Translator: CinderTL
Xu Sanyan circled the Jin family compound several times but didn't see a single living soul. Had Zhou Chaoxian been so ruthless?
Wait, he didn't see the bodies of any children. It seemed Zhou Chaoxian had shown some mercy, sparing the Jin family's children and allowing them to flee.
Xu Sanyan turned and left. With the Jin family eradicated, it was time to figure out who to pin the blame for the Ma family's downfall on.
Lost in thought, he soon returned to the small hut where Ma Tianqing was staying.
As soon as he entered, Xu Sanyan noticed the slight disturbance in the placement of the pen and paper on the table. His heart leaped with joy, but he kept his expression neutral, pretending not to notice.
"The Jin family has been wiped out," Xu Sanyan said regretfully.
"How could that be?" Ma Tianqing's face paled. If the Jin family was gone, didn't that mean the trail had gone cold?
This, however, indirectly proved that there was indeed someone else behind the Jin family.
Xu Sanyan pondered, "Perhaps the mastermind behind this realized the mission had failed and decided to abandon the Jin family."
Ma Tianqing nodded, his expression grave. "No matter who is behind this, I will investigate to the end and avenge the nearly hundred lives of my Ma family!"
He then pulled out a piece of paper from the table and handed it to Xu Sanyan. "Brother Xu, this is the Blood Demon Secret Technique. With the Ma family reduced to just me, there's no point in adhering to old traditions anymore. Consider this a token of gratitude for saving my life."
Xu Sanyan feigned hesitation. "This… thank you, dear brother. I was merely curious. There's no need for such generosity."
Ma Tianqing's small face was filled with seriousness. "Brother Xu, don't be modest. We are brothers united in heart and purpose. What's a mere secret technique between us? Please, take it."
It seemed Ma Tianqing wouldn't be satisfied unless Xu Sanyan accepted it.
"Sigh… then I'll humbly accept."
Xu Sanyan took the paper and examined it carefully under the dim light. After some effort, he had finally achieved his goal. All that was left was to verify its authenticity.
[The Blood Demon Corpse Refinement Technique. Requires a corpse with a Blood Demon Dao Foundation, a centipede with a hundred eyes, a bowl of one's own Vitality blood, and a blood pool filled with the blood of a hundred people.
[Place the Blood Demon's body into the blood pool and let it absorb the blood. Then feed the centipede with your Vitality blood, establishing a mental connection with it. Insert the centipede into the Blood Demon's body to devour the Dao Foundation, and refine it with the secret technique. Once refined, the Blood Demon can be controlled at will.
[The Blood Demon craves human flesh and excels in close combat, moving with incredible speed. Its hands are like thousand-fold steel blades, razor-sharp. However, its overwhelming bloodlust can affect the practitioner's mind, inducing a murderous and cruel nature that doesn't distinguish between friend and foe. One must use the Purification Technique to protect the soul and remain unaffected.]
Below were the refinement method and the Purification Technique. Xu Sanyan focused on reading the Purification Technique, which required using mana to protect one's mind. Ma Tianqing lacked mana, which explained why he was affected by the bloodlust.
Then, with a thought, a panel appeared in his vision, confirming that the technique had been recorded. Ma Tianqing hadn't lied to him.
"Brother, where is this Blood Demon?"
Xu Sanyan pretended to be curious, looking Ma Tianqing up and down as if trying to spot where he had hidden the Blood Demon.
"Brother, don't bother looking. The Blood Demon usually attaches itself to my back. If you want it to appear, just recite the incantation."
Ma Tianqing turned around and lifted his fur coat, revealing a large mass of black mist on his back. It looked like a wash of ink on a painting, faintly swirling in place.
"Truly extraordinary," Xu Sanyan marveled. Such was the wonder of cultivation techniques.
"Brother, how did you refine this Blood Demon without mana?" Xu Sanyan spotted the inconsistency.
Ma Tianqing sighed with a feigned air of maturity. "Sigh… my ancestor anticipated this situation before his death and left behind an array that could be activated with spirit stones, allowing a mortal to refine the Blood Demon."
"Unfortunately, the array can only be used three times. By the time I used it, it was the last activation. Moreover, there are only two spirit stones left."
