Chapter 259: Killing

Lei Zhan left.

Of the remaining thirty-plus disciples, only ten chose to stay and attempt to enter the inner courtyard.

The other disciples, dejected, had no choice but to leave the Lei Family Martial Arts Hall.

Spending more money to stay at the Lei Family Martial Arts Hall was quite worthless.

At this moment, Tang Ya leaned in, his face full of joy and envy: "Xu Ling, you actually sensed the spiritual inspiration and became a Blood Refining stage martial artist!"

"Just luck."

"What I told you last time about going to the Wu Family to be a guard, are you going or not?

You are now a first-stage Blood Refining martial artist, and you sensed the spiritual inspiration within a month; if you join the Wu Family, you will receive a stipend of four large coins every month, and the Wu Family will also provide you with some cultivation resources to help you break through to the Martial Master realm!"

Tang Ya mentioned it again.

"Sorry, my thoughts are the same as before."

"But, if you are like this, it will be very difficult to step into the Martial Master realm in this life," Tang Ya continued, "In this world, unless you become a Martial Master, it is better to join a faction to truly settle down and make a living."

Lin Chao did not say anything more and turned to leave.

Tang Ya looked at Lin Chao's back, his gaze complex.

If only he had Xu Ling's talent, how good that would be.

It is a pity that this Xu Ling does not have great ambitions, preferring to return to the countryside to act as a king among village women.

After returning to his residence, Lin Chao played with Xiao Jing for a while.

Nowadays, Xiao Jing can already mumble a few words.

"Always being like this is not a solution."

Lin Chao looked at Xiao Jing, his gaze thoughtful.

The time is still short now, so there is no problem.

But he is immortal after all, while Xiao Jing's life is only a short span of less than a hundred years.

Immediately, Lin Chao chuckled: "Why think so much, better to first break through to the Martial Master realm."

The Martial Master realm is a huge threshold.

Every Martial Master is considered a person of status in Yangyue Prefecture.

If placed in the army, the starting rank is at least an officer.

That Li Qing, who sensed the spiritual inspiration in twelve days, was immediately taken in as a disciple by the old Hall Master Lei, precisely because he had almost a ninety percent chance of becoming a Martial Master in the future.

It would only take about five years to step into the Martial Master realm and become a powerful combat force.

"First go buy some salt and medicinal herbs."

After thinking about it, Lin Chao prepared to purchase some supplies before leaving Yangyue Prefecture.

The money he has on him is not much, less than one tael.

In a place like Yangyue Prefecture, without a place to stay, he cannot stay for long.

It would be better to return to the countryside and slowly improve his strength.

Changing his clothes, Lin Chao left the martial arts hall and went to the main street.

On the main street, people were coming and going, bustling with activity.

However, every so often, one could see some beggars missing arms or legs, wailing in pain.

Some women were holding five or six-year-old girls who were thin as skeletons, seemingly wanting to sell the girls to wealthy families as maidservants.

On the Ting Shui beside the street, seven or eight flower boats moved slowly with the current; although it was still daylight, the singing girls had already begun to play the pipa, and wealthy gentlemen and young masters were drinking and seeking pleasure.

Lin Chao came out of a shop, his gaze filled with worry: "The price of salt has risen by more than ten percent recently.

Medicinal herbs for healing are even harder to buy."

This is a dangerous signal.

Lin Chao also went to ask about the price of grain, which had also risen quite a bit.

Whenever the situation is turbulent, the prices of such commodities related to people's livelihood will skyrocket.

"It seems that the rebellion in the south is already about to spread here."

Lin Chao sighed; he felt that the countryside was safer.

Carrying a large bag of salt and medicinal herbs, Lin Chao was preparing to go home.

Suddenly, an old man wearing tattered cloth clothes stopped Lin Chao and said mysteriously.

"Little brother, do you believe in the light?"

Lin Chao's heart tightened, filled with vigilance.

These words were too familiar.

He carefully sized up the old man in front of him; he was gaunt and frail, but his eyes were extremely spirited, even bordering on paranoid.

He spoke, his eyes full of a devout expression.

"All living beings suffer, the Holy Light shines upon all."

Lin Chao understood instantly; this is a believer of the Holy Light Sect.

He did not expect that the Holy Light Sect had developed believers all the way to Yangyue Prefecture.

Thinking again that the Green Feather Gate could be related to the Holy Light Sect and could still swaggeringly challenge the leader of the Ax Mountain Gang in Yangyue Prefecture.

It is evident that the upper echelons of this Yangyue Prefecture have likely been deeply infiltrated.

Lin Chao left directly, ignoring the old man.

However, when passing through a small alley, a voice of surprise came.

"Xu Ling? You are Xu Ling."

Lin Chao looked over and saw a limping man in rags, holding a bowl in his hand, looking hurried.

Clearly, it was a beggar.

"Wang Hui?" Lin Chao pondered for a moment and recognized the beggar before him.

This beggar was someone who had once been in the Iron Blood Gang.

Back when the Iron Blood Medicine Hall was in operation, Wang Hui had brought people to collect money several times.

Consequently, the two knew each other, but they had no deep friendship.

Seeing Lin Chao, Wang Hui grabbed Lin Chao's arm tightly, a look of supplication appearing on his face: "Xu Ling, help me. I haven't eaten for many days, and I have no place to stay. I can only sleep on the streets every day, and I'm even chased away by people from the government office."

Lin Chao broke free from Wang Hui's arm, took out a dozen copper coins, and placed them into his bowl.

A look of surprise appeared on Wang Hui's face, and he immediately continued: "Can I go to your place to take a hot bath and sleep for a while?"

