Chapter 204 - 153: Assassination of a Demon Path Cultivator

Chapter 204: Chapter 153: Assassination of a Demon Path Cultivator

Red Rock City, Black Stone Street

This street was the most destitute area in all of Red Rock City. There were no active shops, and the residential area was dilapidated. This district didn’t even have property deeds; you could basically pick any unoccupied building and move in... It was an area where the Mountain Patrol gathered.

At this moment, people were setting up stalls along the street.

"Three stalks of ten-year Blood Qi Grass! Freshly picked Spirit Grass, just today! Martial Artists can consume it directly or mix it with other herbs to create Qi Blood Powder and improve their Cultivation... Absolutely top quality, only fifty Gold Yuan!"

"The price is right! Don’t miss out, folks!"

"Master-forged Refined Iron Sabers! Perfectly sharpened, flawless blades, only..."

During the day, the Mountain Patrol would go into the mountains to search for medicinal herbs and Spirit Grass, so they only had time to sell their goods at night. Over time, Black Stone Street, this lawless, unregulated area, became a black market. A few allied gangs were responsible for the market’s security, but they charged a fee in Silver Yuan to set up a stall.

It was equivalent to a small-scale exchange within Red Rock City. At the moment, Zhao Zuo was disguised as a Martial Artist, wandering among the numerous stalls. Interestingly... he even spotted some items belonging to Cultivators, such as a few fragments of a Magical Artifact, priced at thirty Gold Yuan apiece.

From their investigation during the day, they learned the exchange rate between Spirit Stones and Gold Yuan was one to one hundred.

Shen Yunjiao was also in disguise. The two of them weren’t here to browse, and certainly not to hunt for bargains, but to find the Demon Path Cultivators hidden in Red Rock City.

As they moved through the stalls, the two deliberately split up to cover more ground.

Zhao Zuo found a stall and crouched down. A few herbs, still dotted with soil, were laid out on the ground. They looked fresh, but their roots and leaves were slightly damaged.

He didn’t ask any questions, instead turning to give Shen Yunjiao a look.

From behind him, Shen Yunjiao nodded.

Their eyes met, and Zhao Zuo quickly looked away, not glancing at the Demon Path Cultivator again. Thanks to his Breath-Concealing Ring, he had suppressed his Cultivation to the level of the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer. A Cultivator of this level was obviously an excellent target for the Demon Path.

Zhao Zuo was playing the part of a Loose Cultivator of mediocre strength who had become a Cultivator by a stroke of luck.

He was the bait to lure the Demon Path Cultivator into making a move.

The man had dark skin and carried herb-gathering tools on his back. His Qi Blood was indistinct, making him look like an ordinary Mountain Patrol. But Zhao Zuo had noticed a few anomalies. First was the damage to the herbs.

A normal Mountain Patrol made a living by gathering herbs, so they naturally wouldn’t treat them so carelessly. Furthermore, although the man played the part of a Mountain Patrol, he showed no enthusiasm for his business from start to finish, as if he only set up a stall out of necessity to maintain his cover.

After a moment, Shen Yunjiao nodded at Zhao Zuo. She could feel that the man’s Qi Blood was somewhat mixed, which likely meant he was a Cultivator of the Blood Demon Dao.

Within Red Rock City, Zhao Zuo and Shen Yunjiao had already tracked down three or four Demon Path Cultivators and confirmed the residences of two of them. They planned to eliminate them tonight or tomorrow.

Just as Zhao Zuo had guessed, this small city had become a focal point for both the Righteous and Demonic Paths. It was said that, in addition to a scheduled duel, the Blood River Sect had also offered a bounty of two Foundation Establishment Pills for Chen Xiaorong.

He estimated that many Loose Cultivators were hoping to get lucky. They wouldn’t dare to have any ideas about Chen Xiaorong in her normal state, but a severely wounded Chen Xiaorong after a bloody battle? She would be the equivalent of a walking Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Freshly made Grain Avoidance Pills! One pill replaces a full meal!" someone nearby suddenly shouted, catching Zhao Zuo’s attention. Grain Avoidance Pills were a derivative of the standard Grain Avoidance Pill, but they were still considered a method of Cultivators. He observed for a moment and realized the man had a Cultivation at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer.

The street instantly became lively. A crowd gathered around, picking up porcelain vials to inspect them. The Mountain Patrol usually spent a full day in the mountains, and preparing and eating food was a waste of time, so they were particularly interested in the Grain Avoidance Pills.

Zhao Zuo pushed his way through the crowd with some effort and spent Twenty Gold Essence on a bottle of Grain Avoidance Pills. He put on a curious expression, maintaining his persona.

After wandering around for a little longer, Zhao Zuo left Black Stone Street.

"Stop!"

Three burly men cornered Zhao Zuo, one in front and two behind. Their faces held cruel and vicious expressions as they brandished long sabers, threatening him fiercely.

"Um, you gentlemen have stopped me. Is there something I can help you with?" Zhao Zuo asked calmly. Using his Spiritual Sense, he determined that the three men were ordinary people. Only the leader had a negligible trace of Qi Blood in his body.

"You little punk, I saw you buying those Grain Avoidance Pills earlier. You looked pretty loaded. Why don’t you show some respect and hand over some of that gold and silver to your old man?"

These three were regulars at the black market. They didn’t dare to mess with familiar faces or tough guys, but a scrawny weakling like this was the perfect target.

"Gentlemen... what if I told you I’m actually a Cultivator? Would you believe me?" Zhao Zuo shook his head slightly. ’What kind of mess is this? I wanted to be bait, but not... for this kind of thing.’

"HAHAHAHA! I’m dying! Boss, this weakling says he’s an Immortal!"

The three of them sneered, clearly not believing him. The gleaming steel sabers were about to come down.

Just then, a dark figure suddenly flashed forward. A light, effortless kick sent the lead thug flying four or five meters, and he crashed heavily to the ground. The crack of breaking bone was sickeningly crisp.

The man was thin and wiry, carrying a medicine basket on his back. His eyes were slightly narrowed, and a murderous glint flashed through them before vanishing.