[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starlight-professional":3,"chapter-starlight-professional-starlight-professional-chapter-565":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starlight Professional",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2309225,4512,"Chapter 565: Killing and Fleeing","starlight-professional-chapter-565",565,"\u003Cp>Huhuhu!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A light breeze stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing walked through the darkness, his body merging seamlessly into the shadows, nature itself concealing his traces, making him seem like the most skilled wilderness wanderer, slipping into a cluster of wooden huts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squeak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dark, several rats scouted ahead, while sparrows perched on the roof kept watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing stood in the shadows and saw several connected wooden huts not far off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hut still held a shadowy figure awake—clearly on night watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It seems Xing San knows he’s made too many enemies… Even with a senior disciple protecting him, he still has to guard against revenge.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing considered himself someone who repaid both grudges and kindnesses; Tao Hong had once cared for him, and though she’d demanded two blood papers in return, the debt was settled—but the favor remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d long harbored murderous intent, but revealing it would be foolish; better to keep playing the fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he was preparing to flee, he could act without restraint, slaughter without mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘At the very least, I should steal ten blood papers and give them to Tao Hong…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for more, Fang Xing couldn’t manage it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Hong wasn’t him—she hadn’t gained the ‘Carp Transformation’ to escape smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing had never intended to drag a burden along on his escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Repaying a debt means repaying it until I feel it’s enough—that’s when it’s enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He certainly wouldn’t sacrifice himself for Tao Hong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night was deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the hut, a man with a triangular eye dozed off, beside him a jar of strong liquor and a chipped blue-and-white porcelain bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing watch alone at night was exhausting work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So their gang tacitly allowed one jar of strong liquor as a perk—not just to ward off the cold, but crucially, to stay alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the triangular-eyed man remained drowsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This dulled his usual sharpness, and he failed to notice Fang Xing creeping closer through the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing pulled out a paper dagger and gently slipped it into the door crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wooden door bolt parted like tofu; he slipped inside, clamped a hand over the man’s mouth, and slashed the blade across his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ssssh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s head dropped clean off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm? This paper weapon is even more effective than I expected…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing placed the corpse and head neatly, and in the silent night, made almost no sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he moved from room to room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xing San’s entire crew died peacefully, without a trace of suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Xing San himself, perhaps due to too many guilty deeds or an acute sensitivity to blood, stirred differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he was only slightly quicker to wake—just as he opened his mouth to shout, Fang Xing drove a dagger straight into his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm? Golden Silk Soft Armor? He sleeps wearing this legendary martial artifact?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How many wrongs must he have done to be so paranoid—even with his own men?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing tore open Xing San’s clothes, retrieved a money pouch and several blood papers, and beneath them, a gold-threaded vest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the famed ‘Golden Silk Armor’ of the martial world—capable of deflecting blade strikes, praised by all who’d used it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, a small hole gaped in the chest, stained with fresh blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘To others, perhaps you’d rise, exchange a few blows, exchange a few words… But for me, the true warrior leaves no glorious deeds—quietly eliminating foes is best.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing murmured, pulled out a steamed bun, broke it in half, and tossed it on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squeak! Squeak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several rats immediately pounced, eagerly devouring it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Eat your fill, then get to work.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his dried bun tasted ordinary, it had been nourished with plant essence—its allure to rats surpassed even meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a Druid, he could even expend his own essence to cast ‘Wisdom Awakening’ on these creatures, granting them sentience and turning them into spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squeak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead rat twitched its nose, then began digging frantically beneath the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, it dragged out a money pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing glanced inside—it was filled with gold coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, other rats discovered hidden treasures in every corner, and most importantly, more blood papers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing examined Xing San’s corpse, pressed on the bedframe, then shoved hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bedboard shattered, revealing a stack of blood papers tumbling out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Huh… That’s close to a hundred, isn’t it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Shouldn’t Xing San have handed over the bulk of these stolen papers to the senior disciple in exchange for his silence? How did he get so rich?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did he not yet submit this offering… or has he decided to go rogue?