Chapter 39: Zhang Qing

"Sir, they’re our men," someone whispered.

This was all too bizarre. Who could kill so many people in such a short time and still manage to hang their corpses on the trees?

Only... a Refining Viscera Power Master?

Had the Cheng Family’s backup arrived?

Qian Neng was no fool. Realizing something in a flash, he muttered under his breath, "Where is Elder Feng?" He turned around, ready to leave immediately. Seeing that the situation was unsalvageable, he decisively chose to abandon the mission.

The scene before him was far too eerie, and Elder Feng had yet to return from intercepting Cheng the Second. A son worth a thousand gold coins does not sit beneath dangerous eaves. Qian Neng never took unnecessary risks. Once the Yellow Heaven Sect’s great cause was completed, even if that woman, Cheng Lian’Er, came begging, he would never give her another chance!

Suddenly, the sound of the wind echoed through the woods. It swept through countless branches, letting out an eerie HOWL. Over there, the cluster of corpses hanging from the trees swayed along with the gusts.

THUD!

Qian Neng’s expression turned grave as he watched a corpse fall from the tree and hit the ground. He wondered, "Is it just... a corpse falling down?"

The wind grew fiercer, whipping up the loose, unfrozen snow from the ground. The sense of unease in Qian Neng’s heart grew heavier by the second. He turned and sprinted away.

THUD!

THUD!

THUD!

Corpses began to drop from the trees, one after another. Qian Neng ran even faster.

As he dashed past a snowdrift, a hand suddenly shot out, catching him off guard and grabbing him by the ankle! An overwhelming surge of immense strength instantly swept over him, nearly hoisting him upside down.

Reacting swiftly, Qian Neng twisted his waist and drew his saber, slashing at the arm holding him from a bizarre angle. Behind him, the two Bone Forger Martial Artists saw he was under attack and rushed to assist without hesitation.

A hint of mockery flashed across Xu Guang’s eyes. He refused to let go of Qian Neng’s foot.

"Speckle Burst!"

Dense gray speckles instantly surfaced all over his arm.

CLANG!

A sinister grin flickered at the corner of Xu Guang’s mouth. He forcefully swung Qian Neng in midair, using him as a human weapon to charge at the two martial artists. Suspended in the air, Qian Neng cradled his head and curled his torso, desperately slashing his saber against Xu Guang’s arm like a madman.

The two martial artists hesitated, afraid of harming Qian Neng. Even though they wielded sharp blades, they didn’t dare approach. Instead, they fell victim to Xu Guang’s relentless sneak attacks while he held Qian Neng hostage. After taking two heavy kicks, the pair could no longer stand.

Now, Xu Guang finally had the chance to deal with Qian Neng. The moment Qian Neng’s saber chopped down, Xu Guang reached out and clamped his hand around Qian Neng’s wrist.

"Do you have any idea who I am?!" Qian Neng bellowed.

Xu Guang raised his leg and delivered a heavy kick to Qian Neng’s waist. "Let me ask you. Was your father, Qian Cheng, a human trafficker in the past?"

Under the force of that kick, Xu Guang’s tremendous strength nearly made Qian Neng cough up a mouthful of blood. His internal organs felt like they had been turned upside down, and he curled himself into a tight ball.

Ignoring his agony, Xu Guang delivered another vicious kick. "I’m asking you a question!"

"No! My father is a renowned philanthropist in Xiefeng City of the Ji State. How could he ever be involved in the Yazi trade?!" Qian Neng gasped in a low voice, letting out a pained whimper.

Xu Guang narrowed his eyes. He suddenly stomped on Qian Neng’s hand and coldly said, "I hate philanthropists the most!"

CRACK!

Snow splashed five feet into the air. Qian Neng’s hand was forcefully crushed beneath Xu Guang’s foot. He threw his head back, opened his mouth wide, and let out an agonizing HOWL.

"My father isn’t a philanthropist! He’s a Yazi!" Qian Neng screamed decisively.

"I hate philanthropists too, brother. We’re the same kind of people!" Xu Guang narrowed his eyes, seemingly giving Qian Neng a glimmer of hope for survival. "Have you been to Feiyun City before?"

Qian Neng nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, I have! My father used to be a local of Feiyun City."

Then... he hadn’t got the wrong person.

Dispelling the last shred of hesitation in his heart, Xu Guang deliberately dragged out his question, "Eight years ago, who was backing your father in Feiyun City?"

Qian Neng’s expression shifted slightly. He wondered why Xu Guang was asking this. "The Liu Family! It’s the Liu Family!"

"And how exactly did Qian Cheng become a Canon Seat of the Yellow Heaven Sect over these years..."

Before Xu Guang could finish speaking, an Iron Pill materialized in Qian Neng’s palm. He hurled it at Xu Guang as a strange, eerie radiance burst from his body, and his figure abruptly retreated backward.

Xu Guang stomped on the back of Qian Neng’s dropped saber, causing the blade to bounce up. He raised his foot again, kicking the hilt. The long saber shot out like a projectile.

SQUELCH!

Qian Neng’s face twisted in sheer terror, but he had no time to dodge. He could only watch helplessly as the long saber pierced straight through his throat. Blood gushed out like a fountain.

PHEW.

Xu Guang chose to extract the blood while the body was still warm. He felt a pang of regret. There were still many questions he wanted to ask, and Qian Neng likely knew a lot, but given Qian Neng’s bizarre burst of speed just now, Xu Guang hadn’t been certain he could catch up if the man escaped.

Still, a heavy feeling weighed on his heart. He hadn’t expected that the Ya Bang’s backers in the past had actually been members of the Liu Family.

He casually searched the corpse. To his disappointment, Qian Neng didn’t carry many Treasures. The coin pouch only contained a few golden leaves. The most valuable item was the Soft Armor worn underneath his clothes, which was impervious to swords and spears.

After enjoying the Blood Refining of a Refining Viscera Martial Artist, the blood on Qian Neng’s body felt rather dull and tasteless to him. Of course, he had also realized that this kind of violent blood feedback was actually detrimental to one’s foundation. Xu Guang didn’t dwell on it too much. Adhering to the principle that even a mosquito’s leg is meat, he reached out, untied the ropes, and lowered all the corpses from the trees.

Although they had gone a bit cold, he wasn’t a pervert who only insisted on doing it while they were warm.

Spending about a quarter of an hour, Xu Guang refined the blood from the corpses one by one. Feeling the nearly three hundred drops of Essence Blood in his Blood Eye, a look of satisfaction appeared on Xu Guang’s face.

With this haul, once the mission was completed, he could lay low and focus on his Cultivation for another few months.

Mercenaries were different from the regular Feiyun Guard. Aside from a few mandatory combat deployments, the rest of their time was completely free. However, this also meant they had no stable income and could only rely on taking missions. Since Xu Guang had gained such a bountiful harvest on this trip, he naturally had no intention of going out again anytime soon.

He looted the other corpses, stuffing all their valuables into a bundle. It actually yielded nearly a full sack of various assorted items. However, he clearly had no time to sort through them right now.