Chapter 82: Since You Came, You Might As Well Bring a Gift (Bonus Chapter—Please Follow, Very Important)

“Chi Lian Nu?”

Seeing her face clearly, Li Rui slightly narrowed his eyes.

“In Qinghe territory, the Ghost Ming Sect is led by the Ten Thousand Ghosts Old Mother, with eight evil ghosts under her, three disciples: Decapitated Slave, Chi Lian Nu, and Bi She Qiang.”

What disgusting nicknames they all came up with.

“Chi Lian Nu was originally beautiful, but her face was destroyed; she excels in disguise and is at the eighth rank.”

Everything matched this woman perfectly.

“I heard this woman was wounded by Tang Sheng last night—perhaps she seeks revenge and plans to infiltrate the branch and kill people using her disguise skills to vent her rage?”

Chi Lian Nu had learned the Zhu family’s situation and intended to exploit her connection with them, pretending to be Zhu Ling to infiltrate the branch.

Clever plan.

“I heard true disguise masters don’t just mimic appearances—they must become that person entirely, even in soul.”

Chi Lian Nu did well.

Too bad she picked the wrong person.

Li Rui unhesitatingly patted down every spot on Chi Lian Nu where spiritual matter glowed.

“Kill someone? Then bring all your belongings along? How considerate.”

Ghost Ming Sect members are constantly hunted by the authorities and live in constant flight—perhaps that’s why Chi Lian Nu carried all these treasures.

In the morning,

he had already sent Wang Zhao to the Zhu household.

Zhu Ping lay gravely injured and unconscious; his sons and several concubines were all brutally killed.

Zhu Ling was missing.

So when Zhu Ling appeared, he had already suspected—then, seeing the overwhelming spiritual matter on her, he became certain.

He had lived in the Zhu household too long.

Zhu Ling never knew martial arts.

Why would she need so many treasures for protection? And even if the Zhu family were wealthy, they’d never give such things to a concubine-born daughter.

“Young people are always reckless—every detail is a flaw.”

“I have to be the old man cleaning up after you.”

Li Rui glanced toward the inner courtyard.

Yang Yong and Wang Zhao’s rooms glowed with lantern light; they hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

He had moved too fast.

So Chi Lian Nu hadn’t made a single sound.

Li Rui dragged Chi Lian Nu’s corpse beneath a large willow tree.

He was a martial artist.

Eighth-rank strength—digging a hole was effortless.

He merely slowed his movements, deliberately quiet, to avoid disturbing Yang Yong and Wang Zhao.

It took only fifteen minutes.

A deep pit large enough for a person was dug.

Li Rui shoved Chi Lian Nu’s corpse into the pit, then refilled it with soil and sprinkled a layer of old earth on top.

Until no trace of disturbed earth remained.

Only then did he nod, satisfied, and clap his hands.

Chi Lian Nu was an eighth-rank expert—he had killed one, and his power would inevitably be exposed; turning her corpse over to the authorities would draw even more Ghost Ming Sect demons after him.

Compared to the reward, inviting death was clearly not worth it.

No amount of money matters if you’re dead.

By the time he finished, it was deep night.

Just as Li Rui turned to leave—

A line of small characters appeared before his eyes.

【Congratulations, Host! Achievement Completed: Famous in the Jianghu—Level 1 Plot—Violence Begets Violence 2.】

【In the Jianghu, killing is inevitable; sometimes you must publicize your deeds, sometimes you must stay silent—the best way to stay silent is to bury the body. You’re new to the Jianghu, yet you’ve mastered corpse-burying after only a few kills. Congratulations.】

【Task “Violence Begets Violence 2” completed. Reward calculation in progress.】

【Task rating: B.】

【Obtained 40 Achievement Points!】

【Name: Li Rui】

【Age: 7】

【Talent: Martial Bone, Exceptional Comprehension, Spiritual Eye】

【Martial Art: White Ape’s Cloak Blade】

【Achievements: 50/100】

Burying corpses.

