Chapter 9

"Boy, you actually dared to hurt my wife! You're dead this time." The man's face, illuminated by the short sword in his hand, appeared somewhat distorted. He threw the large crossbow to the ground and quickly took a blood-red pill from his chest, swallowing it.

Seeing this, Liu Ming shouted, "Watch out for the hidden weapon!" He raised his hand, and a white object shot toward the convulsing ugly woman on the ground. At the same time, he stomped his foot and shot into the dense forest like an arrow.

The man was taken aback at first, then furious, but he couldn't ignore the ugly woman and just chase the boy. Reluctantly, he moved to block the path, and with a flick of his wrist, he thrust the bone sword at the flying object.

With a "boom," the white object was struck by an invisible blade and unexpectedly exploded.

A cloud of grayish-white powder spread out, covering everything within a few dozen feet.

The man in the blue robe was startled. He dared not let the powder touch him, so he quickly held the bone sword in front of him and pressed his other hand in front of him, shouting, "Yuan Wall."

Instantly, the bone sword glowed slightly, and an invisible wave of air swept out, dispersing the powder.

The man then quickly bent down, picked up a bit of the powder from the ground, and sniffed it. He immediately flew into a rage.

"It's just ordinary flour. You little brat, I'll tear you to pieces."

After cursing, the man checked the ugly woman's condition. She was clutching her neck, her breath barely there, and it was clear she couldn't be saved.

"My lady, rest assured. I'll take that boy's life, and you won't go alone."

The man clenched his teeth and stood up, gripping the bone sword tightly. He shouted, "Light Body," and darted off in the direction the boy had fled, as swift as the wind.

His speed was astonishing, almost ghostly. Although he had little yuan energy left, the 'Blood Qi Pill' he had just taken allowed him to use a few more qi techniques for at least the duration of a meal, more than enough to hunt down an ordinary person.

...

Liu Ming was desperately leaping and running through the forest, feeling his legs grow heavier and his chest burn from the reopened wounds. His old shoulder injury had also flared up, making half his body feel sluggish.

Liu Ming didn't stop to bandage himself but continued to run in a certain direction.

Suddenly, the forest opened up, and he found himself on an open plain. At the end of the plain was a massive river, its waters surging and white waves crashing downstream.

Liu Ming felt a surge of joy but then his vision darkened, and he stumbled, almost falling to the ground.

He bit his tongue hard, the taste of blood filling his mouth, and managed to regain his composure and stand steady.

Just then, a voice full of hatred came from the forest behind him:

"Boy, where do you think you're running!"

As the voice faded, a gust of wind rose, and the man in the blue robe emerged from behind a large tree, leaping toward Liu Ming.

Liu Ming turned back, his heart racing. He threw the silver blade behind him and sprinted toward the river.

The man in the blue robe swung his bone sword, deflecting the silver blade, and continued to pursue Liu Ming without stopping.

In no time, they had covered several dozen feet.

After a few more leaps, Liu Ming reached the river and jumped into the air, ready to plunge into the surging waters.

The man in the blue robe was still a few feet away. Seeing this, he was unwilling to let Liu Ming escape. He summoned all his yuan energy and poured it into the bone sword.

Instantly, the bone sword glowed with a blinding white light.

The man let out a low shout and slashed at a distance. An almost invisible sword shadow shot out from the bone sword, flashing and appearing behind Liu Ming, piercing him.

With a "puff," the sword shadow pierced through Liu Ming's abdomen, and his body fell heavily into the river, disappearing in the white waves.

The man in the blue robe finally reached the riverbank, looking at the surging waters, his brow furrowed.

He believed that with the full power of the talisman weapon, Liu Ming would not survive the fall into the turbulent river. However, not seeing the body made him uneasy.

He was not a good swimmer, and the river's current was too strong. Even if he jumped in, the body would have been carried away long ago.

The man muttered to himself and glanced at the bone sword in his hand. The talisman weapon was now dull, having lost its glow.

He lingered for a moment but, seeing no sign of Liu Ming's body, had no choice but to leave.

...