Lin Chao did not speak.

He and Wang Hui had no friendship to begin with.

A dozen copper coins was already considered quite generous.

Ignoring Wang Hui, Lin Chao left and turned into another alley.

Just at this moment, two young men wearing short-sleeved tunics walked over.

One man had a scab on his head, which was very ghastly; when he saw Wang Hui, a look of joy appeared on his face: "Wang Hui, let's see where you can run to this time?"

Seeing the two, Wang Hui's heart tightened, and he quickly wanted to flee.

However, he was limping now, so how could he escape?

In just one or two breaths, he was pinned down by the man with the scab on his head.

Wang Hui showed a look of pain, and thinking of something, he immediately said: "Li Lai, that person over there is Xu Ling, he is also from the Iron Blood Gang!"

Wang Hui immediately pointed to where Lin Chao was, shifting the disaster onto him.

"A remnant of the Iron Blood Gang?" Li Lai's eyes lit up, and a look of malice flashed in them.

In the past, he had been bullied severely by the Iron Blood Gang.

After the Green Feather Gang destroyed the Iron Blood Gang, he had been the most diligent in hunting down those who escaped from the Iron Blood Gang.

"Xu Ling? Another remnant of the Iron Blood Gang, my luck is really good today."

Li Lai was a martial artist of the second stage of Blood Refining; confident in his own strength, he did not take Xu Ling or Wang Hui seriously at all.

He chased after them.

Not far away, Lin Chao stopped his footsteps, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

Why must they force him?

In Yangyue Prefecture, he only wanted to keep a low profile.

He didn't expect to run into people from the Green Feather Gang.

He even recognized that Li Lai.

It was just that Li Lai did not recognize him.

"Kid, don't you surrender yet!" Li Lai walked over with a wild laugh on his face.

His fist also struck toward Xu Ling at this moment.

A single punch could knock down an ordinary person like Xu Ling.

However, Lin Chao's expression did not change; he threw a punch quickly, with extreme speed, so fast that even a martial artist like Li Lai at the second stage of Blood Refining could not react.

Bang!

His punch landed on Li Lai's body.

Li Lai's body fell instantly.

Li Lai, this martial artist of the second stage of Blood Refining, did not even block a single strike from Lin Chao and died instantly.

"You are a martial artist?" The other man from the Green Feather Gang saw this, a look of terror appearing in his eyes, "You killed Li Lai, you are dead!"

After the man finished speaking, he turned and ran.

However, a brick flew from behind and smashed into his head; brains splattered everywhere, and he died instantly.

In just two breaths, two members of the Green Feather Gang had died at the hands of Lin Chao.

"Xu Ling... you are actually this strong, you have become a martial artist?

Just now, I... I was only..."

Wang Hui was still trying to quibble when a brick landed on his face, and he immediately lost his breath.

Lin Chao showed no mercy toward Wang Hui.

He took back the dozen copper coins from Wang Hui's bowl and quickly looted the bodies of the two Green Feather Gang members.

"There is actually one hundred taels?"

Lin Chao took the parcel from Li Lai's body; inside, there was actually one hundred taels of silver.

It was heavy.

This made Lin Chao quite surprised.

"It's a good thing this is in an alley, and no one saw.

The Green Feather Gang is currently busy challenging the Ax Mountain Gang and shouldn't have the time or opportunity to investigate this matter carefully.

Tomorrow... I will leave this place."

Lin Chao did not pay too much attention to it.

Anyway, even if people from the Green Feather Gang came to investigate, they wouldn't be able to find anything.

He did not use the Thunder Cloud Leg Technique, but his own unique combat techniques.

"I should fight across ranks less often in the future; it's easy to capsize."

Although he challenged Li Lai across ranks and won very easily.

But this kind of thing clearly carries risks.

"I have plenty of time, I had better focus on improving my strength first."

Lin Chao took the silver and quickly left the alley.

The night passed without incident, and Lin Chao took Xiao Jing on an ox cart to return to the small village from before.

The village was not large, with only a few dozen households, most of whom were herb gatherers for the Medicine Gang.

Having not returned for a month, quite a few weeds had grown inside the house.

Lin Chao cleaned for half a day before it finally became clean.

After resting for a day, Lin Chao prepared to head to the stronghold that the Medicine Gang kept here.

Passing by the house of Liu Guafu, Lin Chao stopped his footsteps.

The house had collapsed and was dilapidated, as if it had been raided by thieves.

"Xu Ling, you're back?" At this moment, a sturdy man walked over with a hint of joy on his face.

The sturdy man was named Liu Feng, who had previously kept instigating Lin Chao to go to the brothel with him.

"Mm." Lin Chao nodded.

"Did you succeed in your studies?" Liu Feng asked.

"I succeeded by luck," Lin Chao replied.

There was nothing to hide about this.

Moreover, displaying a certain amount of martial strength would also make things easier to handle.

"Master Xu... impressive!" Liu Feng changed his tone instantly, and his attitude became respectful.

"Did something happen to Sister Liu's house?" Lin Chao asked.

Liu Feng's expression changed slightly, and his words carried a hint of pity: "I heard that a few days ago, wild beasts raided the house; several wolves entered and bit Liu Guafu to death. The body... was torn to shreds; not even a complete corpse was left."

Lin Chao's eyes narrowed slightly: "Wolves shouldn't dare to come into the village, right?"

Liu Feng looked left and right, leaned close to Lin Chao, and lowered his voice: "The wolves did indeed come in.

But... before the wolves came, I heard... Deacon Wang of the Medicine Gang had entered Liu Guafu's home."

(End of this chapter)