Chapter 66: A Secret Worth One Hundred Spirit Stones

In an instant, the two figures collided outside the gambling den. Xu Qing operated the Sea Transformation Scripture and the Sea Mountain Scripture simultaneously. He prepared to finish the battle quickly, so he used his full strength in his strike, throwing a punch.

Amidst the rumbling, the fat man's body shook, his expression clearly changing. Clearly, his previous judgment of strength was wrong. Now, upon contact with Xu Qing, he immediately felt the terrifying power from Xu Qing's physical body.

Thus, he retreated abruptly, but his speed compared to Xu Qing's was still slow. In the blink of an eye, Xu Qing's fist hit his stomach.

With a bang, the fat man's body shook again, but instead of being blasted backward, he instantly became hollow, turning into a skin that shrouded Xu Qing completely.

The fat man's skin was large and wide, covering everything like an octopus. Seeing that it was about to wrap around Xu Qing.

Xu Qing's brows furrowed slightly. A large number of water droplets appeared outside his body, changing rapidly into diamond shapes, whistling away like arrowheads. With a puff-puff sound, they immediately pierced through the skin.

A ferocious figure instantly drilled out from the tattered skin and retreated.

That was a humanoid creature covered in mucus, with green hair, a body covered in scales, and fierce intent in its eyes, with a forked tongue extending from its sharp, thorn-like teeth.

It took a deep look at Xu Qing, did not continue to take action, but swayed and was about to flee.

Xu Qing watched coldly, lifting his right hand and waving it. In front of the alien cultivator, a water curtain appeared out of thin air, blocking it abruptly, forcing its body to retreat some distance, the ferocious intent in its eyes growing even stronger.

"You are courting death!"

As he spoke, the alien cultivator rushed straight at Xu Qing, waving both hands, causing a large amount of black energy to drift, forming strands of vengeful spirits that emitted shrill sounds and pounced straight at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing was expressionless. He dispersed his blood energy outward, and instantly even shriller screams came from the mouths of those vengeful spirits, being directly shaken away by Xu Qing's vigorous blood energy. Xu Qing took a step forward, arriving before the alien cultivator whose expression had changed completely, and lifted his right hand to grab forward.

The alien cultivator breathed rapidly, madness revealing in its eyes.

At the critical moment, all the scales on its body fell off at this moment, like countless sharp blades, sweeping horizontally toward Xu Qing in front of it in a vortex storm.

After doing this, it didn't continue to flee but erupted with fierce intent, its right-hand fingernails sharp, stabbing straight toward Xu Qing's neck.

"Die!"

But in the blink of an eye, the alien cultivator's eyes suddenly contracted, revealing disbelief and horror.

It didn't care about the scale storm at all. No matter how the scales arrived, they couldn't block his palm, which was like a hot knife through butter. At this moment, it pierced through the scale vortex directly and grabbed the alien cultivator's hand.

With a crack, Xu Qing twisted it upward fiercely, directly breaking it, making the alien cultivator's sharp fingers stab straight into its own forehead.

The sound of flesh and bone breaking spread. The alien cultivator's forehead was pierced, emitting a desperate scream, the sound incomparably miserable, and its eyes revealed strong fear.

But its body structure was different from the human race, and it was not fatal.

But in the end, it was still severely injured. At this moment, as fresh blood flowed out, its aura also weakened rapidly. It was grabbed by the neck by Xu Qing and fell into a coma, being dragged away like a corpse toward the distance.

Inside and outside the gambling den, there was silence. Gamblers and guards alike were trembling, their attention drawn by the intense fighting sounds between Xu Qing and Sun Dewang earlier. Now, after realizing the identity of the alien cultivator outside and realizing its strength, they were even clearer about the terror of Xu Qing here.

No one dared to speak. In this frozen air, Xu Qing, who was about to walk far away, suddenly paused his footsteps and looked up into the distance.

In the empty and dark street in the distance, a person was walking over at this moment.

As he approached, as he stepped into the illumination range of the gambling den's lights, his figure also became clear from the dimness. A light purple Daoist robe gradually reflected into Xu Qing's eyes.

Xu Qing's pupils contracted.

The person coming was a youth with long black hair, an extraordinary appearance, a slender body, and pride in his expression. Especially that Daoist robe clearly revealed his noble status.

