Chapter 73: The Local Tiger

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: The Local Tiger

「Meanwhile, outside Youlin County.」

Wei Chi, who had lost Shen Dujiang, finally found the area where Chen Yue had fiercely battled Gu Yiqiu and Guo Xun.

The bleak moonlight illuminated two bodies lying in the wilderness.

Wei Chi’s heart seized, and he cautiously approached to investigate.

When he saw Gu Yiqiu’s shattered palm and caved-in chest, as well as the fatal fist print on Guo Xun’s torso, a tremor ran through him, and his face filled with disbelief.

The bodies were cold, their deaths gruesome. But the young man in the conical hat and mask was nowhere to be found.

He couldn’t understand it. ’Elder Gu clearly had the upper hand, hunting his target down. How could the roles of hunter and prey have reversed so completely in the blink of an eye, leading to such a brutal end?’

Not daring to linger, Wei Chi suppressed the turmoil in his heart and rushed toward a secret manor stronghold outside Youlin County, carrying the bodies of Gu Yiqiu and Guo Xun.

...

Deep within the manor, in a brightly lit room.

Han Yizhou stood before the window, hands clasped behind his back, his brow slightly furrowed. A faint unease stirred within him.

’Gu Yiqiu personally led the team to capture a black market Alchemy Master and a local thug. It should have been an easy job, so why haven’t they returned?’

Just then, rushed and panicked footsteps sounded from outside the room.

Han Yizhou spun around. The door flew open, and Wei Chi rushed in. He was carrying two long, hastily wrapped bundles on his shoulders, which he immediately set down.

The cloth fell away, revealing the corpses of Gu Yiqiu and Guo Xun.

"Elder Gu! Guo Xun!"

Han Yizhou’s pupils contracted. He lunged forward, crouching to examine the bodies closely.

As he saw Gu Yiqiu’s shattered right palm and the place where his spine had been snapped through his chest, a wave of uncontrollable rage mixed with icy shock surged through him.

"What happened?! Who did this?!" Han Yizhou shot to his feet, practically bristling with fury. Killing intent boiled in his eyes, and his voice was low and hoarse with rage.

’A Marrow Refining Realm expert! He was a crucial pillar for Youquan Prefecture in Youlin County, and he just died an ignominious death like this?’

Standing to the side, Wei Chi haltingly recounted the night’s events. He, too, couldn’t understand how Elder Gu, who had held the absolute advantage, could have met such a fate.

As Han Yizhou listened to Wei Chi’s account, his expression shifted unpredictably. His gaze darted between the corpses of Gu Yiqiu and Guo Xun as a thousand thoughts raced through his mind.

’He simply couldn’t accept it. A Marrow Refining Realm expert, accompanied by two skilled Bone Forging Realm practitioners, had actually been utterly defeated in a remote place like Youlin County!’

’It was utterly preposterous! Who in the world were those two from the black market?!’

Just then, a set of heavy footsteps sounded from outside. The man who entered was in his fifties, with a gaunt face. He wore a dark blue robe similar to Gu Yiqiu’s, though the embroidery was slightly different.

It was Lu Jingting, Youquan Prefecture’s other Marrow Refining Realm expert stationed in Youlin County.

He had sensed an unusual disturbance within the manor and had come to investigate. The moment he stepped inside, his gaze fell on Gu Yiqiu’s corpse, and he stopped short.

"Gu?"

Lu Jingting strode forward and crouched to examine Gu Yiqiu’s injuries, his expression growing darker the longer he looked. ’Just last night, we were drinking together, planning our next move. Who would have thought this is how we’d meet again?’

He slowly rose and looked at Han Yizhou, his voice bone-chillingly cold. "Who did this?"

Han Yizhou took a deep breath and said gravely, "It was the same two black market scoundrels who killed Cheng Ziqian and Yuan Tiansu. We suspect it was the Alchemy Master..."

"Black market scoundrels? An Alchemy Master?"

Lu Jingting’s brow furrowed, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"In a tiny place like Youlin County, where would you find an expert capable of killing someone in the Marrow Refining Realm? This is too suspicious! Could the Divine Flame Cult have set this up, using the black market scoundrels as a front to clip our wings and take Youlin County for themselves?"

The speculation struck Han Yizhou like a clap of thunder.

His eyes flickered. Indeed, it was a definite possibility.

’Although the Divine Flame Cult is our partner, we’re also rivals, always on guard against each other. Helping us search for the black market scoundrels could have been just a pretense to set up a death trap!’

’If that’s the case, then the Divine Flame Cult is truly despicable!’

"But..."

Han Yizhou paused to think. "Lu, you know Elder Gu’s Body Technique. I doubt the two experts from the Divine Flame Cult here in Youlin County could have stopped him if he was determined to escape."

Hearing this, Lu Jingting’s brow furrowed even more deeply.

He crouched down again, this time examining the body with even greater care.

He examined Gu Yiqiu’s shattered palm, probed the fatal wound on his chest, and even lifted his leg to inspect it. There were no signs of poison, and the bones in his legs were intact, meaning his Body Technique hadn’t been restricted.

Furthermore, judging from the injuries, Gu Yiqiu’s right palm had been shattered in a head-on clash of immense force. His spine had been broken by an incredibly ferocious fist technique that penetrated his chest and snapped it clean in two.

This was a complete domination of power. He had been brutally crushed in a direct confrontation by an opponent with far superior strength!

"Whoever killed Gu used ferocious, overwhelming force. They must be an expert in powerful, hard-style fist and palm techniques. And it was very likely the work of a single person."

Lu Jingting slowly stood up, his tone grave. "The Divine Flame Cult certainly has people capable of this. But as far as I know, any expert with this level of power who also specializes in such a ferocious fighting style is definitely not in Youlin County right now."

Han Yizhou’s brow tightened. ’If it wasn’t the Divine Flame Cult, then it means this hunting ground—Youlin County, which we considered as good as ours—is hiding a local powerhouse capable of devouring a Marrow Refining Realm expert!’

’This was even more unsettling than the Divine Flame Cult setting a trap, because the unknown carried far greater uncertainty and risk.’

"If there really is such an expert in Youlin County..."

Han Yizhou’s voice was hoarse. "Many of our plans for the upcoming operation will have to be re-evaluated, and we may even need to change them entirely."

Lu Jingting nodded, a flicker of worry in his eyes.

"This person was able to kill Gu, so he must be one of the top experts in the Marrow Refining Realm at the very least. He might even be on the cusp of the Refining Organ Realm. His presence adds a huge variable to our plans.

To be safe, shouldn’t we request reinforcements from the Prefecture immediately and have more experts dispatched? With Gu’s death, our forces in Youlin County are now considerably weaker than the Divine Flame Cult’s."

"Dispatching more experts is a must."

Han Yizhou nodded, but his expression was troubled. "It’s just that all our Marrow Refining Realm experts are on assignment elsewhere. Transferring them will take time. As for a Steward at the Refining Organ Realm..."

Given the importance of this operation, I’m afraid it doesn’t warrant the Prefecture sending a powerhouse of that caliber in person. They have more critical missions. However, I will do my best to report this turn of events to our superiors and try to request reinforcements."

Lu Jingting listened and nodded silently, knowing Han Yizhou was speaking the truth.

’Why would a Refining Organ Realm expert be deployed so easily for an operation at a mere county-level stronghold?’

His gaze returned to Gu Yiqiu’s cold face on the floor, his expression grave.

’If he had been the one leading the team tonight instead of Gu Yiqiu, what would have happened? Would he have made it back alive?’