Chapter 38: One Punch Through the Back

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: One Punch Through the Back

CRACK!

The sound of a neck bone snapping was terrifyingly clear. Li Lie’s neck twisted to a grotesque angle, his eyes bulged, and blood spewed from his mouth.

But Chen Yue didn’t stop. Almost at the same instant his right fist struck the neck, his left fist—which had been gathering power—slammed into Li Lie’s chest like a heavy hammer.

THUD!

An incredibly dull, heavy sound echoed out. The clothing on Li Lie’s back suddenly burst open, and a section of flesh and muscle bulged grotesquely outward, clearly showing the imprint of a fist.

The punch lifted Li Lie completely off his feet. He staggered backward, his gaze unfocused, and stared blankly at the murderous Chen Yue before him.

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but only more bloody foam gushed out.

He had never imagined this. He had schemed and plotted, broken through to the Bone Forging Realm, and thought a bright future lay ahead. He believed the grand drama of his life was just reaching its climax, but he never expected the final curtain to fall so suddenly, so ironically.

The light in his eyes quickly dimmed, then extinguished.

Li Lie’s tall body swayed and crashed backward, smashing heavily onto the cold, hard flagstone road and kicking up a cloud of dust. His limbs twitched a few times unconsciously before going completely still and rigid.

Chen Yue slowly retracted his fists and stood up straight, his chest heaving slightly.

He glanced at Li Lie’s body on the ground, walked over, and began to search it quickly.

A few moments later, Chen Yue pulled a small medicine vial from Li Lie’s robes, followed by a dozen or so taels of Broken Silver. Finally, from a hidden layer in Li Lie’s innermost clothing, he found a thin, palm-sized booklet.

Chen Yue examined it in the dim light. The three words "Breath Concealing Technique" were written on the cover in a simple, ancient script.

Chen Yue’s interest was piqued. He quickly flipped through it. It was an auxiliary Technique for concealing one’s Cultivation, quite practical.

’Li Lie managed to hide his breakthrough to the Bone Forging Realm so well in the pharmacy. It was probably because of this technique.’

After stowing the medicine vial, silver taels, and the Breath Concealing Technique, Chen Yue wasted no more time and headed toward the main Chen Family residence.

The main Chen Family estate was a grand, sprawling compound, brightly lit with lanterns. The atmosphere before the main gate, usually solemn and imposing, was now even more tense. Several guards on duty scanned their surroundings vigilantly, their hands gripping their weapons tightly.

Suddenly, a figure stumbled out of the darkness from a street corner, rushing toward the Chen Mansion’s main gate.

The person’s clothes were in disarray, their face pale, and their breathing ragged. Their eyes were filled with lingering terror—it was Chen Yue.

"Who goes there? Halt!" a guard immediately shouted, his blade half-drawn from its sheath.

"It’s me, Chen Yue from Huichun Hall! There were intruders! The pharmacy... something’s happened at the pharmacy!" Chen Yue said, his voice trembling.

One of the guards recognized Chen Yue and hurried forward to support him, while another guard quickly ran inside to report.

A short while later, Chen Yue was brought into the front courtyard of the Chen Mansion, where members of the Chen Family who had rushed over upon hearing the news had already gathered.

Chen Jing stood in the center, his expression grave. Chen Yuqing stood slightly behind him, her brows knitted tightly, her gaze on Chen Yue carrying a mix of scrutiny and a hint of imperceptible doubt.

"Chen Yue, what exactly happened? Tell us everything, and don’t hide any details!" Chen Jing said in a deep voice, his sharp gaze fixed on Chen Yue.

Facing the crowd, Chen Yue took a few deep breaths before beginning his story, his voice trembling with lingering fear:

"Reporting to the Patriarch, I was in the Alchemy Room this evening studying a Pill Formula when I suddenly heard a strange noise outside the courtyard. Then, someone kicked down my door! In my panic, I broke through the window to escape and ran for my life toward the outer alley..."

"Why didn’t you run toward the pharmacy guards’ station?"

Chen Yuqing suddenly interrupted. "The guardhouse is just east of your courtyard. You should know that."

