Chapter 77: Each with Their Own Schemes

Seeing that Zhao Tiepao was already dead, Ghost Head was instantly struck with fear. Daring not to linger a moment longer, he hurriedly pulled out a God-Speed Talisman from his person and slapped it onto his leg, attempting to break free from the entanglement of the Thunder Tiger puppet beast and flee into the distance.

However, after Song Qingming killed Zhao Tiepao, he had immediately anticipated this scenario. Under his precise control, a flash of spiritual light erupted from the Thunder Tiger puppet beast, which fired several sharp bolts of lightning in the direction Ghost Head was attempting to flee, quickly cutting off his path forward.

Seeing the lightning strike from behind, Ghost Head dared not use his protective aura to resist it head-on and could only choose to roll sideways to dodge. In the time it took for this delay, Song Qingming had already run ahead of him, completely blocking his path.

"Fellow Daoist, let's stop this, let's stop. We of Eagle Nest Ridge have Foundation Establishment cultivators. You are also someone who drifts through the Floating Cloud Mountain Range; I advise you not to let this grudge grow too deep."

"Today's matter was our fault first. Why don't you give us some face and let this matter end here? I am willing to swear that today I will act as if I never saw you, and in the future, we will absolutely not come looking for you for revenge."

With Song Qingming in front and the Thunder Tiger puppet beast behind, Ghost Head saw that it was difficult for him to escape. His face had become extremely terrified, and his mouth no longer held the mocking tone he had used when surrounding Song Qingming just moments ago.

He still couldn't fathom how, just a moment ago, he and Zhao Tiepao were the cats teasing Song Qingming, the mouse. Yet, after only a brief moment, their roles had been completely reversed; Zhao Tiepao had become a corpse, and he himself had become the desperate mouse.

Hearing Ghost Head's plea for peace, Song Qingming feigned surprise and said, "Eagle Nest Ridge again? How can I be sure that if I let you go today, your Eagle Nest Ridge won't come looking for me for revenge later? Don't try to deceive me with empty words."

"You can be completely at ease about this, Fellow Daoist. I can enter into a Blood Soul Contract with you, promising never to mention today's events to anyone. Surely you can be at ease with that, right?" Seeing Song Qingming hesitate after hearing "Eagle Nest Ridge," Ghost Head hurriedly continued to speak.

"A Blood Soul Contract? Do you still carry such a thing on you? Take it out and let me see it first." After saying this, Song Qingming walked slowly toward Ghost Head.

Seeing that Song Qingming seemed to have been persuaded, Ghost Head's face slowly revealed a hint of a smile. He reached into his storage bag and took out a pitch-black scroll, intending to hand it over to Song Qingming.

Just as Ghost Head pulled out the black scroll, Song Qingming, who had already reached him, suddenly produced a beam of sword light from his hand and slashed it rapidly toward him. The Thunder Tiger puppet beast, which had been behind him the whole time, simultaneously fired a bolt of lightning at Ghost Head's back.

Although Ghost Head had been somewhat wary of Song Qingming and managed to block the sneak attack from the White Jade Sword in Song Qingming's hand, he was still struck squarely in the back by the lightning from the Thunder Tiger puppet beast.

"You... you... we agreed to sign a Blood Soul Contract, why would you still do this?"

After Ghost Head asked these few questions in unwillingness, he spat out another mouthful of blood. He staggered back a dozen steps and collapsed to the ground. This strike from the Thunder Tiger puppet beast had truly injured him severely. He never expected that Song Qingming, who already held the absolute advantage, would still choose to sneak attack him so shamelessly.

"I don't know anything about a Blood Soul Contract, and I don't have time to study it with you here today. I think it's better not to go through all that trouble."

Song Qingming kicked away the black scroll that had fallen to the ground, raised his White Jade Sword with an expressionless face, and walked directly toward Ghost Head with the Thunder Tiger puppet beast.

"Fellow Daoist, please spare me. I am willing to hand over my storage bag; I only ask that you grant me a path to live..."

Facing Ghost Head's sincere and bitter pleas, Song Qingming did not choose to spare him and ultimately ended his life with a single sword strike.

After killing Ghost Head, Song Qingming unceremoniously and quickly looted everything on the two men. Then, with a movement of spiritual power in his hand, he released two fireballs, burning the corpses of the two men until nothing remained.

Although he had dealt with these two pursuers, Song Qingming dared not linger here for long. After recovering his spiritual power slightly, he chose a random direction and continued on his way.

He had not won this battle easily. It was only because the opponent did not know he possessed the magic treasure, the Heaven-Veiling Umbrella, that he was able to feign weakness while the opponent held the upper hand, causing Zhao Tiepao to reveal a flaw and catching them off guard.

Although the two cooperated well, their individual strength was not particularly high. Before the great battle, Zhao Tiepao had also lost his spirit beast, the Earth-Splitting Bear, which significantly impacted his combat effectiveness. Otherwise, even with high-grade spirit talismans as a trump card, it would not have been so easy for Song Qingming to counter-kill them both while ensuring his own safe escape.

Half a day later, an exhausted Song Qingming arrived at the top of a high mountain. He set up a simple shelter next to a massive blue boulder, preparing to rest there for the night.

After traveling non-stop for half a day and seeing that no one had been following him from behind, Song Qingming gradually let down his guard.

After consuming some spirit rice to replenish his spiritual power, Song Qingming went to the top of the massive blue boulder by the moonlight.

Borrowing the bright moonlight and the cold wind, Song Qingming tried his best to calm his still-agitated heart.

Still somewhat green in the world of immortal cultivation, although he had experienced life-and-death struggles with others a few times, this was indeed the first time in his life he had killed someone with his own hands.

Unlike the spirit beasts he had killed, although he was forced to kill these two, the feeling of killing his own kind left him feeling uneasy in his heart.

Come to think of it, those bandits from Eagle Nest Ridge are truly his old enemies; back in Qinghe County, Song Qingming was chased by them until he nearly lost his life. Who would have thought he would encounter them again after arriving at Guiyun Market.

After a long while, Song Qingming suddenly took out that pitch-black scroll. This scroll was precisely the "Blood Soul Contract" scroll that Ghost Head had mentioned earlier; Song Qingming had ultimately kept it as well.

After placing the pitch-black scroll at a distance from himself, Song Qingming used a telekinetic technique to try and open it. Unexpectedly, after the black scroll was opened, a small silver sphere suddenly popped out.

Once the silver sphere flew into the air, it suddenly flashed with silver light, emitting a blinding radiance. Song Qingming hurriedly closed his eyes. He only heard a loud "boom," and after Song Qingming opened his eyes, he saw that the silver sphere, along with the black scroll, had been blown to smithereens.

"As expected!"

Two days later, in a desolate mountain, Song Qingming was fiddling with a pile of miscellaneous spiritual items.

Among these spiritual items, there were not only magic tools but also elixirs, spirit talismans, cultivation technique scrolls, and various other common items from the world of immortal cultivation. In a corner, there was also a pile of colorful low-grade spirit stones.

Both Ghost Head and Zhao Tiepao used low-grade storage bags identical to the one Song Qingming carried. This time, it took Song Qingming less than two days to easily break the spiritual power restrictions the two had set on their storage bags.

Compared to the storage bag he had picked up from Liu Tianlong years ago, these two were much poorer. Aside from the few magic tools they had used, there were only some low-grade spiritual items of little value, and not even many common talismans.

The spirit stones on the two of them combined totaled less than one hundred, which truly disappointed Song Qingming, who had been full of expectations before opening the storage bags.

(End of Chapter)