Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

Chapter 295: Chapter 292: Detection

The twilight was like blood, swallowing the last sliver of light on the horizon.

On the main road, six figures pushed their speed to the absolute limit. They were like arrows tearing through the night, racing toward the Lin Family Manor.

These six were none other than Fang Han and his party, who had just received news of the Lin Family Manor’s annihilation.

The Lin Family Manor was just over a hundred li from the town where they had been staying. Traveling at full speed, they could already faintly make out the silhouette of the deathly-still manor in less than an hour.

Even before they got close, the familiar stench washed over them—a mixture of burnt matter and thick, cloying blood. It was even stronger than at the Yunhe Manor, as the attack here had been more recent.

The manor’s main gate was shattered and its walls had collapsed. The horrific scene was identical to the one at Yunhe Manor.

The only difference was that the stench of blood here had not yet cooled, indicating the tragedy had occurred not long ago.

"Spread out and investigate. Search carefully for any suspicious clues. Focus on finding any survivors or lingering, unusual auras!"

Fang Han spoke rapidly.

"Yes!"

Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, Wang Qian, and the others answered in unison.

They immediately dispersed, each using their own methods to cautiously investigate the land of the dead, freshly ravaged by slaughter.

’Spirit Smelling Technique...’

Fang Han walked through the ruins of the manor, fully activating his Spirit Smelling Technique, which had reached the Minor Achievement Level.

The world around him dissolved into an incomparably complex and nauseating ocean of scents.

There was the thick, unyielding stench of blood; the unique rot of corpses; the acrid smell of burnt wood; the raw scent of upturned earth; and the chaotic miasma of various medicinal herbs destroyed in the manor...

Countless scents flooded his nostrils, assaulting his senses.

He suppressed his discomfort, his mind working like the finest sieve, filtering and discerning this deluge of information. He was trying to isolate the faintest trace of what might be the killer’s scent.

Everyone in the manor had been killed by the same person, so the perpetrator’s scent would surely be everywhere. Any scent that was so pervasive was almost certainly the killer’s.

HUMMM—

Time ticked by. As he remained completely focused, sweat beaded on Fang Han’s temples.

His Spirit Smelling Technique, only at the Minor Achievement level, was struggling against such complex and intense olfactory interference.

It was a struggle, but not a futile one.

Although the killer must have used some kind of highly advanced Concealing Breath Powder, the massacre had happened so recently that the residual aura was still strong. And it led Fang Han to a discovery.

He’d caught it!

An exceedingly faint, almost nonexistent wisp of a bizarre scent that was utterly at odds with the surrounding aura of death and blood!

The scent was sinister and violent, carrying an indescribable sense of consumption and decay, as if it had come from the Nine Netherworld Hell.

What truly shook Fang Han to his core was that within this bizarre scent, he detected a trace of something he had smelled before.

’This is...’

Incredulous horror flared in Fang Han’s eyes. He focused again, pushing his Spirit Smelling Technique to its absolute limit, carefully identifying that familiar ’scent’.

’There’s no mistake!’

Although it was twisted and masked by the sinister, violent aura of a Demon Skill, the core trace of the scent deep within belonged, unmistakably, to—

Chu Feng!

’How is this possible?! It’s him!’

Even with Fang Han’s resolute temperament, he couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. His heart felt as if it had been viciously seized by an invisible hand.

Chu Feng was actually cultivating a Demon Skill!

And he was the culprit behind this series of clan annihilations.

He recalled Chu Feng’s recent meteoric rise in power, jumping three places on the Celestial Pride List at once.

Before, he had just thought Chu Feng had a fortuitous encounter on his travels. Now, it was clear this was a sign of cultivating a fast-acting Demon Skill.

"Everyone, regroup on me, now! I’ve found something!"

Fang Han suppressed the tidal wave of shock churning within him and shouted in a low voice imbued with Inner Qi.

His voice carried clearly to his companions scattered throughout the area.

A moment later, Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, Huang Ling’er, Shi Meng, and Steward Wang Qian quickly gathered by Fang Han’s side.

"Senior Brother Fang, what did you find?"

Li Feng was the first to speak, noticing Fang Han’s unusually grave expression.

"I’ve caught it. The killer’s scent."

Fang Han’s gaze swept over the group as he spoke in a low, heavy tone.

"Oh? True Inheritor Fang is truly impressive! Can you determine his direction?"

Everyone’s spirits lifted, and Wang Qian asked urgently.

Fang Han nodded slowly, a cold light glinting in his eyes. He spoke, enunciating each word, "I’ve not only determined his direction, but also his identity."

Under their puzzled gazes, he uttered a name that was nothing short of earth-shattering.

"The killer is Chu Feng."

"What? The killer is... Chu Feng?!"

"Th-that’s impossible!"

"Senior Brother Fang, this is a matter of grave importance. Are you absolutely certain?"

Yun Qianyue’s bright eyes, visible above her purple veil, were filled with shock. Her tone was more solemn than ever before.

Huang Ling’er and Shi Meng turned pale with horror, barely able to believe their ears.

Chu Feng, a Celestial Pride True Inheritor of the Qingxuan Sect, was the killer who was cultivating a Demon Skill and slaughtering their vassal forces?

"I’ve confirmed it repeatedly with the Spirit Smelling Technique. The residual scent is, without a doubt, Chu Feng’s!"

Fang Han said grimly.

"Considering his recent surge in strength and his increasingly perverse temperament, it’s almost certain he’s cultivating a Demon Skill."

"If it really is Chu Feng... now that he’s cultivating a Demon Skill, his power has probably far surpassed his former self. He might have even broken through to the Fourth Grade! He’s not someone we can handle anymore."

