Chapter 33: Killing Needs to be Done Early, Do Not Wait Until They Are at the Door to Slaughter Them

The spring rain fell incessantly, rushing toward Song Cheng as he walked, landing on his face—cold, itchy, and flowing wantonly.

His eyes were sharp, neither grasping nor scratching, walking and stopping by turns; in this pitch-black, maze-like county town, he tracked Ling'er with infinite patience.

After a long while, the ground began to turn muddy.

Ling'er made a quiet turn and entered an alleyway.

A lantern at the alley entrance extended diagonally from under an eave, emitting a faint, ghostly light.

Zaozi Lane.

Song Cheng recognized this place; he pressed against the wall and scanned inside, catching sight of many data points like "1~1" or "2~2" with no favorability, but then he suddenly saw an extremely peculiar data point.

【Strength: 34~68】

【Favorability: 30】

This data had clearly arrived not long ago; at the very least, Song Cheng had not seen it when he patrolled the city earlier.

And Ling'er's data was currently together with that data.

Rain drummed against the tiles, wind blew through the gaps in the wall. The youth followed the wall into the alley, arrived at the darkest and deepest corner, slipped inside, and then visualized the Ghost Tower, his Soul leaving his body to head toward the place where Ling'er and that data were located.

Scaling the wall, he slipped in through a crack in the window.

A wave of scorching heat came from afar.

Song Cheng looked up and saw a man and a woman snuggled together; the woman was delicate, the man handsome.

And the core of that scorching heat was precisely that man.

This made Song Cheng understand a principle further: those with vigorous Qi and blood can warm their own Soul, and can also ward off external ghostly spirits.

That man was at the Strength Realm Peak, a half-step into the Form Realm, his Qi and blood like fire; it was no longer something his own Soul could get too close to.

"Brother Yi, you say, the Young Miss is really something."

"She clearly already has you, so why does she need to go and cultivate another man?"

"You haven't even seen the An Family's 'Jue Jin Jin Jin', yet she was actually willing to let that person see it."

"She even said she wanted to take that person in as a younger brother."

"I feel so indignant for you."

At this moment, Ling'er was far from the arrogance she showed during the day; she was somewhat coquettish and somewhat manipulative.

Just as Song Cheng had guessed, this man was indeed the "long-absent" Ruyi Chamber of Commerce Guard Captain, Shi Yi.

Shi Yi said: "Chen Yu is very independent, and I am also forceful; she doesn't want to be a submissive woman, and she is also afraid that I will take her things, so she deliberately distances herself from me. But I have deep feelings for her, so how could I ever take her things?"

Ling'er said coquettishly: "It's not taking, it's clearly all one family. If Brother Yi puts in a little more effort, she will spend less energy; wouldn't it be nice to just enjoy things comfortably?"

Shi Yi smiled bitterly: "If Chen Yu could understand me like Ling'er does, that would be great."

"But, not only does she not understand me, she even wants to cultivate a younger brother to keep me in check."

Ling'er said disdainfully: "Just a mud-legged bumpkin from the countryside."

"Self-righteous and arrogant, he really thinks he's some kind of genius; just looking at him is annoying."

"He truly doesn't compare to Brother Yi in the slightest."

Shi Yi said: "It's fine, if Chen Yu wants to make trouble, let her make trouble. I will make her understand that no matter what kind of person she wants to cultivate to keep me in check, it will all be in vain."

Ling'er looked at him with some worry and said: "But..."

Shi Yi smiled confidently and said: "Do you know why I returned late this time?"

Ling'er shook her head.

Shi Yi said proudly: "Because I have already grasped an opportunity."

"In less than four months, I will be able to break through to the Form Realm."

"Every time one crosses a level in cultivation, their strength will greatly increase."

"You say, what is the point of Chen Yu exhausting her strength to produce a genius?"

He revealed a charming smile, "It will only serve as a stepping stone for my success."

"Brother Yi..."

Hearing this, Ling'er could not help but be moved.

But as she was being moved, she suddenly sneezed.

Shi Yi said tenderly: "I also have deep feelings for you, Ling'er, but the more so, the more I need to marry you properly."

"Once I marry Chen Yu, I will naturally propose taking you as a concubine; by then... I will take your virginity, there is plenty of time ahead."

"Mm." Ling'er responded softly, her voice as sweet as water.

Suddenly, she thought of something else and said: "By the way, Brother Yi, there is one more thing; I heard the Young Miss mention it."

Shi Yi said softly: "What is it?"

Ling'er said: "Last month, I think, the Young Miss said she wanted to recruit a matrilocal son-in-law, and the target was a weak, poor scholar."

Shi Yi thought for a moment and said: "Chen Yu is afraid that she cannot hold the helm of the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce, which is why she is in such a rush to find a matrilocal son-in-law."

"Otherwise, if she were to marry out, how would the wealth of the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce have anything to do with her anymore?"

"Rest assured, this kind of poor scholar is just something Chen Yu uses to fool outsiders."

"I can guarantee that the matrilocal son-in-law is just a purchased ornament; he won't even get to touch Chen Yu."

