Chapter 205 - 153: Assassinating the Demonic Cultivator

Chapter 205: Chapter 153: Assassinating the Demonic Cultivator

"Spineless rats, get lost!"

"A Martial Artist! Lord Martial Artist, spare our lives."

The two immediately helped the large man to his feet and fled in disarray without another word. Seeing their terrified expressions, it was clear they had no intention of getting revenge.

"I wasn’t too concerned about those three petty thugs," Zhao Zuo said with a grateful bow. The man who had arrived was, coincidentally, the very Demon Path Cultivator who sold medicinal herbs in the black market while disguised as a member of the Mountain Patrol.

"It’s nothing. I just helped out since I was here," the man said with a dismissive wave. "My surname is Shi. I seem to be a few years your senior. If you don’t mind, you can call me Brother Shi."

"Brother Shi."

The two exchanged names and began walking together. After chatting for about fifty meters, they both turned into a dark, secluded alley.

"I didn’t realize Brother Shi lived on Black Stone Street as well," Zhao Zuo said.

"I have no choice. The housing in other areas is too expensive. Besides, I might not come back from a medicine-gathering trip one day. Buying my own courtyard would just be leaving it for someone else to benefit from." Shi San sighed, a lonely look on his face.

"What about you, little brother? Why didn’t you rent a place in a different area?"

"To be honest with you, Brother, I just arrived in Red Rock City today. I plan on finding a new place tomorrow."

They exchanged a few more pleasantries as they walked deeper into the dilapidated old alley. It seemed few people ever came this way; lush weeds grew at the base of the walls.

"Brother Shi, I really don’t know how to thank you for your help today." As they were about to part ways, Zhao Zuo spoke politely with a smile. But he had already sensed a faint wisp of killing intent.

"Well, that’s simple enough. You can thank me with your life," Shi San sneered, his face twisting into a vicious expression. In reality, all his chatter had been a ploy. He was using his Secret Technique to sense the Mana fluctuations within Zhao Zuo’s body, making sure he hadn’t run into a Cultivator who was deliberately hiding their Cultivation level while "playing in the mortal world."

In fact, to be certain, he had specifically used two different Secret Techniques to confirm it!

"Brother Shi, since you’re putting it that way... I don’t have to feel guilty anymore."

"Huh?"

The next second, a flash of cyan light pierced his chest. In his last moments, Shi San stared at Zhao Zuo’s face in disbelief. He couldn’t understand how a weakling whose Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer wasn’t even stable...

SWISH.

Shen Yunjiao appeared behind Shi San. She took the Storage Bag from his waist and then casually stuffed his corpse into a Storage Bag.

"Why waste so much time talking? He was just some Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer trash," Shen Yunjiao muttered.

"We’ve still got seven or eight days. No rush, no rush," Zhao Zuo replied with a smile, then added a complaint to the empty air.

"This disguise is so lazy. And what kind of a ridiculous name is Shi San?"

"Zhao Liu, you’ve got some nerve laughing at him," Shen Yunjiao retorted.

"Next."

The next target had rented a small courtyard on Red Willow Street, not far from Black Stone Street. The duo had already scouted the location during the day. The target’s Cultivation was at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer.

The two moved quickly through the night, occasionally ducking into the shadows of buildings to avoid pedestrians. Like agile night cats, they flitted across the rooftops, attracting no attention.

"No one’s home," Shen Yunjiao said when they were about twenty meters from the residence.

’Then what should we do?’ Zhao Zuo wondered for a moment before it dawned on him. ’Of course. Cultivators of the Blood Demon Dao have an insatiable, obsessive need for the blood of living things. If he’s not home, he must have gone out hunting.’

He didn’t even need to ask around to know. Disappearances in Red Rock City had been more frequent than in previous years, but with no bodies to be found, the cases were simply closed, the victims presumed to have died in the Yunlan Mountain Range.

Zhao Zuo figured it was most likely the work of Demon Path Cultivators. Perhaps the city’s resident Cultivator guardian knew as well, but simply couldn’t be bothered to intervene.

’After all, the Demon Path Cultivators would eventually leave. Asking for reinforcements from his superiors, however, would certainly bring a lot of unnecessary trouble.’

’Just a few Mortals. If they died, they died.’

"Let’s go."

Shen Yunjiao walked to the door of the house opposite the Demon Cultivator’s. She placed her hand lightly on the wooden door. After a few seconds, the sound of a bolt dropping echoed from within, and she instantly slipped inside.

