Chapter 48

Originally already dazed from the fall, Jiang An was even worse off. Before he could bend down to support himself, his body suddenly stiffened, pausing for a few seconds. He then let go of the copper flail and fell to the ground again.

Before he could regain consciousness, a chill ran down his throat as a black staff pressed against it.

"You should be very clear that you won't be leaving here alive today! Answer my questions honestly, and I won't torture you," Qin Yu said succinctly, getting straight to the point.

"Who sent you to commit murder at Yan Shou Mountain?"

Jiang An opened his blood-caked eyes and stared at Qin Yu like a dead fish.

Slap!

Without hesitation, Qin Yu struck a certain spot with the staff and then returned it to press against his throat.

Ah! Jiang An screamed in agony. His left little finger's first joint was crushed by Qin Yu's staff.

An extremely precise strike.

"If you don't answer my questions, you won't even be able to die," Qin Yu said coldly. "Speak or not?"

The pain from his fingers made Jiang An's lips tremble, but he didn't say a word.

Slap!

Another bone-breaking sound.

This time, it was his right thumb's first joint.

"Will you speak or not?" Qin Yu made a move to lift the black staff again.

"Wait... wait... it hurts!" Jiang An couldn't bear the pain and hurriedly spoke.

"Really? When you brutally killed the innocent, did they not feel pain?" Qin Yu thought of his uncle's family who had died tragically, and the anger in his heart couldn't be contained. The staff suddenly struck again.

"Ah..." This time, the scream almost pierced the sky.

One strike almost turned Jiang An's left thumb into a pulp.

"It's Cai... Cai..." Jiang An was drenched in sweat, his face contorted, and his body twisted uncontrollably, wanting to confess quickly and die.

"Cai? Cai who?" A thought had already formed in Qin Yu's mind.

"Cai... Cai ordered it. We... we are Cai's... retainers, and we had no choice... but to go!"

Cai?

Lady Cai? Cai Mao?

Waves of emotion surged in Qin Yu's heart. The mastermind behind this was them?

"Why did the Cai family send you to kill at Yan Shou Mountain?" Qin Yu asked through gritted teeth.

"Because... because Liu... Liu Jingzhou said he wanted to find you... to invite you back... back to Xiangyang."

Back to Xiangyang?

"What for?" Xi Zhilan, seeing Qin Yu's face turn ashen with rage, quickly asked on his behalf.

"To... to... assist... the eldest... and second prince..." Jiang An's forehead was drenched in sweat, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Who gave the order, Cai Mao or Lady Cai?" Qin Yu suddenly regained his composure, nodded to Xi Zhilan, and asked the most critical question.

"It's... it's the old... old... old... home... ah!"

Suddenly, Jiang An let out a loud cry, his body stiffened, and then relaxed completely.

Qin Yu asked, "Old what?"

He saw Jiang An's eyes bulge, blood flowing from all seven orifices, and then his head tilted, and he fell silent.

Qin Yu's pupils dilated. This person was dead?

He reached out to touch and found that the neck pulse was broken, and there was no breath.

Upon closer inspection, a small blood blister had formed on Jiang An's right temple, with a red mark on it.

It seemed to have been pierced by some hidden weapon, which shattered his skull, causing a quick death.

Qin Yu looked up and saw a black shadow far away. Xi Zhilan, who was by his side, had already chased after it.

"Be careful!" Qin Yu shouted and hurriedly followed. His Nine States Flowing Steps were already quite proficient, and with the powerful blood flow of the Dark Realm, his speed increased significantly. In a few flashes, he had covered dozens of meters.

The southern mountainous area was uneven. After passing two small hills, Qin Yu saw Xi Zhilan's figure by a small river.

Qin Yu rushed over and asked, "How did it go?"

"He got away. He was too fast. I only saw his back, and it didn't seem to be a man," Xi Zhilan breathed, her face flushed, looking exceptionally beautiful.

"As long as you're safe." Qin Yu smiled. "Although we don't know who the mastermind is, now that we know it's the Cai clan, it doesn't really matter who it is."

Xi Zhilan looked at him. "You mean..."

"Now, they are the vast, boundless sky, and I am just a blade of grass on the ground. The gap is too great, so it's meaningless to talk about it. Anyway, once I have real strength, I'll think about these issues later." Qin Yu shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the matter. "Let's hurry up and continue on our way. We can't delay too long."

Seeing that his mindset was indeed calm, Xi Zhilan felt relieved and happily agreed.

"Okay, Brother Yu!"

"Sounds good, say it again?"

"…Hit you!"

The two of them bantered as they returned to the original spot. Xi Zhilan's black-maned horse was still snorting forcefully, occasionally lifting its hooves, probably uncomfortable with the smell of blood.

"It seems you knew who killed you, yet you died with your eyes open!" Qin Yu hummed, hesitated for a moment, and then gently closed Jiang An's eyelids, letting him rest in peace.

Although he was a brutal murderer, now that he had paid with his life, the past should be left behind.

Qin Yu searched Jiang An's body and found several gold ingots, a dozen strings of copper coins, a silver-plated dagger, a silk book, and a greenish-blue talisman.

"Green talisman!" Xi Zhilan, with her sharp eyes, called out.

Qin Yu nodded. He had seen one on Zhang Ren. It was a token for the Shennong Auction. He thought to himself that this guy must have come here for the auction.

Xi Zhilan took the silk book, flipped through it casually, and then handed it back to Qin Yu.

"About that..." Qin Yu played with the smooth bamboo token, wanting to ask what the Shennong Auction was all about, why these people were flocking in like they were going to the Spring Festival Gala.

But he hesitated, thinking that asking now might make him seem a bit lowbrow. After all, he was in the Dark Realm, and not knowing such basic knowledge might make him a laughingstock to the little girl.

In his past life and this one, he was at least in his thirties, but his mindset was still that of a pure, innocent youth.

"Brother originally said he would find one for you."

Qin Yu smiled. "Now that I have one, there's no need to trouble your brother."

"The one Brother wanted to find for you was the highest-grade token," Xi Zhilan pouted.

The two of them quickly dug a hole and buried Jiang An.

"Hehe!" Xi Zhilan smiled, leaped onto the horse, and said, "Come, get on the horse, and I'll tell you about the Shennong Auction."

Qin Yu put away the various items, got on the horse, and wrapped his arms around Xi Zhilan's small waist.

Xi Zhilan spurred the horse and galloped towards Shennong Peak.

——

...Holding the little ticket's waist.

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