Chapter 12: Chapter 11: Of Course, To Kill You
Zhu Zhiping leaped down from a tree a dozen or so paces behind Chen Yuan, a smirk on his face. "Third Brother, your senses are quite sharp."
Chen Yuan said nothing, merely watching Zhu Zhiping calmly.
After parting ways with the agent from the Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower, Chen Yuan had sensed someone watching him.
But at the time, Chen Yuan was in a hurry to chase Zuo Xinglie, so he didn’t investigate.
After all, he had to prioritize. If Zuo Xinglie had truly gotten away, his whole scheme would have backfired and come to nothing.
The person had been tailing him the entire way, but their aura was obvious, their control over their Inner Strength far inferior to his own. Chen Yuan had been aware of them all along and only chose to expose them now.
"Shouldn’t you be watching First Brother? What are you doing following me?"
Zhu Zhiping laughed heartily. "First Brother is a fool. What’s there to watch? You, on the other hand, Third Brother... you’ve really given me a surprise.
"I always thought you were the honest, simple type. Adoptive Father thought so too.
"To think that out of us three brothers, you’re the most deceitful one!
"To get this Cultivation Technique, you went behind Adoptive Father’s back and made an enemy of the Profound Whale Gang from Lan Province. Tsk, tsk. Third Brother, you’ve got some real nerve!
"Do you have any idea what kind of gang the Profound Whale Gang is? You’re in deep trouble this time!"
Zhu Zhiping hadn’t intended to follow Chen Yuan at first.
One of his subordinates reported that Chen Yuan had gone out again. Since he had nothing better to do, he grew curious and decided to follow, wanting to see what Chen Yuan had been up to these past few days.
So, by the time Zhu Zhiping caught up, Chen Yuan had already parted ways with the agent from the Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower.
He had only overheard the conversation between Chen Yuan and Zuo Xinglie and didn’t know it was all part of Chen Yuan’s setup.
"So? What do you want?"
Chen Yuan’s gaze remained calm as he looked at Zhu Zhiping.
Zhu Zhiping stared greedily at the Cultivation Technique in Chen Yuan’s hands.
Others in Lianshan City might not know of Zuo Xinglie and the Profound Whale Gang, but Zhu Zhiping happened to.
He had held a position of power for several years longer than Chen Yuan. Besides his monthly stipend from the gang, he had also invested in several merchant caravans in Lianshan City that sold various specialties from You Province in the south.
Those caravans had been to the Jiulong River in Lan Province, and he had heard about the feud between the Thirty-Six Waterway Alliance and the Profound Whale Gang from a caravan Steward.
Whether it was the Thirty-Six Waterway Alliance or the Profound Whale Gang, both were forces far stronger than their Celestial Wolf Gang. Their Cultivation Techniques must be incredibly powerful as well.
At the very least, they had to be stronger than the Cyan Wood Heart Method their adoptive father had taught them, maybe even stronger than the Black Death Technique he kept hidden away.
"Third Brother, hand over the Cultivation Technique. I’ll help you keep this a secret and cover your tracks. The Profound Whale Gang will never find us.
"And from now on, you’ll stand with me in the gang. Help me deal with that fool, First Brother, and take control of the Celestial Wolf Gang!
"Don’t worry. When I become the Gang Leader, I definitely won’t treat you poorly. There will be a Vice-Gang Leader position waiting for you, at the very least!"
"Adoptive Father is still in his prime, and you’re already this eager to take over the Celestial Wolf Gang?"
Zhu Zhiping sneered. "Cut the act, Third Brother. Adoptive Father has always been wary of us.
"He won’t teach us the Black Death Technique or the Beichen Celestial Wolf Slash until the day he dies.
"Stick with me, and you’ll at least have a chance to get ahead. Stick with Adoptive Father, and you’ll be stuck in his shadow forever!
"Enough nonsense. Hand over the Cultivation Technique. You have no other choice."
Chen Yuan suddenly asked, "No one knows you came to find me?"
"Don’t worry. My subordinate only told me you’d left the Celestial Wolf Gang. Following you was just a whim. I didn’t tell anyone else.
