Chapter 380

The domineering Jin Gang qi surged forth; Tian Jing, whose cultivation base was only at the stage of Qi Refining into Gang, was subdued by Xu Yang in an instant, who then carried him and vanished into the mountain forest.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he carried Tian Jing to a secluded place: "Tell me about Su Su Qiming's plot to kill me, and who else knows about it."

Tian Jing's face was full of terror: "I don't know, I'm only responsible for passing them messages when you go down the mountain."

The oppressive might of a Marrow Washing martial artist made him like a lamb facing a fierce tiger, his body trembling uncontrollably.

A Marrow Washing martial artist was far too terrifying; one move subdued him, not even a shred of resistance left, crushing him to death was like crushing an ant.

He didn't dare hide anything at all; whatever Xu Yang asked, he answered.

Xu Yang's gaze was icy cold: "Besides you, does Ziyang Sect have anyone else like you keeping an eye on me for Su Su Qiming?"

Tian Jing shook his head: "No, there's only me. Brother Xu, spare my life, I was forced into it. The Su family came to me and asked me to help, I didn't dare refuse. I wasn't sincerely trying to harm you.

Spare me, I swear I won't mention this to anyone."

At the end, his voice carried a hint of a sobbing tone.

He wasn't originally a courageous person either; the courageous disciples of this generation were all fighting desperately in the Yunling mountain range, seeking opportunities.

He would rather hold on to his meager contribution points and stay in Ziyang Sect; he was a coward by nature.

"What else do you know? Tell me everything in detail?" Xu Yang snorted coldly.

Tian Jing said: "I don't know much. Su Jie found me, only said someone anonymously wrote a letter to Su Su Qiming, saying you might be connected to the Blazing Saber Guest, and then asked me to notify them when you went down the mountain."

An Ping!

Killing intent surged as a fierce glint flared in Xu Yang's eyes.

As far as he knew, the only person who had linked him to the Blazing Saber Guest and wanted to report him for the reward was An Ping, though he had been scared off by Shen Liang.

He hadn't expected this bastard to still be unrepentant, writing an anonymous letter to Su Su Qiming, hoping to use Su Su Qiming's hand to kill him.

"Do you have any last words to leave behind?" He looked down at Tian Jing.

Considering the other had said so much, he gave Tian Jing a chance to speak his last words.

Tian Jing trembled all over, terrified: "Spare me, I've told you everything. My heart was clouded by lard. Let me go, and all my contribution points can be yours, from now on…"

"It seems you don't want to say your last words."

Xu Yang's gaze was icy cold, his five fingers suddenly exerting force.

"Crack!"

The sound of bone breaking rang out; Tian Jing shuddered all over, his eyes bulging wide, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Looking at his neck again, the cervical vertebrae had already been fractured, crushed to pieces by Xu Yang.

His limbs twitched a few times involuntarily, and soon he breathed his last.

Xu Yang bent down and searched him; besides a few dozen taels of silver, there were also twenty contribution points.

"Not bad!"

The appearance of twenty contribution points made him happier than finding several hundred taels of silver.

Casually tossing Tian Jing's corpse aside, Xu Yang returned to Ziyang Sect.

A few disciples guarding the Shanmen watched in confusion as Xu Yang left and returned, left and returned again.

But in the end, they weren't familiar with him, so it wasn't appropriate to inquire.

They only waited for Tian Jing's wine, waiting until evening without seeing Tian Jing return, and could only curse Tian Jing for breaking his word, unaware that Tian Jing was already dead.

【Killed Su Su Qiming, points +20】

【Killed Su Jie, points +3】

【Killed Tian Jing, points +20】

【Martial Dao Longevity Points: 369】

"Killing Tian Jing actually yields the same points as Su Su Qiming; he really was a future trouble."

The next day, the first thing Xu Yang did upon opening his eyes was look at the panel.

Fortunately, after noticing something off about Tian Jing's gaze, he didn't leave but hid in the shadows to observe, and once Tian Jing left Ziyang Sect, he followed.

Otherwise, if Tian Jing had gone to the Su family, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

……

Two days later, the Su family!

"Investigate, send everyone out to investigate. What exactly did Su Qiming and A Jie go to do? Why haven't they returned after so many days?" Su Su Jianye roared.

Su Su Qiming and Su Jie had not returned for many days; the Su family was already in great turmoil.

If something happened to Su Su Qiming and Su Jie, Su Su Jianye couldn't even imagine what consequences would follow. One could say that one-third of the Su family's industries were propped up by these two elixir masters, Su Su Qiming and Su Jie.

The entire Su family investigated, but could only find out that a few days ago Su Su Qiming had left mysteriously with Su Jie, and two days later Su Jie had returned once to report he was safe. No one knew what the two had actually gone to do.

The Su family searched the entire city, and even went outside the city to look, but after searching for several days, they found no trace of Su Jie and Su Su Qiming.

"They must have been killed." Su Su Jianye's face was dark and grim.

