Chapter 45 - 46: Tao Wenxuan’s Scheme, Stepping into the Second Level

Chapter 45: Chapter 46: Tao Wenxuan’s Scheme, Stepping into the Second Level

"According to the information we received, this Wei Jie is a Protector of the Rebirth Sect. He boasts formidable strength and is highly likely to be a Power Training Martial Artist.

"Furthermore, his movements are stealthy, making him incredibly difficult to capture. If you, Yang the Warrior, can capture him, the County Magistrate’s Office is willing to offer two hundred taels.

"If you can kill him, I am personally willing to give you another one hundred taels!"

Tao Wenxuan shared this information about Wei Jie with Su Chen. He obviously hoped Su Chen would accept the mission, otherwise, he wouldn’t have increased the bounty. However, faced with the temptation of 300 taels, Su Chen didn’t agree immediately. High rewards meant high risks.

Tao Wenxuan had explicitly stated that Wei Jie was a Power Training Martial Artist. There were four stages for a Power Training Martial Artist, and the gap in strength between each stage was vast. With Su Chen’s current strength, he had to be cautious even when dealing with two martial artists of the same level, let alone one who was potentially stronger than him.

This wasn’t mere speculation. After all, the man was a Protector of the Rebirth Sect. Even if he hadn’t achieved mastery in Power Training, he was at least a martial artist with minor success in the realm. It was worth noting that even Zhu Ming, who hadn’t even entered the Power Training stage, was protected by two martial artists who had just crossed its threshold. This was enough to prove that martial artists of such a level might merely be slightly more capable thugs within the Rebirth Sect. As a Protector, no matter how weak Wei Jie was, he couldn’t possibly be worse than a common thug.

"I need to think about it," Su Chen replied after a moment of contemplation. "Is there a time limit for this bounty mission?"

These words made Tao Wenxuan breathe a sigh of relief. The lack of an immediate rejection meant there was still a chance. However, he was secretly astonished. The strength of Yang the Warrior seemed to be far greater than he had initially guessed.

"No!" Tao Wenxuan shook his head. This bounty mission was a spur-of-the-moment idea; naturally, there was no time limit.

Su Chen nodded, then looked at the two men. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave now!"

"Yang the Warrior, if you plan to deal with Wei Jie, I have a piece of information for you. He might appear in Lanye Town five days from now." With that, Tao Wenxuan ordered his adviser to bring out a portrait of Wei Jie.

Su Chen studied it for a moment before saying, "Alright!" He didn’t explicitly state whether he would go or not, and Tao Wenxuan didn’t press the matter, simply having the adviser see him out.

After seeing Su Chen off, the adviser returned to the main hall.

"Have the bodies of Zhu Ming and the others been brought back?" Tao Wenxuan asked.

"They have already been retrieved," the adviser replied.

"Then have their corpses hung in the market to make an example out of them!"

Hearing this, the adviser hesitated for a moment but nodded anyway. "Yes, sir!"

"Where do you think this Yang Guo is from?" Tao Wenxuan asked after a brief pause.

The adviser shook his head. "He doesn’t seem to be a local of White Stone City. He appeared out of thin air. If my guess is correct, ’Yang Guo’ should be his alias. He is likely living incognito somewhere near the city."

"That would make sense. This man’s strength is undeniably great; it’s a pity he cannot be used by me," Tao Wenxuan muttered to himself, not overly concerned.

The adviser suggested, "If you wish to recruit him, my lord, why not promise him a hefty sum of gold? From what I can tell, this man is extremely greedy for wealth. Such a move might just work."

"No need. Let’s wait and see if he survives first," Tao Wenxuan said, shaking his head.

Hearing this, the adviser rubbed his chin. Seeming to guess something, he asked, "Are you worried that he’s no match for Wei Jie, my lord?"

Instead of answering, Tao Wenxuan asked, "Do you think he will go to Lanye Town in five days?"