"Chen Yu is very proud."

Ling'er giggled: "That's right, only Brother Yi can touch me, Ying'er, and the Young Miss."

The two spoke sweet nothings for a while longer, and only then did Ling'er leave reluctantly. Once there was no one left, in the darkness, Shi Yi's expression suddenly became twisted.

"Chen Yu, I have given so much for you, I have become stronger step by step for you, why don't you love me?! Why?!! You even gave our family's ancestral secret technique to an outsider! Do you think you're worthy of me?"

"You are just a woman; isn't serving your husband and raising children what you should be doing? Showing your face in public—what good woman shows her face in public?"

"You should have handed the family business to your older brother to manage; if your older brother isn't capable, there's still me. By then, wouldn't it be enough for you to just devise strategies for me?"

"I cannot let you continue to make mistake after mistake, cannot let you be trapped in this cage that does not belong to you! Such a heavy burden should be borne by me!"

Shi Yi said these few sentences fiercely, then let out a long sigh, changed into loose clothing, took a secret box from under his pillow, took a thin hand-copied book from the box, and began to read it by the lamp.

The night was boundless, the lamp light like a bean.

His, Shi Yi's, efforts would surely be rewarded.

Swish! Song Cheng's Soul quietly returned to his body.

Because the time was not long and the night-wandering distance was not far, the body had not yet cooled to the extreme.

He took a few deep breaths, circulated his Qi and blood to warm himself, simultaneously glanced at Shi Yi's room, then gripped the saber on his back, fixed his eyes on the lantern at the mouth of the lane, approached quickly, leaped, and swung lightly. Crack.

The lamp went out.

The only bit of light was gone.

Zaozi Lane was pitch black, one could not see one's own fingers.

Song Cheng was completely unaffected in the darkness; he stepped lightly to the house where Shi Yi was, pressed against the wall, suppressed his nervousness, and suddenly exerted force to lift his saber.

Inside the room, Shi Yi's page-turning motion froze abruptly, his five fingers tightly gripped the saber hilt that never left his side, and he shouted sharply: "Who?!"

Before the words had even finished, a blade of wind slashed in through the window.

Shi Yi sneered, retreated with the book in hand, and confidently cleared a space, waiting for the night attacker to enter.

He had already reached Completion in the Chamber of Commerce's Flicking Willow Strength, and he was extremely familiar with the layout of this small house; no matter where this night attacker came from, his saber would instantly unfurl to decapitate the intruder.

The long saber in his hand swayed like a green willow in spring, poised and ready.

However, that one slash through the window was just one slash.

That slash did not strike him.

So, although he retreated nimbly, timely, and perfectly, it was... very unnecessary.

Song Cheng's slash extinguished the oil lamp.

Inside the room, pitch black.

Outside the room, pitch black.

Heaven and earth were both black, spring rain covered the moon, and no light could be seen.

The youth picked up a stone from the ground, came to the front gate, inserted his saber into the door crack, and with a flick, broke the door bolt.

The moment the door bolt broke, a deadly blade light imbued with Jin Power slashed out from within.

The youth blocked with his saber and parried.

The two separated.

"Who are you?" There was immense shock and suspicion in Shi Yi's voice.

Because from this slash, he recognized that the Jin Power the opponent used was exactly the same as his own—both were Fuliu Jin Jin Jin, and both were at Completion.

No one answered.

Shi Yi tried hard to see, but the darkness and rain made everything extremely blurry.

Thus, he squinted, pricked up his ears, and began to distinguish the sounds.

In the darkness, a soft "pop" sound suddenly rang out.

Whoosh! Like a gale blowing through a willow, Shi Yi turned his head abruptly, his eyes shooting cold light, murderous intent rolling, Jin Power surging throughout his body, fierce strength entering the saber along his arm. The taut tendons even produced a harsh sound like a bowstring being pulled and released.

Bang! The saber struck out like a murderous willow, falling toward the place where the "pop" sound originated.

However, a sudden, sharp pain struck his waist; it was the pain of a sharp blade entering his body.

Shi Yi was stunned, then enraged; his left arm also moved like a willow, swinging with wild, pulling force, unleashing a gust of wind capable of shattering rocks to strike at the person beside him.

Time seemed to slow down.

He saw that the person had also struck out.

That hand was like a cold, terrifying giant python in the darkness—vicious, long-bodied, explosive, "hissing" with its tongue, bloodthirsty and ferocious!

The two forces collided.

Crack!

The giant python tore the fragile willow branch apart.

Shi Yi's left arm snapped instantly.

Even though he was full of shock and confusion, he had no second chance to strike, nor a second chance to speak.

A chill touched his neck, his head flew up, rolling in mid-air, his eyes still filled with horror, unwillingness, and disbelief.

Who wanted to kill him? Who was it?

When a person dies, all thoughts also vanish.

The final fixed thought also dissipated rapidly.

Song Cheng let out a breath, bent down in the darkness, fished the book scroll he had been reading from Shi Yi's embrace, turned around, and left quickly.

(End of chapter)