A panicked and frightened expression appeared on Chen Yue’s face as he shook his head repeatedly. "I-I was scared stiff. All I could think about was getting as far away from those intruders as possible. Besides, they were blocking the path to the guardhouse. I had no choice but to run west, toward the area with more alleys..."

"Then how did you escape?" Chen Jing asked, his eyes filled with probing curiosity.

’Intruders who could sneak into the pharmacy undetected and go straight for Chen Yue were clearly not amateurs. With Chen Yue’s Skin Refining Realm cultivation, could he really have escaped from a prepared enemy?’

Chen Yue shook his head blankly, his face a mask of lingering fear and confusion. "I don’t know either. The intruders were right behind me. Later, I ran into an alley with many forks. Just as I was about to turn a corner, I suddenly heard the sounds of a fight and screams behind me."

"I didn’t dare to look back. I ran further away, took the chance to climb into a nearby courtyard, and hid there. I only dared to come out after everything went quiet outside, and then I stumbled all the way here..."

"Someone intercepted them midway?" Chen Yuqing’s frown deepened.

"Maybe... I guess so. But I didn’t dare to look," Chen Yue said with a bitter smile. The color had yet to return to his face, and the fear in his eyes did not seem fake.

The members of the Chen Family exchanged glances. Chen Yue’s story seemed plausible on the surface, but upon closer inspection, it was full of suspicious details.

Then again, the fact that the intruders had ignored the more skilled Lin Quan and instead targeted Chen Yue, who could only just refine the Blood Circulation Pill, was already very strange in itself.

Chen Jing stared at Chen Yue with a profound gaze, as if trying to read something on his face.

"You’ve had a scare. Are you injured?" Chen Jing’s tone softened.

"Thank you for your concern, Patriarch. Just some scrapes, nothing serious," Chen Yue said in a low voice.

"Mm,"

Chen Jing nodded and gave an order to a person beside him. "Someone, take Chen the Pill Master to rest. Find a doctor to check on him, and prepare some calming medicinal soup."

"Yes, sir." A servant immediately came forward and respectfully led Chen Yue away from the front courtyard toward a prepared guest room.

Once Chen Yue’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, the atmosphere in the front courtyard grew heavy again.

"What are your thoughts?" Chen Jing asked, scanning the crowd.

A steward stroked his beard and mused, "This matter is quite bizarre. The intruders had a clear target, going straight for Chen Yue, only to be intercepted just as they were about to succeed? Could it be a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?"

"One can’t find any major flaws in Chen Yue’s testimony. It’s just... being saved by someone who happened to be there is a little too convenient," said another steward.

Chen Jing looked at the silent Chen Yuqing. "Yuqing, what do you think? You’ve had the most contact with him."

Chen Yuqing raised her head, her gaze still fixed in the direction Chen Yue had left. She spoke slowly, "Uncle, I also find this matter full of doubt, but I can’t quite see the truth of it yet."

"However, with Huichun Hall being attacked repeatedly, I suggest we immediately move Master Lin and Chen Yue into the mansion. First, it will ensure their safety and the supply of elixirs. Second, we can keep a closer watch on them."

Chen Jing nodded slowly. Chen Yuqing’s suggestion was the most prudent course of action at the moment.

’He had already investigated Chen Yue’s background. His parents died long ago, leaving him alone. He started as an apprentice at Huichun Hall; his origins couldn’t be cleaner. Perhaps he really was just lucky tonight, and the intruders had some sort of internal conflict?’

However, just as he was about to give the order, a guard rushed into the front courtyard, his voice trembling slightly. "Patriarch! Terrible news! Leader Li Lie... he’s been found dead in Willow Lane in the west of the city!"

"What!"

"Li Lie is dead?"

The front courtyard erupted in an uproar. Li Lie was one of the Chen Family’s most capable men. How could he be dead?

The color instantly drained from Chen Yuqing’s beautiful face, and a flicker of fear crossed her eyes. She had delayed returning to the pharmacy precisely because she had felt a vague sense of unease, worried that something else might have happened there.

And as it turned out, something truly had happened!