There was even a fluctuation of the Eighth Layer Qi Condensation Sea Transformation Scripture radiating strongly from his body, forming a large number of water droplets around him, each one sharp and locking onto Xu Qing.

"Which department of the Murder Investigation Department are you from? Put him down, and then I can pretend I didn't see this!"

The person's words were cold, carrying unquestionable authority.

Xu Qing was silent. He had seen this youth before. When he and the captain were patrolling for the first time, he had seen the other party walking down from the mortal world like a god from afar.

He knew very well that this person was a core disciple of the Seventh Peak.

Xu Qing's brows furrowed slightly. Although he had made some arrangements to prevent accidents, facing the status of a core disciple, he feared it would be difficult to have any effect. And to have a conflict with a core disciple for forty spirit stones, Xu Qing felt it wasn't worth it, unless the benefits were greater.

"Which branch of the Homicide Department are you from? Put him down for me, and then I can pretend I didn't see this!"

"Core disciple, what great prestige. Interfering with law enforcement directly in front of our Murder Investigation Department."

As the voice came out, the light purple-robed youth turned around abruptly, and Xu Qing also looked up, immediately seeing the figure walking over swaying from afar. This figure was eating an apple while walking, and it was exactly the captain of Team 6.

The light purple-robed youth's eyes narrowed, and Xu Qing also had some surprise in his eyes. It's just that what he was surprised by was not the captain's arrival, but that the captain actually chose to appear at this time.

In reality, for the clues given by the old man on Banquan Road, Xu Qing couldn't fully believe them. In the Seven Blood Eyes main city where human hearts were sinister, the other party might have deliberately given a clue with a deep pit, borrowing a knife to kill.

Especially the industry of gambling dens—being able to open in the Seven Blood Eyes main city, they must have some background. Thus, on the way here, Xu Qing pondered and transmitted a message to the captain, promising to give half of the proceeds in exchange for the captain coming forward when necessary to resolve disputes.

Regardless of whether this dispute would appear, he would give the spirit stones.

The clue for the first wanted criminal was abandoned, so the captain didn't appear. And now the second clue led to a core disciple. Xu Qing had thought the captain wouldn't appear either.

Noticing the surprise in Xu Qing's expression, the captain took a bite of the fruit, blinked at Xu Qing, and then looked at the light purple-robed youth whose expression was somewhat ugly.

"According to the Third Rule of the Murder Investigation Department, during law enforcement, those who obstruct official business will be severely punished."

"He is a wanted criminal, we are enforcing the law, it is official business."

"Are you going to obstruct it?" The captain looked at the light purple-robed youth with a smile.

In Xu Qing's eyes, the captain was clearly wearing a gray Daoist robe, but the strength of his words and the ugly expression of the light purple-robed youth made Xu Qing feel as if the two of them had swapped identities.

This made him extremely shocked in his heart.

And the light purple-robed youth there, after the captain's words were spoken, had slightly rapid breathing, and his heart turned rapidly. In reality, Sun Dewang had been filial to him on normal days, and this casino was one of his industries, so he couldn't allow anyone to take him away at first.

But he was wary of this captain of Team 6. He knew this person and had heard of such a figure. In his memory, about two years ago, this person had a conflict with another core disciple, and not long after... that core disciple disappeared.

This matter made him extremely vigilant, and what shocked him even more was that there was no follow-up investigation on the mountain, and they kept silent. It seemed not many people on the mountain knew about it.

One had to know that the disappearance of a core disciple was a big thing in the Seven Blood Eyes, but that time... it was left unsettled.

Thus, after silence, the light purple-robed youth snorted coldly and left without saying a word.

This dramatic scene caused a huge wave in Xu Qing's heart, and when he looked at the captain, many guesses emerged in his heart.

"My spirit stones." The captain looked at Xu Qing and smiled.

Xu Qing gave twenty spirit stones directly without a word.

After taking the spirit stones, a satisfied expression appeared on the captain's face, and he swept a glance at the light purple-robed youth who had walked far away.

"This person is named Zhao Zhongheng, he is a straw bag. If it weren't for his grandfather being an elder of the Seventh Peak, he would have been finished off long ago. How could he still have the status of a core disciple."

"But I heard he was arranged by his grandfather to come down from the mountain and went to the Dispatch Department to hold a position, becoming a leader. I guess he wants him to gain experience inside."

The captain said, walking forward. Xu Qing was silent, followed him, and went to the Murder Investigation Department together.

