Chapter 76: Chapter 35: Final Kill
And a direct boost from Tribulation Points was better than any other resource.
Just then, seeing Fang Rui leave, Gao Yao grew bold again. His eyes glinted as he said, "Young Master Lin, why don’t we ambush and kill that medicine seller?"
"And why is that?" Lin Feng’s eyes narrowed as he looked over at him.
"Young Master Lin, you demanded the formula from him. He must be holding a grudge... And besides, for him to dare refuse your offer of recruitment—isn’t that a huge slap in the face?" Gao Yao said hurriedly.
"Oh?"
Lin Feng stared at Gao Yao with a faint, unreadable smile, as if he could see right through him. "The formula... wasn’t it offered willingly? As for him refusing a casual invitation... you think I should eradicate him for that? Don’t you underestimate me far too much?"
"Besides, plenty of people have refused me before. Should I have killed them all?"
’Kill someone just for refusing me? It wouldn’t come to that. A person with that level of pettiness would be worse than a common street thug, let alone a scion of a great family.’
In fact, the great and powerful families monopolized knowledge. Their scions received elite educations and understood the importance of being open-minded to recruit talented individuals.
Even if a prospect had ambition, it would be nowhere near a level that warranted fear. On the contrary, they would be pleased and would find ways to motivate that person to work for them.
And even if, one day, they could no longer control that person, they would first observe their character before deciding whether to invest in building a good relationship.
Of course, even among the great families, there were exceptions who slipped through the cracks of their elite education—petty, vengeful individuals who would seek retribution for the slightest offense.
Fang Rui’s act had been a precaution against just such a person.
Even that sort of person, upon seeing Fang Rui’s "regret," would likely prefer that Fang Rui live on, tormented by the memory of the opportunity he had missed. Thus, they wouldn’t attack him.
"I know what you’re thinking, but... Scram!"
Lin Feng waved his hand dismissively and looked down, as if saying another word was beneath him.
’It was true. In his mind, this Gao Yao fellow had a bit of a silver tongue, but was otherwise useless. His character, in particular, was highly questionable.’
’Even trash could have its uses, but the Lin Family had countless talented people at its disposal. Why would they employ someone so morally bankrupt?’
’He wasn’t some exceptional genius worth making an exception for.’
’To put it bluntly, Lin Feng was worried that employing such a person would poison the culture within the Lin Family!’
"I... Young Master Lin..."
Gao Yao tried to say more, but servants had already grabbed him by the arms and thrown him out.
A glint appeared in Yuan Da’s eyes. He had intended to follow and crush that wretched bug.
"Nursing Director Yuan!"
But Lin Feng called him back. "The situation is looking grim. We need to step up stockpiling supplies from the Black Market... Also..."
’Fine, I’ll deal with that wretched bug tomorrow.’
Yuan Da thought to himself, listening carefully and committing each of Lin Feng’s instructions to memory.
...
After being thrown out, Gao Yao didn’t dare cause a scene. He scrambled away to a nearby latrine. When he emerged, the tall, skinny man had transformed into a short one.
He possessed a unique skill, similar to walking on stilts, that allowed him to alter his height. He could disguise himself as a lanky, tall man, and when he moved, he looked almost identical to an ordinary person.
He had relied on this trick to escape several life-threatening situations!
’Hmph, that bastard Fang is probably waiting for me nearby. But catch me? Heh heh, in his dreams!’
Gao Yao thought smugly to himself as he rounded a corner.
"Gao Yao!"
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind.
Gao Yao instinctively turned his head.
He realized his mistake in an instant, but it was already too late.
WHOOSH!
Through the cloud of lime powder, a burlap sack filled with rocks smashed into him. Gao Yao cried out in pain and tumbled to the ground, landing flat on his back like a toad with its legs in the air.
COUGH! COUGH COUGH!
Gao Yao clutched his chest. Just as he tried to get up, a foot slammed onto his back, and an immense force pinned him mercilessly to the ground.
Then, a hand grabbed him by the hair, and the cold glint of a dagger flashed across his throat.
SLICE!
With a sound like tearing silk, the dagger sliced through his neck, and blood sprayed into the air.
Gao Yao’s body collapsed to the ground. In the last flicker of his vision, he saw a familiar figure. "Fang... Fang..."
’So it was him... I hate him!’
That was the last thought to flash through his mind. His pupils dilated, and he breathed no more.
"So he actually succeeded at Skin Grinding? That makes sense. He was desperate for money a while back. It must have been to break through to Entry Grade."
Fang Rui had considered capturing Gao Yao alive, torturing him slowly, and watching him wallow in regret and beg for mercy.
But it was just a thought.
With his cautious nature, he would never risk creating unnecessary complications. He had opted for a swift, certain kill.
The items he subsequently looted from Gao Yao’s corpse proved he had made the right choice: a Poison Needle, a vial of Poison Water, a Poisoned Nail, Quicklime Powder...
In addition, he found the clever, stilt-like contraption.
Fang Rui examined it but found he couldn’t use it. If he tried to force it, his movements would be so awkward it would be obvious at a glance.
"It probably requires special training and a unique medicinal formula to prevent hidden injuries."
However, he found none of those things. He didn’t even find Gao Yao’s Cultivation Technique.
As for any ancient scrolls made of unidentifiable materials, mysterious iron plates, jade pendants, or tokens?
There wasn’t a trace of anything like that.
The only things of any real use were a few large coins.
"I suppose that makes sense. In the novels from my past life, killing someone always resulted in them dropping a Cultivation Technique or some nameless divine artifact. That was all just for the plot. When are things ever that convenient in reality?"
Fang Rui wasn’t disappointed. He cleaned up the scene and hurried away under the cover of night.
...
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