Chapter 207: Memorial

Duan Rong had already executed the Cloud Snake Step, his figure leaping back to put distance between them.

Shen Chen's footsteps also began to stagger somewhat.

Although he could not see it himself, Duan Rong saw it very clearly: Shen Chen's complexion had already begun to turn black, and his lips were dark purple.

This was a sign of being poisoned!

The reason Duan Rong dared to fight a Martial Artist at the Great Success Realm was because this was his source of confidence!

Just now, when his figure had flickered, the Poison Powder at his cuffs had been faintly scattered from time to time...

In his carelessness, Shen Chen had already been poisoned quite deeply!

Just at this moment, Plum Blossom Afterimage suddenly bloomed at Duan Rong's hand, and a Willow Leaf Knife shot out from the Plum Blossom Afterimage, stabbing straight into Shen Chen's heart!

At this moment, Shen Chen's internal energy was already in chaos, and his consciousness was blurred!

This flying knife pierced directly through his body; the Willow Leaf Knife emerged bathed in blood, shooting out from his back!

Everything went black before Shen Chen's eyes, and he fell backward toward the sky, the Long Sword in his hand also clattering to the ground!

But just as his figure tilted backward, Duan Rong flashed past, and the Ox-Tail Saber slashed off Shen Chen's head horizontally!

Although the heart had stopped pumping blood, the blood in the arteries at the severed neck still spurted out quite high!

Duan Rong stood with his saber held horizontally in the sunlight; Shen Chen's black-faced severed head was right on the horizontal Ox-Tail Saber, and on that severed head, Shen Chen's eyes were still blankly open...

And fresh blood flowed down along the slightly tilted blade like a stream of urine, splashing onto the ground at Duan Rong's feet...

Duan Rong tore off a headscarf wrapped around the head of a corpse nearby, wrapped up Shen Chen's severed head, and casually placed it on the pavilion atop the Rockery.

Then Duan Rong raised his eyes and looked toward the shadow wall of the courtyard.

Outside the shadow wall was the main gate of the manor, and there were still two people standing guard at the gate; Duan Rong had not forgotten.

He had been afraid of alerting the enemy earlier, so he hadn't moved them, but now that things here were finished, it was time to cut off these two tails.

This manor was quite large; the distance from the Rockery to the manor gate was quite far, and the battle just now had ended in only a few breaths.

There hadn't been a single crisp sound of clashing weapons in between, so it hadn't alerted the two people guarding the gate outside the shadow wall at all.

Those two were still chatting at the main gate at this moment.

A man with a mole on his face rubbed his own neck and said, "Those few concubines in the manor just now were truly tender; I wanted to have a good time with them, but Shen Tou killed them all without even blinking..."

"It's truly a pit—"

Before the word "pity" could even be spat out, it was already drowned forever in the depths of his throat, because a flying knife had directly exploded his skull, and his brains splattered all over his face!

The person standing opposite him still had a lewd smile on his face, but his lewd smile was frozen on his face forever, because the back of his head had also been exploded at almost the same time!

Duan Rong's figure suddenly darted out from the shadow wall, grabbed the two men, and as if carrying two sandbags horizontally, returned to the side of the Rockery within a few leaps!

Duan Rong threw the two corpses in his hands onto the ground, then his figure flickered, and he entered the Secret Chamber to drag out the corpse of the last thin man as well.

Duan Rong piled the twelve corpses beside the Rockery; just at this moment, Duan Rong suddenly saw a Long Sword at his feet.

This sword was the one Shen Chen had used just now; Duan Rong sneered, "A murderous bandit, yet you learn to use a sword like others? Putting on an act?"

But Duan Rong's brow suddenly twitched; he suddenly felt that the sword style of Shen Chen just now seemed somewhat familiar. He seemed to have seen it somewhere, but for a moment, he couldn't recall it clearly!

Duan Rong pondered, and suddenly his eyes lit up; he remembered.

It was Shen Mizhi! His sword style was very similar to the sword style of Shen Yanliu's daughter, Shen Mizhi!

Although Duan Rong had only seen Shen Mizhi use a sword once in front of a painting stall, that sword technique had left quite a deep impression on Duan Rong.

This person's sword technique was of the same school as Shen Mizhi's, and those bandits just now called him Shen Tou.

"He also has the surname Shen!" Duan Rong suddenly felt that his killing of that man might have a great connection to Shen Yanliu.

Duan Rong's gaze shifted; he bent down and picked up the Long Sword at his feet, thinking to himself, "Spirit Reader."