On the way, Xu Qing looked at the captain many times, until they were about to reach the Murder Investigation Department, the captain turned his head and looked at Xu Qing, asking in surprise.

"You kid can really endure, why haven't you asked me why I am so powerful, why I can make a core disciple retreat?"

"Why?" Xu Qing asked.

The captain looked at Xu Qing and felt it was a bit boring.

"You are so boring... Forget it, seeing that you are my team member, I'll tell you. Two years ago, I offended a core disciple. I was planning to escape the Seven Blood Eyes, but guess what, hahaha."

"That core disciple was unlucky and died in an accident at sea. After the sect investigated, it was indeed an accident, so it was left unsettled. Then I don't know how it spread... some core disciples on the mountain felt I was quite mysterious."

"Thus, when they see me, most of them avoid me." The captain waved his hand and looked at Xu Qing with a smile.

Xu Qing nodded.

"You really believe it?" The captain was surprised.

"Don't believe it." Xu Qing shook his head.

"Then why did you nod..."

Xu Qing was silent.

The captain sighed, seemingly feeling it was boring again. After a long while, when the two saw the Murder Investigation Department gate from afar, his face was somewhat blurred in the dark, and he said softly.

"The truth is, I finished him off. This is my secret. Xu Qing, this secret is worth... hmm, one hundred spirit stones!"

After the captain finished speaking, he blinked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing couldn't take out one hundred spirit stones.

The captain sighed, muttered a few words, and after making Xu Qing admit that he owed him one hundred spirit stones, he stretched, and went to the Xuan Department of the Murder Investigation Department.

Xu Qing rubbed his temples, looking at the departing captain. For the spirit stones he was inexplicably forced to owe, he didn't feel helpless but breathed a sigh of relief.

On this journey, the reason he didn't speak was because he acutely sensed a trace of killing intent appearing and disappearing on the captain, and the captain's cultivation base, which seemed to be the same Ninth or Tenth Layer Qi Condensation as Xu Qing had judged before, now Xu Qing vaguely felt that the other party must have hidden it, and the true combat power was definitely stronger.

And the other party's killing intent didn't erupt, and after he agreed to owe the spirit stones, it dissipated rapidly.

At this moment, while his mind relaxed, Xu Qing looked back at the direction of Banquan Road, and cold glints brewed in his eyes.

Soon he withdrew his gaze, stepped into the Murder Investigation Department, handed Sun Dewang to the storage department of the department, and took the bounty spirit stones.

Before leaving, he gave some spirit coins to the fellow disciple responsible for the storage of wanted criminals and politely asked about Zhao Zhongheng.

The disciple responsible for wanted storage accepted the spirit coins with a fake smile and told Xu Qing about it.

What was said was roughly the same as what the captain said, but not as detailed as what the captain said. Xu Qing understood in his heart and left after thanking him.

On the way to the harbor berth, Xu Qing's eyes revealed contemplation, recalling the events of this night.

"The captain is very strong, and also very evil. He seems to be a bit different toward me. What is his purpose?"

Carrying contemplation, Xu Qing returned to the berth, a deep sense of vigilance rising in his heart. He took out a bamboo slip from his pocket. This item was very old, clearly used for a long time.

On it was a row of names that had been crossed out. Among those not crossed out, there was one, which was the Jin Gang Sect Ancestor.

Xu Qing picked up the iron skewer and began to carve characters, writing the five words "Banquan Road Old Man".

Then he wrote the two words "Captain". After thinking about it, he added a question mark after the word "Captain".

Carving the name was because of the captain's previous killing intent, and adding a question mark was because the killing intent was resolved by one hundred spirit stones.

Then Xu Qing buried the captain's matter. He didn't want to investigate the captain's secret, so he took out Sun Dewang's leather pouch, opened it, and took a glance. Xu Qing was silent.

He thought of the words the other party said when walking out of the gambling den.

Inside the leather pouch, indeed, not even a hair was left, and none of the miscellaneous items were worth money. Xu Qing furrowed his brows, threw the leather pouch aside, and sat cross-legged to cultivate.

Time passed day by day like this. Xu Qing, who had obtained twenty spirit stones, didn't go to Banquan Road again. The inn old man had the suspicion of borrowing a knife to kill. Xu Qing had already started planning how to finish off the other party silently.