"As long as you know what’s good for you, this will be our secret. No third person will ever find out."
Zhu Zhiping assumed Chen Yuan was worried that others knew about this and was therefore hesitant.
Chen Yuan nodded. "If that’s the case, then things are much simpler. Actually, there is another option."
"What option?"
"Killing you, of course."
Chen Yuan looked up and shook his head with a sigh. "I really didn’t want to kill you. I didn’t want to cause more trouble at a time like this. If you must blame someone, blame your own curiosity and greed."
Jiang Kaitai would soon be making a blood sacrifice to the Seven Kills Stele, and Chen Yuan truly didn’t want to stir up any extra trouble right now.
Zhu Zhiping and Qin Yuancheng were cannon fodder, destined to be sacrificed by Jiang Kaitai. Chen Yuan had no intention of changing their fates; if they were meant to die, then so be it.
Killing Zhu Zhiping now, Chen Yuan feared, might affect how the story unfolded later.
But the man’s greed got the better of him, making him think he had Chen Yuan under his thumb. Now, Chen Yuan had no choice but to kill him to eliminate future trouble.
"Kill me?"
Zhu Zhiping sneered. "You overestimate yourself! Since you refuse to appreciate my kindness, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"
He hadn’t seen Chen Yuan’s fight with the agent from the Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower, so he still thought Chen Yuan was only at the Body Tempering Realm.
Meridian Passage and Body Tempering. The difference of a single realm was a world of difference in power!
Before, Zhu Zhiping hadn’t just wanted the Cultivation Technique; he wanted to control Chen Yuan, to make him do his bidding in the gang and get rid of First Brother.
But since Chen Yuan refused his generous offer, he would just kill him, take the Cultivation Technique, and then make his move for the Gang Leader’s position!
Zhu Zhiping was a decisive man. Seeing that Chen Yuan wouldn’t be controlled, he drew his saber in an instant.
The Willow Leaf Saber at his waist flew from its sheath. His body lunged like a wolf, and he slashed straight at Chen Yuan, his blade whistling through the air.
The Celestial Wolf Saber Technique was known for its speed, and the sabers used for it were typically light and swift.
Zhu Zhiping’s Willow Leaf Saber was even thinner than Chen Yuan’s Yanling Saber, and incredibly fast.
Just as Zhu Zhiping thought he could finish Chen Yuan quickly, the crisp ring of a saber suddenly echoed.
A swift saber shadow struck first despite moving second. Celestial Wolf Assault Shadow!
Each of its strikes was faster than Zhu Zhiping’s, clashing against his Willow Leaf Saber with a series of resounding CLANGS.
The Power behind the blows was so immense that after just the first exchange, Zhu Zhiping felt the web between his thumbs and forefingers go numb!
"How is this possible?! When did you reach the Meridian Passage Realm?"
Zhu Zhiping’s face was a mask of disbelief.
Chen Yuan had only been practicing the Martial Dao for less than two years. How could he have already entered the Meridian Passage Realm? And how was his Inner Power Cultivation even more profound than his own?
How could a piece of trash like the Cyan Wood Technique possibly build up such profound Inner Strength in less than two years?
Chen Yuan said nothing. His answer was a dazzling flash of his saber, like the brilliant light of the full moon descending.
Celestial Wolf Devouring the Moon!
Zhu Zhiping roared, the power in his body erupting in an instant. He brandished his Willow Leaf Saber wildly, creating a piercing shriek of metal.
Wolf’s Howl Shakes the Heavens!
The two sabers collided, sending sparks flying. Zhu Zhiping grunted as he was knocked back several steps, the hand holding his saber trembling slightly.
Both were using the Celestial Wolf Saber Technique, but Chen Yuan’s mastery of the Saber Technique was clearly far superior to Zhu Zhiping’s.
Just as Wen Rou had said, Chen Yuan’s mastery of the Celestial Wolf Saber Technique had already reached the Mastery Realm. At this point, the Saber Technique was almost unworthy of him.