Li Rui froze.

Only then did he realize—he’d killed many, but buried corpses only twice.

He strongly agreed with the message.

In the Jianghu,

kill without burying, and you kill for nothing.

You only invite endless trouble.

He shook off his thoughts.

Returning to his room, he laid everything he’d taken from Chi Lian Nu on the table.

Elixirs, magic weapons—all present.

A walking arsenal. “Big score!”

Li Rui’s heart pounded—he’d labored for so long in the black market, yet none of it compared to robbing Chi Lian Nu.

But this method won’t last.

The imperial court labeling the Ghost Ming Sect as an evil sect had its reasons.

Look at the weapons Chi Lian Nu carried.

Daggers hidden in sleeves, flexible swords in pant legs, flying darts, hidden arrows, crossbows.

Every single one was a treacherous tool.

Of course, now they all belonged to Li Rui.

Seventeen eighth-rank elixirs—even one seventh-rank elixir.

“No wonder she’s a disciple of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Old Mother—truly wealthy.”

Li Rui grinned, his old face splitting wide.

Finally,

=9+ Shu _ Ba

His gaze settled on a delicate wooden box, with a keyhole in the center.

But he’d found no key on Chi Lian Nu’s person.

He searched thoroughly.

Found no other switches to open the box.

“It must be a mechanism box.”

Li Rui recalled the “Divine Mechanism Heaven’s Craft” he’d once read—it described such mechanism boxes.

Unless opened with a specific method, it could never be unlocked.

If forced open violently, the contents would trigger an internal mechanism and self-destruct.

Mechanism boxes were expensive.

Only something of extreme value warranted such a refined container.

Li Rui was certain of this.

Because under his Spiritual Eye, the spiritual matter within the wooden box exceeded the total of all the other items combined.

“Definitely a treasure.”

Helpless,

Li Rui could only set the box aside for now.

He’d find someone skilled in mechanisms later and figure out how to open it.

Gazing at the table piled high with loot,

“A newbie gift pack?”

Chi Lian Nu didn’t just bring him all these treasures—she even added an extra “40” achievement points.

So thoughtful.

The next day,

Li Rui sent Wang Zhao and Yang Yong to the Zhu household.

He also gave them one spirit elixir.

Though the Zhu family was wealthy, they could not compare to the Heaven’s Alliance; this elixir was specially crafted by Jiang Cheng for him—not precious, but precisely targeted to the ailment.

Zhu Ping took the elixir he had brought and finally woke up.

This, too, was Li Rui’s way of closing the chapter on past events.

Aside from that.

Yang Yong also brought back news.

The missing Zhu Ling had been found, dead in the woods outside the city, his body in a horrific state—his face skin had been peeled off.

Only the coroner from the government office could confirm Zhu Ling’s identity.

Of course, all of it was done by Chi Lian Nü.

The Ghost Ming Sect seeks revenge, not suicide; after their last strike, they’ve grown quieter.

Daily life returned to normal.

At most, the county’s curfew forced seasoned pleasure-seekers to spend their nights alone, wrestling with their own desires.

Li Rui acted as if nothing had happened.

He cultivated, he read books.

With the elixirs provided by Chi Lian Nü, he had enough to last a long time.

In no time, he would enter the Jade Bone realm.

Yang Yong and Wang Zhao continued their usual bustle around the estate.

One day,

Yang Yong swept fallen willow leaves with a broom.

He looked up.

“New sprouts on an old tree?”

But it was clearly autumn.

What was this?

An omen!

In ancient times, the government loved such things; with proper packaging and reporting to the imperial court,

His Majesty might be so delighted he’d grant a general amnesty.

But when Yang Yong told Li Rui about it,

Li Rui merely told him not to spread the word, saying this was called “good fortune not displayed.”

Yang Yong deeply agreed.

“That’s why the elders know so much—you must keep learning!”

Everyone, help me!!! Please follow to the end!!

(End of Chapter)