It's just that this matter was a bit difficult, so Xu Qing didn't plan to alert the enemy too much before taking action.

His main energy during this period, besides cultivation, was using spirit stones to purchase expensive materials to upgrade his magic boat.

Making his Level 2 magic boat upgrade by two levels, reaching the level of Level 4 sturdiness.

At this moment, the magic boat's appearance had changed greatly. Not only had the length and width increased a lot, but most importantly, the totem like scales that had appeared on it was not just the scales of the past, but replaced by real scales.

Densely packed, the entire magic boat on the sea looked no different from a real giant crocodile. Its ferocity was even more violent, especially the crocodile head statue, which seemed to have spirituality, and the carved eyes revealed a look of spirit.

That was because Xu Qing bought two sturdiness-enhancing plate rocks and replaced the eyes, making this boat's protection even more comprehensive.

The original canopy had become a house, with a boat and a door, making Xu Qing feel even more secure.

And such a Level 4 boat was not possessed by everyone in the harbor, although the materials Xu Qing chose were all low-level, it still attracted some attention in Port 79.

There was no way for this matter. Even if he asked the shopkeeper to cover it up during refining, the effect was not very great, so Xu Qing could only be more cautious and vigilant.

And fortunately, vigilance and caution were something he had been accustomed to for so many years, becoming a part of his life.

At the same time, the rapid upgrade of the magic boat also accelerated his plan to go out to sea significantly.

All of this made Xu Qing look forward to the magic boat even more. Although the cost was not small, he felt it was worth it.

As for Zhao Zhongheng, there was no follow-up in these few days, seemingly deterred by the captain.

At the same time, the Murder Investigation Department, during this period, although it didn't look for Night Dove on the surface, the atmosphere inside was clearly tense, which made Xu Qing feel that the net for Night Dove should be closing soon.

Two days later, Xu Qing, who had already finished his shift, didn't wait to leave the Murder Investigation Department before receiving a notification: everyone was not allowed to leave the Murder Investigation Department today and should wait for orders in their respective small teams.

Their voice transmission jade slips were also restricted.

This made Xu Qing understand that the net was closing tonight.

The fact was indeed so. An hour later, just as dusk fell, Xu Qing, who was waiting in the small team, saw the captain's figure.

"The department has decided to close the net on Night Dove in all seven districts today. The confirmed strongholds during these days, there are seventeen Night Dove hiding points in the harbor area. All small teams of the Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang departments will be dispatched in a mixed manner."

"Xu Qing, the location you handed in is correct. This time our small team will act together with the Third Small Team of the Earth Department, and the target is this location." The captain smiled at Xu Qing, then his expression became solemn, his gaze sweeping over all the team members.

"Inside this stronghold, there are two people at the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation, four at the Ninth Layer, seven at the Eighth Layer, and the rest are several, totaling twenty-five people!"

"And the department attaches great importance to this matter. For any stronghold, each team member of the small team that kills the enemy chief will be rewarded with ten spirit stones, and the one who kills the enemy chief will be rewarded with another eighty spirit stones!"

"Besides this, every head of Night Dove is worth ten spirit stones. Brothers, it's time to make some extra money!"

Xu Qing's eyes contracted when he heard this. His Level 4 magic boat wanted to upgrade to Level 6. The materials needed, if he chose low-level ones, would be enough with a dozen spirit stones. But if he chose the mid-level ones he longed for, it would probably cost about eighty spirit stones. As for high-level ones, Xu Qing didn't consider them, as they were outrageously expensive.

And he was still worrying about how to get spirit stones these days. Hearing the captain's words at this moment, a sharp glint appeared in Xu Qing's eyes.

5,000-word big chapter!

Second update coming soon~~ ===== CHAPTER 67 =====

"Besides that, every head of a Night Dove is worth ten spirit stones. Brothers, it's time to earn some extra money!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing's eyes suddenly narrowed. For his level-four magic boat to be upgraded to level-six, the materials required, if he chose low-rank ones, would only cost a dozen or so spirit stones. But if he chose the mid-rank ones he craved, it would take about eighty spirit stones. As for high-rank ones, Xu Qing didn't even consider them; they were ridiculously expensive.

And these past few days he had been worrying about how to obtain spirit stones. Hearing the captain's words now, a sharp glint appeared in Xu Qing's eyes.

A massive 5000-word chapter!

Second update coming soon~~