A set of data then appeared before Duan Rong's eyes.

Artifact: Long Sword.

Spirit Artifact Tier: Third Tier.

Devour Requirement: Host Spirit Power Level 3 (Satisfied).

Devour Effect: Huan Water Sword Technique Great Accomplishment.

Duan Rong's heart stirred, and he thought to himself, "Devour!"

He used a saber; he had never been interested in sword techniques!

But he didn't know if it was bad karma or bad luck, but he had actually formed a grudge with people of the Shen Family, both openly and secretly, time and time again!

Since this Huan Water Sword Technique was a sword technique of the Shen Family, knowing oneself and the enemy would never be a bad thing.

After Duan Rong finished devouring, he threw away the Long Sword in his hand, and his figure flickered away again; he carried out two large jars of strong liquor from a room.

Before, when Duan Rong was looking for people among the houses and corridors, he had scanned with his Divine Sense and discovered that there were more than ten jars of strong liquor stored there.

Duan Rong smashed the two large jars of strong liquor onto the pile of twelve corpses; immediately, the fragrance of wine overflowed!

Duan Rong pulled out a Fire Folder and ignited the strong liquor; blue flames rose up, and in an instant, they spread!

Duan Rong turned back and brought over two more large jars of wine, smashing them into the fire; the fire suddenly grew larger, and the smell of charred flesh permeated everywhere!

Duan Rong stood there, the afternoon sun shining on the funeral pyre before him!

This was the first time Duan Rong had seen a fire burning corpses; besides the alluring charred scent, after the fire licked away the clothes and hair, the human skin was actually bubbling incessantly, and at the same time, grease was constantly seeping out, turning into fuel that aided the combustion...

After a period of burning, the skin finally began to char and turn black...

Duan Rong looked at the corpses before him that were burned beyond recognition; he raised his head, and gusts of smoke and dust rose and swirled with the scorching flames, faintly visible under the sunlight...

Duan Rong watched the smoke and dust drifting in the air, his gaze distant and profound...

He believed that if there really were souls after death, then at this moment, the spirits of the dead in this village must all be floating above this place, watching these burning corpses...

"I wonder if this meager memorial can eliminate the hatred in your hearts?" Duan Rong looked at the sky above and muttered to himself.

But he had already done what he could; Duan Rong suddenly infused his Internal Breath, reached out, and hoisted the chest filled with gold, jewelry, and silver notes onto his shoulder.

Then, with one hand, he picked up Shen Chen's severed head.

The head, wrapped in a headscarf, was still dripping blood...

Duan Rong stepped forward and exited the devastated Quan Family Manor!

In the wilderness at the west end of the village, Duan Rong dug a large pit, wrapped the bodies of Qin Laohan and his family of four in four yellow reed mats, and buried them in the pit.

Duan Rong used an iron shovel to pack the dirt mound firm, but he did not set up a grave marker for this family; honestly, he only knew Qin Laohan's surname was Qin, but he did not even know what his given name was.

Duan Rong unwrapped Shen Chen's head and laid it out before the Qin family grave, then picked up a jar of strong liquor, used his hand to peck open the seal, and walked around the grave, sprinkling it as he went, saying: "Qin Laohan, for the many times I entered the mountain, I am indebted to your care! One jar of wine, one head, I send your family on their way!"

Duan Rong finished his circle, then poured some of the strong liquor onto Shen Chen's head and lit it with a Fire Folder; the smell of scorched hair and flesh subsequently permeated the area before the grave!

Duan Rong looked at the burning head and the grave before him, poured the last bit of strong liquor from the bottom of the jar down his own throat, and then smashed the wine jar behind him.

Duan Rong's gaze turned toward the village not far away; a faint scent of blood was still drifting on the wind, and there were many more corpses in the village, but there were too many people, and he truly lacked the strength to bury them all!

Duan Rong suddenly cupped his fists toward the grave before him and said: "Qin Laohan, Hei Wa, go in peace!"

After speaking, Duan Rong turned his head to look at a carriage not far behind him.

Duan Rong had used this carriage to haul the bodies of Qin Laohan's family to this place.

The horse for the carriage had long since died at Qin Laohan's home, leaving only the carriage body.

Duan Rong walked toward the carriage, paused slightly, then infused his Internal Breath, suddenly hoisted a large chest from inside the carriage body, and then turned and struck with one palm, his Internal Breath surging, smashing the carriage into a large tree until it was reduced to splinters.

Afterward, Duan Rong carried the large chest on his shoulder, set off on foot, and headed into Wild Boar Mountain...

(End of chapter)