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing sucked in a breath, but found it irrelevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped out of the huts, then smiled: ‘Survival of the fittest—this too is the Way of Nature…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having done this, Fang Xing had no intention of returning—he left immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before departing, he visited Tao Hong’s hut and tossed a bundle through her window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the bundle: all his spoils, far exceeding ten blood papers. ‘I won’t run with you…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But these resources—if used well—could keep you alive, even give you a chance to escape this hell…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing turned and walked away, arriving at a secluded spot to dig a hole and strip off his clothes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, a Druid’s transformation is perfect—it grants all the abilities of a wild animal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But conversely, now that he’s become a carp, he truly is just a carp—no adult human strength, vulnerable to a single spear thrust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He can’t even carry his clothes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the paper dagger is slightly special—foldable, small enough to hide inside the fish’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything else—gold coins, blood papers—cannot be carried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he couldn’t take them, better to make a generous gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He buried his clothes, concealed the site, then walked farther before reaching the riverbank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only his natural affinity for concealment saved him—if a paper slave had been patrolling, they might have witnessed a man moonlighting in his underwear…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.read\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It seems I’ve been subtly influenced by my wild transformation after all…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing stared at the river, calmly analyzing his own mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though to me, face and reputation are fleeting—tonight felt a bit too unrestrained? I’ll need to be more careful going forward…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fell silent, then leapt into the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Wild Transformation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mid-air, his body twisted and shrank into a black-backed carp, over a foot long, splashing into the water with a splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glub glub glub!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carp clutched the paper dagger in its mouth, occasionally exhaling bubbles, swimming instinctively through the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing locked onto a direction and swam swiftly toward the valley’s exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though there are no paper fish in the water, the Blood Shadow Sect won’t be this foolish… There must be some traps here too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But… my greatest weakness in Wild Transformation is that I’m truly just a carp—and that’s also my greatest strength… It’s no illusion; no one can detect a flaw.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If other wild fish can swim and survive here… then so can I!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This confidence came from the Druid path—never before seen in this world!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guided by an intuitive sense, he arrived at a spot where ahead lay rows of black metal bars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gaps between the bars were wide—but an adult human could never squeeze through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But I’m a fish… I’ll slip through.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing flicked his tail and glided effortlessly through the steel mesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he passed through this ‘iron gate,’ his fish-eye caught several motionless corpses nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Water corpses?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No—they’re specially crafted traps!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing understood at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Blood Shadow Sect was famed for shadow puppets and origami arts, to claim they had no other methods would be absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Corpse-Control Sect is most famous for raising zombies, it’s perfectly normal for the Blood Shadow Sect to know a few tricks too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These aquatic zombies excel in underwater combat and can detect the breath of living humans… anyone who swims through will never escape their notice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing swam past one of the water corpses and saw its bloated face and limbs, closed eyes, and blackened nails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The zombie remained motionless, clearly mistaking Fang Xing for an ordinary fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing swiftly swam through this dangerous zone and entered a hidden current.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After an indeterminate length of time, the heavens and earth suddenly opened up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must have already swum out of Paper Slave Valley, but it’s still not safe enough… keep going…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing briefly oriented himself and pressed on without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, before his [Wild Transformation] duration expired, he intended to run as far as he could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hours later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a dense forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black-backed carp leapt from the water and transformed into a naked man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough… finally escaped.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing spat out the paper dagger and began searching for suitable vines and green leaves to weave himself a pair of grass sandals and a vine skirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Druids must draw close to nature—he was already accustomed to this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alone, completely naked, with only a knife to survive in the wild… kind of interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I still can’t let my guard down… the Blood Shadow Sect might be hunting me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing walked through the dense forest as if it were his own home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did small animals grow affectionate toward him, warning him of dangerous areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, due to his Druid’s [Silent Passage Through Forest] talent, he left almost no trace behind, and what little remained would vanish within days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the forest was his domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trying to pursue a Druid through a forest was a fool’s errand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… next, I should head toward the orthodox regions as much as possible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing oriented himself and plotted his course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Outlands are ruled by the Ten Great Sects of orthodox and evil factions; under the evil sects’ rule, commoners are truly like ants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called righteous sects, by contrast, at least pretend to maintain decorum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet what ordinary people truly long for is the Northern [Zhou Shenchao]—unfortunately, it’s utterly unreachable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The [Zhou Shenchao] has erected the [Three Absolute Passes] along its border to block outsiders from entering; reportedly, even Foundation Establishment cultivators struggle to infiltrate its territory!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1712,"2026-06-20T11:03:22.760Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3a0d00115b71afecbecc4352c3d91d4b1e3ecc70d732917820f55488239907f8","starlight-professional-chapter-566","starlight-professional-chapter-564",726,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarlight-professional-cover.jpg"]