Xu Sanyan nodded slightly. One corpse passed down through generations, enduring even after death. The Ma family's ancestor had truly planned for the long-term.
This meant that even if Xu Sanyan killed Ma Tianqing, it would be useless, as he couldn't refine the Blood Demon.
But he still had to kill him!
Xu Sanyan himself was one of the culprits behind the Ma family's downfall. If he didn't kill Ma Tianqing now, he would become a significant threat once he grew stronger.
Ma Tianqing had exceptional talent, having already reached the Peak Stage of Qi Refinement at a young age.
Moreover, with his entire family wiped out, he carried a deep-seated hatred and an unyielding will, undeterred by setbacks. He was the quintessential protagonist, and letting him live was out of the question.
Xu Sanyan's eyes flickered as he silently moved closer. Just then, Ma Tianqing turned around. "Brother Xu, with the Jin family gone, what should our next step be in the investigation?"
Xu Sanyan didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "If you were to avenge your family, what would you do?"
Ma Tianqing lowered his head in thought, then shook it after a moment. "I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead."
"Hmm, let's go. I'll take you to the Jin family compound to have a look," Xu Sanyan said, pointing outside.
"Alright, Brother Xu."
Ma Tianqing showed no sign of suspicion and turned to walk out.
Clang—
In the darkness, a flash of silver light appeared, like a sudden bolt of lightning in the night, striking with soul-shaking intensity.
The polished blade reflected Xu Sanyan's cold, emotionless eyes.
In an instant, blood spurted out, staining the blade and the earthen floor.
Ma Tianqing's eyes were filled with disbelief. He couldn't understand why Brother Xu, who had saved his life, would now kill him.
If that was the case, why had he gone through the trouble of saving him in the first place?
But he would never get an answer. Half of his neck had been slashed open, and not even a god could save him now.
Xu Sanyan pursed his lips slightly and drove the blade into Ma Tianqing's heart, the tip piercing through his body. There was no chance of survival.
"When you see Master Ma, give him my regards."
Xu Sanyan lifted Ma Tianqing's back, and the swirling ink-like mist became even more frenzied. In moments, Ma Tianqing's entire body withered, as if all his blood and Vitality had been drained.
The ink slowly spread out, as if an invisible hand was smudging it across the ground.
A long, slender black figure emerged from the ink, lying quietly on the surface.
Xu Sanyan touched the Blood Demon's body. Its smooth skin was cold, and the large eye on its forehead was tightly shut, like a lifeless corpse.
"The Blood Demon…"
Xu Sanyan's eyes flickered as he pondered how to deal with it.
The Blood Demon's body was nearly three meters long, making it inconvenient to carry around. It would be best to hide it for now and return to refine it once he had gained some mana.
As for where to hide it, Xu Sanyan glanced at the ground. This place would do; there wasn't a more suitable spot.
He went outside to find a farming tool and started digging a hole. After digging about four or five meters deep, he placed the Blood Demon's body inside, covered it up, and camouflaged the area so that nothing seemed amiss.
He hoped the body wouldn't rot.
Xu Sanyan took the technique manual and spirit stones from Ma Tianqing's robes, along with some gold and silver, before leaving.
As he pushed the door open, the first light of dawn was breaking on the horizon. The chaos in the city had already subsided, and the few surviving civilians were scavenging for valuables.
Xu Sanyan wondered how many people from the bandit camp had survived.
He planned to return to the camp to see if Wu Jue had accumulated any treasures over the years.
After that, he intended to explore other places in search of spiritual herbs to replenish the "Vitality" on his panel.
The two spirit stones might also provide "Vitality," but he couldn't bite into them or absorb their energy, so he could only sigh in frustration for now.
He casually stole a horse and galloped out of the city toward the bandit camp. At the city gate, piles of corpses lay scattered—bandits, soldiers, and some likely from the Jin family. It seemed a fierce battle had taken place here as well.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (HB) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c44. [+4]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3K+) Chapters, (4.2M+) Words.
💥Flat 30% Discount on All Tiers Available Till 26th July, Use Code 3KCHAPTERS to Avail.