"Well..." The adviser thought for a moment. "He might go, but he won’t necessarily make a move. He seems to follow his own code of conduct." Speaking of this, he recalled the incident regarding Zhu Ming’s assassination. Su Chen had delayed taking action for five days, proving he wasn’t impulsive, but rather highly cautious.

"However..." The adviser hesitated, as if a thought had just struck him.

"However what?"

"My lord, the news of Wei Jie appearing in Lanye Town is too much of a coincidence. We received this information right after Zhu Ming died. I fear it’s a trap!"

Upon hearing this, Tao Wenxuan chuckled lightly. "Of course it’s a trap. That man has probably already guessed that we were the ones behind the hit."

"Then why did you..."

"The situation in White Stone City has been stagnant for far too long. It’s time someone came along to break the deadlock." Tao Wenxuan shook his head, offering no further explanation.

If Su Chen managed to kill Wei Jie, it would perfectly align with his intentions. It might even draw out the rebels of the Rebirth Sect, allowing him to wipe them all out at once. If Wei Jie killed Su Chen instead, there would be no loss to him either. He didn’t care whether Su Chen lived or died.

The adviser remained silent for a moment before speaking up again. "My lord, the bandit scourge outside the city has been running rampant recently, causing panic among the citizens. If this continues, I’m afraid complications will arise."

Tao Wenxuan waved dismissively. "They are nothing but a ragtag mob. Pay them no mind. If there’s a civilian uprising, simply suppress it by force." With that said, he turned and left.

...

Lanye Town.

A dilapidated courtyard.

Amidst the rustling grass in the wind, a few blurry figures could faintly be seen lurking in the shadows.

TAP TAP TAP.

Rapid footsteps rang out. A stealthy figure lingered at the courtyard gate before slipping inside a moment later.

"Guardian Dharma Wei."

Upon seeing a lean man practicing martial arts in the center of the courtyard, the newcomer knelt on the ground and spoke respectfully.

The lean man seemed not to hear him, continuing his martial arts routine. He suddenly kicked out a foot, and five or six sharp whooshes instantly tore through the air. A moment later, as his foot landed, he inadvertently stepped on a rock, splitting it open with a sharp CRACK.

"How did the task go?" the lean man asked softly, looking at the messenger.

"Reporting to the Protector, the investigation is complete. Zhu Ming and the two brothers of the Zhao family were killed by a one-armed man. This person is suspected to be an Assassin working for the Government Office, going by the name Yang Guo.

"Yang Guo frequently handles matters for the Government Office, executing fugitives. He possesses formidable strength and is suspected to be a Power Training Martial Artist.

"However, this man is highly secretive. He comes and goes without a trace, proving to be exceedingly elusive. We have not been able to track down his residence."

"Oh? Yang Guo?" The lean man murmured upon hearing the name. "What about the other matter?"

"Reporting to the Protector, the news that you will arrive in Lanye Town in five days has already been spread," the man said.

"Good. You may step down. Keep a close eye on any news regarding Yang Guo and the Government Office, and report back to me at any time."

The lean man waved his hand. Once his subordinate had retreated, a smile suddenly crept onto his face. "Heh, secretive? Comes and goes without a trace? Since you dared to kill my men, let’s see if you can withstand my fury!"

...

Meanwhile.

Having returned home, Su Chen looked at the over one hundred taels of silver in front of him. He pondered, "Should I choose the Ape Arm Skill or the Iron Cloth Shirt? The former might only strengthen my arms, but the latter could potentially enhance my power."

After contemplating for a while, he came to a decision. Gritting his teeth, he said, "If my power is enhanced, my overall strength will undoubtedly surge. I should upgrade the Iron Cloth Shirt first." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Thus, Su Chen topped up one hundred taels of silver and activated the easy mode for the Iron Cloth Shirt (Incomplete):

[Easy Mode Activated: Bathe in warm water for twenty minutes to train the Iron Cloth Shirt (Incomplete) to the second layer.]