Book 10: Chapter 41: Erasing One's Rust

Book 10: Chapter 41: Erasing One’s Rust

“Who would have thought that my intuition would be this spot on.” Chen Feirong said with a sigh of admiration.

“He is already a mid stage State Knight cultivator,” Lin Xi said. “Moreover, the type of cultivator who is extremely good at fighting. Only, we are still quite lucky, because he is still a bit too greedy.”

Chen Feirong rubbed her face, thinking for a bit and said, “You are saying this because he didn’t tell Liu Family? You want to kill to silence him?”

“These officials and cultivators have already left me more and more disappointed.”

Lin Xi sat down next to Chen Feirong, picking up the black tea she still hadn’t drank yet, starting to sip it. The slightly bitter water made his pretty brows furrow. “Previously, because I haven’t come into contact with it too much, I didn’t feel too much. However, the more I consider myself a Yunqin citizen, someone who has integrated into this empire, the more I feel like this empire basked in glory has too much darkness.”

Chen Feirong didn’t know about Lin Xi’s true inner world, but she knew that in the journey from Jadefall City to Great Ascent Town, he already went mad, even cursed at a stream. She didn’t know that Lin Xi didn’t consider himself someone of this empire before, but only helplessly assimilated into this world because of those things that happened, because of those people. However, she knew that there were definitely some things that left Lin Xi feeling extremely uncomfortable, or else Lin Xi wouldn’t speak these types of words.

“Zhang Lingyun indeed used the most simple method I previously thought of, finding an idling scoundrel to take the blame. When I entered his residence to monitor him, when they were startled by a passing cat, he thought that our Auspicious Virtue, this type of honorable business definitely wouldn’t dare break the law, doesn’t dare secretly infiltrate the residence of an official.” Lin Xi said coldly, “But when I killed Mu Chenyun, I already understood that as long as no one can seize proof, as long as it is truly radiant things, even if it goes against the law, it is still radiant. It is because for those with authority, who don’t respect the law to begin with, any further inflexibility in abiding by the laws is pure stupidity.”

“When Liu Ziyu was acting against me before, this Su Zhongwen should have been involved as well. However, I won’t kill him.” After pausing for a moment, Lin Xi looked at Chen Feirong and said, “He investigated your information. As long as Liu Family suspects that his death is related to you, then there will be issues. That is why I will kill with a borrowed blade.”

Chen Feirong stared blankly. “Kill with a borrowed blade?”

Lin Xi gave her a look and said, “Have you heard of someone named ‘Master Painter’?”

Chen Feirong was also an exceptionally intelligent person. When she heard Lin Xi say this, she immediately reacted to why Lin Xi first spoke about those other words, why he immediately had such vicious killing intent after returning, directly saying he wanted to kill. She took a deep breath, looking probingly at Lin Xi. “Could it be that Zhang Lingyun wants to use him to deal with me?”

Lin Xi nodded.

Chen Feirong raised the red clay pot to the side, helping Lin Xi add some hot water. As the steam swirled about, she didn’t feel too much anger, her face instead becoming a bit flushed. “He is a flower thief. Six or seven years ago, there were several large cases that took place in Shanlu Province. Later on, it was rumored that even a girl who was hunting him down instead suffered viciously under his hands. Since he has some strange interests, back then, all of Yunqin was shaken up, Shanlu Province’s pretty girls all refusing to show their faces in public. Perhaps it is because you were still too young back then that you didn’t hear about this person.”[1]

Lin Xi’s brows furrowed slightly. He didn’t think too much, directly asking, “What kind of strange interests?”

Chen Feirong’s face became a bit more red, but she still quietly said, “All of his targets are beautiful women with white skin… Moreover, when he gets his hands on them, after violating them, he would always use oil paint to draw on their exposed bodies. After finishing the drawing, he would place the victim in places people often walked past. This way, many people would see his ‘masterpiece’.”

Lin Xi stared blankly for a moment. He raised his head to look at Chen Feirong, only now did he understand why Chen Feirong’s face would flush red like this.

“I will try to see if I can borrow this ‘Master Painter’ to kill Su Zhongwen and then drag Zhang Lingyun in as well.” After drinking a mouthful of warm tea, Lin Xi lowered his head. He thought for a bit and then said, “Nangong Weiyang should have quite some goods there as well, so it is about time for us to do our first share of black market business… I don’t know if that place can be considered her domain yet, so pass on some messages to her. If anyone from Liu Family heads over there to get information about you, have her help you deal with some of it.”

…

That same night, in this world’s most magnificent city, within an ordinary tavern in Central Continent City, a slim male burned up a scroll he had just read through.

This slim man was one of Wenren Cangyue’s undercover leaders. His name was Zhen Kuai, a name that was simple and really easy to remember.[2]

Since he wasn’t as well-known as Xu Qiubai and other generals under Wenren Cangyue, there weren’t even many people in Jadefall Border Army who knew of his existence. Together with the fact that he was previously a spy to begin with, after Jadefall City’s matters, changing his identity and wandering around Yunqin wasn’t something too difficult for him either.

Yunqin Empire and Great Mang Dynasty’s great war was about to erupt.

The Great General Wenren he was loyal to needed more information from Yunqin Empire, including some information about army provisions and military equipment’s transfer. At the same time, he needed a more stable Great Mang domestic situation.

Meanwhile, in regards to Great Mang’s domestic situation, right now, the greatest threat wasn’t actually Thousand Devil Nest’s remaining threat, but rather Zhantai Mang’s student, that man named Zhantai Qiantang.

That day when Great Mang’s imperial palace gates closed, all of Great Mang already prepared a great purge. However, apart from some of Zhantai Mang’s old subjects’ loyalty, this man named Zhantai Qiantang also displayed strength and wisdom exceeding that of an ordinary person, actually breaking through layers of traps and escaping into Yunqin.

Zhantai Mang’s imperial inheritance secret edict and emperor seal were all in Zhantai Qiantang’s hands.

Even though with Zhantai Qiantang and the old emperor’s strength, there was no way they could produce much waves, Wenren Cangyue didn’t wish for any unknown variables to appear when the battle situation was still so tense.

That was why Zhantai Qiantang had to die.

According to reliable intelligence, Zhantai Qiantang already entered Central Continent City many days ago. However now, all of the clues showed that Zhantai Qiantang only stayed for a single day and night, and then left Central Continent City, as if he was heading towards Sunrise Roost Province.

“What is there in Sunrise Roost Province? What was it that is taking you in that direction?”

Zhen Kuai thought to himself, but couldn’t understand just what this thing was.

…

When it was a bit later into the night, in a pitch-black room without any lamps lit, Lin Xi slowly practiced Green Luan Twenty-Four Forms.

After stealthily infiltrating the official residence, his entire body making some intense movements, right now, it already wasn’t only his hands, but his entire body that was numb, carrying a bit of stinging pain.

This type of numbness and itchiness that seemed to come from his very bones, reaching over his entire body, despite being extremely uncomfortable, Lin Xi knew that he could already fight, just that it was like wiping off a layer of rust off of a blade. That was why he didn’t feel pain, instead feeling that it was sweet like syrup.

Every hint of uncomfortable feeling in his perception was like a Wenren Cangyue that leapt out. Under his perception, a sword would quickly hack out, killing this Wenren Cangyue.

On the bed behind him was the light green longsword wrapped in cloth. Right now, that sword within the thick cloth was flickering with a layer of waterfall-like silver radiance, making this sword seem like it would fly out at any time.

1. Flower thief means rapist

2. Zhen sounds like really, the second character is fast. The two together sounds like ‘really fast’