And in terms of strength, after refining the Nine-Turns Nourishing Essence Pill, Chen Yuan had already reached the Peak of Meridian Passage Realm.
Although Zhu Zhiping had been practicing the Martial Dao for longer, his talent was average at best. Compounded by training in a garbage Cultivation Technique like the Cyan Wood Heart Method, he had only reached the late-stage Meridian Passage Realm.
With such a gap between them, Zhu Zhiping was in a perilous situation after only a few moves.
Seeing he was in a desperate situation, Zhu Zhiping’s Power erupted. He put all his remaining strength into a thrust with his Willow Leaf Saber, aiming for Chen Yuan’s waist.
Chen Yuan blocked with a backhand, parrying the Willow Leaf Saber. He then spun and brought his own saber down in a vertical chop. With a crisp CLANG, Zhu Zhiping’s Willow Leaf Saber was sliced in two.
But instead of retreating, Zhu Zhiping advanced, his body slithering like a fish to close the distance to Chen Yuan’s chest.
Taking advantage of the opening created when Chen Yuan had broken his saber, he viciously struck at Chen Yuan’s chest with a Palm Force imbued with Yin Sha Qi!
Heart Shattering Palm!
Over the years, Zhu Zhiping had invested in many merchant caravans and earned a good deal of private money.
He hadn’t spent it on pleasure. Part of it was used to win over gang members and other Hall Masters, while the rest was spent trying to acquire other Cultivation Techniques to practice in secret.
He knew Jiang Kaitai didn’t trust his adoptive sons and definitely wouldn’t teach them his trump-card Cultivation Techniques until the very end.
That was why Zhu Zhiping had started secretly searching for other Cultivation Techniques long ago.
This Heart Shattering Palm was a Yellow Level Upper Grade Cultivation Technique. Its Palm Force was insidious and tyrannical; as long as it made contact with the skin, the force would penetrate directly to the heart, causing instant death.
However, the palm strike had an extremely high requirement for Inner Strength. With Zhu Zhiping’s current Cultivation, he could muster enough for only a single strike, so he had to be certain it would land before daring to use it.
Seeing his palm less than three inches from Chen Yuan’s chest, Zhu Zhiping couldn’t help but reveal a cold smirk.
But in the next instant, Chen Yuan’s hand moved like a nimble snake, his Power like binding silk, suddenly wrapping around Zhu Zhiping’s arm.
The continuous flow of the Silk Binding Strength instantly neutralized the tyrannical Palm Force of the Heart Shattering Palm.
The next moment, the soft Power abruptly turned hard, strangling with a force that could shatter metal and jade!
Zhu Zhiping let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Chen Yuan’s Silk Binding Jade Hand had twisted his entire right arm like a pretzel. His wrist was torn open, exposing gruesome blue veins and splintered bone!
Zhu Zhiping threw a punch at Chen Yuan with his left hand, but Chen Yuan caught it with the same Silk Binding Jade Hand. The bones in his left arm were crushed inch by inch, and the force traveled up his shoulder to his neck!
With a sharp CRACK of shattering bone, Chen Yuan crushed Zhu Zhiping’s neck with Shattering Jade Strength.
’A Profound Level Upper Grade Grapple Technique, as expected. The power it displays in actual combat is truly formidable.’
Looking at Zhu Zhiping’s corpse on the ground, Chen Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
This was the first time he had used the Silk Binding Jade Hand in a real fight, and Chen Yuan was very pleased with its power.
As for how to dispose of the body, Chen Yuan thought for a moment, then simply dragged the corpse through the dense woods and tossed it into a nearby river.
’Leaving it here to be eaten by wild beasts would have worked,’ he thought, ’but there are too many uncertain variables. The river is a safer bet.’
After returning to the Celestial Wolf Gang, Chen Yuan immediately went into seclusion to begin cultivating the Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique and the Autumn Water Shocking Swan Swordsmanship.
Before he transmigrated, the original Chen Yuan had also been a Martial Dao fanatic who would go into seclusion to cultivate at the drop of a hat.
The people in the gang were used to it, so no one would find it strange.
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