Steward Wang Qian’s brow furrowed as he mused aloud.

"Steward Wang is right. Chu Feng was already extremely strong to begin with. Add to that his cultivation of a Demon Skill, and his current power is likely beyond what we can face."

Yun Qianyue analyzed calmly.

She looked at Fang Han and suggested,

"Senior Brother Fang, the most urgent task now is to report this to the Sect immediately and request that an Elder be dispatched to handle it."

"We can begin tracking him and leave markers along the way, but we absolutely must not engage. We just need to monitor him from the shadows and wait for reinforcements."

"Junior Sister Yun is right."

Fang Han took a deep breath. Yun Qianyue’s suggestion was the safest course of action.

Chu Feng’s strength had soared after cultivating the Demon Skill. Though confident, Fang Han was not arrogant. He knew that Chu Feng would now be incredibly difficult to deal with.

Acting rashly might not only fail to eliminate the demon, but could also put Yun Qianyue and the others in grave danger.

He made a decisive call.

"I’ll send a message to the Sect right now!"

He quickly took out special stationery, a brush, and ink from his bag. In just a few words, he wrote that they had discovered Chu Feng was the killer using a Demon Skill, that his strength had likely increased dramatically, and that their party would begin tracking him.

Then he took out a Mail Eagle used for urgent communications and tied the message to its leg with a special technique.

"Go!"

With a gentle push from Fang Han, the magnificent Mail Eagle let out a clear cry, beat its wings, and soared high into the air, quickly disappearing into the vast night.

"Let’s go!"

Without further delay, Fang Han used his Spirit Smelling Technique to lock onto the wisp of bloody scent, picked a direction, and shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, and the others followed close behind. Steward Wang Qian took up the rear, responsible for erasing their obvious tracks and leaving the Sect’s secret markers at intervals to provide a trail.

’This direction... could it be...?’

After chasing for some distance, Fang Han’s expression suddenly turned ugly.

At first, Chu Feng’s trail was somewhat erratic. But as time passed and the distance grew, his route became increasingly clear.

He traced the map in his mind, and the more he calculated, the more his heart sank.

This direction... if he continued in this direction, his final destination would be—Liangshui City!

Liangshui City. That was his hometown, the seat of the Fang Family!

Why would Chu Feng go to Liangshui City? The answer was almost screamingly obvious!

Given Chu Feng’s hatred for him and the unbridled mentality he now possessed after falling to the Demon Dao, his target was most likely the Fang Family of Liangshui City.

He was going for revenge. He was going to slaughter his family and make him experience the ultimate agony!

A bone-chilling fear, mixed with a towering inferno of rage, instantly engulfed Fang Han.

He could almost see Liangshui City engulfed in flames, see his family screaming in torment under Chu Feng’s demonic claws.

"Senior Brother Fang, your expression?"

Yun Qianyue, keeping pace at his side, keenly sensed the violent fluctuations in Fang Han’s aura. She couldn’t help but ask, noticing the killing intent and anxiety that radiated from him, so thick it was almost tangible.

Fang Han’s voice carried an imperceptible tremor, born from extreme rage and worry.

"Judging by his route, Chu Feng’s target... is very likely Liangshui City. My family!"

"What?! Chu Feng’s target is... the Fang Family in Liangshui City?"

Li Feng was aghast, while Huang Ling’er and Shi Meng instantly turned deathly pale.

They all knew the enmity between Fang Han and Chu Feng ran deep. Now that Chu Feng was acting without any restraint, his heading straight for the Fang Family in Liangshui City revealed a truly heinous and malicious intent.

"We can’t wait any longer!"

Fang Han’s gaze swept across the group, his tone resolute and final.

"Chu Feng is extremely fast. If we keep tracking him like this, I’m afraid we’ll be too late! I have to go on ahead!"

His gaze fell directly on Wang Qian.

"Steward Wang, you lead everyone and follow behind. I will go ahead at full speed to Liangshui City! If the Sect Elders arrive, please tell them to hurry to Liangshui City as reinforcements!"

"Alright, you go on ahead."

Knowing the gravity of the situation, Wang Qian didn’t try to stop or refuse him.

"Go, Senior Brother Fang, don’t worry! We’ll be right behind you. Be careful!"

Yun Qianyue, understanding the urgency of the crisis, nodded immediately.

Li Feng also nodded firmly. "Senior Brother Fang, you go first. We’ll get there as fast as we can!"

"I’m counting on you all!"

Fang Han said no more. The aura around him exploded as he pushed his Wind and Cloud Escape to its absolute limit.

His figure seemed to merge completely with the wind, transforming into a streak of faint cyan light that was nearly impossible to see with the naked eye.

Tearing through the night, he raced madly toward Liangshui City at a speed several times faster than before.

’He had only one thought in his mind: ’Faster! Even faster! I have to make it in time!’’

"Let’s pick up the pace, too!"

Watching Fang Han’s back vanish in an instant, a flicker of worry crossed Yun Qianyue’s eyes before it was replaced by determination.

...

In the early morning, a still-drowsy Fang Family guard opened the main gate of the Fang Mansion.

Just then, a figure appeared at the far end of the long street.

The man’s face was covered by a ferocious Evil Ghost mask, revealing only a pair of eyes that glinted with a bloodthirsty red light in the dimness.

He was shrouded in a wide, black cloak, but even that couldn’t completely conceal the heart-stoppingly sinister and violent aura that radiated from him.

It was as if the killing intent from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood had solidified, causing the surrounding temperature to drop abruptly.

It was Chu Feng!