No matter what business they went out for, Su Su Qiming couldn't possibly have been away from home for so long. The Su family's elixir business couldn't do without Su Su Qiming; something must have happened for him not to return.

"Put out a bounty. Whoever provides useful information will be rewarded ten thousand taels of silver." Su Su Jianye's killing intent surged: "Let me find out who harmed them, and I will wipe out their entire clan."

Without Su Su Qiming and Su Jie, the Su family would surely suffer a heavy blow, with business shrinking.

Shrinking business meant fewer resources; fewer resources meant problems with the family's martial artists' cultivation. If this vicious cycle continued, the Su family would sooner or later degenerate into a second- or third-rate clan.

With the bounty issued, the disappearance of the two elixir masters Su Su Qiming and Su Jie caused a sensation in Qingyang City. Many people were tempted by the ten-thousand-tael reward, but unfortunately no one knew any information related to the disappearance of Su Su Qiming and Su Jie.

Soon, the news reached Ziyang Sect, and many were shocked by the ten-thousand-tael bounty.

"A ten-thousand-tael bounty, the Su family is really rich."

Tang Xiao's face was full of greed. His family had some money, but definitely not this much; even selling all their properties could only scrape up ten thousand taels.

"Just to find two people, they're willing to put up so much money."

Shen Liang was shocked. Compared to these clans in Qingyang City, the value of their small county-town clan was like that of beggars; their entire fortune might not even amount to ten thousand taels.

Guo Huai said, "You simply do not understand the value Su Su Qiming and Su Jie hold for the Su family. If they could save both, the Su family would not hesitate to spend tens of thousands of taels. The Su family is in trouble; losing Su Su Qiming and Su Jie, I fear they will fall to a second or third-rate family within a few years."

An Ping's eyes flickered: "Who do you think did this? Whoever dares to kill a Su family alchemist, are they not afraid of being discovered?"

Guo Huai shook his head: "Even the Su family members do not know who did it; how could we possibly guess?"

"Two alchemists, not staying properly in the family to refine pills, but going out to do what? Is there something more important than pill refining?" An Ping's eyes rolled.

Could it be that Su Su Qiming discovered who the Fiery Blade Rogue was and went to avenge his son, only to be killed by the Fiery Blade Rogue who had a Marrow-Washing cultivation base?

Otherwise, he truly could not think of any matter requiring Su Su Qiming, an alchemist living in ease and comfort, to personally take action and ultimately go missing.

"If you are interested, you can go down and ask Su Su Qiming."

Tang Xiao laughed, having no interest in deducing this matter. Regardless of who killed Su Su Qiming, anyone with the strength to slay a Marrow-Washing martial artist was an existence he could not afford to provoke.

Su Su Qiming had been Marrow-Washing for many years; even though alchemists are not skilled in combat, he was not someone easily slain.

The person who killed Su Su Qiming was likely a master with a Minor Success in Marrow-Washing.

An Ping ignored Tang Xiao's teasing, his heart stirring: "Could this be related to Xu Yang?"

He had secretly written a letter to Su Su Qiming, warning him that Xu Yang and the Fiery Blade Rogue might be connected. Had Su Su Qiming already sought trouble with Xu Yang?

Or was Su Su Qiming killed by the Fiery Blade Rogue while seeking trouble with Xu Yang?

He was startled by this thought, feeling it was unlikely.

If Xu Yang had such a master behind him, it would already be known to everyone.

He wrote to Su Su Qiming only to use Su Su Qiming's hand to kill Xu Yang; he did not truly believe Xu Yang had any connection to the Fiery Blade Rogue.

"Now that Su Su Qiming is dead, should I write to the Su family again to inform them of this?" An Ping thought.

Su Su Qiming is dead, but Xu Yang is still alive, meaning his plan to kill Xu Yang has failed.

"Forget it, don't bring trouble upon myself." An Ping quickly vetoed this thought.

He did not have to kill Xu Yang; writing to the Su family now would also put him in danger.

What if the Su family believed it was his letter that caused Su Su Qiming's death? He would likely invite disaster upon himself. Setting aside Su Su Qiming's status as an alchemist, even just his identity as a Marrow-Washing martial artist, Su Su Qiming's death was a heavy loss for the Su family.

Without finding the true culprit, he still wanted to use the Su family's hand to harm others; the Su family are not all fools.

"Good!"

Xu Yang breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the bounty; the Su family issuing a bounty meant they did not know he was the one who did it.

In this way, he still had a chance to catch his breath.

"An Ping!" A coldness flashed through his eyes.

The only lingering trouble in this matter was likely An Ping, but An Ping stayed in the Ziyang Sect every day, and Xu Yang could not find an opportunity to strike.

Xu Yang took a task to refine ores on the Li Huo Peak, and his life returned to calm once more; he practiced the Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow-Washing arts while contemplating the Burdening Mountain Xiong Wang Palm.

This day, as he returned from the Li Huo Peak, he saw Sun Tao, Zhang Yong, and Jiang Ping sitting in the courtyard chatting with Wang Wang Weihua.