the men were first stunned, then enraged. They lunged forward, shouting.

"How dare you kill someone on Qingyi Gang territory! You’ve got a death wish!"

Four men.

Three were at the Eighth Grade, and one was at the Ninth Grade.

Against anyone below the Sixth Grade, numbers mattered. In theory, these four Martial Artists working together were definitely stronger than Guo Jie.

However...

Zhu Ju tapped his foot, and the Longsword on the floor flipped into his hand.

With the Longsword in hand, his gaze turned heavy, and a cold, murderous aura quietly emerged.

Ten Directions Killing Dao!

The heavens have four pillars, the earth has eight directions, but his Sword Technique had two more.

This Ten Directions Killing Dao was not rooted in the Qi Blood Martial Arts of this world, but it could be wielded through Divine Exorcism, allowing for endless transformations.

As his Sword Intent arose, the room was instantly filled with killing intent. The temperature seemed to plummet, and the four charging men froze for a moment.

SWISH!

A cold, harsh light flared.

An azure Sword Light swept silently through the room. It was like a gentle spring breeze, so light it was ethereal, yet it quietly permeated their Skin and Flesh to reach their Divine Souls, feeling like countless blades scraping across their very Souls.

The next moment, the four charging men froze in place, their expressions locked in horror.

PFFT!

PFFT! PFFT...

Gashes appeared all over their bodies, followed by a spray of blood as their life force vanished completely.

Zhu Ju sheathed his sword, his eyes revealing a deep exhaustion.

Four men working together were stronger than a Seventh-Grade, but as long as he didn’t give them the chance to coordinate, defeating them wasn’t difficult.

Glancing around the room, he quickly looted any valuables he could carry and vanished.

...

The room was deathly silent.

A group of Qingyi Gang members stood guard outside the door.

Ma Gulan walked among the corpses with a cold expression, occasionally inspecting their wounds. Her face grew darker with each one.

"Guo Jie died from a Fierce Fist Force, while the other four were killed by a sharp Sword Technique," a man in green robes said gravely.

"The killer is highly skilled, with a Cultivation of at least the Seventh Grade. And that Sword Technique..."

"It’s unbelievable!"

"It’s Sword Intent," Ma Gulan said coldly. "A master who has comprehended the True Intent within the sword. As long as he isn’t too old, reaching the Sixth Grade will be no problem for him."

"Guo Jie..."

"Did he offend anyone recently?"

"Vice Gang Leader," the man in green robes said, clasping his hands.

"Steward Guo was collecting tax silver recently. Perhaps he provoked some expert. However, I’ve never seen a Sword Technique like this before. The killer is probably not a local."

"Investigate..."

"I’m afraid an investigation won’t turn up anything."

A Seventh-Grade Expert who had comprehended Sword Intent... in the entire Qingyi Gang, only three to five people possessed such skill.

His meaning was clear.

Drop the matter.

Although Guo Jie was a Steward, he had no background to speak of. It wasn’t worth making a powerful enemy over him.

Ma Gulan glanced at him and asked,

"What’s missing?"

"Tens of thousands of taels in silver notes are gone," the man in green replied.

"As for anything else..."

"It’s not yet clear."

"Mm," Ma Gulan nodded, her expression shifting. She then asked,

"What’s the situation with my brother?"

"Vice Gang Leader," the man in green lowered his voice.

"Yuanzhi’s death may involve the Zhou Family. It seems Yuanzhi abducted the Zhou Family’s daughter that night."

Ma Gulan’s eyes narrowed.

***

The Divine Dynasty’s self-operated Silver Manor issued silver notes in small denominations of five and ten taels, and large denominations of one thousand and five thousand taels.

And now, a stack of dozens of silver notes lay before him, bringing a satisfied smile to Zhu Ju’s face.

"Fortune really does favor the bold. To think a mere Qingyi Gang Steward like Guo Jie had so many silver notes stashed away."

Eighty thousand taels!

This wasn’t just the tax silver temporarily stored with Guo Jie; a portion of it was his own private stash.

In addition to that, there were also five round, smooth jade stones.

Primordial Crystals!

Similar to the Spirit Stones of the Cultivation Realm, they contained profound Spiritual Essence. A single one was worth ten thousand taels of silver.

’This trip was well worth it!’

Muttering to himself, Zhu Ju turned his gaze to a few booklets on the side.

As a Qingyi Gang Steward responsible for external affairs and miscellaneous tasks, Guo Jie had long kept a habit of bookkeeping.

He kept two types of ledgers.

One for outsiders to see, and one for his eyes only.

The ledger for himself recorded all the silver taels he had embezzled over the years, as well as the benefits the Qian Family had given him.

’So...’ Zhu Ju mused. ’The Qian Family wants to swallow up my Zhu Family and become the Qingyi Gang’s largest cloth merchant, which is why they colluded with Guo Jie to pressure me.’

"Heh!"

With a soft chuckle, Zhu Ju picked up the last booklet, which turned out to be a Martial Arts Secret Manual.

Thunder Shocking Force!

’This world’s Martial Arts are primarily based on Qi Blood. Superior Martial Arts transcend Qi Blood, even allowing one to harness the Power of Heaven and Earth and Demon Beast Divine Power for their own use.’

’This Thunder Shocking Force... It can actually integrate the Power of Thunder and Lightning into one’s Qi Blood. This makes one’s sword strikes faster and more powerful.’

’No wonder!’

Zhu Ju was lost in thought.

"Young Master."

Just then, a servant’s voice came from outside the door.

"Young Master Wang Rui is here to see you."

"Wang Rui?" Zhu Ju looked up, puzzled.

’What does he want with me?’

If he just wanted to invite him out for drinks or an outing, he could have sent a servant or a page with a message. There was no need to come in person.