Three days later, on the banks of a small, unremarkable river at the border of Chuzhou and Fengyun counties, two men in yellow robes, one tall and one short, stood staring at a brocade-clad corpse on the ground, speechless.

Apart from the corpse in front of them, there were seven or eight other bodies in the nearby grass, all dressed in gray and each having died in a gruesome manner, either cut in half or with their heads exploded.

"What do we do? The young master died so easily. How can we go back and explain to the family head?" The shorter man, who carried a sword on his back, had a thin face and triangular eyes, giving him a fierce look. Now, however, he was full of worry as he asked his companion.

"Gu Lao San, you ask me, but who can I ask? Who would have thought this 'young master' was such an idiot? As a low-level qi practitioner, he was easily approached by a bandit and had his throat slit. Even with the spirit medicine given by the family head, we couldn't save him." The taller man, with a square face, looked equally distressed.

"Kuan Lao Da, no matter how foolish he was, he was the family head's adopted son, and the family spent a great deal of resources to secure a spot for him in the upper sect. If he dies on the way, how can we face the family head? We'll probably be beaten with the Heavenly Punishment Rod." Gu Lao San sighed, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Hmph, if a beating with the Heavenly Punishment Rod could resolve this, we'd be lucky." Kuan Lao Da's facial muscles twitched as he said something that made Gu Lao San pause.

"Kuan Lao Da, what do you mean? We are genuine mid-level qi practitioners. Even if the family head loves this adopted son, would he really kill us over this?" Gu Lao San looked at the fat man, his eyes wide.

"Do you really think this boy's status is just that of an adopted son? This 'young master' has a spirit meridian, but his temperament is cruel and he is not well-liked. He is also far from the family head's lineage. How could he be chosen and so favored? Let me tell you the truth: this 'young master' is actually the family head's illegitimate son. The adopted son is just a nominal title to bring him back into the family." Kuan Lao Da sneered, shocking Gu Lao San.

"What? The 'young master' is really the family head's biological son? Kuan Lao Da, how do you know such important information?" The thin man stammered.

"Forget it, there's no need to hide it now. You know I have a good relationship with Lady Da's personal maid, Ling'er. She once let it slip while complaining about her mistress. It can't be false!" Kuan Lao Da sighed.

"I see. I thought the Spirit Opening Ceremony spots were so precious that the Bai family wouldn't let an outsider take one. If the ceremony succeeds, one becomes a true upper sect spirit disciple, a step to the heavens. If they advance further to become a spirit master, even the emperor would treat them with respect." Gu Lao San was enlightened.

"Being a spirit disciple isn't that easy! Not only must one have a spirit meridian, but they must also be under fifteen years old to qualify for the ceremony. In past years, how many young nobles have truly passed, and how many have died during the ceremony? Even if they survive, if the ceremony fails, they must serve as ordinary qi practitioners in the upper sect for twenty years. The family head probably sent his illegitimate son with the hope of a gamble. The Bai family has many descendants with spirit meridians, but most have failed in the ceremonies at other upper sects. Only a few have survived to serve in the upper sects. Miss Yan successfully opened her spirit and became a spirit disciple of the Heavenly Moon Sect, but she is a woman and will eventually marry. The family head naturally wants his biological son to become an upper sect spirit disciple to ensure the Bai family's status as a qi practitioner family for the next few decades." Kuan Lao Da said dismissively.

"It seems the family head had great hopes for this young master. The more so, the less hope we have of surviving when we return. Why don't we escape the Great Xuan Kingdom and never return to the Bai family? With our mid-level qi practitioner status, we can live freely anywhere." Gu Lao San's eyes darted around, and he clenched his teeth, speaking resolutely.

(Today's chapter will be posted in the evening. Wang Yu will draw a winner for a PSP handheld game console on the WeChat platform, and the list will be directly announced at the end of the chapter. Please join the WeChat platform to stay updated, and everyone will have a chance. To join the WeChat platform, you can scan the QR code on my Tencent Weibo, or click on the "Contacts" section of the WeChat platform, then click the "+" at the top, enter the "Search Official Accounts" section, and search for "Wang Yu" or the WeChat ID "wang-yu".)

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