’She’s way too good at that. A career criminal for sure,’ Zhao Zuo mused under his breath. Shen Yunjiao had used her Mana to move the wooden bolt. To do it that quickly, she must have had a great deal of practice.

Zhao Zuo stepped into the house and saw that Shen Yunjiao had already knocked a large man unconscious. Zhao Zuo could feel faint Qi Blood fluctuations from the man; he was clearly a Martial Artist.

The room’s furnishings were simple: just some cooking utensils, a wooden table, and a pile of short jackets and clothes at the head of the bed. Overall, though, the place was tidy and had no strange odors.

"This is a sleeping drug that works even on Cultivators. He’ll be out for at least twelve hours." Shen Yunjiao turned to close the door, then crouched beneath the windowsill and began to conceal her aura.

"You really are good at this," Zhao Zuo remarked. He moved forward a few steps and crouched beneath the other windowsill, also beginning to conceal his aura and prepare for the ambush.

Shen Yunjiao left the door cracked just enough to see the house across the way clearly in the moonlight.

Neither of them spoke again, focusing instead on suppressing the fluctuations of their Qi Blood and Mana. They had already decided on their roles for the coming battle.

Time ticked by. Zhao Zuo waited patiently with his eyes closed, focusing his attention on his hearing. People often passed by the door, but none of them were the target they were waiting for.

An unknown amount of time passed before a faint thud echoed from the street outside. A sound so soft, only a Cultivator with their enhanced senses would have been able to hear it.

Across from him, Shen Yunjiao’s eyes snapped open. She transformed into a streak of blood-red light and shot out of the house.

"Damn it, an ambush!" Liu Wensheng cursed through clenched teeth. He didn’t cry out for help. This was Righteous territory; anyone drawn by the commotion certainly wouldn’t be reinforcements for him.

The man had an unexpectedly righteous appearance, but his techniques were vicious and sinister. He wielded a Middle-Grade Magical Artifact, the Defiled Blood Saber, and his overall strength was decent enough. Even so, under Shen Yunjiao’s assault, he was constantly in peril.

SWOOSH.

The Sky-Breaking Saber unsheathed. Pinned down by Shen Yunjiao, the man had no time to dodge. In an instant, his life was forfeit. From start to finish... the entire fight had lasted less than half a minute.

"Let’s go." Shen Yunjiao bent down, snatched the Storage Bag, collected the corpse, and immediately retreated.

Zhao Zuo was about to leave when he had a second thought. He took a porcelain bottle from his Storage Bag and tucked it into the arms of the unconscious man on the bed.

’Sorry for barging in and disturbing your sleep. Consider this Qi and Blood Pill as compensation.’

Without wasting another moment, Zhao Zuo retreated, making sure to close the door behind him.

They walked several hundred meters in silence before realizing they had been overly tense. The fight had made some noise and likely woken the neighbors, but no one had dared to come out and investigate. After all, you only get one life.

"Next," Shen Yunjiao said. The Energy within the Blood Egg would be completely absorbed in about two days, and she wanted to stock up on more "food" before then.

"Alright."

The next Demon Path Cultivator on their list was by far the most high-profile. He had taken up residence some time ago in the only brothel in Red Rock City’s outer district, a place called Lanxiang Pavilion.

He supposedly hadn’t left the building in seven or eight days.

"That’s the busiest part of the outer city, and it has patrols. We’ll need to be extra careful," Zhao Zuo reminded her. The plan was audacious, but it was also a good one.

"Yes, yes, ’be extra careful.’ I hear it eight hundred times a day," Shen Yunjiao said, rolling her eyes.

As they left the lawless district behind, the surrounding architecture grew noticeably more opulent. Pale red houses and pavilions were everywhere. Most courtyards were enclosed by gray brick walls over two meters tall, with gates painted in red lacquer—some even in gold—displaying the immense wealth of their owners.

On the commercial street, restaurants and two-story inns stood side-by-side, along with weapon shops, tailor shops, and clothing stores. By now, the night was deep, and only a single, brightly colored four-story building was still bustling with activity.

Faint, decadent music drifted from within.

In the distance stood a dark red tower and the ten-meter-high wall of the Inner City. Atop the wall, patrols of Martial Artists marched day and night, carrying long spears that glinted coldly, with Refined Iron Sabers hanging at their waists.

Zhao Zuo gave it a casual glance before looking away. Disguised as a pair of young masters, the two of them stepped into Lanxiang Pavilion.

Tonight would be a sleepless one, filled with music and intrigue.

.......